for thei seye not but only that, that the apostles seyden, as oure lord taughte hem: righte as seynt peter and seynt thomas and the other apostles songen the messe, seyenge the pater-noster, and the wordes of the sacrement. but wee have many mo addiciouns, that dyverse popes han made, that thei ne knowe not offe; of the hilles of gold, that pissemyres kepen: and of the 4 flodes, that comen fro paradys terrestre. [sidenote: cap. xxx.] toward the est partye of prestre johnes lond, is an yle gode an gret, that men clepen taprobane, that is fulle noble and fulle fructuous: and the kyng thereof is fulle ryche, and is undre the obeyssance of prestre john. and alle weys there thei make hire king be eleccyoun. in that ile ben 2 someres and 2 wyntres; and men harvesten the corn twyes a zeer. and in alle the cesouns of the zeer ben the gardynes florisht. there dwellen gode folke and resonable, and manye cristene men amonges hem, that ben so riche, that thei wyte not what to done with hire godes. of olde tyme, whan men passed from the lond of prestre john unto that yle, men maden ordynance for to passe by schippe, 23 dayes or more: but now men passen by schippe in 7 dayes. and men may see the botme of the see in many places: for it is not fulle depe. besyde that yle, toward the est, ben 2 other yles: and men clepen that on orille, and that other argyte; of the whiche alle the lond is myne of gold and sylver. and tho yles ben right where that the rede see departethe fro the see occean. and in tho yles men seen ther no sterres so clerly as in other places: for there apperen no sterres, but only o clere sterre, that men clepen canapos. and there is not the mone seyn in alle the lunacioun, saf only the seconde quarteroun. in the yle also of this taprobane ben gret hilles of gold, that pissemyres kepen fulle diligently. and thei fynen the pured gold, and casten away the unpured. and theise pissemyres ben gret as houndes: so that no man dar come to tho hilles: for the pissemyres wolde assaylen hem and devouren hem anon; so that no man may gete of that gold, but be gret sleighte. and therfore whan it is gret hete, the pissemyres resten hem in the erthe, from pryme of the day in to noon: and than the folk of the con tree taken camayles, dromedaries and hors and other bestes and gon thidre, and chargen hem in alle haste that thei may. and aftre that thei fleen away, in alle haste that the bestes may go, or the pissemyres comen out of the erthe. and in other tymes, whan it is not so hote, and that he pissemyres ne resten hem not in the erthe, than thei geten gold be this sotyltee: thei taken mares, that han zonge coltes or foles, and leyn upon the mares voyde vesselles made therfore; and thei ben alle open aboven, and hangynge lowe to the erthe: and thanne thei sende forth tho mares for to pasturen aboute the hilles, and with holden the foles with hem at home. and whan the pissemyres sen tho vesselles, thei lepen in anon, and thei han this kynde, that thei lete no thing ben empty among hem, but anon thei fillen it, be it what maner of thing that it be: and so thei fillen tho vesselles with gold. and whan that the folk supposen, that the vesselle ben fulle, thei putten forthe anon the zonge foles, and maken hem to nyzen aftre hire dames; and than anon the mares retornen towardes hire foles, with hire charges of gold; and than men dischargen hem, and geten gold y now be this sotyltee. for the pissemyres wole suffren bestes to gon and pasturen amonges hem; but no man in no wyse. and bezonde the lond and the yles and the desertes of prestre johnes lordschipe, in goynge streyght toward the est, men fynde nothing but mountaynes and roches fulle grete: and there is the derke regyoun, where no man may see, nouther be day ne be nyght, as thei of the contree seyn. and that desert, and that place of derknesse, duren fro this cost unto paradys terrestre; where that adam oure foremost fader, and eve weren putt, that dwelleden there but lytylle while; and that is towards the est, at the begynnynge of the erthe. but that is not that est, that wee clep oure est, on this half, where the sonne risethe to us: for whenne the sonne is est in tho partyes, toward paradys terrestre, it is thanne mydnyght in oure parties o this half, for the rowndenesse of the erthe, of the whiche i have towched to zou before. for oure lord god made the erthe alle round, in the mydde place of the firmament. and there as mountaynes and hilles ben, and valeyes, that is not but only of noes flode, that wasted the softe ground and the tendre, and felle doun into valeyes: and the harde erthe, and the roche abyden mountaynes, whan the soft erthe and tendre wax nessche, throghe the water, and felle and becamen valeyes. of paradys, ne can not i speken propurly: for i was not there. it is fer bezonde; and that forthinkethe me: and also i was not worthi. but as i have herd seye of wyse men bezonde, i schalle telle zou with gode wille. paradys terrestre, as wise men seyn, is the highest place of erthe, that is in alle the world: and it is so highe, that it touchethe nyghe to the cercle of the mone, there as the mone makethe hire torn. for sche is so highe, that the flode of noe ne myght not come to hire, that wolde have covered alle the erthe of the world alle aboute, and aboven and benethen, saf paradys only allone. and this paradys is enclosed alle aboute with a walle; and men wyte not wherof it is. for the walles ben covered alle over with mosse; as it semethe. and it semethe not that the walle is ston of nature. and that walle strecchethe fro the southe to the northe; and it hathe not but on entree, that is closed with fyre brennynge; so that no man, that is mortalle, ne dar not entren. and in the moste highe place of paradys, evene in the myddel place, is a welle, that castethe out the 4 flodes, that rennen be dyverse londes: of the whiche, the first is clept phison or ganges, that is alle on: and it rennethe thorghe out ynde or emlak: in the whiche ryvere ben manye preciouse stones, and mochel of lignum aloes, and moche gravelle of gold. and that other ryvere is clept nilus or gyson, that gothe be ethiope, and aftre be egypt. and that other is clept tigris, that rennethe be assirye and be armenye the grete. and that other is clept eufrate, that rennethe also be medee and be armonye and be persye. and men there bezonde seyn, that alle the swete watres of the world aboven and benethen, taken hire begynnynge of the welle of paradys: and out of that welle, alle watres comen and gon. the firste ryvere is clept phison, that is to seyne in hire langage, assemblee: for many other ryveres meten hem there, and gon in to that ryvere. and sum men clepen it ganges; for a kyng that was in ynde, that highte gangeres, and that it ran thorge out his lond. and that water is in sum place clere, and in sum place trouble: in sum place hoot, and in sum place cole. the seconde ryvere is clept nilus or gyson: for it is alle weye trouble: and gyson, in the langage of ethiope, is to seye trouble: and in the langage of egipt also. the thridde ryvere, that is clept tigris, is as moche for to seye as faste rennynge: for he rennethe more faste than ony of the tother. and also there is a best, that is cleped tigris, that is faste rennynge. the fourthe ryvere is clept eufrates, that is to seyne, wel berynge: for there growen manye godes upon that ryvere, as cornes, frutes, and othere godes y nowe plentee