Forma lecti Imperatoris compacta est de puris et nobilissimis Saphyris, conclusi vtique aureis vel eburneis ligaturis, vt virtute lapidum capiat suauem somnum, motusque carnis inhonesti stimuli, in eo refrenentur.  Nunquam enim iungitur mulieri nisi soli coniugi propriae, sed nec illi nisi quatuor quindenis anni videlicet in capite hyemis, veris, aestatis, et autumni causa sobolis generandae.

Vtque breuiter transeam de multa huius palatij nobilitate, mirabile hoc solummodo praemissis super addo.  Quia circa medium illius in summo apice turris maioris, duo sunt nodi seu pomella de decoctissimi auri metallo mirae magnitudinis, et serenae resplendentiae, et in ipsis formati duo carbunculi grandes, et lati, sua virtute tenebras effugantes, et velut splendorem plenilunij nocturno tempore mentientes.

The English Version.

Of the Ryalle estate of Prestre John; and of a riche man, that made a
  marveyllous Castelle, and cleped it Paradys; and of his Sotyltee.

[Sidenote:  Chap.  XXVII.] This Emperour Prestre John holt fulle gret lond, and hathe many fulle noble cytees and gode townes in his royalme, and many grete dyvene yles ond large.  For alle the contree of Ynde is devysed in yles, for the grete flodes, that comen from Paradys, that departen alle the lond in many parties.  And also in the see, he hathe fulle manye yles.  And the beste cytee in the yle of Pentexoire is Nyse, that is a fulle ryalle cytee and a noble, and fulle riche.  This Prestre John hathe undre him many kynges and many yles and many dyverse folk of dyverse condiciouns.  And this lond is fulle gode and ryche; but not so riche as is the lond of the grete Chane.  For the marchauntes come not thidre so comounly, for to bye marchandises, as thei don in the lond of the gret Chane:  for it is to fer to travaylle to.  And on that other partie, in the yle of Cathay, men fynden alle maner thing, that is nede to man; clothes of gold, of silk, and spycerie.  And therfore, alle be it that men han grettre chep in the yle of Prestre John, natheles men dreden the longe wey and the grete periles in the see, in tho parties.  For in many places of the see ben grete roches of stones of the adamant, that of his propre nature drawethe iren to him.  And therfore there passen no schippes, that han outher bondes or nayles of iren with in hem:  and zif there do, anon the roches of the adamantes drawen hem to hem, that never thei may go thens.  I my self have seen o ferrom in that see, as thoughe it hadde ben a gret yle fulle of trees and buscaylle, fulle of thornes and breres, gret plentee.  And the schipmen tolde us, that alle that was of schippes, that weren drawen thidre be the adamauntes, for the iren that was in hem.  And of the rotenesse and other thing that was with in the schippes, grewen suche buscaylle and thornes and breres and grene grasse and suche maner of thing; and of the mastes and the seylle zerdes; it semed a gret wode or a grove.  And suche roches