And He
Hath Many Other Precious Stones And Many Other Rubies And
Carbuncles; But Those Be The Greatest And The Most Precious.
This emperor dwelleth in summer in a city that is toward the north
that is clept Saduz; and there is cold enough.
And in winter he
dwelleth in a city that is clept Camaaleche, and that is an hot
country. But the country, where he dwelleth in most commonly, is
in Gaydo or in Jong, that is a good country and a temperate, after
that the country is there; but to men of this country it were too
passing hot.
And when this emperor will ride from one country to another he
ordaineth four hosts of his folk, of the which the first host goeth
before him a day's journey. For that host shall be lodged the
night where the emperor shall lie upon the morrow. And there shall
every man have all manner of victual and necessaries that be
needful, of the emperor's costage. And in this first host is the
number of people fifty cumants, what of horse what of foot, of the
which every cumant amounteth 10,000 as I have told you before. And
another host goeth in the right side of the emperor, nigh half a
journey from him. And another goeth on the left side of him, in
the same wise. And in every host is as much multitude of people as
in the first host. And then after cometh the fourth host, that is
much more than any of the others, and that goeth behind him, the
mountance of a bow draught. And every host hath his journeys
ordained in certain places, where they shall be lodged at night,
and there they shall have all that them needeth. And if it befall
that any of the host die, anon they put another in his place, so
that the number shall evermore be whole.
And ye shall understand, that the emperor, in his proper person,
rideth not as other great lords do beyond, but if he list to go
privily with few men, for to be unknown. And else, he rides in a
chariot with four wheels, upon the which is made a fair chamber,
and it is made of a certain wood, that cometh out of Paradise
terrestrial, that men clepe lignum aloes, that the floods of
Paradise bring out at divers seasons, as I have told you here
before. And this chamber is full well smelling because of the wood
that it is made of. And all this chamber is covered within of
plate of fine gold dubbed with precious stones and great pearls.
And four elephants and four great destriers, all white and covered
with rich covertures, leading the chariot. And four, or five, or
six, of the greatest lords ride about this chariot, full richly
arrayed and full nobly, so that no man shall neigh the chariot, but
only those lords, but if that the emperor call any man to him that
him list to speak withal.
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