Early Travels in Palestine: Comprising the Narratives of Arculf, Willibald, Bernard, Sæwulf, Sigurd, Benjamin of Tudela, Sir John Maundeville, de la Brocquière, and Maundrell
History
Early Travels in Palestine: Comprising the Narratives of Arculf, Willibald, Bernard, Sæwulf, Sigurd, Benjamin of Tudela, Sir John Maundeville, de la Brocquière, and Maundrell
Middle East -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800; Palestine -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800
hath sent me to thee; and it is his will that thou go to the seven
lineages, and say to them that thou shalt be their emperor; for thou
shalt conquer the lands and the countries that are about; and they that
march upon you shall be under your subjection, as you have been under
theirs; for that is God's immortal will." Changuys arose, and went to
the seven lineages, and told them what the white knight had said. And
they scorned him, and said that he was a fool; and so he departed from
them all ashamed. And the night following, this white knight came to the
seven lineages, and commanded them, on behalf of the immortal God, that
they should make this Changuys their emperor, and they should be out of
subjection, and they should hold all other regions about them in
servage, as they had been to them before. And next day they chose him to
be their emperor, and set him upon a black chest, and after that lifted
him up with great solemnity, and set him in a chair of gold, and did him
all manner of reverence; and they called him chan, as the white knight
called him. And when he was thus chosen, he would make trial if he might
trust in them or not, and whether they would be obedient to him, and
then he made many statutes and ordinances, that they call _Ysya Chan_.
The first statute was, that they should believe in and obey immortal
God, who is almighty, and who would cast them out of servage, and they
should at all times call to him for help in time of need. The second
statute was, that all manner of men that might bear arms should be
numbered, and to every ten should be a master, and to every hundred a
master, and to every thousand a master, and to every ten thousand a
master. After, he commanded the principals of the seven lineages to
leave and forsake all they had in goods and heritage, and from
thenceforth to be satisfied with what he would give them of his grace.
And they did so immediately. After this he commanded the principals of
the seven lineages, that each should bring his eldest son before him,
and with their own hands smite off their heads without delay. And
immediately his command was performed. And when the chan saw that they
made no obstacle to perform his commandment, then he thought that he
might well trust in them, and he commanded them presently to make them
ready, and to follow his banner. And after this, the chan put in
subjection all the lands about him. Afterwards it befell on a day, that
the chan rode with a few companies to behold the strength of the country
that he had won, and a great multitude of his enemies met with him, and
to give good example of bravery to his people, he was the first that
fought, and rushed into the midst of his enemies, and there was thrown
from his horse, and his horse slain. And when his people saw him on the
earth, they were all discouraged, and thought he had been dead, and fled
every one; and their enemies pursued them, but they knew not that the
emperor was there.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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