But Vpon The Very Feast Day Of The Saide Apostles, There Fel A Mightie Snowe In That Place, And Wee Had Extreame Colde Weather.

This lande is full of mountaines, and colde beyonde measure, and there is little plaine ground to bee seene.

These two nations last mentioned vsed not to till their grounde, but, like vnto the Tartars, dwelt in tents, which the sayde Tartars had destroyed. Through this countrey wee were trauailing manie dayes. Then entered wee into the lande of the Mongals, whome wee call Tartars. Through the Tartars lande wee continued our trauaile (as wee suppose) for the space of some three weekes, riding alwayes hastily and with speede, and vpon the day of Marie Magdalene we arriued at the court of Cuyne the Emperour elect. [Sidenote: The 22. of Iuly.] But therefore did we make great haste all this way, because our Tartarian guides were straightly commaunded to bring vs vnto the court Imperiall with all speede, which court hath beene these if many yeeres, ordained for the election of the Emperour. Wherefore rising earely, wee trauailed vntil night without eating of any thing, and oftentimes wee came so late vnto our lodging, that we had no time to eate the same night, but that which we should haue eaten ouer night, was giuen vs in the morning. And often changing our horses, wee spared no Horse-fleshe, but rode swiftly and without intermission, as fast as our horses could trot.

Qualiter Cuyne Fratres Minores suscepit. Cap. 26.

Cum autem peruenimus ad Cuyne, fecit nobis dari tentorium et expensas, quales Tartaris dare solent, nobis tamen melius quam alijs nuncijs faciebant. [Sidenote: Cuyne in legatos benignitas.] Ad ipsum autem vocati non fuimus, eo quod nondum electus erat, nec adhuc de imperio se intromittebat. Interpretatio tamen literarum Domini Papa, ac verba etiam a nobis dicta, a pradicto Baty erant ei mandata. Cum ergo stetissemus ibi per quinque vel sex dies, ad matrem suam nos transmisit, vbi adunabatur curia solennis. [Sidenote: Tentorium regium.] Et cum venissemus illuc, tam extensum erat tentorium magnum, de alba purpura praparatum, eratque tam grande nostro indicio, quod plusquam duo millia hominum poterant esse sub illo. Et in circuitu factum erat ligneum tabulatum varijs imaginibus depictum. [Sidenote: Comitia.] Illuc ergo perreximus cum Tartaris, nobis ad custodiam assignatis, ibique conuenerant omnes duces, et vnusquisque cum hominibus suis equitaibat in circuitu per planiciem et colles. In prima die vestiti sunt omnes purpuris albis, in secunda vero rubeis. Et tunc venit Cuyne ad teritorium illud. Porro tertia die fuerunt omnes in blaueis purpuris, et quarta in optimis Baldakinis. In illo autem tabulato iuxta tentorium erant dua maiores porta, per quarum vnam solus Imperator debebat intrare, et ad illam nulla erat custodia, quamuis esset aperta, quia per illam nullus audebat ingredi vel exire: per aliam omnes, qui admittebantur, intrabant, et ad illam custodes cum gladijs et arcubus et sagittis erant. Itaque si quis tentorio propinquabat vltra terminos, qui positi erant, si capiebatur, verberabatur, si fugiebat, sagitta siue ferro sagittabatur. Multique ibi erant, qui in franis, pectoralibus, sellis et huiusmodi, iudicio nostro, auri circiter viginti marcas habebant.

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