For he hath every year to rent
of that city (as they of the city say) 50,000 cumants of florins of
gold: for they count there all by cumants, and every cumant is
10,000 florins of gold. Now may men well reckon how much that it
amounteth. The king of that country is full mighty, and yet he is
under the great Chan. And the great Chan hath under him twelve
such provinces. In that country in the good towns is a good
custom: for whoso will make a feast to any of his friends, there
be certain inns in every good town, and he that will make the feast
will say to the hosteler, array for me to-morrow a good dinner for
so many folk, and telleth him the number, and deviseth him the
viands; and he saith also, thus much I will dispend and no more.
And anon the hosteler arrayeth for him so fair and so well and so
honestly, that there shall lack nothing; and it shall be done
sooner and with less cost than an a man made it in his own house.
And a five mile from that city, toward the head of the river of
Dalay, is another city that men clepe Menke. In that city is
strong navy of ships. And all be white as snow of the kind of the
trees that they be made of. And they be full great ships and fair,
and well ordained, and made with halls and chambers and other
easements, as though it were on the land.
From thence go men, by many towns and many cities, through the
country, unto a city that men clepe Lanterine. And it is an eight
journeys from the city above-said. This city sits upon a fair
river, great and broad, that men clepe Caramaron. This river
passeth throughout Cathay. And it doth often-time harm, and that
full great, when it is over great.
CHAPTER XXIII
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 and a fair, noble and rich, and full of
merchants. Thither go merchants all years for to seek spices and
all manner of merchandises, more commonly than in any other part.
And ye shall understand, that merchants that come from Genoa or
from Venice or from Romania or other parts of Lombardy, they go by
sea and by land eleven months or twelve, or more some-time, ere
they may come to the isle of Cathay that is the principal region of
all parts beyond; and it is of the great Chan.
