Of a certaine riche man, who is fed and nourished by 50 virgins.
WHILE I was in the province of Mancy, I passed by the palace of a certaine famous man, which hath fifty virgin damosels continually attending upon him, feeding him euery meale as a bird feeds her yoong ones. Also he hath sundry kinds of meat served in at his table and three dishes of ech kinde: and when the said virgins feed him, they singe most sweetly. This man hath in yeerely revenues thirty thuman of tagars of rise, euery of which thuman yeeldeth tenne thousand tagars, and one tagar is the burthen of an asse. His palace is two miles in circuit, the pavement thereof is one plate of golde and another of silver. Neere unto the wall of the sayd palace there is a mount artificially wrought with golde and silver, whereupon stand turrets and steeples, and other delectable things for the solace and recreation of the foresayd great man. And it was tolde me that there were foure such men in the sayd kingdome. It is accounted a great grace for the men of that countrey to haue long nailes upon their fingers, and especially upon their thumbes which nailes they may folde about their handes: but the grace and beauty of their women is to haue small and slender feet: and therefore the mothers when their daughters are yoong, do binde up their feete that they may not grow great. Travelling on further towards the South, I arrived at a certain countrey called Melistorte, which is a pleasant and fertile place. In this countrey was a certain aged man called Senex de monte, who round about two mountaines had built a wall to inclose the said mountaines. Within this wall there were the fairest and most chrystall fountaines in the whole world: and about the sayd fountaines there were the most beautifull virgins in great number, and goodly horses also, and in a word, euery thing that could be devised for bodily solace and delight, and therefore the inhabitants of the countrey call the same place by the name of Paradise. The olde Senex, when he saw any proper and valiant yoong man, he would admit him into his paradise. Moreover by certain conducts he makes wine and milke to flow abundantly. This Senex when he hath a minde to revenge himselfe or to slay any king or baron, commandeth him who is governor of the sayd paradise, to bring thereunto some of the acquaintance of the sayd king or baron, permitting him a while to take his pleasure therein, and then to give him a certaine potion being of force, to cast him into such a slumber as should make him quite voide of all sense, and so being in a profound sleepe to convey him out of his paradise: who being awakened and seeing himselfe thrust out of the paradise, would become so sorrowfull, that he could not in the world devise what to do, or whither to turne him. Then would he goe unto the foresaid old man, beseeching him that he might be admitted again into his paradise, who saith unto him, You cannot be admitted thither, unlesse you will slay such or such a man for my sake, & if you will giue the attempt onely, whether you kill him or no, I will place you againe in paradise, that there you may remain always: then would the party without faile put the same in execution, indevouring to murther all those against whom the old man had conceived any hatred. And therefore all the kings of the east stood in awe of the sayd olde man, and gaue unto him great tribute.