OF THE GREAT CHAN OF CATHAY.—OF THE ROYALTY OF HIS PALACE, AND HOW
HE SITS AT MEAT; AND OF THE GREAT NUMBER OF OFFICERS THAT SERVE
HIM.
Cathay is a great country, fair, noble, rich, and full of merchants.
Thither merchants go to seek spices and all manner of merchandises, more
commonly than in any other part. And you shall understand that merchants
who come from Genoa, or from Venice, or from Romania, or other parts of
Lombardy, go by sea and by land eleven or twelve months, or more
sometimes, before they reach the isle of Cathay, which is the principal
region of all parts beyond; and it belongs to the great chan. From
Cathay men go towards the east, by many days' journey, to a good city,
between these others, called Sugarmago, one of the best stored with silk
and other merchandises in the world. Then men come to another old city,
towards the east, in the province of Cathay, near which the men of
Tartary have made another city, called Caydon, which has twelve gates.
And between the two gates there is always a great mile; so that the two
cities, that is to say the old and the new, have in circuit more than
twenty miles. In this city is the seat of the great chan, in a very
great palace, the fairest in 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 there 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 of 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 odour 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 this palace
is the mountour[386] of the great chan, all wrought of gold, and of
precious stones, and 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 precious stones. 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; 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 peacocks' 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. And
they 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, which is of gold and precious stones; or of
crystal, bordered with gold and full of precious stones; or of
amethysts, or of lignum aloes, that comes out of Paradise; or of ivory,
bound or bordered with gold. 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 subtility, malice, and forethought they surpass all men under
heaven; and therefore they say themselves that they see with two eyes,
and the Christians see but with one, because they are more subtle than
they. I busied myself much to learn that craft; but the master told me
that he had made a vow to his god to teach it no creature, but only to
his eldest son. Also above the emperor's table and the other tables, and
above a great part of the hall, is a vine made of fine gold, which
spreads all about the hall; and it has many clusters of grapes, some
white, some green, some yellow, some red, and some black, all of
precious stones: the white are of crystal, beryl, and iris; the yellow,
of topazes; the red, of rubies, grenaz, and alabraundines; the green, of
emeralds, of perydoz, and of chrysolites[387]; and the black, of onyx
and garnets. And they are all so properly made, that it appears a real
vine, bearing natural grapes. And before the emperor's table stand great
lords, and rich barons, and others, that serve the emperor at meat; and
no man is so bold as to speak a word, unless the emperor speak to him,
except minstrels, that sing songs and tell jests or other disports to
solace the emperor. And all the vessels that men are served with, in the
hall or in chambers, are of precious stones, and especially at great
tables, either of jasper, or of crystal, or of amethyst, or of fine
gold. And the cups are of emeralds, and sapphires, or topazes, of
perydoz, and of many other precious stones. Vessel of silver is there
none, for they set no value on it, to make vessels of; but they make
therewith steps, and pillars, and pavements, to halls and chambers. And
before the hall door stand many barons and knights full armed, to hinder
any one from entering, unless by the will or command of the emperor,
except they be servants or minstrels of the household.
And you shall understand that my fellows and I, with our yeomen, served
this emperor, and were his soldiers, fifteen months, against the king of
Mancy, who was at war with him, because we had great desire to see his
nobleness, and the estate of his court, and all his government, to know
if it were such as we heard say. And truly we found it more noble, and
more excellent and rich, and more marvellous, than ever we heard,
insomuch that we would never have believed it had we not seen it. For it
is not there as it is here. For the lords here have a certain number of
people as they may suffice; but the great chan hath every day people at
his cost and expense without number. But the ordinance, nor the expenses
in meat and drink, nor the honesty, nor the cleanliness, is not so
arranged there as it is here; for all the commons there eat without
cloth upon their knees; and they eat all manner of flesh, and little of
bread. And after meat they wipe their hands upon their skirts, and they
eat but once a day. But the estate of lords is full great, and rich, and
noble. And although some men will not believe me, but hold it for fable,
to tell them the nobleness of his person, and of his estate, and of his
court, and of the great multitude of people that he has, nevertheless I
will tell you a little of him and of his people, according as I have
seen the manner and order full many a time; and whoever will may believe
me, if he will, and whoever will not, may choose.