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 that that he had begonne. And alle were it
so, that he was a Payneme and not worthi to ben herd, zit God of his grace
closed the mountaynes to gydre: so that thei dwellen there, alle faste y
lokked and enclosed with highe mountaynes alle aboute, saf only on o syde;
and on that syde is the see of Caspye. Now may sum men asken, Sithe that
the see is on that o syde, wherfore go thei not out on the see syde, for to
go where that hem lykethe? But to this question, I schal answere, That see
of Caspye gothe out be londe, undre the mountaynes, and rennethe be the
desert at o syde of the contree; and aftre it strecchethe unto the endes of
Persie. And alle thoughe it be clept a see, it is no see, ne it touchethe
to non other see; but it is a lake, the grettest of the world. And thoughe
thei wolden putten hem in to that see, thei ne wysten never, where that
thei scholde arryven. And also thei conen no langage, but only hire owne,
that no man knowethe but thei: and therfore mowe thei not gon out. And also
zee schulle undirstond, that the Jewes han no propre lond of hire owne for
to dwellen inne, in alle the world, but only that lond betwene the
mountaynes. And zit thei zelden tribute for that lond to the Queen of
Amazoine, the whiche makethe hem to ben kept in cloos fulle diligently,
that thei schalle not gon out on no syde, but be the cost of hire lond. For
hire lond marchethe to tho mountaynes. And often it hathe befallen, that
summe of the Jewes han gon up the mountaynes, and avaled down to the
valeyes: but gret nombre of folk ne may not do so. For the mountaynes ben
so hye and so streghte up, that thei moste abyde there, maugre hire myghte.
For thei mowe not gon out, but be a littille issue, that was made be