Of a rych man that is neyther king, prince, duke nor erle.

AND from this men go ten journeys through the land of the great Caan, which is a full good yle & a great kingdom & the king is ful mighty. And in this yle is a rich man which is no king, prince, Duke nor Erle, but he hath eche yere cccc¹ thousand horses charged² with ryce and corne, and he hath a noble & a rich life after the maner of the countrey, for he hath L damosels that serve him every day at his meate & bed and do what he wil. And when he sytteth at the table they bring him meat, & at eche time fiue meates togither, and they sing in the bringing a song, and they cut his meate and put it in his mouth, and he hath righte long nayles on his hands, that is a great nobility in that countrey & therefore they let theyr nayles grow as long as they may,³ and some let them growe so long that they come about theyr handes and y^t is a great nobility & gentry, and the gentry of a woman is to haue small fete, and therefore anon as they are borne, they binde their feete so straight that they cannot wax halfe as they shoulde. And he hath a full faire palaice, & rich, wher he dwelleth, of which the wall is two myle about, & there is many faire gardeins, and all the pavement of the hal, & chambres, is of gold & silver, and in the midst of one of these gardeins is a lyttle hyl, whereon is a place made wyth toures and pynacles all of golde, and there he wyll syt often to take the ayer and disport, for it is made for nothing else. From this land men may go through y^e land of the great Caane.

1: Other editions say 300,000.

2: Loaded.

3: Similar to the Chinese custom of the upper classes.