The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 03Hakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 03
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
Nowe after that they had remained about twelue dayes in the Citie there was
then a Messenger sent vnto them, to bring them to the Kings house: and they
being after a sort wearied with their long stay, were very ready, and
willing so to doe: and being entred within the gates of the Court, there
sate a very honorable companie of Courtiers, to the number of one hundred,
all apparelled in cloth of golde, downe to their ankles: and there hence
being conducted into the chamber of presence, our men beganne to wonder at
the Maiestie of the Emperour: his seate was aloft, in a very royall throne,
hauing on his head a Diademe, or Crowne of golde, apparalled with a robe
all of Goldsmiths worke, and in his hand hee held a Scepter garnished, and
beset with precious stones: and besides all other notes and apparances of
honour, there was a Maiestie in his countenance proportionable with the
excellencie of his estate: on the one side of him stood his chiefe
Secretaire, on the other side, the great Commander of silence, both of them
arayed also in cloth of gold: and then there sate the Counsel of one
hundred and fiftie in number, all in like sort arayed, and of great State.
This so honorable an assemblie, so great a Maiestie of the Emperour, and of
the place might very well haue amazed our men, and haue dasht them out of
countenance: but notwithstanding Master Chanceler being therewithall
nothing dismaied saluted, and did his duetie to the Emperour, after the
maner of England, and withall, deliuered vnto him the letters of our king,
Edward the sixt. The Emperour hauing taken, and read the letters, began a
litle to question with them, and to aske them of the welfare of our king:
whereunto our men answered him directly, and in few words: hereupon our men
presented some thing to the Emperour, by the chiefe Secretary, which at the
deliuery of it, put of his hat, being before all the time couered: and so
the Emperour hauing inuited them to dinner, dismissed them from his
presence: and going into the chamber of him that was Master of the Requests
to the Emperour, and hauing stayed there the space of two howres, at the
last, the Messenger commeth, and calleth them to dinner: they goe, and
being conducted into the golden Court, (for so they call it, although not
very faire) they finde the Emperour sitting vpon an high and stately seate,
apparelled with a robe of siluer, and with another Diademe on his head: our
men being placed ouer against him, sit downe: in the middes of the roome
stoode a mightie Cupboord vpon a square foote, whereupon stoode also a
round boord, in manner of a Diamond, broade beneath, and towardes the toppe
narrowe, and euery steppe rose vp more narrowe then another. Vpon this
Cupboorde was placed the Emperours plate, which was so much, that the very
Cupboord it selfe was scant able to sustaine the waight of it: the better
part of all the vessels, and goblets, was made of very fine gold: and
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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