Dich I'hiestich Johannes
1 35
14-. Hui ol llie prineypalle yles nml ol bis eslale and of liis lawe, i schalletolle /,ou soin parlye. Io. Ibis emperour preslre John iscristene; and a grel[lartie ol liis conlree also: Inil jfil lliei have not alle llie arlicles ol öure feyllie,as v\ee have. lliei heloven nn ci in the ladre, in Ihc sone and in the liolygost. and lliei ben fülle devoule, and riglile trewe on lo anoliior. And llieiseile not he no barelles, ne by cawteles, ne of no diseeyles. 10. And lie' him 72 provynces, and in every ]irovynee is a kyng. And theise
kynges han kynges und re lieni; and alle ben Iribularies lo preslre John. Andhe halbe in bis lordschipes niany grele marvcyles. 17. For in bis conlree,is the see llial men clcpen llie gravely sec, thal is alle graveile and sond,willi oulen ony drope of watre : and il elibethe and llowclhe in grele wawes,as olher sees don: and il is never stille ne in pes, in no mauer cesoun.18. And no man may passe llial see ho navyc, ne be no maner of crafl: andIhcrlore may no man knowe, wlial lond is bc^ond llial see. 1«. And allebe il llial il have no vvalre, 7,il men fynden there in and on llie bankes, lullegodo fissche of olher maner of kynde and schappc, ihanne men fynden in onyolher sec; and lliei ben of right goode last, and delycious lo mannes meto.
20. And a 3 iournevs long fro llial see, ben grel mounlaynes; oul of lliewliiehe gollie oul a grel (lood, llial comelhe oul of paradys: and il is lulle ofprecious slones, willi outen ony drope of water: and il rennelhe ihorghe thedeserl, on llial o syde; so llial il makethe the see. gravely: and il bcrclhe inlo llial see, and liiere it endclhc. 21. And llial llöme rennelhe also, 3 dayesin llie woke, and bryngelhe willi him grele slones, and the roches also tliere-willi, and llial grel plenlee. And anon as lliei ben entred in lo llie gravelysee, lliei ben seyn no more; bul lost for evere more. 22. And in llio 3 dayes,llial llial ryvere rennethe, no man dar entren in lo il: bul in llie olher dayes,men dar entren wel y now. 23. Also beende llial flöme, more u]nvard lollie deserles, is a grel pleyn alle gravelly belwene llie mounlaynes: and inllial playn, every day al llie sonne risynge, begvnnen lo growe smalc trees;and lliei growen lil mydday, berynge frute: bul no man dar laken ol (hatfrule; for il is a thing of fayrye. Änd aftre mydday, lliei discrecen andentren a/,en in lo llie erllie; so llial al the goynge doun of Ihe sonne, llieiapperen no more: and so lliei don every day; and llial is a grel niarvayllc.
2-i. ln llial deserl ben niany wylde men, llial ben hidouse lo loken on:for lliei ben horned; and lliei speken nouglil, bul lliei gronlen, as pygges.And liiere is also grel plenlee of wylde houndes. 25. And Ihere ben manyepopegayes, thal lliei clepen psilakes in hire langage: and lliei speken ol Ihrepropre nature, and salven men llial gon Ihorghe the desertes, and speken lohem as apperlely, as llioughe il were a man. 26. And lliei Ihat speken wel,han a large longe, and han 5 loos upon a fole. And there ben also of olhermanere, llial han lnit 3 loos upon a lote; and lliei speken not, or bul litille:for lliei cone not but cryen.
27. This emperour preslre John, whan he gollie in lo ballayle, a^enslony 7 olher lord, he halbe no baneres born before liim : bul he halbe 3 *j ciosses
i) Das ist ein Fehler der Ueberlieferung für 13.