The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09: Asia, Part IIHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09: Asia, Part II
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
I will report one thing more, which I saw, concerning the great Can. It is
an vsuall custome in those parts, that when the forsayd Can traueileth
thorow any countrey, his subiects kindle fires before their doores, casting
spices thereinto to make a perfume, that their lord passing by may smell
the sweet and delectable odours thereof, and much people come forth to meet
him. And vpon a certaine time when he was cumming towardes Cambaleth, the
fame of his approch being published, a bishop of ours with certaine of our
minorite friers and my selfe went two dayes iourney to meet him: and being
come nigh vnto him, we put a crosse vpon wood, I my selfe hauing a censer
in my hand, and began to sing with a loud voice: Veni creator spiritus. And
as we were singing on this wise, he caused vs to be called, commanding vs
to come vnto him: notwithstanding (as it is aboue mentioned) that no man
dare approach within a stones cast of his chariot, vnlesse he be called,
but such onely as keepe his chariot. And when we came neere vnto him, he
vailed his hat or bonet being of an inestimable price, doing reuerance vnto
the crosse. And immediatly I put incense into the censer, and our bishop
taking the censer perfumed him, and gaue him his benediction. Moreouer,
they that come before the sayd Can do alwayes bring some oblation to
present vnto him, obseruing the antient law: Thou shall not appeare in my
presence with an empty hand. And for that cause we carried apples with vs,
and offered them in a platter with reuerence vnto him: and taking out two
of them he did eat some part of one. And then he signified vnto vs, that we
should go apart, least the horses comming on might in ought offend vs. With
that we departed from him, and turned aside, going vnto certaine of his
barons, which had bene conuerted to the faith by certeine friers of our
order, being at the same time in his army: and we offered vnto them of the
foresayd apples, who receiued them at our hands with great ioy, seeming
vnto vs to be as glad, as if we had giuen them some great gift.
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