or other manere frute. And he
takethe on; and than men zeven to the othere lordes, that ben aboute him.
For the custom is suche, that no straungere schalle come before him, but
zif he zeve hym sum manere thing, aftre the olde lawe, that seythe, _Nemo
accedat in conspectu meo vacuus_. And thanne the Emperour seythe to the
religious men, that thei withdrawe hem azen, that thei ne be hurt ne harmed
of the gret multytude of hors that comen behynde him. And also in the same
maner don the religious men, that dwellen there, to the Emperesses, that
passen by hem, and to his eldest sone; and to every of hem, thei presenten
frute.

And zee schulle undirstonde, that the people, that he hathe so many hostes
offe, abouten hym and aboute his wyfes and his sone, thei dwelle not
contynuelle with him: but alle weys, whan him lykethe, thei ben sent fore;
and aftre whan thei han don, thei retournen to hire owne housholdes; saf
only thei that ben dwellynge with hym in houshold, for to serven him and
his wyfes and his sones, for to governen his houshold. And alle be it, that
the othere ben departed fro him, aftre that thei han perfourmed hire
servyse, zit there abydethe contynuelly with him in court, 50000 men at
horse, and 200000 men a fote; with outen mynstrelles, and tho that kepen
wylde bestes and dyverse briddes, of the whiche I have tolde zou the nombre
before.

Undre the firmament, is not so gret a lord, ne so myghty, ne so riche, as
the gret Chane: nought Prestre Johan, that is Emperour of the highe Ynde,
ne the Sowdan of Babylone, ne the Emperour of Persye. Alle theise ne ben
not in comparisoun to the grete Chane; nouther of myght, ne of noblesse, ne
of ryaltee, ne of richesse: for in alle theise, he passethe alle erthely
princes. Wherfore it is gret harm, that he belevethe not feithfully in God.
And natheles he wil gladly here speke of God; and he suffrethe wel, that
Cristene men duelle in his lordschipe, and that men of his feythe ben made
Cristene men, zif thei wile, thorghe out alle his contree. For he
defendethe no man to holde no lawe, other than him lykethe.

In that contree, sum man hathe an 100 wyfes, summe 60, mo, somme lesse. And
thei taken the nexte of hire kyn, to hire wyfes, saf only, that thei out
taken hire modres, hire doughtres, and hire sustres on the fadir syde, of
another womman, thei may wel take; and hire bretheres wyfes also aftre here
dethe; and here step modres also in the same wyse.

Of the Lawe and