tend it. Large extracts or fragments of it, however, have been inserted in the subsequent collections of voyages by Harris and others.

Of the festival solemnities, and of the magnificence of the Grand Khan. Book 4, Chap. 14, edit. 1617.

We have already spoken of the solemn sacrifice observed on the eight and twentieth day of August. We read in our author, Marcus Paulus, an eyewitness of these his relations, of other the grand Khan's grand solemnities; of which two are principal; one on his birth-day, which in Cublai Khan's time, was the eight and twentieth of September ; on which himself was royally clothed in cloth of gold, and twenty thousand of his barons and soldiers were all apparelled in one colour, and like (excepting the price) to himself, every one having a girdle wrought of gold and silver, and a pair of shoes. Some of their garments richly set with pearls and jewels, which they wear on the thirteen solemnities, according to the thirteen moons of the year. On this day all the Tatars, and several princes subject, present him with rich gifts; and all sects of religions pray unto their Gods for his health and long life.

But their chief feast is on the first day of their

year, which they begin in February, celebrated by the grand Khan and all the countries subject to him; in which they are all arrayed in white, a colour, in their estimation, portending good luck. And then he is presented with many cloths and horses of white colour, and other rich presents, in the same religiously observing the number of nine; as nine times nine horses, if they be able; and, so of pieces of gold, cloth, and the rest. Then also the elephants (which are about five thousand) are brought forth in sumptuous furniture; and camels covered with silk. And in the morning they present themselves in the hall as many as can, the rest standing without in their due order. First, those of the imperial progeny; next, the kings, dukes, and others, in their due place. Then cometh forth a great man or prelate, which cryeth out with a loud voice; "bow down yourselves and worship," which they presently do, with their faces to the earth. This prelate addeth, "God save and preserve our Lord, long to live with joy and gladness." They all answer, "God grant it." The prelate again; "God increase his dominion, and preserve in peace all his subjects, and prosper all things in all his countries." Whereunto they answer as before. Thus do they worship four times. After this, the said prelate goeth to an altar there, richly adorned; on which is a red table, with the name of the great Khan written in it, and G ga

a censer with incense; which he incenseth, instead of them all, with great reverence performed unto the table. This done, they return to their places, and present their gifts, and after are feasted.

When Cublai had overthrown Naiam his uncle (as before is said) understanding that the Christians observed their yearly solemnity of Easter, he invited them all to come unto him, and to bring the book of the four gospels, which he incensed often with great ceremonies, devoutly kissing it, and caused his barons to do the like. And this he observeth alway in the principal feasts of the Christians, as Christmas and Easter. The like he did in the chief feasts of the Saracens, Jews, and Idolaters. The cause (he said) was because of those four prophets to which all the world doth reverence. Jesus of the Christians, Mahomet of the Saracens, Moses of the Jews, and Sogomambar Khan, the first idol of the Pagans. And I, (saith he) do honour to them all, and pray him, which is the greatest in heaven, and truest, to help me. Yet, he had best opinion of the Christian faith, because it contained nothing but goodness; and would not suffer the Christians to carry before them the cross, on which so great a man as Christ was crucified. He also sent Nicolo and Maffio, the father and uncle of Marco Paulo, our author, in embassage to the pope, to send him a hundred wise men, which might convince the idolaters, that

boasted of those their magical wonders, whereas, the Christians that were there were but simple men, not able to answer them; which if it had been effected, he and his barons would have been baptized. Thomas a Jesu, a Jesuit, in his second book, " Of procuring the Conversion of all Nations," reporteth that Clement the First ordained John a Monte Corvino, a minorite, archbishop of Cambalu, and nine other of the same order he consecrated bishops, and took order for the successor of the archbishop, when he died. Whether these went or no, is uncertain. Great pity it is, that the Jesuits, men of so refined wits, and such mighty miracle-mongers (our world must witness the one, and the east and west the other) were but of yesterday's hatching, and that Ignatius had not broken his leg before those times. These had been, (if they then had been) the only men to have removed those objected scandals of the simplicity of Christians, and to have confronted these magical mountebanks, as the Khan here required. But these were reserved for times more fatal to the Pope, to help at a dead lift, by pervertings here, and convertings there, to hold up the supposed sanctity of the triple diadem. But look we to our Tatars.

Odoricus saith, that in his time, the Khan celebrated, besides the former, the feasts of his circumcision, marriage, and coronation. But before the

conquest of Cathay, they observed not any day at all with festival solemnities.

Cublai Khan was of mean stature, of countenance white, red, and beautiful. He had four wives, which kept several courts, the least of which contained at least ten thousand persons. He had many concubines; every second year having a new choice of the fairest maidens in the province of Ungut, (most fertile, belike, of that commodity) which pass a second election at the court, and the fairest and fittest of them are committed to ladies, to prove and instruct them. Their parents hold it a great grace so to have bestowed their children, and if any of them prove not, they impute it to their disastrous planet. They hold it for a great beauty, to have their noses flat between their eyes.

In December, January, and February, he abideth at Cambalu, in the north-east province of Cathay, in a palace near to the city, builded on this manner. There is a circuit walled in, four square, each square containing eight miles, having about them a deep ditch, and in the middle, a gate. A mile inwards is another wall, which hath six miles in each square; and in the south side three gates; and as many on the north. Betwixt those walls are soldiers. In every corner of this wall, and in the midst, is a stately palace, eight in all, wherein are kept his mutions. There is a third wall within this, contain