Middle English Literature

partyes toward paradys terrestre, it is thanne mydnyght in oure parties o this
half for the roundeness of the erthe, of the whiche I have towched to you of
before.
38
For oure lord God made the erthe alle rownd in the mydde place
of the firmament. And there as mountaynes and hilles ben and valeyes, that
is not but only of Noes flode that wasted the softe ground and the tendre,
and felle doun into valeyes. And the harde erthe and the roche abyden
36
burrow.
37
Prester John was the name given to an alleged twelfth-century Christian priest and king of
the Far East, fictional author of the Littera Presbyteris Johannis.
38
Chapter 20.

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mountaynes whan the soft erthe and tendre wax nessche thorgh the water,
and felle, and becamen valeyes.
Of paradys ne can I not speken propurly, for I was not there. It is fer
beyonde, and that forthinketh me, and also I was not worthi. But as I have
herd seye of wyse men beyonde, I schalle telle you with gode wille. Paradys
terrestre, as wise men seyn, is the highest place of erthe that is in alle the
world, and it is so high that it toucheth nygh to the cercle of the mone,
there as the mone makith hire torn. For sche is so high that the flode of
Noe ne myght not come to hire that wolde have covered alle the erthe of
the world alle abowte and aboven and benethen, saf paradys only allone.
And this paradys is enclosed alle aboute with a walle, and men wyte not
wherof it is, for the walles ben covered alle over with mosse, as it semeth.
And it semeth not that the walle is ston of nature ne of non other thing that
the walle is. And that walle streccheth fro the south to the north, and it
hath not but on entree that is closed with fyre brennynge so that no man
mortalle ne dar not entren.
And in the most high place of paradys, evene in the myddel place, is a
welle that casteth out the four flodes that rennen be dyverse londes,
39
of the
whiche the firste is clept Phison or Ganges (that is alle on) and it renneth
thorghout Ynde or Emlak,
40
in the whiche ryvere ben manye preciouse
stones and mochel of lignum aloes and moche gravelle of gold. And that other
ryvere is clept Nilus or Gyson that goth be Ethiope and after be Egypt. And
that other is clept Tigris that renneth be Assirye
41
and be Armenye the
Grete.
42
And that other is clept Eufrate that renneth also be Medee
43
and be
Armonye and be Persye. And men there beyonde seyn that all the swete
watres of the world aboven and benethen taken hire begynnynge of that
welle of paradys, and out of that welle watres comen and gon . . .
And yee schulle understonde that no man that is mortelle ne may not
approchen to that paradys. For be londe no man may go for wylde bestes
that ben in the desertes and for the high mountaynes and grete huge roches
that no man may passe by for the derke places that ben there and that
manye. And be the ryveres may no man go, for the water renneth so rudely
and so scharply because that it cometh doun so outrageously from the high
places aboven that it renneth in so grete wawes that no schipp may not
39
Genesis 2.10–14.
40
Southern Asia.
41
Asia Minor.
42
Armenia.
43
The kingdom of Media in Southwest Asia.
The Far East
109

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110
Gender, Sexuality, and Difference
rowe ne seyle agenes it. And the water roreth so and maketh so huge
noyse and so gret tempest that no man may here other in the schipp though
he cryede with alle the craft that he cowde in the hieste voys that he
myghte. Many grete lordes han assayed with gret wille many tymes for to
passen be tho ryveres toward paradys with fulle grete companyes, but thei
myght not speden in hire viage. And manye dyeden for weryness of rowynge
ayenst tho stronge wawes. And many of hem becamen blynde and mane
deve for the noyse of the water. And summe weren perisscht and loste
withinne the wawes so that no mortelle man may approche to that place
withouten specyalle grace of God, so that of that place I can sey you no
more. And therfore I schalle holde me stille and retornen to that that I
have seen.