Many other yles there ben in the lond of Prestre John, and many grete marveyles, that weren to long to tellen alle, bothe of his ricchesse and of his noblesse, and of the gret plentee also of precious stones, that he hathe.  I trow that zee knowe wel y now, and have herd seye, wherefore the Emperour is clept Prestre John.  But nathales for hem that knowen not, I schalle seye zou the cause.  It was somtyme an Emperour there, that was a worthi and a fulle noble prynce, that hadde Cristene knyghtes in his companye, as he hathe that is how.  So it befelle, that he hadde gret list for to see the service in the chirche, among Cristen men.  And than dured Cristendom bezonde the zee, alle Turkye, Surrye, Tartarie, Jerusalem, Palestyne, Arabye, Halappee, and alle the lond of Egypte.  So it befelle, that this emperour cam, with a Cristene knyght with him, into a chirche in Egypt:  and it was the Saterday in Wyttson woke.  And the bishop made ordres.  And he beheld and listend the servyse fulle tentyfly:  and he askede the Cristene knight, what men of degree thei scholden ben prestes.  And than the emperour seyde, that he wolde no longer ben clept kyng ne emperour, but preest; and that he wolde have the name of the first preest, that went out of the chirche:  and his name was John.  And so evere more sithens, he is cleped Prestre John.

In his lond ben manye Cristene men of gode feythe and of gode lawe; and namely of hem of the same contree; and han comounly hire prestes, that syngen the messe, and maken the sacrement of the awtier of bred, right as the Grekes don:  but thei seyn not so many thinges as the messe, as men don here.  For thei seye not but only that, that the apostles seyden, as oure Lord taughte hem:  righte as seynt Peter and seynt Thomas and the other apostles songen the messe, seyenge the Pater-noster, and the wordes of the sacrement.  But wee have many mo addiciouns, that dyverse popes han made, that thei ne knowe not offe;

Of the Hilles of Gold, that Pissemyres kepen:  and of the 4 Flodes, that
  comen fro Paradys terrestre.

[Sidenote:  Cap.  XXX.] Toward the est partye of Prestre Johnes lond, is an yle gode an gret, that men clepen Taprobane, that is fulle noble and fulle fructuous:  and the kyng thereof is fulle ryche, and is undre the obeyssance of Prestre John.  And alle weys there thei make hire king be eleccyoun.  In that ile ben 2 someres and 2 wyntres; and men harvesten the corn twyes a zeer.  And in alle the cesouns of the zeer ben the gardynes florisht.  There dwellen gode folke and resonable, and manye Cristene men amonges hem, that ben so riche, that thei wyte not what to done with hire godes.  Of olde tyme, whan men passed from the lond of Prestre John unto that yle, men maden ordynance for to passe by schippe, 23 dayes or more:  but now men passen by schippe in 7 dayes.  And men may see the botme of the see in many places:  for it is not fulle depe.