And When He Came At Morrow, Changuys Rose, And Went To Seven
Lineages, And Told Them How The White Knight Had Said.
And they
scorned him, and said that he was a fool.
And so he departed from
them all ashamed. And the night ensuing, this white knight came to
the seven lineages, and commanded them on God's behalf immortal,
that they should make this Changuys their emperor, and they should
be out of subjection, and they should hold all other regions about
them in their servage as they had been to them before. And on the
morrow, they chose him to be their emperor. And they set him upon
a black fertre, and after that they lift him up with great
solemnity. And they set him in a chair of gold and did him all
manner of reverence, and they cleped him Chan, as the white knight
called him.
And when he was thus chosen, he would assay if he might trust in
them or no, and whether they would be obeissant to him or no. And
then he made many statutes and ordinances that they clepe YSYA
CHAN. The first statute was, that they should believe and obey in
God Immortal, that is Almighty, that would cast them out of
servage, and at all times clepe to him for help in time of need.
The tother statute was, that all manner of men that might bare arms
should be numbered, and to every ten should be a master, and to
every hundred a master, and to every thousand a master, and to
every ten thousand a master. After he commanded to the principals
of the seven lineages, that they should leave and forsake all that
they had in goods and heritage, and from thenceforth to hold them
paid of that that he would give them of his grace. And they did so
anon. After he commanded to the principals of the seven lineages,
that every of them should bring his eldest son before him, and with
their own hands smite off their heads without tarrying. And anon
his commandment was performed.
And when the Chan saw that they made none obstacle to perform his
commandment, then he thought well that he might trust in them, and
commanded them anon to make them ready and to sue his banner. And
after this, Chan put in subjection all the lands about him.
Afterward it befell upon a day, that the Can rode with a few meinie
for to behold the strength of the country that he had won. And so
befell, that a great multitude of enemies met with him. And for to
give good example hardiness to his people, he was the first that
fought, and in the midst of his enemies encountered, and there he
was cast from his horse, and his horse slain. And when his folk
saw him at the earth, they were all abashed, and weened he had been
dead, and flew every one, and their enemies after and chased them,
but they wist not that the emperor was there. And when the enemies
were far pursuing the chase, the emperor hid him in a thick wood.
And whet, they were come again from the chase, they went and sought
the woods if any of them had been hid in the thick of the woods;
and many they found and slew them anon. So it happened that as
they went searching toward the place that the emperor was, they saw
an owl sitting upon a tree above him; and then they said amongst
them, that there was no man because that they saw that bird there,
and so they went their way; and thus escaped the emperor from
death. And then he went privily all by night, till he came to his
folk that were full glad of his coming, and made great thankings to
God Immortal, and to that bird by whom their lord was saved. And
therefore principally above all fowls of world they worship the
owl; and when they have any of their feathers, they keep them full
preciously instead of relics, and bear them upon their heads with
great reverence; and they hold themselves blessed and safe from all
perils while that they have them upon them, and therefore they bear
their feathers upon their heads.
After all this the Chan ordained him, and assembled his people, and
went upon them that had assailed him before, and destroyed them,
and put them in subjection and servage. And when he had won and
put all the lands and countries on this half the Mount Belian in
subjection, the white knight came to him again in his sleep, and
said to him, Chan! the will of God Immortal is that thou pass the
Mount Belian. And thou shalt win the land and thou shalt put many
nations in subjection. And for thou shalt find no good passage for
to go toward that country, go [to] the Mount Belian that is upon
the sea, and kneel there nine times toward the east in the worship
of God Immortal, and he shall shew the way to pass by. And the
Chan did so. And anon the sea that touched and was fast to the
mount began to withdraw him, and shewed fair way of nine foot
breadth large; and so he passed with his folk, and won the land of
Cathay that is the greatest kingdom of the world.
And for the nine kneelings and for the nine foot of way the Chan
and all the men of Tartary have the number of nine in great
reverence. And therefore who that will make the Chan any present,
be it of horses, be it of birds, or of arrows or bows, or of fruit,
or of any other thing, always he must make it of the number of
nine. And so then be the presents of greater pleasure to him; and
more benignly he will receive them than though he were presented
with an hundred or two hundred.
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