And all those barons
have crowns of gold upon their heads, full noble and rich, full of
precious stones and great pearls orient. And they be all clothed
in cloths of gold or of tartaries or of camakas, so richly and so
perfectly, that no man in the world can amend it, ne better devise
it. And all those robes be orfrayed all about, and dubbed full of
precious stones and of great orient pearls, full richly. And they
may well do so, for cloths of gold and of silk be greater cheap
there a great deal than be cloths of wool. And these 4000 barons
be devised in four companies, and every thousand is clothed in
cloths all of one colour, and that so well arrayed and so richly,
that it is marvel to behold.
The first thousand, that is of dukes, of earls, of marquises and of
admirals, all clothed in cloths of gold, with tissues of green
silk, and bordered with gold full of precious stones in manner as I
have said before. The second thousand is all clothed in cloths
diapered of red silk, all wrought with gold, and the orfrays set
full of great pearl and precious stones, full nobly wrought. The
third thousand is clothed in cloths of silk, of purple or of Ind.
And the fourth thousand is in cloths of yellow. And all their
clothes be so nobly and so richly wrought with gold and precious
stones and rich pearls, that if a man of this country had but only
one of their robes, he might well say that he should never be poor;
for the gold and the precious stones and the great orient pearls be
of greater value on this half the sea than they be beyond the sea
in those countries.
And when they be thus apparelled, they go two and two together,
full ordinately, before the emperor, without speech of any word,
save only inclining to him. And every one of them beareth a tablet
of jasper or of ivory or of crystal, and the minstrels going before
them, sounding their instruments of diverse melody. And when the
first thousand is thus passed and hath made his muster, he
withdraweth him on that one side; and then entereth that other
second thousand, and doth right so, in the same manner of array and
countenance, is did the first; and after, the third; and then, the
fourth; and none of them saith not one word.
And at one side of the emperor's table sit many philosophers that
be proved for wise men in many diverse sciences, as of astronomy,
necromancy, geomancy, pyromancy, hydromancy, of augury and of many
other sciences. And everych of them have before them astrolabes of
gold, some spheres, some the brain pan of a dead man, some vessels
of gold full of gravel or sand, some vessels of gold full of coals
burning, some vessels of gold full of water and of wine and of oil,
and some horologes of gold, made full nobly and richly wrought, and
many other manner of instruments after their sciences.
And at certain hours, when them thinketh time, they say to certain
officers that stand before them, ordained for the time to fulfil
their commandments; Make peace!
And then say the officers; Now peace! listen!
And after that, saith another of the philosophers; Every man do
reverence and incline to the emperor, that is God's Son and
sovereign lord of all the world! For now is time! And then every
man boweth his head toward the earth.
And then commandeth the same philosopher again; Stand up! And they
do so.
And at another hour, saith another philosopher; Put your little
finger in your ears! And anon they do so.
And at another hour, saith another philosopher; Put your hand
before your mouth! And anon they do so.
And at another hour, saith another philosopher; Put your hand upon
your head! And after that he biddeth them to do their hand away.
And they do so.
And so, from hour to hour, they command certain things; and they
say, that those things have diverse significations. And I asked
them privily what those things betokened. And one of the masters
told me, that the bowing of the head at that hour betokened this;
that all those that bowed their heads should evermore after be
obeissant and true to the emperor, and never, for gifts ne for
promise in no kind, to be false ne traitor unto him for good nor
evil. And the putting of the little finger in the ear betokeneth,
as they say, that none of them ne shall not hear speak no
contrarious thing to the emperor but that he shall tell it anon to
his council or discover it to some men that will make relation to
the emperor, though he were his father or brother or son. And so
forth, of all other things that is done by the philosophers, they
told me the causes of many diverse things. And trust right well in
certain, that no man doth nothing to the emperor that belongeth
unto him, neither clothing ne bread ne wine ne bath ne none other
thing that longeth to him, but at certain hours that his
philosophers will devise. And if there fall war in any side to the
emperor, anon the philosophers come and say their advice after
their calculations, and counsel the emperor of their advice by
their sciences; so that the emperor doth nothing without their
counsel.
