Chapter XVI.

OF HIS PALACE IN THE CITY Of CAMBALU, A PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION OF THAT CITY, AND OTHER REMARKABLE OBSERVATIONS.

Three months of the year, that is December, January, and February, Cublai resides ordinarily in Cambalu, which is at the north-east border of Cathay; and there, on the south part by the new city, is seated a great palace: first there is a great wall, each square being eight miles, with a deep ditch environing, and a gate in the middle of each; after which is the space of a mile in circuit, where soldiers stand; after this is another court of six miles square, with three gates on the south square, and three on the north; that which is in the midst being in both the greater, and kept shut, except when the Khan passeth that way; the other is always open to others; in each corner of this wall, and in the midst is a fair palace, eight in all, very large, in which are kept the Khan’s ammunitions, and furniture of all sorts; horses in one; in another bows and shooting artillery; in a third castlets, cuirasses, and leather armour; and so in the rest.

Within this circuit is another walk like the former, very thick and ten paces high, all the battlements white, the walls square, each square a mile in length, with six gates as the former, and eight palaces also very large, wherein are the Khan’s provisions; between these two last walls are also many fair trees and meadows, in which are deer with other game, and store of grass, the paths being raised two cubits to spare it; no dirt or puddles of water being therein. Within this last wall is the palace of the Great Khan, the greatest that hath been seen extending to the wall on the north and south, and opening where the barons and soldiers pass. It hath no ceiling, but a very high roof; the foundation of the pavement ten palms high, with a wall of marble round about it two paces wide, as it were a walk. At the end of the wall without is a fair turret with pillars. In the walls of the halls and chambers are carved dragons, soldiers, birds, beasts of divers kinds, histories of wars gilded; the roof is so made that nothing is seen but gold and imagery; in every square of the palace is a great hall, capable of holding a multitude of people; the chambers are disposed the best that may be devised. The roof is red, green, azure, and of all colours. Behind the palace are great rooms and private storehouses for his treasure and jewels, for his women, and other private purposes.

Over against the said palace of the Khan is another for Zingis his son, whose court was in all things like his father’s. Near this palace towards the north is a mount made by hand, a mile in compass, one hundred paces high, adorned with trees that are always green; unto this mountain the King commands all the trees to be brought from remote parts, lading elephants with them, for they are taken up with the roots, and are transplanted in this mountain; and because this mountain is always green, it is called the Green Mountain: and where the earth of the mount was taken away are two lakes answering each other, with a small river supplying them with stored fish, and so grated that the fish cannot get out.

The city of Cambalu in the province of Cathay, seated on a great river, was famous, and the royal seat in ancient times; and this name Cambalu signifies the city of the Lord or Prince. This city the Great Khan removed to the other side of the river where the palaces are, for he understood by the astrologers that it would rebel against the empire. This new-built city is called Taidu, and he commanded all the Cathayans to go out of the old city into the new; which contains in compass four-and-twenty miles, every side of the square containing six miles. It hath walls of earth ten paces thick at the bottom, and at the top but three, as growing by little and little thinner. The battlements are white; every square of the wall hath three principal gates, which are twelve in all, having sumptuous palaces built over them. There are also certain pavilions in the angles of the walls where the arms of the garrison, which are one thousand at each gate, are kept. The buildings are squared, and the streets laid very straight by line throughout the city; so that from one gate a free prospect opens throughout the city to the opposite gate; having very stately houses built on both sides like palaces with gardens and courts, divided according to the heads of families. In the midst of the city is a certain noble building, wherein hangeth a very great bell; after the tolling whereof in the night no man must go out of his house until the beginning of the day following, except it be for some extraordinary cause, as for a woman in travail, and then they are compelled to carry lights with them.

Without the city of Cambalu are twelve large suburbs, three or four miles long, adjoining to each of the twelve gates, more inhabiting in the suburbs than in the city; here merchants and strangers live, each nation having several store-houses, or burses, in which they lodge. No dead corpse of any man is burned within this city, but the bodies of idolaters are burned without the suburbs, where the dead bodies of other sects are buried; and because a huge multitude of Saracens inhabit there, they have above twenty-five thousand harlots in the suburbs and in the city; and these have a chief captain appointed over every hundred and thousand, and one general, whose office is that when any ambassadors come, or such as have business with the Khan, whose charges he defrays, then this captain giveth every ambassador, and every man of his family, a change of women every night at free cost, for this is their tribute. The guards, every night, carry such to prison whom they find walking late; and if they be found guilty, they are beaten with cudgels, for the Bachsi tell them that it is not good to shed man’s blood; but many die of those beatings. The Great Khan hath in his court twelve thousand horsemen, which they call Casitan, faithful soldiers of their lord, who guard his person, more for state than fear; and four captains have the charge of these, whereof every one commandeth three thousand. When one captain, with three thousand soldiers within the palace, hath guarded the King for three days and nights, another captain with his soldiers succeeds; and so, throughout the year, this course of watching by turns is observed.

When on account of any festival day he keeps a solemn court, his table, which is higher than the rest of the tables, is set at the north part of the hall, his face is to the south, having the first Queen on his left hand, that is, his principal wife; and his sons and nephews, and those of the royal blood, on his right; yet their table is in a lower place, so that they scarce touch the King’s feet with their hands, the seat of the eldest being higher than the rest; the Princes sit in a lower place than that; their wives also observe the like order: first, the Khan’s sons’ wives and his kinsmen sit lower on the left hand, and after those of the lords, and of every captain and nobleman, each in their degree and order; and the Emperor himself, while he sits at his table, may cast his eyes upon all that feast with him in that hall. There are not tables for them all to sit; but the greatest part of the soldiers and barons eat on carpets. At all the doors stand two gigantic fellows with cudgels, to see that none touch the threshold, which, if he does, they take his garments away, which he must redeem by receiving so many blows as shall be appointed, or else lose them. They who serve the King, and those sitting at the table, all of them cover their mouths with silk, lest their breathing should by any means touch the King’s meat or drink, and when he hath a mind to drink, the damsel who giveth it goes back three paces and kneels down, and then the barons and all the people kneel, and the musicians sound their instruments. There is no cause, since I would avoid prolixity, why I should write anything concerning the meats which are brought to the table, how dainty and delicate they are, and with what magnificence and pomp they are served in.

All the Tartars observe this custom, to celebrate the birthday of their lord most honourably. The birthday of Cublai is kept the 28th of September, and this day he accounteth more solemn than any in the whole year, except the first of February, on which they begin the year. The King, therefore, on his birthday, is clothed in a most precious garment of gold, and about two thousand barons and soldiers are clothed in the same colour of gold, though of silk stuff, and a girdle wrought in gold and silver, which is given them, with a pair of shoes. Some wear pearls and garments of great price, who are next to the Khan; and these garments are not worn but on thirteen solemn feasts, according to the thirteen moons of the year; all are then clothed like Kings. This custom is also observed by the Tartars, that on the birthday of the Great Khan, all the kings, princes, and nobles, who are subject to his dominions, should send presents unto him, as to their Emperor; and they who desire to attain any place of dignity or office of him offer their petitions unto twelve barons appointed for that purpose; and what they decree is all one as if the Emperor himself had answered them. All people also, of what faith or sect soever, whether Christians or Jews, Saracens or Tartars, and Pagans, are bound solemnly to call upon their gods, for the life, safety, and prosperity of the Great Khan.

On the first of February, which is the beginning of the Tartar year, the Great Khan, and all the Tartars, wheresoever they are, celebrate a very solemn feast, and all, as well men as women, desire to be clothed in white garments as a token of good luck; therefore, that fortune may favour them all the year, they wear white at the beginning thereof. The rulers of cities, and governors of provinces, mindful of their duty, send unto their Emperor this day presents of gold and silver, pearls and precious stones, many white clothes, and other white things, and many horses of a white colour. The rest of the Tartars, at the beginning of the year, send white presents one to another. It is the custom of those who bring presents, if they can, of each to present nine times nine; as, if they send horses, to present nine nines, that is eighty-one; and so of gold, of cloths, and other things; that sometimes he hath, by this reckoning, one hundred thousand horses. Also at this happy season, all the elephants which the Emperor hath (five thousand in number) are brought into the court, covered with tapestry, the similitudes of divers beasts and fowls being portrayed thereon, carrying upon their shoulders chests full of gold and silver vessels; many camels are also brought, covered with fine silken cloths, which bring other things necessary for the court.

On this day, in the morning, all the King’s captains, barons, soldiers, physicians, astrologers, and governors of provinces and armies, and other officers of the empire, assemble in the great hall before the King, and they who happen to have no place there, for the multitude stand in another place, where they may see them, all being placed in their order and degree. One riseth, who is amongst their clergy as a prelate, and crieth with a loud voice, “Bow down and adore,” and presently all do reverence, bending down their foreheads to the earth; then he saith, “God preserve our lord with long life and joy;” and all answer, “God grant;” then he saith, “God increase and advance his empire, and preserve his subjects in peace, concord, and prosperity;” and all answer, “God grant;” and this they do four times; then the adoration being finished, the same prelate goes to an altar, richly adorned, on which is a red table, whereon is written the name of the Khan; and taking a censer, and putting spices therein, they perfume the table and the altar with great reverence in honour of the Great Khan, and so return to their places; after which are offered the gifts of which we have spoken; and then the tables are prepared, and a most solemn dinner held, eating and drinking with great joy with their wives, in manner before described. And, lastly, a tame lion is brought to the King, which, lying at his feet like a gentle whelp, acknowledged and caresses his lord.

In those three months in which we said before the Emperor resides in the city of Cambalu--viz., in December, January, and February--all the hunters which the Emperor hath in all his provinces round about the province of Cathay apply themselves to hunting, and bring all the larger wild beasts, such as stags, bears, roebucks, wild boars, and deer, to their governors, who, if they be distant from the Emperor’s court less than thirty days’ journey, send such beasts as are taken by waggons or ships to the Emperor, having first bowelled them; but such as are forty days’ distant from his court send only the skins, which are necessary for making of armour. He hath many leopards and wolves for hunting, and many lions also, greater than those which are in Babylon, in the hair whereof certain little beams appear of divers colours, viz., white, black, and red, and they are bred to catch bears, boars, stags, roebucks, wild asses, and wild oxen, and it is marvellous to see the lion’s fierceness and dexterity in this sort of hunting; two lions are commonly carried in one waggon when they go to hunt, and with them a dog, with which they are tamed; and they carry them in this fashion because of their fury and unruliness; and they must carry them contrary to the wind, for else the beasts would scent them and flee. He hath also many tame eagles, which are so taught that they take hares, roebucks, deer, and foxes; among which some of them fear not to seize upon wolves, and vex them so grievously that without labour and danger they may be taken by them.

The Khan hath in his court two which are brethren, one called Boyan, the other Mingan; called in the Tartar language Ciurco, that is, masters of the game; each of them hath the command of ten thousand men. They which are under one of them are clothed in red; the others in sky colour; when they hunt, these keep diverse sorts of dogs, to the number of five thousand mastiffs and others. In hunting they go with their people, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and the King and they take up so great a length of the plain that from one end to the other is a day’s journey, so that no beast can escape them; and it is great pleasure, when the Khan goes in the midst, to see the dogs follow hares, bears, and all other wild beasts. These brethren are bound by covenant, from the beginning of October to the end of March, to bring to the court one thousand head of beasts and birds, besides quails and fishes, the best they can, in such proportion.