gette victuals by this meanes all are damned vnto Hell. To this banket there is conuited the maisters and ministers of the Idols the inchanters and women that serue in the temple of that Idoll And before they sitte downe to the Table they doe sprincle the broath aboute the house singing and daunsing in the honor of that Idoll And they doe aske the Idoll if he haue forgiuen the sicke man And sometimes the Féende aunswereth that there lacketh such or suche a thing whiche immediately they do prouide and when he answereth that he is pardoned then they do sitte downe to eate and to drinke that sacrifice which is drest with spices and this done they go vnto his house with great ioy If the paciente heale it is good for him but if he dye it is an euerlasting payne for him and if he recouer they do beléeue that the diuelishe Idol hath healed him and if he die they say that the cause of his deathe was for the greate offence that he had done vnto him and so they be lost as brute beasts in all that Countrey Of another Prouince named Machay where there be Vnicornes Elephants and wilde Beastes with many other strange things CHAP. 83. GOing from the Prouince of Charian you go downe a greate penet or hill whiche endureth two dayes iourney without any habitation sauing one towne where they doe kéepe holyday three dayes in the wéeke There they doe take a Sazo of golde for fyue of siluer And past these two dayes iourney you doe comâ— vnto the prouince named Machay whyche lyeth towardes the midde daye or South adioyning vnto the Indias and through this prouince you trauell fiftéene dayes iourney through deserte mountaines where there be many Elephants and other wilde beastes for that the countrey is not inhabited Also there is found Vnicornes When they wil take any Elephant the do compasse him with dogges and so they do hunt him that they make him wearie and so he is faine to rest for wearinesse and his resting is leaning vnto a great trée for that he hath no ioyntes in hys knées so that he can not lye downe nor rise vp The Masties dare not come neare him but barke at him aloofe the Elephante hath neuer his eye off those Masties and then those that be expert and hunt him hurle Dartes and to kil him In this countrey is much gold and silke Of a prouince named Cinguy and of the Citie named Cancasu CHAP. 84. BEyond this prouince Machay there is another prouince named Cinguy and trauelling foure dayes iourney in it you passe manye Cities and townes and at these four daies iournyes ende standeth a greate Citie named Cancasu being verye noble situated towards the mydday or South and this is of the streight of Cataya In thys Citie there is wroughte cloth of Golde and silke greate plentie Of the Citie named Cianglu CHAP. 85. FRom this Citie trauelling fiue dayes iourney you come vnto another Citie named Cianglu which is very noble and great situated towards the midday or south and it is of the streight of Cataya here is made greate plentie of salte and there runneth through this countrey a very great riuer that vp and down this riuer there trauell many ships with merchaundise Of the Citie named Candrafra and of the Citie named Singuymata CHAP. 86. SIxe dayes iourney beyonde the Citie named Cianglu towards the midday of south you come vnto a Citie named Candrafra the which had vnder it before the greate Cane did conquere it twelue Cities In the couÌ„tries aboute this Citie there be faire Gardens and good grounde for corne and silke and beyonde this Citie thrée dayes iourney towards the midday or south there standeth a fayre Citie named Singuymata which hath a great riuer that the Citizens made in two parts the one way runneth towards the east and the other towardes the Occident or Weast through Cataya and vppon this riuer there sayle shippes with Merchaundises in number incredible Of the Riuer Coromoran and of the Citie Choygamum and of another Citie named Cayni CHAP. 87. GOing from Singuymata seuentéen dayes iourney towards the midday or south you passe throughe manye Cities and townes in the whiche there is greate traffique of Merchaundise The people of this countrey are subiectes vnder the greate Cane Their language is Persian and they do honour Idols At the seauentéen dayes iourneys ende there is a greate riuer that commeth from the Countrey of Prester Iohn which is named Coromoran hauing a myle in bredth and it is so déepe that there may sayle any great vessel laden with Merchandise Vpon this riuer the great Cane hath fiftéene great ships for to passe his people vnto his Idols that are in the Occean seas euery shippe of these hath fiftéene horses and fiftéene mariners and al victuals necessarie Vpon this riuer there straÌ„deth two Cities one on the one side and the other one the other The biggest of them in named Choyganguy and the other Caycu and they be both a dayes iourney from the sea Of the noble prouince named Mangi and of many maruellous things that were there and how it was brought vnder the great Canes gouernaunce CHAP. 80. PAssing the saide riuer you enter into the prouince of Mangi where raigneth a king named Fucusur of more power and riches than any King in the worlde sauing the great Cane In this realme there be no men of warre nor horses for the wars for it is situated strongly in a place compassed rounde about with many waters And rounde about his Cities and townes there be verye déepe ditches and caues being brode and full of water The people of this countrey are giuen to féeblenâ—sse they do liue delicately if they were giuen to warres and feats of armes all the worlde could not conquere the prouince of Mangi This king of Mangi was very leacherous but hée had in himselfe two good properties the one was that he maintayned his realme in great iustice and peace that euery one remayned in his place and both day and nighte you myght traffique and trauell surely the other propertie was that he was verye pitifull and did greate almes vnto the poore and euerie yeare he brought vppe twentye poore striplings and he gaue them as sonnes and heires vnto his Barrons and knightes In his Courte he hadde alwayes tenne thousande Squires that serued hym It fortuned that in the yeare of our Lord .1267 Cublay Cane got perforce the countrey of Mangi and the sayde king of this prouince fledde with .1000 shippes vnto his Ilandes that were in the Occean Sea â–ª He lefte the principall Citie of his prouince Mangi named Gaissay vnder the guiding of his Quéene and when she knew that there was entred into hir land Baylayncon Can a Tartarous name which is as much to say in Englishe as a hundreth eyes a Captaine belonging to the greate Cane with a greate hoste and so without any resistance she submitted hir selfe with all hir
be called by the name of the Kingdome Mosulinus and there is greate plentie and abundance of it and also greate plentie of spices and good cheape and of other Merchandise In the Mountaynes of this prouince dwell people calâ—ed Cordos and others called Iacobinos The rest be Moores of the sect of Mahomet and be good men of warre and be all rouers and robbers of Merchants Of Baldach and of many goodly things that be there CHAP. 10. BAldache is a very great Citie in the whych is resident one that is called Calipho whiche is among that Moores as it were chiefe gouernour head Through the middest of the Citie runneth a great Riuer and goeth into the Indian Sea. And there is from this Citie to the place where it entreth into the Sea. xviij dayes iourney From this Citie to the Sea and from the Sea to this Citie there dothe passe dayly by this Riuer in many and diuers vessels diuers kinds of Merchandise and they haue to their neyboure the India And in this Countrey is a Citie called Chisi By thiâ—â—iuer they goe to the Indian Sea. Betwéene Baldach and Chisi vppon the Riuer is a Citie called Barsera compassed with greate Mountaynes of Palmes and Date trées perfect good In Baldach they doe make cloth of golde of diuers sortes and cloth of silke called cloth of Nasich of Chrimson and of diuâ—rs other coloures and fashions There is great plentie of foure footed Beastes and of Fowles This Citie is one of the best and the noblest in the worlde There was in this Citie a Calipho of the Moores wonderfull and maruellous rich of gold and pretious stones And in the yeare of our Lorde God .1230 the King of the Tartars called Alan ioyned a greate company and went and sette vpon this Citie and toke it by force being in the Câ—tie one hundred thousande Horsemen besides infinite number of footemen And there he founde a great Tower full of golde siluer and pretious stones And King Alan séeing this great treasure maruelled much and sent for the Calipho and sayd vnto him I do much maruell of thy auarice that hauing so great treasure didst not giue parte of it to mainteyne valiant men that might defend me from thée knowing that I was thy mortall enimie And perceyuing the Calipho knewe not how to make him an answere said vnto him bycause thou louest this treasure so well I will thou shalte haue thy fill of it and caused him to be shut fast in the same Tower where he liued foure dayes and died miserably for hunger and from that time forwards the Moores woulde haue no more Caliphos in that Citie Of a Citie called Totis and of other notable things CHAP. 11. TOtis is a greate Citie of the Prouince or Countrey of Baldach in the whiche Prouince there be manye Cities and Townes but the most noblest is Totis The people of thys Citie bée Merchantes and hâ—ndycraftes men There they do make cloth of golde and of silke very riche and of greate value And this Citie is sette in so good a place that they doe bryng thyther all Merchandises of India and of Baldach and of Osmaseilli and of Cremes and of many other Cities and Countreys and also of the Latines There is greate plenty of pretious stones and for that cause the Merchants gette muche Thyther trade the Armenians Iacobiteâ— Nestorians Persians and these in a manner bée all Mahomets Rounde aboute this Citie be many fayre Gardens full of singular good frutes although the Moores that there doe dwell be very ill people robbers and killers Of a great miracle that hapned in Mosull CHAP. 12. IN Mosull a Citie in the Prouince of Baldach was a Calipho a great enimie of the Christians whose studie daye and night was how he might destroy them and to make them forsake their faith in Iesus Christ and vpon this ioyned in councell diuers times with hys wise men and in the ende one of them said I will tell you a way how you shal haue good cause to kill or force them to renounce their Faith. Iesus Christ sayth in hys Gospell If you haue so much Faith as the grayne of Mustard seede and saye to thys Mountayne passe from this place to another place it woulde do therefore cause to be called togither all the Christians and commaund them by their beléefe that such a hill doe passe from that place to suche a place truly it is not possible for them to doe it and not doing it you may iustly saye to them that eyther theyr Gospell dothe not saye truth and by that meanes they follow lyes or else they haue not so much Fayth as a grayne of Mustarde séede And thus as well for the one as for the other you maye iustly putte them to death or else force them to forsake theyr Fayth they holde This councell pleased well the Calipho and those of hys sect beléeuing that nowe they hadde good occasion to performe their euill purpose and incontinent he commaunded all the Chrystians that were in hys Countrey to come togither whiche was a great number and they being come before hym he cause theÌ„ to reade those Scriptures of Iesus christ And after that euery one of them had hearde it he asked them if they beléeued that these sayings were true and they answered yea IncoÌ„tinent said the Calipho to them I wil giue you fiftéene days respite to make either yoÌ„der hil to passe to such a place or else to renounce youre fayth in Iesus Christe as false and to turne Moores and if you will not doe this you shall all die And the Christians hearing this cruell sentence were sore troubled yet on the other part they comforted themselues with hope in the faith they had in the truth they beléeued And incontinent the Bishops and Prelates and Ministers that were among the Christians commaunded all the Christians men women and children to fall to continuall Prayer to oure Lorde Iesus Christ that he would helpe and councell them howe to rule and gouerne themselues in that greate trouble and néede And after eyght dayes were past appeared an Angell to a holy Bishop and commaunded him that he should say vnto a Shomaker that was a Christian that had but one onely eye that he should make Prayers to God the which for his fayth and Prayers shoulde make that hill remoue from his place into the place the Calipho had appoynted And incontinente the Bishop sente for that Shomaker and with great desire prayed him to make Prayers to oure Lord God that for hys mâ—rcie and pitie he woulde remoue that hill as the Calipho and Mâ—ores had appoynted The poore Shomâ—ker excused himselfe saying he was a greate Sinner and vnworthy to demaund that grace of God and this excuse he made with great humilitie like a iust and chast man full of vertue and holynesse and a kéeper of Gods commaundements deuoute and a great almes man according to his abilitie You shâ—ll vnderstande
50. PArting from this Citie and trauelling .iij dayes iorny you shall come to a Citie called Gianorum in the which there is a meruellous goodly Pallace of the great Canes to lodge him and his Court when he commeth to that Citie and in this Citie he is desirous to be with good will for bycause that neare vnto it is a good countrey in the which be great plentie of wyld Géese and Duckes and of Cranes of fiue sortes or manners the first be great and all blacke like Crowes the second all whyte sauing the heades that be all red the thirde al black sauing the heade is white and shyning the fourth gréene with blacke heads they be farre bigger than ours the fifth be little with all their feathers redde Neare vnto this Citie is a great valley where the great Cane hath many wilde beastes great and smal and among theÌ„ great plentie of Partridges to serue for his prouision when hée goeth into that Countrey Of a maruellous Citie called Liander and of many maruellous and farre things they haue there CHAP. 51. DEparting thrée dayes iourney from this Citie betwéen the Northeast and the North you shall come to a Citie called Liander which Cublay Cane buylded In this Citie is a maruellous goodlye Pallace made of Mâ—rble and flint stones called pedras viuas al gilded wyth gold and neare to this Pallace is a wall which is in compasse fiftéene miles and within this wall be faire riuers Wels and gréene Meadowes where the great Cane hath plentie of all kinde of wilde foule and beastes for to finde his Hawkes called Faulcons and Gerfaulcons that bée there in mew which he at sometimes more than 40000. that which many times he goeth thyther to sée WheÌ„ he doth ride in these Meadowes he carrieth behinde him on the buttockes of his horse a russet or graye Lyon tame and setteth him to the stagges or redde Déere and to other wylde beastes and vppon these beastes do the Gerfaulcons and Faulcons season In the middest of these Meddowes is a great house where the great Cane doth resort to dinner and to banquet and to take his reste and pleasure in when he goeth that waye And this house is compassed about with greate Canes that be gilded and couered with Canes that be varnished and closed all in one in such sort that no water can passe throughteuerye Cane is at the least thrée spannes compasse and from tenne to fiftéen paces long And this house is so made that at al times they maye take it downe and set it vp againe vpon a sodayne It is tyed with aboue 200. cordes of silke after the manner of tentes or pauilions And the greate Cane repayreth thither for his pleasure in Iune Iuly and August and there by commaundement of his Prophets Idolaters maketh sacrifice with milke to his Idols for to preserue and kéepe his wiues and sonnes and daughters and his subiâ—ctes and seruauntes and cattell and foules corne vines fruite and all other things in his countries All the Mares that the great Cane rideth on be as white as milke Among the which he hath alwayes ten Mares that no body doth drinke of their milke but onlye he and some greate men of his Courte and some others that hée called honourable and noble bycause of a victorie had against the â—nemies of Chenchis the first king of the Tartars Of the sacrifice and other maners of the life of the greate Cane CHAP. 52. WHen the great Cane will make sacrifice he poureth out the Mares milke vpon the ground and in the ayre and the Prophets of his gods say that milke poured out is the holye Ghoste of the which all the Idols be ful and do beléeue that this sacrifice is the cause of his confirmation and of his subiects of al his other things And this sacrifice he doth euery yere the 29. day of August And to those white horses and Mares wheresoeuer they do go they do great reuerence This greate Cane hath in his Court certaine Negromanciers whiche by arte of the Diuel when it is foule troubleseme weather it shal be fayre and cleare weather in his Pallace And do gyue to vnderstande to the people that the clearnesse is ouer the Pallace where the great Cane is only for his deserts and holy life and by vertue of his Idols When anye one is iudged to dye as soone as he is deade they séeth him and eate him but those that dye by natural death be meat for their Idols And besides thys when the great Cane is at hys table these inchaunters doe worke by arte of the Diuel that Cuppes doe rise from the table tenne Cubits into the ayre and do set themselues down again and wheÌ„ they wyll doe this they demaunde of the greate Cane a blacke shéepe and the wood of Alloe and Incense other swéete spyces wherof there is great plenty bicause their sacrifice séeme the more swéeter and he commaundeth to be deliuered to them what they will haue for bycause they beléeue that their Idols doe preserue and kéepe him and all his companie These Prophets and Priestes do cause the flesh to be sodden with spices in presence of their Idols do put incense therin and poure the broth into the ayre they say the Idol taketh of it what pleaseth him and thys they do with gret singing Euery Idol hath his name and to euery one they do this worship on their dayes as we do on our saints dayes They haue many Monasteries deputed to the names of their Idols There is in that countrey one Monasterie as big as a good Citie in the which there be 400. Monkes that goe honestly apparelled and their beardes and heads shauen Vpon their feaste dayes they kepe great solemnity with singing and praysing and lights and some of these religious men haue many wiues and some of them liue chaste the chast do eate the branne and the meale kneaded togither with a little hote water and do fast oftentimes in reuerence of their Idols and do weare garments made of Canuas died blacke or blewe some white and do lye in Almadraques sharpe and harde beds and the other religious that be maried they go well apparelled and do eate and drinke wel and doe saye that those which liue the streight life be Heretickes and fooles bycause they do punish their bodies by meanes whereof they can not honor their Idols as they ought to do and as reason is All the Idols of these married religious men they do name by the name of women bycause they be such leacherous people Of a victorie the great Cane had CHAP. 53. HEre for your better information I wyll declare vnto you of a victory the gret Cane had wherby you shal the better vnderstand and know of his strength and power It was he that now raigneth which was called Cublay Cane whiche is as muche to saye as Lorde of Lordes You shall vnderstande that this
to them greate friendshippe demaundyng of them of the Emperoure of the Christians of hys state and howe hée ruled and gouerned hys Countreys and kepte them in peace and iustice And when hée made anye warres howe and after what manner hée broughâ—e hys people into the fielde andeh demaunded of them the state and order of other Kyngdomes and Dukedomes in Chrystendome or theyr conditions and afterwarde wyth greate diligence hée enâ—uyred of them of the Pope and the Cardinalles and of theyr fayth and of the Catholike Church and of all other conditions of the Christians to the which demaundes the two bréethren aunswered in order very discretely and wisely who hadde vnderstanding and could speake the Tartarie language The great Cane vnderstandyng theyr answeres had grat pleasure therein and speaking to his Lords saying that hée woulde sende an Embassadour to the Pope the head Bishop of the Christians and requested the said two bréethren that it woulde please them to be his Embassadors to the Pope with one of his Lordes they aunswered they were readie to doe all that he woulde commaund them Streight way the great Cane caused to bée written Letters of beliefe in the Tartarian tong to the Pope and also commaunded by worde of mouth to hys sayd Embassadors that they shoulde saye and desire hys holynesse that it would please him to send him a hundred men discrete wise and learned Christians in the Catholike faith to instruct him and his Subiects whereas then they did all worship Idols and would gladly receyue the true faith And also the great Cane requested them to bring him some of the Oyle that did burne before the Sepulchre of Iesus Christe in Ierusalem This done the great Cane commaunded to be broughte to him a Table of gold and wrote in it commaunding expresly to all hys subiects that shoulde sée that his Table that they shoulde receyue those Embassadors with all frendshippe and to shew them honour and obedience and to do al things that shoulde be necessarie and to deliuer them money and to prouide them what they woulde demaunde as well for shipping as also Horses or any other thing in as ample maner as if it were for his owne person When the sayd Nicholas and Mapheo and Cocoball Embassador to the great Cane were at a poynt to depart taking their leaue of the great Cane they rode with their coÌ„pany thirtie days iourney and at the ende of them the saide Cocoball fell sicke and dyed and the two bréethren followed on theyr iourney and in euery Towne where they came shewing the foresayd Table of gold where very honourably receyued and enterteyned as the person of the king And continuing their iourney they came to a towne called Giaza and from thence departed and came to Acre in the moneth of Aprill in the yeare of our Lord God .1272 whereas they vnderstoode that the Pope Clement was dead and finding there a Legate of the Popes which was called Miser Thebaldo that was there for the defence of the holy Church at the vttermost partes of the Seas to him they did theyr Embassage of the greate Cane and when Miser Thebaldo vnderstoode their Embassage he prayed them to tarrie the creation of a newe Pope and hearing this aunswere the two bréethren departed incontinente and went to Nigro Ponte and from thence to Venice to sée their houses and founde the wife of Nicholas dead and had left behinde hir a sonne whose name was Marcus of the age of fiftéene yeares which neuer saw his father before for he left hir with child of him at his departing and this is the same Marcus that made thys Booke as héereafter followeth These two bréethren remayned in Venice the space of two yeares tarying the creation of a newe Pope and séeyng howe long they had taryed departed from Venice to Ierusalem for to gette some of the Oyle that burned in the Lampe before the holy Sepulâ—hre of oure Lorde God for to carrie with them to the greate Cane according as he commaunded and caryed with them Marcus sonne to the saide Nicholas and after they had taken of the sayd oyle returned to Acre whereas the Popes Legate Theobaldo was and taking leaue or licence of him to returne to the great Cane for whome the sayde Legate gaue them Letters séeing they woulde not tarrie to do their Embassage to the Pope and sayde as soone as there was a new Pope created he would doe their Embassage to the Pope and that he should prouide that which should be conuenient and so departed the two bréethren and Marcus and trauelled till they came to a Towne called Giaza And in this time the Legate receyued Letters from Rome that there was a new Pope created called Gregorie of Placentia The sayd Legate incontinent sent his messenger after these two bréethren that they should returne to Acre certifying theÌ„ that there was a new Pope created and they vnderstanding this requested the King of Armenia to commaunde to arme forthe a Galley wherein they sayled incontinente to the Pope of whome they were well receyued who hauyng hearde their Embassage streighte way gaue them two Friers of the order of Sainct Dominike being greate Clearkes to go with them to the greate Cane the one of them was called Frier Nicholas of Venice and the other Frier William of Tripolle the whiche were well séene and exercised in disputations in the defense of the holy Catholike faith And these two religious men with Nicholas and Mapheo and Marcus trauelled till they came to a Towne called Giaza And in this time the Souldan of Babylon came into Armenia and did there greate hurte and for that cause fearing to passe anye further the two Friers taryed there and wrote to the greate Cane that they were come thyther and the cause wherefore they wente not forwarde The sayd Nicholas and Maphâ—â— and Marcus hys sonne wente on theyr iourney and came to a Citie called Bemoniphe where the great Cane was but in the way they passed in greate daunger of their bodyes and saw many things as shall héereafter be declared and taryed in going betwéene Giaza and Bomeniphe â— yeare and a halfe by reason of great Riuers rayne and cold in those countryes and when the greate Cane hadde knowledge that Nicholas and Mapheo were returned he sent to receyue them more than fortie dayes iourney and at their comming receyued them with gret pleasure anthey knéelyng down making great reuerence he commauÌ„dded them to arise vp demauÌ„ding of them how they spedde in their voyage and what they had done with the Pope and after they had made their answeare to al things deliuered to him the Friers letters that remayned in Giaza and the oyle they had taken out of the Lampe that burned before the holy Sepulchre of Iesus Christe whiche he receyued with great pleasure and put it vp and kept it in a secrete place with also the letters and demaunding of them who Marcus was they aunswered he was Nicholas sonne of the
which the great Cane was glad and toke him into his seruice and gaue order to place him in his Court among his Lordes and Gentlemen Here foloweth the discourse of many notable and strange things that the noble and vvorthy Marcus Paulus of the Citie of Venice did see in the East partes of the world ¶ Howe Miser Marco Polo vsed himselfe in the Court of the Great Cane CHAP. 1. MArco Polo learned well not onely the vsed language and conditions of those people but also other thrée languages and coulde write and reade them and by that meanes came in great fauour with the great Cane whose pleasure was to proue what he could do to be sent Embassage and made hym â—is Embassadour in one of his Countreys sixe Monethes â—ourney And he perceyuing the great Cane had greate pleaâ—ure to heare newes and oftentimes would find fault with his Embassadoures and messengers when they coulde not make â—iscourse and tell him newes of the Countreys and places â—hey trauelled into he determined with himselfe to note and â—nderstand in that iourney all that could be spoken as well of â—he Townes Cities and places as also the conditions and â—ualities of the people noting it in writing to be the more â—eadie to make his aunswere if any thing should be demaunâ—ed of him and at his returne declared to the great Cane the â—unswere of the people of that Countrey to his Embassage â—nd withall declared vnto hym the nature of Countreys â—nd the conditions of the people where he had bin and also â—hat he had heard of other Countreys which pleased well the â—reat Cane and was in great fauoure with him and set great â—ore by him for which cause all the noble men of his Courte â—ad him in great estimation calling him Senior or Lorde He â—as in the greate Canes Court .xvij. yeares and when anye â—reate Embassage or businesse shoulde be done in any of hys Countreys or Prouinces he was alwayes sente wherefore â—iuers great men of the Court did enuie him but he alwayes kepte thys order that whatsoeuer he sawe or heard were 〈◊〉 good or euill hée alwayes wrote it and had it in minde to declare to the great Cane in order The manner and vvayes that the tvvo breethren and Marcus Paulus had for their returne to Venice CHAP. 2. THe sayd Nicholas and Mapheo and Marcus Paulus hauyng bin in the greate Canes Court of a long time demaunded licence for to returne to Venice but he louing and fauouring them so well would not giue them leaue And it fortuned in that time that a Quéene in India dyed whose name was Balgonia and hyr Husbande waâ— called Kyng Argon This Quéene ordeyned in hir Testamente that hyr Husbande shoulde not marrie but with one of hyr bloud and kynred and for that cause the sayde Kyng Argon sente hys Embassadors with great honor and companye to the Greate Cane desiring hym to sende hym for to bée hys Wife a Mayde of the lignage of Balgonia his firste Wiâ—â— The names of these Embassadors were called Onlora Apusca and Edilla When these Embassadors arriued at thâ— Courte they were very well receyued by the Great Caâ—â— â–ª And after they hadde done theyr message the Greate Caâ—â— caused to bée called before him a Mayden whiche was called Cozotine of the kindred of Balgonia the whyche was veryâ— fayre and of the age of seauentéene yeares And as she was come before the Great Cane and the Embassadors the great Cane sayde to the Embassadors thys is the Mayden that you demaunde take hyr and carrie hir in a good houre anâ— wyth thys the Embassadors were very ioyfull and merrie And these Embassadors vnderstandyng of Nicholas and Mapheo and Marcus Paulus Italians which before that tyme haâ—â— â—one for Embassadors vnto the Indians and were desirous to â—epart from the greate Cane desired hym to gyue them liâ—ence to goe and accompanye that Lady and the Greate â—ane although not wyth good will but for manners sake and â—lso for honour of the Ladye and for hyr more safegarde in â—assing the Seas bycause they were wise and skilfull menne â—as content they should goe Hovv they sayled to Iaua CHAP. 3. HAuing licence of the Great Cane the sayde Nicholas Mapheo and Marcus Paulus as aforesayde as his custome was gaue them two Tables of golde by the whiche he did signifie that they should passe fréelie through all his prouinces and dominions and that theyr charges should be borne and to be hoâ—ourably accompanyed And besides this the great Cane sent â—iuers Embassadors to the Pope and to the Frenche King â—nd to the King of Spayne and to many other Prouinces in Christendome and caused to be armed and sette forth foureâ—éene great Shippes that euery one of them had four Mastes To declare the reason wherefore he did this it were too long â—herefore I let it passe In euery Shippe he put sixe hundreth men and prouision for two yeares In these Shippes wente â—he sayd Embassadors with the Lady and Nicholas and Maâ—heo bréethreÌ„ and Marcus Paulus aforesayd and sayled thrée Monethes continually and then arriued at an Ilande called â—aua being in the South partes in the which they found marâ—ellous and strange things as héereafter shall be declared And departing from this Iland sayling on the Indian Seas â—viij Moneths before they came to the place they would come to founde by the wâ—y many maruellous and strange things â—s héereafter shall be declared Hovv Nicholas and Mapheo and Marco Polo returned to Venice after they had seene and heard many maruellous thinges CHAP. 4. AFter their arriuall with this foresayde Lady to the Kingdome they went vnto they found that the King Argon was dead and for that cause married that mayde to his sonne and there did gouerne in the roome of the Kyng a Lorde whose name was Archator for bycause the King was very yong And to this Gouernoure or Viceroy was the Embassage declared and of him the two Bréethren and Marco Polo demaunded licence to goe into their Countrey whiche he graunted and withall gaue them foure Tables of gold two of them were to haue Ierfawcons and other Hawkes with them The thirde was to haue Lyons And the fourth was that they shoulde goe frée withoute paying any charges and to be accompanyed and enterteyned as to the Kings owne person And by this commaundement they had company and gard of two hundreth Knightes from Towne to Towne for feare of manye Théeues vppon the wayes and so much they traueiled that they came to Trapesonsia and from thence to Constantinople and so to Nigro Ponte and â—â—â—alâ—ie to Venice in the yeare of oure Lord God .1295 This we doe declare for that all men shall knowe that Nicholas and Mapheo bréethren and Marco Polo haue seene hearde and did knowe the maruellous things written in this Booke the which declaring in the name of the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost shall be declared as héereafter followeth Of
Armenia he lesser and of many things that there is made CHAP. 5. FIrst and formost I will beginne to declare of the Prouince of Armenia noting suche commodities as there is You shall vnderstand there be two Armenias the greater and the lesser In the lesser there is a King subiect to the Tartar and he dothe maynteyne the Countrey in peace and iustice In this Countrey be many Cities and Townes and greate abundance of all things In thys Countrey they take great pleasure and pastime in Hawking and Hunting as well of wilde beastes as of Fowles of all sortes In that Countrey be many infirmities by reason the ayre is yll there and for that cause the men of that Countrey that were wonte to be valiant and strong in armes bée turned nowe to be vile and giuen to ydlenesse and drunckennesse In this Prouince vpon the Sea side there is a Citie called Gloza wherevnto is greate trade of Merchandise and all Merchantes that doe traffique thither haue their Cellers and Warehouses in that Citie as well Venetians and Ianoueys and all other that do occupye into Leuant Of the Torchomanos in Armenia the lesser CHAP. 6. I Haue declared vnto you of Armenia the lesser and now I will shewe you of Torchomania whiche is a part of Armenia in the which ther be thrée maner of people the one called Torchomanos and those bée Mahomets and speake the Persian language and they liue in the Mountaynes and fieldes whereas they may find pasture for their Cattell for those people liue by the gaines of their Cattell There be very good Horses called Torchomani and good Mayles of great value The other or second maner of people be Armenians and Greekes and those dwell and liue togither and liue by occupations and trade of Merchandises There they doe make very goodly and rich Carpettes large and fayre as you shall finde in any place Also they worke there cloth of Crymson Silke and other goodly couloures The chiefest Cities in that Countrey be Chemo Isiree and Sebasto whereas Saint Blase was martired There be also many Townes of which I make no mention and they bée subiecte to the Tartar of the East and he setteth gouernoures there Of Armenia the greater and of the Arke of Noe. CHAP. 7. ARmenia the greater is a greate Prouince or Countrey In the beginning thereof is a greate Citie called Armenia where they doe make excellente Bochachims or Buckrams In this Citie be very good Bathes naturallye And this Countrey is subiect to the Tartar there is in it many Cities Townes and the most noble Citie is called Archinia which hath ioyning to it two prouinces the one called Archeten the other Arzire In this Citie is a Bishop The people of this Countrey in the sommer time bée in the pastures meddowes but in the winter they can not by reason of the great cold snow waters for then it is so colde the scant the cattell and beastes can liue there and for this cause they do driue their cattel into warmer places wher they haue grasse pleÌ„ty In this gret Armenia is the Arke of Noe on a high Mountain towards the South which doth ioyne to a Prouince towardes the East called Mausill And in that Prouince diuell Christians which be called Iacobites and Nestorians Heretikes of the which hereafter shall be spoken This Countrey towards the North doth ioyne vpon the Georgians of the whych shall be spoken in the next Chapter In this part towards the Georgians there is a well the water wherof is like oyle and is of great abundance quantitie that sometimes they lade .100 Ships with it And this oyle is not good to eate but for Lamps and Candles and to annoint Camels Horses and other beastes that be galled scabbie and haue other infirmities and for this cause it is fetched into diuers places Of the Georgians and of the Tovver and gate of yron CHAP. 8. IN Georgiania is a king called Nand Maliche which is as much to say as Dawnid and is subiect to the Tartar. The saying is that in the olde time the Kings of that Prouince were borne with a token or signe vnder their right shoulder In this Countrey the men be faire of body venterous valiant in armes and good archers and are Christians Gréekes mingled togither they go all with their heare like Priestes This is the Prouince that King Alexander could not passe wheÌ„ he woulde haue come towards the West parts bycause that wayes were dangerous narrow compassed on the one side with that Sea on the other side with high Mountaines that no Horse can passe or go for the space of four leagues for the way is so narrow stroÌ„g that a few meÌ„ be able to kéepe it against al the hostes of the world And K. Alexander perceiuing that by no meanes he coulde passe would likewise make prouision that the people of that Countrey might not passe to him And made there a greate strong Tower which is called the Tower and gate of yron In this Prouince of the Georgians be many Cities and townes there they do make great pleÌ„ty of cloth of gold of silke in great abundance for they haue greate plentie of silke And there doe bréede the goodlyest and best Hawkes in the world And the Countrey is plentifull of all things néedefull They liue there by the trade of Merchandise and by labour of the Countrey Through all this Countrey is greate Mountaynes and the way narrow and strong and many welles and for this cause the Tartars can neuer haue the vpper hand of them There is a Monastâ—rie of Monckes of the order of Saint Bernarde and hard by the Monasterie there is a water that descendeth from the Mountayne in the which they find no fishe but in Lent and then they do take it in greate plentie from the firste day of Lent till Easter euen The place is called Geluchelan and hath sixe hundred Miles compasse and it is from the Sea twelue dayes iourney and this water entreth into Euphrates whyche is one of the foure principall Riuers whiche come from Paradice terrenall and commeth out of India and is deuided into many branches and doth compasse those hilles From thence they bring a silke called Gella Now I haue declared vnto you the partes of Armenia which be towards the North and now I wil declare vnto you of others their neyboures which be towards the South and West Of the parties of Armenia tovvards the South and of the Kingdome of Mosull CHAP. 9. MOsull is a great Kingdome in the which dwell many generations of people called Arabies and all be of the secte of Mahomet although there be some Christians called Iacobites and Nestorians and these haue by themselues a Patriarke called Iacobia and he dothe institute Bishops Archbishops Abbots Priestes and other Religious men There is made cloth of gold and of silke which
very good for â—ll trauellers What is found in that Countrey CHAP. 18. DEparting from the foresayd Castell you shall come into â— very faire playne full of grâ—sse with all things in it fitte for mans sustenance And this playne dothe last â—ixe dayes iourney in the whiche there is manâ— fayre Cities and Townes The â—â—â—ple of that Countrey â—peake the Persian language and haue greate lacke of water and sometimes they shall fortune to go .40 miles and not finde water Therfore it shall be needefull for those that do trauell that way to carrie wâ—ter with them from placâ—â—o place And being past these sixe dayes iournâ—y there is a Citie called Sempergayme faire and pleasaunte with abundance of victuals There be excellenâ—e good Mellones and the best Hunters for wilde beastes and tâ—king of wilde Fowle that be in the world Of the Citie of Baldach and of many other things CHAP. 19. TRauelling forward in this Countrey you shall come to a Citie called Baldach in the whiche King Alexander married with the daughter of Darius king of the Persians This Citie is of the Kingdome of Persia they do tâ—â—re speake the Persian tong and be all of the sect of Mahomet And this Countrey dothe ioyne with the Tartar of the East betwéene the Northeast and the East And departing from this Citie towardes the Countreys of the said Tartar you shall goe two dayes iourney withoute finding any Towne bycause the people of that Countrey do couet to the strong Mountaynes bycause of the ill people that be there In that Countrey be many waters by reason whereof is greate plenty of wild Fowle and of wylde Beasts and there be manâ— Lions It is néedefull for the trauellers that way to carrie prouision with them that shall be néedefull for themselues and for their Horses those two dayes iourney And being past that you shall come to a Towne called Thaychan a pleasaunt place and well prouided of all vittayles néedefull and the hilles be towâ—rdes the South faire and large That prouince is .xxx. dayes iourney And there is great pleÌ„tie of salt that all the Cities and Townes thereaboutes haue their salt from thence Of that Countrey CHAâ— â–ª 20. DEparting from that towne and trauelling Northeast and to the East for the space of thrée dayes iourney you shall come to faire Cities and Townes well prouided and victuals and frutes in great abundance and these people do speake the Persian language and be Mahomets There be singular good wines and great drinkers and yll people They go bareheaded hauing a Towell knit aboutâ— their browes They weare nothing but skinnes that they do dresse Of the Citie Echasen CHAP. 12. AFter that you haue trauelled forwarde foure dayes iourney you shall come to a Citie called Echasen on a playne and there is not farre from it manie Cities and townes and great plentie of woods about it There goeth through the middest of this Citie a gret riuer There is in that countrie many wilde beastes and when they be disposed to take anye of them they will cast dartes and shootâ— them into the flancks and into the sides The people of that countrey doe speake the Persian tong and the husbandmen with their cattayle do liue in the fieldes and in the woods Of the manner of the Countrie CHAP. 22. DEparting from this Citie you shall trauayle thrée dayes iourney without comming to any towne or finding any victuals eyther to eate or drinke and for thys cause the trauellers do prouide themselues for the time at the end of these thrée days iourney you shal come to a prouince called Ballasia Of the prouince called Ballasia and of the commodities there CHAP. 23. BAllasia is a great prouince they do speake the Persian tong be Mahomets and it is a great kingdome and auncient There did raygne the successours of king Alexander and of Darius king of Persia. And their king is called Culturi which is as much to say as Alexander and is for remembraunce of the great king AlexaÌ„der In this countrey grow the precious stones called Ballasses of greate value And these stones you can not carrie out of the countrey without speciall licence of the king on pain of léesing life and goods And those that he doth let passe be eyther he doth forgiue tribute of some king or else that he doth sell and if they were not so straightlye kept they would be little worth there is such great plentie of them This countrie is very colde and there is found greate plenty of siluer there be very good coursers or horses that be neuer shod bycause they bréede in the mountaines and woods There is great plentie of wilde foule and greate plentie of corne and Mylâ— and Loliâ— In this kingdome be great woods narrow ways strong men and good Archers and for this cause they feare no bodie There is no cloth they apparell themselues with skinnes of beastes that they kil The women do weare wrapped aboute their bâ—dies likâ— the neather part of garments some an hundreth fathom some fourescore of linnen very fine and thinne mâ—de of flaxe and Cotton wool for to séeme great and fayre and they doe weare bréeches very fine of silke with Muske put in them Of the Prouince of Abassia vvhere the people be blacke CHAP. 24. AFter you be departed fâ—oÌ„ Ballasia eyght dayes iourney towards the South you haue a prouince calâ—ed Abassia whose people be blacke and do speake the Persian tong and doe worship Idolles There they do vse Negromancie The men do weare at their heares iewels of golde siluer and pretious stones They be malicious people and leacherous by reason of the great heate of that Countrey and they eate nothing but flesh and Rice Of the Prouince called Thassimur and of many things there CHAP. 25. WIthin the iurisdiction of this Countrey betwéene the East and the South there is a Prouince called Thassymur and the people do speake the Persian tong They be Idolaters and great Negromancers and do call to the Spirits and make them to speake in the Idols and do make their Temples séeme to moue They doe trouble the ayre and doe many other diuelish things From hence they may go to the Indian Sea. The people of that Countrey be blacke and leane and do eate nothing but flesh and Rice The Countrey is temperate In this Countrey be many Cities and Townes and rounde about many hilles and strong wayes to passe And for this cause they feare no body and their King dothe mainteyne them in peace and iustice There be also Hermitâ—s that do kéepe great abstinence in eating drinking And there be Monasteries and many Abbeys with Monkes very deuout in their Idolatrie and naughtinesse Of the saide prouince of Thassymur CHAP. 26. I Minde not now to passe further in this prouince for in passing of it I shâ—uld enter into the Indeas wherof for this time I wil not declare any thing but at the returne I wil
Cublay Cane descended lineally of the imperiall stocke from Chenchis Cane from whence he must descende that shall be Lorde of the Tartares and this Cublay Cane beganne his raigne in the yere of our Lord God .1256 And as Chenchis Cane by his prouidence and wisedome made himselfe the firste Lord of the Tartares as is before declared so likewise this for his wisdome and prouidence contrarie to the good will of his kinred that would haue put him out of it did so coÌ„serue and gouerne his Dominions and Countries til the yeare of our Lord God .1298 so that he raigned two and fortie yeares and was fiue and forty yeares old when he was made Emperor and euerye yeare hadde warres for he was valiant and expert in the warres but he himselfe after he was made Emperour neuer went to the warres but one time but alwayes sent his sonnes or some noble men whom he thought best And the cause wherefore hée went at that time in person was this In the yeare of our Lord God .1286 a nephew of his of the age of thirtie yeares Lord of many prouinces Cities and townes perceyuing himselfe to be subiecte to the greate Cane as his predecessors had ben determined in himself not to be subiect to anye and concorded with another kinseman of the great Canes whyche was called Cardin whyche mighte well make .100000 Horsemen and was mortall enimie to the greate Cane hys vncle and did moue warre both of them with theyr hostes agaynste the great Cane and hée hauyng knowledge thereof dyd not feare for hée was a Prince of maruellous greate power but incontinent he called hys people togither for to go against hys enimies and toke an oth that the crowne shoulde neuer come on his head till that he had cruelly reuenged hymselfe on them as Traytors and Rebels so that within two and twenty days he had ioyned particularly a great host of thrée hundred thousand fighting men of horsemen and footemen and woulde ioyne no greater an host nor haue it published abrode that his enimies shoulde haue knowledge of it and also for that he had many of his men of warre abroade in other places on warfare and coulde not bring them togither in so short a time But you shall vnderstande that when the greate Cane will make his power and take time to doe it he may ioyne so greate a number that it were a greate trouble to number them These thrée hundred thousande of fighting men be not all menne of experience for there were aboue foure thousande Falconers and Seruants and Courtiers that attended vppon the Kings person and serued in his Courts But thus hauing his hosts ioyned he commanded to be called before him his Astrologers and would know of them in what sort and time he shoulde set forward on this enterprise and they answered him that the time was good and that he shoulde haue victorie ouer his enimies and so incontinent set forwarde on his way with his people and came to a playne where as was Nauia with .200000 men tarrying there the comming of Caydu with another hundred thousand of horsemen for to set on the Countreys of the great Cane The Lordes of the great Cane had beset all the wayes and taken all the streytes that neither succoure shoulde come nor his enimies flée bycause he would take them all prisoners Nauia knowing nothing of this or that the great Cane had prepared himselfe for any warre for the greate Cane had before beset all the wayes and passages that no maÌ„ could passe to carrie any newes to Nauia and by this meanes not thinking nor staÌ„ding in any doubt thought he might well take his rest that nighte and all his people but the 〈◊〉 Cane was stirring in the morning betimes with all his hoâ—res and did sette his Campe hard by the place where as Nauia had his and founde them all vnaâ—med and vnprouided not thinking any thing of it and perceyuing it he was in greate feare And the great Cane had made a great frame vpon an Elephant wherin his standerdes were caried and before and behinde and by the sides went his battels of Horsemen and footemen that is to say .25000 in a battell And with these battels be sette all the host of Nauia round and when Nauia sawe thys he lept on horsebacke and caused his trumpets to blowe and set his armie in as good order as he could and so ioyned battell whereas was a great and strong fighte and continued from morning till nighte and greate number slayne on both parties but at the end Nauia and his company were not able any longer to withstande the furie of the greate Canes armed men and beganne to flée in such sort that Nauia was taken prisoner and his people not being able to doe anye good submitted themselues to the great Cane and Nauia being presented aliue to the great Cane he caused him to be bounde vp in a Carpet and so long hée vsed him to bée caried that hée dyed and thys deathe hée gaue hym for that hée woulde not haue the bloud of Nauia béeing of his kindred fall to the grounde nor that the ayre shoulde sée hym dye an euill deathe After that Nauia was deade all his Lordes and other prisoners became sworne to the great Cane to be obedieÌ„t to him These foure prouinces were vnder the obedience of Nauia that is to say Furciorcia Guli Baston Scincinguy Now that I haue shewed you of the great Cane howe he paste with Nauia I will also declare vnto you of hys manner condition and person and of his wiues and children and of other things Of the personage of the great Cane and of his wiues and children CHAP. 54. THe great Cane that was called Cubla Cane was a manne of a â—iddle stature well fleshte and of good complexion and wel proportioned in al his meÌ„bers well coloured of face his eyes black his nose well made he hath four that be his Legitimate wiues and his eldest sonne that he hath by his first wife doth kepe Court by himselfe and euerye one of these foure Quéenes haue in their Courtes 300. wayting women and many maydens with also many meÌ„ and women that do seruice in the Courtes for euery one of these foure Quéenes haue in their Courtes more than 4000. persons of men women maydens and seruaunts Also the greate Cane hath many Concubines of Tartars which be called Origiathe and be of a good and honest behauiour and of these the greate Cane hath a hundreth maydens chosen out for himselfe which be in a pallace by theÌ„selues and haue auntient women to kéepe them And of these hundreth euery thrée dayes sixe of them doe serue and attend vpon the great Cane in his Chamber and the thrée dayes being past they doe returne to their Pallace agayne and other sixe come for to kéepe the great Canes Chamber And thus they do remoue from thrée dayes to thrée dayes The sayd great Cane had
by his sayd wiues two and twentie Sonnes the eldest of them is called Chinchis in remembrance of the first King of Tartares and also to renue that name this firste sonne is called Chinchis Cane and shoulde haue succéeded his father in the Kingdome but bycause he dyed before his father his eldest sonne called Themur Cane and this his sonnes sonne bycause he should raigne after him kepte a greate Court by himselfe Of a greate Citie called Cambalu and of all the goodly and maruellous things that be done there CHAP. 55. NOw I will declare vnto you of the worthy and noble Citie called Cambalu the whiche is in the prouince of Cathaya This Citie is foure and twenty myles compasse and is fouresquare that is to euery quarter sixe miles compasse The wall is very strong of twenty paces high and battlements of thrée paces high The wall is fiue paces thicke This Citie hathe twelue gates and at euery gate is a very faire pallace And vpon the toppe of euery corner of the said wal is also a faire pallace and in all these pallaces ioyning to the wall be many people appoynted for to watch and kéepe the Citie And in those pallaces be all maner of armour and weapons for the defence and strength of the Citie The stréetes of this Citie be so faire and streight that you may sée a Candle or fire from the one ende to the other In this Citie be manye fayre Pallaces and houses And in the middest of it is a notable greate and faire Pallace in the whiche there is a great Toure wherein there is a greate Bell and after that Bell is tolled thrée times no body may goe abroade in the Citie but the watchmen that be appoynted for to kéepe the Citie and the nurses that doe kéepe children newly borne and Phisitions that goe to visit the sicke and these may not go without light At euery gate nightlye there is a thousand men to watch not for feare of any enimies but to auoyde théeues and robbers in the Citie which many times do chance in the Citie And this great watche the greate Cane doth cause to conserue and kéepe hâ—s people and subiects that no man should do them hurt Without this Citie be twelue suburbes very greate and euery one of theÌ„ answereth to his gate of the Citie And in these be many Merchantes and men of occupations and thyther do resort all people that come out of the Countreys and such Lordes as haue to do with the King or his Courtes And in these suburbes be moe than twentye thousande single or common women and neuer a one of them maye dwell within the Citie on payne of burning Out of this Citie goeth euery daye aboue a thousande Cartes with silke The great Cane is garded euery night with twentie thousande Gentlemen on Horsebacke not for any feare but for dignitie They be called Chisitanos which is as much to say as Knightes for the body or trustie Knights The manner of the great Cane for his dinner is this They make ready all the Tables rounde about the Hall and in the middest of the Hall is made ready the Table for the greate Cane setting his backe towardes the North and his face towardes the South His firste wife sitteth next vnto him on hys lefte hande and his other wiues following orderly On his other side do sitte his sonnes and his sonnes children one after another according to his age Those that be of the imperiall lignage do sitte downe afterward at another table more lower And the other Lords and their wiues do sitte at other Tables more lower according to their degrées dignities offices estates and age At the saide Tablâ—s commonly do sitte foure thousand persons or very néere and euery one may sée the great Cane as he sitteth at his dinner In the middest of the Hall is a very greate vessell or cesterne of fine gold that will holde tenne Hoggesheads which is alwayes kept full of perfect good drinke And néere vnto that vessell be other foure vessels of siluer bigger than that full of good wine with many other vessels and pottes by them of gold and of siluer which may be of pottels a péece or as muche as will serue foure men for a dinner At dinner out of the vessell of golde wyth pottes of golde they drawe wine for to serue the greate Cane his Table for him his wiues children and kindred and out of the vesselles of siluer with Iars and Pottes of siluer they drawe wine to serue the Lordes and the Ladies and all others sitting at the Tables as well wemen as men And euery one that sitteth at the tables hathe a cuppe of golde before hym to drinke in And euery one that bringeth anye seruice to the greate Canes Table hathe a towell of golde and silke before his mouth bycause his breath shall not come vppon the meate and drinke they bring When the great Cane will drinke all the Musitians that bée in the Hall doe play and euery one that serueth knéeleth downe tyll hée haue drunke In the Hall be alwayes Iesters Iuglers and fooles attending vpon the Tables to make pastime all dynner tyme and after Dinner is done and the Tables taken vppe euerie man goeth aboute his businesse All the Tartares kéepe greate feasting and chéere euery yeare on the daye that Cublay Cane was borne which was on the eight and twentith day of September and that is the greatest feast they make in all the yeare saue one that héereafter shall be spoken of The greate Cane doth apparell himselfe that day he was borne on in cloth of golde maruellous rich and .12000 BaroÌ„s be apparelled with him after the same sorte touching the cloth of gold but not so rich and preciouse and euery one of theÌ„ hath a great girdle of gold and that apparell and girdles the great Cane giueth them And there is neuer a one of those garments with the girdle but it is worth .10000 Bisancios of golde whiche may be a thousand Markes By this you may perceyue that he is of great power and riches And on the sayde day all the Tartares and Merchantes and subiects and those that dwell in his Countreys be bounde to presente vnto hym euery one somethyng according to his degrée and abilitie in knowledging him to be their Lorde And whatsoeuer he be that doth begge any office or gift of him must giue him a present according to the gift he doth aske And all his Subiects and Merchantes and trauellers or anye other that be founde in his Countreys or Prouinces be vsually bounde to pray for the greate Cane to hys Idols to preserue hym and hys Countreys whether they be Tartares or Christiane or Iewes or Moores The Tartares begin their yeare the firste day of February and do kéepe a great feast that day And the greate Cane and hys Barons with all the rest of the Citie doe apparell themselues in white that daye
Maugy Maugy Heere is found plenty of golde Their money is made of Corrall Here is cloth of gold cloth of silke and Chamlets made Heere groweth spices Masties as bigge as Asses Plenty of Pearles and precious stones Heere they haue an ill custome Heere is moneâ— of golde Here is great plenty of Spices Heere is found greate plentye of gold A Riuer into the Seas Heere be many Horses bredde A Sazo of gold is worth eyght of siluer which is an ounce Heere is great plentâ— of golde The men of this countrey haue theyr teeth couered with gold Heere is a custome that the good man is much made of after hys wife is broughte a bed A Sazo of gold is an ounce and is worth fyue of Siâ—â—er A strange kind of Phisicke Vnicornes Great plenâ—â— of cloth of Gold and Silke Mangi Mangi Mangi The riuer Tnoguron the greatest riuer in the world Fiue thousanÌ„d vessels on this riuer Seauen thousand bridges of stone Plentie of Rewbarbe Fiue pounde of Ginger for sixe pence Quinsay The noblesâ— Citie of the worlde it is an hundred miles coÌ„passe Twelue thousand bridges of stone The manner how they do kil the Lions Good cheape Suger Faire men and women heere Blacke Henâ— and fatie without feathers A Riuer of seauen mile broad There be many Ships made This Citie hath the best Hauen in the world For one Shippe that commeth to Alâ—xanâ—ria there commeth in ther a hundreth Great custome is payd heere The Iland of Ciampagu is fifteene hundred miles from the mayne lande In this Iland is great plentâ— of golde The Kings Pallace is couered wyth cleane golde The windowes and pillers thereof is golde Great â—lenty of Precious stones Men hauing stones that were inchanted could not be slaine with weapons of iron but with clubbes The Citie taken by a prettie meanes In this Sea is .7448 Ilands whiche be verye frutefull and pleasant Heere groweth whyte Pepper This King had .325 children A very riche Iland of spices and golde in great plentye Heere is found plentie of golde Great trade for Pepper by reason of the quantity Melibar Plenty of Pepper and Ginger and Turbit A darke land The Introduction FOr that this treatise which I found in the secoÌ„d Booke towards the end that Maister Pogio FloreÌ„tine Secretary vnto Pope Eugenius the fourth wryteth of the varietie or chaunge of fortune it maketh muche vnto the confirmation and proofe of the things that Maister Marcus Paulus writeth in hâ—s Booke for that by the mouth of two or three as our Redeemer sayth there is proued the truth I thoughte good to translate it out of Eloquent Latine whiche hee did write it in and to communicate it into my rude Castilian and naturall tongue for that ioyntly suche twoo witnesses in thys present worke may make a full or almoste a sure proofe of some things for that it hath not bin seene in our Europa or that in any auntient writing appeareth it may be thoughte harde or difficile credence And the saide Pogio followeth in this manner in the ende of his seconde Booke IT séemeth not vnto me a thing straunge from reason if I decline from the stile that hitherto I haue vsed in this Booke declaring of the harde fortune making an ende counting the diuersities of thinges wherein the heartes of the Readers finde more taste and amiable gladnesse than in those that already I haue written Notwithstanding that also in the cause I will declare appeareth plainelye the force of Fortune in retourning a man vnto Italy oute of the extreame partes of the worlde of the Orient after that he had suffered and passed fiue and twentie yeres such greate fortunes aswell by sea as by lande The olde Authors do write many things of the Indians with the common fame of the whiche the certaine knowlege that since we haue hadde sheweth them to be rather fables than of truth as it appeareth by the referring of one Nicholas a Venetian that after he had trauailed the intrailes of the Indias he came vnto Eugenius the fourth Pope of that name who then was in Florence to reconcile himselfe and to haue pardon for that comming oute of India and neâ—re vnto Egipt towards the redde Sea hée was constrayned to renounce and forsake the faith for feare of death more of his wife and children than of hymselfe And for that I hearde by manye that he declared of manye singular things I desired muche to heare hym and not onelye to demaunde of him concerning the things whiche hée hadde séene in the presence of wise Barons and of greate authoritie but also to enforme my selfe wyth hym in myne owne house and to take a note of his relation for that there mighte remaine a remembraunce of it vnto those that hereafter shoulde come after mée And of a trueth hée tolde so certaynelye so wisely and so attentiuely all hys trauaile made amongest people of so farre Countries the vse manners and custome of the Indians the diuersitie of wilde beastes trées the lynages of Spices and in what place it groweth that it appeared well hée dydde not declare a fained tale but the trueth of that whiche hée hadde séene And as it séemeth this man went so farre as none of the olde tyme hadde béene for he passed the riuer Gangy and wente beyonde the Ilande Taprobana where we reade there came none excepte one Captaine of Alexanders fléete named Onesycrito and a Citizen of Rome that by fortune of teÌ„pest arriued in those parties in the time of Tiberius Cesar. This Nicholas Venetian being yong was as a Merchaunt in the Citie of Damasco in Syria and hauing learned the Arabian tongue he departed from the sayde Citie in the company of .600 Merchantes the whiche company they do call Carouana or Carauana trauailing with his merchaundize through the deserts of Arabia otherwise named Petrea and from thence thoroughe Chaldie he came vnto the greate riuer Euphrates Hée saide that at the going out of the Deserte hée sawe a meruailous thing that aboute midnighte being all at reste he heard a great noise and sound that they thoughte it hadde bin companies of Alarabes wild naked menne or robbers and that they were comming to doe them some hurte and all the whole company arose and were al ready with the feare and they sawe manye battels of horsemen whiche passed harde by their tents much like an hoste dooing vnto them no hurte at all and those that hadde vsed that way said it was certaine companies of fiends which did ouer run in that sorte the Deserts There standeth aboue Euphrates a noble Citie that the walles of it be of fouretéene thousande paces And this Citie was a parte of the olde Babilon and those of that Countrie name it by a newe name Baldachia and Euphrates runneth in the middes of it and they doe passe ouer a bridge that hath fourtéene arches of ech side where appeareth many remembraunces of the olde Babilon and manye edifications throwne downe It hath a strong and
more pleasant There be in that Countrey daungerous Serpents of sixe cubites in length and as thicke as a man hauing no féete The people of that Country haue great delight in eating of those Serpēts rosted Also they do eate a certayne redde Ante as bigge as a crabbe estéeming it much drest with Pepper Also there is a certaine Beast hauing a head like vnto a Hogge the tayle lyke vnto an Oxe and a horne in his forehead like vnto a Vnicorne but smaller by a cubite He is couloure and bignesse like vnto the Elephante He is an enimie to the Elephant The vtter part of his hornes is good for medicines against poyson and for this cause he is had in great price and estimation At the end of this Region towards Catay there be Oren both blacke and white had in great estimation They haue a mane and a tayle lyke vnto a Horse but more hearie and reacheth vnto their féete The heares of their tailes be very fine and like vnto feathers and they be sold by weight and therof they do make Moscaderos or Table clothes for the Altares of their Gods or for to couer the Table of their King or for to trimme them with gold and siluer to couer the buttocks or breasts of their Horses for beautyfulnesse they estéeme thē for principall ornaments Also the Knightes hang of these heares fast by the yron of their Speares in token among them of singular nobilite Beyond the sayde Marcino there is another Prouince more principall than the others which is named Cataya Cataya and he is Lord of it that is named the great Cane whych is as muche to saye in their tong as Emperoure The great Cane and the City royall which is .28 miles in compasse four square is named Cymbalechya There standeth in the middest thereof a very faire and strong Pallace that serueth for the king At euery corner standeth a round fortresse of .4 miles compasse whiche serue for houses of all manner of armoure and necessarie engines for the warre and combat against any Citie And from the Pallace royall there runneth a wall with arches vnto euery one of these fortresses whereon the King may go vnto any of them if in case they would rise against him in the Citie From thys Citie fiftéene dayes iourney there standeth another Citie newly edifyed by the great Cane and is named Nentay It is in compasse thirtie miles and is most populous of all the rest And this Nicholas affirmeth that the houses and Pallaces and all other policies of these two Cities séemed much like vnto those of Italy the men béeing modest and curteous and of more riches thā the other be Going from Aua vpon a small riuer seauentene dayes iourney he came vnto a Hauen Citie being very greate named Zeitano and from thence he entred into another Riuer and in tenne dayes he came vnto another greate and populous Citie whiche is in comapasse .12000 paces whiche is called Paconya where he remayned foure monethes In this Citie he founde Vines though they were few for all India lacketh Vines and Wine nor they make no wine of the Grapes This Grape groweth among the trées and after the Grape is cut the first thing of all if they do not sacrifice with it vnto their Gods it is by and by auoyded out of their sight Also there be in this Countrey Pines Aberrycocks Chestnuttes and Mellons although they be small and gréene Héere is whyte Sandales or Saunders and Camphora or Camphire There is in India farre within almost at the furthest end of the world two Ilandes and both of them are named Laua the one is of two miles in length and the other of thrée towards the Orient and they are knowen in the name for the one is called the greate and the other the lesse And turning vnto the Sea he went vnto them béeing distant from the mayne land a monethes sayling and the one is a hundred miles distāt from the other He was in these with his wife and children nine moneths for in all his pilgrimage he had them euer with him The dwellers in these Ilands are the most cruell and vncharitable people in the world They eate Rattes Cattes Dogges and other viler beastes They estéeme it nothing to kill a man and he that doth any crime hathe no penaltie and the debters be giuen to be as slaues vnto the creditors and some debters will rather dye than serue and take a Sword and kill those that are weaker than they till they find one that is of more strength than themselfe who killeth them then they carrie the creditor of that murtherer before the Iudge and cause him to pay the debtes of the debler If any of them do buy a new Sword or knife he proueth it vpon the body of the firste that he méeteth and there is no penaltie for it Those that come by looke vpon the wound and prayse the hardinesse of him that did it if it be a great wound They take as many wiues as they list They do vse much the game of Cockfighting and they that bring them as well as the lokers on lay wagers whiche Cocke shall ouercome and winne the game In Laua the great there is a Fowle like vnto a Doue which hath no féete his feathers light and a long tayle he resteth alwayes on the trées hys flesh is not eaten the skinne and tayle are estéemed for they do vse to weare them on their heads Sayling fiftéene dayes beyond these two Ilandes towards the Orient you come vnto two other Ilands the one is named Sanday where there is Nutmegges and Almaxiga or Masticke The other is called Bandan where Cloues grow and from thence it is caryed vnto the Ilands named Clauas In Bandan there be thrée kinds of Popiniayes or Parrets with redde feathers and yellowe billes and others of diuers couloures whiche are called Noros that is to say cleare They are as bigge as doues There be other white ones as bigge as Hennes named Cachos that is to say better for they excéede the others and they speake like men in so muche that they doe aunswere vnto the things that they are asked of The people of these two Ilandes are blacke by reason of the greate heate Beyond these Ilands there is a mayne Sea but the contrary winds will not suffer men to trauell on it Leauing these sayde Ilands and hauing done his Merchandise he toke his waye towards the Occidente or Weste and came vnto a Citie named Cyampa hauing abundaunce of Aloes and of Camphora or Camphire and of golde and in so muche time as he came hither whiche was a moneth he came vnto a Citie named Coloen whiche is a noble Citie of thrée miles compasse where there is Ginger named Conbobo and Pepper and Vergino and Sinamon which is named Gruessa Thys Prouince is named Melibarya Also there be Serpents of sixe cubites in length and fearefull to behold but they do no hurt except they receyue hurt
there be founde any signe of burning hée is guiltie if not he is quytte There is no pestilence in the Indias nor yet other of the diseases that vse to trouble oure regions and for this cause there is more Townes and people than is to be beléeued There be manye that make hostes of a million of menne whych is .1000000 Nicholas declared that of one toâ—â—e there went out against another towâ—â— great hosts and had battayle and when the one had ouercome the other for a great triumph they did bring twelue Cart loades of gold laces and of silke with the whych the men that remayned deade had tyed theyr locke hayres that hanged downe vpon their backes He sayd more that sometimes he had gone to their wars only for to sée both parties and they dyd not hurt hym for that they knew hé◠was a straunger In an Iland named Laua the great is founde in a fewe places a trée that hath in the middest of the harte a roddâ— of yron very small but so long as the hart goeth and hée that hath of this yron next vnto his flesh shall not perishe by no kinde of yron and for this cause there be many that cut their skinnes and put a péece of it betwéene the skinne and the flesh it is much estéemed The things that of the byrde Phoenix be declared and written in verses by Latancio séeme not to be fables for the sayde Nicholas doeth say that at the end of India there is only one byrde named Seuienda whose bil is like vnto Alboge or togither with many hoales and when the time of his death commeth he gathereth togither dry woodde into his neste and sitting vpon it he singeth so swéetely wyth his bill that he delighteth and pleaseth muche those that heare him and then flittering with his wings vppon the wood there coÌ„meth fire and he letteth hymselfe burne then there commeth a worme out of his neste and of hys ashes and of it bréedeth the birde vnto the likenesse of that byrdes byl Those of that country made the Alnogue with the which they play very swéetly And Nicholas maruelling much of it they tolde him of what the making of it procéeded Also there is in the first India in an Iland called Saylana a riuer named Arotanie so full of fishe that easily they maye take them vp with their handes but as soone as a manne holdeth one of these fishes in his hande there commeth vnto him a Feuar and letting the fish go the Feuar is gone from hym the cause of it appeareth to be the nature of the fish as among vs there is a fish which we call Torpedo whych fish if a man do hold in his hand it will be num and grieue him although the Indians saye that it commeth by meanes of their Goddes by a certaine tale that they do tell of it AFter for an information to the reader kéeping the truth of the Historie I did write those things rehearsed as the sayd Nicholas gaue report and then there came another out of the high India which standeth towardes Septentrion or the North and he came sente vnto the Pope for to sée the things and manners of these parties for in those parties they had fame that in the Occident or west there was another worlde being Christians And this maÌ„ declared that neare vnto Cataya there was a kingdome which indured twentie dayes iourney the which king and people were Christians but of the sect of the Nestorians He declared that the Patriach of the Nestorians had sent him for to bring him tydings certaine from these parties He rehearsed that they had bigger more richer Churches than ours being al vaulted and that their Patriarch was very rich in golde and in siluer that euery father of family did giue yearelye vnto him an ounce of siluer I communed with this man by an interpretet whych could the Turkish tong and the Latin and I demaunded of him by meanes of this the wayes townes houses customs manners and of other things that a man delighteth to heare there was great difficultie to learne it for lacke of the interpreter and also of the Indian but he affirmed the power of the great Cane or Emperoure of al men to be greate and mighty for he had vnder him nyne mighty kings Also he declared that he hadde trauelled many months through the high Scithia is nowe Tartaria and throughe Persia and that finallye he came vnto the riuer Euphrates from whence he entered into the sea and sayled vnto Tripâ—le and from thence to Venice and from thence to Florence He reported to haue séene manye Cities more faiâ—e than ours both in publike edifications and of Citizens for he declared to haue séene many cities ten myles and of twentie myles in compasse And after that this man had spokeÌ„ with Eugenius the fourth Pope of that name he weÌ„t from Florence for to sée Rome in deuotion he demaunded neyther siluer nor gold séeming that he came not for gain but only to fulfil the message of hym that sent him IN the same time there came vnto the Pope certaine men from Ethiopia in deuotion of the faith with whoÌ„ I had communication by an interpreter to knowe if they knew any thing of the riuer of Nilus and of his springing Two of them gaue answere that they were of a countrey being very neare vntâ— two welsprings from whence the riuer Nilus procéedeth when I hearde this I coueted to knowe the things that of this matter the olde auntiente Phylosophers namely Ptolomes did write firste of the fountaines of Nilus It appeareth not that they knewe it but only by coniecture to appeare that they drew out some things of the Originall increase of the sayde riuer And as these witnesses of sighte did tell me of these and of others worthy to remayne in memorie it séemed vnto me verye good to write them They declared that the Riuer Nilus hadde his heade and Welspryng neare vnto the Region Equinoctiall at the foote of verye hyghe mountaynes whyche are alwayes couered on the toppe with Mistes from thrée welsprings two of them standing 40. paces the one from the other and in 500. paces they méete and make the riuer so great that no man may passe ouer but with boate The thirde which is the biggest standeth a thousand paces froÌ„ the other two and he commeth into the riuer of the others ten myles off Also they sayde that more than 1000. riuers did enter into Nilus and it increaseth so muche in those countryes with the raine of March April and May that it maketh Nilus to swell ouer so muche that it made wonderfull great floudes Also they declared that the water of Nilus was verye swéete and sauerie before he entereth among the other Riuers and it hath vertue to heale those that haue the leaprie and scabs if they washe themselues in it And beyonde the headsprings of Nilus fiftéene dayes iourney there be verye fruitefull countries ful of