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was made partly from hearsay, and partly from his own observation. It is entitled, "The Voyage and Travels of sir John Mandeville, knight, which treateth of the way to Hierusaleme, and of the marvels of Ind, with other Islands and Countries."

As extracts from this ancient traveller will be read more for amusement than information, my object has been to select the marvellous rather than the true.

The following introductory passage, from his prologue, mentions generally the countries he had visited; and gives the reader an idea of what he is to expect from the perusal of his work :

And for as much as it is long time passed, that there was no general passage ne voyage over the sea; and many men desire to hear speak of the Holy Land, and han* thereof great solace and comfort; I John Mandeville, knight, albeit I be not worthy, that was born in England, in the town of St. Albans, passed the sea, in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ 1322, in the day of St. Michael; and hitherto have been long time over the sea, and have seen and gone through many divers lands, and many

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provinces and kingdoms and isles, and have passed through Tatary, Persia, Ermonye1 the Little and the Great; through Lybia, Chaldea, and a great part of Ethiopia; through Amazonia, Ind the Less and the More, a great part; and throughout many other isles that ben about Ind; where dwell many divers folks, and of divers manners and laws, and of divers shapes of men. Of which lands and isles I shall speak more plainly hereafter. And I shall devise you some part of things that there ben when time shall ben3, after it may best come to my mind; and specially for them, that will and are in purpose for to visit the holy city of Jerusalem, and the holy places that are thereabout. And I shall tell the way that they should hold thither: for I have oftentimes passed and ridden the way, with good company of many lords, God be thanked.

And ye should understand that I have put this book out of Latin into French, and translated it again out of French into English, that every man of my nation may understand it. But lords and knights and other noble and worthy men, that conne1 Latin but little, and han ben beyond the sea, know and understand, if I err in devising, for forgetting, or else; that they may redress it and amend it. For things passed out of long time from a man's mind, or from his sight, turn one into forgetting: because that mind

1 Armenia. 2 are. 3 be. 4 know. • have been.

of man ne1 may not ben comprehended ne3 withheld, for the frailty of mankind.

Of Hippocras's daughter transformed from a woman to a dragon.

Some men say that in the isle of Lango3 is yet the daughter of Hippocras, in form and likeness of a great dragon, that is an hundred fathoms of length, as men say; for I have not seen her

And they of the isles

And she lieth in an

call her the Lady of the Land. old castle, in a cave, and sheweth twice or thrice in the year, and she doth none harm to no man, but if3 men do her harm. And she was thus changed and transformed, from a fair damsel into likeness of a dragon, by a goddess that was clept Deane. And men say, that she shall so endure in the form of a dragon, unto the time that a knight come, that is so hardy, that dare come to her and kiss her on the mouth and then shall she turn again to her own kind, and be a woman again; but after that she shall not live long. And it is not long sithen that a knight of the Rhodes, that was hardy and doughty in arms, said that he would kiss her. And when he was upon

1 neither. 2 be. 5 unless.

3 nor. 4 An island not far from Crete, 7 since.

called Diana.

his courser, and went to the castle, and entered into the cave, the dragon lift up her head against him. And when the knight saw her in that form so hideous and so horrible, he flew away. And the dragon bare the knight upon a rock, maugre his hede'; and from this rock she cast him into the sea; and so was lost both horse and man. And also a young man, that wist not of the dragon, went out of a ship, and went through the isle, till that he came to the castle and came into the cave; and went so long, till that he found a chamber, and there he saw a damsel, that kembed her head, and looked in a mirror; and she had much treasure about her; and he trowed that she had been a common woman, that dwelled there to receive men to folly. And he abode till the damsel saw the shadow of him in the mirror. And she turned her toward him, and asked him what he would? And he said he would be her lemman, or paramour. And she asked him, if that he were a knight. And he said, Nay. And then she said, that he might not be her lemman; but she bad him go again unto his fellows, and make him a knight, and come again upon the morrow, and she should come out of the cave before him; and then come and kiss her on the mouth and have no dread: for I shall do thee no manner harm, albeit that thou

1 in spite of his heed, i. e. care or caution.

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see me in likeness of a dragon.

For though thou see me hideous and horrible to look on, I do thee to wytene', that it is made be enchantment: for without doubt, I am none other than thou seest now, a woman; and therefore dread thee nought. And if thou kiss me thou shalt have all this treasure, and be my lord, and lord also of all that isle. And he departed from her and went to his fellows to the ship, and let make him knight, and came again upon the morrow, for to kiss this damsel. And when he saw her come out of the cave, in form of a dragon, so hideous and so horrible, he had so great dread, that he flew again to the ship, and she followed him. And when she saw that he turned not again, she began to cry as a thing that had much sorrow: and then she turned again into her cave; and anon the knight died. And sithen hitherwards, might no knight see her, but that he died anon, But when a knight cometh, that is so hardy to kiss her, he shall not die; but he shall turn the damsel into her right form and kindly shape, and he shall be lord of all the countries and isles above-said.

Of the devil's head in the Valley Perilous.

Beside that isle of Mistorak, upon the left side, nigh to the river Phison, is a marvellous thing. 1 I give thee to understand.

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