Istius autem ostia aulæ, dum in ea residet, aut deambulat Imperator, multi Barones ingressum seruant intentè, et ne limen tangatur, quod hoc haberent pro augurio, et benè verberaretur, quia Imperatore præsente, nemo nisi adductus in quacunque camera, vel habitatione intromittitur, donec interrogatus iusserit Imperator.
Latitudinem huius Basilicæ æstimo ad spatium de meis pedibus centum et longitudinem vltrà quatuor centum. In cubiculo autem Regis dormitorio, constat vnus pillarius, seu columna de auro solido et carbunculus conclusus in illo longitudinis pedis vnius, totum habitaculum de nocte perfundens lumine claro. Hic prout ego notaui, non est plenè rubeus, sed subrufus, quasi coloris Hæmatistini. Porrò in vna aularum, circà medium palatii, est alius excelsus ascensus, Odericus dicit pigma, super quem dum placet, stat, vel residet Imperator, ditissimè etiam operatus, ex auro, gemmis, baccis, margaritis, et lapidibus raris, et in quatuor angulis, imagines quatuor serpentum de auro puro.
Huius per tria latera dependent retia seu cortinæ de cordulis sericis, in quibus ad singulos nodos, grossa margarita habetur innexa, quibus cortinis tegitur officina: in eius concauitate tenetur tumba quadrata, in qua conueniunt conductus omnium potuum, qui bibuntur in Curia, et innumera vasorum genera, quibus potus omnibus ministratur.
Prætereà, iuxta palatii ambitum, habetur grandis parci spaciamentum, diuersi generis arboribus repletum, fructus ferentibus varios, et nobis inuisos, et in parte media, aula super excelsum collem de tam mira et pulchra structura, vt eius nobilitas de facili ad præsens, non possit describi. Et vndique, par collis gyrum aquæ fossatum profundum, et latum vltrà quod pons vnicus ducit ad collem. Atque ex duobus montis lateribus, stagnum cum diuersorum copia piscium, et volucrum indomitarum, vt aucarum, anatum, cignorum, ciconiarum, ardearum, et collectorum in magna pluralitate, nec non et per parcum, multæ syluestres bestiæ, et bestiolæ quatenùs per aulæ fenestras possit Dominus pro solatio respicere volucrum aucupationes, bestiarum venationes, et piscium captiones.
Et hoc proculdubio sciendum, quòd in nostris partibus rara sint oppida cum pluribus mansionibus, quàm in isto palatio continentur.
Tota æstate moratur in India terra frigidissima, in hyeme in Cambalu.
Odericus.
Præter palatium hoc in Caydo, habet Imperator similitèr tria: vnum in ciuitate Sadus, versus Septentrionem, vbi competens est frigus, ibi moratur in æstate. Cambalu, vbi competens calor, ibi moratur hyeme. Tertium in ciuitate Iongh, in quo et in isto Caydo, vt sæpiùs seruat sedem, eò quòd in istis est aer magis temperatus, quamuis semper calidus videtur Nostratibus.
The English Version.
In this cytee is the Sege of the grete Cane in a fulle gret palays, and the most passynge fair in alle the world: of the whiche the walles ben in circuyt more than 2 myle: and within the walles, it is alle fulle of other palays. And in the gardyn of the grete palays, there is a gret hille, upon the whiche there is another palays; and it is the most fair and the most riche, that ony man may devyse. And all aboute the palays and the hille, ben many trees, berynge many dyverse frutes. And alle aboute that hille, ben dyches grete and depe: and besyde hem, ben grete vyneres, on that o part and on that other. And there is a fulle fair brigge to passe over the dyches. And in theise vyneres, ben so many wylde gees and gandres and wylde dokes and swannes and heirouns, that it is with outen nombre. And alle aboute theise dyches and vyneres, is the grete gardyn, fulle of wylde bestes; so that, whan the gret Cane wil have ony desport on that, to taken ony of tho wylde bestes or of the foules, he wil lete chace hem and taken hem at the wyndowes, with outen goynge out of his chambre. This palays, where his sege is, is bothe gret and passynge fair. And with in the palays, in the halle, there ben 24 pyleres of fyn gold: and alle the walles ben covered with inne, of rede skynnes of bestes, that men clepen panteres; that ben faire bestes, and well smellyng: so that for the swete odour of tho skynnes, non evylle ayr may entre in to the palays. Tho skynnes ben als rede as blode, and thei schynen so brighte azen the sonne, that unethes no man may beholden hem. And many folk worschipen tho bestes, whan thei meeten hem first at morwe, for here gret vertue and for the gode smelle that thei han: and tho skynnes thei preysen more than thoughe thei were plate of fyn gold. And in the myddes of this palays is the mountour for the grete Cane, that is alle wrought of gold and of precyous stones and grete perles: and at 4 corneres of the mountour, been 4 serpentes of gold: and alle aboute ther is y made large nettes of sylk, and gold and grete perles hangynge alle aboute the mountour. And undre the mountour, ben condytes of beverage, that thei drynken in the emperours court. And besyde the condytes, ben many vesselles of gold, be the whiche, thei that ben of houshold, drynken at the condyt. And the halle of the palays is fulle nobelyche arrayed, and fulle merveylleousely atyred on all parteys, in alle thinges, that men apparayle with ony halle. And first, at the chief of the halle, is the emperours throne, fulle highe, where he syttethe at the mete: and that is of fyn precyouse stones, bordured alle aboute with pured gold and precyous stones and grete perles. And the grees, that he gothe up to the table, ben of precyous stones, medled with gold. And at the left syde of the emperoures sege, is the sege of his firste wif, o degree lowere than the emperour: and it is of jaspere, bordured with gold and preciouse stones. And the sege of his seconde wif is also another sege, more lowere than his firste wif: and it is also of jaspere, bordured with gold, as that other is. And the sege of the thridde wif is also more lowe, be a degree, than the seconde wif. For he hathe alweys 3 wifes with him, where that evere he be. And aftre his wyfes, on the same syde, sytten the ladyes of his lynage, zit lowere, aftre that thei ben of estate. And alle tho that ben maryed, han a countrefete, made lyche a mannes foot, upon here hedes, a cubyte long, alle wrought with grete perles, fyne and oryent, and aboven, made with pecokes fedres and of other schynynge fedres; and that stont upon here hedes, like a crest, in tokene that thei ben undre mannes fote and undre subiectioun of man. And thei that ben unmaryed, han none suche. And aftre, at the right syde of the Emperour, first syttethe his eldest sone, that schalle regne aftre him: and he syttethe also o degree lowere than the emperour, in suche manere of seges, as don the emperesses. And aftre him, sytten other grete lordes of his lynage, every of hem a Degree lowere than other, as thei ben of estate. And the emperour hathe his table allone be him self, that is of gold, and of precious stones, or of cristalle, bordured with gold, and fulle of precious stones or of amatystes or of lignum aloes, that comethe out of paradys, or of ivory, bounden or bordured with gold. And everyche of his wyfes hathe also hire table be hire self. And his eldest sone, and the other lordes also, and the ladyes, and alle that sitten with the emperour, han tables allone be hem self, fulle riche. And there nys no table, but that it is worthe an huge tresour of gode. And undre the emperoures table, sitten 4 clerkes, that writen alle, that the emperour seythe, be it good, be it evylle. For alle that he seythe, moste ben holden; for he may not chaungen his word, ne revoke it. At grete solempne festes, before the emperoures table, men bryngen grete tables of gold, and there on ben pecokes of gold, and many other maner of dyverse foules, alle of gold, and richely wrought and enameled; and men maken hem dauncen and syngen, clappynge here wenges to gydere, and maken gret noyse: and where it be by craft or be nygromancye, I wot nere; but it is a gode sight to beholde, and a fair; and it is gret marvayle how it may be. But I have the lasse marvaylle, be cause that thei ben the moste sotyle men in alle sciences and in alle craftes, that ben in the world. For of sotyltee and of malice and of fercastynge, thei passen alle men undre hevene. And therfore thei seyn hem self, that thei seen with 2 eyen; and the Cristene men see but with on: be cause that thei ben more sotylle than thei. For alle other naciouns, thei seyn, ben but blynde in conynge and worchynge in comparisoun to hem. I did gret besynesse, for to have lerned that craft: but the maistre tolde me, that he had made a vow to his God, to teche it to no creature, but only to his eldeste sone. Also above the emperours table and the othere tables, and aboven a gret partie in the halle, is a vyne, made of fyn gold: and it spredethe alle aboute the halle; and it hath many clustres of grapes, somme white, somme grene, summe zalowe and somme rede and somme blake, alle of precious stones: the white ben of cristalle and of berylle and of iris; the zalowe ben of topazes; the rede ben of rubies, and of grenaz and of alabraundynes; the grene ben of emeraudes, of perydos and of crisolytes; and the blake ben of onichez and garantez. And thei ben alle so propurlyche made, that it semethe a verry vyne, berynge kyndely grapes. And before the emperoures table, stonden grete lordes, and riche barouns and othere, that serven the emperour at the mete. And no man is so hardy, to speke a word, but zif the emperour speke to him; but zif it be mynstrelles, that syngen songes, and tellen gestes or other desportes, to solace with the emperour. And alle the vesselle, that men ben served with, in the halle or in chambres, ben of precious stones; and specially at grete tables; outher of jaspre or of cristalle or of amatystez or of fyn gold. And the cuppes ben of emeraudez and of saphires or of topazes, of perydoz, and of many other precyouse stones. Vesselle of sylver is there non: for thei telle no prys there of, to make no vesselle offe: but thei maken ther of grecynges and pileres and pawmentes, to halles and chambres. And before the halle dore, stonden manye barounes, and knyghtes clene armed, to kepe that no man entre, but zif it be the wille or the commandement of the emperour, or but zif thei ben servauntes or mynstralle of the houshold: and other non is not so hardy, to neighen nye the halle dore.