I shall tell you of the great and wonderful magnificence of the Great Khan now reigning, by name Kublay Khan; Khan being a title which signifieth “The Great Lord of Lords” or Emperor. Now this Kublai Khan is of the right Imperial lineage, being descended from Chinghiz Khan, the first sovereign of all the Tartars ... (p. 324). He came to the throne in the year of Christ 1256 ... up to the year of Christ now running, to wit 1298, he hath reigned two and forty years, and his age is about 85.... The Great Khan resides in the capital city of Cathay, which is called Cambaluc. (Khan baligh, Khan’s city). In that city stands his great Palace ... it is enclosed all round by a great wall forming a square, each side of which is a mile in length. This you may depend on, it is also very thick, and a good ten paces in height, whitewashed and loopholed all round. At each angle of the wall there is a very fine and rich palace in which the war-harness of the Emperor is kept, such as bows and quivers, saddles and bridles, and bowstrings and everything needful for an army. The great wall has five gates on its southern face ... inside of this wall there is a second. You must know that is the greatest Palace that ever was ... hath no upper storey, but is all on the ground floor ... the roof is very lofty, and the walls of the Palace are all with gold and silver. They are also adorned with representations of dragons, beasts and birds, knights and idols, and sundry other subjects. And on the ceiling too you can see nothing but gold and silver and paintings. The Hall of the Palace is so large that it could easily dine 6,000 people; and it is quite a marvel to see how many rooms there are besides.... The outside of the roof also is all coloured with vermilion and yellow and green and blue and other hues, which are fixed with a varnish so fine and exquisite that they shine like crystal ... seen for a great way round (pp. 324, 325). FOOTNOTES: [18] Socman = A free holder of land. [19] i.e. shires, hundreds, tithings. [20] Carucate = Hide, about 120 acres. [21] Chirograph is the name for a bond or written record. [22] Corodiers = Men holding by corrody, i.e. service of providing a night’s lodging. [23] Mentz = Mainz, ruled by an archbishop. [24] A mistake, Alexius did not reign till thirty years later. CHAPTER IV THIRTEENTH CENTURY LONDON INTRODUCTORY NOTES Mint and Coinage Compare list of Saxon mints under Athelstane with this account of the King’s mint, in the eighteenth century. The history of coinage is illustrated by notes of clipping; repeated re-coinage; advice of merchants on coinage over-ridden, case of persecution, of laws for clipping, etc. Compare also with fifteenth century extracts. Aliens and King’s Income