Nowe shall we beginne to entre into the mountaigne Taurus, whose ende is towards the sea Maggiore, in the ꝓties of Trabisonda, and streccheth east-sowtheast towardes the golfe called Sinus Persicus, at thentree of which mountaigne arr exceeding high, and stype hilles enhabited wᵗʰ a certain people called Corbi,[69] different in languaige from all their neighboʳˢ, exceading crewell, and not so much theevishe as openly given to roberie. They have many townes, buylded vpon bankes and high places, to discover all passaiges that they may robbe them that passe. Wherfore many of those townes have been destroied by the Lordes of the cuntrey for the damaige they have doon to the Carouanes passeng by them. As I for my ꝓte have had some exꝑience of their condicioñs.
Scimetarra is like that we call a fawchon.
Musaico is an excellent kinde of paincteng wᵗʰ golde.
The iiijᵗʰ day of Aprile, the yere 1474, being departed from a towne called Chesan, apꝓteyneng to a Lorde that is subiect to Assambei, about halfe a daies ioʳney from the towne; having in my companie an Ambassadoʳ of the said Assambei, vpon an high hill we were assaulted by these Corbi, who slewe the said Ambassadoʳ and my Secretaire wᵗʰ ij other, and having hurte me and the rest, they tooke our sompters and all that they founde. I being on horsebacke fledde out of the waie all alone, and aftre me came they that were hurte; insomuch that at length we gate us into the company of a Califfo, that is as much to say, as an heade pylgryme, wᵗʰ whom we travailed as well as we coulde. The iijᵈᵉ day folowing we came to Vastan,[70] a citie decaied and yll enhabited, for it hath not above ccc houses. Twoo daies ioʳney thense we founde a towne called Choy,[71] which is also decaied, having about cccc houses, and thinhabitants lyve of handicrafte and tillaige. Being come in maner to thende of the mountaigne Taurus, I determyned to departe from this Califfo; and taking one of his companions for my guyde, wᵗhin three daies ioʳney we came neere to the famouse citie of Thauris, and being in the brode champaigne, we mett wᵗʰ certain Turcomanni, who, wᵗʰ certein Corbi in their companie, came towardes vs, askeng vs whither we went. I answered that I was going towardes the King Assambei wᵗʰ l’res directed vnto him. Than one of them praied me to lett him see them: and because I told him curteyslie it was not convenient, I shulde putt them in his handes, he lyfte vp his fist and strake me such a blowe on the face that the paine thereof lasted me iiij moonethes after; besides that they beate my trowchman unhappely, and so lefte vs yll content, as all men may think. Being come to Thauris, we went into a canostra, that is to weete (after oʳ maner) an Inne, from whense I signified to the King Assambei (being than there present) that I was come, desireng to be brought to his presence. And incontinently the next morneng being sent for, I presented myself vnto him, so yll apparailed that I darr assure yoᵘ all that I had about me was not woʳthe ij ducates. He receaved me curteslie, and than badde me welcome, saieng that he had beene well advertised of the death of his ambassadoʳ and of the other twoo, and also of my roberie, promiseng me to see all redressed in such sorte as we shulde susteigne no losse. Than I presented vnto him my l’res of credence, which I had alwaies carried in my boosome; and bicause there was none about him that coulde reade it, he made me reade it myself, and so to be declared vnto him by an interpretoʳ. And whan he vnderstode the contents of it, he badde me (aftre oʳ own maner) repaire to his counsaill, and to deliver them in writeng what had been taken from me, and further to declare what I had to saie, and so to retoʳne to my lodging till he shulde see tyme to send for me. The place wheare I had this accesse to the King was on this maner. First, it had a gate wᵗhin the which was a quadrant of iiij or v paces square, wheare sate his chief astates that passed not eight or ten in nombre. Than was there an other gate neere to the first, in the which stoode a porter wᵗʰ a little staffe in his hande. Whan I was entered that gate I passed through a grene garden like a meadowe full of trufles, wᵗʰ mudde walles, in the which on the right syde was a pavement. About xxx paces further was there a lodge, volte wise, aftre oʳ maner, iiij or v steppes higher than the foresaid pavement. In the middest of this lodge was a fountaigne like vnto a little gutter, alwaies full of water, and in thentrie of it the king himself sate on a cusshion of cloth of gold, wᵗʰ another at his backe, and besides him was his buckler of the Moresco fac̃on with his scimitarra, and all the lodge was laied wᵗʰ carpettes, his chiefest Princes sitteng round about. The lodge was all wrought of Musaico, not so small as we vse, but great and verie faire of divers coloʳˢ.
The first day I came to hym he had divers syngers and plaiers, wᵗʰ harpes of a yarde longe, which they holde wᵗʰ the sharpe ende vpwardes; and besides that lutes, rebickes, cymbales, and baggepipes, all which plaied agreablie. The next daie he sent me twoo garmentes of sylke, that is, to witt, a straict gowne furred wᵗʰ barco and a jackett, a towell of sylke to girde me, a fyne peece of lynen called bumbasie to putt on my hedde, and xx ducats, sending me worde wᵗhall that I shulde go to Maidan, that is, to witt, to the markett place to see the Tarafuccio,[72] that is, to weete, the plaie. Thither I went on horsebacke, wheare in the markett place I founde about iij horsemen and more than twies as many on foote, besides the King’s children, which were looking out at certein wyndowes. To this place certein wylde wolves were brought, ledde wᵗʰ cordes tied to eche one of their hynder feete, and those wolves were by one and one lett go in the middest of the place. And to the first there came a man appointed vnto it, offering to stryke him. The wolfe flewe streighte towards his throte; but the man, which was nymble, shifted him of in such wise as the wolfe tooke no holde but on his arme, which coulde take no hurte by reason of his sleeves that were prepared for it. The horses fled for feare amongst the prease, and many fell, some in the place and some into the water which renneth through the citie. And whan they had weeried one wolfe than they lett slyppe an other, which kinde of plaie they use every frydaie.
This pastyme being ended, I was brought to the King’s presence into the place before mencioned; and was caused to sit honorably, and likewise others being sett in their places as many as coulde conveniently sytt wᵗhin that lodge, and the rest according to their degrees sitteng vpon carpetts aftre the Morisco maner, table clothes were spredde vpon the carpetts, and every man had sett before hym a sylver basen wᵗʰ a pott of wyne, an ewer of water, and a little dishe all of silver. This meane while there came in certein men sent from a Prince of India, wᵗʰ certein strange beastes; the first whereof was a leonza[73] ledde in a chayne by one that had skyll, which they call in their languaige Babureth. She is like vnto a lyonesse: but she is redde coloured, streaked over all wᵗʰ blacke strykes; her face is redde wᵗʰ certein white and blacke spottes, the bealy white, and tayled like the lyon: seemyng to be a marvailouse fiers beast. Than was there a lyon brought fooʳthe and shewed to the leonza somewhat of. At the sight whereof the leonza soddainely squatted, as it had been a catte, and as though she wolde have leaped on the lyon, if the keeper had not drawen her backe. Aftre this were twoo elephantes brought, which, whan they came forneagainst the kinge aftre certein woordes spoken to them by their leader, looked vp to the kinge and than enclyned their heades wᵗʰ a certein gravitie, as though they did him reverence. The greater of them was brought to a tree in the gardein as bigge as a mannes myddell, which (aftre certein woordes spoken by his keeper) he shaked on thone side wᵗʰ his heade, and then toʳned and did as much on thother side: so that he plucked it vp.
Zibetto is muske.
Aftre this was brought fooʳthe a Giraffa, which they call Girnaffa, a beast as longe legged as a great horse, or rather more; but the hynder legges are halfe a foote shorter than the former, and is cloven footed as an oxe, in maner of a violett coloʳ myngled all over wᵗʰ blacke spottes, great and small according to their places: the bealy white somewhat longe heared, thynne heared on the tayle as an asse, litle hornes like a goate, and the necke more than a pace longe: the tonge a yarde longe, violett and rounde as an eele, wᵗʰ the which he graseth or eateth the leaves from the trees so swiftely that it is skarsely to be ꝓceaved. He is headed like a harte, but more fynely, wᵗʰ the which standing on the grounde he woll reache xv foote high. His brest is broder than the horse, but the croope narowe like an asse; he seemath to be a mervaillouse faire beast, but not like to beare any burden. Aftre these were brought fooʳthe in three cages three paire of doves, white and blacke like vnto ours, saving they were longe necked like a goose: being (as I believe) rare byrdes in those parties, ells they wolde never have brought them fooʳthe. Finally aftre all these there were three popingaies of divers coloʳˢ brought fooʳthe, and twoo of those cattes that make zibetto. Than was I taken vp and brought into a chamber, wheare I dyned, and whan I had doon he that attended on Ambassadoʳˢ badde me farewell and willed me to departe. Nevertheles, immediately aftre I came to my lodging I was sente for againe, and being come to the kinge he asked me why I departed? wherevnto I answered that my governoʳ gave me leave; for the which the king being offended, caused him incontinently to be called, layed flatt, and beaten in his presence. Howbeit, viij daies aftre at my request he was restored into favoʳ. The morowe aftre this man was beaten the King sent for me early: who, being in the place aforesaid, caused me to sytt as I did the other tyme.
Sandalo is the tree that the spice called Saunders is made of.
This daie being holydaie, and for the com̄yng of the Ambassadoʳˢ of India, there were verie great tryomphs made. First his coʳtiers were apparailed in cloth of golde, sylkes and chamlettes of divers coloʳˢ. In the lodge were sett about xlᵗⁱᵉ of the most honourable, and in the entries about an c, wᵗhout thentry about cc, betwene the two gates about Lᵗⁱᵉ, and in the streete wᵗhout about xxᵐ, all readie sett, looking for meate, in the myddest of whom there were about iiijᵐ horses. And standing in this order the twoo Ambassadoʳˢ of India came in, who were made to sytt forneagainst the kinge, and than incontinently were the presents brought fooʳthe, which passed before the king and his companie on this wise. First, the beastes rehersed before. Next, about an c men, one aftre an other, everie man having on his arme v tolpani,[74] that is to saie, v peeces of verie fyne bombasses lynen cloth wᵗʰ the which they make those rolles that they were on their heades being woʳthe v or vij ducates a peece. Than came there vi men, every man wᵗʰ vi peeces of sylke on his arme. Than came there ix, every one of them wᵗʰ a little dishe of sylver full of such pretiouse stones as I shall declare vnto yoʷ hereafter. After them came certein wᵗʰ vessells and disshes of porcellana. Than some wᵗʰ woodde of aloes and great large peeces of sandali. Than came there xxv fardells of spices, caried wᵗʰ cowle stakes[75] by iiij men at every fardell. These things being passed, meate was brought fooʳthe, and every man serued. Aftre dyner the king asked thambassadoʳˢ wheather there were any other king than theirs that was Mossulman (that is to saie, Macomettane), who answered that there were two others, but all the rest were Christians. The morowe aftre the king sent for me, and tolde me that he wolde make me a litle passetyme in shewing me the jewells that were sent him out of India, and first caused to be deliuered vnto me a rynge (that serveth to drawe their bowe) of golde wᵗʰ a rubie in the myddest of twoo carretts, and some dyamands about it. Also ij ringes of golde, wᵗʰ twoo rubies waieng iiij carretts. Three skore threades of perles of v carretts a peece, white, but not rounde. A pointed dyamant of xxᵗⁱᵉ carretts, not verie cleane, but of a good water. Twoo heades of deade byrdes[76] in a camewe,[77] which seemed verie straunge in respect of the fowle of our regions. And having shewed me these jewells, he asked me howe I lyked that present, addeng that a king sent them vnto him from beyonde the seas: that is, to witt, from beyonde the Golfe of Persia. I answered that the present was verie faire and of great value, though not so great but that I esteemed him wooʳthie of a much greater. Well, than, said he, thoʷ shalt also see my jewells. Wherevpon, he com̄aunded a chyldes coyfe of silke to be deliuered vnto me. But I incontinently tooke myne handekerchief to receave it wᵗhall to thentent I wolde not tooʷche it wᵗʰ myne hande: wherewᵗʰ he behelde me, and tornyng to his owne folkes, smylingly said, See the Italian, as though he com̄ended my maner in receaving the coyfe. On the toppe of this coyfe there was a balasse bored through and fac̃oned lyke a date, clene, and of a good coloʳ, waieng an cᵗ carretts, about the which were certein great turcasses, but they were olde, and likewise certein perles also olde. Besides this, he caused me to see certein vessells of Porcellana and Diaspro,[78] very faire.