100 FORTUNATUS.

thought, as he was now so much older and wiser than_ when he
was at Paris, he might go by himself, for Lord Loch Fitty was
at this time too old to bear fatigue. After he had, with great
trouble, got the consent of the Lady Cassandra, and made her
@ promise to stay away only two years, he made all things
ready for his journey ; and taking his lady into one of his
private rooms, he showed her three chests of gold. He told
her to keep one of these for herself, and take charge of the
other two for their sons, in case anything bad should happen
to him. He then led her back to the room where the whole
family were sitting, embraced them all tenderly one by one,
and set sail with a fair wind for Alexandria.

When Fortunatus came to this place, he was told it was the
custom to make a handsome present to the sultan; so he sent
him a piece of plate that cost five thousand pounds. ‘The
sultan was so much pleased with this, that he ordered a hundred
casks of spices to be given to Fortunatus in return. Fortunatus
sent these straight to the Lady Cassandra, with the kindest
letters, by the same ship that brought him, which was then
going back to Famagosta. Fortunatus soon told the sultan
that he wished to travel through his country by land; so the
sultan gave him such passports and letters as he might stand in
need of, to the other princes in those parts. He then bought a
camel, hired proper servants, and set off on his travels. He
went through Turkey, Persia, and from thence to Carthage ;
he next went into the country of Prester John, who rides upon
a white elephant, and has kings to wait on him. Fortunatus
made him some rich presents, and went on to Calcutta; and, in
coming back, he took Jerusalem in the way, and so came again
to Alexandria, where he had the good fortune to find the same
ship that had brought him, and to learn from the captain that
his wife and family were all in perfect health. The first thing
that he did was to pay a visit to his old friend the sultan.