ABSTRACT
Departing thence I went into Chaldæa 1 , which is a great kingdom, and as I went thither I passed by the Tower of Babel, which is distant perchance four days’ journey from (the city 2 ). And in this land of Chaldæa they have a lan-guage of their own 3 ; and the men are comely, but the women in sooth of an ill favour 4 . The men indeed go smartly dressed and decked as our women go here, and on their heads they wear a kind of fillet of gold and pearls; whilst the women have nothing on them but a miserable shift reaching to the knees, and with sleeves so long and wide that they 5 sweep the ground. And they go barefoot with drawers 6 hanging about their feet, and their hair 111neither plaited nor braided, but in complete dishevelment; and as here among us the men 1 go first and the women follow, so there the women have to go before the men. [Here I saw a young man who was taking to wife a beautiful young woman, and she was accompanied by other beautiful maidens, who were weeping and wailing, whilst the young bridegroom stood by in very gay clothes, with his head hanging down. And by and bye the young man mounted his ass, and the bride followed him barefoot and wretchedly dressed, and holding by the ass, and her father went behind blessing them until they reached the husband’s house 2 .] And many other matters there be in this city which it booteth not greatly to detail.
