The Original Chronicle of Andrew of Wyntoun :: :: University of Virginia Library

The Original Chronicle of Andrew of Wyntoun

printed on parallel pages from the Cottonian and Wemyss mss., with the variants of the other texts: Edited with introduction, notes, and glossary by F. J. Amours

Anderson, R. (1770-1833)

II, III, IV, V, VI.

[volume]

THE ORIGINAL CHRONICLE OF ANDREW OF WYNTOUN

II.

III.

IV.

VI.

VII.

VIII.

IX.

CHAPTER X.

XI.

XII.

XIII.

XIV.

XV.

XVI.

XVII.

XVIII.

XIX.

XX.

XXI.

XXII.

XXIII.

XXIV.

XXV.

XXVI.

XXVII.

XXVIII.

XXIX.

XXX.

XXXI.

XXXII.

XXXIII.

XXXIV.

XXXV.

XXXVI.

XXXVII.

XXXVIII.

XXXIX.

XL.

XLI.

XLII.

XLIII.

XLIV.

XLV.

XLVI.

XLVII.

XLVIII.

XLIX.

LI.

LII.

LIII.

LIV.

LV.

LVI.

LVII.

LVIII.

LIX.

LX.

LXI.

LXII.

LXIII.

LXIV.

LXV.

LXVI.

LXVII.

LXVIII.

LXIX.

LXX.

LXXI.

LXXII.

LXXIII.

LXXIV.

LXXV.

LXXVI.

LXXVII.

LXXVIII.

LXXIX.

LXXX.

LXXXI.

LXXXII.

LXXXIII.

LXXXIV.

LXXXV.

LXXXVI.

LXXXVII.

LXXXVIII.

LXXXIX.

XC.

XCI.

XCII.

XCIII.

XCIV.

XCV.

XCVI.

XCVII.

XCVIII.

XCIX.

CI.

CII.

CIII.

CIV.

CV.

CVI.

CVII.

CVIII.

CIX.

CX.

CXI.

CXII.

CXIII.

CXIV.

CXV.

CXVI.

CXVII.

CXVIII.

CXIX.

CXX.

CXXI.

CXXII.

CXXIII.

CXXIV.

CXXV.

CXXVI.

CXXVII.

CXXVIII.

CXXIX.

CXXX.

CXXXI.

CXXXII.

CXXXIII.

CXXXIV.

CXXXV.

CXXXVI.

CXXXVII.

CXXXVIII.

CXXXIX.

CXL.

CXLI.

CXLII.

CXLIII.

CXLIV.

CXLV.

CXLVI.

CXLVII.

CXLVIII.

CXLIX.

CL.

CLI.

CLII.

CLIII.

CLIV.

CLV.

CLVI.

CLVII.

CLVIII.

CLIX.

CLX.

CLXI.

CLXII.

CLXIII.

CLXIV.

CLXV.

CLXVI.

CLXVII.

CLXVIII.

CLXIX.

CLXX.

CLXXI.

CLXXII.

CLXXIII.

CLXXIV.

CLXXV.

CLXXVI.

CLXXVI.

CLXXVII.

CLXXVIII.

CLXXIX.

CLXXX.

CLXXXI.

CLXXXII.

CLXXXIII.

CLXXXIV.

CLXXXV.

CLXXXVI.

CLXXXVII.

CLXXXVIII.

CLXXXIX.

CXCI.

CXCII.

CXCIII.

CXCIV.

CXCV.

CXCVI.

CXCVII.

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CHAPTER X.

How þe warld wes devidit in thre
Amangis þe thre sonnis of Noe.

To Sem þe eldest halely
Fell all þe landis of Aisy,
That fra þe north throuch est outstreikis
Vnto þe south quhill at it rekis.
The erd swa delt in twa partiis
Asy þe tane half occupiis;

The toþer part þan delt in twa
Europ haldis and Affrica,
As men may be [a roundall] se
Merkit to be delt in thre.
It to þe est of Asy lyis
That propire place of Paradiss,
The quhilk is circulit all about
With wallis of fyre within and out,
And kepit sa with Cherubin
That liffand man may nane cum in.
Cherubin is to say ane oste
Off Angellis þat it kepis but boste.
And betuix Ynde and Paradiss
Mony dissert landis lyiss,
Off holmys, hewis and of hillis;
For corne nor crop þat na man tillis,
Is nane one lif þat þare dare duell
For bestis wyld baith ferss and fell.
Out of a hill callit Calkasus
The watter is rynnand of Indus,
And efter þat watter, as we fynd,
The kinrik is callit of Ynde.
Fra north and south þe streme it strekis,
[In] till þe Reid Se quhill it reikis.
The west marche of Ynd suld be
Streikand till þe Occiane Se.
Ynde wes callit first Eiulat,
And syne þe name of Inde it gat;
For þe watter of Indus

Rynnis throuch it fra Calkasus,
And enteris in þe Occiane,
To þe gret ile of Tabrobane.
Within þat ile are citeis tene
Stuffit with wittaill gud and men.
Thare is twa sommaris in a ȝere
And twa wynteris als but weire,
And all tyme þat ile is sene
With gerss growand euire grene.

Thare lyis within þat se
The yle of Tigris and Argente,
And þai twa ylis, as þai say,
Off siluer are haboundand ay,
And als of gold rycht plenteously
Flurisand ay dantely.
Hillis hie of gold are there;
Bot for grypis and griffonys dare
Nane cum neire be nycht nor day,
And for dragonys þat will þaim slay.
In Ynde als there is perdee
The ile of Caspis in þe se,
And of þe hill þat lyis thereby
It takis name of properly,
Quhare Gog and Magog þat Iowis wes
Inclusit were in gret straitnes.
For Alexander, þe mychty king,
Neir by it maid his passing
With his oste as man of weire;
Thai sa inclusit maid him prayer
That for his povste þai mycht be

Lovsit of þat strait all fre.
Than askit he and herd well tell
That fra þare God of Israell
Thai with drew þaim and changeit fay,
And forthy closit þare were þai.
Than preffit he with werkmen thraly
Therein to steik þaim maire straitly;
And quhen he saw all at þai wrocht
Till his entent þai suffisit nocht,
One kneis with gret deuocioune
To God he maid his vrisoune
At þat werk he wald fulfill
Till his liking and his will.
And at his prayere þan but dout
All þe hillis there about,
And þe crag and clewis all
Crap to gidder as a wall
Befor þaim, þat be na way
Wyne out of þat place mycht þai,
Bot mare strait na þai were ere
Inclusit in þat place þai were,
And be myrakle like it wes
That God wald nocht at þai suld pass
Out of þat steid, bot ȝit þai
Sall get out befor domysday,
And mekle wa in warld sall wirk
Agane þe law of halikirk.

Sen God of mycht inclynit wes
Till a Sarasyne throuch grace
Quhat will he þan for ws all set,
And we till him wald do our det?

Bot fra his will quhen þat we wryth,
Quhy suld he his mycht on ws kyth,
Till ws in oure necessite,
Or in to baill oure bute to be,
Na ware his mercy þat excedis
All oure gilt and oure mysdedis?
And þus for oure gret wrechitnes
We mone declyne his richtuisnes,
And one his mekle mercy call,
In oure defalt quhen þat we fall.
Mercy and rychtuiss iugement
Ar in him baith but argument.
For þi suld we haif dreid and aw
To leif his bidding and his law,
Giffand ws fykkill, fals in fay,
To wilfull werkis and sinfull play,
For dout þat or we ws repent
We mone appeire in iugement,
And to ask mercy is to lait
Quhen þe wayne is at þe ȝet.

In Ynde is landis fourty and foure,
Quha þat sekis þaim all atoure;
And þare are folkis þat callit wes
Arryanys and Orestas,
Cuntreis feill and woddis faire,
And hillis hie vp to þe aire;
And one sum hillis in to þat land
The Pigmeus ar wonnand.
Sum ar bot twa cubitis on hicht,

And oft will with þe crennys fycht.
Quhen þai are thre ȝeris ald, but let,
Thare barnis all þai bere and get,
And viii. ȝeris auld þai may nocht weild
Thare wappinnis for febilnes of eild.
Thare pepper growis þat of hew
Is quhit till it [is] growand new.
For edderis that are thare
Off wenome and of stangis saire,
Thare is na man at may it wyne
With a fyre quhill þai it bryne,
And sa reik can it make
Fra þe quhit hew all blak.
Thare are folkis vii. elnys on hycht,
Machabeis þai call þaim rycht.
Thai folkis vsis oft till assaill
The grypis in to gret batall.
Like to lyonis ar þare body,
And scharp tallonys has certanely,
And weyngis als, withoutin weire,
As ȝe se foullis haiffand heire.
Aryanys and Bygamys
Ledis þare lif on selcouth wiss;
For in a fyre þai will þaim bryne,
Wenand a better lif to wyne;
And vthire sum will þare elderis sla,
Quhen eild þaim happinnis till ourta.
Thai seith þe flesche and gerris þe kyne
Be semblit þerto, mare and myne,

And etis sa up halely
All þe flesche of þat body;
And quha sa forsakis till eit
Off þat flesche, with ire and threte
Salbe forsakyne out of þat kyne,
And neuer be reknyt mare þerin.
And vþer folkis þat vsis till eit
All raw flesche at þai may get
And drinkis salt watter of þe see,
Quheþer it cleire or droubly be.

There ar ferlyis vthire seire
Off þe quhilkis nane are sene of heire,
That nane can tell [in] propirte
Quheþer þai man or best suld be.
Sum owth þare feit þare solis has,
And vpone ilk fute viii. tais;
And sum within þai cuntreis þare
Like of heid till hundis are,
With scharp nalis, and þai are cled
In bestis skinnis, baith bak and bed.
Thare voce, quhen þai are spekand,
Ar like till hundis ay barkand.
Sum women in thai landis alsua
Beris bot anys, and all þai
Borne þai are quhit of canys,
Baith of berde and heid at anys;
And in þare eild agane þar haire
Worthis all blak be kynd but mare,

And of eild ȝit mony ȝeire
Extendis ws þat liffis heire.
And vthire sum beris of ȝeris fiff
And passis nocht aucht ȝeris of lif.
Thare is folkis callit Armaspy,
And has ane e certanely,
And vthire sum bot a fut has,
And ȝit for speid þe deire he tais;
And quhen þai ly doune for to sleip,
Fra heit of sone þame for to keip,
Than þat a fut vp þai streke,
That it fra þame þe heit may breke.

Within Ynde als within sum steid
Thare liffis a folk withoutin heid,
And in þe steid of þare foret
Twa eyne are in þare schulderis set,
And in þare breist are holis twa,
In steid of noyse and mouth are þai.
Besyde þe watter of Ganges
A folkis men say liffand is
Withoutin meit bot of þe aire,
And þe smell of ane apill faire;
And feill þai ony stynk about
Thare throuch þai dee withoutin dout;
And quhen þai travale in to weire
That apill ay with þaim þai beire,
That is þare fude in þare travale
And haldis þare lif at þai nocht faill.
Thare ar edderis sa gret, but weire,
That þai will suelly vp a deire,

And [swymmys] alsua our þat see
That Ynde Occiane call we.
In to þat land þare is alsua
A best þai call Cenatta;
That best is like of body maid
Till ane ass, bot he is braid
Off breist befor and in fassoune
Off heid maste like till a lyoune;
Till a horss like ar his feit
And a horne in his foret meit;
His mouth is mekle and rycht wyde
Fra eire till eire on ather syde;
A gret bane þai say has he
In þe steid quhare his teeth suld be.
He vsis mekle in his beire
Sik noyis as man dois heire.

In to þat land þai say suld be
Ane oþer best callit Cale,
And he is maste like till a horss
In to þe fassoune of his corss,
And beiris a gret tusk as a baire,
And his taill as oliphantis are,
And one his heid has hornis twa,
Half ane elne lang ilkane of þai;
And first he vses with þe tane
To hald vp fechting and bargane;
The toþer on his bak he strekis,
Quhill he þe toþer bluntis or brekis,

And þan he castis it on his bak;
Than will he with þe toþer mak
His bargane furth, and with þai twa
His bargane vsis he to ma.
He is a best of mekle pigh
And blak and vgly als þerwith.

In þat land þare is alsua
A best men callis Mantigora;
Off visage þai say like is he
Vnto a man in all degre,
Bot þe teeth þat are within
His heid are set in chester twyne,
And like of corss till a lyoune.
His taill is like a scorpioune;
His ene are ȝallo, and his hew
Is blude reid and ay like new.
He is of voce like and of beire
Till edderis þat hyssis as ȝe heire,
And of his lowp he is mare lycht
Than ony foull is vpone flicht.
He vsis mekill for till eit
All manis flesche at he may get.

Thare are oxin with hornys thre
And horss feit as ȝe heire se;
And vthire bestis þare is withall
The quhilk Monoteros þai call,
And in fassoune of his corss
Like in all thing a horss;
Bot sic ane heid þai say has he
As ȝe vpone ane hart se;
As oliphant his feit and tais,

And as a swyne a taill he has;
With a horne, and þat is set
In þe myddis of his foret,
And armys him þerwith als weill
As men þaim armys in irne or steill;
Off lenth foure fut large is þat horne
And þerwith wonder scharp beforne.
Thir bestis wonder felloune are,
And vsis with gret rerd to rare,
And with þat horne he werkis payne
To þaim þat standis him agane.
He may be tane and slane with slicht,
Bot neuer dantit be na wicht.

In to þis watter of Ganges
Men sayis þat mony elis is
That are xxx. fut of lenth [OMITTED]
And takkis þe oliphant throuch strenth,
And oft syss gerris þaim drownyt be
For ferdnes in to þe se.
In to þe Ynde Se, þai say,
Snaillis gret are fundin ay,
And men makis of þare schell
Houssis gret in for to duell.
Thare are adamantis sa gud
That will nocht brek but bukkis blude.

In Ynde are vthire ferlyis seire
That I leif for to reherss heire,
Forthire mare to your knawlege
Nocht translatit in oure langage.

Fra Ynde to Tygire and by watteris twa
Lyis a land hecht Parthya;
In it are citeis thriss tene,
And stuffit weill with meit and men.
Off [men] þat come of Sythia
That land is callit Parthia;
And nixt þat land callit Parthy
The land lyis of Aracusy.
Off Aracusy, ane hill on hycht,
That land has þe name of rycht.
Neist it lyis halely
The gret lordschip of Assyry:
Off Semmys sonis þat Assure wes
That land now þe name it has.

Nixt lyis þe land of Medy,
Off Medus king callit witterly.

Syne lyis þe lordschip haill of Perss,
Quhare Persus king, for to reherss,
Gert first a cete biggit be,
And syne þat lordschip Perss callit he.
Off vertu þare are stanis twa,
Pyr and Syles callit are þai;
Pyr is of vertu for to bryne
The hand þat it is closit in,
And Siles waxis with þe mone
And wanys with it sa alsone.
In Perss wes first foundit nygramansy,
And wichecraft and sossery,
Throu Cain fundin þat syne wes
Be name callit Ȝorestas,
King of Brettane þat Nynus slew,
To stait of lordschip first quhen he drew.

With hillis hie þare landis are,
And craggis strait oure all quhare,
Wnproffitable for man or best,
Evin as a lyne strekand on est
Betuix þe gret revaris twa,
Inde and Tygire callit are þai.
Fra Tygire syne till Eufrates
Mesopethanie first foundit wes,
And for it set wes betuix þai twa,
It hecht Mesopothania.
Thare lyis þe tovne of Nynyve,
That Nynus king gert biggit be.
Quha throuch it haldis þe nerest wayis,
Off lenth he fyndis it thre jurnayis,

And neist it lyis þe regioune
Off Calde and of Babilone,
Quhat þat a toure of hughe hicht
Wes biggit first throuch Menbrodis mycht;
And þat toure Babell callit he
Within þe kinrik of Calde,
Quhare first wes foundit astronomy.
Neist lyis þe land of Araby,
And at we now Saba call;
In it þe Sens is gottin all.
There is þe mont of Synay,
The hill of Oreb neire þerby,
Moyses [þar] þe lawis wrait
Quhare with wes reullit þe Iowis stait.
There lyis þe land of Madyane,
Quhare Ietro preste wes first ourman.
There are men hecht Moabytis,
Ydomys and Ammonytis,
And Sarsynis of nacionis seire
That may nocht all be reknyt heire.

[Fra] þe watter of Eufrates
The land of Serry lyis, but less,
Strekand furth to þe Greke See;
Thare wes of Damask þe cete,
The cete of Antioche alsua
That sumtyme wes callit Reblata;
Conagyne and syne Phenesyis
Neire Tyre and Sydone alsua lyis.
Thare lyis þe hill als of Libane,
Out of it cummys the flume Iurdane.

Thare is þe land of Palestyne,
That Ascalone wes callit syne;
Thare is þe kingdome of Iude
And all þe land of Cananee,
Ierusalem and Samary;
All thire ar lyand in Serry,
And all þe land of Galile,
With Naȝareth þe faire cete
Quhare Gabriell, þe angell brycht,
Hailsit oure lady, quene of mycht,
And said: “haill, Mary, blessit þov be,
Full of grace and God with þe!”

Thare is þe hill als of Thabore;
Neire it is Sodome and Gomore,
And þe v. citeis þat sank for syne
And fylth of þaim þat duelt within;
Quhare now is bot a deid see
Withoutin folkis or frute of tre,
And in þat see, withoutin dout,
The watter þat cumis rynnand out
In þe flume Iordane tais entre,
Quhat way sa euer it rynnand be.
Thare are mony Saraȝenis,
And folkis þat callit are Sabysynis,
And diuerss nacionis and cuntreis,
And mony gret and faire citeis
That I leif now to rekyne heire,
And þire landis, withoutin weire,
Fra þe este oure lyis hie
All strekand to þe Grekis Se,

And xij. seire nacionis on þar wyss
Wsand þare lawis and þare frenschess.