And Their Wives Ne Dwell Not Together, But Every Of Them By
Herself; And The Husband May Lie With Whom Of Them That Him Liketh.
Everych Hath His House, Both Man And Woman.
And their houses be
made round of staves, and it hath a round window above that giveth
them light, and also that serveth for deliverance of smoke.
And
the heling of their houses and the walls and the doors be all of
wood. And when they go to war, they lead their houses with them
upon chariots, as men do tents or pavilions. And they make their
fire in the midst of their houses.
And they have great multitude of all manner of beasts, save only of
swine, for they bring none forth. And they believe well one God
that made and formed all things. And natheles yet have they idols
of gold and silver, and of tree and of cloth. And to those idols
they offer always their first milk of their beasts, and also of
their meats and of their drinks before they eat. And they offer
often-times horses and beasts. And they clepe the God of kind
YROGA.
And their emperor also, what name that ever he have, they put
evermore thereto, Chan. And when I was there, their emperor had to
name Thiaut, so that he was clept Thiaut-Chan. And his eldest son
was clept Tossue; and when he shall be emperor, he shall be clept
Tossue-Chan. And at that time the emperor had twelve sons without
him, that were named Cuncy, Ordii, Chadahay, Buryn, Negu, Nocab,
Cadu, [Siban], Cuten, Balacy, Babylan, and Garegan. And of his
three wives, the first and principal, that was Prester John's
daughter, had to name Serioche-Chan, and the tother Borak-Chan, and
the tother Karanke-Chan.
The folk of that country begin all their things in the new moon,
and they worship much the moon and the sun and often-time kneel
against them. And all the folk of the country ride commonly
without spurs, but they bear always a little whip in their hands
for to chace with their horses.
And they have great conscience and hold it for a great sin to cast
a knife in the fire, and for to draw flesh out of a pot with a
knife, and for to smite an horse with the handle of a whip, or to
smite an horse with a bridle, or to break one bone with another, or
for to cast milk or any liquor that men may drink upon the earth,
or for to take and slay little children. And the most sin that any
man may do is to piss in their houses that they dwell in, and whoso
that may be found with that sin sikerly they slay him. And of
everych of these sins it behoveth them to be shriven of their
priests, and to pay great sum of silver for their penance. And it
behoveth also, that the place that men have pissed in be hallowed
again, and else dare no man enter therein. And when they have paid
their penance, men make them pass through a fire or through two,
for to cleanse them of their sins. And also when any messenger
cometh and bringeth letters or any present to the emperor, it
behoveth him that he, with the thing that he bringeth, pass through
two burning fires for to purge them, that he bring no poison ne
venom, ne no wicked thing that might be grievance to the Lord. And
also if any man or woman be taken in avoutry or fornication, anon
they slay him. And who that stealeth anything, anon they slay him.
Men of that country be all good archers and shoot right well, both
men and women, as well on horse-back, pricking, as on foot,
running. And the women make all things and all manner mysteries
and crafts, as of clothes, boots and other things; and they drive
carts, ploughs and wains and chariots; and they make houses and all
manner mysteres, out taken bows and arrows and armours that men
make. And all the women wear breeches, as well as men.
All the folk of that country be full obeissant to their sovereigns;
ne they fight not, ne chide not one with another. And there be
neither thieves ne robbers in that country. And every man
worshippeth other; but no man there doth no reverence to no
strangers, but if they be great princes.
And they eat hounds, lions, leopards, mares and foals, asses, rats
and mice and all manner of beasts, great and small, save only swine
and beasts that were defended by the old law. And they eat all the
beasts without and within, without casting away of anything, save
only the filth. And they eat but little bread, but if it be in
courts of great lords. And they have not in many places, neither
pease ne beans ne none other pottages but the broth of the flesh.
For little eat they anything but flesh and the broth. And when
they have eaten, they wipe their hands upon their skirts; for they
use no napery ne towels, but if it be before great lords; but the
common people hath none. And when they have eaten, they put their
dishes unwashen into the pot or cauldron with remnant of the flesh
and of the broth till they will eat again. And the rich men drink
milk of mares or of camels or of asses or of other beasts. And
they will be lightly drunken of milk and of another drink that is
made of honey and of water sodden together; for in that country is
neither wine ne ale. They live full wretchedly, and they eat but
once in the day, and that but little, neither in courts ne in other
places. And in sooth, one man alone in this country will eat more
in a day than one of them will eat in three days.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 63 of 81
Words from 63323 to 64332
of 81655
