that stand continually open.  Within this court there are four gilded houses covered with lead, in each of which houses are certain heathen idols of very great value.  The first house contains an image of a man of vast size all of gold, having a crown of gold on his head enriched with most rare rubies and sapphires, and round about him are the images of four little children, all likewise of gold.  In the second house is the statue of a man in massy silver, which seems to sit on heaps of money.  This enormous idol, though sitting, is as lofty as the roof of a house.  I measured his feet, which I found exceeded that of my own stature; and the head of this statue bears a crown similar to that of the former golden image.  The third house has a brazen image of equal size, having a similar crown on its head.  In the fourth house is another statue as large as the others, made of gansa, or mixed metal of copper and lead, of which the current money of the country is composed, and this idol has a crown on its head as rich and splendid as the others.  All this valuable treasure is freely seen by all who please to go in and look at it, as the gates are always open, and the keepers do not refuse admission to any one.

Every year the king of Pegu makes a public triumph after the following manner.  He rides out on a triumphal car or great waggon, richly gilded all over, and of great height, covered by a splendid canopy, and drawn by sixteen horses, richly caparisoned.  Behind the car walk twenty of his nobles or chief officers, each of whom holds the end of a rope, the other end being fastened to the car to keep it upright and prevent it from falling over.  The king sits on high in the middle of the car, and on the same are four of his most favoured nobles surrounding him.  Before the car the whole army marches in order, and the whole nobles of the kingdom are round about the car; so that it is wonderful to behold so many people and so much riches all in such good order, especially considering how barbarous are the people.  The king of Pegu has one principal wife, who lives in a seraglio along with 300 concubines, and he is said to have 90 children.  He sits every day in person to hear the suits of his people, yet he nor they never speak together.  The king sits up aloft on a high seat or tribunal in a great hall, and lower down sit all his barons round about.  Those that demand audience enter into the great court or hall in presence of the king, and sit down on the ground at forty paces from the king, holding their supplications in their hands, written on the leaves of a tree three quarters of a yard long and two fingers broad, on which the letters are written or inscribed by means of a sharp stile or pointed iron.  On these occasions there is no respect of persons, all of every degree or quality being equally admitted to audience.  All suitors hold up their supplication in writing, and in their hands a present or gift, according to the importance of their affairs.  Then come the secretaries, who take the supplications from the petitioners and read them to the king; and if he thinks good to grant the favour or justice which they desire, he commands to have the gifts taken from their hands; but if he considers their request not just or reasonable, he commands them to depart without receiving their presents.