the blue edge of the sea. And at last
Gaza, with its white minarets and grey houses; Gaza, in the midst of its
gardens and its woods; Gaza, that seems a sumptuous city to us poor
wanderers of the desert!

The moon is high. It is the hour that our Bedouins depart. Seated on
their tall swinging beasts, the sheiks go by, and wave to us a friendly
farewell. They are returning to the terrible land where they were born
and where they love to live, and their departure brings to an end our
dream of the desert. To-morrow, at break of day, we shall ascend towards
Jerusalem.

SIR JOHN MANDEVILLE

Voyage and Travel

_I.--Of the Holy Land and the Way Thereto_

The celebrated "Voyage and Travel of Sir John Mandeville"
was first published in French between 1357 and 1371. The
identity of its author has given rise to much difference
of opinion, but its authorship is now generally ascribed
to Jehan de Bourgoigne, a physician who practised at
Liege. There is, indeed, some evidence that this name was
assumed, and that the physician's real name, Mandeville,
had been discarded when he fled from England after
committing homicide. A tomb at Liege, seen at so late as
the seventeenth century, bore the name of Mandeville, and
gave the date of his death as November 17, 1372. As to the
book itself, its material is evidently borrowed chiefly
from other writers, especially from the account of the
travels of Friar Odoric and from a French work on the
East, and only a small part contains first-hand
information. Numerous manuscripts exist, in several
languages. The English version is probably not the work of
the original writer, but it is, nevertheless, regarded as
a standard piece of mediaeval English prose.

For as much as the land beyond the sea, that is to say, the Holy Land,
passing all other lands, is the most worthy land, most excellent, and
Lady and Sovereign of all other lands, and is blessed and hallowed of
the precious Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; and that land He
chose before all other lands as the best and most worthy land, and the
most virtuous land of all the world; wherefore, every good Christian
man, that is of power, and hath whereof, should strive with all his
strength for to conquer our right heritage, and chase out all
misbelieving men. And for as much as many men desire to hear speak of
the Holy Land, I, John Mandeville, Knight, albeit I be not worthy, that
was b