This Emperor Prester John When He Goeth Into Battle Against Any
Other Lord, He Hath No Banners Borne Before Him;
But he hath three
crosses of gold, fine, great and high, full of precious stones, and
every of those crosses
Be set in a chariot, full richly arrayed.
And for to keep every cross, be ordained 10,000 men of arms and
more than 100,000 men on foot, in manner as men would keep a
standard in our countries, when that we be in land of war. And
this number of folk is without the principal host and without wings
ordained for the battle. And when he hath no war, but rideth with
a privy meinie, then he hath borne before him but one cross of
tree, without painting and without gold or silver or precious
stones, in remembrance that Jesu Christ suffered death upon a cross
of tree. And he hath borne before him also a platter of gold full
of earth, in token that his noblesse and his might and his flesh
shall turn to earth. And he hath borne before him also a vessel of
silver, full of noble jewels of gold full rich and of precious
stones, in token of his lordship and of his noblesse and of his
might.
He dwelleth commonly in the city of Susa. And there is his
principal palace, that is so rich and so noble, that no man will
trow it by estimation, but he had seen it. And above the chief
tower of the palace be two round pommels of gold, and in everych of
them be two carbuncles great and large, that shine full bright upon
the night. And the principal gates of his palace be of precious
stone that men clepe sardonyx, and the border and the bars be of
ivory. And the windows of the halls and chambers be of crystal.
And the tables whereon men eat, some be of emeralds, some of
amethyst, and some of gold, full of precious stones; and the
pillars that bear up the tables be of the same precious stones.
And the degrees to go up to his throne, where he sitteth at the
meat, one is of onyx, another is of crystal, and another of jasper
green, another of amethyst, another of sardine, another of
cornelian, and the seventh, that he setteth on his feet, is of
chrysolite. And all these degrees be bordered with fine gold, with
the tother precious stones, set with great pearls orient. And the
sides of the siege of his throne be of emeralds, and bordered with
gold full nobly, and dubbed with other precious stones and great
pearls. And all the pillars in his chamber be of fine gold with
precious stones, and with many carbuncles, that give great light
upon the night to all people. And albeit that the carbuncles give
light right enough, natheles, at all times burneth a vessel of
crystal full of balm, for to give good smell and odour to the
emperor, and to void away all wicked airs and corruptions. And the
form of his bed is of fine sapphires, bended with gold, for to make
him sleep well and to refrain him from lechery; for he will not lie
with his wives, but four sithes in the year, after the four
seasons, and that is only for to engender children.
He hath also a full fair palace and a noble at the city of Nyse,
where that he dwelleth, when him best liketh; but the air is not so
attempre, as it is at the city of Susa.
And ye shall understand, that in all his country nor in the
countries there all about, men eat not but once in the day, as they
do in the court of the great Chan. And so they eat every day in
his court, more than 30,000 persons, without goers and comers. But
the 30,000 persons of his country, ne of the country of the great
Chan, ne spend not so much good as do 12,000 of our country.
This Emperor Prester John hath evermore seven kings with him to
serve him, and they depart their service by certain months. And
with these kings serve always seventy-two dukes and three hundred
and sixty earls. And all the days of the year, there eat in his
household and in his court, twelve archbishops and twenty bishops.
And the patriarch of Saint Thomas is there as is the pope here.
And the archbishops and the bishops and the abbots in that country
be all kings. And everych of these great lords know well enough
the attendance of their service. The one is master of his
household, another is his chamberlain, another serveth him of a
dish, another of the cup, another is steward, another is marshal,
another is prince of his arms, and thus is he full nobly and
royally served. And his land dureth in very breadth four month's
journeys, and in length out of measure, that is to say, all isles
under earth that we suppose to be under us.
Beside the isle of Pentexoire, that is the land of Prester John, is
a eat isle, long and broad, that men clepe Mistorak; and it is in
the lordship of Prester John. In that isle is great plenty of
goods.
There was dwelling, sometime, a rich man; and it is not long since;
and men clept him Gatholonabes. And he was full of cautels and of
subtle deceits. And he had a full fair castle and a strong in a
mountain, so strong and so noble, that no man could devise a fairer
ne stronger. And he had let mure all the mountain about with a
strong wall and a fair. And within those walls he had the fairest
garden that any man might behold. And therein were trees bearing
all manner of fruits, that any man could devise. And therein were
also all manner virtuous herbs of good smell, and all other herbs
also that bear fair flowers.
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