of folk is with outen the pryncipalle Hoost, and with
outen Wenges ordeynd for the bataylle. And he
hathe no werre, but ridethe with a pryvy meynee, thanne
he hathe bore before him but o cross of tree, with
outen peynte peynture, and with outen gold or silver
or precious stones; in remembrance, that Jesus suffred
dethe upon a cros of tree. And he hathe born
before him also a plater of gold fulle of erthe, in
tokene that his noblesse and his myghte and his flessche
schalle turnen to erthe. And he hathe born before
him also a vesselle of silver, fulle of noble jewelles
of gold fulle riche, and of precious stones, in tokene
of his lordschipe and of his noblesse and of his myght.
He duellethe comounly in the cytee of Suse; and there
is his principalle palays, that is so riche and so
noble, that no man wil trowe it by estymacioun, but
he had seen it. And aboven the chief tour of
the palays, ben 2 rounde pomeles of gold; and in everyche
of hem ben 2 carboncles grete and large, that schynen
fulle brighte upon the nyght. And the principalle
zates of his palays ben of precious ston, that men
clepen sardoyne: and the bordure and the barres
ben of ivorye: and the wyndowes of the halles
and chambres ben of cristalle: and the tables
where on men eten, somme ben of emeraudes, summe of
amatyst and summe of gold, fulle of precious stones;
and the pileres, that beren up the tables, ben of
the same precious stones. And the degrees to gon
up to his throne, where he sittethe at the mete, on
is of oniche, another is of cristalle, and another
of jaspre grene, another of amatyst, another of sardyne,
another of corneline, and the sevene that he settethe
on his feet, is of crisolyte. And alle theise
degrees ben bordured with fyn gold, with the tother
precious stones, sett with grete perles oryent.
And the sydes of the sege of his throne ben of emeraudes,
and bordured with gold fulle nobely, and dubbed with
other precious stones and grete perles. And alle
the pileres in his chambre, ben of fyne gold with precious
stones, and with many carboncles, that zeven gret
lyght upon the nyght to alle peple. And alle
be it that the charboncle zeve lyght right y now, natheles
at alle tymes brennethe a vesselle of cristalle fulle
of bawme, for to zeven gode smelle, and odour to the
emperour, and to voyden awey alle wykkede eyres and
corrupciouns. And the forme of his bedd is of
fyne saphires bended with gold, for to make him slepen
wel, and to refreynen him from lecherye. For
he wille not lyze with his wyfes, but 4 sithes in the
zeer, aftre the four cesouns: and that is only
for to engendre children. He hathe also a fulle
fayr palays and a noble, at the cytee of Nyse, where
that he dwellethe, whan him best lykethe; but the
ayr is not so attempree, as it is at the cytee of
Suse. And zee schulle undirstonde, that in alle
his contree, ne in the contrees there alle aboute,
men eten noghte but ones in the day, as men don in
the court of the grete Chane. And so thei eten