[Sidenote: Cap. XXIII.] Now schalle I telle zou the governance of the court of the grete chane, whan he makethe solempne festes: and that is princypally 4 tymes in the zeer. The firste feste is of his byrthe: that other is of his presentacioun in here temple, that thei clepen here Moscache, where thei maken a manere of circumsicioun: and the tother 2 festes ben of his ydoles. The firste feste of the ydole is, whan he is first put in to hire temple and throned. The tother feste is, whan the ydole begynnethe first to speke or to worche myracles. Mo ben there not of solempne festes, but zif he marye ony of his children. Now undirstondethe, that at every of theise festes, he hathe gret multytude of peple, well ordeyned and wel arrayed, be thousandes, be hundredes and be tenthes. And every man knowethe wel, what servyse he schalle do. And every man zevethe so gode hede and so gode attendance to his servyse, that no man fyndethe no defaute. And there ben first ordeyned 4000 baronnes myghty and riche, for to gouerne and to make ordynance for the feste, and for to serve the emperour. And theise solempne festes ben made with outen, in hales and tentes made of clothes of gold and of tartaries, fulle nobely. And alle tho barouns han crounes of gold upon hire hedes, fulle noble and riche, fulle of precious stones and grete perles oryent. And thei ben alle clothed in clothes of gold or of tartaries or of camokas, so richely and so perfytly, that no man in the world can amenden it, ne better devisen it. And alle tho robes ben orfrayed alle abouten, and dubbed fulle of precious stones and of grete oryent perles, fulle richely. And thei may wel do so; for clothes of gold and of sylk ben gretter chep there a gret del, than ben clothes of wolle. And theise 4000 barouns ben devised in 4 companyes: and every thousand is clothed in clothes alle of o colour; and that so wel arrayed and so richely, that it is marveyle to beholde. The firste thousand, that is of Dukes, of Erles, of Marquyses and of Amyralles, alle clothed in clothes of gold, with tysseux of grene silk, and bordured with gold, fulle of preciouse stones, in maner as I have seyd before. The secounde thousand is alle clothed in clothes dyapred of red silk, alle wroughte with gold, and the orfrayes sett fulle of gret perl and precious stones, fulle nobely wroughte. The 3 thousand is clothed in clothes of silk, of purpre of Ynde. And the 4 thousand is in clothes of zalow. And alle hire clothes ben so nobely and so richely wroughte with gold and precious stones and riche perles, that zif a man of this contree hadde but only on of hire robes, he myghte wel seye, that he sholde nevere be pore. For the gold and the precious stones and the grete oryent perles ben of gretter value, on this half the see, than thei ben bezond the see, in tho contrees. And whan thei ben thus apparaylled, thei gon 2 and 2 togedre, fulle ordynatly before the emperour, withouten speche of ony woord, saf only enclynynge to him. And