hidouse to loken on: for thei
ben horned; and thei speken nought, but thei gronten, as pygges. And there
is also gret plentee of wylde Houndes. And there ben manye popegayes, that
thei clepen psitakes in hire langage: and thei speken of hire propre
nature, and salven men that gon thorghe the desertes, and speken to hem als
appertely, as thoughe it were a man. And thei that speken wel, han a large
tonge, and han 5 toos upon a Fote. And there ben also of other manere, that
han but 3 toos upon a fote; and thei speken not, or but litille: for thei
cone not but cryen.

This Emperour Prestre John, whan he gothe in to battaylle, azenst ony other
Lord, he hathe no baneres born before him: but he hathe 3 crosses of gold,
fyn, grete and hye, fulle of precious stones: and every of the crosses ben
sett in a chariot, fulle richely arrayed. And for to kepen every cros, ben
ordeyned 10000 men at Armes, and mo than 100000 men on Fote, in maner as
men wolde kepe a Stondard in oure Contrees, whan that wee ben in lond of
werre. And this nombre of folk is with outen the pryncipalle Hoost, and
with outen Wenges ordeynd for the bataylle. And he hathe no werre, but
ridethe with a pryvy meynee, thanne he hathe bore before him but o cross of
tree, with outen peynte peynture, and with outen gold or silver or precious
stones; in remembrance, that Jesus suffred dethe upon a cros of tree. And
he hathe born before him also a plater of gold fulle of erthe, in tokene
that his noblesse and his myghte and his flessche schalle turnen to erthe.
And he hathe born before him also a vesselle of silver, fulle of noble
jewelles of gold fulle riche, and of precious stones, in tokene of his
lordschipe and of his noblesse and of his myght. He duellethe comounly in
the cytee of Suse; and there is his principalle palays, that is so riche
and so noble, that no man wil trowe it by estymacioun, but he had seen it.
And aboven the chief tour of the palays, ben 2 rounde pomeles of gold; and
in everyche of hem ben 2 carboncles grete and large, that schynen fulle
brighte upon the nyght. And the principalle zates of his palays ben of
precious ston, that men clepen sardoyne: and the bordure and the barres ben
of ivorye: and the wyndowes of the halles and chambres ben of cristalle:
and the tables where on men eten, somme ben of emeraudes, summe of amatyst
and summe of gold, fulle of precious stones; and the pileres, that beren up
the tables, ben of the same precious stones. An