The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of the English Nation, vol 9 | Page 4

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 that contree begynnen alle hire thinges in the newe mone:

and thei worschipen moche the mone and the sonne, and often tyme
knelen azenst hem. And alle the folk of the contree ryden comounly
with outen spores: but thei beren alle weys a lytille whippe in hire
hondes, for to chacen with hire hors. And thei had gret conscience, and
holden it for a gret synne, to casten a knyf in the fuyr, and for to drawe
flessche out of a pot with a knyf, and for to smyte an hors with the
handille of a whippe, or to smyte an hors with a brydille, or to breke o
bon with another, or for to caste mylk or ony lykour, that men may
drynke, upon the erthe, or for to take and sle lytil children. And the
moste synne, that ony man may do, is to pissen in hire houses, that thei
dwellen in. And who so that may be founden with that synne, sykerly
thei slen hym. And of everyche of theise synnes, it behovethe hem to
ben schryven of hire prestes, and to paye gret somme of silver for hire
penance. And it behovethe also, that the place, that men han pissed in,
be halewed azen; and elles dar no man entren there inne. And whan thei
han payed hire penance, men maken hem passen thorghe a fuyr or
thorghe 2, for to clensen hem of hire synnes. And also whan ony
messangere comethe and bryngethe lettres or ony present to the
Emperour, it behovethe him, that he with the thing that he bryngethe,
passe thorghe 2 brennynge fuyres, for to purgen hem, that he brynge no
poysoun ne venym, ne no wykked thing, that myght be grevance to the
lord. And also, zif ony man or womman be taken in avowtery or
fornycacyoun, anon thei sleen him. Men of that contree ben alle gode
archeres, and schooten right welle, bothe men and women, als wel on
hors bak, prykynge, as on fote, rennynge. And the wommen maken alle
thinges and alle maner mysteres and craftes; as of clothes, botes and
other thinges; and thei dryven cartes, plowes and waynes and chariottes;
and thei maken houses and alle maner of mysteres, out taken bowes and
arwes and armures, that men maken. And alle the wommen weren
breech, as wel as men. Alle the folk of that contree