In this city (Caydon) is the seat of the Great chan,[5] in a very
great palace, the fairest of the world, the walls of which are in
circuit more than two miles; and within the walls it is all full of
other palaces. And in the garden of the great palace there is a great
hill, upon which is another palace, the fairest and richest that
any man may devise. And all about the palace and the hill are many
trees bearing divers fruits. And all about that hill are great and
deep ditches, and beside them are great fish-ponds on both sides; and
there is a very fair bridge to pass over the ditches. And in these
fish-ponds are an extraordinary number of wild geese and ganders,
and wild ducks and swans and herons. And all about these ditches and
fish-ponds is the great garden, full of wild beasts, so that when the
Great chan will have any sport, to take any of the wild beasts or the
fowls, he will cause them to be driven, and take them at the windows,
without going out of his chamber. Within the palace, in the hall,
there are twenty-four pillars of fine gold; and all the walls are
covered within with red skins of animals called panthers, fair beasts
and well-smelling; so that for the sweet odor of the skins, no evil
air may enter into the palace.
The skins are as red as blood, and shine so bright against the sun
that a man may scarcely look at them. And many people worship the
beasts when they meet them first in a morning, for their great virtue
and for the good smell that they have; and the skins they value more
than if they were plates of fine gold.
And in the middle of the palace is the mountour[6] of the Great chan,
all wrought of gold and of precious stones and of great pearls; and
at the four corners are four serpents of gold; and all about there
are made large nets of silk and gold, and great pearls hanging all
about it. And under the mountour are conduits of beverage that they
drink in the emperor’s court. And beside the conduits are many
vessels of gold, with which they that are of the household drink at
the conduit. The hall of the palace is full nobly arrayed, and full
marvellously attired on all parts in all things that men apparel any
hall with.
And first, at the head of the hall, is the emperor’s throne, very
high, where he sits at meat. It is of fine precious stones, bordered
all about with purified gold and precious stones and great pearls.
And the steps up to the table are of precious stones, mixed with
gold. And at the left side of the emperor’s seat is the seat of his
first wife, one step lower than the emperor; and it is of jasper
bordered with gold, and the seat of his second wife is lower than his
first wife, and is also of jasper bordered with gold, as that other
is. And the seat of the third wife is still lower by a step than
the second wife’s, for he has always three wives with him, wherever
he is. And after his wives, on the same side, sit the ladies of
his lineage, still lower, according to their ranks. And all those
that are married have a counterfeit, made like a man’s foot, upon
their heads, a cubit long, all wrought with great, fine, and orient
pearls, and above made with peacock’s feathers, and of other shining
feathers; and that stands upon their heads like a crest, in token
that they are under man’s foot, and under subjection of man. But the
other ladies, that are unmarried, have none such. And after, at the
right side of the emperor, first sits his eldest son, who shall reign
after him, one step lower than the emperor, in such manner of seats
as do the empresses; and after him, other great lords of his lineage,
each of them a step lower than the other, according to their rank.
The emperor has his table alone by himself, and each of his wives has
also her table by herself. And his eldest son, and the other lords
also, and the ladies, and all that sit with the emperor, have very
rich tables, alone by themselves. And under the emperor’s table sit
four clerks, who write all that the emperor says, be it good or evil;
for all that he says must be held good; for he may not change his
word nor revoke it.
At great feasts men bring, before the emperor’s table, great tables
of gold, and thereon are peacocks of gold, and many other kinds of
different fowls, all of gold, and richly wrought and enamelled; and
they make them dance and sing, clapping their wings together, and
making great noise; and whether it be by craft or by necromancy I
know not, but it is a goodly sight to behold. But I have the less
marvel because they are the most skilful men in the world in all
sciences and in all crafts; for in subtilty, malice, and forethought
they surpass all men under heaven; and, therefore, they say
themselves that they see with two eyes, and Christians see with but
one, because they are more subtle than they....
Nevertheless the truth is this,--that Tartars, and they that dwell in
Greater Asia, came of Cham, but the emperor of Cathay was called not
Cham, but Chan; and I shall tell you how. It is but little more than
eight score years since all Tartary was in subjection and servage
to other nations about; for they were but herdsmen, and did nothing
but keep beasts, and lead them to pastures. But among them they had
seven principal nations that were sovereigns of them all, of which
the first nation or lineage was called Tartar; and that is the most
noble and the most praised. The second lineage is called Tanghot; the
third, Eurache; the fourth, Valair; the fifth, Semoche; the sixth,
Megly; the seventh, Coboghe. Now it befell that of the first lineage
succeeded an old worthy man, and was not rich, who was called
Changuys. This man lay one night in bed, and he saw in a vision that
there came before him a knight, armed all in white, and he sat upon a
white horse, and said to him, “Chan, sleepest thou? The immortal God
hath sent me to thee; and it is his will that thou go to the seven
lineages, and say to them that thou shalt be their emperor; for thou
shalt conquer the lands and the countries that are about; and they
that march upon you shall be under your subjection, as you have been
under theirs; for that is God’s immortal will.”
Changuys arose, and went to the seven lineages and told them what
the white knight had said. And they scorned him, and said that he
was a fool; and so he departed from them, all ashamed. And the night
following, this white knight came to the seven lineages and commanded
them, on behalf of the immortal God, that they should make this
Changuys their emperor, and they should be out of subjection, and
they should hold all other regions about them in servage, as they had
been to them before. And next day they chose him to be their emperor,
and set him upon a black chest, and after that lifted him up with
great solemnity, and set him in a chair of gold, and did him all
manner of reverence; and they called him Chan, as the white knight
called him. And when he was thus chosen, he would make trial if he
must trust in them or not, and whether they would be obedient to him;
and then he made many statutes and ordinances, that they call Ysya
Chan.
The first statute was, that they should believe in and obey immortal
God, who is almighty, and who would cast them out of servage; and
they should at all times call to him for help in time of need.
The second statute was that all manner of men that might bear arms
should be numbered, and to every ten should be a master, and to every
hundred a master, and to every thousand a master, and to every ten
thousand a master. After, he commanded the principals of the seven
lineages to leave and forsake all they had in goods and heritage,
and from thenceforth to be satisfied with what he would give them
of his grace. And they did so immediately. After this he commanded
the principals of the seven lineages, that each should bring his
eldest son before him, and with their own hands smite off their heads
without delay. And immediately his command was performed.
And when the Chan saw that they made no obstacle to perform his
commandment, then he thought that he might well trust in them; and
he commanded them presently to make them ready, and to follow his
banner. And after this, the Chan put in subjection all the lands
about him. Afterwards it befel on a day, that the Chan rode with a
few companies to behold the strength of the country that he had won,
and a great multitude of his enemies met with him; and to give good
example of bravery to his people, he was the first that fought, and
rushed into the midst of his enemies, and there was thrown from his
horse, and his horse slain. And when his people saw him on the earth,
they were all discouraged, and thought he had been dead, and fled
every one; and their enemies pursued them, but they knew not that the
emperor was there. And when they were returned from the pursuit, they
sought the woods, if any of them had been hid in them; and many they
found and slew.
So it happened that as they went searching toward the place where
the emperor was, they saw an owl sitting on a tree above him; and
then they said amongst them that there was no man there, because
they saw the bird there, and so they went their way; and thus the
emperor escaped death. And then he went secretly by night, till he
came to his people, who were very glad of his coming, and gave great
thanks to immortal God, and to that bird by which their lord was
saved; and, therefore, above all fowls of the world, they worship
the owl; and when they have any of its feathers, they keep them full
preciously instead of relics, and bear them upon their heads with
great reverence; and they hold themselves blessed, and safe from
all perils, while they have these feathers on them, and therefore
they bear them upon their heads. After all this the Chan assembled
his people, and went against those who had assailed him before, and
destroyed them, and put them in subjection and servage.
At this moment in the reading supper was announced; but Clem begged
them to wait a minute, while he read why Sir John Mandeville did not
tell about Paradise.
Blanche said that there was no need of explaining that; but Clem
persevered.
“Of Paradise I cannot speak properly, for I was not there.”
“That,” said Horace, “is like Cousin: ‘I say nothing of Buddhism,
because I know nothing about it.’”
“If only everybody would be as thoughtful!” said Uncle Fritz. And Clem
continued, though he was already losing his audience:--
“It is far beyond, and I repent not going there, but I was not
worthy.” “I should think not,” interrupted Blanche. “But as I have
heard say of wise men beyond, I shall tell you with good-will.
Terrestrial Paradise, as wise men say, is the highest place of the
earth, and it is so high that it nearly touches the circle of the moon
there, as the moon makes her turn. For it is so high that the flood
of Noah might not come to it that would have covered all the earth of
the world all about, and above and beneath, except Paradise. And this
Paradise is inclosed all about with a wall, and men know not whereof
it is; for the wall is covered all over with moss, as it seems, and it
seems not that the wall is natural stone. And that wall stretches from
the south to the north; and it has but one entry, which is closed with
burning fire, so that no man that is mortal dare enter.”
“So they were well rid of Mandeville,” said Blanche, laughing; and she
and Clem went in to their supper.