customs of the Tartarienes, duellynge in Chatay; and how
that men don, whan the Emperour schal dye, and how he schal be chosen.

[Sidenote: Cap. XXIII.] The folk of that contree usen alle longe clothes,
with outen furroures. And thei ben clothed with precious clothes of
Tartarye; and of clothes of gold. And here clothes ben slytt at the syde;
and thei ben festned with laces of silk. And thei clothen hem also with
pylches, and the hyde with outen. And thei usen nouther cappe ne hood. And
in the same maner as the men gon, the wommen gon; so that no man may unethe
knowe the men fro the wommen, saf only tho wommen, that ben maryed, that
beren the tokne upon hire hedes of a mannes foot, in signe that thei ben
undre mannes fote and undre subieccioun of man. And here wyfes ne dwelle
not to gydere but every of hem be hire self. And the husbonde may ligge
with whom of hem, that him lykethe. Everyche hathe his hous, bothe man and
womman. And here houses ben made rounde of staves; and it hathe a rounde
wyndowe aboven, that zevethe hem light, and also that servethe for
delyverance of smoke. And the helynge of here houses, and the wowes and the
dores ben alle of wode.

And whan thei gon to werre, thei leiden hire houses with hem, upon
chariottes; as men don tentes or pavyllouns. And thei maken hire fuyr, in
the myddes of hire houses. And thei han gret multytude of alle maner of
bestes, saf only of swyn: for thei bryngen non forthe. And thei beleeven
wel, o God, that made and formede alle thinges. And natheles zit han thei
ydoles of gold and sylver, and of tree, and of clothe. And to tho ydoles,
thei offren alle weys hyre first mylk of hire bestes, and also of hire
metes, and of hire drynkes, before thei eten. And thei offren often tymes
hors and bestes. And the clepen the God of Kynde, Yroga. And hire Emperour
also, what name that evere behave, thei putten evermore therto Chane. And
whan I was there, hire Emperour had to name Thiaut; so that he was clept
Thiaut Chane. And his eldeste sone was clept Tossue. And whanne he schalle
ben emperour, he schalle ben clept Tossue Chane. And at that tyme, the
Emperour hadde 12 sones, with outen him; that were named, Cuncy, Ordii,
Chahaday, Buryn, Negu, Nocab, Cadu, Siban, Cuten, Balacy, Babylan and
Garegan, And of his 3 wyfes, the firste and the pryncypalle, that was
Prestre Johnes doughtre, hadde to name Serioche Chan; and the tother Borak
Chan; and the tother Karanke Chan.

The folk of tha