Of the four Solemn Feasts held yearly by the Great Khan.
The great khan celebrates four great feasts every year; on the
anniversaries of his birth, his circumcision, his coronation, and his
marriage. Sitting upon his throne of state, all his kindred, barons, and
stage-players, attend in great ceremony and in rich attire; the highest
order being dressed in green, the second in red, and the third in yellow,
all girt with golden girdles, half a foot broad, and every one holding a
small ivory tablet in his hand, they all stand in regular order, keeping
the most profound silence. On the outside, all the stage-players, and the
musicians, with their musical instruments, are arranged. In one of the
corners of a certain great gallery, all the philosophers or magicians
attend, waiting for certain hours and moments, and when the fortunate
moment is arrived, a crier calleth out in a loud voice, "Prostrate
yourselves before the emperor," and then all fall upon their faces. After a
certain interval, the crier again orders the whole assembly to rise up, and
they do so. At another particular moment, fixed by the philosophers, orders
are given in a loud voice, for every one to stop their ears with their
fingers; afterwards they are called upon to take out their fingers. Many
similar things are performed in this manner, which they pretend to be
significant, but which, being vain and ridiculous, I gave no attention to,
and am not inclined to write.
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