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.
From Cathay go men toward the east by many journeys. And then men
find a good city between these others, that men clepe Sugarmago.
That city is one of the best stored of silk and other merchandises
that is in the world.
After go men yet to another old city toward the east. And it is in
the province of Cathay. And beside that city the men of Tartary
have let make another city that is dept Caydon. And it hath twelve
gates, and between the two gates there is always a great mile; so
that the two cities, that is to say, the old and the new, have in
circuit more than twenty mile.
In this city is the siege of the great Chan in a full great palace
and the most passing fair in all the world, of the which the walls
be in circuit more than two mile. And within the walls it is all
full of other palaces. And in the garden of the great palace there
is a great hill, upon the which there is another palace; and it is
the most fair and the most rich that any man may devise. And all
about the palace and the hill be many trees bearing many diverse
fruits. And all about that hill be ditches great and deep, and
beside them be great vivaries on that one part and on that other.
And there is a full fair bridge to pass over the ditches. And in
these vivaries be so many wild geese and ganders and wild ducks and
swans and herons that it is without number. And all about these
ditches and vivaries is the great garden full of wild beasts. So
that when the great Chan will have any disport on that, to take any
of the wild beasts or of the fowls, he will let chase them and take
them at the windows without going out of his chamber.
This palace, where his siege is, is both great and passing fair.
And within the palace, in the hall, there be twenty-four pillars of
fine gold. And all the walls be covered within of red skins of
beasts that men clepe panthers, that be fair beasts and well
smelling; so that for the sweet odour of those skins no evil air
may enter into the palace. Those skins be as red as blood, and
they shine so bright against the sun, that unnethe no man may
behold them. And many folk worship those beasts, when they meet
them first at morning, for their great virtue and for the good
smell that they have. And those skins they prize more than though
they were plate of fine gold.
And in the midst of this palace is the mountour for the great Chan,
that is all wrought of gold and of precious stones and great
pearls. And at four corners of the mountour be four serpents of
gold. And all about there is y-made large nets of silk and gold
and great pearls hanging all about the mountour. And under the
mountour be conduits of beverage that they drink in the emperor's
court. And beside the conduits be many vessels of gold, by the
which they that be of household drink at the conduit.
And the hall of the palace is full nobly arrayed, and full
marvellously attired on all parts in all things that men apparel
with any hall.
