CYPRUS IN THE PAST.

Ashburton Herald, Volume I, Issue 186, 31 October 1878, Page 2

CYPRUS IN THE PAST.

Though changes' have occurred in Cyprus, as well as in other parts of the world since 1330, when Maundeville visited the island, his account of the manners, customs, and religious privileges of the place at time may be worth citing : —“ Cipre is righte a gode lie and a fayr and a gret, and it hath 4 principalle cytees within him. And there is an Erchebysschoppe at Nichosie, and 4 other Bisschoppes in that land. And at Famagost is one of the principalle Havenes of the See that is in ye worlde, and there arryven is Christene men, Sarazynes, and Men of alle Nacionns. lii Cipre is the Hill of the Holly Crosse, and there is an Abbey of Monkis Black, and there is the Crosse of Dismas, the

gode Theef. . . _ . And some men trowen, that there is half the Crosse of our Lord, but it is not so, and they done evylle that make Men to beleeve so. Cipre Men hunten with Papyonne, that ben like Lepardes, and the taken wylde Bestes righte welle, and the ben somdelle more than Lyons, and they taken more scharpeley the Bestes, and more clevyrly than don Houndes. In Cipre is the manere of Lordis and alle othere Men, alle to eten on the Erthe, For they make Dyches in the Erthe alle about in the Halle, depe to the knee, and they do pave hem, and when they will ete, they gon therein, and sittin there. And the skylle is, for they may be rao'-e fres-sche. For that Lond is much inors hatter than it is here,"