This Tent Was Erected Upon Pillars,
Covered Over With Plates Of Gold, And Other Beams Were Fixed To The Pillars
By Gold Nails.
The whole was superbly covered over with Baldakin, having
other cloth on the outside.
We remained here till the feast of St
Bartholomew, 24th August; on which day an immense multitude convened,
standing with their faces to the south. Certain persons, at about a stone's
throw distance from the rest, were continually employed in making prayers
and genuflexions, always proceeding slowly to the south. We did not know
whether they were making incantations, or whether they bowed their knees to
God or otherwise, and we therefore made no genuflexions. When this ceremony
had continued a long while, the whole company returned to the tent, and
Cuyne was placed upon the imperial throne. On which all the dukes knelt
before him, and the same was done by all the people, except by us, who were
not his subjects.
SECTION XXVIII.
Of the Age and Demeanour of Cuyne, and of his Seal.
When exalted to the imperial dignity, Cuyne seemed to be about forty or
forty-five years old. He was of middle stature, exceedingly prudent,
politic, serious, and grave in his demeanour, and was hardly ever seen to
laugh or to behave lightly in any respect, as was reported to us by certain
Christians who were continually about him. These Christians of his family
assured us likewise, that he would certainly become a Christian, because he
always kept some Christian priests about his person, and had at all times a
chapel of Christians established near his great tent, in which the clergy
sang their devotions publickly and openly, and struck the regular hours on
bells, according to the custom of the Greek church, whatever number of
Tartars or others might be in the presence; while no other of the Tartar
dukes did any thing like this.
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