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| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 |
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Citation Information
142
MARCO POLO BOOK I.
Mulhid or Muldhidah. Mulhet is precisely the name by which the kingdom of the Ismailites is mentioned in Armenian history, and Mulilzet is already applied in the same way by Rabbi Benjamin in the 12th century, and by Rubruquis in the 13th. The Chinese narrative of Hulaku's expedition calls it the kingdom of Mulahi. (Joinville, p. 138 ; J. As. sér. II., tom. xii. 285 ; Benj. Tudela, p. io6 ; Rub. p. 265 ; Rémusat, Nouv. Mélanges, I. 176 ; Gaubil, p. 128 ; Pauthier, pp. cxxxix.-cxli. ; Mon. Hist. Patr. Scriptorum, III. 1559, Turin, 1848.) [Cf. on Mulelzet, melahideh, Heretics, plural of mollzid, Heretic, my note, pp. 476-482 of my ed. of Friar Odoric.
H. C.]
" Old Man of the Mountain " was the title applied by the Crusaders to the chief of that branch of the sect which was settled in the mountains north of Lebanon, being a translation of his popular Arabic title Shaikh-ul Jibal. But according to Hammer this title properly belonged, as Polo gives it, to the Prince of Alamút, who never called himself Sultan, Malik, or Amir ; and this seems probable, as his territory was known as the Balad--ul Jibal. (See Abulf. in Biisching, V. 319.)
CHAPTER XXIV.
How THE OI.D MAN USED TO TRAIN HIS ASSASSINS.
WHEN therefore they awoke, and found themselves in a
place so charming, they deemed that it was Paradise in
very truth. And the ladies and damsels dallied with them
to their hearts' content, so that they had what young
men would have ; and with 'their own good will they
never would have quitted the place.
Now this Prince whom we call the Old One kept his
Court in grand and noble style, and made those simple
hill-folks about him believe firmly that he was a great
Prophet. And when he wanted one of his Ashishin to
send on any mission, he would cause that potion where-
of I spoke to be given to one of the youths in the garden,
and then had him carried into his Palace. So when the
young man awoke, he found himself in the Castle, and
no longer in that Paradise ; whereat he was not over
well pleased. He was then conducted to the Old Man's
presence, and bowed before him with great veneration
as believing himself to be in the presence of a true
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