Carp. 625, 741; Makrizi, I. 214; Mel.
Asiat. Ac. St. Petersb. II. 660; The Siberian Overland Route, p. 97;
P. Della Valle, II. 171.)
[Mr. Rockhill writes (Rubruck, p. 104): "The same custom existed among
the Fijians, I believe. I may note that it also prevailed in ancient
China. It is said of Confucius 'when he was standing he did not occupy the
middle of the gate-way; when he passed in or out, he did not tread on the
threshold.' (Lun-yue, Bk. X. ch. iv. 2.) In China, the bride's feet must
not touch the threshold of the bridegroom's house, (Cf. Denny's Folk-lore
in China, p. 18.)
"The author of the Ch'ue keng lu mentions also the athletes with clubs
standing at the door, at the time of the khan's presence in the hall. He
adds, that next to the Khan, two other life-guards used to stand, who held
in their hands 'natural' axes of jade (axes found fortuitously in the
ground, probably primitive weapons)." (Palladius, p. 43.) - H. C.]
NOTE 5. - Some of these etiquettes were probably rather Chinese than
Mongol, for the regulations of the court of Kublai apparently combined the
two. In the visit of Shah Rukh's ambassadors to the court of the Emperor
Ch'eng Tsu of the Ming Dynasty in 1421, we are told that by the side of
the throne, at an imperial banquet, "there stood two eunuchs, each having
a band of thick paper over his mouth, and extending to the tips of his
ears.... Every time that a dish, or a cup of darassun (rice-wine) was
brought to the emperor, all the music sounded." (N. et Ext. XIV. 408,
409.) In one of the Persepolitan sculptures, there stands behind the King
an eunuch bearing a fan, and with his mouth covered; at least so says
Heeren. (Asia, I. 178.)
NOTE 6. - "Jongleours et entregetours de maintes plusieurs manieres de
granz experimenz" (P.); "de Giuculer et de Tregiteor" (G. T.). Ital.
Tragettatore, a juggler; Romance, Trasjitar, Tragitar, to juggle. Thus
Chaucer: -
"There saw I playing Jogelours,
Magiciens, and Tragetours,
And Phetonisses, Charmeresses,
Old Witches, Sorceresses," etc.
- House of Fame, III. 169.
And again: -
"For oft at festes have I wel herd say,
That Tregetoures, within an halle large,
Have made come in a water and a barge,
And in the halle rowen up and doun.
Somtime hath semed come a grim leoun;
* * * * *
Somtime a Castel al of lime and ston,
And whan hem liketh, voideth it anon."
- The Franklin's Tale, II. 454.
Performances of this kind at Chinese festivities have already been spoken
of in note 9 to ch. lxi. of Book I. Shah Rukh's people, Odoric, Ysbrandt
Ides, etc., describe them also. The practice of introducing such
artistes into the dining-hall after dinner seems in that age to have
been usual also in Europe. See, for example, Wright's Domestic Manners,
pp. 165-166, and the Court of the Emperor Frederic II., in Kington's
Life of that prince, I. 470.
