The kingdom of Canapac, that is Egypt; and the
kingdom of Jerusalem, where that David and Solomon were kings;
And
the kingdom of Syria, of the which the city of Damascus was chief;
and the kingdom of Aleppo in the land of Mathe; and the kingdom
Arabia, that was to one of the three kings, that made offering to
our Lord, when he was born. And many other lands he holdeth in his
hand. And therewithal he holdeth caliphs, that is a full great
thing in their language, and it is as much to say as king.
And there were wont to be five soldans; but now there is no more
but he of Egypt. And the first soldan was Zarocon, that was of
Media, as was father to Saladin that took the Caliph of Egypt and
slew him, and was made soldan by strength. After that was Soldan
Saladin, in whose time the King of England, Richard the First, with
many other, kept the passage, that Saladin ne might not pass.
After Saladin reigned his son Boradin, and after him his nephew.
After that, the Comanians that were in servage in Egypt, felt
themselves that they were of great power, they chose them a soldan
amongst them, the which made him to be clept Melechsalan. And in
his time entered into the country of the kings of France Saint
Louis, and fought with him; and [the soldan] took him and
imprisoned him; and this [soldan] was slain by his own servants.
And after, they chose another to be soldan, that they clept
Tympieman; and he let deliver Saint Louis out of prison for a
certain ransom. And after, one of these Comanians reigned, that
hight Cachas, and slew Tympieman, for to be soldan; and made him be
clept Melechmenes. And after another that had to name Bendochdare,
that slew Melechmenes, for to be sultan, and clept himself
Melechdare. In his time entered the good King Edward of England
into Syria, and did great harm to the Saracens. And after, was
this soldan empoisoned at Damascus, and his son thought to reign
after him by heritage, and made him to be clept Melechsache; but
another that had to name Elphy, chased him out of the country and
made him soldan. This man took the city of Tripoli and destroyed
many of the Christian men, the year of grace 1289, and after was he
imprisoned of another that would be soldan, but he was anon slain.
After that was the son of Elphy chosen to be soldan, and clept him
Melechasseraff, and he took the city of Akon and chased out the
Christian men; and this was also empoisoned, and then was his
brother made soldan, and was clept Melechnasser. And after, one
that was clept Guytoga took him and put him in prison in the castle
of Mountroyal, and made him soldan by strength, and clept him
Melechadel; and he was of Tartary. But the Comanians chased him
out of the country, and did him much sorrow, and made one of
themself soldan, that had to name Lachin. And he made him to be
clept Melechmanser, the which on a day played at the chess, and his
sword lay beside him; and so befell, that one wrathed him, and with
his own proper sword he was slain. And after that, they were at
great discord, for to make a soldan; and finally they accorded to
Melechnasser, that Guytoga had put in prison at Mountroyal. And
this reigned long and governed so that his eldest son was chosen
after him, Melechmader, the which his brother let slay privily for
to have the lordship, and made him to be clept Melechmadabron, and
he soldan when I departed from those countries.
And wit ye well that the soldan may lead out of Egypt more than
20,000 men of arms, and out of Syria, and out of Turkey and out of
other countries that he holds, he may arrere more than 50,000. And
all those be at his wages, and they be always at him, without the
folk of his country, that is without number. And every each of
them hath by year the mountance of six score florins; but it
behoveth, that every of them hold three horses and a camel. And by
the cities and by towns be admirals, that have the governance of
the people; one hath to govern four, and another hath to govern
five, another more, and another well more. And as many taketh the
admiral by him alone, as all the other soldiers have under him; and
therefore, when the soldan will advance any worthy knight, he
maketh him an admiral. And when it is any dearth, the knights be
right poor, and then they sell both their horse and their harness.
And the soldan hath four wives, one Christian and three Saracens,
of the which one dwelleth at Jerusalem, and another at Damascus,
and another at Ascalon; and when them list, they remove to other
cities, and when the soldan will he may go to visit them. And he
hath as many paramours as him liketh. For he maketh to come before
him the fairest and the noblest of birth, and the gentlest damosels
of his country, and he maketh them to be kept and served full
honourably. And when he will have one to lie with him, he maketh
them all to come before him, and he beholdeth in all, which of them
is most to his pleasure, and to her anon he sendeth or casteth a
ring from his finger. And then anon she shall be bathed and richly
attired, and anointed with delicate things of sweet smell, and then
led to the soldan's chamber; and thus he doth as often as him list,
when he will have any of them.
And before the soldan cometh no stranger, but if he be clothed in
cloth of gold, or of Tartary or of Camaka, in the Saracens' guise,
and as the Saracens use.
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