The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of the English Nation, vol 9 | Page 3

ordeyned be the iorneyes, thei ryngen here
belles, and anon the other corrours maken hem redy, and rennen here
weye unto another in: and thus rennethe on to other, fulle spedyly and
swyftly, till the Emperours entent be served, in alle haste. And theise
currours ben clept chydydo, aftre here langage, that is to seye, a
messagere.
Also whan the Emperour gothe from o contree to another, as I have told
you here before, and he passe thorghe cytees and townes, every man
makethe a fuyr before his dore, and puttethe there inne poudre of gode
gommes, that ben swete smellynge, for to make gode savour to the
Emperour. And alle the peple knelethe doun azenst him, and don him
gret reverence. And there where religyouse Cristene men dwellen, as
thei don in many cytees in thei lond, thei gon before him with
processioun with cros and holy watre; and thei seyngen, _Veni Creator,
spiritus_, with an highe voys, and gon towardes him. And whan he
herethe hem, he commaundethe to his lordes to ryde besyde him, that
the religiouse men may come to him. And whan thei ben nyghe him,
with the cros, thanne he dothe a down his galaothe, that syt upon his
hede, in manere of a chapelet, that is made of gold and preciouse stone
and grete perles. And it is so ryche, that, men preysen it to the value of
a roialme, in that contre. And than he knelethe to the cros. And than the
prelate of the religiouse men seythe before him certeyn orisouns, and
zevethe him a blessynge with the cros: and he enclynethe to the
blessynge fulle devoutly. And thanne the prelate zevethe him sum
maner frute, to the nombre of 9, in a platere of sylver, with peres or
apples or other manere frute. And he takethe on; and than men zeven to
the othere lordes, that ben aboute him. For the custom is suche, that no

straungere schalle come before him, but zif he zeve hym sum manere
thing, aftre the olde lawe, that seythe, Nemo accedat in conspectu meo
vacuus. And thanne the Emperour seythe to the religious men, that thei
withdrawe hem azen, that thei ne be hurt ne harmed of the gret
multytude of hors that comen behynde him. And also in the same
maner don the religious men, that dwellen there, to the Emperesses,
that passen by hem, and to his eldest sone; and to every of hem, thei
presenten frute.
And zee schulle undirstonde, that the people, that he hathe so many
hostes offe, abouten hym and aboute his wyfes and his sone, thei
dwelle not contynuelle with him: but alle weys, whan him lykethe, thei
ben sent fore; and aftre whan thei han don, thei retournen to hire owne
housholdes; saf only thei that ben dwellynge with hym in houshold, for
to serven him and his wyfes and his sones, for to governen his houshold.
And alle be it, that the othere ben departed fro him, aftre that thei han
perfourmed hire servyse, zit there abydethe contynuelly with him in
court, 50000 men at horse, and 200000 men a fote; with outen
mynstrelles, and tho that kepen wylde bestes and dyverse briddes, of
the whiche I have tolde zou the nombre before.
Undre the firmament, is not so gret a lord, ne so myghty, ne so riche, as
the gret Chane: nought Prestre Johan, that is Emperour of the highe
Ynde, ne the Sowdan of Babylone, ne the Emperour of Persye. Alle
theise ne ben not in comparisoun to the grete Chane; nouther of myght,
ne of noblesse, ne of ryaltee, ne of richesse: for in alle theise, he
passethe alle erthely princes. Wherfore it is gret harm, that he belevethe
not feithfully in God. And natheles he wil gladly here speke of God;
and he suffrethe wel, that Cristene men duelle in his lordschipe, and
that men of his feythe ben made Cristene men, zif thei wile, thorghe out
alle his contree. For he defendethe no man to holde no lawe, other than
him lykethe.
In that contree, sum man hathe an 100 wyfes, summe 60, mo, somme
lesse. And thei taken the nexte of hire kyn, to hire wyfes, saf only, that
thei out taken hire modres, hire doughtres, and hire sustres on the fadir
syde, of another womman, thei may wel take; and hire bretheres wyfes
also aftre here dethe; and here step modres also in the same wyse.
Of the Lawe and customs of the Tartarienes, duellynge in Chatay; and
how that men don, whan the Emperour schal dye, and how he schal be

chosen.
[Sidenote: Cap. XXIII.] The folk of that contree usen alle longe clothes,
with outen furroures. And thei ben clothed with precious clothes of
Tartarye; and of clothes