see time, they say to men that stand before them, make peace, and then saye those men with a loude voyce to all the hall, now be styll awhile, and then saith one of the philosophers, eche man make reverence and encline to the Emperour, that is Gods sonne, and lorde of the worlde, for now is time and houre, and then all men enclyne to him, and knele on the earth, and then the Phylosopher biddeth them rise up againe. And at another houre another philosopher biddeth them put their fingers in theyr eares and they do so, and at another houre another philosopher biddeth that all men shall laye their hande on their heads, and they do so, and then he biddeth them take them away and they doe so, and thus from houre to houre they bid divers thinges. And I asked privily what it shoulde meane and one of the masters said that the enclining and the kneling on the earth at that time hath this token, that all those men that kneled so shall evermore be true to the Emperour, that for no gift nor thretning they shal never be traitours nor false to him and the putting of the finger in the eare hath this token, that none of those shall here any yll spoken of the Emperour or his counsayll. And ye shall understande that men dight nothing, as clothes, bread, drinke nor no such things to the Emperour but at certaine hours that the Philosophers tell, and if any man reyse war against the Emperour in what countrey so ever it bee these Philosophers know it sone, & tell y^e Emperour or his counsail and he sendeth men thether, for he hath many men. Also he hath many men that kepeth birdes, as gerfaukons[6], sperhaukes,[7] faucons,[8] gentils,[9] lavers, sacres,[10] popyniaye[11] that can speake, and many other, ten thousande olyphants, baboynes, marmosets and other and he hath ever aboute him many Physicions more than two hundred that are Christen men & xx sarasyns, but yet he trusteth more to Christen men than in Sarasyns. And there is in that countrey many Sarasins and other Servaunts that are Christen and converted to the faith, through preching of good Christen men that dwel there, but there are many that will not that men[12] wete that they are Christen. [Footnote 1: A rich silken or thread stuff.] [Footnote 2: Necromancy, or foretelling events by pretended communion with the dead.] [Footnote 3: Divination by fire.] [Footnote 4: An astronomical instrument.] [Footnote 5: Timepieces.] [Footnote 6: Girfalcons.] [Footnote 7: Sparrowhawks.] [Footnote 8: Falcons.] [Footnote 9: Gentles.] [Footnote 10: Sakers or Peregrine hawks.] [Footnote 11: Parrots.] [Footnote 12: Will not let men know.] CAP. LXXII. _Of the great ryches of the Emperour and of his dispending._