The
Ambassadors Were Placed On The Left Hand, As The Most Honourable Station.
Three Tables Were Placed Before Each Of The Amirs And Other Most
Distinguished Persons, While Others Had Only Two, And The More Ordinary
Persons But One; And There Were At Least A Thousand Tables At This
Entertainment.
Before the throne, near a window of the hall, there was a great kurkeh or
drum, on a raised stage, attended by two men, and near it a great band of
musicians.
Part of the hall was divided off by curtains which came close to
the throne, that the ladies belonging to the palace might see the company
without being seen. After all the victuals and liquors were brought in and
properly distributed, two khojas withdrew, the curtains which covered a
door behind the throne, and the emperor came forth, amid the sound of many
instruments of music, and took his seat under a canopy of yellow satin,
ornamented with four dragons. After the ambassadors had made five
prostrations, they sat down to table, and were treated as at other times.
During the entertainment, many comic tricks were acted for the amusement of
the emperor and the company. The first performers that appeared were
painted with white and red, like girls, and dressed in gold brocade,
holding nosegays of artificial flowers. After this, a man lay down on his
back, as if asleep, holding his feet raised up in the air; then another
person held several thick canes in his hands, seven cubits long, placing
the other ends between his legs, on which a youth of ten or twelve years of
age mounted, with surprising agility, and performed several tricks at the
top.
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