I have read this passage at length, not only because of its intrinsic merit, but also because of its evident meaning.  It is obvious that it is meant to propound doctrines similar to those which a distinguished writer has recently discussed under the title, Happiness in Hell.  It is remarkable that the Codex Salmanticensis omits the whole passage in this sense.  Possibly it did not suit the views of the transcriber.

In a week the provider came to them bringing more food and drink, but warned them not to drink of the fountain, as its waters were stupefying.  He returned again at Pentecost, bringing more, but bade them now provision the ship with water, and with dried bread.  A week later they started.  When they were on the shore, one of the birds came and perched upon the prow and said, ’Ye have kept the holy day of the Passover with us this year.  Ye shall also keep the same day with us in the year to come.  And where ye have been in the last year at the Supper of the Lord, there shall ye be upon the said day in the year to come.  Likewise shall ye keep the Lord’s night, the Passover Supper, where ye have kept it before, that is, upon the back of the monster Jasconius.  And after eight months ye shall find the isle which is called Ailbey.  There shall ye keep the birth of Christ.’  And so he flew back, and as the boat sailed away, all the birds sang, ’Answer us, O God of our salvation, Who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea.’

They were wandering upon the sea for three months, and afterwards came to the isle Ailbey, where they stayed until the middle of January.  There is here described a monastery with twenty-four monks, who were fed on miraculously provided bread, and, except the Abbat, never spoke.  There is rather a curious description of the church, which was square, with stalls round the walls.  It had three altars, all of crystal, as were all the altar vessels, and seven lamps which were lit every evening by a fiery arrow which came in and went out at a window.

They left Ailbey, and were carried about on the sea until the beginning of Lent.  They then came to an island where there was abundant vegetation, roots, and streams full of fish, but some of the brethren became insensible from one, two, or three days, from drinking the water.  I own that this and the remark about the water in the Eden of Birds seems to me to be very likely plagiarised from the wine-river in Lucian’s Traveller’s Tale.  Hence they went north for three days, were beating about for about twenty, and then eastward for three more, and then came back for Maundy Thursday to the isle of the provider, who again met them.  All went on as before, and a week after Pentecost they started again from the Eden of the Birds.

It will thus be observed that the real times of voyaging in each year are limited to the months of February and March, and from about the early part of June to the middle of December.