ben in many places there abouten.  And therfore dur not the marchauntes passen there, but zif thei knowen wel the passages, or elle that thei han gode lodes men.  And also thei dreden the longe weye:  and therfore thei gon to Cathay; for it is more nyghe:  and zit is not so nyghe, but that men moste ben travayllynge be see and lond, 11 monethes or 12, from Gene or from Venyse, or he come to Cathay.  And zit is the lond of Prestre John more ferr, be many dredfulle iourneyes.  And the marchauntes passen be the kyngdom of Persie, and gon to a cytee that is clept Hermes:  for Hermes the philosophre founded it.  And aftre that, thei passen an arm of the see, and thanne thei gon to another cytee that is clept Golbache:  and there thei fynden marchandises, and of popengayes, as gret plentee as men fynden here of gees.  And zif thei will passen ferthere, thei may gon sykerly i now.  In that contree is but lytylle whete or berley:  and therfore thei eten ryzs and hony and mylk and chese and frute.

This Emperour Prestre John takethe alle weys to his wif, the doughtre of the grete Chane:  and the gret Chane also in the same wise, the doughtre of Prestre John.  For theise 2 ben the grettest lordes undir the firmament.

In the lond of Prestre John, ben manye dyverse thinges and many precious stones, so gret and so large, that men maken of hem vesselle:  as plateres, dissches and cuppes.  And many other marveylles ben there; that it were to cumbrous and to long to putten it in scripture of bokes.

CAPVT 42.

De frequentia palatij et comitatu Imperatoris.

Seruiunt et praesto sunt iugiter Domino Imperatori septem reges, qui in capite singulorum mensium, alijs septem regibus pro illis palatium ingredientibus recedunt ad propria, donec reuoluatur eis tempus statutum.  Hij curam habent de gubernatione administrationum in aula maiori per subiectos eis 72. duces, et 300. et 63. comites seu barones, quorum vnusquisque optime nouit et diligenter intendit proprio ministerio.

Nam isti sunt Imperatoris Cubicularij, isti Camerarij, isti scindunt Regi morsellos:  alij de apponendis curam gerunt ferculis et deponendis, deafferendis, deasportandis, alij pincernae, Archimandritae, ostiarij, et sic de singulis.

Nec non absque iam dictis, manducant omni die in aula coram Imperatore, duodecim Archiepiscopi, 220.  Episcopi, quibus etiam alij totidem certis temporibus succedunt per vices.  Verumtamem ad quotidianas expensas vsque praemissas, veniunt de Curia 300. millia personarum, sed non amplius:  sed sicut praedixi de Curia praecedentis Imperatoris sic nullus hic, cuiuscunque sit status, aut sexus, comedit vltra semel in die, et hoc ipsum sobrie satis:  quoniam prout aestimare possum, expensae duodecim hominum de nostris communiter compensarent triginta hominum in partibus illis.

Dum Ioannem Presbyterum contingit procedere cum exercitu in plena exhibitione, non deferuntur vexilla, sed tredecim cruces magnae altitudinis et grossitudinis, de auro distincto pretiosissimis petris, in honorem Christi et suorum Apostolorum duodecim.  Hae vectantur in singulis curribus, et singularum ad hoc maximis curribus cum custodia cuiuscunque crucis, decem mille equitum, et centum mille peditum, nec tamen hic numerus auget vel minuit principalem exercitum Paganorum.