Pilgrimage, Book 4 · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
Of the festiuall solemnities, and of the magnificence of the Grand Can.
WE hauehave already spoken of the solemne sacrifice obserued on the eight and twentieth day of August: We reade in our Author aMarcus Paulus.Marcus Paulus, an eie-witnes of these his relations, of other the Grand Cans grand solemnities. Of which, two are principall, one on his birth day, which in Cublai Cans time was the eight and twentith of September. On which himselfe was royally clothed in cloth of gold, and twenty thousand of his Barons and souldiers were all apparelled in one colour, and like (excepting the price) to himselfe, eueryevery one hauing a girdle wrought of Golde and Siluer, and a paire of shooes, some of their garments richly set with pearles and jewells, which they weare on the thirteene solemnities, according to the thirteene Moones of the yeare. On this day all the Tartars, and seuerall Princes subiect, present him with rich gifts; and all Sects of Religions pray vntounto their gods for his health, and long life.
But their chiefe feast is on the first day of their yeare, which they beginne in February, celebrated by the Grand Can, and all the Countries subiect to him: in which they are all arayed in white, a colour in their estimation portending good lucke. And then he is presented with many clothes and horses of white colour, and other rich presents, in the same religiously obseruing the number of nine; as nine times nine horses, if they be able, and so of peeces of gold, cloth, and the rest. Then also the Elephants (which are about fiue thousand) are brought forth in sumptuous furniture: and Camels couered with silke. And in the morning they present themselues in the Hall as many as can, the rest standing without in their due order. First, those of the Imperiall progeny; next, the Kings, Dukes, and others, in their due place. Then commeth forth a great man or Prelate, which crieth out with a lowd voyce; Bow downe your selues, and worship: which they presently doe, with their faces to the earth. This Prelate addeth, God saue and preserue our Lord long to liue with ioy and gladnesse. They all answere; God grant it. The Prelate againe: God encrease his Dominion, and preserue in peace all his subiects, and prosper all things in all his Countries. Whereunto they answer as before. Thus they doe worship foure times. After this, the said Prelate goeth to an Altar there, richly adorned; on which is a redde Table with the name of the Great Can written in it, and a Censer with Incense, which hee incenseth in stead of them all, with great reuerence performed vntounto the Table. This done, they returne to their places, and present their gifts, and after are feasted.
When Cublas had ouerthrowne Naiam his vncle (as before is said) vnderstanding that the Christians obserued their yearely solemnity of Easter, hee caused them all to come vntounto him, and to bring the Booke of the foure Gospels, which he incensed often with great Ceremonies, deuoutly kissing it, and caused his Barons to doe the like. And this he obserueth alway in the principall feasts of the Christians, as Christmasse and Easter. The like he did in the chiefe feasts of the Saracens, Iewes, and Idolaters. The cause (he said) was because of those foure Prophets, to which all the world doth reuerence: IESVS of the Christians, Mahomet of the Saracens, Moses of the Iewes, and Sogemambar Can the first Idoll of the Pagans: and I (saith hee) doe honour to them all, and pray him which is the greatest in Heauen, and truest, to helpe me. Yet he had best opinion of the Christian faith, because it contained nothing but goodnesse: and would not suffer the Christians to carry before them the Crosse, on which so great a man as CHRIST was crucified. He also sent Niculo & Maffio, the Father and vncle of Marco Polo our Author, in embassage to the Pope, to send him 100. wise men which might conuince the Idolaters, that boasted of those their magicall wonders, whereas the Christians that were there, were but simple men, not able to answer them, which if it had beene effected, hee and his Barons would hauehave beene baptized.
Odoricus bOdoricus.V….& Io. …oeni;saith, that in his time the Can celebrated, besides the former, the feasts of his circumcision, marriage, and coronation. But before the conquest of Cathay they obserued not any day at all with festiuall solemnities.
Cublai Can was of meane stature, of countenance white, red, and beautifull. Hee had foure wiues, which kept seuerall Courts, the least of which contained at least ten thousand persons. He had many concubines; eueryevery second yeare hauing a new choice of the fairest maidens in the prouince of Vngut, most fertile (belike) of that commodity: which passe a second election at the Courts, and the fairest and fittest of them are committed to Ladies, to prooue and to instruct them. Their parents holde it a great grace so to hauehave bestowed their children: and if any of them proue not, they impute it to their disastrous planet. They hold it for a great beauty, to hauehave their noses flat betweene the eyes.
In December, Ianuary, and February, he abideth at Cambalu, in the North-East part of the prouince of Cathay, in a Pallace neare to the City builded on this manner. There is a circuite walled in, foure square, each square containing eight miles, hauing about them a deep ditch, and in the middle a gate. A mile inwards is an other wall, The Grand Cans pallace.which hath six miles in each square; and in the South side three gates, and as many on the North. Betwixt those walls are souldiers. In eueryevery corner of this wall, and in the middest, is a stately pallace, eight in all, wherein are kept his munitions. There is a third wall within this, containing foure miles square, each square taking vp one mile, hauing sixe gates and eight pallaces, as the former, in which are kept the Grand Cans prouisions. And betweene these two walls are many faire trees, and meadowes stored with many beasts. Within this is the Grand Cans Pallace, the greatest that euer was scene, confining with the wall abouesaid, on the North and South. The matter and forme thereof is of such cost and Art, with such appurtenances of pleasure and state, as were too long heere to recite. Hee for a superstitious feare suggested by his Astrologers of a rebellion which sometime should be raised against him in Cambalu, built a new city neere thereunto called Taidu cOdoricus calleth it Caide.foure and twenty miles in compasse, and yet not able to receiue the Inhabitants of the old city, whence he remoued such as might moue suspicion, hither. This city was built by line, in foure squares, each whereof contained sixe miles, and three gates, so streight, that vponupon the wall of one gate one might see the gate right against it. In the middest of the citie is a great Bell, which is rung in the night, to warne men to keep within doores. The great Can hath twelue thousand horsemen vnderunder foure Captaines to his gard. He keepeth leopards, wolues, and lions to hunt with, and with them to take wilde asses, beares, harts, &c. and one sort of eagles able to catch wolues. The two maisters of his hunting game had ten thousand men vnderunder each of them, the one part clothed in redde, the other in skie-colour: and when the Emperour hunteth, one of these Captaines goeth with his men and dogges on the right hand, the other on the left, compassing a great quantity of ground, that not a beast can escape them. From October to March, they are bound daily to send in a thousand head of beasts and birds. He hath also when he trauelleth, Odoricus rec koneth a g…ter numb…ten thousand falconers diuided in diuers companies, himselfe abiding in a Chamber carried vponupon foure Elephants, whence he may see the game, hauing also his tents pitched for his solace neare thereby. None may carry hawke or hunting-dogge out of his dominion, nor may hawke or hunt neare the Court by many dayes iourneis, nor at all, in their times of breding, from March to October.
But he that list to be more fully informed heerein, let him reade Marcus Paulus and others *V… 32.… M… n…which hauehave written of this Argument. It is religion to vsus further to suspend our discourse of religion.