The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries
by
Richard Hakluyt
Part 6 out of 6
This emperour duellethe in somer in a cytee, that is toward the northe,
that is cleped Saduz: and there is cold y now. And in wyntre, he duellethe
in a cytee, that is clept Camaaleche: and that is an hote contree. But the
contree, where he duellethe in most comounly, is in Caydo or in Jong, that
is a gode contree and a tempree, aftre that the contree is there: but to
men of this contree, it were to passyng hoot. And whan this emperour wille
ryde from o contree to another, he ordeynethe 4 hostes of his folk; of the
whiche, the firste hoost gothe before him, a dayes iourneye. For that hoost
schalle ben logged the nyght, where the emperour schalle lygge upon the
morwe. And there schalle every man have alle maner of vytaylle and
necessaryes, that ben nedefulle, of the emperoures costages. And in this
firste hoost is the nombre of peple 50 cumaunez; what of hors, what of
fote: of the whiche every cumanez amounten to 10000, as I have told zou
before. And another hoost gothe in the right syde of the emperour, nygh
half a journeye fro him. And another gothe on the left syde of him, in the
same wise. And in every hoost, is as moche multytude of peple, as in the
first hoost. And thanne aftre comethe the 4 hoost, that is moche more than
ony of the othere, and that gothe behynden him, the mountance of a bowe
draught. And every hoost hathe his iourneyes ordeyned in certeyn places,
where thei schulle be logged at nyght; and there thei schulle have alle,
that hem nedethe. And zif it befalle, that ony of the hoost dye, anon thei
putten another in his place; so that the nombre schal evere more ben hool.
And zee schulle undirstonde, that the emperour, in his propre persone,
rydethe not as othere gret lordes don bezonde; but zif him liste to go
prevyly with fewe men, for to ben unknowen. And elle he rytt in a charett
with 4 wheles, upon the whiche is made a faire chambre; and it is made of a
certeyn wode, that comethe out of paradys terrestre, that men clepen lignum
aloes, that the flodes of paradys bryngen out at dyverse cesouns, as I have
told zou here beforn. And this chambre is fulle wel smellynge, be cause of
the wode, that it is made offe. And alle this chambre is covered with inne
of plate of fyn gold, dubbed with precious stones and grete perles. And 4
olifauntz and 4 grete destreres alle white, and covered with riche
covertoures ledynge the chariot. And 4 or 5 or 6 of the grettest lordes
ryden aboute the charyot, fulle richely arrayed and fulle nobely; so that
no man schalle nyghe the charyot, but only tho lordes, but zif that the
emperour calle ony man to him, that him list to speke with alle. And above
the chambre of this chariot, that the emperour sittethe inne, ben sett upon
a perche 4 or 5 or 6 gerfacouns; to that entent, that whan the emperour
seethe ony wylde foul, that he may take it at his owne list, and have the
desport and the pley of the flight; first with on, and aftre with another:
and so he takethe his desport passynge be the contree. And no man rydethe
before him of his companye; but alle aftre him. And no man dar not come
nyghe the chariot by a bowe draught, but tho lordes only, that ben about
him: and alle the hoost cometh fayrely aftre him, in gret multitude. And
also suche another charyot, with suche hoostes, ordeynd and arrayd, gon
with the empresse, upon another syde, everyche be him self, with 4 hoostes,
right as the emperour dide; but not with so gret multytude of peple. And
his eldest sone gothe be another weye in another chariot, in the same
manere. So that there is betwene hem so gret multitude of folk, that it is
marveyle to telle it. And no man scholde trowe the nombre, but he had seen
it. And sum tyme it happethe, that whan he wil not go fer; and that it lyke
him to have the emperesse and his children with him; than thei gon alle to
gydere; and here folk ben alle medled in fere, and devyded in 4 parties
only.
END OF VOL. VIII.
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