it marchethe to Nubye, and to the highe Lybye. (Theise men of Nubye ben Cristene.) And it marchethe fro the londes aboveseyd to the desertes of Egypt.  And that is the Egypt, that I have spoken of before.  And aftre is Libye the hye, and Lybye the lowe, that descendethe down lowe, toward the grete see of Spayne.  In the whiche contree ben many kyngdomes and many dyverse folk.  Now I have devysed zou many contrees, on this half the kyngdom of Cathay:  of the whiche, many ben obeyssant to the grete Chane.

Of the Contrees and Yles, that ben bezonde the Lond of Cathay; and of the
  Frutes there; and of 22 Kynges enclosed within the Mountaynes.

[Sidenote:  Cap.  XXVI.]

Now schalle I seye zou sewyngly of contrees and yles, that ben bezonde the contrees that I have spoken of.  Wherfore I seye zou, in passynge be the lond of Cathaye, toward the highe Ynde, and toward Bacharye, men passen be a kyngdom, that men clepen Caldilhe; that is a fulle fair contree.  And there growethe a maner of fruyt, as thoughe it weren gowrdes:  and whan thei ben rype, men kutten hem a to, and men fynden with inne a lytylle best, in flessche, in bon and blode, as though it were a lytylle lomb, with outen wolle.  And men eten bothe the frut and the best:  and that is a gret marveylle.  Of that frute I have eten; alle thoughe it were wondirfulle:  but that I knowe wel, that God is marveyllous in his werkes.  And natheles I told hem, of als gret a marveylle to hem, that is amonges us:  and that was of the Bernakes.  For I tolde hem, that in oure contree weren trees, that beren a fruyt, that becomen briddes fleeynge:  and tho that fellen in the water, lyven; and thei that fallen on the erthe, dyen anon:  and thei ben right gode to mannes mete.  And here of had thei als gret marvaylle, that summe of hem trowed, it were an impossible thing to be. [Footnote:  The Barnacle-bearing trees are said to have grown in Ireland.] In that contree ben longe apples of gode savour; where of ben mo than 100 in a clustre, and als manye in another; and thei han gret longe leves and large, of 2 fote long or more.  And in that contree, and in other contrees there abouten, growen many trees, that beren clowe gylofres and notemuges, and grete notes of Ynde and of canelle and of many other spices.  And there ben vynes, that beren so grete grapes, that a strong man scholde have y now to done, for to bere o clustre with alle the grapes.  In that same regioun ben the mountaynes of Caspye, that men clepen Uber in the contree.  Betwene the mountaynes, the Jewes of 10 lynages ben enclosed, that men clepen Gothe and Magothe:  and thei mowe not gon out on no syde.  There weren enclosed 22 kynges with hire peple, that duelleden betwene the mountaynes of Sythye.  There Kyng Alisandre chacede hem betwene tho mountaynes; and there he thoughte for to enclose hem thorghe werk of his men.  But whan he saughe, that he myghte not don it, ne bryng it to an ende, he preyed to God of Nature, that he wolde parforme