Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
The Gaelic Maundeville (Author: John Maundeville)

paragraph 203

There are four thousand barons arranging each of these feasts and attending on Magnus Khan, and on the head of each of these barons is a crown of gold full of precious stones and pearls. And each of them wears clothes of gold, and they hold those clothes cheaper than clothes of wool in our country. And these four thousand barons are divided, and there is a different colour on the raiment of each thousand, and when the

p.271

first thousand goes with service to the Emperor, they withdraw on their own side. And the second thousand come and leave fresh service with the emperor and withdraw to another part of the hall. And the third thousand and the fourth thousand do like the first; and not one of the four parties speaks a single word.