In the year of our Lord 1331, friar Oderic, resolving to enter upon his intended journey, determined to present himself before Pope John XXII[1] on purpose to receive his benediction, that his labour might be the more prosperous; as he intended to travel into the countries of the infidels, with certain friars who had agreed to accompany him.  While journeying to the residence of the pope, and not far distant from the city of Pisa, he was encountered by an old man in the garb of a pilgrim, who saluted him by name, saying, “Hail to you, friar Oderic.”  And when Oderic inquired how he should know him, the old man answered, “While you were in India, I well knew both you and your holy purpose; but now be warned from me, and return to the convent whence you came, for in ten days you shall depart out of this world.”  Upon this the old man immediately vanished, from his sight; and Oderic, amazed at his words, determined to return to his convent, which he did in perfect health, feeling no illness, or decay of his body or faculties.  And ten days afterwards, being then in his convent at Udina, in the province of Padua, and having received the holy communion, as preparing himself unto God, yea, being strong and sound of body, he happily rested in the Lord, according as it had been revealed.  Which holy death was signified unto the foresaid supreme pontiff, under the hand of a public notary, in the following words: 

“On the 14th of January, in the year of our Lord 1331, the blessed Oderic, a friar of the minorite order, deceased in Christ; at whose prayers God shewed many and sundry miracles, which I, Guetelus, public notary of Udina, son of Dora.  Damiano de Portu Gruario, at the command and direction of the noble lord Conradus, of the borough of Gastaldion, one of the council of Udina, have written down with good faith to the best of my abilities; and I have delivered a copy of the same to the friars minors:  Yet not of the whole, because they are innumerable, and too difficult for, me to write.”

[1] This pope reigned from about 1317 to 1334, so that the original editor,
    or fabricator of these travels, has so for been fortunate in his
    chronology.—­E.

CHAP.  XIII.

Travels of Sir John Mandeville into the East, in 1322[1].

The travels of Sir John Mandevil, or Mandeville, are to be found in Latin in Haklyuts collection.  An edition of this strange performance was published in 8vo. at London in 1727, by Mr Le Neve, from a MS. in the Cotton Library.  This old English version is said to have been made by the author from his own original composition in Latin.  It is a singular mixture of real or fictitious travels, and compilation from the works of others without acknowledgement, containing many things copied from the travels of Oderic, and much of it is culled, in a similar manner, from the writings of the ancients.  Though, from these circumstances, it is a work of no authenticity and unworthy of credit, it has been judged indispensable to give some account of its nature and contents.