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During the five months that the ambassadors remained at Khanbalik, they were regaled at several other banquets, where plays were acted, much surpassing that now mentioned. On the seventeenth of the month Zu'lhajjeh, all the criminals were carried to be punished according to the nature of their offences, and as prescribed by the laws.
Each criminal was attended by a keeper, who held his prisoner by the hair: and all thus waited the imperial sentence. Most of these were remanded to prison, and only a few were condemned to die, which power resides solely in the emperor. All the governors of this vast empire, however distant from court, send all malefactors to Khanbalik, to appear in presence of the emperor.
Continuing their journey, at the rate of four or five pharasangs each day , the ambassadors arrived before day-break of the eighth of Zu'lhajieh, at the imperial city of Khanbalik , or Pekin. This city is so great that each side is a pharasang in length, or about four and a quarter English miles. But at this time 100,000 houses within its walls lay in ruins.
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