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And the emperour hathe his table allone be him self, that is of gold, and of precious stones, or of cristalle, bordured with gold, and fulle of precious stones or of amatystes or of lignum aloes, that comethe out of paradys, or of ivory, bounden or bordured with gold. And everyche of his wyfes hathe also hire table be hire self.

And whan thei ben thus apparaylled, thei gon 2 and 2 togedre, fulle ordynatly before the emperour, withouten speche of ony woord, saf only enclynynge to him. And everyche of hem berethe a tablett of jaspere or of ivory or of cristalle; and the mynstralle goynge before hem, sownyng here instrumentes of dyverse melodye.

And no man is so hardy, to speke a word, but zif the emperour speke to him; but zif it be mynstrelles, that syngen songes, and tellen gestes or other desportes, to solace with the emperour. And alle the vesselle, that men ben served with, in the halle or in chambres, ben of precious stones; and specially at grete tables; outher of jaspre or of cristalle or of amatystez or of fyn gold.

But summe werkmen, for malice, will not pollische hem, to that entent, to maken men beleve, that thei may not ben pollischt. But men may assaye hem in this manere; first schere with hem or write with hem in saphires, in cristalle or in other precious stones.

And upon tho roches of cristalle, growen the gode dyamandes, that ben of trouble colour. Zallow cristalle drawethe colour lyke oylle. And thei ben so harde, that no man may pollysche hem: and men clepen hem dyamandes in that contree, and Hamese in another contree. Othere dyamandes men fynden in Arabye, that ben not so gode; and thei ben more broun and more tendre.

And Ynde is devyded in 3 princypalle parties; that is, the more, that is a fulle hoot contree; and Ynde the lesse, that is a fulle atempree contrey, that strecchethe to the lond of Mede; and the 3 part toward the Septentrion, is fulle cold; so that for pure cold and contynuelle frost, the watre becomethe cristalle.

And zee schulle undirstonde, that the cros of oure Lord was eyght cubytes long, and the overthwart piece was of lengthe thre cubytes and an half. And a partie of the crowne of oure Lord, wherwith he was crowned, and on of the nayles, and the spere heed, and many other relikes ben in France, in the kinges chapelle. And the crowne lythe in a vesselle of cristalle richely dyghte.

Also there is an other maner of dyamandes, that ben als white as cristalle; but thei ben a litylle more trouble: and thei ben gode and of gret vertue, and alle thei ben square and poynted of here owne kynde. And summe ben 6 squared, summe 4 squared, and summe 3, as nature schapethe hem.