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

CHAPTER XXIV

[Wherfore he is clept the Grete Chane; of the style of his lettres; and of the superscripcion abowten his grete seall and his pryuee seall.]

BOT first will I tell ȝow why he es called Grete Caan. Ȝe schal vnderstand þat all þe werld was [folio 91b] fordone thurgh Noe flude, oute taken a few menyee, þat es to say Noe and his wyf, his sonnes and þaire wyfes. For Noe had three sonnes Sem, Cham and Iaphet. Cham was he þat sawe his fader priuee membres naked, as he lay and sleped, and went till his breþer and schewed þaim þam in scorne; and þerfore his fader efterward, when he wist, gaf him his malisoun. Bot Iaphet went bakward till his fader and couerd his priuee membres. Þir three sonnes of Noe after þe diluuy parted amanges þam all þe erthe. Seem, [Seem, over an erasure] by cause he was þe eldest broþer, chose [Cham for his crueltee toke, C, following R literally both here and below.] þe best party and þe grettest, whilk es toward þe este, and it es called Asy. Cham [Cham, over an erasure.] tuke Affryk, and Iaphet tuke Europe. Cham was þe myȝtiest of þir breþer and þe ricchest; and of him come many generaciouns ma þan of his oþer breþer. Of ane of his sonnez þat hight Chus come Nemproth þe geaunt, þe whilk was þe first king þat euer was; and he began to bigg þe toure of Babilon. In whas tyme þer come many fendez in liknes of men and lay by wymmen of his kynreden and gatt on þam geauntz and oþer monstres of horrible figure, sum withouten heuedes, sum with hund heuedes, and many oþer disfigured and misschapen men. Of þe kynreden also of Cham come þe payenes and diuerse maner of men of þe iles of Inde. And for he þis Cham was so myghty þat na man myght agayne stand him, he gert call himself Goddes sonne and lorde of all þe werld. And þerfore saise sum men þat þe emperour of Tartare gert call him Cham, [folio 92] for he es halden þe maste excellent emperour of þe werld and occupies þe same land þat he was lorde off. And of Sem, as þai say, come þe Sarezenes; and of Iaphet þe folk of Israel and we þat dwellez in Europe. Þis es [And þough þat wee duellen in Europe, this is, etc., C.] þe opinioun of þe Sarzenes and of þe Samaritanes; and þus made þai me at vnderstand, ay till I come to Inde; and, fra I come þare, I knewe wele þat it was oþerwise. Neuerþeles it es sothe þat þe folk of Tartre come of þe

kynreden of Cham, and all þase þat dwellez in Asy þe mare. Bot þe emperour of Cathay hat Caan and noȝt Cham, and for þis skill.

It es noȝt ȝit gane viii^xx ȝere sen all þe folk of Tartre was in subieccioun and thrall till oþer naciouns aboute þam, and ware made hirdmen and kepers of bestez. Bot amanges þam ware vii. principall kynredens; of whilk þe cheeffe kynreden and þe maste worthy was called Tartre, þe secund was called Tangut, þe third Eurac, þe ferthe Valair, þe fyft Semok, þe sext Menchy, þe seuent Tobak. Now it befell so, þat in þe first kynreden was ane alde man, þe whilk was in his tyme a wyght man and a hardy, bot he was noȝt ryche; and his name was Chaanguys. Þis man lay on a nyght in his bedd, and þer came til him in a visioun a knyght all whyte armed, sittand apon a whyte hors, þe whilk said vntil him, "Caan," quod he, "slepez þou?" And he answerd and said, "Nay." "Godd," quod he, "þat es all myghty, sent me to þe, to schew þe his will. His will es þat þou say to [folio 92b] þe seuen kynredens, þat þou schall be þaire emperour. And þou schall conquere and wynne all þe landes þat er about ȝow; and þai [þei þat marchen (sc. border) vpon ȝou, C.] schall be in ȝoure subieccioun, as ȝe hafe bene in þaires. For þis es þe will of Godd all myghty." Apon þe morue he went to þe vii. kynredens and talde þam his visioun, and þai scorned him and held him a fule; and he went fra þam schamed and confused. And on þe nyght next folowand þe same whyte knyght appered to þe vii. kynredens and bad þam on Goddes behalf þat þai schuld make Chaanguys þaire emperour, for he schuld delyuer þaim oute of þe subieccioun of oþer naciouns and conquere and wynne many rewmes. And apon þe morue þai made Chaanguys þaire emperour by comoun ascent, and sett him in a chaier and didd him all þe wirschepe and reuerence þat þai myght, and called him Chaan, as þe whyt knyght called him before. And, when he was chosen on þis wyse and made emperour, he thoȝt he wald proue þaire trewth and bowsoumness, wheþer he myght seurly trist in þam or noȝt; and he made many statutez and lawes, whilk þai call Ysachan. Þe first statute was þat þai schuld be obedient to Godd all myghty and trowe þat he schuld delyuer þam oute of all thraldom, and þat þai schuld call apon him in all þaire nede. Anoþer statute was þat all men þat myght bere armes schuld be armed and be nowmbred, and to ilk ten schuld be a mayster, and to ilk xx^ti a maister, and to ilk hundreth a maister, and to ilk thowsand a maister, and to ilk ten thousand a maister, and to ilk xx^m a maister. And after þis he comaunded to all þe grettest and þe ricchest of þe vii. kynredens þat þai schuld forsake all þat [folio 93] þai had in heritage and lordschepe, and þat þai schuld fra þeine forward hald þam payd of þat he wald gyffe þam of his grace; and þai did so. Also he bad þat ilkane of þam schuld bring his son before him and slae his

awen son with his awen handes and smyte off his heued; and þai did so, withouten any tariing. And when he sawe þai made na lettyng of þat he bad þam do, þan he bad þam folowe his banere. [to make hem redy and to sewen his banere, C.] And þan he wan all þe landes aboute him and made þam subiettes till him.

Afterwardes it befell on a day þat þe Chaan rade with a lytill cumpany of men to see þe landes þat he had wonnen; and euen sudaynly he mette with a grete multitude of his enmys. And he, as a doghty man, for to giffe his men ensaumple and will to feight, went baldely before all his men apon his enmys; and þare was he smyten doune of his hors and his hors slaen. And, when his men sawe him at þe erthe, þai wend he had bene deed and fledd away, and þaire enmys folowed þam and wist noȝt þat þat was þe kyng þat was so smyten fra his hors. And, when Chaan sawe his enmys ware ferre fra him, he went til a wodde þat was nere besyde and hidd him in a thikk busk. And, when þe enmys ware commen agayne fra þe chace, þai went to seke in þe wodde, if any ware hidd þerin, and þai fand many and slewe þam ilkane. So it fell þat þai come nere þe place whare þe kyng was hidd and sawe a fewle sitte apon a tree vnder þe whilk þe king lay in hidels; and þat fewle men callez [folio 93b] ane owle. And, when þai sawe þat fewle sitte so still, ilk ane of þam said till oþer þat þare was na man. And so þai went þaire way; and þus was þe kyng saued fra deed and went away on þe nyght and come to his men. And, when þai sawe þaire lord on lyfe, þai ware wonder gladd and thanked allmyȝty Godd and þe forsaid bridd þat had saued þaire lord fra þe deed and delyuerd him oute of þe handes of his enmys. And euer sen þat tyme men of þat cuntree has done grete wirschepe to þat fewle forby all oþer fewles, and luffez it so mykill þat, wha so may get a fether þeroff, he kepez it wirschepfully, as it ware a relyque, and beres it on his heued with grete reuerence, supposing to be blissed þerby and delyuerd fra all maner of perils. Afterwardes þe emperour Chaan assembled all his men and rade apon his enmys and destruyd þam to þe vtterest.

And, when he had wonnen all þe landes aboute him vnto þe mount Belyan, þe white knyght appered to him agayne and said vntil him, "Chaan, þe will of Godd es þat þou passe þe mount Belyan, and þare schall þou conquere þat land and many oþer and make þam subiettes vnto þine empire. And, for þou sall fynd na gude passage þider, ga to þe mount Belyan, þe whilk es apon þe see syde, and knele þare nyne sythes agayne þe este in þe wirschepe of Godd allmyghty, and he sall schew þe a way how þou schall passe." And þe Chaan did as he badd; and, alsone as he come þare, þe see, þat before bette apon þe mount, withdrewe it and schewed a faire

[folio 94] way of ix. fote brade betwene þe mount and þe see. And so passed he and all his men and conquerd all þe land of Cathay, whilk es þe maste land of þe werld. And by cause of þir ix. knelings and ix. fote of way þe Chaan and þe men of Tartre haldez þe nowmer of ix. in grete wirschepe. And þerfore, when any man makez a presand of horsez or of fewles, or of bowes, or of arowes, or of any oþer thing þat þai vse to send to þe emperour, if þai make þat presand of þe forsaid nowmer, þai sall hafe mare thank þeroff, and mare acceptable sall it be to þe emperour þan if he gafe him a hundreth falde so mykill in oþer nowmer. For þam think þe nowmer of nyne þe halyest nowmer þat es, by cause þe messangere of Godd expressed þat nowmer so specially.

Qwhen þe Grete Chaan had conquerd and wonnen þe land of Chatay, and many oþer landes had putte ynder his subieccioun, he fell greeffe seke and feled wele þat he myght noȝt couer of þat sekeness, bot þat him most nedez dye þeroff. And þan he gert call byfore him his xii. sonnes, and bad þat ilkane of þam schuld bring him ane arowe; and þai did so. And he bad þam fast togyder with three bandez, and þai did as he bad þam. And, when þai ware so bunden, he bad his eldest son þat he schuld breke þam so bunden togyder; and he assayd, and myȝt noȝt breke þam. And þan he bad anoþer of his sonnez ga to and breke þam, and he myght noȝt. Þthorn;us he bad til xi. of his sonnez, bot nane of þam myght breke þe arowes whils þai ware so bunden togyder. [folio 94b] At þe last he said till his ȝungest son, "Son," quod he, "ga and louse ȝone arowes, ilkane fra oþer, and breke þam ilkane by þam self"; and he did as he bad and brakk þam ilkane after oþer. And þan þe kyng asked his oþer sonnez, why þai myght noȝt breke þam; and þai answerd agayne þat, for þai ware so fast bunden togyder, þai myȝt noȝt breke þaim. Þan answerd þe emperour, "How myȝt ȝour ȝungest broþer breke þam so lightly and so wele?" "For þai ware lowsed," quod þai, "and twynned ilkane fra oþer." "Right so," quod þaire fader, "will it fare of ȝou. For, als lang as ȝe er knytt togyder with þir three bandes, þat es to say, of lufe and lewtee and of accorde, þer may na man of þis werld stryfe ne disese ȝow; bot, alssone as þe knotte is lowsed of þir bandes, þat es to say, alssone as ȝe er diuised and stryfez ilkane with oþer, alssone ȝe schall be confused and schent and destruyd. And, if ȝe luffe stedfastly togyder, ȝe schall be lordes of all naciouns." And, when he had teched his sonnes on þis wyse and had ordayned for his empire thurgh þe counsaile of þe grete lordes of his rewme, sone after he dyed. And after him regned Cichota his eldest sonne and was called Chaan, as his fader was. And his oþer breþer went furth and conquerd many landes and rewmes, euen vnto Pruysse and Russy; and ilkane of þam gert call him Chaan. Bot all ware þai subiettes to þe eldest broþer; and þerfore was he called þe Grete Chaan, and all his successours after him. After Cichota regned his eldest broþer Guys Chaan; and after him regned Mango Caan, þe whilk was baptized and worthed till a worthy and a deuote Cristen man and a gude. He [folio 95] graunt his lettres of perpetuele peess till all Cristen men for to wonne in his rewme, and sent his broþer Halaon

with a grete oste for to wynne þe Haly Land oute of þe Sarzenes handes in to Cristen mennez handes, and for to destruy Machomete lawe, and also for to take Calaphes of Baldac, þat was emperour and lord ower þe Sarzenes. Halaon went furth and tuke Calaphes and fand with him grete plentee of tresoure, so grete þat him thoȝt þare schuld noȝt hafe bene mykils mare in all þe werld as was funn with him. [men fownden him of so highe worschipe, þat in alle þe remenant of þe world ne myghte a man fynde a more reuerent man, ne highere in worschipe, C.] And þan Halaon said vntill him, "Qwhy," quod he, "wald þou noȝt wage men ynew with þi tresoure for to agaynstand me and defend þi land?" And he answerd and said, "I had men ynew of myne awen," quod he. And þan said Halaon, "Þou was þe Godd of þe Sarzenes, and Godd hase na mister of mete ne drink [it is conuenyent to a god to ete no mete, þat is mortalle, C.] ; and þerfore þou schall neuer for vs hafe mete ne drink, bot ete, if þou will, þi precious stanes and þi tresoure, þat þou gaderd so fast togyder and luffed so mykill." And þan he spered him in amanges his tresour withouten mete or drink; and so he died for hunger and for thrist. He, þis ilk Halaon, conquerd and wan all þe Haly Land in to Cristen men handes. In þe meen tyme þe Grete Caan died; and forþi þe iournee chaunged efter to þe werse. [and þat was gret sorwe and losse to alle cristen men, C.] After Mango þe gude regned anoþer þat hight Chebysa and was called Caan; and he was a gude Cristen man also, and regned xlii. ȝere. He [folio 95b] foundid a gude citee and a grete in þe kyngdom of Chatay, þe whilk es called Iong; and it es mare þan Rome. Anoþer Caan regned after him, and he renayed þe Cristen lawe and become a Sarzene, [a payneme, C.] and all þe Caanes after him vnto þis tyme.

And wit ȝe wele þat þe rewme of Chatay es mare þan any rewme in þis werld; and so es he þat es Grete Caan þe grettest kyng of all oþer kynges and ricchest of gold and all maner of tresoure and of grettest astate. Þe style of his lettres es þis, “Caan, filius dei excelsi, omnium vniversam terram colencium summus imperator et dominus dominancium”, þat es to say "Chaan, Goddes son all myghty, and þe souerayne emperour of all þase þat tillez þe erthe and lord of all lordes." Þe circumscripsioun of his grete seel es þis, “Deus in celo, Caan super terram, eius fortitudo. Omnium hominum imperatoris sigillum”, þat es to say, "Godd in heuen, and Caan apon erthe, his strenth. Þe seel of þe emperour of all men." And þe wrytyng aboute his priuee [seel] es þis, “Dei fortitudo. Omnium hominum imperatoris sigillum”, þat es to say, "Þe strenth of Godd. Seel of þe emperoure of all men." Þis emperour and all þe folk of his land, þof þai be na Cristen men, neuerþeles þai trowe in grete Godd, þat made heuen and erthe; and, when þai will manace any man, þai say on þis wyse, "Godd wate þat I schall do þe ane euill turne."