RICHARD CHANCELOR a.d. 



I553- 



every man shall know perfectly his servants. Thus 

 when dinner is done hee calleth his nobles before him 

 name by name, that it is wonder to heare howe he 

 could name them, having so many as he hath. Thus 

 when dinner was done I departed to my lodging, which 

 was an hower within night. I will leave this, and speake 

 no more of him nor his houshold : but I will some- 

 what declare of his land and people, with their nature 

 and power in the wars. This Duke is Lord and 

 Emperour of many countreis, & his power is marveilous 

 great. For he is able to bring into the field two or three 

 hundred thousand men : he never goeth into the field 

 himselfe with under two hundred thousand men : And 

 when he goeth himselfe he furnisheth his borders all 

 with men of warre, which are no small number. He 

 leaveth on the borders of Liefland fortie thousand men, 

 and upon the borders of Letto 60 thousand men, and 

 towarde the Nagayan Tartars sixtie thousand, which is 

 wonder to heare of: yet doeth hee never take to his 

 warres neither husbandman nor marchant. All his men 

 are horsemen : he useth no footmen, but such as goe 

 with the ordinance and labourers, which are thirtie 

 thousand. The horsemen are all archers, with such 

 bowes as the Turkes have, and they ride short as doe 

 the Turkes. Their armour is a coate of plate, with a 

 skull on their heads. Some of their coates are covered 

 with velvet or cloth of gold : their desire is to be 

 sumptuous in the field, and especially the nobles and 

 gentlemen : as I have heard their trimming is very costly, 

 and partly I have seene it, or else I would scarcely 

 have beleeved it : but the Duke himselfe is richly 

 attired above all measure : his pavilion is covered either 

 with cloth of gold or silver, and so set with stones that 

 it is wonderfull to see it. I have seene the Kings 

 Majesties of England and the French Kings pavilions, 

 which are fayre, yet not like unto his. And when they 

 bee sent into farre or strange countreys, or that strangers 

 come to them, they be very gorgious. Els the Duke 



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