_Of the great ryches of the Emperour and of his dispending._
THIS Emperour is a great lorde, for he may dispend what he will
without nombre, bicause he spendeth nother sylver nor golde & maketh
no money but of lether or skynnes, and this same money goeth through
all his lande, and of the sylver & gold buylded he his palaces. And
he hath in his chambre a piller of golde in the which is a Ruby, and
carbuncle of a foote[1] long, the which lighteth all his chambre by
night & he hath many other precious stones & rubies, but this is the
most.[2] This Emperour dwelleth in the sommer towardes the North in a
citie that men call Saydus and there it is colde enoughe, and in the
winter he dwelleth in a citie that men call Camalach, and there it
is right hot, but for the most part is he at Cadon, that is not farre
thence.
[Footnote 1: Others say half a foot. There were always rumours
in the East of wonderful rubies, especially one belonging
to the King of Ceylon, which Kublai Khan is reported to have
coveted, and wished to purchase.]
[Footnote 2: The greatest.]