ar on the
anniversary of the birth of Jesus the king gives a great entertainment
there. And in that place men from all the races of the world come
before the king and queen with jugglery and without jugglery, and they
introduce lions, leopards, bears, and wild asses, and they engage them
in combat with one another; and the same thing is done with birds. No
entertainment like this is to be found in any other land.

This King Emanuel built a great palace for the seat of his Government
upon the sea-coast, in addition to the palaces which his fathers
built, and he called its name Blachernae[45]. He overlaid its columns
and walls with gold and silver, and engraved thereon representations
of the battles before his day and of his own combats. He also set up a
throne of gold and of precious stones, and a golden crown was
suspended by a gold chain over the throne, so arranged that he might
sit thereunder[46].

[p.22]

It was inlaid with jewels of priceless value, and at night time no
lights were required, for every one could see by the light which the
stones gave forth. Countless other buildings are to be met with in the
city. From every part of the empire of Greece tribute is brought here
every year, and they fill strongholds with garments of silk, purple,
and gold. Like unto these storehouses and this wealth, there is
nothing in the whole world to be found. It is said that the tribute of
the city amounts every year to 20,000 gold pieces, derived both from
the rents of shops and markets, and from the tribute of merchants who
enter by sea or land.

The Greek inhabitants are very rich in gold and precious stones, and
they go clothed in garments of silk with gold embroidery, and they
ride horses, and look like princes. Indeed, the land is very rich in
all cloth stuffs, and in bread, meat, and wine.

[p.23]

Wealth like that of Constantinople is not to be found in the whole
world. Here also are men learned in all the books of the Greeks, and
they eat and drink every man under his vine and his fig-tree.

They hire from amongst all nations warriors called Loazim (Barbarians)
to fight with the Sultan Masud[47], King of the Togarmim (Seljuks),
who are called Turks; for the natives are not warlike, but are as
women who have no strength to fight.

No Jews live in the city, for they have been placed behind an inlet of
the sea. An arm of the sea of Marmora shuts them in on the one side,
and they are unable to go out except by wa