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The Travels of Sir John Mandeville

Sir John Mandeville ( - 14th Cent.)
Translated by Alfred W. Pollard (1859 - 1944)

This is an Elizabethan translation of a 14th century travelogue, allegedly composed by one Sir John Mandeville. According to the book, John de Mandeville crossed the sea in 1322 and travelled through Turkey, Tartary, Persia, Syria, Arabia, Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia, Chaldea, Amazonia, India and many countries about India. In his day, he was considered the foremost travel authority, but much of the imaginative accounts were debunked during the later ages of travel. While much of the information within the book is of a fantastic and unreliable nature, it has been a source of inspiration for poets and mined by scholars throughout the centuries. - Summary by Daniel Davison and TriciaG

Proof-listeners: kathrinee and TriciaG

Genre(s): Culture & Heritage Fiction, Travel Fiction

Language: English

Section	Chapter	Reader	Time
Play 00	The Prologue	Daniel Davison	00:08:01
Play 01	Chapter 1: To Teach you the Way out of England to Constantinople	Daniel Davison	00:04:22
Play 02	Chapter 2: Of the Cross and Crown of our Lord Jesu Christ	Daniel Davison	00:08:45
Play 03	Chapter 3: Of the City of Constantinople, and the Faith of the Greeks	Daniel Davison	00:10:01
Play 04	Chapter 4: [Of the Way from Constantinople to Jerusalem] Of Saint John the Evangelist. And of the Ypocras Daughter, transformed from a Woman to a Dragon	Daniel Davison	00:07:13
Play 05	Chapter 5: [Of diversities in Cyprus; of the Road from Cyprus to Jerusalem, and of the Marvel of a Fosse full of Sand]	Daniel Davison	00:11:10
Play 06	Chapter 6: Of many Names of Soldans, and of the Tower of Babylon	Daniel Davison	00:18:48
Play 07	Chapter 7: Of the Country of Egypt; of the Bird Phoenix of Arabia; of the City of Cairo; of the Cunning to know Balm and to prove it; and of the Garners of Joseph	Daniel Davison	00:15:07
Play 08	Chapter 8: Of the Isle of Sicily; of the way from Babylon to the Mount Sinai; of the Church of Saint Katherine and of all the marvels there	Daniel Davison	00:16:53
Play 09	Chapter 9: Of the Desert between the Church of Saint Catherine and Jerusalem. Of the Dry Tree; and how Roses came first into the World	Daniel Davison	00:14:13
Play 10	Chapter 10: Of the Pilgrimages in Jerusalem, and of the Holy Places thereabout	Daniel Davison	00:12:40
Play 11	Chapter 11: Of the Temple of our Lord. Of the Cruelty of King Herod. Of the Mount Sion. Of Probatica Piscina; and of Natatorium Siloe	Daniel Davison	00:29:21
Play 12	Chapter 12: Of the Dead Sea; and the flome Jordan; of the Head of Saint John the Baptist; and of the Usages of the Samaritans	Daniel Davison	00:15:57
Play 13	Chapter 13: Of the Province of Galilee, and where Antichrist shall be born. Of Nazareth. Of the age of Our Lady. Of the Day of Doom. And of the customs of the Jacobites, Syrians; and the usages of the Georgians	Daniel Davison	00:20:04
Play 14	Chapter 14: Of the City of Damascus. Of three ways to Jerusalem; one by land and by sea; another, more by land than by sea; and the third way to Jerusalem, all by land	Daniel Davison	00:18:47
Play 15	Chapter 15: Of the Customs of the Saracens, and their Law. And how the Soldan reasoned me, Author of this Book; and of the beginning of Mohammet	Daniel Davison	00:20:06
Play 16	Chapter 16: Of the lands of Albania and of Libia. Of the wishings for watching of the Sparrow-hawk; and of Noah's ship	Daniel Davison	00:14:40
Play 17	Chapter 17: Of the land of Job; and of his age. Of the array of men of Chaldea. Of the land where women dwell without company of men. Of the knowledge and virtues of the very diamond	Daniel Davison	00:16:51
Play 18	Chapter 18: Of the customs of Isles about Ind. Of the difference betwixt Idols and Simulacres. Of three manner growing of Pepper upon one tree. Of the Well that changeth his odour every hour of the day; and that is marvel	Daniel Davison	00:17:48
Play 19	Chapter 19: Of the Dooms made by St. Thomas's hand. Of devotion and sacrifice made to Idols there, in the city of Calamye; and of the Procession in going about the city	Daniel Davison	00:09:42
Play 20	Chapter 20: Of the evil customs used in the Isle of Lamary. And how the earth and the sea be of round form and shape, by proof of the star that is clept Antarctic, that is fixed in the south	Daniel Davison	00:15:58
Play 21	Chapter 21: Of the Palace of the King of the Isle of Java. Of the Trees that bear meal, honey, wine, and venom; and of other marvels and customs used in the Isles marching thereabout	Daniel Davison	00:20:22
Play 22	Chapter 22: How men know by the Idol, if the sick shall die or not. Of Folk of diverse shape and marvelously disfigured. And of the Monks that gave their relief to baboons, apes, and marmosets, and to other beasts	Beeswaxcandle	00:16:46
Play 23	Chapter 23: Of the great Chan of Cathay. Of the royalty of his palace, and how he sits at meat; and of the great number of officers that serve him	David Cole	00:16:05
Play 24	Chapter 24: Wherefore he is clept the great Chan. Of the Style of his Letters: and of the Superscription about his great Seal and his Privy Seal	David Cole	00:19:25
Play 25	Chapter 25: Of the Governance of the great Chan’s Court, and when he maketh solemn feasts. Of his Philosophers. And of his array, when he rideth by the country	David Cole	00:32:04
Play 26	Chapter 26: Of the Law and the Customs of the Tartarians dwelling in Cathay. And how that men do when the Emperor shall die, and how he shall be chosen	David Cole	00:17:52
Play 27	Chapter 27: Of the Realm of Tharse and the Lands and Kingdoms towards the Septentrional Parts, in coming down from the Land of Cathay	David Cole	00:05:42
Play 28	Chapter 28: Of the Emperor of Persia, and of the Land of Darkness; and of other kingdoms that belong to the great Chan of Cathay, and other lands of his, unto the sea of Greece	BettyB	00:11:15
Play 29	Chapter 29: Of the Countries and Isles that be beyond the Land of Cathay; and of the fruits there; and of twenty-two kings enclosed within the mountains	BettyB	00:09:22
Play 30	Chapter 30: Of the Royal Estate of Prester John. And of a rich man that made a marvellous castle and cleped it Paradise; and of his subtlety	John R Moore	00:18:46
Play 31	Chapter 31: Of the Devil’s Head in the Valley Perilous. And of the Customs of Folk in diverse Isles that be about in the Lordship of Prester John	John R Moore	00:17:16
Play 32	Chapter 32: Of the goodness of the folk of the Isle of Bragman. Of King Alexander. And wherefore the Emperor of Ind is clept Prester John	John R Moore	00:14:48
Play 33	Chapter 33: Of the Hills of Gold that Pismires keep. And of the four Floods that come from Paradise Terrestrial	John R Moore	00:10:22
Play 34	Chapter 34: Of the Customs of Kings and other that dwell in the Isles coasting to Prester John’s Land. And of the Worship that the Son doth to the Father when he is dead	John R Moore	00:17:21

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