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| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 |
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Citation Information
MARCO POLO BOOK I.
64
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hast gathered such a huge treasure ? What didst thou
mean to do therewith ? K newest thou not that I was
thine enemy, and that I was coming against thee with
so great an host to cast thee forth of thine heritage ?
Wherefore didst thou not take of thy gear and employ
it in paying knights and soldiers to defend thee and thy
city ? "
The Calif wist not what to answer, and said never a
word. So the Prince continued, " Now then, Calif, since
I see what a love thou hast borne thy treasure, I will
e'en give it thee to eat ! " So he shut the Calif up in
the Treasure Tower, and bade that neither meat nor
drink should be given him, saying, " Now, Calif, eat of
thy treasure as much as thou wilt, since thou art so fond
of it ; for never shalt thou have aught else to eat ! "
So the Calif lingered in the tower four clays, and then
died like a dog. Truly his treasure would have been of
more service to him had he bestowed it upon men who
would have defended his kingdom and his people, rather
than let himself be taken and deposed and put to death
as he was.' Howbeit, since that time, there has been
never another Calif, either at Baudas or anywhere else.'
Now I will tell you of a great miracle that befell at
•
Baudas, wrought by God on behalf of the Christians.
,
NOTE t.—This form of the Mediaval Frank name of BAGHHDAD, Baudas [the Chinese traveller, Ch'ang Te, Si Shi Ki, XIII. cent., says, "the kingdom of Bao-da," H. C.], is curiously like that used by the Chinese historians, Paola (Pauthier; Gaubil), and both are probably due to the NIongol habit of slurring gutturals. (See Prologue, eh. ii. note 3.) [Baghdad was taken on the 5th of February, 1258, and the Khalif surrendered to Hulaku on the loth of February.—H. C.]
1
NOTE 2.—Polo is here either speaking without personal knowledge, or is so brief as to convey an erroneous impression that the Tigris flows to Kisi, whereas three-fourths of the length of the Persian Gulf intervene between the river mouth and Kisi. The latter is the island and city of Kist' or KAIS, about 200 miles from the mouth of the Gulf, and for a long time one of the chief ports of trade with India and the East. The island, the Cataea of Arrian, now called Ghes or Kenn, is singular among the islands of the Gulf as being wooded and well supplied with fresh water. The ruins of a city [called Harira, according to Lord Curzon,] exist on the north side. According to
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