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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

Next they cause to come in other damsels bringing
cups of gold full of milk of divers beasts, who give drink to lords and
to ladies. And then they make knights to joust in arms full lustily; and
they run together and fight full fiercely; and they break their spears
so rudely that the fragments fly in pieces all about the hall. And then
they cause to come in hunting for the hart and for the boar, with hounds
running with open mouth. And many other things they do by craft of their
enchantments, which it is marvellous to see. And such plays of sport
they make, until the taking up of the boards.

This great chan hath a vast multitude of people to serve him, as I have
told you before. For he hath of minstrels the number of thirteen
cumants, but they abide not always with him. For all the minstrels that
come before him, of whatever nation they are, are retained with him, as
of his household, and entered in his books as for his own men. And after
that, wherever they go, evermore they rank as minstrels of the great
chan; and, under that title, all kings and lords cherish them the more
with gifts and all things. And therefore he hath so great multitude of
them. And he hath of certain men, as though they were yeomen, that keep
birds, as ostriches, gerfaucons, sparrow-hawks, gentle falcons, lanyers,
sacres, sacrettes[395], well speaking parrots, and singing birds, and
also of wild beasts, as of elephants, tame and others, baboons, apes,
monkeys, and other divers beasts, to the number of fifteen cumants of
yeomen. And of Christian physicians he has two hundred; and of
leeches[396] that are Christians, he has two hundred and ten; and of
leeches and physicians that are Saracens, twenty; for he trusts more in
the Christian leeches than in the Saracens. And his other common
household is without number; all having all necessaries from the
emperor's court. And he has in his court many barons, as servitors, that
are Christians and converted to good faith by the preaching of religious
Christian men who dwell with him, and there are many that will not have
it known that they are Christians.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

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

Next they cause to come in other damsels bringing
cups of gold full of milk of divers beasts, who give drink to lords and
to ladies. And then they make knights to joust in arms full lustily; and
they run together and fight full fiercely; and they break their spears
so rudely that the fragments fly in pieces all about the hall. And then
they cause to come in hunting for the hart and for the boar, with hounds
running with open mouth. And many other things they do by craft of their
enchantments, which it is marvellous to see. And such plays of sport
they make, until the taking up of the boards.

This great chan hath a vast multitude of people to serve him, as I have
told you before. For he hath of minstrels the number of thirteen
cumants, but they abide not always with him. For all the minstrels that
come before him, of whatever nation they are, are retained with him, as
of his household, and entered in his books as for his own men. And after
that, wherever they go, evermore they rank as minstrels of the great
chan; and, under that title, all kings and lords cherish them the more
with gifts and all things. And therefore he hath so great multitude of
them. And he hath of certain men, as though they were yeomen, that keep
birds, as ostriches, gerfaucons, sparrow-hawks, gentle falcons, lanyers,
sacres, sacrettes[395], well speaking parrots, and singing birds, and
also of wild beasts, as of elephants, tame and others, baboons, apes,
monkeys, and other divers beasts, to the number of fifteen cumants of
yeomen. And of Christian physicians he has two hundred; and of
leeches[396] that are Christians, he has two hundred and ten; and of
leeches and physicians that are Saracens, twenty; for he trusts more in
the Christian leeches than in the Saracens. And his other common
household is without number; all having all necessaries from the
emperor's court. And he has in his court many barons, as servitors, that
are Christians and converted to good faith by the preaching of religious
Christian men who dwell with him, and there are many that will not have
it known that they are Christians.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Early Travels in Palestine: Comprising the Narratives of Arculf, Willibald, Bernard, Sæwulf, Sigurd, Benjamin of Tudela, Sir John Maundeville, de la Brocquière, and Maundrell

Early Travels in Palestine: Comprising the Narratives of Arculf, Willibald, Bernard, Sæwulf, Sigurd, Benjamin of Tudela, Sir John Maundeville, de la Brocquière, and Maundrell

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