How the empyre of the great Caane is departed¹ into xii provinces & how that they do cast ensence in the fyre where the great Caane passeth through the cities & townes in worship of the Emperour.

THE land of the great Caane is departed in xii provinces, and euery province hath more than two thousande cities and townes. And when the Emperour rideth through the countrey, & he passeth through cities & townes, eche man maketh a fyre before his house, & caste therein ensence & other things that giue good smell to the Emperour. And if any man of relygion that are Christen men dwel nere as the Emperour cometh they mete him with procession, with crosse and holye water, and they singe, Veni creator spiritus with a loude voyce, and when he seeth them comming he commaundeth the lordes that they ride nere to him to make way that the religious men may come to him, and when he seeth the crosse, he doeth² of his hat that is made of precious stones and greate perles, & that hat is so riche that it is marvaile to tel, and then he enclineth to the crosse, & the prelate of the religious men sayth orisons before him and giveth him the benison³ with the crosse, and he enclineth to the benison ful devoutly, and then the prelate giveth him some fruite to the number of ix in a platter of gold,⁴ peares or apples or other fruite, & then the Emperour taketh one thereof and the other he giveth to his lordes, for the maner is such there, that no strange man shall come before the Emperour but he giue him somewhat, after the olde law that sayth, Non accedat in conspectu meo manis⁵ That is to say, No man come into my sight idle. And then y^e Emperour biddeth these religious men that they shall goe forth, so that the men of his hoste defyle them not, and those relygious men that dwell where the Empresse or the Emperours sonne cometh, they do in the same maner.

1: Partitioned.

2: Taketh off.

3: Blessing.

4: Others say silver.

5: Misprint for vacuus, empty-handed.