The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 08: Asia, Part IHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 08: Asia, Part I
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
And of the generacioun of Sem, ben comen the Sarrazines, And
of the generacioun of Japhethe, is comen the peple of Israel. And thoughe
that wee duellen in Europe, this is the opynyoun, that the Syryenes and the
Samaritanes, han amonges hem; and that thei told me, before that I wente
toward Ynde: but I fond it otherwise. Natheles the sothe is this, that
Tartarynes and thei that duellen in the grete Asye, thei camen of Cham. But
the emperour of Cathay clepeth him not Cham, but Can: and I schalle telle
zou how. It is but litylle more but 8 score zeer, that alle Tartarye was in
subiectioun and in servage to othere nacyouns abouten: for thei weren but
bestyalle folk, and diden no thing but kepten bestes, and lad hem to
pastures. But among hem, thei hadden 7 princypalle nacyouns, that weren
soveraynes of hem alle: of the whiche, the firste nacyoun or lynage was
clept Tartar; and that is the most noble and the most preysed. The seconde
lynage is clept Tanghot; the thridde Eurache; the 4 Valair; the 5 Semoche;
the 6 Megly; the 7 Coboghe. Now befelle it so, that of the firste lynage
succeeded an old worthi man, that was not riche, that hadde to name
Changuys. This man lay upon a nyght in his bed, and he sawhe in a visioun,
that there cam before him a knyght armed alle in white, and he satt upon a
white hors, and seyd to him, Can, slepest thou? The inmortalle God hathe
sent me to the; and it is his wille, that thou go to the 7 lynages, and
seye to hem, that thou schalt ben here emperour. For thou schalt conquere
the londs and the contrees, that ben abouten: and thei that marchen upon
zou, schulle ben undre zoure subieccioun, as zee han ben undre hires: for
that is Goddes wille inmortalle. And whan he cam at morwe, Changuys roos,
and wente to the 7 lynages, and tolde hem how the white knyght had seyd.
And thei scorned him, and seyden, that he was a fool; and so he departed
fro hem alle aschamed. And the nyght sewynge, this white knyght cam to the
7 lynages, and commaunded hem, on Goddes behalve inmortalle, that thei
scholde make this Changuys here emperour; and thei scholde ben out of
subieccioun; and thei scholde holden alle other regiounes aboute hem in
here servage, as thei had ben to hem beforn. And on the morwe, thei chosen
him to ben here emperour: and thei setten him upon a blak fertre; and aftre
that, thei liften him op with gret solempnytee, and thei setten him in a
chayer of gold, and diden hym alle maner of reverence; and thei cleped him,
Chan, as the white knyght called him. And whan he was thus chosen, he wolde
assayen, zif he myghte trust in hem or non, and whether thei wolde ben
obeyssant to him or non. And thanne he made many statutes and ordinances,
that thei clepen _Ysya Chan_. The first statute was, that thei scholde
beleeven and obeyen in God inmortalle, that is allemyghty, that wolde
casten hem out of servage; and at alle tymes clepe to him for help, in tyme
of nede. The tother statute was, that alle maner of men that myghte beren
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account