The Travels of Sir John Mandeville

tantinople, and of

tinople. And there lieth also Saint Luke the Evangelist: for his bones were brought from Bethany, where he was buried. And many other relics be there. And there is the vessel of s

Constantinople; and some men call it the Brace of Saint George: and that arm closeth the two parts of the city. And upward to the sea, upon the water, was wont to be

at is to say, Turcople, Pyncynard, Comange, and many other, as Thrace and Macedonia, of the which Alexander was king. In this country was Aristotle born, in a city that men clepe Stagyra, a little from the city of Thrace. And at Stagyra lieth Aristotle; and there is a

igh, that it passeth the clouds. And there is another hill, that is clept Athos, that is so high, that the shadow of him reacheth to Lemne, that is an isle; and it is s

so dry. And above, in the dust and in the powder of those hills, they wrote letters and figures with their fingers. And at the year's end they came again, and found the same

for other plays and desports. And it is made with stages, and hath degrees about, that every man may well see, and none

f gold; and thereon was written, in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, letters that said thus; Jesu Christus nascetur de Virgine Maria, et ego credo in eum; that is to say, 'Jesu Christ shall be born of the Virgin Mary, and I

hurch of Rome, ne to the Pope. And they say that their Patriarch hath as much power over the sea, as the Pope hath on this side the sea. And therefore Pope John xxii. sent letters to them, how Christian f

s. Avaritiam tuam summam satiare non intendimus. Dominus tecum; quia Dominus nobiscum est. That is to say: 'We trow well, that thy power is great upon thy subjects. We may not

ar, and give it to sick men, instead of God's body. And they make but one unction, when they christen children. And they anoint not the sick men. And they say that there is no Purgatory, and that souls shall not have neither joy ne pain till the day

h. And so do men in other places: God amend it when his will is! And that is great s

no time of the year, but it be Christmas Even or Easter Even. And they suffer not the Latins to sing at their altars; and if they do, by

they say that we sin deadly in eating of beasts that were forbidden in the Old Testament, and of the old Law, as swine, hares and other beasts, that chew not their cud. And they say that we sin, when

and giveth the dignities and the benefices of churches and depriveth them that be unworthy

ey clepe them there amongst them: Alpha, Betha, Gama, Deltha, εlonge, ε brevis, Epilmon, Thetha, Iota

ties of countries. And for this is the first country that is discordant in faith and in belief, and varieth from our faith, on this half the sea, therefore I have s