Also, atte Goldsmithes halle, when al the people was assembled, the mair, John Northampton reherced as euel as he koude of the eleccion on the day to forn, & seyde that truly: ‘Sirs, thus be ye shape for to be ouer ronne, & that ,’ quod he, ‘I nel noght soeffre; lat vs rather al be ded atones than soeffre such a vylenye.’ & than the comunes, vpon these wordes, wer stered, & seiden truly they wolde go to a nother eleccion, & noght soeffre thys wrong, to be ded al ther for attones in on tyme; and than be the mair, John Northampton, was euery man boden gon hom, & kome fast a yein strong in to Chepe with al her craftes, & I wene ther wer a boute a XXX craftes, & in Chepe they sholden haue sembled to go to a newe eleccion, &, truly, had noght the aldermen kome to trete, & maked that John Northampton bad the poeple gon hoom, they wolde haue go to a Newe eleccion, & in that hete haue slayn hym that wolde haue letted it, yf they had myght; and ther of I appele John Northampton.
Also, at the Goldsmiths hall, when all the people were gathered, the mayor, John Northampton, criticised as much as he could the election on the day before and said that truly: ‘Sirs, this sets the scene to be trampled under foot and that’ he said ‘I will not tolerate: let us die here and now than suffering such mischief’. And then the common people, on listening to these words, were stirred up and said truly they would hold another election and not suffer this wrong or else all die together; and then everybody was told to go home by the mayor John Northampton and come back quickly in strength to Cheapside with their fellow craftsmen and I believe/reckon there were about 30 craftsmen and they were meant to assemble/gather in Cheapside, and truly the older men had not come to negotiate and persuade that John Northampton tell the people to go home, they would have held a new election and in the heat of the moment they would have slain anyone who tried to stop them if they had strength and of this I accuse John Northampton.
I Thomas Vsk… knowleched thes wordes & wrote hem with myn owne honde. … Also, that day that Sir Nichol Brembre was chose mair, a non after mete kom John Northampton to John Mores hows, & thider Kom Richard Norbury & William Essex, & ther it was accorded that the mair, John Northampton, sholde sende after the persones that thilk tyme wer in the comun conseil of craftes, and after the wardeyns of craftes, so that they sholde kome to the goldsmiths halle on the morwe after, & ther the mair sholde speke with hem to loke & ordeigne how thilk eleccion of Sir Nichol Brembre myght be letted; &, nad it be for drede of our lord the kyng, I wot wel eueri man sholde haue be in others top. And than sente he Richard Norbury, Robert Rysby, & me, Thomas Vsk, to the Neyte, to the duk of lancastre, to enforme hym in thys wyse: ‘ Sir, to day, ther we wolden haue go to the eleccion of the mair in goddes peas & the kynges, ther kom jn an orrible companye of criers, no man not whiche, & ther, with oute any vsage but be strength, chosen Sir Nichol Brembre mair, a yein our maner of eleccion to forn thys vsed; wher fore we preye yow yf we myght haue the kynges writ to go to a Newe eleccion.’ And the duk seide: ‘Nay, certes, writ shul ye non haue, auise yow amonges yowr selue.’ & her of I appele John Northampton, John More, Richard Norbury, & William Essex.
I, Thomas Usk, acknowledged these words and wrote them with my own hand. Also that day that Sir Nichol Brembre was chosen mayor, soon after meat (food) came John Northampton to John Mores houses, and there came Richard Norbury and William Essex, and there it was accorded that the mayor, John Northampton, would send the persons that were at this time in the common counsel of craftsmen, and after the guardians/protectors of the craftsmen, so that they would come to the Goldsmiths hall on the morning after (the following morning) and there the mayor would speak with them, in order to look after and regulate how this election of Sir Nichol Brembre might be granted; and if it had not been for you, I know that every man would have been at each other’s throats. And then he sent Richard Norbury, Robert Rybsy and me, Thomas Usk, to the Neyte, to the Duke of Lancaster, to inform him in this way: ‘Sir, today we would have gone there to the election of the mayor in the peace required by God and the kings, there came in a horrible company of hecklers who no-one knew and there without any right other than that of force chose Sir Nichol Brembre mayor against the electoral procedures we have used in the past; therefore, we pray/ beg you if we might have the kings’ writ to go to a new election’. And the Duke said: ‘No, certainly you will have no writ; sort out the matter among yourselves’. And here I accuse John Northampton, John More, Richard Norbury and William Essex.
Egypt is a harsh/strong country And many perilous havens Are found within because there lays In each haven great rocks In the entry of the Harbour / Toward the east Is the Red Sea that runs Right to the city of Constantine The Noble / The Land of Egypt is in Length five days of journey / but it is not Three because of the deserts That are there / Between Egypt and the land that is Called Namibia there are Twelve days of journey in the deserts. The folks/people that live In that country are Christian Men but they are Black of colour for an Excessive burning of the sun.
… That bereth applis grete plente
And who þat cleueth an appul atwyn
A litille beest he fyndith thereyn.
To a litille lombe liche it ys
Of bloode and bone and eke of flessh
And welle shapen atte folle
In al thinge saufe it hath noo wolle
And men and women þere meest and leest
Eten of þat frute so with þat beest.
… That bears apples in great plant
And he who cut an apple in two parts
A little beast he found inside.
It is like a little lamb
With blood and bone and also with flesh
And it is well shaped in general
In all things except it has no wool
And men and women from the greatest to the lowliest
Now schall seye зou seweyngly of contrees and yles þat ben beзonde the contrees þat I haue spoken of. Wherefore I seye зou, in passynge be the lond of Cathaye toward the high Ynde, and toward Bachayre, men passen be a kyngdom þat men cleppen Caldilhe, þat is a full fair contre. And þere growthe a maner of fruyt, as þough it weren gowrdes; and whan þei ben rype, men kutten hem ato and men fynden withinne a lytyll best, in flesch, in bon, and blode as þough it were a lytill lomb, withouten wolle. And men eten bothe the frut and the best: and þat is a gret mervueylle. Of þat frute I haue eten, allþough it were wondirfull: but þat I knowe wel, þat god is merueyllous in his werkes.
Now I tell you in what follows of countries and isles that are beyond the countries I have spoken of. Therefore, I tell you that in passing by the land of Cathaye toward the high India, and toward Bachayre, men pass by a kingdom that they call Caldilhe, which is a full fair country (a beautiful, wonderful). And there grows a kind of fruit, as though it were pumpkins/gourds; and when they are ripe, men cut them in two parts and they find within a little beast, in flesh, in bone, in blood as if it was a little lamb, without wool. And men eat both the fruit and the beast and that is a great marvel. Of that fruit I have eaten, although it was wonderful: but that I know well that God is marvellous in his works.
