Chapter XVII.

OF THE MAGNIFICENCE OF THE COURT OF THE GRAND KHAN, AND OF THE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF HIS SUBJECTS.

The month of March coming in, the Great Khan departeth from the city of Cambalu, and proceedeth north-eastward towards the ocean, distant thence two days’ journey, bringing with him about ten thousand falconers, who have falcons, hawks, ger-falcons, and other kind of fowls of prey, fit for hawking. These falcons disperse themselves by a hundred or two hundred in a company, and the birds that are taken for the most part are brought unto the King, who, by reason of his gout, sitteth in a wooden house, which two elephants carry, covered with the skins of lions, and within hung with cloth of gold, having with him for his recreation twelve choice hawks and twelve courtiers; many noblemen and soldiers ride by, who guard the King’s person, who when they see pheasants or cranes, or other birds flying in the air, speak to the falconers, who are near the King, and they signify the same unto the King, uncover the King’s house, and let their falcons and hawks fly, and the King, sitting on his bed, beholds the pastime of the birds. Other ten thousand men go also with the King, who in that hawking run hither and thither, by two and two, and mark whither the falcon and hawks fly that are cast from the fist, that if need be they may help them; and these in the Tartar language are called Toscaol, that is to say, watchmen or marksmen, being skilful in a certain kind of whistle, wherewith they call in the hawks that are flown; nor is it needful that the falconer, who lets the hawks fly, should follow them, seeing those of whom I now speak are busily employed in taking up the hawks, and are careful that by no means they are hurt or lost; and every flying hawk carrieth a little table of silver on her foot, signed with the mark of her master or falconer, that if she be lost she may be restored to her owner.

But if the mark cannot be known, the hawk is delivered to a certain baron, who for this cause is called Bulangazi, to whom are brought all lost things (otherwise the finder would be punished as a thief), and to him losers resort to inquire of things lost. He hath a most eminent place noted by his ensign, that in so great an assembly of people he may always be known. While they are thus busied in sporting and hawking, they come into a certain great plain called Carzarmodin, where the tents of the King and all the courtiers are prepared, about ten thousand in number.

The first is the Khan’s pavilion, under which ten thousand soldiers stand, besides barons and noblemen, with the door to the south, sustained by three pillars, wrought with curious and excellent carved work, and covered with the skins of lions and other wild beasts, which keep out rain; but within, the walls of the pavilion are covered with most costly skins of ermines and sables, although in those countries these skins are accounted most precious, so that sometimes skins worth two thousand sultanines of gold are scarce sufficient for one pair of vests. The Tartars call the sable the queen of furs; the cords wherewith these pavilions are supported are of silk. There are also other pavilions erected, wherein the wives, sons, and concubines of the King remain. Further also the falcons, hawks, ger-falcons, and other birds, which serve for hawking, have their tents; for there is so great a multitude of tents that to them that come thither it seems at a distance as if a famous city was built there.

The King remains all March in that plain, and takes innumerable beasts and infinite multitudes of fowl; for no man may in this time hunt in all the provinces of that kingdom, at the least within five days’ journey one way, ten another, and fifteen a third way, of the Khan’s court, nor keep a hunting dog or a hawk from the beginning of March until the month of October. No man is permitted to use any device or engine whatsoever to take stags, deer, roebucks, or hares, lest he should hinder their breed; and hence it is that there is such plenty of game. It is incredible what multitudes of people, merchants, and merchandises of all sorts are seen in Cambalu. The money of the Great Khan is not made of gold or silver, or other metal; but they take the middle bark from the mulberry tree, and this they make firm, and cut into divers round pieces, great and little, and imprint the King’s mark thereon; of this paper money therefore the Emperor causeth a huge mass to be made in the city of Cambalu, which sufficeth for the whole empire, and no man under pain of death may coin any other, or spend any other money, or refuse it in all his kingdoms and countries, nor any coming from another kingdom dare spend any other money in the empire of the Great Khan. Hence it follows that merchants often coming from remote countries unto the city of Cambalu bring with them gold, silver, pearl, and precious stones, and receive the King’s money for them; and because this money is not received in their country, they change it again, in the empire of the Great Khan, for merchandise, which they carry away with them. He also payeth stipends to his officers and army in the above-mentioned money. And, lastly, whatever thing he needs in his court, he buyeth with this money. Wherefore there is not a King to be found in the world who exceedeth him in treasure, not expended on the mint, as elsewhere.

The Great Khan hath twelve barons, as is said, before which are the council of war, who dispose of martial affairs, and the exalting or disgracing of captains or soldiers. Their office is called Thai, that is, the high court, because they have none above them but the Khan. Other twelve barons are appointed counsellors for the four-and-thirty provinces, which have a fair palace in Cambalu, in which is for every province a judge and many notaries. These have power to choose governors of the said provinces, and present their names to the Khan, who confirms them. These also have the charge of the treasure to collect and dispense the same; their office is called Singh, that is, the second court, subject to none but the Khan, yet reputed less noble than the former, that being a military establishment.

There are many public roads from the city of Cambalu, which conduct to the neighbouring provinces, and in every one of them, at the end of five-and-twenty or thirty miles, are lodgings or inns built, called lambs, that is, post-houses, with large and fair courts, chambers furnished with beds and other provisions, every way fit to entertain great men, nay even to lodge a King. The provisions are laid in from the country adjacent; there are about four hundred horses, which are in readiness for messengers and ambassadors, who there leave their tired horses, and take fresh; and in mountainous places, where are no villages, he sends people to inhabit, about ten thousand at a place, where these lambs or post-houses are built, and they cultivating the ground for their provisions. These excellent regulations continue unto the utmost limits of the empire, so that in the public ways throughout the whole empire about ten thousand of the King’s inns are found; and the number of the horses appointed for the service of the messengers in those inns are more than two hundred thousand, a thing almost incredible; hence it is that in a little while, with change of men and horses, intelligence comes without stop to the court; and if any wonder how so many men and beasts should be provided for, he must consider that the Moors and Gentiles have many women, and by them abundance of children, some having thirty sons, which follow them armed; and for victuals they sow three kinds of seeds rice, panike, and millet, which yield a hundred-fold. They make no bread, but boil these with milk or flesh. Wheat will not so increase with them, nor suffer they any ground which will bear to lie untilled; and the cattle continually increase, so that each of them carries with him six, eight, or more horses into the field for his own person. The horses are employed by turns, so that of the four hundred, two hundred are in the stables ready, the other two hundred at grass, each a month at a time. Their cities also that are adjoining to rivers or lakes are appointed to have ferry-boats in readiness for the posts, and cities on the borders of deserts are directed to have horses and provisions for the use of such as pass through those deserts; but have a reasonable allowance for this service of the Khan. In cases of great consequence, the post rides with a ger-falcon table, and is equipped so that he will ride two hundred miles in a day, or two hundred and fifty sometimes; also they ride all night, foot-posts running by them with lights if the moon does not shine.

They sound a horn, that the fresh horses may be brought forth for them to mount presently, and having their bellies and heads girded, they run as fast as the horse can go; and those which are able to endure this excessive riding are on that account in great reputation among them, who admire nothing so much as horsemanship. There are also between these inns other habitations three or four miles distant one from another, in which there are a few houses, where foot-posts live, having each of them his girdle hung full of shrill sounding bells. These keep themselves always ready, and as often as the Khan’s letters are sent to them, convey them speedily to the posts at the next village, who, hearing the sound of the foot-post coming when at a distance, expect him, and receive his letters, presently carry them to the next watch; and so the letters passing through several hands are conveyed without delay to the place whither they ought to come; and it often happens that the King by this learns news, or receives new fruits, from a place ten days’ journey distant, in two days. As, for instance, fruits growing at Cambalu in the morning, by the next day at night are at Xandu; but all the before-mentioned posts are free from all tribute, and receive a great recompense for their labours from the King’s rent-gatherers besides. Some also are appointed to examine these posts monthly, and to punish their faults if they are fairly convicted.

He sends yearly to the divers provinces of his empire to inquire whether any prejudice be done to the corn, by tempests, locusts, worms, or any other means; and when he hath notice given him that any province or city hath sustained any damage, he remits his tribute to that people for that year, and sends grain for victual and for seed out of his own granaries; for in a time of great plenty the King buys abundance of corn, and keeps it with great care by his officers three or four years in granaries that when there happens to be scarcity of corn in one country, that defect may be supplied out of the King’s storehouses in another. He selleth his grain for a fourth part of the common price, and always provides that his storehouses are kept fully supplied. Likewise when any murrain lights among cattle, he sends them other cattle, which he has for tenths in other provinces; and if a thunderbolt has stricken any beast of any herd or flock, he receives no tribute from it for three years, let the herd be ever so great; neither will he receive any custom of a thunder-stricken sheep, as thinking God is angry with them that are so stricken.

Likewise that travellers may discern all places able to bear trees, he hath caused trees to be planted, at a convenient distance one from another, near the principal roads; and in the sandy and desert places he hath caused stones and pillars to be erected for that purpose, and officers are appointed to look to these things. He plants trees the rather because his astrologers tell him that planting trees lengthens the life of man. They make excellent drink, in the province of Cathay, of rice and divers spices, which in the taste thereof excels the flavour even of wine; and they who drink more greedily thereof than is fit, or the nature of the drinker can bear, become sooner intoxicated than if they had drunk wine.

Through the whole province of Cathay, certain black stones are dug out of the mountains, which, put into the fire, burn like wood, and, being kindled, preserve fire a long time, and, if they be kindled in the evening, they keep fire all the night; and many use those stones because that though they have plenty of wood, yet is there such frequent use of stones and laths that the wood would not serve.

It is not amiss, having spoken of his provision abroad, to mention his care for the poor of Cambalu. When he hears of any honourable family decayed by misfortune, or of any which cannot work, and have no subsistence, he gives to such families the whole year’s expenses, each head of such families going to the officer for that purpose, and, showing their bill of allowance, receive provisions accordingly. There is a place set apart for those officers; they are provided also with garments for winter and for summer. The Khan having the tenths of all wool, silk, and hemp, which he causes to be made into clothes, in a house for that purpose appointed; for all trades are bound one day in the week to work for him. He provides also apparel for his armies, and in every city causes cloth to be made of his tythe wool. You must understand that the Tartars, according to their ancient customs, bestowed no alms, but rather upbraided those that were in necessity, as hated of God; but the idolaters, especially those Bachsi, have propounded it as a good work acceptable unto God, and have taught him to be thus bountiful; so that in this court bread is never denied to any who ask it, and there is no day in which are not given away twenty thousand crowns in rice, millet, and panike; whence he is esteemed as a god by his subjects.

There are in Cambalu Christians, Saracens, and Catayans, about five thousand astrologers and diviners, which the Great Khan provideth yearly in food and raiment, as he cloth those poor abovesaid. These have an astrolabe, in which are marked the signs of the planets, the hours and points of all the year. Herein all those astrologers, each religion apart, view the course of the year according to every moon, observing the disposition of the weather, referring always to God to do more or less after His own pleasure. They write also upon certain squares they call Tacuiui the things which are to come that year, which they sell to those that will buy them, and such as speak most truth are most honoured. If any intend any great work, or to go a far journey, and will know the event before hand, he has recourse to these astrologers, to see it with their eyes in the heavens, which they pretend to do, comparing the present constellation with that of his birth, which they demand of him; so foretelling him the good or evil. The Tartars reckon the computation of their years by twelves, the first signified by a lion, the second by an ox, the third by a dragon, the fourth by a dog, and so through the whole twelve; so that if it be demanded of a man when he was born, he will answer such a point of such an hour of such a day in the year Lion. This their fathers exactly set down in a book, and when the twelve is complete, they go over the same again.

Of their religion, we have said that they are idolaters; and for their gods have a table set aloft in the wall of their chamber, on which is written a name representing the high God of Heaven, and there every day with a censer of incense they adore it in this manner: they lift up their hands aloft, and strike their teeth thrice, praying it to give them a good understanding and health, and desire thereof nothing else. Besides, on the ground they have another statue called Natigai, the god of earthly things, with his wife and children, whom likewise they worship with incense, striking or gnashing the teeth, and lifting up their hands, and desire thereof temperature of the air, fruits of the earth, children, and the like. They hold the soul to be immortal, and when a man dies, it enters into another body, better or worse, according to the merits of the former life; as of a poor man to become a gentleman, and after a prince or lord, and so higher till it be absorbed in God; and if it have ill deserved, to be a poorer man, after a dog, always descending to the lowest rank of baseness. They have a comely speech, salute cheerfully and honestly, have a graceful carriage, and feed cleanly. They bear great reverence to their parents, and if any be undutiful or regardless of their necessity, there is a public tribunal assigned for this particular to punish ungrateful or disobedient children: prisoners are released at three years’ end, and marked in the cheek, that they may be known for malefactors.

The barons and people which go to the Grand Khan observe these rights; first within half a mile of the place where the Khan is, all is still and quiet without noise or any loud speech; that every baron carries continually a little vessel to spit in, after which he covers it, none daring to spit in the hall; they have fur buskins of white leather, which they put on when they enter the hall, putting off the former, and giving them to the servants, lest they should foul the carpets.