_Of the moste[1] dwelling place of Prester John in a citie
called Suse._
AND he dwelleth commonly at the citie of Suse, & there is his
principall palaice that is so riche that marvayle is to tell, & about
the principall toure of the palaice are two pomels[2] of gold all
round, and eche one of those hath two carbuncles great & large,
y^t shine ryght clere in the night, and y^e principal gates of this
palaice are of precious stones that men call Saraine[3] & the borders
of the barres are of Ivory, & windowes of the hall and chambers are
of Cristall, and tables that they eate of, some Emerandes, some are of
Mayk,[4] some of golde and precious stones, and the pillers that beare
the tables are of such stones also, and the greces on the which
y^e Emperour goeth to his sege where he sitteth at meat, one is of
Mastik,[5] another of Cristal, another of green Jasphy,[6] another of
Diasper,[7] another of Serdin,[8] another of Cornelin,[9] another of
Seuton, & that he setteth his fote upon, is of Crisolites, and all
these greces are bordered with fine gold, and well set with great
perles and other precious stones, and ye side of the sege are Emerauds
bordred with gold and with precious stones, the pillers in his chambre
are of fine gold with many Carbuncles and other such stones that giue
great light in the night, and all if the Carbuncles giue great light,
neuerthelesse there burneth xii[10] great vessels of Cristall full of
balme to giue good smell, and to drive away evill ayre. The fourme[11]
of his bedde is all of Saphire well bound with gold to make him slepe
well & for to destroy lechery, for he will not lye by his wives but
thrise[12] a yeare, after the seasons, and all onely for getting of
children. And he hath also a fayre palayce in the city of Nyse where
he dwelleth when he wil, but the aier there is not so well tempered as
it is in the citie of Suse. And he hath euery day in his courte more
than xxx thousand men, besides comers and goers, but xxx thousand
there or in the court of the great Caane spendeth not so much as xii
thousand in our countrey. He hath euermore vii kinges in his court to
serve him and eche one of them serveth a moneth, and with these kinges
serue alway Lxxii Dukes & CCC[13] erles, and euery day eat in his
court xii archbishops and xx byshops. The patryarke of saint Thomas is
as he were a pope and Archbishops and byshops & abbotes, all are kings
in that countrey, and some of the lordes is master of the hall, some
of the chambre, some steward, some marshal, and other officers, and
therefore he is ful rychley served. And his land lasteth in breadth
four moneths journey and it is of length without measure.
[Footnote 1: The greatest.]
[Footnote 2: A ball or knot.]
[Footnote 3: ? Sardonyx.]
[Footnote 4: Another edition says Amethysts.]
[Footnote 5: Another edition says Onyx.]
[Footnote 6: Probably Jasper.]
[Footnote 7: Another edition says Amethyst, but as the whole
is so apocryphal it does not much matter.]
[Footnote 8: Sardine or Sardonyx.]
[Footnote 9: Cornelian. What Seuton is I will not even venture
to guess at.]
[Footnote 10: Another edition says, "a great vessel."]
[Footnote 11: The framework.]
[Footnote 12: Others say four times.]
[Footnote 13: Elsewhere it is 360.]