lept a see, it is no see, ne it touchethe
to non other see; but it is a lake, the grettest of the world. And thoughe
thei wolden putten hem in to that see, thei ne wysten never, where that
thei scholde arryven. And also thei conen no langage, but only hire owne,
that no man knowethe but thei: and therfore mowe thei not gon out. And also
zee schulle undirstond, that the Jewes han no propre lond of hire owne for
to dwellen inne, in alle the world, but only that lond betwene the
mountaynes. And zit thei zelden tribute for that lond to the Queen of
Amazoine, the whiche makethe hem to ben kept in cloos fulle diligently,
that thei schalle not gon out on no syde, but be the cost of hire lond. For
hire lond marchethe to tho mountaynes. And often it hathe befallen, that
summe of the Jewes han gon up the mountaynes, and avaled down to the
valeyes: but gret nombre of folk ne may not do so. For the mountaynes ben
so hye and so streghte up, that thei moste abyde there, maugre hire myghte.
For thei mowe not gon out, but be a littille issue, that was made be
strengthe of men; and it lastethe wel a 4 gret myle. And aftre, is there
zit a lond alle desert, where men may fynde no watre, ne for dyggynge, ne
for non other thing. Wherfore men may not dwellen in that place: so it is
fulle of dragounes, of serpentes and of other venymous bestes, that no man
dar not passe, but zif it be strong wyntre. And that streyt passage, men
clepen in that contree, Clyron. And that is the passage, that the Queen of
Amazoine makethe to ben kept. And thoghe it happene, sum of hem, be
fortune, to gon out; thei conen no maner of langage but Ebrow: so that thei
can not speke to the peple. And zit natheles, men seyn, thei schalle gon
out in the tyme of Antecrist, and that thei schulle maken gret slaughtre of
Cristene men. And therfore alle the Jewes, that dwellen in alle londes,
lernen alle weys to speken Ebrew, in hope that whan the other Jewes schulle
gon out, that thei may undirstonden hire speche, and to leden hem in to
Cristendom, for to destroye the Cristene peple. For the Jewes seyn, that
they knowen wel, be hire Prophecyes, that thei of Caspye schulle been undre
hire subieccioun, als longe as they had ben in subieccioun of hem. And zif
that zee wil wyte, how that thei schulle fynden hire Weye, aftre that I
have herd seye, I schalle telle zou. In the time of Antecrist, a fox
schalle make there his trayne, and mynen an hole, where Kyng Alisandre leet
make the