of the grete chane, whan he makethe solempne festes: and that is
princypally 4 tymes in the zeer. The firste feste is of his byrthe: that
other is of his presentacioun in here temple, that thei clepen here
Moscache, where thei maken a manere of circumsicioun: and the tother 2
festes ben of his ydoles. The firste feste of the ydole is, whan he is
first put in to hire temple and throned. The tother feste is, whan the
ydole begynnethe first to speke or to worche myracles. Mo ben there not of
solempne festes, but zif he marye ony of his children. Now undirstondethe,
that at every of theise festes, he hathe gret multytude of peple, well
ordeyned and wel arrayed, be thousandes, be hundredes and be tenthes. And
every man knowethe wel, what servyse he schalle do. And every man zevethe
so gode hede and so gode attendance to his servyse, that no man fyndethe no
defaute. And there ben first ordeyned 4000 baronnes myghty and riche, for
to gouerne and to make ordynance for the feste, and for to serve the
emperour. And theise solempne festes ben made with outen, in hales and
tentes made of clothes of gold and of tartaries, fulle nobely. And alle tho
barouns han crounes of gold upon hire hedes, fulle noble and riche, fulle
of precious stones and grete perles oryent. And thei ben alle clothed in
clothes of gold or of tartaries or of camokas, so richely and so perfytly,
that no man in the world can amenden it, ne better devisen it. And alle tho
robes ben orfrayed alle abouten, and dubbed fulle of precious stones and of
grete oryent perles, fulle richely. And thei may wel do so; for clothes of
gold and of sylk ben gretter chep there a gret del, than ben clothes of
wolle. And theise 4000 barouns ben devised in 4 companyes: and every
thousand is clothed in clothes alle of o colour; and that so wel arrayed
and so richely, that it is marveyle to beholde. The firste thousand, that
is of Dukes, of Erles, of Marquyses and of Amyralles, alle clothed in
clothes of gold, with tysseux of grene silk, and bordured with gold, fulle
of preciouse stones, in maner as I have seyd before. The secounde thousand
is alle clothed in clothes dyapred of red silk, alle wroughte with gold,
and the orfrayes sett fulle of gret perl and precious stones, fulle nobely
wroughte. The 3 thousand is clothed in clothes of silk, of purpre of Ynde.
And the 4 thousand is in clothes of zalow. And alle hire clothes ben so
nobely and so richely wroughte with gold and precious stones and riche
perles, that zif a man of this contree hadde but only on of hire robes, he
myghte wel seye, that he sholde nevere be pore. For the gold and the
precious stones and the grete oryent perles ben of gretter value, on this
half the see, than thei ben bezond the see, in tho contrees. And whan thei
ben thus apparaylled, thei gon 2 and 2 togedre, fulle ordynatly before the
emperour, withouten speche of ony woord, saf only enclynynge to him. And
everyche of hem berethe a tablett of jaspere or of ivory or of cristalle;
and the mynstralle goynge before hem, sownyng here instrumentes of dyverse
melodye. And whan the firste thousand is thus passed, and hathe made his
mostre, he withdrawethe him on that o syde. And than entrethe that other
secunde thousand, and dothe right so, in the same manere of array and
contenance, as did the firste; and aftre the thridde, and than the fourthe;
and non of hem seythe not o word. And at o syde of the emperours table,
sitten many philosofres, that ben preved for wise men, in many dyverse
scyences; as of astronomye, nigromancye, geomancye, pyromancye, ydromancye,
of augurye and of many other scyences. And everyche of hem han before hem
astrolabes of gold; sum speres, summe the brayn panne of a ded man, summe
vesselles of gold fulle of gravelle or sond, summe vesseles of gold fulle
of coles brennynge, sume veselle of gold fulle of watre and of wyn and of
oyle, and summe oriloges of gold, mad ful nobely and richely wroughte, and
many other maner of instrumentes aftre hire sciences. And at certeyn
houres, whan hem thinkethe time, thei seyn to certeyn officeres, that
stonden before hem, ordeynd for the tyme, to fulfille hire commaudemenes,
Makethe pees. And than seyn the officeres, Now pees lystenethe. And aftre
that, seyth another of the philosophres, Every man do reverence, and
enclyne to the emperour, that is Goddes sone and soverayn lord of alle the
world; for now is tyme. And thanne every man bowethe his hed toward the
erthe. And thanne commandethe the same philosophre azen, Stondethe up. And
thei don so. And at another hour, seythe another philosophre, Puttethe
zoure litille fynger in zoure eres. And anon thei don so. And at another
hour, seythe another philosophre, Puttethe zoure honde before zoure mouthe.
And anon thei don so. And at another hour, seithe another philosophre,
Puttethe zoure honde upon zoure hede. And aftre that, he byddethe hem to
don here hond a wey; and thei don so. And so from hour to hour, thei
commanden certeyn thinges. And thei seyn, that tho thinges han dyverse
significaciouns. And I asked hem prevyly, what tho thinges betokened. And
on of the maistres told me, that the bowynge of the hed at that hour
betokened this, that alle tho that boweden here hedes, scholden evere more
aftre ben obeyssant and trewe to the emperour: and nevere for ziftes, ne
for promys in no kynde, ben fals ne traytour unto him for gode ne evylle.
And the puttynge of the litylle fynger in the ere, betokenethe, as thei
seyn, that none of hem ne schalle not here speke no contrarious thing to
the emperour, but that he schalle telle it anon to his conseille, or
discovere it to sum men that wille make relacioun to the emperour; thoughe
he were his fadre or brother or sone. And so forthe of alle other thtnges,
that is don be the philosophres, thei tolde me the causes of many dyverse
thinges. And trustethe righte wel in certyn, that no man dothe no thing to
the emperour, that belongethe unto him, nouther clothinge, ne bred, ne wyn,
ne bathe, ne non other thing, that longethe to hym, but at certeyn houres,
that his philosopheres wille devysen. And zif there falle werre in ony syde
to the emperour, anon the philosophres comen, and seyn here avys aftre her
calculaciouns, and conseylen the emperour of here avys, be here sciences;
so that the emperour dothe no thing with outen here conseille. And whan the
philosophres han don and perfourmed here commandementes, thanne the
mynstralle begynnen to don here mynstralcye, everyche in hire instrumentes,
eche aftre other, with alle the melodye that thei can devyse. And whan thei
han don a gode while, on of the officers of the emperour gothe up on an
highe stage wroughte fulle curyously, and cryethe and seythe with lowde
voys, Makethe pees. And than every man is stille. And thanne anon aftre,
alle the lordes, that ben of the emperours lynage, nobely arrayed in riche
clothes of gold, and ryally apparayled on white stedes, als manye as may
wel sewen hem at that tyme, ben redy to maken here presentes to the
emperour. And than seythe the styward of the court to the lordes be name,
N. of N. and nempnethe first the most enoble and the worthieste be name,
and seythe, be zee redy with suche a nombre of white hors, for to serve the
emperour, zoure sovereyn lord. And to another lord, he seythe, N. of N. be
zee redy with suche a nombre, to serve zoure sovereyn lord. And so another,
right so. And to alle the lordes of the emperoures lynage, eche aftre
other, as ben of estate. And whan thei ben alle cleped, thei entren eche
aftre other, and presentenen the white hors to the emperour; and than gon
hire wey. And than aftre, alle the other barouns every of hem zeven hem
presentes, or juelle, or sum other thing, aftre that thei ben of estate.
And than aftre hem, alle the prelates of hire lawe, and religiouse men and
other; and every man zevethe him sum thing. And whan that alle men han thus
presented the emperour, the greetest of dignytee of the prelates zevethe
hem a blessynge, seyenge an orisoun of hire lawe. And than begynnen the
mynstrelle to maken hire mynstralcye, in dyverse instrumentes, with alle
the melodye that thei can devyse. And whan thei han don hire craft, than
thei bryngen before the emperour, lyouns, libardes and other dyverse
bestes; and egles and veutours, and other dyverse foules; and fissches, and
serpentes; for to don him reverence. And than comen jogulours and
enchauntoures, that don many marvaylles: for thei maken to come in the ayr,
the sonne and the mone, be semynge, to every mannes sight. And aftre thei
maken the day to come azen, fair and plesant with bright sonne, to every
mannes sight. And than thei bryngen in daunces of the faireste damyselles
of the world, and richest arrayed. And aftre thei maken to come in, other
damyselles, bryngynge coupes of gold, fulle of mylk of dyverse bestes, and
zeven drynke to lordes and to ladyes. And than thei make knyghtes to
jousten in armes fulle lustyly; and thei rennen to gidre a gret randoum;
and thei frusschen to gidere fulle fiercely; and thei breken here speres so
rudely, that the tronchouns flen in sprotes and peces alle aboute the
halle. And than thei make to come in huntyng, for the hert and for the
boor, with houndes rennynge with open mouthe. And many other thinges thei
don, be craft of hire enchauntementes; that it is marveyle for to see. And
suche pleyes of desport thei make, til the takynge up of the boordes.
This gret Chan hathe fulle gret peple for to serve him, as I have told zou
before. For he hathe of mynstralles the nombre of 13 cumanez: but thei
abyde not alle weys with hym. For alle the mynstrelle that comen before
hym, of what nacyoun that thei ben of, thei ben withholden with him, as of
his houshold, and entred in his bokes, as for his owne men. And aftre that,
where that evere thei gon, ever more thei cleymen for mynstralle of the
grete Chane: and undre that tytle, alle kynges and lordes, cherisschen hem
the more with ziftes and alle thing. And therefore he hathe so gret
multytude of hem. And he hathe of certeyn men, as thoughe thei were zomen,
that kepen bryddes, as ostrycches, gerfacouns, sparehaukes, faukons
gentyls, lanyeres, sacres, sacrettes, papyngayes wel spekynge, and briddes
syngynge. And also of wylde bestes, as of olifauntz, tame and othere,
babewynes, apes, marmesettes, and othere dyverse bestes; the mountance of
15 cumanez of zomen. And of Phisicyens Cristene, he hathe 200. And of
leches, that ben Cristene, he hathe 210. And of leches and Phisicyens, that
ben Sarrazines 20: but he trustethe more in the Cristene leches, than in
the Sarrazines. And his other comoun houshold is with outen nombre: and
thei alle han alle necessaries, and alle that hem nedethe, of the
emperoures court. And he hathe in his court many barouns, as servytoures,
that ben Cristene and converted to gode feythe, be the prechynge of
religiouse Cristen men, that dwellen with him: but there ben manye mo, that
wil not, that men knowen that thei ben Cristene.
This emperour may dispenden als moche as he wille, with outen estymacioun.
For he despendethe not, he makethe no money, but of lether emprented, or of
papyre. And of that moneye, is som of gretter prys, and som of lasse prys,
aftre the dyversitee of his statutes. And whan that money hathe ronne so
longe, that it begynnethe to waste, than men beren it to the emperoures
tresorye: and than thei taken newe money for the olde. And that money gothe
thorghe out alle the contree, and thorghe out alle his provynces. For there
and bezonde hem, thei make no money, nouther of gold nor of sylver. And
therfore he may despende y now, and outrageously. And of gold and sylver,
that men beren in his contree, he makethe cylours, pyleres and paumentes in
his palays, and other dyverse thinges, what him lykethe. This emperour
hathe in his chambre, in on of the pyleres of gold, a rubye and a
charboncle of half a fote long, that in the nyght zevethe so gret clartee
and schynynge, that it is als light as day. And he hathe many other
precyous stones, and many other rubyes and charboncles: but tho ben the
grettest and the moste precyous.
This emperour duellethe in somer in a cytee, that is toward the northe,
that is cleped Saduz: and there is cold y now. And in wyntre, he duellethe
in a cytee, that is clept Camaaleche: and that is an hote contree. But the
contree, where he duellethe in most comounly, is in Caydo or in Jong, that
is a gode contree and a tempree, aftre that the contree is there: but to
men of this contree, it were to passyng hoot. And whan this emperour wille
ryde from o contree to another, he ordeynethe 4 hostes of his folk; of the
whiche, the firste hoost gothe before him, a dayes iourneye. For that hoost
schalle ben logged the nyght, where the emperour schalle lygge upon the
morwe. And there schalle every man have alle maner of vytaylle and
necessaryes, that ben nedefulle, of the emperoures costages. And in this
firste hoost is the nombre of peple 50 cumaunez; what of hors, what of
fote: of the whiche every cumanez amounten to 10000, as I have told zou
before. And another hoost gothe in the right syde of the emperour, nygh
half a journeye fro him. And another gothe on the left syde of him, in the
same wise. And in every hoost, is as moche multytude of peple, as in the
first hoost. And thanne aftre comethe the 4 hoost, that is moche more than
ony of the othere, and that gothe behynden him, the mountance of a bowe
draught. And every hoost hathe his iourneyes ordeyned in certeyn places,
where thei schulle be logged at nyght; and there thei schulle have alle,
that hem nedethe. And zif it befalle, that ony of the hoost dye, anon thei
putten another in his place; so that the nombre schal evere more ben hool.
And zee schulle undirstonde, that the emperour, in his propre persone,
rydethe not as othere gret lordes don bezonde; but zif him liste to go
prevyly with fewe men, for to ben unknowen. And elle he rytt in a charett
with 4 wheles, upon the whiche is made a faire chambre; and it is made of a
certeyn wode, that comethe out of paradys terrestre, that men clepen lignum
aloes, that the flodes of paradys bryngen out at dyverse cesouns, as I have
told zou here beforn. And this chambre is fulle wel smellynge, be cause of
the wode, that it is made offe. And alle this chambre is covered with inne
of plate of fyn gold, dubbed with precious stones and grete perles. And 4
olifauntz and 4 grete destreres alle white, and covered with riche
covertoures ledynge the chariot. And 4 or 5 or 6 of the grettest lordes
ryden aboute the charyot, fulle richely arrayed and fulle nobely; so that
no man schalle nyghe the charyot, but only tho lordes, but zif that the
emperour calle ony man to him, that him list to speke with alle. And above
the chambre of this chariot, that the emperour sittethe inne, ben sett upon
a perche 4 or 5 or 6 gerfacouns; to that entent, that whan the emperour
seethe ony wylde foul, that he may take it at his owne list, and have the
desport and the pley of the flight; first with on, and aftre with another:
and so he takethe his desport passynge be the contree. And no man rydethe
before him of his companye; but alle aftre him. And no man dar not come
nyghe the chariot by a bowe draught, but tho lordes only, that ben about
him: and alle the hoost cometh fayrely aftre him, in gret multitude. And
also suche another charyot, with suche hoostes, ordeynd and arrayd, gon
with the empresse, upon another syde, everyche be him self, with 4 hoostes,
right as the emperour dide; but not with so gret multytude of peple. And
his eldest sone gothe be another weye in another chariot, in the same
manere. So that there is betwene hem so gret multitude of folk, that it is
marveyle to telle it. And no man scholde trowe the nombre, but he had seen
it. And sum tyme it happethe, that whan he wil not go fer; and that it lyke
him to have the emperesse and his children with him; than thei gon alle to
gydere; and here folk ben alle medled in fere, and devyded in 4 parties
only.
END OF VOL. VIII.