After, men set him upon a black steed and so men bring him to a
chair full richly arrayed, and there they crown him. And then all
the cities and good towns send him rich presents. So that at that
journey he shall have more than sixty chariots charged with gold
silver, without jewels of gold and precious stones, that lords gave
him, that be without estimation, and without horses, and cloths of
gold, and of camakas, and tartarins that be without number.
CHAPTER XXVII
OF THE REALM OF THARSE AND THE LANDS AND KINGDOMS TOWARDS THE
SEPTENTRIONAL PARTS, IN COMING DOWN FROM THE LAND OF CATHAY
THIS land of Cathay is in Asia the deep; and after, on this half,
is Asia the more. The kingdom of Cathay marcheth toward the west
unto the kingdom of Tharse, the which was one of the kings that
came to present our Lord in Bethlehem. And they that be of the
lineage of that king are some Christian. In Tharse they eat no
flesh, ne they drink no wine.
And on this half, toward the west, is the kingdom of Turkestan,
that stretcheth him toward the west to the kingdom of Persia, and
toward the septentrional to the kingdom of Khorasan. In the
country of Turkestan be but few good cities; but the best city of
that land hight Octorar.
