<B CMMANDEV>
<Q M3 NI TRAV MAND>
<N MANDEVILLE>
<A X>
<C M3>
<O 1350-1420>
<M 1350-1420>
<K CONTEMP>
<D EML>
<V PROSE>
<T TRAVELOGUE>
<G TRANSL>
<F FRENCH>
<W WRITTEN>
<X X>
<Y X>
<H X>
<U X>
<E X>
<J X>
<I X>
<Z NARR IMAG>
<S SAMPLE X>


[^MANDEVILLE'S TRAVELS,
TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH
OF JEAN D'OUTREMEUSE, VOL. I.
THE EARLY ENGLISH TEXT SOCIETY, O.S. 153.
ED. P. HAMELIUS.
LONDON, 1919.
PP. 28.19 - 37.12    (SAMPLE 1)
PP. 140.3 - 145.17   (SAMPLE 2)^]

<S SAMPLE 1>
<P 28>
[}OF THE CONTREE OF EGIPT; OF THE BRID
FENIX; OF ARABYE; OF THE CYTEE OF
CAYRE; OF THE CONNYNGE TO KNOWEN
BAWME AND TO PREUEN IT, AND OF THE
GERNERES OF JOSEPH.}]

   EGYPT is a long contree but it is streyt +tat is to seye
narow for +tei may not enlargen it toward the desert
for defaute of water And the contree is sett along vpon
the ryuere of Nyle be als moche as +tat ryuere may serue
be flodes or o+terwise +tat whanne it floweth it may spreden
abrood +torgh the contree, so is the contree large of lengthe.
For +tere it reyneth not but lityll in +tat contree & for +tat
cause +tei haue no water, but +gif it be of +tat flood of +tat
ryuere. And for als moche as it ne reyneth not in
+tat contree but the eyr is alwey pure & cleer, +terfore in
<P 29>
+tat contree ben the gode astronomyeres, for +tei fynde
+tere no cloudes to letten hem. Also the cytee of Cayre
is right gret & more huge +tan +tat of Babyloyne the lesse
And it sytt abouen toward the desert of Syrye a lytill
abouen the ryuere aboueseyd. In Egipt +tere ben .ij.
parties, The heghte +tat is toward Ethiope & the loweness
+tat is towardes Arabye. In Egypt is the lond of
Ramasses & the lond of Gessen. Egipt is a strong
contree for it hath many schrewede hauenes be cause
of the grete Roches +tat ben stronge and daungerouse
to passe by. And at Egipt toward the Est is the rede
see +tat dureth vnto the cytee of Coston & toward the
west is the cytee of lybye +tat is a full drye lond & lityll
of fruyt, for it is ouer moche plentee of hete And +tat
lond is clept Fusth. And toward the partie meridionall
is Ethiope & toward the north is the desert +tat dureth
vnto Syrye & so is the contree strong on all sydes. And
it is wel a .xv. iourneyes of lengthe & more +tan two
so moche of desert & it is but .ij. iournees of largeness.
And betwene Egipt & Nubye it hath wel a .xij. iournees
of desert And men of Nubye ben cristen but +tei ben
blake as the Mowres for gret hete of the sonne. In
Egipt +tere ben .v. prouynces, +tat on hight (^Sahyth^) +tat
other hight (^Demeseer^) another (^Resich^) , +tat is an Ile in
(^Nyle^) , Another (^Alisandre^) & another the lond of          #
(^Damyete^) .
+Tat citee was wont to be right strong but it was twyes
wonnen of the cristene men And +terfore after +tat the
sarazines beten down the walles And with the walles &
the toures +terof the sarazaines maden another cytee more
fer from the see & clepeden it the newe Damyete, So +tat
now no man duelleth at the rathere toun of Damyete.
At +tat cytee of Damyete is on of the hauenes of Egypt
& at Alisandre is +tat other +tat is a full strong cytee, But
+tere is no water to drynke, but +gif it come be condyt from
Nyle +tat entreth in to here cisternes, And who so stopped
+tat water from hem, +tei myghte not endure +tere. In
Egypt +tere ben but fewe Forcelettes or castelles be cause
<P 30>
+tat the contree is so strong of himself. (^Nota of a
Merueyle.^) At the desertes of Egypte was a worthi man
+tat was an holy heremyte & +tere mette with him a Monstre
+tat is to seyne a monstre is a +ting difformed a+gen kynde
bothe of man or of best or of ony +ting elles & +tat is cleped
a Monstre. And this monstre +tat mette with this holy
heremyte was as it hadde ben a man +tat hadde .ij. hornes
trenchant on his forhede & he hadde a body lyk a man
vnto +te navele And benethe he hadde the body lych a
goot & the heremyte asked him what he was. And the
monstre answerde him & seyde he was a dedly creature
such as god hadde formed & duelled in +to desertes in
purchacynge his sustynance, & besoughte the heremyte
+tat he wolde preye god for him the whiche +tat cam from
heuene for to sauen all mankynde & was born of a mayden
& suffred passioun & deth as wee wel knowen, be whom
wee lyuen & ben. And +git is the hede with the .ij. hornes
of +tat monstre at Alisandre for a merueyle. In Egipt
is the citee of Elyople +tat is to seyne the cytee of the       #
sonne.
In +tat cytee +tere is a temple made round after the schapp
of the temple of Ierusalem. The prestes of +tat temple han
all here wrytynges vnder the date of the foul +tat is clept
Fenix & +tere is non but on in all the world And he cometh
to brenne himself vpon the awtere of +tat temple at the ende
of .v. hundred +geer for so longe  he lyueth. And at the
 .vc. +geres ende the prestes arrayen here awtere honestly
and putten +tere vpon spices & sulphur vif & o+ter thinges
+tat wolen brennen lightly And +tan the brid Fenix
cometh & brenneth himself to askes. And the first day
next after men fynden in the askes a worm And the
seconde day next after men fynden a brid quyk & parfyt
And the thridde day next after he fleeth his wey And
so +tere is no mo briddes of +tat kynde in all the world
but it allone & treuly +tat is a gret myracle of god. And
men may wel lykne +tat bryd vnto god be cause +tat +tere
nys no god but on And also +tat oure lord aroos from
deth to lyue the thridde day. This bryd men seen often
<P 31>
tyme fleen in +to contrees And he is not mecheles more
+tan an Egle And he hath a crest of fedres vpon his hed
more gret +tan the poocok hath & his nekke is +galow after
colour of an Oriell +tat is a ston wel schynynge. And
his bak is coloured blew as ynde And his wenges ben
of purpre colour And the tayll is +gelow & red, castynge
his tayll a+gen in travers. And he is a full fair brid to
loken vpon a+genst the sonne, for he schyneth full gloriously
& nobely. Also in Egipt ben gardynes +tat han
trees & herbes +te whiche beren frutes .vij. tymes in the
+geer And in +tat lond men fynden manye fayre Emeraudes
& ynowe And +terfore +tei ben +tere grettere cheep. Also
whan it reyneth ones in the somer in the lond of Egipt
+tanne is all the contree full of grete myzs. Also at Cayre
+tat I spak of before sellen men comounly bothe men &
wommen of other lawe as we don here bestes in the markat.
And +tere is a comoun hows in +tat cytee +tat is all full of
smale furneys & thider bryngen wommen of the toun here
eyren of hennes of gees & of dokes for to ben put into
+to forneyses And +tei +tat kepen +tat hows coueren hem
with hete of hors dong Withouten henne goos or doke
or ony o+ter foul. And at the ende of .iij. wokes or of a
moneth +tei comen a+gen & taken here chikenes & norisschen
hem & bryngen hem forth so +tat all the contree is full of
hem And so men don +tere bothe winter & somer. Also
in +tat contree & in o+tere also men fynden longe Apples to
selle in hire cesoun & men clepen hem Apples of Paradys
& +tei ben right swete & of gode sauour And +togh +gee
kutte hem in neuer so many gobettes or parties ouerthwart
or endlonges eueremore +gee schull fynden in the
myddes the figure of the holy cros of oure lord Ihesu
But +tei wil roten within .viij. dayes And for +tat cause
men may not carye of +to apples to no fer contrees. Of
hem men fynden the mountance of an hundred in a
bascat to selle & +tei han grete leues of a fote & an half
of lengthe & +tei ben couenably large. And men fynden 
+tere also the appull tree of Adam +tat han a byte at on
<P 32>
of the sydes And +tere ben also Fige trees +tat beren no
leves but fyges vpon the smale braunches & men clepen
hem Figes of (^Pharoon^) . Also besyde (^Cayre^) withouten
+tat cytee is the feld where Bawme groweth And it
cometh out on smale trees +tat ben non hyere +tan to a
mannes breek girdill & +tei semen as wode +tat is of the
wylde vyne. And in +tat feld ben .vij. welles +tat oure
lord Ihesu crist made with on of his feet whan he wente
to pleyen with o+ter children. +Tat feld is not so wel
closed  but +tat men may entren at here owne list, But
in +tat cesoun +tat the bawme is growynge men put
+tere to gode kepynge +tat no man dar ben hardy to
entre. This bawme groweth in no place but only +tere
And +tough +tat men bryngen of +te plauntes for to planten
in o+ter contrees +tei growen wel & fayre but +tei bryngen
forth no fructuous thing. & the leves of bawme ne falle
nought. And men kutten the braunches with a scharp
flyntston or with a scharp bon whanne men wil go to
kutte hem, For who so kutte hem with jren it wolde
destroye his vertue & his nature. And the sarazines
clepen the wode (^Enochbalse^) , And the fruyt the whiche
+tat is as quybybes +tei clepen (^Abebissam^) And the lycour
+tat droppeth fro the braunches +tei clepen Guybalse.
And men maken all weys +tat bawme to ben tyled of the
cristen men or elles it wolde not fructyfye As the Sarazins
seyn hemself for it hath ben oftentyme preued.
Men seyn also +tat the bawme groweth in ynde the more
in +tat desert where Alysaundre spak to the trees of the
sonne & of the mone But I haue not seen it For I haue
not ben so fer abouen vpward because +tat +tere ben to
many perilouse passages. And wyte +gee wel +tat a man
oughte to take gode kepe for to bye bawme but +gif he
cone knowe it right wel, for he may right lyghtly ben
disceyued For men sellen a gomme +tat men clepen
Turbentyne in stede of bawme And +tei putten +tereto a
litill bawme for to +geuen gode odour And summe putten
<P 33>
wax in oyle of the wode of the fruyt of bawme & seyn
+tat it is bawme And summe destyllen clowes of gylofre
& of spykenard of Spayne & of o+tere spices +tat ben
wel smellynge & the lykour +tat goth out +terof +tei
clepe it bawme And +tus ben many grete lordes & o+tere
disceyued And +tei wenen +tat +tei han bawme & +tei haue non.
For the Sarazines countrefeten it be sotyltee of craft for to
disceyuen the cristene men as I haue seen full many a
tyme. And after hem the marchauntes & the Apotecaries
countrefeten it eftsones & +tanne it is lasse worth & a gret
del worse. But +gif it lyke +gou I schall schewe how +gee
schull knowe & preue to the ende +tat +gee schull not ben
disceyued. First +gee schull wel knowe +tat the naturell
bawme is full cleer & of cytryne colour & strongly
smellynge. And +gif it be thikke or reed or blak it is
Sophisticate +tat is to seyne contrefeted & made lyke it
for disceyt. And vnderstondeth +tat +gif +gee wil putte a
lityll bawme in the pawme of +goure hond a+gen the sonne,
+gif it be fyn & gode +gee ne schull not suffre +goure hand
a+genst the hete of the sonne. Also taketh a lytill bawme
with the poynt of a knyf & touche it to the fuyr & +gif it
brenne it is a gode signe. After take also a drope of
bawme & put it into a dissch or in a cuppe with mylk of
a goot And +gif it be naturell bawme anon it wole take &
beclippe the mylk. Or put a drope of bawme in clere
water in a cuppe of syluer or in a clere bacyn & stere it
wel with the clere water And +gif +tat the bawme be
fyn & of his owne kynde the water schall neuere trouble,
And +gif the bawme be sophisticat +tat is to seyne
countrefeted the water schall beco[{m{]e anon trouble.
And also +gif the bawme be fyn it schall falle to the 
botme of the vessell as +tough it were quyk syluer, For
the fyn bawme is more heuy twyes +tan is the bawme +tat
is sophisticat & countrefeted. Now I haue spoken of
bawme & now also I schall speke of another thing +tat is
be+gonde Babyloyne aboue the Flode of Nile toward the
<P 34>
desert betwene Affrik & Egypt +tat is to seyne of the
Gerneres Joseph +tat he leet make for to kepe the
greynes for the perile of the dere +geres. And +tei ben
made of ston full wel made of Masounes craft Of the whiche
 .ij. ben merueylouse grete & hye And the to+tere ne ben
not so grete. And euery Gerner hath a +gate for to entre
withjnne A lytill hygh from the erthe For the lond is
wasted & fallen sithe the Gerneres were made. And
withjnne +tei ben all full of serpentes And abouen the
Gerneres withouten ben many scriptures of dyuerse
langages. And summen seyn +tat +tei ben sepultures of
grete lordes +tat weren somtyme but +tat is not trewe For
all the comoun rymour & speche is of all the peple +tere
bothe fer & nere +tat +tei ben the Garneres of Joseph And
so fynden +tei in here scriptures & in here cronycles. On
+tat o+ter partie, +gif +tei weren sepultures +tei scholden not
ben voyd withjnne Ne +tei scholde haue no +gates for to
entre withjnne. For +gee may wel knowe +tat tombes &
sepultures ne ben not made of such gretness ne of suche
highness, Wherfore it is not to beleue +tat +tei ben tombes
or sepultures. In Egypt also +tere ben dyuerse langages
& dyuerse lettres & of o+ter manere condicioun +tan +tere
ben in o+ter partes as I schall deuyse +gou suche as +tei
ben And the names how thei clepen hem, To such entent
+tat +gee mowe knowe the difference of hem & of othere.

[}OF THE YLE OF CECYLE; OF THE WEYE FRO
BABYLOYNE TO THE MOWNT SYNAY; OF
THE CHIRCHE OF SEYNTE KATERYNE, AND
OF ALLE THE MERUAYLLES +TERE.}]

   Now wil I retourne a+gen or I procede ony ferthere for
to declare +gou the othere weyes +tat drawen towardes
Babiloyne where the Soudan himself duelleth +tat is at
<P 35>
the entree of Egypt, for als moche as many folk gon
+tider first & after +tat to the mownt Synay & after retournen
to Ierusalem, As I haue seyd +gou here beforn.
For +tei fulfillen first the more longe pilgrymage & after
retournen a+gen be the nexte weyes because +tat the more
ny weye is the more worthi & +tat is Ierusalem, For non
other pilgrymage is not lyk in comparsoun to it. But
for to fulfille here pilgrymages more esily & more sykerly
men gon first the longer weye rathere +tan the nerere
weye. But whoso wil go to Babyloyne be another weye
more schort from +te contrees of the west +tat I haue
reherced before or from o+ter contrees next fro hem, +tan
men gon by Fraunce be Burgoyne & be Lombardye. It
nedeth not to telle +gou the names of the cytees ne of
the townes +tat ben in +tat weye For the weye is comoun
& it is knowen of many nacyouns. And +tere ben manye
havenes [{where{] +tat men taken the see. Summe men taken
the see at Gene, Somme at Venyse & passen be the see
Adryatyk +tat is clept the Goulf of Venyse, +tat departeth
ytaylle & Grece on +tat syde. And somme gon to Naples
somme to Rome & from Rome to Brandys & +tere +tei
taken the see & in many othere places where +tat hauenes
ben. And men gon be Tussye be Champayne be Calabre
be Appuille & be the hilles of ytaylle be Chorisqe be
Sardyne & be Cycile +tat is a gret Ile & a gode. In +tat
Ile of Cycile +ter is a maner of a gardyn in the whiche
ben many dyuerse frutes And the gardyn is alweys
grene & florisshing, all the cesouns of the +geer als wel
in winter as in somer. +Tat Ile holt in compas aboute
 .ccc & l. frensche myles And betwene Cycile & Itaylle
+tere is not but a lytill arm of the see +tat men clepen
the Farde of Mescyne And Cycile is betwene the see
Adryatyk & the see of lombardye, And fro Cycile in
to Calabre is but .viij. myles of lombardye. And in
Cycile +tere is a manere of serpentes be the whiche men
assayen & preuen whe+ter here children ben bastardes or
none or of lawefull mariage, For +gif +tei ben born in right
<P 36>
mariage the serpentes gon aboute hem & don hem non 
harm And +gif +tei ben born in avowtrie the serpentes
byten hem & envenyme hem & thus manye wedded men
preuen +gif the children ben here owne. Also in +tat Ile
is the Mount Ethna +tat men clepen Mount Gybell & the
wlcanes +tat ben eueremore brennynge. And +tere ben
 .vij. places +tat brennen & +tat casten out dyuerse flawmes
and dyuerse colour And be the chaungynge of +to flawmes
men of +tat contree knowen whanne it schall be derthe or
gode tyme or cold or hoot or moyst or drye or in all
othere manere how the tyme schall be gouerned. And
from Itaille vnto the wlcanes nys but .xxv. myle And
men seyn +tat the wlcanes ben weyes of helle. Also
whoso goth be Pyse +gif +tat men list to go +tat weye +tere
is an arm of the see where +tat men gon to o+tere hauenes
in +to marches And +tan men passen be the Ile of (^Greef^)
+tat is at (^Gene^) And after arryueth men in (^Grece^) at the
hauene of the cytee of Myrok or at the hauene of Valone
or at the cytee of Duras, & +tere is a Duk at Duras, or at
o+tere hauenes in +to marches & so men gon to Constantynoble.
And after gon men be watre to the Ile of Crete &
to the Ile of Rodes & so to Cypre & so to Venyse & fro 
+tens to Constantynoble, to holde the more right weye be
see it is wel a .m viij & iiij. score myle of lombardye.
And after from Cipre men gon be see & leven Ierusalem &
all +tat contre on the left hond vnto Egypt & arryuen at
the cytee of DAMYETE +tat was wont to ben full strong &
it sytt at the entree of Egypt. And fro Damyete gon
men to the Cytee of Alizandre +tat sytt also vpon the see.
In +tat cytee was seynte kateryne beheded And +tere was
seynt Mark the Euuangelist martyred & buryed, But the
Emperour Leoun made his bones to ben brought to
Venyse. And +git +tere is at Alizandre a faire chirche
all white withouten peynture and so ben all the othere
chirches +tat weren of the cristene men all white withjnne,
For the Paynemes & the Sarrazynes maden hem
white for to fordon the ymages of seyntes +tat weren
<P 37>
peynted on the walles. +Tat cytee of Alizandre is wel 
 .xxx. furlonges in lengthe but it is but .x. on largeness
And it is a full noble cytee & a fayr. At +tat cytee
entreth the ryuere of Nyle in to the see as I to +gou haue
seyd before. In +tat ryuere men fynden many precyouse
stones & meche also of lignum aloes And it is a manere
of wode +tat cometh out of paradys terrestre the whiche
is good for manye dyuerse medicynes And it [{is{] right
dereworth. And from Alizandre men gon to Babyloyne
where the Soudan dwelleth +tat sytt also vpon the ryuere
of Nyle, And this weye is most schort for to go streyght
vnto Babiloyne. 

<S SAMPLE 2>
<P 140>
[}OF THE GRETE CHANE OF CHATAY; OF THE
RIALTEE OF HIS PALAYS & HOW HE SITT
AT METE, AND OF THE GRETE NOMBRE OF
OFFICERES +TAT SERUEN HYM.}]

   Chatay is a grete contree & a fair, noble & riche &
full of marchauntes; +tider gon Marchaundes all
+geres for to sechen spices & all manere of marchandises
more comounly +tan in ony o+ter partye. And +gee schull
vnderstonde +tat Marchaundes +tat comen fro (^Gene^) or
fro (^Venyse^) or fro (^Romanye^) or o+ter parties of           #
(^Lombardye^)
+tei gon be see & be londe .xj. monethes or .xij. or more
sumtyme or +tei may come to the yle of (^Cathay^) , +tat is
the princypall regyoun of all partyes be+gonde & it is of
the grete (^Cane^) . Fro (^Cathay^) go men toward the est be
many iorneyes & +tan men fynden a gode cytee betwene
+teise o+tere +tat men clepen (^Sugarmago^) . +Tat cytee is
on of the beste stored of sylk & o+ter marchandises +tat
is in the world. After gon men +git to ano+ter old cytee
toward the est & it is in the prouynce of (^Cathay^) , And
besyde +tat cytee the men of (^Tartarye^) han let make
a nother cytee +tat is clept Caydon & it hath .xij. +gates
And betwene the .ij. +gates +tere is allweys a gret myle.
So +tat the .ij. cytees, +tat is to seyne the olde & the
newe han in cyrcuyt more +tan .xx. myle. In this cytee
is the sege of the grete (^Cane^) in a full gret palays &
the most passynge fair in all the world, Of the whiche
the walles ben in circuyt more +tan .ij. myle, And within
the walles it is all full of o+ter palays. And in the gardyn
of the grete palays +tere is a gret hill vpon the whiche
is ano+ter palays And it is the most fair & the most riche
+tat ony man may deuyse And all aboute the palays & the
hill ben many trees berynge many dyuerse frutes. And
<P 141>
all aboute +tat hill ben dyches grete & depe And besyde
hem ben grete vyueres on +tat o part & on +tat other
And +tere is a full fair brigge to passen ouer the dyches.
And in +teise vyueres ben so many wylde gees & gandres
& wylde dokes & swannes & heirouns +tat it is withouten
nombre. And all aboute +teise dyches & vyueres is the
grete gardyn full of wylde bestes so +tat whan the gret
(^Cane^) wil haue ony desport ou+ter to taken ony of the
wylde bestes or of the foules, he wil lete chace hem
& taken hem at the windowes withouten goynge out of
his chambre. This palays where his sege is is bothe
gret & passynge fair And within the palays in the halle
+tere ben .xxiiij. pyleres of fyn gold & all the walles ben
couered withjnne of rede skynnes of bestes +tat men
clepen (^Panteres^) , +tat ben faire bestes & wel smellyng
so +tat for the swete odour of +to skynnes non euyll ayr
may entre in to the palays. +To skynnes ben als rede as
blode & +tei schynen so brighte a+gen the sonne +tat vnethes
noman may beholden hem. And many folk worschipen
+to bestes whan +tei meeten hem first at morwe for here
gret vertue & for the gode smell +tat +tei han, & +to skynnes
+tei preysen more +tan +tough +tei were plate of fyn gold.
And in the myddes of this palays is the mountour for
the grete (^Cane^) +tat is all wrought of gold & of precyous
stones & grete perles. And at .iiij. corneres of the
mountour ben .iiij. serpentes of gold And all aboute +ter is
ymade large nettes of sylk & gold & grete perles hangynge
all aboute the mountour. And vnder the (^mountour^) ben
(^Condytes^) of beuerage +tat +tei drynken in the Emperours
court And besyde +te condytes ben many vesselles of gold
be the whiche +tei +tat ben of houshold drynken at the
condyt. And the halle of the palays is full nobelych
arrayed & full meruey[{l{]leousely atyred on all partyes in
all thinges +tat men apparayle with ony halle. And first
at the chief of the halle is the Emperoures throne full
high where he sytteth at the mete & +tat is of fyn
<P 142>
precyouse stones bordured all aboute with pured gold &
precyous stones & grete perles, And the grees +tat he goth
vp to the table ben of precious stones medled with gold.
And at the left syde of the Emperoures sege is the sege
of his firste wif o degree lowere +tan the Emperour & it is
of jaspere bordured with gold & precious stones. And the
sege of his seconde wif is also ano+ter [{degree{] more lowere
+tan his firste wif & it is also of jaspere bordured with
gold as +tat o+ter is. And the sege of the thridde wif is
also more lowe be a degree +tan the seconde wif. For he
hath alweys .iij. wifes with him where +tat euere he be &
after his wyfes on the same syde sytten the ladyes of his
lynage +git lowere after +tat +tei ben of estate. And all +to
+tat ben maryed han a countrefete made lyche a (^mannes
foot^) vpon here hedes cubyte long all wrought with grete
perles of fyne & oryent & abouen made with pecokes fedres
& of o+ter schynynge fedres & +tat stont vpon here hedes
lyke a crest, in tokene +tat +tei ben vnder mannes fote &
vnder subieccioun of man, And +tei +tat ben vnmaryed
han none suche. And after at the right syde of the
Emperour first sytteth his oldest sone +tat schall regne
after him; And he sytteth also o degree lowere +tan the
Emperour in suche manere of seges as don the Emperesses.
And after him sitten o+ter grete lordes of his lynage, euery
of hem a degree lowere +tan o+ter, as +tei ben of estate.
And the Emperour hath his table allone be him self +tat
is of gold & of precious stones or of cristall bordured with
gold & full of precious stones or of Amatystes or of
(^Lignum Aloes^) +tat cometh out of paradys or of Iuory
bounden & bordured with gold. And euerych of his
wyfes hath also hire table be hireself And his eldest sone
& the o+ter lordes also & the ladyes & all +tat sitten with 
the Emperour han tables allone be hemself full riche.
And +tere nys no table but +tat it is worth an huge tresour
of gode. And vnder the Emperoures table sitten .iiij.
clerkes +tat writen all +tat the Emperour seyth, be it good,
<P 143>
be it euyll. For all +tat he seyth moste ben holden, for
he may not chaungen his woord ne revoke it. And [{at{]
grete solempne festes before the Emperoures table men
bryngen grete tables of gold & +tereon be Pecokes of gold
& many o+ter maner of dyuerse foules all of gold & richely
wrought & enameled & men maken hem dauncen and
syngen clappynge here wenges to gydere & maken gret
noyse & whe+ter it be by craft or be nygromancye I wot nere,
but it is a gode sight to beholde & a fair, And it is gret
meruayle how it may be. But I haue the lasse meruaylle
because +tat +tei ben the moste sotyle men in all sciences &
in all craftes +tat ben in the world, For of sotyltee & of
malice & of fer castynge +tei passen all men vnder heuene.
And +terfore +tei seyn hem self +tat +tei seen with .ij. eyen
& the cristene men see but with on be cause +tat +tei ben
more sotyll +tan +tei, For all o+ter naciouns +tei seyn ben
but blynde in conynge & worchinge in comparisoun to
hem. I did gret besyness for to haue lerned +tat craft
but the maistre tolde me +tat he had made avow to his god
to teche it to no creature but only to his eldeste sone.
Also aboue the Emperoures table & the o+tere tables &
abouen a gret partie in the halle is a (^Vyne^) made of fyn
gold & it spredeth all aboute the hall & it hath many
clustres of grapes, somme white, somme grene, summe
+galowe & somme rede & somme blake, all of precious
stones. The white ben of (^cristall^) & of (^berylle^) & of
(^jris^) , the +galowe ben of (^topazes^) , the rede ben of
(^rubies^) & of (^Grenaz^) & of (^Alabraundynes^) , The grene
ben of Emeraudes of Perydos & of Crisolytes, And the
blake ben of Onichez & Garantez. And +tei ben all so
propurlych made +tat it semeth a verry vyne berynge
kyndely grapes. And before the Emperoures table
stonden grete lordes & riche barouns & othere +tat seruen
the Emperour at the mete. But noman is so hardy to
speke a word but +gif the Emperour speke to him, But +gif
it be Mynstrelles +tat syngen songes & tellen gestes or o+ter
<P 144>
desportes to solace with the Emperour. And all the
vessell +tat men ben serued with in the halle or in 
chambres ben of precious stones And specyally at grete
tables, ou+ter of jaspre or of cristall or of Amatystez or
of fyn gold. And the cuppes ben of Emeraudez & of
Saphires or of Topazes, of Perydoz and of many o+ter
precyouse stones. Vessell of syluer is +tere non, for +tei
tell no prys +tere of to make no vessell offe, But +tei
maken +terof grecynges & pileres & pawmentes to halles &
chambres. And before the halle dore stonden manye
barounes & knyghtes clene armed to kepe +tat noman
entre, but +gif it be the wille or the commandement of the
Emperour or but +gif +tei ben seruauntes or mynstrall of
the houshold; And o+ter non is not so hardy to neighen
ny the hall dore. And +ge schull vndirstonde +tat my
felawes and I with oure +gomen we serueden this
Emperour & weren his Soudyoures .xv. monethes a+genst
the kyng of (^Mancy^) +tat held werre a+genst him. And the
cause was for wee hadden gret lust to see his noblesse &
the estat of his court & all his gouernance, to wite +gif it
were such as we herde seye +tat it was. And treuly we
fond it more noble and more excellent & ricchere & more
merueyllous +tan euer we herde speke offe. In so moche
+tat we wolde neuer han leved it, had wee not a seen it,
For I trowe +tat noman wolde beleve the noblesse, the
ricchesse ne the multytude of folk +tat ben in his court,
but he had seen it. For it is not +tere as it is here, For
the lordes here han folk of certeyn nombre als +tei may
suffise, But the grete (^Chane^) hath euery day folk at his
costages & expens as withouten nombre. But the
ordynance ne the expenses in mete & drink ne the
honestee ne the clennesse is not so arrayed +tere as it is
here; for all the comouns +tere eten withouten cloth vpon
here knees & +tei eten all maner of flessch & lityll of bred,
And after mete +tei wypen here hondes vpon here skyrtes
& +tei eten not but ones a day. But the estat of lordes is
full gret & riche & noble. And all be it +tat sum men wil
<P 145>
not trow me, but holden it for fable to tellen hem the
nobless of his persone & of his estate & of his court & of
the gret multytude of folk +tat he holt, natheles I schall
seye +gou A partye of him & of his folk, after +tat I haue
seen the manere & the ordynance full many a tyme. And
whoso +tat wole may leve me +gif he will, And whoso will
not may leue also. For I wot wel +gif ony man hath
ben in +to contrees be+gonde, +tough he haue not ben in the
place where the grete (^Chane^) duelleth, he schall here
speke of him so meche merueylouse +ting, +tat he schall
not trowe it lightly; And treuly no more did I myself til
I saugh it. And +to +tat han ben in +to contrees & in the
gret (^Canes^) houshold knowen wel +tat I seye soth And
+terfore I will not spare for hem +tat knowe not ne beleue
not but +tat +tat +tei seen for to tell +gou a partie of him &
of his estate +tat he holt whan he goth from contree to
contree & whan he maketh solempne festes.



