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Account of the Voiage and Travaile of Sir John Maundeville, Knyghte.*

SIR JOHN MAUNDEVILLE was one of those chivalrous characters who overpassed, even in a romantic age, the common bounds of enterprize in quest of adventure or experience. He manifestly possessed an extraordinary mental constitution, and its prominent features appear on every page of his Itinerary. His spirit was ardent, credulous, enthusiastic. A concise but interesting notice of his Life, including remarks on his communications, is prefixed to this valuable and well-executed Reprint of his "Voiage and Travaile" by his editors. He was born at St. Alban's about the beginning of the fourteenth century; and, after completing a liberal education in literature, languages, philosophy and physic, he set out on his travels from which he did not return till after the long period of thirty-four years. Towards the end of his active life, he went to Liege where he died in the year 1371: he was buried there in the " Abbie of the Order of the Guelielmites," and a monument with a descriptive epitaph was erected in that church to the memory of our celebrated countryman.

Scholars, collectors and other lovers of ancient Book-lore, owe a large amount of gratitude to Mr. Lumley, the intelligent and very spirited Publisher of Sir John Maundeville's extraordinary production. For more than a century the editions of 1725 and 1727 were the most esteemed of all others in the English language; but thanks to modern enterprize here so happily exemplified, the present Reprint excels its predecessors, in the distinctness of its typography, and in the number and beauty of its graphic illustrations. We too have sincere pleasure in acknowledging our extreme obligation to the same liberal Bibliopolist for the use of those wood-cuts by which the importance of this article is essentially enhanced.

Sir John Maundeville enters on his curious narrative with a "Prologue," wherein he enumerates the objects of his various peregrinations, and specifies the design for which the history of his " travailes" was compiled. In the vernacular language of our ancestors, in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, he states that

• The Voiage and Travaile of Sir John Maundeville, Knt. which treateth of the Way to Hierusalem; and of marvayles of Ynde, with other Ilands and Countryes: reprinted from the edition of A.D. 1725; with an introduction, additional notes, and a glossary, by J. O. Halliwell, Esq. F.S.A. F.R.A.S.; pp. xii, 325, London, 1839: published by Edward Lumley, 56, Chancery Lane, with a Frontispiece, title-vignette, and seventy fac-similes of the ancient wood-cuts.

"For als moche as it is longe tyme passed that there was no generalle Passage ne Vyage over the See; and many Men desiren for to here speke of the holy Lond, and han thereof gret solace and comfort; I John Maundevylle, Knyght, alle be it I be not worthi, that was born in Englond, in the Town of Seynt Albones, passed the See, in the Zeer of our Lord Jesu Crist MCCCXXII, in the Day of Seynt Michelle: and hidre to have ben longe tyme over the See, and have seyn and gon thorghe manye diverse Londes, and many Provynces and Kingdomes and Iles, and have passed thorghe Tartarye, Percye, Ermonye, the litylle and the grete; thorghe Lybye, Caldee, and a gret partie of Ethiope; thorghe Amazoyne, Inde the lasse and the more, a gret partie; and thorghe out manye othere Iles that ben abouten Inde, where dwellen many dyverse Folkes, and of dyverse Maneres and Lawes, and of dyverse Schappes of Men. Of whiche Londes and Iles, I schalle speke more playnly hereaftre. And I schalle devise zou sum partie of thinges that there ben, whan time schalle ben, aftre it may best come to my minde; and specyally for hem that wylle and are in purpos for to visit the Holy Citee of Jerusalem and the holy Places that are thereaboute. And I schalle telle the Weye that thei schulle holden thidre. For I have often tymes passed and ryden the way, with gode Companye of many Lordes: God be thonked. And zee schulle undirstonde, that I have put this Boke out of Latyn into Frensche, and translated it azen out of Frenche into Englyssche, that every man of my Nacioun may undirstonde it. But Lordes and knyghtes and othere noble and worthi Men that conne Latyn but litylle, and have been bezonde the See, knowen and undirstonden, zif I erre in de visynge, for forzetynge, or elles; that thei mowe redresse it and amende it. For things passed out of longe tyme from a Mannes mynde or from his syght, turnen sone into forzetynge: Because that Mynde of Man ne may not ben comprehended ne witheholden, for the Freeltee of Mankynde."

With the enthusiasm and devotion of an unsophisticated papist, Sir John proceeds to "teche zou the Weye out of Englond to Costantinoble," and his itinerary is sufficiently precise, if not entertaining; it finishes with an account of the "Ymage of Justynyan the Emperour," accompanied with a lively graphic illustration. The traveller's next theme is "the Crosse and the Croune of oure Lord Jesu Crist, and his Cote withouten Semes, and the Spounge, and the Reed, of the which the Jewes zaven our Lord Eyselle and Galle ;" and, on each of these venerable articles, he discourses with pathetic and circumstantial eloquence. His description of "the Cytee of Costantynoble and of the Feithe of the Grekis," evinces the closeness of his observation, and the extent of his acquaintance with the practices of the Greek church. He allows that "Men of Grece ben Cristene, zit they varien from oure Feithe;" and for this distinction, he adduces very copious and abundantly cogent reasons. For, he says,

"Thei are not obedyent to the Chirche of Rome, ne to the Pope. And thei seyn that here Patriark hath as meche Power over the See as the Pope hathe on this syde the See. And therfore Pope Johne the 22nd sende Lettres to hem, how Cristene Feithe scholde ben alle on; and that thei scholde ben obedyent to the Pope that is Goddis Vacrie on Erthe, to whom God zaf his pleyn Power for to bynde and to assoill. And thei senten azen dyverse Answeres; and amonges othere, thei seyden thus We trowe wel that thi Power is gret upon the Subgettes. We mai not suffre thin highe_Pryde. We ben not in purpos to fulfille thi great Covetyse. Lord be with The; For oure Lord is with us. Fare Welle.""

Sir John concludes this chapter of his pilgrimage, with a sight of the Geeek "A B C, what Lettres thei ben, with the names that thei clepen them;" and he observes apologetically for his details, "alle be it that theise touchen not to o way, nevertheless thei touchen to that that I have hight zou, to schewe zou a partie of Custumes and Maneres, and dyversitees of Contrees. For many Men have gret lykyne to here speke of straunge thinges of dyverse contreyes."

Our communicative journeyer enlivens "the Weye fro Costantynoble to Jerusalem" with a view of the "Tombe of Seynt John, in the whiche is noughte but Manna that is clept Aungeles Mete," and the the episode of "the Doughtre of Ypocras," with a due portion of topographical speculation. We transcribe this episode for the gratification of our kind friends, who promise a reasonable share of advantage to the ANALYST, from the occasional introduction of an essay in "Light Reading :" and here it follows.

From Crete "passen Men thorghe_the Ile of Colos, of the whiche Iles Ypocras was Lord offe. And some Men seyn that in this Ile is zit the Doughtre of Ypocras in forme and lykenesse of a gret Dragoun that is an hundred Fadme of lengthe, as Men seyn, for I have not seen hire. And thei of the Iles callen hire the Lady of the Lond. And sche lyethe in an old Castelle in a Cave, and scheweth twyes or thryes in the Zeer. And sche dothe non harm to no Man, but zif Men don hire harm. And sche was thus chaunged and transformed from a fair Damysele into lykenesse of a Dragoun be a goddesse that was clept Deane. And Men seyn that sche schalle so endure in that forme of a Dragoun unto the tyme that a knyghte come that is so hardy that dar come to hire and kisse hire on the Mouthe: And then schalle sche turne azen to hire owne Kynde, and ben a Woman azen; But aftre that sche schalle not liven longe. And it is not longe sith then that a kynghte of the Rodes that was hardy and doughty in Armes, seyde that he wolde kyssen hire. And whan he was upon his Coursere, and wente to the Castelle, and entred in to the Cave, the Dragoun lifte up hire Hed azenst him. And whan the knyghte saw hire in that forme so hidous and so horrible, he fleyghe awey. And the Dragoun bare tho knyghte upon a Roche, mawgre his Hede; and from that Roche sche caste him in to the See; and so was lost bothe Hors and Man. And also a zonge Man, that wiste not of the Dragoun, wente out of a Schipp, and wente thorghe the Ile till that he come to the Castelle and cam into the Cave, and wente so longe til that he fond a Chambre, and there he saughe a Damysele that kembed hire Hede and lokede in a Myrour; and sche hadde meche Tresoure abouten hire: and he trowed that sche hadde ben a comoun Woman that dwelled there to resceyve Men to Folye. And he abode till the Damysele saughe the Schadewe of him in the Myrour. And sche turned hire toward him, and asked him what he wolde. And he seyde, he wolde ben hire Limman or Paramour. And sche asked him zif that he were a knyghte. And he seyde nay. And then sche seyde that he myghte not ben hire Lemman. But sche bad him gon azen unto his Felowes and make him knyghte, and come azen on the Morwe, and sche scholde come out of the Cave before him, and thanne come and kysse hire on the Mowthe, and have no Drede; for I schalle do the no maner harm, alle be it that thou see me in Lykenesse of a Dragoun. For thoughe thou see me hidouse and horrible to loken onne, I do the to wytene that it is made be enchantment. For withouten doute I am non other than that thou seest now, a Woman; and therfore drede the noughte. And zif thou kysse me, thou schalt have alle this Tresoure and be my Lord, and Lord also of alle that Ile. And he departed fro hire and wente to his 20 VOL. X., NO. XXVIII.

Felowes, and cam azen upon the Morwe for to kisse this Damysele. And whan he saughe hire comen out of the Cave, in forme of a Dragoun, so hi

douse and so horrible, he hadde so gret drede that he fleyghe azen to the schippe; and sche folewed him. And whan sche saughe that he turned not azen, sche began to crye as a thing that hadde meche Sorwe: and thanne sche turned azen in to hire Cave; and anon the knyghte dyede. And sith then hidrewards myghte no knyghte se hire but that he dyede anon. But whan a knyghte comethe that is so hardy to kisse hire, he schalle not dye, but he schalle turne the Damysele in to hire righte Forme and kyndely Schapp, and he schalle be Lord of alle the Contreyes and Iles aboveseyd."

Pilgrims journeying to Jerusalem would find a useful " guide-book" in the Knyghte's Voiage to the Londe bezond the See, for he carefully directs "Men," by miles and land-marks and marvels, how to visit and view the "cytees of Rodes, Cipre, Thire, Sarphen, Sydon, Akoun, Gaza, Cesaire, Ascolonge, Jaffe," and thence to the holy city. For the generous purpose of creating amusement by the way, be describes a "Fosse, the which is 100 Cubytes of largenesse, and alle fulle of Gravelle schynynge brighte, of the whiche men maken fair Verres and clere: and men comen fro fer for to fetten of that Gravelle; and thoughe there be nevere so moche taken awey there of on the day at Morwe it is as fulle azen as evere it was. There is everemore gret Wynd in that Fosse that stereth everemore the Gravelle, and makethe it trouble: and zif ony Man do thereinne ony maner Metalle it turneth anon to Glasse; and the Glasse that is made of that Gravelle, zif it be don azen in to the Gravelle, it turnethe anon in to Gravelle as it was first, and therfore somme Men seyn

that it is a sweloghe of the gravely See." Now truly, as Sir John says, this "is a gret mervaille," and may have proved e good inducement with our generous Bibliopole to represent the process in a bold graphic illustration. This is accompanied by another in which Sampson appears exerting his strength to make a great halle falle upon the Philistienes the whiche had put out his Eyen, and schaven his Hed, enprisound him be Tresoun of Dalida his paramour.

Our "Travailere's" account of Cyprus would be duly appreciated in the days of his pilgrimage. He delineates the geography and ecclesiastical institutions of this island, without omitting notes on "Dismas the gode Theef," and on some of the earlier "seynts" who, it seems, were either born or buried in this happy country. They of this "Londe" have a rather singular domestic custom: at meals, "they had lever sythen in the erthe than setten formes and tables." We are informed that here it is the manere of Lordis and alle othere men to eten on the erthe; for they make dyches in the erthe alle aboute in the halle depe to the knee and thei do pave hem, and whan thei wil ete thei gou there in and sytten here; and the skylle is, for thei may ben the more fressche, for that londe is meche more hotter than it is here." Field-sports, in Sir John's time, were not neglected by the Cyprian squires: for they, he relates, hunten with Papyonns that ben lyche Lepardes, and they taken wylde bestes righte welle, and thei ben somdelle more than Lyouns, and thei taken more scharpely the bestes and more delyverly than don Houndes. While the fancier of word-lore may be exercising his ingenuity on the Papyann, we submit a figure of this clever animal to the attention of practical zoologists.