The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 / Page 327 (Color Image)

0327	The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1

CHAP. XVII. MARCO GROWS IN FAVOUR

like a sensible man he always took much pains to

gather knowledge of anything that would be likely to

interest him, and then on his return to Court he would

relate everything in regular order, and thus the Emperor

came to hold him in great love and favour. And for

this reason also he would employ him the oftener on

the most weighty and most distant of his missions.

These Messer Marco ever carried out with discretion

and success, God be thanked. So the Emperor became

ever more partial to him, and treated him with the

greater distinction, and kept him so close to his person

that some of the Barons waxed very envious thereat.

And thus it came about that Messer Marco Polo had

knowledge of, or had actually visited, a greater number

of the different countries of the World than any other

man ; the more that he was always giving his mind to

get knowledge, and to spy out and enquire into every-

thing in order to have matter to relate to the Lord.

CHAPTER XVII.

How MESSER NICOL°, MESSER MAFFEO, AND MESSER MARCO, ASKED LEAVE OF THE GREAT KAAN TO GO THEIR WAX%

WHEN the Two Brothers and Mark had abode with the

Lord all that time that you have been told [having

meanwhile acquired great wealth in jewels and gold],

they began among themselves to have thoughts about

returning to their own country ; and indeed it was time.

[For, to say nothing of the length and infinite perils

of the way, when they considered the Kaan's great age,

they doubted whether, in the event of his death before

their departure, they would ever be able to get home.']

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