A.D. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



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sayd mount there is a great lake, whereupon a most 

 stately bridge is built, in which lake is great abundance 

 of geese, ducks, and all kindes of water foules : and in 

 the wood growing upon the mount there is great store 

 of all birds, and wilde beasts. And therefore when the 

 great Can will solace himselfe with hunting or hauking, 

 he needs not so much as once to step forth of his palace. 

 Moreover, the principall palace, wherein he maketh his 

 abode, is very large, having within it 14 pillers of golde, 

 and all the walles thereof are hanged with red skinnes, 

 which are sayd to be the most costly skinnes in all 

 the world. In the midst of the palace standes a cisterne 

 of two yards high, which consisteth of a pretious stone 

 called Merdochas, and is wreathed about with golde, & at 

 ech corner thereof is the golden image of a serpent, as 

 it were, furiously shaking and casting forth his head. 

 This cisterne also hath a kind of networke of pearle 

 wrought about it. Likewise by the sayd cisterne there is 

 drinke conveyed thorow certeine pipes and conducts, such 

 as useth to be drunke in the emperors court, upon the 

 which also there hang many vessels of golde, wherein, 

 whosoever will may drinke of the sayd licour. In the 

 foresayd palace there are many peacocks of golde : & 

 when any Tartar maketh a banquet unto his lord, if the 

 guests chance to clap their hands for joy and mirth, the 

 sayd golden peacocks also will spread abroad their wings, 

 and lift up their traines, seeming as if they danced : and 

 this I suppose to be done by arte magike or by some 

 secret engine under the ground. 



[II. i. 62.] Of the glory and magnificence of the great Can. 



Oreover, when the great emperor Can sitteth in 

 his imperiall throne of estate, on his left hand 

 sitteth his queene or empresse, and upon another inferior 

 seate there sit two other women, which are to accompany 

 the emperor, when his spouse is absent, but in the lowest 

 place of all, there sit all the ladies of his kinred. All the 

 maried women weare upon their heads a kind of orna- 



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