XI. To Sir John Manndeville, Kt - Page 2

from this Ile of Malta Men gon to Cipre. And Cipre is right a good Yle,
and a fair, and a great, and it hath 4 principal Cytees within him. And at
Famagost is one of the principal Havens of the sea that is in the world, and
Englishmen have but a lytel while gone won that Yle from the Sarazynes. Yet
say that sort of Englishmen where of I told you, that is puny and sore adread,
that the Lond is poisonous and barren and of no avail, for that Lond is much
more hotter than it is here. Yet the Englishmen that ben werryoures dwell
there in tents, and the skill is that they may ben the more fresh.

From Cypre, Men gon to the Lond of Egypte, and in a Day and a Night he that
hath a good wind may come to the Haven of Alessandrie. Now the Lond of Egypt
longeth to the Soudan, yet the Soudan longeth not to the Lond of Egypt. And
when I say this, I do jape with words, and may hap ye understond me not. Now
Englishmen went in shippes to Alessandrie, and brent it, and over ran the
Lond, and their soudyours warred agen the Bedoynes, and all to hold the way to
Ynde. For it is not long past since Frenchmen let dig a dyke, through the
narrow spit of lond, from the Midland sea to the Red sea, wherein was Pharaoh
drowned. So this is the shortest way to Ynde there may be, to sail through
that dyke, if men gon by sea.

But all the Lond of Egypt is clepen the Vale enchaunted; for no man may do his
business well that goes thither, but always fares he evil, and therefore
clepen they Egypt the Vale perilous, and the sepulchre of reputations. And men
say there that is one of the entrees of Helle. In that Vale is plentiful lack
of Gold and Silver, for many misbelieving men, and many Christian men also,
have gone often time for to take of the Thresoure that there was of old, and
have pilled the Thresoure, wherefore there is none left. And Englishmen have
let carry thither great store of our Thresoure, 9,000,000 of Pounds sterling,
and whether they will see it agen I misdoubt me. For that Vale is alle fulle
of Develes and Fiendes that men clepen Bondholderes, for that Egypt from of
olde is the Lond of Bondage. And whatsoever Thresoure cometh into the Lond,
these Devyls of Bondholders grabben the same. Natheless by that Vale do
Englishmen go unto Ynde, and they gon by Aden, even to Kurrachee, at the mouth
of the Flood of Ynde. Thereby they send their souldyours, when they are adread
of them of Muscovy.

For, look you, there is another way into Ynde, and thereby the men of Muscovy
are fain to come, if the Englishmen let them not. That way cometh by Desert
and Wildernesse, from the sea that is clept Caspian, even to Khiva, and so to
Merv; and then come ye to Zulfikar and Penjdeh, and anon to Herat, that is
called the Key of the Gates of Ynde. Then ye