everyche of hem berethe a tablett of jaspere or of ivory or of cristalle; and the mynstralle goynge before hem, sownyng here instrumentes of dyverse melodye. And whan the firste thousand is thus passed, and hathe made his mostre, he withdrawethe him on that o syde. And than entrethe that other secunde thousand, and dothe right so, in the same manere of array and contenance, as did the firste; and aftre the thridde, and than the fourthe; and non of hem seythe not o word. And at o syde of the emperours table, sitten many philosofres, that ben preved for wise men, in many dyverse scyences; as of astronomye, nigromancye, geomancye, pyromancye, ydromancye, of augurye and of many other scyences. And everyche of hem han before hem astrolabes of gold; sum speres, summe the brayn panne of a ded man, summe vesselles of gold fulle of gravelle or sond, summe vesseles of gold fulle of coles brennynge, sume veselle of gold fulle of watre and of wyn and of oyle, and summe oriloges of gold, mad ful nobely and richely wroughte, and many other maner of instrumentes aftre hire sciences. And at certeyn houres, whan hem thinkethe time, thei seyn to certeyn officeres, that stonden before hem, ordeynd for the tyme, to fulfille hire commaudemenes, Makethe pees. And than seyn the officeres, Now pees lystenethe. And aftre that, seyth another of the philosophres, Every man do reverence, and enclyne to the emperour, that is Goddes sone and soverayn lord of alle the world; for now is tyme. And thanne every man bowethe his hed toward the erthe. And thanne commandethe the same philosophre azen, Stondethe up. And thei don so. And at another hour, seythe another philosophre, Puttethe zoure litille fynger in zoure eres. And anon thei don so. And at another hour, seythe another philosophre, Puttethe zoure honde before zoure mouthe. And anon thei don so. And at another hour, seithe another philosophre, Puttethe zoure honde upon zoure hede. And aftre that, he byddethe hem to don here hond a wey; and thei don so. And so from hour to hour, thei commanden certeyn thinges. And thei seyn, that tho thinges han dyverse significaciouns. And I asked hem prevyly, what tho thinges betokened. And on of the maistres told me, that the bowynge of the hed at that hour betokened this, that alle tho that boweden here hedes, scholden evere more aftre ben obeyssant and trewe to the emperour: and nevere for ziftes, ne for promys in no kynde, ben fals ne traytour unto him for gode ne evylle. And the puttynge of the litylle fynger in the ere, betokenethe, as thei seyn, that none of hem ne schalle not here speke no contrarious thing to the emperour, but that he schalle telle it anon to his conseille, or discovere it to sum men that wille make relacioun to the emperour; thoughe he were his fadre or brother or sone. And so forthe of alle other thtnges, that is don be the philosophres, thei tolde me the causes of many dyverse thinges. And trustethe righte wel in certyn, that no man dothe no thing to