IIIF Color HighRes
National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
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| IIIF Color HighRes |
| Cathay and the Way Thither : vol.2 |
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Citation Information
340 RECOLLECTIONS OF TRAVEL IN THE EAST,
and treated us with the greatest honour.' And when I entered the Kaam's presence it was in full festival vestments, with a very fine cross carried before me, and candles and incense, whilst Credo in Union Deum was chaunted, in that glorious palace where he dwells. And when the chaunt was ended I bestowed a full benediction, which he received with
all humility.
And so we were dismissed to one of the Imperial apartments which had been most elegantly fitted up for us ; and two princes were appointed to attend to all our wants. And this they did in the most liberal manner, not merely as regards meat and drink, but even down to such things as paper for lanterns, whilst all necessary servants also were detached from the Court to wait upon us. And so they tended us for nearly four years,2 never failing to treat us with unbounded respect. And I should add that they kept us and all our establishment clothed in costly raiment. And considering that we were thirty-two persons, what the Kaam expended for everything on our account must have amounted, as well
1 It is pleasing to find that though our legate has no place in the Chinese Annals, the " great horses" (dextrarii), which he took with him, have. Under our year 1342 it is recorded that there were presented to the emperor horses of the kingdom of Fulang (Farang, Europe), of a race till then unknown in China. One of these horses was eleven feet six inches in length and six feet eight inches high, and was black all over, except the hind feet, which were white. This present was highly esteemed. (De 3V ailla, ix, 579, and Gaubil, Hist. de Gentchis Can, etc., p. 279.) Indeed Gaubil tells us in another work, " In the Imperial Palace is preserved with care a picture in which Shunti, the last emperor of the Yuen dynasty, is represented on a fine horse, of which all the dimensions are detailed. It is remarked that this horse was presented to Shunti by a foreigner of the kingdom of France" (! No, Père Gaubil, non a Francia sed a Fran-quia !) See Tr. de la Chronol. Chin., p. 186. This vast animal was surely the prototype of the Destrier, which Mr. Millais painted under Sir Ysen-
bras some years ago.
2 Annos quasi quatuor, whilst a little below he speaks of residing in Cambalec annis quasi tribus. It is possible that the first expression includes the whole time up to his embarking for India, but it cannot be deter-
mined.
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