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. And above the chamber of this chariot
that the emperor sitteth in be set upon a perch four or five or six
gerfalcons, to that intent, that when the emperor seeth any wild
fowl, that he may take it at his own list, and have the disport and
the play of the flight, first with one, and after with another; and
so he taketh his disport passing by the country.
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