m 
946 ' E, Y S B R A N T S 
featedjtheMufick ceafed,and theHalbadiers feated them- 
felves crofs-Iegg’d on each Side below the Throne. The 
Emperor’s Table was furniihed with cold Meats, Fruits 
and Sweetmeats, ferved up in Silver Difhes, and the 
whole covered with yellow Damask. The Viceroy, the 
Emperor’s Uncle, and two other of the principal No- 
bles ftood on each Side of his Imperial Majefty, and I 
was placed on the Right-Hand of the Throne, about 
four Fathom diflant from the Emperor ; who looking 
very earneftly at me, ordered the Viceroy (who receiv- 
ed his Commands on his Knees) to bring me nearer. 
Upon which he took me by the Hand, and placed me 
about two Fathom diftant from the Emperor, and my 
Retinue were placed about fix behind me. The Empe- 
ror a fecond time fent the Viceroy to me with the utmoft 
Refpeft, to ailc after the Health of their Czarilli Ma- 
jefties ; to which I returned the proper Anfwer. Then 
he caufed his Table to be uncovered by taking off 
the Damask Covering, and defired me to ear, a Table 
being fpread- for me only : The other Lords and Man- 
daryns, about two hundred in Nurnber, took their Pla- 
ces according to their Quality, fitting two at each Ta- 
ble, in the Perftan Manner, upon Carpets, with their 
Legs under them*, which Cuftom I was obliged to com- 
ply with, as it is not to be difpenfed with here. 
The Emperor fent me from his Table, a roaft Goofe, 
a Pig, a Loin of very good Mutton, and foon after fe- 
veraf Difhes of Fruit, and a Sort of Drmk cpmpofed 
of boiled Tea, fried Meal and Butter, which looked 
not unlike Bean or Coffee Decodion : Having received 
all which, with due Refpeft, his Majefty ordered the 
Viceroy to ask me, what European Languages I under- 
ftood } To which I anfwered, I could fpeak the Mufco- 
<vite, German^ Low-Dutch, and a little Italian. 
Upon which he immediately difpatched fome Ser- 
vants to the hinder Part of the Palace ; which done, 
there inftantly appeared three Jefuits, who approached 
the Throne. And after Kneeling, and performing 
their Reverence to the Emperor, he commanded them 
to rife. One of thcfe was Father John Francis Gerhilloh 
a Frenchman ; and the two others were Fortuguefe, one 
.of them called Father Anthony Fhomas. The Emperor 
ordered Father Gerbillon'to converlc with me ; who com- 
ing towards me, fpeak in asked me in the Empe- 
ror’s Name how long I had been travelling trom Mofcow to 
Peking, and which V/ay I came, by Waggon, on H;;rfe- 
back, or by Water ? To which I retundd fatisfaCtory 
Anfwers : On which returning to his Majefty, he in- 
formed him *, who immediately anfwered, Gowa, Gowa, 
which is very well. The Emperor then ordered the 
Viceroy to acquaint me, that it was his moft gracious 
Pleafure, that I fhould approach nearer the Prefence, 
by coming up to the Throne *, upon which I arifing, 
the Viceroy taking me by the Hand, after having led 
me up fix Steps, fet me at the 'Fable oppofite to the 
Emperor. After I had paid my moft humble Refpebts 
to his Majefty, he talked with Father Gerbillan, who 
again asked me, How long I had been on the Way hi- 
ther \ In what Manner I travelled ? and, in what La- 
titude Mofcow was fituate, and how far diftant from 
Poland, France, Italy, Portugal, or Holland ? To all 
which I obferved my Anfwer proved very fatisfadory. 
Upon which he gave the Viceroy a Gold Cup of Tartarian 
Liquor called AW/zff, in order to hand it to me; which 
with due Refpe6t I accepted, and having tafted, return’d 
it. This Kumis, according to the Report of the At- 
tendants, is a Sort of Brandy diftilled from Mares 
Milk. After this, the Emperor ordered my Retinue 
to advance within three Fathom of his Throne, and 
entertained them with the fame Liquor ; which being 
done, I paid my Compliment in the European Manner, 
and the Viceroy took me by the Han*d, condutling me 
to my former Place, where after fitting for a Quarter of 
an Hour, I was defired to rife. 
‘3. Alter this the Emperor arofe, and having faluted 
me, dsfeended from his Throne, and went out of the 
Audience Hall by a Door on the Left-hand, in order to 
go to his Royal Apartment. As he was leaving the 
H dl, he lent , the Viceroy to ask me, whether I had 
heard any News out of Europe concerning Father Gri- 
I D E s’j T ravels Book III. 
maldi, who had been difpatched thither on the Empe- 
ror’s Affairs : To which I anfwered, that when I left 
Mofcow, I was informed that he, with a Retinue of 
twenty-five Perfons, arrived at Smyrna, and refolved 
to profecute his Travels through Perfia and India. He 
replied, I am informed he is fafely arrived at Goa, and 
is upon his Departure thence in order to his Return hi- 
ther, and it is feven Years fince he left China. Here- 
upon I took my Leave,, and retired to my. Apartment. 
Defigning to take another Opportunity to give an 
Account of what I could obferve concerning the Court, 
I fhall at prefent only deferibe the Outfide°of the Pa- 
lace, and the Throne on which the Emperor fate. 
The Palace is an oblong quadrangular Brick Building, 
which is twice as long as broad, and the Roof covered 
with yellow glazed Tiles, on which were fixed Lyons, 
Dragons, and all Sorts of Imagery ; the Height of this 
Building to the Roof was about eight Fathom ; the 
Afcent to the Hall was up feveral Steps, and the farther 
Part or Entrance of it was provided with certain open 
Places or Windows, ,which were not glazed but peaked 
with Paper. At the Ends of this Hall were two Doors, 
the Tops of which were adorned with a Sort of carved 
Work, fomewhat like a Crown, which was extraordi- 
nary well gilt. This Building hath neither any Room 
over it, or arched Roof, but the Height of the Room 
is to the very Top of the Roof, which was compofed 
of curious Pannels, beautifully colour’d, japann’d, and 
finely gilded. This Hall is about thirty Fathom long 
and ten broad. The Floor, according to the Fartarian 
Mode, was covered with Carpets, adorned with Land- 
skips and Figures. 
The Throne is placed oppofite to the Eiftern En- 
trance, againft the back Wall, and is about three Fa- 
thom broad, and as many long ; before it are tWo 
Afeents with fu Steps each, adorned with Rails and 
Reprefentations of Leaves very well gilt : On the right 
and left Sides were alfo Rails of call Imagery, which 
fome report to be Gold, and others Silver, which are 
alio extraordinary well gilt. Exabtly in the Middle of 
this railed Place is a Throne, fomewhat like an Altar, 
which opens with two Doors, and in it the Emperor’s 
Scat, about an Ell high, covered with black Sables, on 
which he fate with his Legs acrols under him. This 
Monarch was then aged about fifty Years, his Mein 
was very agreeable, he had large black Eyes, and his 
Nofe fomewhat rifing ; he wore fmall black Mufta- 
choes, but had very little or no Beard on the lower 
Part of his Face ; he was very much pitted with the 
Smali-pox, and of a middling Stature. His Drefs 
confifted of a common ,dark-colour’d Damask Waift- 
coat, a (mat of deep blue Sattin, adorn’d with Er- 
mines ; befides which, he had a String of Coral hang- 
ing about his Neck, and down on his Breaft. He had 
a warm Cap on turned up with Sable, to which was 
added a red Silk Knot, and fome Peacocks Feathers 
hanging down behind. His Hair, plaited into one 
Lock, hung behind him. He had no Gold nor Jew- 
els about him. He had Boots on, which were made 
of black Velvet. 
Whilft he was at Dinner, fuch a reverential and 
profound Silence was obferved amongft the Mandaryns, 
that not only no Noife was heard, but they forbore fo 
much as fpeaking to one another, all fitting very ftilF 
with modeft down call Eyes, amongft: them the high- 
eft Mark of Refpedl. 
4. On the next Day the Emperor fent two Manda- 
ryns vzith fifty Horfes for my Retinue, and a Meffage, 
importing. It was his Majefty’s Pleafure, that if I de- 
fired to fee the City, all that was worth my View 
fhould be fhewed me. Purfuant ' to which, I caufed 
my Horfe to be fadled, and rode out with thefe Man- 
daryns, who, by the King’s Command brought me to 
a Sort of Play-houfe, or Court of Diverfion, v;hich 
was a very lofty and capacious Building. In it was a 
great Stage adorn’d with carv’d Imagery, finely paint- 
ed, which the Players had the Ufe of lor an annual Rent. 
In the Middle of this Palace was ao open Place en- 
compaffed with Galleries, in which the Mandaryns de- 
fired us to fit down on Chairs ; and having entertained 
me 
