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may marshonde But Lordes and Knights and other zobie and worin Men, the come know. Large but hylle. and has have bem bermode beyond the See, Kocwed and

firstonden, zi 1 errein derisynge, for foretynge, forgetting or eles: that mowe may recress it and amende i For hinges passed out of Jonge time from a Mannes mynde or from his spin timer some in forzetynge: Because that Mynde of Man ne may not ben comprehended ne withebolden for the Frectee of Mackypie."

For a sample of John Mandeville's description of the countries through which be traveled, we submit next an extract from

"THE CHINESE

And

"The gret Kyng bath every day, so fair Damyseles, alle Mardenes, that serven him evermore at his Mete. whan he is at the Table, the bryngen bys Mete at every tyme, 5 and 5 to gedre. And in bryngynge hire (their) 3 Servyse, the Syngen a Song. And aftre that, thei kutten his Mete, and patten it in his Mouthe: for he touchethe no thing ne handlethe nought, but holdethe evermore his Hondes before him, upon the Table. For he hathe so longe Nayles, that he may take no thing, ne handle no thing. For the Noblesse of that Contree is to have longe Nayles, and to make hem growen alle ways to ben as longe as men may. And there ben manye in that Contree, that han hire (have their Nayles so longe, that the envyronne (environ) alle the Hond: and that is a gret Noblesse. And the Noblesse of the Women, is for to haven smale Feet and tie: and therefore anon as thei ben born, they leet bynde hire Feet so streyte, that thei may not growen half as Nature welde: And alle weys theise Damyseles, that I spak of beforn. syngen all the tyme that this riche man etethe: and when that he etethe no more of his firste Cours, thanne other s and 5 of faire Damyseles bryngen him his seconde Cours. alle weys syngnge, as thei dide beforn. And so thei don contynuelly every day, to the ende of his Mete. And in this

manere he ledethe his Lif. And so dide thei before him, withouten doynge of ony Dedes of Armes: but lyven evere more thus in ese, as a Swyn, that is fedde in Sty, for to ben made fatte."

The reader will note next that John Mandeville lived more than a hundred years before Christopher Columbus; and to show that he out-Columbused Columbus, in the discovery of the rotundity of the earth, we quote from his observations of the stars while navigating southern waters:

66

THE SPHERICAL FORM OF THE EARTH."

"In that Londe, (Africa), ne in many othere bezonde that, no man may see the Sterre transmontane, (the pole star), that is clept the Sterre of the See, that is unmevable, and that is toward the Northe that we clepen the Lode Sterre. But man seen another Sterre, the contrarie to him, that is toward the Southe, that is clept Antartyk. And right as the ship men taken here Avys here (their advise here), and govern hem be the Lode Sterre, right so don schip men bezonde the parties, be the Sterre of the Southe, the which Sterre apperethe not to us. And this Sterre, that is toward the Northe, that we clepen the Lode Sterre, ne apperethe not to hem. For which cause, men may well perceyve, that the Londe and the See ben of rownde schapp and forme. For the partie of the Firmament schewethe in o (one) countree, that schewethe not in another Contree. And men may well preven be experience and sotyle (subtle) compassment of Wytt, that zif a man fond passages be Schippes, that wolde go to serchen the World, men mighte go be Schippe alle aboute the World, and aboven and benethen. And zif I hadde had Companye and Schippynge for to go more bezonde, I trowe (think) well in certeyn, that wee scholde have seen alle the roundnesse of the Firmament alle aboute.

But how it semethe to symple men unlearned, that men ne mowe not (may not) go undre the Erthe, and also that men scholde falle toward the Hevene, from undre! But that may not be, upon lesse, (unless) than we mowe falle toward

may undirstonde it. But Lordes and Knyghtes and other noble and worthi Men, that conne (know) Latyn but litylle, and han (have) ben bezonde (beyond) the See, knowen and undirstonden, zif I erre in devisynge, for forzetynge, (forgetting) orelles: that mowe (may) redress it and amende it. For thinges passed out of longe tyme from a Mannes mynde or from his syght, turnen sone in forzetynge: Because that Mynde of Man ne may not ben comprehended ne witheholden, for the Freeltee of Mankynde."

For a sample of John Mandeville's description of the countries through which he travelled, we submit next an extract from

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"The gret Kyng hath every day, 50 fair Damyseles, alle Maydenes, that serven him evermore at his Mete. And whan he is at the Table, thei bryngen hys Mete at every tyme, 5 and 5 to gedre. And in bryngynge hire (their) Servyse, thei Syngen a Song. And aftre that, thei kutten his Mete, and putten it in his Mouthe: for he touchethe no thing ne handlethe nought, but holdethe evermore his Hondes before him, upon the Table. For he hathe so longe Nayles, that he may take no thing, ne handle no thing. For the Noblesse of that Contree is to have longe Nayles, and to make hem growen alle ways to ben as longe as men may. And there ben manye in that Contree, that han hire (have their) Nayles so longe, that thei envyronne (environ) alle the Hond: and that is a gret Noblesse. And the Noblesse of the Women, is for to haven smale Feet and litille: and therefore anon as thei ben born, they leet bynde hire Feet so streyte, that thei may not growen half as Nature wolde: And alle weys theise Damyseles, that I spak of beforn, syngen alli the tyme that this riche man etethe: and when that he etethe no more of his firste Cours, thanne other 5 and 5 of faire Damyseles bryngen him his seconde Cours, alle weys syngnge, as thei dide beforn. And so thei don contynuelly every day, to the ende of his Mete. And in this

manere he ledethe his Lif. And so dide thei before him, withouten doynge of ony Dedes of Armes: but lyven evere more thus in ese, as a Swyn, that is fedde in Sty, for to ben made fatte."

The reader will note next that John Mandeville lived more than a hundred years before Christopher Columbus; and to show that he out-Columbused Columbus, in the discovery of the rotundity of the earth, we quote from his observations of the stars while navigating southern waters:

"THE SPHERICAL FORM OF THE EARTH."

"In that Londe, (Africa), ne in inany othere bezonde that, no man may see the Sterre transmontane, (the pole star), that is clept the Sterre of the See, that is unmevable, and that is toward the Northe that we clepen the Lode Sterre. But man seen another Sterre, the contrarie to him, that is toward the Southe, that is clept Antartyk. And right as the ship men taken here Avys here (their advise here), and govern hem be the Lode Sterre, right so don schip men bezonde the parties, be the Sterre of the Southe, the which Sterre apperethe not to us. And this Sterre, that is toward the Northe, that we clepen the Lode Sterre, ne apperethe not to hem. For which cause, men may well perceyve, that the Londe and the See ben of rownde schapp and forme. For the partie of the Firmament schewethe in o (one) countree, that schewethe not in another Contree. And men may well preven be experience and sotyle (subtle) compassment of Wytt, that zif a man fond passages be Schippes, that wolde go to serchen the World, men mighte go be Schippe alle aboute the World, and aboven and benethen. And zif I hadde had Companye and Schippynge for to go more bezonde, I trowe (think) well in certeyn, that wee scholde have seen alle the roundnesse of the Firmament alle aboute.

But how it semethe to symple men unlearned, that men ne mowe not (may not) go undre the Erthe, and also that men scholde falle toward the Hevene, from undre! But that may not be, upon lesse, (unless) than we mowe falle toward

Hevene, fro the Erthe, where we ben. For fro what partie of the Erthe, that men duelle (dwell), outher aboven or benethen, it semethe alweys to hem that duellen, that thei gon more righte than ony other folk. And righte as it semethe to us, that thei ben undre us, right so it semethe hem that wee ben undre hem. For zif a man mighte falle fro the Erthe unto the Firmament; be grettere resoun, the Erthe and the See, that ben so grete and so hevy, scholde fallen to the Firmament: but that may not be."

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JOHN WICLIF.

John Wiclif," The Morning Star of the Reformation," Honored of God to be the first Preacher of a Reformation to all Europe, was born in the little village of Wiclif, near Richmond, in the northern part of Yorkshire, about the year 1324. Milton, in his "Speech for the Liberty of Unlicensed Printing," thus remarks, "Had it not been for the obstinate perverseness of our Prelates against the divine and admirable spirit of Wiclif, to suppress him as a schismatic or innovator, perhaps neither the Bohemian Husse and Jerome, no, nor the name of Luther or of Calvin, had ever been known." Professor Le Bas says, "Allowing, however, if we must, to Luther, the highest niche in this sacred department of the Temple of Renown, I know not who can be chosen to fill the next, if it shall be denied to Wiclif." Charles D. Cleveland says, "In the extent and variety of his knowledge he surpassed all the learned men of his age." The number of his writings still extant, though very many were burnt by order of the Pope, is truly astonishing. Most of these now exist in manuscript, in the public libraries in England and Ireland, and some in the Imperial Library at Vienna. His great work was the translation of the Scriptures, and to him belongs the high honor of having given to the English nation the first translation of the entire Scriptures in their mother tongue, which he made, however, not from the original languages, but from the Latin Vulgate. The following are his reasons for his great undertaking:

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