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Chapter 16
OF THE CUSTOMS OF SARACENS, AND OF THEIR LAW. AND HOW THE SOLDAN
REASONED ME, AUTHOR OF THIS BOOK; AND OF THE BEGINNING OF MOHAMMET
NOW, because that I have spoken of Saracens and of their country -
now, if ye will know a part of their law and of their belief, I
shall tell you after that their book that is clept ALKARON telleth.
And some men clepe that book MESHAF. And some men clepe it HARME,
after the diverse languages of the country. The which book
Mohammet took them. In the which book, among other things, is
written, as I have often-time seen and read, that the good shall go
to paradise, and the evil to hell; and that believe all Saracens.
And if a man ask them what paradise they mean, they say, to
paradise that is a place of delights where men shall find all
manner of fruits in all seasons, and rivers running of milk and
honey, and of wine and of sweet water; and that they shall have
fair houses and noble, every man after his desert, made of precious
stones and of gold and of silver; and that every man shall have
four score wives all maidens, and he shall have ado every day with
them, and yet he shall find them always maidens.
Also they believe and speak gladly of the Virgin Mary and of the
Incarnation. And they say that Mary was taught of the angel; and
that Gabriel said to her, that she was for-chosen from the
beginning of the world and that he shewed to her the Incarnation of
Jesu Christ and that she conceived and bare child maiden; and that
witnesseth their book.
And they say also, that Jesu Christ spake as soon as he was born;
and that he was an holy prophet and a true in word and deed, and
meek and piteous and rightful and without any vice.
And they say also, that when the angel shewed the Incarnation of
Christ unto Mary, she was young and had great dread. For there was
then an enchanter in the country that dealt with witchcraft, that
men clept Taknia, that by his enchantments could make him in
likeness of an angel, and went often-times and lay with maidens.
And therefore Mary dreaded lest it had been Taknia, that came for
to deceive the maidens. And therefore she conjured the angel, that
he should tell her if it were he or no. And the angel answered and
said that she should have no dread of him, for he was very
messenger of Jesu Christ. Also their book saith, that when that
she had childed under a palm tree she had great shame, that she had
a child; and she greet and said that she would that she had been
dead. And anon the child spake to her and comforted her, and said,
"Mother, ne dismay thee nought, for God hath hid in thee his
privities for the salvation of the world." And in other many
places saith their ALKARON, that Jesu Christ spake as soon as he
was born. And that book saith also that Jesu was sent from God
Almighty for to be mirror and example and token to all men.
And the ALKARON saith also of the day of doom how God shall come to
doom all manner of folk. And the good he shall draw on his side
and put them into bliss, and the wicked he shall condemn to the
pains of hell. And among all prophets Jesu was the most excellent
and the most worthy next God, and that he made the gospels in the
which is good doctrine and healthful, full of clarity and
soothfastness and true preaching to them that believe in God. And
that he was a very prophet and more than a prophet, and lived
without sin, and gave sight to the blind, and healed the lepers,
and raised dead men, and styed to heaven.
And when they may hold the Book of the Gospels of our Lord written
and namely MISSUS EST ANGELUS GABRIEL, that gospel they say, those
that be lettered, often-times in their orisons, and they kiss it
and worship it with great devotion.
They fast an whole month in the year and eat nought but by night.
And they keep them from their wives all that month. But the sick
men be not constrained to that fast.
Also this book speaketh of Jews and saith that they be cursed; for
they would not believe that Jesu Christ was come of God. And that
they lied falsely on Mary and on her son Jesu Christ, saying that
they had crucified Jesu the son of Mary; for he was never
crucified, as they say, but that God made him to sty up to him
without death and without annoy. But he transfigured his likeness
into Judas Iscariot, and him crucified the Jews, and weened that it
had been Jesus. But Jesus styed to heavens all quick. And
therefore they say, that the Christian men err and have no good
knowledge of this, and that they believe folily and falsely that
Jesu Christ was crucified. And they say yet, that and he had been
crucified, that God had done against his righteousness for to
suffer Jesu Christ, that was innocent, to be put upon the cross
without guilt. And in this article they say that we fail and that
the great righteousness of God might not suffer so great a wrong:
and in this faileth their faith. For they knowledge well, that the
works of Jesu Christ be good, and his words and his deeds and his
doctrine by his gospels were true, and his miracles also true; and
the blessed Virgin Mary is good, and holy maiden before and after
the birth of Jesu Christ; and that all those that believe perfectly
in God shall be saved. And because that they go so nigh our faith,
they be lightly converted to Christian law when men preach them and
shew them distinctly the law of Jesu Christ, and when they tell
them of the prophecies.
And also they say, that they know well by the prophecies that the
law of Mahomet shall fail, as the law of the Jews did; and that the
law of Christian people shall last to the day of doom. And if any
man ask them what is their belief, they answer thus, and in this
form: "We believe God, former of heaven and of earth, and of all
other things that he made. And without him is nothing made. And
we believe of the day of doom, and that every man shall have his
merit, after he hath deserved. And, we believe it for sooth, all
that God hath said by the mouths of his prophets."
Also Mahomet commanded in his ALKARON, that every man should have
two wives, or three or four; but now they take unto nine, and of
lemans as many as he may sustain. And if any of their wives mis-
bear them against their husband, he may cast her out of his house,
and depart from her and take another; but he shall depart with her
his goods.
Also, when men speak to them of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Ghost, they say, that they be three persons, but not one
God; for their ALKARON speaketh not of the Trinity. But they say
well, that God hath speech, and else were he dumb. And God hath
also a spirit they know well, for else they say, he were not alive.
And when men speak to them of the Incarnation how that by the word
of the angel God sent his wisdom in to earth and enombred him in
the Virgin Mary, and by the word of God shall the dead be raised at
the day of doom, they say, that it is sooth and that the word of
God hath great strength. And they say that whoso knew not the word
of God he should not know God. And they say also that Jesu Christ
is the word of God: and so saith their ALKARON, where it saith
that the angel spake to Mary and said: "Mary, God shall preach
thee the gospel by the word of his mouth and his name shall be
clept Jesu Christ."
And they say also, that Abraham was friend to God, and that Moses
was familiar speaker with God, and Jesu Christ was the word and the
spirit of God, and that Mohammet was right messenger of God. And
they say, that of these four, Jesu was the most worthy and the most
excellent and the most great. So that they have many good articles
of our faith, albeit that they have no perfect law and faith as
Christian men have; and therefore be they lightly converted, and
namely those that understand the scriptures and the prophecies.
For they have the gospels and the prophecies and the Bible written
in their language; wherefore they ken much of holy writ, but they
understand it not but after the letter. And so do the Jews, for
they understand not the letter ghostly, but bodily; and therefore
be they reproved of the wise, that ghostly understand it. And
therefore saith Saint Paul: LITERA OCCIDIT; SPIRITUS AUTEM
VIVIFICAT. Also the Saracens say, that the Jews be cursed; for
they have befouled the law that God sent them by Moses: and the
Christian be cursed also, as they say; for they keep not the
commandments and the precepts of the gospel that Jesu Christ taught
them.
And, therefore, I shall tell you what the soldan told me upon a day
in his chamber. He let void out of his chamber all manner of men,
lords and others, for he would speak with me in counsel. And there
he asked me how the Christian men governed them in our country.
And I said him, "Right well, thanked be God!"
And he said me, "Truly nay! For ye Christian men reck right
nought, how untruly to serve God! Ye should give ensample to the
lewd people for to do well, and ye give them ensample to do evil.
For the commons, upon festival days, when they should go to church
to serve God, then go they to taverns, and be there in gluttony all
the day and all night, and eat and drink as beasts that have no
reason, and wit not when they have enough. And also the Christian
men enforce themselves in all manners that they may, for to fight
and for to deceive that one that other. And therewithal they be so
proud, that they know not how to be clothed; now long, now short,
now strait, now large, now sworded, now daggered, and in all manner
guises. They should be simple, meek and true, and full of alms-
deeds, as Jesu was, in whom they trow; but they be all the
contrary, and ever inclined to the evil, and to do evil. And they
be so covetous, that, for a little silver, they sell their
daughters, their sisters and their own wives to put them to
lechery. And one withdraweth the wife of another, and none of them
holdeth faith to another; but they defoul their law that Jesu
Christ betook them to keep for their salvation. And thus, for
their sins, have they lost all this land that we hold. For, for
their sins, their God hath taken them into our hands, not only by
strength of ourself, but for their sins. For we know well, in very
sooth, that when ye serve God, God will help you; and when he is
with you, no man may be against you. And that know we well by our
prophecies, that Christian men shall win again this land out of our
hands, when they serve God more devoutly; but as long as they be of
foul and of unclean living (as they be now) we have no dread of
them in no kind, for their God will not help them in no wise."
And then I asked him, how he knew the state of Christian men. And
he answered me, that he knew all the state of all courts of
Christian kings and princes and the state of the commons also by
his messengers that he sent to all lands, in manner as they were
merchants of precious stones, of cloths of gold and of other
things, for to know the manner of every country amongst Christian
men. And then he let clepe in all the lords that he made void
first out of his chamber, and there he shewed me four that were
great lords in the country, that told me of my country and of many
other Christian countries, as well as they had been of the same
country; and they spake French right well, and the soldan also;
whereof I had great marvel.
Alas! that it is great slander to our faith and to our law, when
folk that be without law shall reprove us and undernim us of our
sins, and they that should be converted to Christ and to the law of
Jesu by our good ensamples and by our acceptable life to God, and
so converted to the law of Jesu Christ, be, through our wickedness
and evil living, far from us and strangers from the holy and very
belief, shall thus appeal us and hold us for wicked livers and
cursed. And truly they say sooth, for the Saracens be good and
faithful; for they keep entirely the commandment of the holy book
ALKARON that God sent them by his messenger Mahomet, to the which,
as they say, Saint Gabriel the angel oftentime told the will of
God.
And ye shall understand, that Mahomet was born in Arabia, that was
first a poor knave that kept camels, that went with merchants for
merchandise. And so befell, that he went with the merchants into
Egypt; and they were then Christian in those parts. And at the
deserts of Arabia, he went into a chapel where a hermit dwelt. And
when he entered into the chapel that was but a little and a low
thing and had but a little door and a low, then the entry began to
wax so great, and so large and so high as though it had been of a
great minster or the gate of a palace. And this was the first
miracle, the Saracens say, that Mahomet did in his youth.
After began he for to wax wise and rich. And he was a great
astronomer. And after, he was governor and prince of the land of
Cozrodane; and he governed it full wisely, in such manner, that
when the prince was dead, he took the lady to wife that hight
Gadrige. And Mahomet fell often in the great sickness that men
call the falling evil; wherefore the lady was full sorry that ever
she took him to husband. But Mahomet made her to believe, that all
times, when he fell so, Gabriel the angel came for to speak with
him, and for the great light and brightness of the angel he might
not sustain him from falling; and therefore the Saracens say, that
Gabriel came often to speak with him.
This Mahomet reigned in Arabia, the year of our Lord Jesu Christ
610, and was of the generation of Ishmael that was Abraham's son,
that he gat upon Hagar his chamberer. And therefore there be
Saracens that be clept Ishmaelites; and some Hagarenes, of Hagar.
And the other properly be clept Saracens, of Sarah. And some be
clept Moabites and some Ammonites, for the two sons of Lot, Moab
and Ammon, that he begat on his daughters that were afterward great
earthly princes.
And also Mahomet loved well a good hermit that dwelled in the
deserts a mile from Mount Sinai, in the way that men go from Arabia
toward Chaldea and toward Ind, one day's journey from the sea,
where the merchants of Venice come often for merchandise. And so
often went Mahomet to this hermit, that all his men were wroth; for
he would gladly hear this hermit preach and make his men wake all
night. And therefore his men thought to put the hermit to death.
And so it befell upon a night, that Mahomet was drunken of good
wine, and he fell on sleep. And his men took Mahomet's sword out
of his sheath, whiles he slept, and therewith they slew this
hermit, and put his sword all bloody in his sheath again. And at
morrow, when he found the hermit dead, he was full sorry and wroth,
and would have done his men to death. But they all, with one
accord, said that he himself had slain him, when he was drunken,
and shewed him his sword all bloody. And he trowed that they had
said sooth. And then he cursed the wine and all those that drink
it. And therefore Saracens that be devout drink never no wine.
But some drink it privily; for if they drunk it openly, they should
be reproved. But they drink good beverage and sweet and nourishing
that is made of gallamelle and that is that men make sugar of, that
is of right good savour, and it is good for the breast.
Also it befalleth some-time, that Christian men become Saracens,
either for poverty or for simpleness, or else for their own
wickedness. And therefore the archflamen or the flamen, as our
archbishop or bishop, when he receiveth them saith thus: LA ELLEC
OLLA SILA, MACHOMETE RORES ALLA; that is to say, 'There is no God
but one, and Mahomet his messenger.'
Now I have told you a part of their law and of their customs, I
shall say you of their letters that they have, with their names and
the manner of their figures what they be: Almoy, Bethath, Cathi,
Ephoti, Delphoi, Fothi, Garothi, Hechum, Iotty, Kaythi, Lothum,
Malach, Nabaloth, Orthi, Chesiri, 30ch, Ruth, Holath, Routhi,
Salathi, Thatimus, Yrthom, A3a30th, Arrocchi, 30tipyn, Ichetus.
And these be the names of their a. b. c. Now shall ye know the
figures. . . . And four letters they have more than other for
diversity of their language and speech, forasmuch as they speak in
their throats; and we in England have in our language and speech
two letters more than they have in their a. b. c.; and that is
[character which cannot be reproduced] and [character which cannot
be reproduced], which be clept thorn and 30gh.
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