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CLAUDE DELAVAL COBHAM
Exerpta Cypria
page 35 View PDF version of this page DE CAUMONT.
Nompar IL, Seigneur de Canni ont et de Chastelnuef, a Gascon noble of illustrious descent, was born in 1391 and died in England in 1446. He had remained faithful to Henry V. and Henry VX as Dukes of Guienne, and saw his domains assigned by Charles VII. to Iiis younger brother Brandelis, ancestor of the Dukes de la Force The pilgrimage which he records in his Voyaige a"Oullrenter en Jhêrvsalem was accomplished between February 27, 1418, and April 14,1420, bnt his manuscript found ite way to the British Museum, and was hardly known until it was copied and printed iu 1858 by the Marquis de la Grange, whose preface well repays perusal
The "anzelles de Chipre pour parfumer chambres" which the pilgrim brought es a present for Ins wife (p. 13Θ) were balls of perfume shaped like a bird (oiselet) covered with a bird's feathers: when crushed they scattered a sweet-smelling powder. F. Godefroy, Lexique, 1901.
I left Rama (July 20, 1418) and went to Japhe, twelve miles, where the ships which brought me were waiting for me. I embarked on the very day of my arrival, and next day we sailed for the kingdom of Cyprus. And there we came to anchor at a city called Famagosta, where we reckoned 400 miles. The city is built on the sea-shore, and in it is a very fair church. In this country men count by leagues.
The Kingdom of Cyprus.
Item, from Famagosta 1 went inland to the king of Cyprus, who lives twelve leagues hence in a great city called Nicossîa. Bnt first, after leaving Famagosta I passed a castle in the plain, called Chasteau Franc, four leagues away, which the king of Cyprus had bnilt not long since. It seemed to ine well built and strong, considering the flatness of its site. From this castle, without a halt, I pushed on four leagues to a place belonging to the Hospice of Rhodes called Mores, and there I slept the night.
Item, from Monres four leagues to Xicossia, where the king [Jean II.] was, from whom 1 received great cheer and welcome. He was lodged in a great hostel of S. John of Rhodes, which is a commandery : in this hostel is a chapel where there are fair relics which were shown me, to wit, the arm of Monseigneur S. George, the head of S. Anne, mother of our Lady, and the whole body of S. Euphemia ; also the iron of the lance with which Monseigneur S. George killed the serpent, and many other holy relief. Now when I had stayed with the said king two or three days I returned by the very same road I had taken to the city of Famagosta whence I had started, and where the ships awaited me. Be it known that it is a country of very great heat, so that the people hardly dare to ride by day, for the great power of the sun, but by night only. And foreigners can scarcely remain there long in health. And in this country the grapes are generally black, and the wines are all white.
Item, at Famagosta I took the sea and journeyed along the coast of Cyprus to Cape S. Andrew, a distance of seventy miles.
Item, from that Cape S. Andrew to the town of Carpas, twenty-five miles. Item, from Carpas to the Castle de la Carniera, thirty miles. Item, from the Castle de la Candara to the Castle of Leonde, otherwise called Buffavent, thirty miles. Item, from Buffalvent to the Castle and town of Chèrmes, ten miles : this is a seaport, and the strongest fortress in Cyprus. It was the greathearted Achilles, who was king of Thessaly, who built it. Item, from this Chèrmes to the Castle of S. Hellarion, five miles. Now 1 leave the kingdom of Cyprus and come to a countiy of Turkey, which formerly used to be called Armenia, and now belongs to the misbelieving Turks (pp. 76—79).
30
EXCERPTA CYPRIA
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