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Show EA L 1 G L it femethe alweyes t outher aboven or benethen hem that duellen, that thei gon more righte tha Aad righte as it femethe to us ony other folk that thei ben undre us, righte fo it femethe hem that wee ben undee hem. For zif a man myght falle fro the erthe unto the firmament; be gretter refoun, the erthe and the fee, that ben fo grete an fo hevy, fcholde fallen to the firmament: but tha may not be: and therfore feithe oure Lord God Non timeas me, qui fufpendi terra ex nichilo? An alle be it, that it be pofiible thing, that men ma f envyronn all th world nathelef WiGE coftynge to hem, ne ben not in the fuperficyalt cownted aboven the erthe; as it fchewethe be all the bokes of aftronomye. = For the {uperficialtee o the erthe is-departed in 7 parties, for the 7 planetes and tho parties ben clept clymates And oure par ties be not of the 7 clymates: for thei ben defcendynge toward the Weft. ' And alfo thefe yles o Ynde whic bet be aboven an be benethen 20425 myles, aftre the opynyoun o the old wife aftronomeres And here feyenges repreve noughte But aftre my lytylle wye, i m felf to refte diftreynén in to my mynde be made anothe litille compas : than aftre, be the gret compafs devifed be lines in manye parties ; and that alle th th centre ; {o tha in al th ben lefle No centre all be it tha i b aftronomeres let ever in 12 fignes parrye anfwere to degree of the firmament: and wytethe it wel, tha aftre the auctoures of aftronomye, 700 furlenges o erthe anfweren to a degree of the firmament an tho ben 87 miles and 4 furlonges. Now be tha here multiplyed be 360 fithes; and than thei be 315000 myles, every of § furlonges, aftre myles o oure contree, So moche hath the erthe in roundnefle, and of heghte enviroun, aftre myn opynyou and myn undirftondynge And zee {chulle undir- ftonde, that aftre opynyoun of olde wife philofowre an aftronomeres o m labour, my wille (God knowethe. And thus takfolace in my wrecched refte, recordynge th paffed, I have fulfilled theife thinges an hem wryten in this beke, as it wolde com the zeer of grace 1356 in the 3 Av and every figne is devyfed in 30 degrees, that i g€o degrees, that the firmament hathe aboven Alfo, be the erthe devyfed in als manye parties, a the firmament ; an the end that m fpace th thanne, be the gret compas repre devyfed artetykes many fented for the firmament, and the litille compa reprefented for the erthe. Now thanne the firmamen nogh zeer that I departede from our contrees. Wherfore I preye to alle the rederes and hereres of this boke, zif it plefe hem, that thei.wolde preyen t God for me: and1 fchalle preye for hem An alle tho that feyn for me a Pater nofter, wich a - parties, as the grete compas {chal be departed in als manye, fchalle be departed the litille, tha 1s about for gowtes tho diffyne compas a bet (alle thoughe [ be unworthi) that departed from our contrees and paffed the fee, the zeer of grac 1322. that have paffed manye londes and many yles and contrees, and cerched manye fulle firaung places, and have ben in manye a fulle gode honourable companye, and at manye a faire dede o armes, (alle be it that I dide none myfelf, for my unable infuffifance) now I am comen hom (mawgre feye thus, be ther ymagyned a figure, that hathe gret compas ;3 and aboute the poynt of the gre lynes mieete us II. And I John Maundevylle knyghte abovefeyd, azenf yng tym putt femethe me, favynge here reverence that it i more And for to have bettere underftondynge, the centre azenf of a 100 to his contree. For, for the gretnefle of the erth and of the fee, men may go be a 1000 and a roo other weyes, that no man cowde reyde him perfitel toward the parties that he cam fro, but zif it wer be aventure and happ, or be the grace of God For the erthe is fulle large and fulle gret, and hol that is clep even reckned in the clymates: for thei ben azenft us that ben in the Jowe contree And the 7 clymate ftrecchen hem envyrounynge the wonld. perfones, on ne myghte not happen to returnen i in roundnefie and aboute envyroun N1GI our contree ne Irelond n Maria tha Go forzev m m f{ynnes make hem partneres and graunte hem part of all the gode pilgrymages and of alle the gade dedes that [ have don, zif ony be to his plefance and noghte only of tho, but of alle that evere 1 {chall do unto my lyfes ende. And I befeche Almyght God, fro whom' alle godenefle and grace cometh fro, that he voucehfaf of his excellent mercy an habundant grace, to fulle fylle hire foules with infpiracioun of the Holy Goft, in makynge defence of all hire goftly enemyes here in erthe, to hire falvacioun, both of body and foule; to worfchipe and thankyng of him, thatis three and on, withouten begynnyng an withoute endynge tha is withouten qua litee, good, and withouten quantytee, gret; tha in alle places 1s prefent, and alle thinges contenynynge 3 the whiche that no goodneflfe may amende ne non evelle empeyre; that in perfeyte trynyte lyvethe and regnethe God, be alle worldes and b alle tymes Amen Amen Amen oy ales ne Scotlond ne Norweye ne the other yle Th |