rple
damask, lined with Scythian furs, in which I dressed myself to go to
court. On this occasion, I went in a coach and six, accompanied by four
noblemen and several other persons. The king himself did me the honour to
receive me, and conducted me into a magnificent apartment, where he
introduced me to two of his sons in presence of many nobles, knights, and
gentlemen of the court. A chair was placed for me in the middle of the
room; and when I offered to kneel on one knee while addressing the king,
his majesty had the goodness to insist that I should sit down in his
presence, which I did after some hesitation. I then gave a recital of all
that had occurred in my travels, with some account of the dominions of
Uzun-Hassan, and of the number of his forces, and of the empire and
manners of the Tartars. The king and his courtiers listened to me with
much attention during my whole speech, which lasted more than half an
hour. I then thanked his majesty for the present he had made me, and for
all his kindnesses to me, attributing his attentions to the esteem he
entertained for our illustrious republic. His majesty was pleased, by
means of an interpreter, to express great satisfaction at my safe arrival,
as he hardly expected I should ever have been able to return; and that he
was much pleased with the information I had given him respecting Uzun-
Hassan and the Tartars, which he believed to be more authentic than any
he had received before. After some other discourse, I was conducted to
the hall where the dinner was served; soon after which his majesty came
into the hall with his two sons, preceded by several trumpets. The king
sat down at the head of the table, having his two sons on his right hand;
the primate of the kingdom sat next on his majestys left, and I was
placed next the bishop. The remainder of the table was occupied by about
forty of the nobles. Each service was ushered in with the sound of
trumpets, and all the meats were served on large silver dishes.

After dinner, which lasted two hours, I rose to depart, and asked the
king if he had any farther orders to honour me with; when he was pleased
to say very graciously, that he charged me to assure the senate that his
most anxious desire was to cultivate perpetual friendship and good-will
with our illustrious republic, and he was pleased to make his sons
express the same friendly wishes. Having respectfully taken leave of the
king, I was conducted back to my lodging