the throne , though not in its usual place , was nothing to be scoffed at , as the crest on its back rose to the height of 5 meters ; the seat , too , was a meter and a half above the ground , requiring a small staircase by which the patriarch could ascend ; the plush of its cushions had been stuffed excessively so as to make the king appear taller when he sat in its seat : their soft material was of a honeybee yellow and the armrests were black , matching of course the colors of the floors ; the arm rests were set so wide that they required a king of enormous girth to be of any relevant utility : at their widest point , they measured 3 meters across .