spital, of which there are many
in Quinsai, founded by the ancient kings, and endowed with large revenues:
But when they are well again, they must return to their labour.

I come next to speak of the palace of the late king Fanfur. His
predecessors caused a large park to be inclosed with high walls, ten miles
in circuit[10], and divided within into three parts. That in the middle was
entered by a gate leading to a range of large galleries or halls, whose
roofs were sustained by pillars finely wrought and painted, and richly
adorned with gold and azure. The smallest of these galleries was that
nearest the gate of entrance, and they gradually became larger and fairer
in succession, the most sumptuous being at the farthest end. The walls of
all these apartments were elegantly painted with the portraits and
histories of the former kings. Every year, on certain holidays dedicated to
the idols, Fanfur used to hold open court, on which occasion he feasted his
chief lords, the principal merchants, and rich artificers of Quinsai,
10,000 at a time in these halls, the feasts continuing for ten or twelve
successive days, with incredible magnificence, every guest using his utmost
endeavours to appear in the most pompous dresses. On one side of this
magnificent range of galleries, there was a wall dividing it from a great
cloistered court, having a terrace all round, set with pillars,
communicating with which were the chambers of the king and queen, all
curiously wrought, carved, gilded, and painted with the utmost splendour
and magnificence. From this cloister, a covered gallery, six paces wide,
extended a great length all the way to the lake; and on each side of this
gallery there were ten courts, answering to each other like cloisters, each
having fifty chambers with their gardens, and in these there were 1000
concubines for the kings service. Sometimes with the queen, and sometimes
with these concubines, the king used to go in his barge for recreation on
the lake, or to visit the idol temples. The rest of the great inclosure was
divided into graves, lakes, and gardens, in which all sorts of beasts of
chase were kept, as stags, roebucks, hares, conies, and others, and there
the king used to divert himself with his damsels, in chariots, or on
horseback, no man being allowed to enter there. In this place the ladies
hunted with dogs, and when wearied with sport they retired into the groves,
and throwing off their garments, came forth n