whereunto our men answered him directly, and in few words: hereupon our men
presented some thing to the Emperour, by the chiefe Secretary, which at the
deliuery of it, put of his hat, being before all the time couered: and so
the Emperour hauing inuited them to dinner, dismissed them from his
presence: and going into the chamber of him that was Master of the Requests
to the Emperour, and hauing stayed there the space of two howres, at the
last, the Messenger commeth, and calleth them to dinner: they goe, and
being conducted into the golden Court, (for so they call it, although not
very faire) they finde the Emperour sitting vpon an high and stately seate,
apparelled with a robe of siluer, and with another Diademe on his head: our
men being placed ouer against him, sit downe: in the middes of the roome
stoode a mightie Cupboord vpon a square foote, whereupon stoode also a
round boord, in manner of a Diamond, broade beneath, and towardes the toppe
narrowe, and euery steppe rose vp more narrowe then another. Vpon this
Cupboorde was placed the Emperours plate, which was so much, that the very
Cupboord it selfe was scant able to sustaine the waight of it: the better
part of all the vessels, and goblets, was made of very fine gold: and
amongst the rest, there were foure pots of very large bignesse, which did
adorne the rest of the plate in great measure: for they were so high, that
they thought them at the least fiue foote long. There were also vpon this
Cupbord certaine siluer caskes, not much differing from the quantitie of
our Fyrkins, wherein was reserued the Emperours drinke: on each side of the
Hall stood foure Tables, each of them layde and couered with very cleane
table clothes, whereunto the company ascended by three steps or degrees:
all which were filled with the assemblie present: the ghests were all
apparelled with linnen without, and with rich skinnes within, and so did
notably set out this royall feast The Emperour, when hee takes any bread or
knife in his hand, doth first of all crosse himselfe vpon his forehead:
they that are in special fauour with the Emperour sit vpon the same bench
with him, but somewhat farre from him: and before the comming in of the