sed in
Pegu, and in Florida.] This coach in their language is called Serrion. Very
great feasting and triumphing is many times before the king both of men and
women. This hath little force by sea, because he hath but very few ships.
He hath houses full of golde and siluer, and bringeth in often, but
spendeth very little, and hath the mines of rubies and saphires, and
spinelles. Neere vnto the palace of the king, there is a treasure
woonderfull rich; the which because it is so neere, he doth not account of
it: and it standeth open for all men to see in a great walled court with
two gates, which be alwayes open. There are foure houses gilded very
richly, and couered with lead: in euery one of them are Pagodes or Images
of huge stature and great value. In the first is the picture of a king in
golde with a crowne of golde on his head full of great rubies and saphires,
and about him there stand foure children of golde. In the second house is
the picture of a man in siluer, woonderfull great, and high as an house;
his foot is as long as a man, and he is made sitting, with a crowne on his
head very rich with stones. In the third house is the picture of a man
greater then the other, made of brasse, with a rich crowne on his head. In
the fourth and last house doth stand another, made of brasse, greater then
the other, with a crowne also on his head very rich with stones. In another
court not farre from this stand foure other Pagodes or idoles, maruellous
great, of copper, made in the same place where they do stand; for they be
so great that they be not to be remoued: they stand in foure houses gilded
very faire, and are themselues gilded all ouer saue their heads, and they
shew like a blacke Morian. Their expenses in gilding of their images are
wonderfull. The king hath one wife and aboue three hundred concubines, by
which they say he hath fourescore or fourescore and ten children. He
sitteth in iudgement almost euery day. [Sidenote: Paper of the leaues of a
tree.] They vse no speech, but giue vp their supplications written in the
leaues of a tree with the point of an yron bigger then a bodkin. These
leaues are an elle long, and about two inches broad; they are also double.
He which giueth in his supplication, doth stand in a place a little
distance off with a present. If his matter be liked of, the king accepteth
of his present, and granteth his request: if his sute he not liked of, he
returneth with his present; for the king will