gers in your eares: and foorthwith againe he
saieth; Plucke them out. Againe, at the third point he crieth, Boult this
meale. Many other circumstances also doe they performe, all which they say
haue some certaine signification: howbeit, neither would I write them, nor
giue any heed vnto them, because they are vaine and ridiculous. And when
the musicians hower is come, then the Philosophers say, Solemnize a feast
vnto your Lord: with that all of them sound their instruments, making a
great and a melodious noyse. And immediately another crieth, Peace, peace,
and they are all whist. Then come the women-musicians and sing sweetly
before the Emperour, which musike was more delightfull vnto me. After them
come in the lions and doe their obeisance vnto the great Can. Then the
iuglers cause golden cups full of wine to flie vp and downe in the ayre,
and to apply themselues vnto mens mouthes that they may drinke of them.
These and many other strange things I sawe in the court of the great Can,
which no man would beleeue vnlesse he had seen with his owne eies, and
therefore I omit to speake of them. [Sidenote: A lambe in a gourd.] I was
informed also by certaine credible persons, of another miraculous thing,
namely, that in a certaine kingdome of the sayd Can, wherein stand the
mountains called Kapsei (the kingdomes name is Kalor) there grewe great
Gourds or Pompions, which being ripe, doe open at the tops, and within them
is found a little beast like vnto a yong lambe, euen as I my selfe haue
heard reported, that there stand certaine trees vpon the shore of the Irish
sea, bearing fruit like vnto a gourd, which, at a certaine time of the
yeere doe fall into the water, and become birds called Bernacles, and this
is most true. [Footnote: This report is first found in the writings of
Giraldus Cambreusis, tutor to King John.]

Of diuers prouinces and cities.

And after three yeeres I departed out of the empire of Cataie, trauailing
fiftie dayes iourney towards the West. [Sidenote: His returne Westward.]
And at length I came vnto the empire of Pretegoani, whose principall citie
is Kosan, which hath many other cities vnder it. [Sidenote: Casan] From
thence passing many dayes trauell, I came vnto a prouince called Casan,
which is for good commodities, one of the onely prouinces vnder the Sunne,
and is very well inhabited, insomuch that when we depart out of the gates
of one city we may beholde the gates of another city, as I my selfe sa