A.D. 



1330- 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



sacer obitus Domino summo Pontifici praefato sub 

 manu Notarii public! transmittitur ; qui sic scribit. 



Anno Domini 1331. decima quarta die mensis Janu- 

 arii obiit in Christo Beatus Odoricus ordinis fratrum 

 Minorum, cujus precibus omnipotens Deus multa, & 

 varia miracula demonstravit ; quae ego Guetelus notarius 

 communis Utini, filius domini Damiani de portu 

 Gruarioj de mandato & voluntate nobilis viri Domini 

 Conradi de Buardigio Castaldionis, & consilii Utini, 

 scripsi, sicut potui, bona fide, & fratribus Minoribus 

 exemplum dedi ; sed non de omnibus, quia sunt in- 

 numerabilia, & mihi difficilia ad scribendum. 



Here beginneth the journall of Frier Odoricus, 

 one of the order of the Minorites, concerning 

 strange things which hee sawe among the 

 Tartars of the East. 



Lbeit many and sundry things are reported 

 by divers authors concerning the fashions 

 and conditions of this world : notwith- 

 standing I frier Odoricus of Friuli, de 

 portu Vahonis being desirous to travel 

 unto the forrein and remote nations of 

 infidels, sawe and heard great and mira- 

 culous things, which I am able truely to avouch. First 

 Pera, of al therefore sayling from Pera by Constantinople, I 



Trapesunda. arrived at Trapesunda. This place is right commodi- 

 ously situate, as being an haven for the Persians and 

 Medes, and other countreis beyonde the sea. In this 

 lande I behelde with great delight a very strange 

 spectacle, namely a certaine man leading about with him 

 more then foure thousande partriges. The man him- 

 [II. i. 54.] selfe walked upon the ground, and the partriges flew 

 in the aire, which he ledde unto a certaine castle 

 called Zavena, being three dayes journey distant from 

 Trapesunda. The saide partriges were so tame, that 

 when the man was desirous to lie downe and rest, they 



408 



