国立情報学研究所 - ディジタル・シルクロード・プロジェクト
| |||||||||
|
The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 | |
マルコ=ポーロ卿の記録 : vol.1 |
•
•
CHAP. XIII. THE GREAT KAAN'S TABLE
383
.
there stand a couple of big men like giants, one on each
side, armed with staves. Their business is to see that
no one steps Upon the threshold in entering, and if this
does happen, they strip the offender of his clothes, and
he must pay a forfeit to have them back again ; or in
lieu of taking his clothes, they give him a certain
number of blows. If they are foreigners ignorant of
the order, then there are Barons appointed to introduce
them, and explain it to them. They think, in fact, that
it brings bad luck if any one touches the threshold.
Howbeit, they are not expected to stick at this in going
forth again, for at that time some are like to be the
worse for liquor, and incapable of looking to their steps.4]
And you must know that those who wait upon the
Great Kaan with his dishes and his drink are some of
the great Barons. They have the mouth and nose
muffled with fine napkins of silk and gold, so that no
breath nor odour from their persons should taint the
dish or the goblet presented to the Lord. And when
the Emperor is going to drink, all the musical instru-
ments, of which he has vast store of every kind, begin to
play. And when he takes the cup all the Barons and
the rest of the company drop on their knees and make
the deepest obeisance before him, and then the Emperor
doth drink. But each time that he does so the whole
ceremony is repeated.' '
I will say nought about the dishes, as you may easily
conceive that there is a great plenty of every possible
kind. But you should know that in every case where
a Baron or Knight dines at those tables, their wives
also dine there with the other ladies. And when all
have dined and the tables have been removed, then
come in a great number of players and jugglers, adepts
at all sorts of wonderful feats,' and perform before the
Emperor and the rest of the company, creating great
•
•
|
Copyright (C) 2003-2019
National Institute of Informatics(国立情報学研究所)
and
The Toyo Bunko(東洋文庫). All Rights Reserved.
本ウェブサイトに掲載するデジタル文化資源の無断転載は固くお断りいたします。