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| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 |
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Citation Information
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78
MARCO POLO Boos I.
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4 •
' CHAPTER XIII
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OF THE GREAT COUNTRY OF PERSIA ; WITH SOME ACCOUNT OF THE
THREE KINGS.
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PERSIA is a great country, which was in old times very
illustrious and powerful ; but now the Tartars have wasted
and destroyed it.
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In Persia is the city of SABA, from which the Three
Magi set out when they went to worship Jesus Christ ;
and in this city they are buried, in three very large and
beautiful monuments, side by side. And above them
there is a square building, carefully kept. The bodies
are still entire, with the hair and beard remaining. One
of these was called Jaspar, the second Melchior, and the
third Balthasar. Messer Marco Polo asked a great many
questions of the people of that city as to those Three
Magi, but never one could he find that knew aught of the
matter, except that these were three kings who were
buried there in days of old. However, at a place three
days' journey distant he heard of what I am going to tell
you. He found a village there which goes by the name
of CALA ATAPERISTAN,1 which is as much as to say, " The
Castle of the Fire-worshippers." And the name is rightly
applied, for the people there do worship fire, and I will
tell you why.
They relate that in old times three kings of that
country went away to worship a Prophet that was born,
and they carried with them three manner of offerings,
Gold, and Frankincense, and Myrrh ; in order to ascertain
whether that Prophet were God, or an earthly King, or a
Physician. For, said they, if he take the Gold, then he
is an earthly King ; if he take the Incense he is God ; if
he take the Myrrh he is a Physician.
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