Besides, this volary was so exceedingly neat, that, considering
its extent, one would think there could not be less than an
hundred persons to keep it so clean as it was; but all this while
not one soul appeared, either here or in the gardens where I had
been, and yet I could not perceive a weed or any superfluous
thing there. The sun went down, and I retired, being perfectly
charmed with the chirping notes of the multitude of birds, which
then began to perch upon such places as were convenient for them
to repose on during the night. I went to my chamber, resolving to
open all the rest of the doors the day following, except the
golden one.
I failed not to open a fourth door next day, and if what I had
seen before was capable of surprising me, that which I saw then
put me into a perfect ecstasy. I went into a large court,
surrounded with buildings of an admirable structure, the
description of which I shall pass by to avoid prolixity. This
building had forty doors, wide open, and through each of them
there was an entrance into a treasury, several of which were of
greater value than the largest kingdoms. The first contained
heaps of pearls; and, what is almost incredible, the number of
these stones, which are most precious, and as large as pigeons'
eggs, exceeded the number of those of the ordinary size: in the
second treasury there were diamonds, carbuncles, and rubies: in
the third there were emeralds: in the fourth there were ingots of
gold: in the fifth, money: in the sixth, ingots of silver: in the
two following there was also money.
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