Mandeville's travels : the Egerton version / from the edition by George F. Warner.

CHAPTER XXVI

[Of the lawe and the customs of the Tartarienes duellynge in Chatay; and how that men don, whan the Emperour schal dye; and how he schal be chosen.]

THAI vse wyde garments in þase parties withouten pelure [furroures, C.] and þai er of purpure or of tartarene or chamelet. [and þei ben clothed with precious clothes of Tartarye and of clothes of gold, C.] And þai er open at þe sydes and laced togyder with lacez of silke. And sum vsez garmentz of pelour, [pylches, C.] and þe bare turned outeward; budes vsez þam nane. And on þis same maner er wymmen of þat cuntree cledd, so þat vnnethes may men knawe þe tane forby toþer, outaken þat wymmen þat er [folio 102] wedded beres takyns on þaire heueds, as I talde ȝow before. Þiare wyfez dwellez noȝt togyder, bot ilkane of þam by þam self; and þaire hushandes gase now till ane of þam now till anoþer, as him list. Þaire housez er made of stikkes, aad þai er rounde and hase bot a wyndowe, whare at þe light commez in and þe reke gase oute [and also þat serueth for delyuerance of smoke, C.] ; and þe thakk of þam and þe walles er of filtre, and þe dores also. [and the helynge of here houses and the wowes and dores ben alle of wode, C.] And, when þai ga to þe were, þai cary þaire housez with þam apon cartes, as men in oþer cuntreez duse tentes and pafeliouns. And þai make þaire fyre in myddes of þir housez. Þai hafe grete plentee of all maner of bestes, oute taken of swyne; and þat es for þai brede nane. [bryngen non forth, C.] Þai trowe all in a Godd, þat made all thing; bot neuerþeles ȝit hafe þai mawmets of gold and of siluer, of filtre and of clathe, to þe whilke þai offer þe first mylke of þaire bestez and þe first of þaire mete and þaire drink before þai ete or drink any þeroff. And sum tyme þai offer to þam horsez and oþer diuerse bestez. Godd of kynde call þai Yroga; and, what name so euer þe emperour hase, þai eke þerto Caan. Þat tyme þat I was þare þe emperour name was Thyak, and þai called him Thyak Caan. And his eldest sonne hight Theophue, and, when be schal be made emperour, he schal be called Theophue Caan. Þe emperour had þat tyme oþer twelfe sonnes withouten Theophue, of whilk ane hight Cunnyt, anoþer Ordu, þe thridd Chahadoy, þe ferthe Burgu, þe fyft Vengu, þe sext Nachaly, þe seuent Cadu, þe viii. Syban, þe ix. Creten, þe x. Balac, þe xi. Babilan,

[folio 102b] and þe xii. Carygan. And he had three wyfes, of whilk þe first and þe principall was Prestre Iohn doghter, and scho was called Serioth Caan; þe secund hight Borach Caan, and þe thridd Charauk Caan.

Þe men of þat cuntree begynnez all þat þai do in þe newe mone, and wirschepez it mykill; and þai do grete wirschepe also to þe sonne, and mase many knelinges þerto. And þai ryde comounly withouten spurres; bot þai hase owþer in þaire hand a whippe or a wand or sum oþer thing for to cacche [chacen with, C.] þaire horsez with. Þai hald it a grete synne to putte a knyffe in þe fire, or to take oute flessch of a potte or a caldron with a knyffe, or to smyte a hors with a brydle, or to breek a bane with anoþer, or to cast mylke or any oþer liquor þat men may drynke apon þe erthe. [or for to take and sle lytil children, adds C.] And þe maste synne þat man may do, þai say, es to pisse in þaire housez whare þai dwell. And he þat pissez þare and þai may wit it, þai will slae him; and þat place þat a man has pissed in bose be halowed or elles dare na man entre in to it. And of þir sȝnnes bus þam schryfe þam to þe prestes of þire lawe; and, when þai er schrifen, þai giffe a grete sonme of monee for to bye oute þaire penaunce withall. And, when þai hafe þus boght þaire penaunce, þai schall passe thurgh a fyre to make þam clene of þaire synnes. And on þe same maner a messanger, when be bringez a presand to þe emperour, he schall passe thurgh a fyre with þe presand þat he bringez for to make it clene, so þat he bring na venym ne oþer thing for to grefe þe emperour. What man amanges þaim þat es taken in avowtry, or womman owþer, þai slayne, and all [and who þat steieth ony thing, anon þei sle him, C.] thefez and robbours þat [folio 103] er taynted þeroff. All þe men and þe wymmen of þat land er gude archers; and als gude werrayours er þe wymmen as þe men, and als fast will þai rynne. And þai do all maner of craftez, þat es to say talyour craft and sowter craft and swilk oþer. Bot namely þai vse to dryue þe ploghe and þe cart and þe wayne; and þai er wriȝtes, als wele as men, and makes housez and all oþer necessaries, out takne howes and arowes and oþer wapnez, þe whilke men all anely makez. Wymmen þare vsez breke, als wele as men. All þe folk of þat land er wonder obedient to þaire soueraynes, and þai feight neuermare amanges þam self; ne þai er na thefez ne na robbours, bot ilke ane of þam lufez oþer and wirschepez oþer. Þai vse noȝt comounly to do reuerence ne wirschepe to straunge men, if all þai be men of grete astate. Þai ete hundes and lyouns, meres and foolez, mys and ratouns, and all oþer bestez grete and smale, oute takne swyne and bestez þat ware forbedd in þe alde lawe. And þai ete all þat commez of þe beste, safe þe dung. And þai ete riȝt lytill breed, bot if it be in lordez courtes.

And in many placez þai hafe nowþer peise ne wortes, [nouþer pssen ne benes, C.] ne oþer maner of potagez; bot in for þaire potage þai vse broth and sothen flesch. For þai ete nerehand nane oþer mete bot flesch and þe broth þeroff. And, when þai hafe eten, þai wype þaire hend on þaire clathez vnhonestly; for þai vse nowþer burde clath ne sawnape, [non naperye, ne towaylles, C.] bot anely in lordez howsez. And also, when þai hafe eten, þai putte þaire dischez and þaire dublers agayne vnwesched in þe pottez or þe caldrouns with þe flesch þat þai lefe, ay till þai will ete eftsones. And riche men drinkez mylk [folio 103b] of meeres and of camels and assez and oþer bestez; and of þat mylke will þai be riȝt drunken. Þai hafe also anoþer maner of drinke made of water and hony; for in þat cuntree es na wyne, and namely amanges comouns, for þai lede bot a wreched lyf. Þai ete bot anes on þe day, and at þat tyme þai ete riȝt litill. For a man of þis cuntree etez mare on a day þan twa of þaim on three days. And, if a messanger comme oute of a straunge cuntree vnto þe emperour, be schall hafe na mete þare bot anes on þe day and riȝt lytill þat anes.

Qwhen þai ga to were, þai hafe þam riȝt warly and wysely, and duse all þe bisynes þat þai may to conquere and wynne and ouercomme þaire enmys. And ilke ane of þame beres with him twa bowes or three, and many arowes and a grete ax. And þe gentils hase schorte swerdez scharpe on ta syde; and þai hafe platez made of coerbuille [quyrboylle, C.] and helmes of þe same on þaire heuedes and trappour to þaire hors. And he þat fleez in bataile, þai slee him. When þai ensege a castell or a walled toune, þai behete þaim þat er enseged so faire proffers þat it es wonder; for þai will graunt þam what sum euer þai asch. Bot, als sone as þai hafe ȝolden þam, þai slae þam and cuttez off þaire eres and layes þam in vynegre for to sowce and makez of þaim a dayntee meet for grete lordes. [and sowcen hem in vynegre, and þereof þei maken gret seruyse for lordes, C.] And it es þaire entent and þaire purpose [Alle here lust and alle here ymaginacioun is, C.] to bring all landes in þaire subieccioun. For þai say þaire prophecy tellez þam þat þai schall be ouercommen with schotte of archers, and þat þase men sall turne þam to þaire lawe. Bot þai wate noȝt what men þai schall be, and þerfore þai suffer all maner of nacions dwell amanges þam [folio 104] and men of all maner of lawes and sectez withouten any lettyng. Þis folk, when þai will make þaire ydoles or þe ymage of any of þaire frendez for to hafe þam in mynde euermare, þai make þam naked; for þai say þat trew lufe hase na couering, ne þare schuld na man luffe a creature for þe bewtee withouten, bot all anely for affeccioun of þe persoun and for þe gude vertuz þat þe body es enourned with of kynde. [of nature, C.] It es grete peril to pursue þe Tartarenes, when þai flee oute of bataill; for þai will schote behind þam fleand and slae men als wele as before

þam. When þai schall feight, þai hald þam so nere togyder and so thrang [wille schokken hem togidre in a plomp, C.] þat, whare þer er xx^m men, sum men wald suppose þer ware noȝt x^m. Þai conquere oþer landes wele and mannfully, bot, when þai hafe conquered þam, þai kepe þam noȝt wele. Þai lufe better to ligg in þe felde in tentez þan owþer in tounes or in castelles. Þai commend bot lytill any men witte bot þaire awen. Amanges þaim es oile of [de, MS] olyfe of grete valu, for þai say it es soueraynly medecinale. All þe Tartarenes hase smale eghen and lytill berdes and thynne. [not thikke hered, but schiere, C.] And þai er cumounly fals, for þai hald na thing þat þai hete. Þai may wele suffere penaunce and discese and hardness of trauaile, forby all oþer folk; for þai lered it at hame in þer awen cuntree, whare þai liffe with grete wricchedness and scantness.

Qwen any of þam schall dye, þai stikke a spere by him in þe erthe; and, when he drawez nere to þe deed, [folio 104b] ilke man fleez oute of þe hous ay till he be deed; and, when he es deed, þai bere him in to þe felde and puttez him in þe erthe. And, when þe emperour es deed, þai sett him in a chaier in þe middes of his tent; and þai sette before him a table couerd with a clathe, and þai sette þer apon breed and flesch and oþer metez and a coupe full of mere mylke. And þai sette by him a mere with hir foole and a hors sadled and brydled; and þai lay apon þe hors als mykill gold and siluer as he may bere. [and þei putten abouten him gret plentee of stree, adds C.] And be syde þis tente þai make a grete grafe, and puttez þerin þe tent with þe emperour and all þe oþer thinges and grauez þam togyder. And þai say þat, when he commez to þe toþer werld, he schall noȝt be withouten a hous, hors, gold ne siluer; and þe meere, þai say, schall giffe him mylke for to drink and bring him furth many horsez, so þat he be wele stored in þe toþer werld of all thing þat him nedez. For þai trowe þat, when þai er deed, þai schall in anoþer werld ete and drinke and hafe dalyaunce with wymmen, as þai hafe here. And fra þe tyme þat þe emperour be layd in þe erthe na man schall be so hardy to speke of him in presence of any of his frendez. And ȝit [And ȝit … was here, from C; omitted in E.] natheles somtyme falleth of manye þat thei maken hem to ben entered preuylly be nyghte in wylde places, and putten aȝen the grasse ouer þe pytt for to growe; or elle men coueren the pytt with grauell and sond, þat no man schall perceyue where ne knowe where the pytt is, to þat entent þat neuer after none of his frendes schull han mynde ne remembrance of him. And þanne þai seyn þat he is ravissht in to anoþer world, where he is a gretter lord þan he was here.

And, when þis emperoure es deed and grauen in þe maner þat I talde ȝow before, þe seuen kynredens gaders þam togyder and chesez his sonne or þe next of his blude for to be emperour. And þai say on þis wyse, "We will and we pray and we ordayne þat þou be oure emperour and oure souerayne lorde." And þan he answers and saise, "Will ȝe be obeyaunt vnto my comaundementes in all thinges þat I bidd ȝow do withouten

any agaynsaying?" And þai say agayne, all with a voice, "We will." And he saise to þaim, "Wit ȝe þan þat [folio 105] fra heyne forward my worde sall be of als grete strenth, and als scharpe and scherand, as my swerde." And þan es he sette apon a blak filtre, [sc. felt; a blak stede, C.] with þe whilk þai lift him vppe and settez him in his trone and corounes him. And þan all þe citeez and gude tounes of þat land sendez him presandes; and he schall hafe at þat tytne three score cartefulles and ma of gold and siluer, withouten iowels and gold and precious stanes þat grete lordes giffez him, þe whilk passez mannez estimacioun, and also withouten horsz and clathez of gold and cammaca and tartarene withouten nowmer.