poorest seldom travelling with less than seven of these animals; by this
means, the prodigious train which attends the court appears to consist of
many more persons than it actually contains. When the king entered
Ecbatana, his suite consisted of about 2000 persons, but many left the
camp on the march, as it suited their fancy or convenience, and the king
never had above 500 horse along with him. The royal tents were
exceedingly beautiful and magnificent, and his bed was ornamented with
scarlet hangings. The merchants who attended the camp sold every thing at
a high price. All of our party were accommodated with tents, as we
belonged to the suite of the king, who often honoured us with an
invitation to supper, and at other times frequently sent us refreshments.
We were always treated with much civility, and never received any
injuries or affronts.

On the 31st of May the king encamped about fifteen miles from Tauris,
when a certain monk of the Boulonnois named Louis, who called himself
patriarch of Antioch, and envoy from the Duke of Burgundy, arrived at the
camp, attended by five horsemen. The king asked if we knew him, and we
accordingly told what we knew without dissimulation. Next day the king
gave him an audience, at which we were present by command. This patriarch
presented to the king three robes of gold tissue, three others of scarlet
silk, and some of fine cloth, and opened his commission, making many
great offers of service from his prince, and many fine promises in very
magnificent terms, which do not appear proper for me to repeat, and which
the king did not seem to care much about. We were all invited to dinner,
during which the king started many questions, to which he gave very
pertinent answers himself. After dinner we returned to our tents.

On the 2d of June we arrived at Tauris, in which place lodgings were
appointed for us. Six days afterwards, Uzun-Hassan sent for the patriarch
and us to court; and although he had three or four times informed me
already that I must prepare to return into Italy, leaving my colleague
Barbaro at his court, I could not reconcile myself to the journey, and
had done every thing in my power to put off my departure. When we went to
court, the king addressed himself first to the patriarch, whom he ordered
to return to his prince, and to say from him, that he, the king, would
very shortly declare war against the Turks, having already taken the
field with that view, and that