With thee more soldiers
and men enough, for a little quantity of treasure, for to defend
thee and thy country, that art so abundant of treasure and so high
in all worship? And the caliph answered him, For he well trowed
that he had enough of his own proper men. And then said Halaon,
Thou wert as a god of the Saracens. And it is convenient to a god
to eat no meat that is mortal. And therefore, thou shall not eat
but precious stones, rich pearls and treasure, that thou lovest so
much. And then he commanded him to prison, and all his treasure
about him. And so he died for hunger and thirst. And then after
this, Halaon won all the Land of Promission, and put it into
Christian men's hands. But the great Chan, his brother, died; and
that was great sorrow and loss to all Christian men.
After Mango Chan reigned Cobyla Chan that was also a Christian man.
And he reigned forty-two year. He founded the great city Izonge in
Cathay, that is a great deal more than Rome.
The tother great Chan that came after him became a Paynim, and all
the others after him.
The kingdom of Cathay is the greatest realm of the world. And also
the great Chan is the most mighty emperor of the world and the
greatest lord under the firmament. And so he clepeth him in his
letters, right thus: CHAN! FILIUS DEI EXCELSI, OMNIUM UNIVERSAM
TERRAM COLENTIUM SUMMUS IMPERATOR, & DOMINUS OMNIUM DOMINANTIUM!
And the letter of his great seal, written about, is this; DEUS IN
COELO, CHAN SUPER TERRAM, EJUS FORTITUDO. OMNIUM HOMINUM
IMPERATORIS SIGILLUM. And the superscription about his little seal
is this; DEI FORTITUDO, OMNIUM HOMINUM IMPERATORIS SIGILLUM.
And albeit that they be not christened, yet nevertheless the
emperor and all the Tartars believe in God Immortal. And when they
will menace any man, then they say, God knoweth well that I shall
do thee such a thing, and telleth his menace.
And thus have ye heard, why he is clept the great Chan.
CHAPTER XXV
OF THE GOVERNANCE OF THE GREAT CHAN'S COURT, AND WHEN HE MAKETH
SOLEMN FEASTS. OF HIS PHILOSOPHERS. AND OF HIS ARRAY, WHEN HE
RIDETH BY THE COUNTRY
NOW shall I tell you the governance of the court of the great Chan,
when he maketh solemn feasts; and that is principally four times in
the year.
The first feast is of his birth, that other is of his presentation
in their temple that they clepe their Moseache, where they make a
manner of circumcision, and the tother two feasts be of his idols.
The first feast of the idol is when he is first put into their
temple and throned; the tother feast is when the idol beginneth
first to speak, or to work miracles.
