kyngdom of Chorasme, that is a gode lond
and a plentevous, with outen wyn. And it hathe a desert toward the est,
that lastethe more than an 100 iourneyes. And the beste cytee of that
contree is clept Chorasme. And of that cytee, berethe the contree his name.
The folk of that contree ben hardy werryoures. And on this half is the
kyngdom of Comanye, where of the Comayns that dwelleden in Grece, somtyme
weren chaced out. This is on of the grettest kyngdomes of the world: but it
is not alle enhabyted. For at on of the parties, there is so gret cold,
that no man may dwelle there: and in another partie, there is so grete
hete, that no man may endure it. And also there ben so many flyes, that no
man may knowe on what syde he may turne him. In that contree is but lytille
arberye, ne trees that beren frute, ne othere. Thei lyzn in tentes. And
thei brenen the dong of bestes for defaute of wode.
This kyngdom descendeth on this half toward us, and toward Pruysse, and
toward Rossye. And thorghe that contree rennethe the ryvere of Ethille,
that is on of the grettest ryveres of the world. And it fresethe so
strongly alle zeres, that many tymes men han foughten upon the Ise with
grete hostes, bothe parties on fote, and hire hors voyded for the tyme: and
what on hors and on fote, mo than 200000 persones on every syde. And
betweene that ryvere and the grete see ocean, that thei clepen the see
maure, lyzn alle theise Roialmes. And toward the hede benethe in that
Roialme, is the mount Chotaz, that is the hiest mount of the world: and it
is betwene the see Maure and the see Caspy. There is fulle streyt and
dangerous passage, for to go toward Ynde. And therfore Kyng Alysandre leet
make there a strong cytee, that men clepen Alizandre, for to kepe the
contree, that no man scholde passe with outen his leve. And now men clepen
that cytee, the Zate of Helle. And the princypalle cytee of Comenye is
clept Sarak, that is on of the 3 weyes for to go in to Ynde: but be the
weye, ne may not passe no gret multytude of peple, but zif it be in wyntre.
And that passage men clepen the Derbent. The tother weye is for to go fro
the citee of Turquesten, be Persie: and be that weye, ben manye iourneyes
be desert. And the thridde weye is that comethe fro Comanye, and than to go
be the grete see and be the kyngdom of Abchaz.
And zee schulle undirstonde, that alle theise kyngdomes and alle theise
londes aboveseyd, unto Pruysse and to Rossye, ben alle obeyssant t
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