DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.30698#0269
511
World; 1481.] WILLIAM CAXTON.
grete ancl longe whiche ben wythin forth ful of sugre. so moche and
especiall that ther growe none lyke in alle the worlde, At one of the
heedes of the Royame of babylone groweth tlie bame whiclie is moche
dere, and cristen men that ben prysonners there delue and laboure the
erthe, And sarasyns saye that they haue ofte preuyd it, that whan they
doo delue and laboure that erthe wyth people of other nacions than
crysten men that it bereth no fruyt ne bame that yere, And vpon the
felde where the bame groweth, some saye that there spryngeth a
fontayne where the blessyd Vyrgine Marie bayned her sone Jhesus,
And witli the watre of this fontayne is the bame watred. and of this
water may not be employed ne born in to other place, for in substaunce
it doth no more than other water. Sign. fi. fij.
But not. the least amusing portion of this volume is contained in
the description of the Purgatory of St. Patrick : *
‘ Ther is also in Irlonde a place called Seynt Patrykes purgatorye,
whiche place is perillous yf ony men goon therin & be not confessed
and repentaut of their synnes, they be anon rauysshid and loste in suche
wyse that noman can telle where they be come, And yf they be con-
fessed and repentaut, & that they haue doon satisfaction and penaunce
for their synnes wythout that all be clensed and ful satisfyed therafter
shal they suffre payne and greef the tormentis in passyng this crymynel
passage, And whan he is retorned agayn fro this purgatorye, Neuer
shal no thing in this world plese hym that he shal see ner he shal
neuer be joyous ne glad ne shal not be seen lawhe. but shal be
contynuelly in wayllynges & wepynges for the synnes that he hath
commysed. hit may wel be that of auncyent tyme it hath ben thus as
afore is wreton as the storye of Tundale & other witnesse, but I haue
* It is preceded by the followhig no very clumsy piece of ratiocination : ‘ And ther is
noman that knoweth all sauf onli god whiche all seeth and alle knoweth, The geauntes that
ben in som place haue right grete meraaylle of this that we be so lytyl ayenst them, Lyke
as we meruaylle of tliem that ben lialflasse tlian we be, As it is to fore sayd, & tliey ben y*
Pygmans whiche ben but iij foot longe. And in lyke wyse meruayle they of vs. of that we
ben so grete, and repute vs also for geauntes, tliey tliat haue but one eye and one foot.
haue grete meruayle that we haue tweyne, lyke as we doo of tliem tliat haue but one, And
also as we deuyse their bestis & name them by their names in lyke wise deuyse they oures,
by theirs, bothe of body & of membres, yf the centycore haue an foot of an bors, in lyke
wyse hath the liors the foot of a centycore, also we may wel saye that y* hors hath the
body of Monotheros. for they ben lyke corsayge, And thus tlieir bestis resemble vnto oures
whiche ben dyuerse of hedes of bodyes and of membres, as oures ben contrayre to theris.'
Sign. f v. recto.
World; 1481.] WILLIAM CAXTON.
grete ancl longe whiche ben wythin forth ful of sugre. so moche and
especiall that ther growe none lyke in alle the worlde, At one of the
heedes of the Royame of babylone groweth tlie bame whiclie is moche
dere, and cristen men that ben prysonners there delue and laboure the
erthe, And sarasyns saye that they haue ofte preuyd it, that whan they
doo delue and laboure that erthe wyth people of other nacions than
crysten men that it bereth no fruyt ne bame that yere, And vpon the
felde where the bame groweth, some saye that there spryngeth a
fontayne where the blessyd Vyrgine Marie bayned her sone Jhesus,
And witli the watre of this fontayne is the bame watred. and of this
water may not be employed ne born in to other place, for in substaunce
it doth no more than other water. Sign. fi. fij.
But not. the least amusing portion of this volume is contained in
the description of the Purgatory of St. Patrick : *
‘ Ther is also in Irlonde a place called Seynt Patrykes purgatorye,
whiche place is perillous yf ony men goon therin & be not confessed
and repentaut of their synnes, they be anon rauysshid and loste in suche
wyse that noman can telle where they be come, And yf they be con-
fessed and repentaut, & that they haue doon satisfaction and penaunce
for their synnes wythout that all be clensed and ful satisfyed therafter
shal they suffre payne and greef the tormentis in passyng this crymynel
passage, And whan he is retorned agayn fro this purgatorye, Neuer
shal no thing in this world plese hym that he shal see ner he shal
neuer be joyous ne glad ne shal not be seen lawhe. but shal be
contynuelly in wayllynges & wepynges for the synnes that he hath
commysed. hit may wel be that of auncyent tyme it hath ben thus as
afore is wreton as the storye of Tundale & other witnesse, but I haue
* It is preceded by the followhig no very clumsy piece of ratiocination : ‘ And ther is
noman that knoweth all sauf onli god whiche all seeth and alle knoweth, The geauntes that
ben in som place haue right grete meraaylle of this that we be so lytyl ayenst them, Lyke
as we meruaylle of tliem that ben lialflasse tlian we be, As it is to fore sayd, & tliey ben y*
Pygmans whiche ben but iij foot longe. And in lyke wyse meruayle they of vs. of that we
ben so grete, and repute vs also for geauntes, tliey tliat haue but one eye and one foot.
haue grete meruayle that we haue tweyne, lyke as we doo of tliem tliat haue but one, And
also as we deuyse their bestis & name them by their names in lyke wise deuyse they oures,
by theirs, bothe of body & of membres, yf the centycore haue an foot of an bors, in lyke
wyse hath the liors the foot of a centycore, also we may wel saye that y* hors hath the
body of Monotheros. for they ben lyke corsayge, And thus tlieir bestis resemble vnto oures
whiche ben dyuerse of hedes of bodyes and of membres, as oures ben contrayre to theris.'
Sign. f v. recto.