Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Pages ...
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
32 VOYAGES OF SIR HUGH WILLOUGHBY AND OTHERS,
have dafhed them out of countenance: but notwithftanding Mafter Chancelor being
therewithal nothing difmayed, faluted and did his duty to the emperor, after the man-
ner of England, and withal delivered unto him the letters of our king, Edward the
fixth. The emperor having taken and read the letters, began alittle to queftion with
them, and to afk them of the welfare of our king: whereunto our men anfwered him
dire@ly, and in few words: hereupon our men prefented fomething to the emperor,
by the chief fecretary, which at the delivery of it, put off his hat, being afore all the
time covered: and fo the emperor having invited them to dinner, difmifled them from
-his prefence: and going into the chamber of him that was mailer of the requelts to
the emperor, and having ftaid there the pace of two houis, at the laft the meflenger
cometh, and calleth them to dinner: they go, and being conducted into the golden
court, (for fo they call it, although not very fair,) they find the emperor fitting upon
an high and ftately feat, apparelled with a robe of filver, and with another diadem on
his head : our men being placed over againit him, fit down: in the midft of the room
ftood a mighty cupboard upon a fquare foot, whereupon {todd alfo a round board, in
manner of adiamond, broad beneath, and towards the top narrow, and every ftep rofe
up more narrow than another. Upon this cupboard was placed the emperor’s plate,
which was fo much, that the very cupboard itfelf was fcant able to fuftain the weight of
it: the better part of all the veffels, and goblets, was made of very fine gold: and
among the reft, there were four pots of very large bignefs, which did adorn the reft of
the plate in great meafure: for they were fo high, that they thought them at the leaft
five feet long. ‘There were alfo upon this. cupboard certain filver cafks, not much
differing from the quantity of our firkins, wherein was referved the emperor’s drink:
~ on each fide of the hall ftocd four tables each of them laid and covered with very clean
table cloths, whereunto the company afcended by three fteps or degrees: all which
were filled with the aflembly prefent: the guefts were all apparelled with linen without,
and with rich {kins within, and fo did notably fet out this royal feaft. "The emperor,
when he takes any bread or knife in his hand, doth firft of all crofs himfelf upon his
forehead: they that arein fpecial favour with the emperor fit upon the fame bench with
him, but fomewhat far from him: and before the coming in of the meat, the emperor
himfelf, according to an ancient cuftom of the kings of Mofeovy, doth firft beflow a
piece of bread upon every one of his guefts, witha loud pronunciation of his ttle, and
honour, in this manner; the great duke of Mofcovy, and chief emperor of Ruflia,
John Bafiliwich (and then the officer nameth the gueft) doth give thee bread. Where-
upon all the guefts rife up, and by and by fit down again. This done the gentleman
ufher of the hall comes in with a notable company of fervants, carrying the difhes, and
having done his reverence to the emperor puts a young {wan in a golden platter upon
the table, and immediately takes it thence again, delivering it to the carver, and feven
other of his fellows, to be cut up: which being performed, the meat is then diftributed .
to the guells, withthe. like pomp and ceremonies. Jn the mean time, the gentleman
ufher receives his bread, and tafteth to the emperor, and afterward, having done his
reverence, he departeth. ‘Touching the reft of the difhes, becaufe they were brought in
out of order, our men can report no certainty: but this is true, that all the furniture of
difhes, and drinking veffels, which were then for the ufe of a hundred guelts, wes all of
pure gold, and the tables were fo laden with veffels of gold, that there was no room
for fome to ftand upon them.
We may-not forgot that there were one hundred and forty fervitors arrayed in cloth
of gold, that in the dinner time changed thrice their habit and apparel, which fervitors
3 are
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
