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In this ile and many othere, men berye not no dede men: for the hete is there so gret, that in a lityle tyme the flesche wil consume fro the bones. Fro thens, men gon be see toward Ynde the more, to a cytee that men clepen Sarche, that is a fair cytee and a gode; and there duellen many Cristene men of gode feythe: and ther ben manye religious men, and namely of Mendynantes.
And in that contree is an old castelle, that stont upon a roche, the whiche is cleped the Castelle of the Sparrehawk, that is bezonde the cytee of Layays, beside the town of Pharsipee, that belongethe to the lordschipe of Cruk; that is a riche lord and a gode Cristene man; where men fynden a sparehauk upon a perche righte fair, and righte wel made; and a fayre lady of fayrye, that kepethe it.
And his other comoun houshold is with outen nombre: and thei alle han alle necessaries, and alle that hem nedethe, of the emperoures court. And he hathe in his court many barouns, as servytoures, that ben Cristene and converted to gode feythe, be the prechynge of religiouse Cristen men, that dwellen with him: but there ben manye mo, that wil not, that men knowen that thei ben Cristene.
And also the Cristene men enforcen hem, in alle maneres that thei mowen, for to fighte, and for to desceyven that on that other. And there with alle thei ben so proude, that thei knowen not how to ben clothed; now long, now schort, now streyt, now large, now swerded, now daggered, and in alle manere gyses.
Also the Sarazines seyn, that the Jewes ben cursed: for thei han defouled the lawe, that God sente hem be Moyses. And the Cristene ben cursed also, as thei seyn: for their kepen not the commandementes and the preceptes of the Gospelle, that Jesu Crist taughte hem. And therfore I schalle telle zou, what the Soudan tolde me uppn a day, in his chambre.
For wee knowen wel in verry sothe, that whan zee serve God, God wil hepe zou: and whan he is with zou, no man may be azenst you. And that knowe we wel, be oure prophecyes, that Cristene men schulle wynnen azen this lond out of oure hondes, whan thei serven God more devoutly. And than I asked him, how he knew the state of Cristene men.
And than he leet clepe in alle the lordes, that he made voyden first out of his chambre; and there he schewed me 4, that weren grete lordes in the contree, that tolden me of my contree, and of many othere Cristene contrees, als wel as thei had ben of the same contree: and thei spak Frensche righte wel; and the Sowdan also, where of I had gret marvaylle.
And schortly to seye zou; thei suffren so grete peynes and so harde martyrdomes, for love of here ydole, that a Cristene man, I trowe, durst not taken upon him the tenthe part of the peyne, for love of oure Lord Jhesu Crist.
And because that thei gon so nye oure feythe, thei ben lyghtly converted to Cristene lawe, whan men prechen hem and schewe hem distynctly the lawe of Jesu Crist, and tellen hem of the prophecyes.
And thei seyh, that of theise 4, Jesu was the most worthi and the most excellent and the most gret; so that thei han many gode articles of oure feythe, alle be it that thei have no parfite lawe and feythe, as Cristene men han; and therfore ben thei lightly converted; and namely, tho that undirstonden the Scriptures and the prophecyes.
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