The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of the English Nation, vol 9 | Page 2

peccatum deturpationis
habitaculi venerit in publicum, oportebit reconciliari domum per
sacerdotem, priusquam vllus audebit intrare. Insuper et peccatorem
necesse erit pertransire ignem, semel, bis, dut ter iuxta iudicium
Flaminis, quatenus per ignis acrimoniam purgetur à tanti inquinatione
peccati.
Neminem hominum prohibent inter se habitare, sed indifferentèr
receptant, Iudæos, Christiános, Saracenos, et homines cuiuscúnque
nationis, vel legis, dicentes se satis putare suum ritum non ita securum
ad salutem, nisi quandóque; traherentur ad ritum magis salutarem,
quem tamen determinate nunc ignorant, imò multi de nobilibus sunt
iam in Christianitate baptizati.
Attamen qui illorum sunt curiales Imperatoris non vellent in palatio
publicari.
Poenè oblitus eram, quod nunc hic dico notandum, quia dum ab extra
Imperium, quis veniens nuntius aut legatus cupit tradere proprijs
manibus literas Imperatori [Marginal note: Seu Gubernatorum.], vel
deponere coram illo mandata, non permittitur, donec prius in puris
transeat liueas ad venum ad minus regurn pro sui purgatione, ne quid
forsitan afferat cuius visu, vel odoratu seu tactu rex possit grauari.
[Sidenote: Arma Tartarorum.] Porrò Tartari in præcincto expeditionis
habent singuli duos arcus, cum magna pluralitate teloram: Nam omnes
sunt sagittarij ad manum et cum rigida et longa lancea. Nobilis autem
in equis preciosè phaleratis ferunt gladios, ver spatas breues et latas,
scindentes pro vno latere, et in capitibus galeas, de corio cocto, non
altas, sed ad capitis formara depressas.
Quicúnque de suis fugerit de prælio, ipso facto conseriptus est, vt
siquando inuentus fuerit occidatur. Si Castrum vel ciuitas obsessa se
illis reddere voluerit, nullam acceptant conditionem nisi cum morte
omnium inimicorum, vel si quis homo singularis se dederit victum
nihilominus ábsque vlla miseratione occidunt, detruncantes illi protinus

aures, quas postea coquentes, et in aceto (dum habuerint) ponentes
mittunt inuicem ad conuiuia pro extremo ferculo: [Sidenote: Tartari
retro sagittantes.] dumque ipsi in bellis arte fugam simulant,
periculosum est eos insequi, quoniam iaciunt sagittas à tergo, quibus
equos et homines occidere norunt. Et quando in prima acie comparant
ad bellandum, mirabilitèr sese constringunt, vt media pars numeri
eoram vix credatur.
Generalitèr noueritis, omnes Tartaros habere paruos oculos, et
modicam vel raram barbam: in proprijs locis raro inter se litigant,
contendunt, aut pugnant, timentes legum pergraues emendas. Et
inuenitur ibi rarius vespilio, latro, fur, homicida, iniurians, adulter, aut
fornicarius, quia tales criminatores inuestigatione sollicita requiruntur,
et sine redemptione aliqua perimuntur.
Dum quis decumbit infirmus figitur lancea iuxta illum in terra, et cum
appropinquauerit morti, nullus remanet ìuxta ipsum, cum verò mortuus
esse scitur, confestim in campis, et cum lancea sepelitur.
The English Version.
And zee schulle undirstonde, that the empire of this gret Chane is
devyded in 12 provynces; and every provynce hathe mo than 2000
cytees; and of townes with outen nombre. This contree is fulle gret. For
it hathe 12 pryncypalle kynges, in 12 provynces. And every of tho
kynges han many kynges undre hem; and alle thei ben obeyssant to the
gret Chane. And his lond and his lordschipe durethe so ferre that a man
may not gon from on hed to another, nouther be see ne lond, the space
of 7 zeer. And thorghe the desertes of his lordschipe, there as men may
fynde no townes, there ben innes ordeyned be every iorneye, to
resceyve bothe man and hors; in the whiche thei schalle fynde plentee
of vytaylle, and of alle thing, that hem nedethe, for to go be the contree.
And there is a marveylouse custom in that contree, (but is profitable)
that zif ony contrarious thing, that scholde ben preiudice or grevance to
the Emperour, in ony kynde, anon the Emperour hathe tydynges there
of and fulle knowleche in a day, thoughe it be 3 or 4 iorneys fro him or
more. For his ambassedours taken here dromedaries or hire hors, and
thei priken in alle that evere thei may toward on of the innes: and whan
thei comen there, anon thei blowen an horne; and anon thei of the in
knowen wel y now that there ben tydynges to warnen the Emperour of
sum rebellyoun azenst him. And thanne anon thei maken other men

redy, in alle haste that thei may, to beren lettres, and pryken in alle that
evere thei may, tille thei come to the other innes with here lettres: and
thanne thei maken fressche men redy, to pryke forthe with the lettres,
toward the Emperour; whille that the laste bryngere reste him, and
bayte his dromedarie or his hors. And so fro in to in, tille it come to the
Emperour. And thus anon hathe he hasty tydynges of ony thing, that
berethe charge, be his corrours, that rennen so hastyly, thorghe out alle
the contree. And also whan the Emperour sendethe his corrours hastyly,
thorghe out his lond, everyche of hem hathe a large thong fulle of
smale belles; and whan thei neyghen nere to the innes of other
corroures, that ben also