CAP. XCVIII.
Of the moste1dwelling place of Prester John in a citie called Suse.
AND he dwelleth commonly at the citie of Suse, & there is his principall palaice that is so riche that marvayle is to tell, & about the principall toure of the palaice are two pomels2of gold all round, and eche one of those hath two carbuncles great & large, ytshine ryght clere in the night, and yeprincipal gates of this palaice are of precious stones that men call Saraine3& the borders of the barres are of Ivory, & windowes of the hall and chambers are of Cristall, and tables that they eate of, some Emerandes, some are of Mayk,4some of golde and precious stones, and the pillers that beare the tables are of such stones also, and the greces on the which yeEmperour goeth to his sege where he sitteth at meat, one is of Mastik,5another of Cristal, another of green Jasphy,6another of Diasper,7another of Serdin,8another of Cornelin,9another of Seuton, & that he setteth his fote upon, is of Crisolites, and all these greces are bordered with fine gold, and well set with greatperles and other precious stones, and ye side of the sege are Emerauds bordred with gold and with precious stones, the pillers in his chambre are of fine gold with many Carbuncles and other such stones that giue great light in the night, and all if the Carbuncles giue great light, neuerthelesse there burneth xii10great vessels of Cristall full of balme to giue good smell, and to drive away evill ayre. The fourme11of his bedde is all of Saphire well bound with gold to make him slepe well & for to destroy lechery, for he will not lye by his wives but thrise12a yeare, after the seasons, and all onely for getting of children. And he hath also a fayre palayce in the city of Nyse where he dwelleth when he wil, but the aier there is not so well tempered as it is in the citie of Suse. And he hath euery day in his courte more than xxx thousand men, besides comers and goers, but xxx thousand there or in the court of the great Caane spendeth not so much as xii thousand in our countrey. He hath euermore vii kinges in his court to serve him and eche one of them serveth a moneth, and with these kinges serue alway Lxxii Dukes & CCC13erles, and euery day eat in his court xii archbishops and xx byshops. The patryarke of saint Thomas is as he were a pope and Archbishops and byshops & abbotes, all are kings in that countrey, and some of the lordes is master of the hall, some of the chambre, some steward, some marshal, and other officers, and therefore he is ful rychley served. And his land lasteth in breadth four moneths journey and it is of length without measure.
1:The greatest.2:A ball or knot.3:? Sardonyx.4:Another edition says Amethysts.5:Another edition says Onyx.6:Probably Jasper.7:Another edition says Amethyst, but as the whole is so apocryphal it does not much matter.8:Sardine or Sardonyx.9:Cornelian. What Seuton is I will not even venture to guess at.10:Another edition says, "a great vessel."11:The framework.12:Others say four times.13:Elsewhere it is 360.
1:The greatest.
2:A ball or knot.
3:? Sardonyx.
4:Another edition says Amethysts.
5:Another edition says Onyx.
6:Probably Jasper.
7:Another edition says Amethyst, but as the whole is so apocryphal it does not much matter.
8:Sardine or Sardonyx.
9:Cornelian. What Seuton is I will not even venture to guess at.
10:Another edition says, "a great vessel."
11:The framework.
12:Others say four times.
13:Elsewhere it is 360.