Page 130 - Child's own book

were fixed on my legs, the cords that bound me were cut, and
I was allowed to get u p ; but the astonishment of (he people on
seeing me rise and walk, is not to be expressed*
When I was upon my feet, the emperor advanced on horse­
back ; but the animal on which he rode, terrified at seeing a
mountain, as it were, moving before him, plunged and ran
back. His majesty therefore dismounted, and surveyed me
round with great admiration, but kept beyond the length of my
chain. The empress and young princes* of the Mood-royal sat
in chairs near the ^infcror, who was taller than any one present
by half the breadth of my nail. The fashion of his dress was
between the Asiatic and European. He wore on his head
a helmet of gold, adorned with jewels* and a plume of feathers,
and hiJd in his hand n drawn sword about three inches long,
whose hilt was enriched with diamonds.
Towards night, I got with some difficulty into my house,
where I Jay on the ground, till the emperor gave orders to have
a bed prepared for mu. Six hundred of (heir beds wore brought,
of which one hundred and fifty were sewn together to make
the breadth and length, and these were four double. By the
same computation they provided me with sheets, blankets, and
coverlets, tolerable enough for one who bad been so long inured
to hardships. Meantime an imperial commission was issued
out, obliging all the villages nine hundred yards round the
city, to deliver every morning, six beeves, forty sheep, and
other victuals for my sustenance, together with a proportionable
quantity of bread and wine, and other Jiquors; for (he due
payment of which his majesty gave assignments upon his
treasury. An establishment was also made of six hundred
persons to be my domestics, who had tents built for them very
conveniently on each side of my door* Tt was likewise ordered
that three hundred tailors should make me a suit of clothes