Note 12: — CAP. XXXIII.

On this hill wold Abraham haue sacryfised his sonne Isaac and there nere is the vale Dotaym,12 and there is the cesterne that Josephe was cast in of his bretherne before that they solde him, and it is two myle to Sichar, and fro thence men come to Samary,13 that men call Sabaste, and that is the chiefe citie of that countrey, and in that citie was the seat of the twelve Kynges of Israell, but it is not so great as it was. And there was saint John Baptist buried betwene two prophetes Helyas14 and Abdon,15 but he was beheaded in the castell of Makaryn besyde the dead sea and he was translated16 of his disciples and buried at Samary, but there dyd Julius apostata take hys bones and brente17 them, for he was that tyme Emperour, but that finger with whiche hee shewed our Lord saying, Ecce Agnus dei, That is to say, Beholde the lamb of God, and that finger might not bee brent, and sainct Tecla18 the Virgin did bring this finger under the Alphen,19 that be mountaynes, where they do it great worshippe. And there was sainct Jhon Baptist head closed in a wall, but the Emperour Theodosius did take it out, and found it lapped in a clothe all bloudie, and bare it to Constantinople, and there is yet the one halfe of the head, and the other is at Rome in Saint Sylvesters church, & the vessell wherein his head was layde when it was smitten of is at Geene,20 and they do it great worship. Some saye that Sainct Jhons hedde is at Amiens in Pycardy, and some say it is saincte Johns head the byshop. I wot not but to God it is knowne.