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And thus have zee herd, whi he is clept the grete Chane. Of the governance of the grete Chanes Court, and whan he makethe solempne Festes. Of his Philosophres. And of his Array, whan he riddethe be the contre.

And there is gret plentee of neddres, of whom men maken grete festes, and eten hem at grete sollempnytees. And he that makethe there a feste, be it nevere so costifous, and he have no neddres, he hathe no thanke for his travaylle. Many gode cytees there ben in that contree, and men han gret plentee and gret chep of alle wynes and vitailles.

This emperour may dispenden als moche as he wille, with outen estymacioun. For he despendethe not, he makethe no money, but of lether emprented, or of papyre. And of that moneye, is som of gretter prys, and som of lasse prys, aftre the dyversitee of his statutes.

And be the cytees and be the townes ben amyralles, that han the governance of the peple. On hath to governe 4, and another hath to governe 5, another mo, and another wel mo. And als moche takethe the amyralle be him allone, as alle the other souldyours han undre hym. And therfore whan the Soudan wille avance ony worthi knyghte, he makethe him a amyralle.

And he liggethe never but o nyght with on of hem, and another nyght with another, but zif that on happene to ben more lusty to his plesance than another. And therfore the kyng getethe fully many children; sum tyme an 100, sum tyme an 200, and sum tyme mo. And he hathe also into a 14000 olifauntz or mo, that he makethe for to ben brought up amonges his vileynes, be alle his townes.

Also the Emperour of Costantynoble makethe the patriarke, the erchebysschoppes and bisschoppes; and zevethe dygnytees and the benefices of chirches, and deprivethe hem that ben worthy, whan he fyndethe ony cause.

And also, no straungere comethe before him, but that he makethe him sum promys and graunt, of that the straungere asketh resonabely, beso it be not azenst his Lawe. And so don othere prynces bezonden. For thei seyn, that no man schalle come before no prynce, but that he be bettre, and schalle be more gladdere in departynge from his presence, thannie he was at the comynge before hym.

For in cas that he had ony werre azenst any other kyng aboute him, thanne he makethe certeyn men of armes for to gon up in to the castelles of tree, made for the werre, that craftily ben sett up on the olifantes bakkes, for to fyghten azen hire enemyes: and so don other kynges there aboute. For the maner of werre is not there, as it is here or in other contrees; ne the ordinance of werre nouther.

And in that place comethe no man, saf only here prelate, that makethe here sacrifice. And the folk stonden alle aboute, in diverse stages, aftre thei ben of dignytee or of worschipe; so that thei alle may see the sacrifice. And in that temple ben 4 entrees; and the zates ben of cypresse, wel made and curiousely dight. And with in the est zate, oure Lorde seyde, Here is Jerusalem.

And thoughe there be nevere so moche taken awey there of, on the day, at Morwe it is as fulle azen as evere it was. And that is a gret mervaille. And there is evermore gret wynd in that fosse, that sterethe everemore the gravelle, and makethe it trouble. And zif ony man do thereinne ony maner metalle, it turnethe anon to glasse.