The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 / Page 305 (Color Image)

0305	The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1

CHIAP. VII.

CUBLAY'S EMBASSY TO TIIE POPE

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CHAPTER VII.

How THE GREAT KAAN SENT THE Two BROTHERS AS HIS ENVOYS TO

THE POPE.

WHEN that Prince, whose name was CUBLAY KAAN, Lord

of the Tartars all over the earth, and of all the kingdoms

and provinces and territories of that vast quarter of the

world, had heard all that the Brothers had to tell him

about the ways of the Latins, he was greatly pleased,

and he took it into his head that he would send them

on an Embassy to the Pope. So he urgently desired

them to undertake this mission along with one of his

Barons ; and they replied that they would gladly exe-

cute all his commands as those of their Sovereign Lord.

Then the Prince sent to summon to his presence one of

his Barons whose name was COGATAL, and desired him

to get ready, for it was proposed to send him to the

Pope along with the Two Brothers. The Baron replied

that he would execute the Lord's commands to the best

of his ability.

After this the Prince caused letters from himself to the

Pope to be indited in the Tartar tongue,' and committed

them to the Two Brothers and to that Baron of his own,

and charged them with what he wished them to say to

the Pope. Now the contents of the letter were to this

purport : He begged that the Pope would send as many as

an hundred persons of our Christian faith ; intelligent men,

acquainted with the Seven Arts,' well qualified to enter

into controversy, and able clearly to prove by force of

argument to idolaters and other kinds of folk, that the

Law of Christ was best, and that all other religions were

false and naught ; and that if they would prove this, he

and all under him would become Christians and the

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