OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE GREAT CHAN'S COURT, AND WHEN HE MAKES
SOLEMN FEASTS.—OF HIS PHILOSOPHERS; AND OF HIS ARRAY WHEN HE RIDES
ABROAD.
Now shall I tell you the government of the court of the great chan, when
he makes solemn feasts, which is principally four times in the year. The
first feast is of his birth; the second is of his presentation in their
temple, such as they call here moseache (mosque), where they make a kind
of circumcision; and the other two feasts are of his idols. The first
feast of the idol is, when he is first put into their temple and
throned. The other feast is, when the idol begins first to speak or work
miracles. There are no more solemn feasts, except when he marries one of
his children. At each of these feasts he hath great multitudes of
people, well ordained and well arrayed, by thousands, by hundreds, and
by tens. Every man knoweth well what service he shall do; and every man
gives so good heed and so good attendance to his service, that no man
finds any fault. There are first appointed four thousand barons, mighty
and rich, to govern and make ordinance for the feast, and to serve the
emperor. And these solemn feasts are held in halls and tents made full
nobly of cloths of gold and of tartaries. All the barons have crowns of
gold upon their heads, very noble and rich, full of precious stones and
great orient pearls. And they are all clothed in clothes of gold, or of
tartaries, or of camakas, so richly and perfectly, that no man in the
world can amend it or devise better; and all these robes are embroidered
with gold all about, and dubbed full of precious stones and of great
orient pearls, full richly. And they may well do so, for cloths of gold
and of silk are cheaper there by much, than are cloths of wool. These
four thousand barons are divided into four companies, and every thousand
is clothed in cloths all of one colour, and so well arrayed, and so
richly, that it is marvel to behold. The first thousand, which is of
dukes, earls, marquises, and admirals, all in cloths of gold, with
tissues of green silk, and bordered with gold, full of precious stones.
The second thousand is all in cloths diapered of red silk, all wrought
with gold, and the orfrayes set full of great pearls and precious
stones, full nobly wrought. The third thousand is clothed in cloths of
silk, of purple, or of India. And the fourth thousand is in clothes of
yellow. And all their clothes are so nobly and richly wrought with gold
and precious stones and rich pearls, that if a man of this country had
but one of their robes, he might well say that he should never be poor.
For the gold and the precious stones, and the great orient pearls, are
of greater value on this side the sea than in those countries. And when
they are thus apparelled, they go two and two together, full orderly,
before the emperor, without uttering a word, only bowing to him. And
each of them carries a tablet of jasper, or ivory, or crystal; and the
minstrels go before them, sounding their instruments of divers melody.
When the first thousand is thus passed, and hath made its muster, it
withdraws on the one side; and then enters the second thousand, and
proceeds in the same manner of array and countenance as the first; and
so the third, and then the fourth; and none of them utters a word. And
at one side of the emperor's table sit many philosophers, who are proved
for wise men in many divers sciences, as in astronomy, necromancy,
geomancy, pyromancy, hydromancy, augury, and many other sciences. And
each of them has before him, some, astrolabes of gold, some, spheres,
some, the skull of a dead man, some, vessels of gold full of gravel or
sand, some, vessels of gold full of burning coals, some, vessels of gold
full of water, wine, and oil, and some, horloges (clocks) of gold, made
full nobly and richly wrought, and many other sorts of instruments after
their sciences. And at certain hours they say to certain officers who
stand before them, appointed for the time to fulfil their commands,
"Make peace." And then the officers say, "Now peace, listen." And after
that another of the philosophers says, "Every man do reverence, and bow
to the emperor, who is God's son and sovereign lord of all the world;
for now is time." And then every man bows his head towards the earth.
And then the same philosopher commands again, "Stand up." And they do
so. And at another hour another philosopher says, "Put your little
finger in your ears." And anon they do so. And at another hour another
philosopher says, "Put your hand before your mouth." And anon they do
so. And at another hour another philosopher says, "Put your hand upon
your head." And after that he biddeth them to take their hand away, and
they do so. And so, from hour to hour, they command certain things. And
they say that those things have divers significations. I asked them
privately what those things betokened. And one of the masters told me
that the bowing of the head at that hour betokened that all those that
bowed their heads should evermore after be obedient and true to the
emperor. And the putting of the little finger in the ear betokens, as
they say, that none of them shall hear any thing spoken contradictory to
the emperor, without telling it anon to his council, or discovering it
to some men that will make relation to the emperor. And so forth of all
other things done by the philosophers. And no man performs any duty to
the emperor, either clothing, or bread, or wine, or bath, or other thing
that belongeth to him, but at certain hours, as his philosophers devise
well. And if there fall war, anon the philosophers come and give their
advice after their calculations, and counsel the emperor by their
sciences; so that the emperor does nothing without their council. And
when the philosophers have done and performed their commands, then the
minstrels begin to do their minstrelsy on their different instruments,
each after the other, with all the melody they can devise. And when they
have performed a good while, one of the officers of the emperor goes up
on a high stage, wrought full curiously, and cries and says with a loud
voice, "Make peace." And then every man is still. And then, anon after,
all the lords of the emperor's lineage, nobly arrayed in rich clothes of
gold, and royally apparelled on white steeds, as many as may well follow
him at that time, are ready to make their presents to the emperor. And
then says the steward of the court to the lords, by name, "N. of N.,"
and names first the most noble and the worthiest by name, and says, "Be
ye ready with such a number of white horses to serve the emperor your
sovereign lord." And, to another lord, he says, "N. of N. be ye ready
with such a number to serve your sovereign lord." And to another, right
so. And to all the lords of the emperor's lineage, one after the other,
as they are of estate. And when they are all called, they enter one
after the other, and present the white horses to the emperor, and then
go their way. And then, all the other barons, one by one, give him
presents, or jewels, or some other thing, according to their rank. And
then, after them, all the prelates of their law, and religious men and
others; and every man gives him something. And when all men have thus
offered to the emperor, the greatest of dignity of the prelates gives
him a blessing, saying an orison of their law. And then begin the
minstrels to make their minstrelsy on divers instruments, with all the
melody that they can devise. When they have done their craft, then they
bring in before the emperor lions, leopards, and other divers beasts,
and eagles, and vultures, and other divers fowls, and fishes, and
serpents, to do him reverence. And then come jugglers and enchanters
that do many marvels; for they cause the sun and the moon to come in the
air, apparently, to every man's sight. And afterwards they make the
night so dark that no man may see. And after that they make the day to
come again, fair and pleasant, with bright sun, to every man's sight.
And then they bring in dancers of the fairest damsels in the world, and
most richly arrayed. Next they cause to come in other damsels bringing
cups of gold full of milk of divers beasts, who give drink to lords and
to ladies. And then they make knights to joust in arms full lustily; and
they run together and fight full fiercely; and they break their spears
so rudely that the fragments fly in pieces all about the hall. And then
they cause to come in hunting for the hart and for the boar, with hounds
running with open mouth. And many other things they do by craft of their
enchantments, which it is marvellous to see. And such plays of sport
they make, until the taking up of the boards.
This great chan hath a vast multitude of people to serve him, as I have
told you before. For he hath of minstrels the number of thirteen
cumants, but they abide not always with him. For all the minstrels that
come before him, of whatever nation they are, are retained with him, as
of his household, and entered in his books as for his own men. And after
that, wherever they go, evermore they rank as minstrels of the great
chan; and, under that title, all kings and lords cherish them the more
with gifts and all things. And therefore he hath so great multitude of
them. And he hath of certain men, as though they were yeomen, that keep
birds, as ostriches, gerfaucons, sparrow-hawks, gentle falcons, lanyers,
sacres, sacrettes[395], well speaking parrots, and singing birds, and
also of wild beasts, as of elephants, tame and others, baboons, apes,
monkeys, and other divers beasts, to the number of fifteen cumants of
yeomen. And of Christian physicians he has two hundred; and of
leeches[396] that are Christians, he has two hundred and ten; and of
leeches and physicians that are Saracens, twenty; for he trusts more in
the Christian leeches than in the Saracens. And his other common
household is without number; all having all necessaries from the
emperor's court. And he has in his court many barons, as servitors, that
are Christians and converted to good faith by the preaching of religious
Christian men who dwell with him, and there are many that will not have
it known that they are Christians.
This emperor may spend as much as he will, without estimation, for his
only money is of leather imprinted, or of paper, of which some
is of greater price and some of less, after the diversity of his
statutes[397]. And when that money has run so long that it begins to
waste, men carry it to the emperor's treasury, and receive new money for
the old. And that money passes throughout the country. For there, and
beyond them, they make no money of gold or silver. Therefore, he may
spend very largely. And of gold and silver that men have in this
country, he makes ceilings, pillars, and pavements in his palace, and
other divers things. This emperor hath in his chamber, in one of the
pillars of gold, a ruby and a carbuncle of half a foot long, which in
the night gives so great light and shining, that it is as light as day.
And he hath many other precious stones, and many other rubies and
carbuncles, but those are the greatest and most precious.
This emperor dwells in summer in a city towards the north, called Saduz,
where it is cold; and in winter he dwells in a city called Camaaleche,
in a hot country. But the country where he dwells most commonly is in
Gaydo, or in Jong, a good and temperate country after the weather that
is there; but, to men of our part of the world, it is excessively hot.
And when this emperor will ride from one country to another, he appoints
four hosts of his people, of the which, the first host goes before him a
day's journey, for that host shall be lodged the night where the emperor
shall lie upon the morrow. And there shall every man have all manner of
victuals and necessaries at the emperor's cost. And in this first host
the number of people is fifty cumants of horse and foot, of which every
cumant amounts to ten thousand, as I have told you before. And another
host goes on the right side of the emperor, nigh half a day's journey
from him; and another goes on the left side of him, in the same manner.
And in every host is the same number of people. Then after comes the
fourth host, which is much greater than any of the other, and goes
behind him, the distance of a bow's draught. And every host has its
day's journey ordained in certain places, where they shall be lodged at
night, and there they shall have all they need. And if it befall that
one of the host die, anon they put another in his place, so that the
number shall ever be complete. And you shall understand that the
emperor, in person, rides not as other great lords do, unless he choose
to go privately with few men, to be unknown. Otherwise, he sits in a
chariot with four wheels, upon which is made a fair chamber; and it is
made of a certain wood that comes out of terrestrial paradise, which
they call lignum aloes. And this chamber is full well smelling, because
of the wood it is made of; and it is all covered internally with plates
of fine gold, dubbed with precious stones and great pearls. And four
elephants and four great steeds, all white and covered with rich
coverings, draw the chariot. And four, or five, or six of the greatest
lords ride about this chariot, full richly and nobly arrayed, so that no
man shall approach the chariot except those lords, unless the emperor
call any man to him that he wishes to speak with. And above the chamber
of this chariot in which the emperor sits, are set upon a perch four, or
five, or six gerfaucons, to that intent, that when the emperor sees any
wild fowl, he may take it at his own list, and have the sport, first
with one and then with another; and so he takes his sport passing
through the country. And no man of his company rides before him, but all
after him. And no man dare approach within a bow-shot of the chariot,
except those lords only that are about him; and all the host come fairly
after him, in great multitude. And also such another chariot, with such
hosts, ordained and arrayed, go with the empress upon another side, each
by itself, with four hosts, right as the emperor did, but not with so
great multitude of people. And his eldest son goes by another way in
another chariot, in the same manner. So that there is between them so
great multitude of folks that it is marvellous to tell it. And sometimes
it happens that when he will not go far, and he chooses to have the
empress and his children with him, that they go all together; and then
the people are mixed in one company, and divided in four parts only.
The empire of this great chan is divided into twelve provinces; and
every province has more than two thousand cities, and towns without
number. This country is very extensive, for it has twelve principal
kings in twelve provinces; and each of those kings has many kings under
him; and they are all subject to the great chan. And his land and
lordship extends so far that a man may not go from one end to the other,
either by sea or land, in less than seven years. And through the deserts
of his lordship, where are no towns, there are inns appointed at every
day's journey, to receive both man and horse, in which they shall find
plenty of victuals and all things they need in their way.
And there is a marvellous, but profitable, custom in that country, that
if there happen any contrary thing that should be prejudicial or
grievous to the emperor, in any kind, anon the emperor has tidings
thereof and full knowledge in a day, though it be three or four days
from him, or more. For his envoys take their dromedaries, or their
horses, and they ride as fast as they may towards one of the inns; and
when they come there they blow a horn, and anon they of the inn know
that there are tidings to warn the emperor of some rebellion against
him; and they make other men ready, in all haste that they may, to carry
letters, and ride as fast as they may, till they come to the other inns
with their letters; and then they make fresh men ready, to ride forth
with the letters towards the emperor, while the last bringer rests
himself, and baits his dromedary or horse; and so from inn to inn, till
it comes to the emperor. And thus anon he has quick tidings of any thing
by his couriers, that run so hastily through all the country. And, also,
when the emperor sends his couriers in haste throughout his land, each
of them has a large thong full of small bells; and when they approach
the inns of other couriers, they ring their bells; and anon the other
couriers make them ready, and run their way to another inn; and thus one
runs to another, full speedily and swiftly, till the emperor's intent be
served in all haste. And these couriers are called _chydydo_, after
their language, that is to say, a messenger.
Also when the emperor goes from one country to another, as I have told
you before, and he passes through cities and towns, every man makes a
fire before his door, and puts therein powder of good gums, that are
sweet smelling, to make good savour to the emperor; and all the people
kneel down towards him, and do him great reverence. And there, where
Christian monks dwell, as they do in many cities in the land, they go
before him in procession, with cross and holy water; and they sing _Veni
creator spiritus_, with a high voice, and go towards him. And when he
hears them, he commands his lords to ride beside him, that the religious
men may come to him; and when they are nigh him with the cross, then he
puts down his galiot, which is placed on his head in the manner of a
chaplet, made of gold, and precious stones, and great pearls; and it is
so rich that men esteem it the value of a realm in that country; and
then he kneels to the cross. And then the prelate of the monks says
before him certain orisons, and gives him a blessing with the cross; and
he bows to the blessing full devoutly. And then the prelate gives him
some sort of fruit, to the number of nine, in a plate of silver; and he
takes one; and then men give to the other lords that are about him; for
the custom is such that no stranger shall come before him, unless he
give him some manner of thing, after the old law, that says, _Nemo
accedat in conspectu meo vacuus_[398]. And then the emperor tells the
monks to withdraw themselves again, that they be not hurt by the great
multitude of horses that come behind him. And also in the same manner do
the monks that dwell there to the empresses that pass by them, and to
his eldest son; and to all of them they present fruit.
And you shall understand that this multitude of people dwell not
continually with him, but are sent for when he wants them; and after,
when they have done, they return to their own households, except those
that are dwelling with him in the household to serve him, and his wives,
and sons. And although the others are departed from him after they have
performed their service, yet there remain continually with him in court
fifty thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen, besides minstrels
and those who keep wild beasts and birds. There is not, under the
firmament, so great a lord, nor so mighty, nor so rich, as the great
chan; neither Prester John, who is emperor of Upper India, nor the
sultan of Babylon, nor the emperor of Persia. All these, in comparison
to the great chan, are neither of might, nobleness, royalty, nor riches;
for in all these he surpasses all earthly princes. Wherefore it is great
harm that he believes not faithfully in God. And, nevertheless, he will
gladly hear speak of God; and he willingly allows Christian men to
dwell in his lordship, and men of his faith to be made Christian men, if
they will, throughout all his country; for he forbids no man to hold any
faith but what he likes.
In that country some men have one hundred wives, some sixty, some more,
and some less. And they take the next of their kin to wife, excepting
only their mothers, daughters, and sisters on the mother's side; but
their sisters on the father's side, of another woman, they may take; and
their brother's wives, also, after their death; and their stepmothers
also in the same way.