The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 / Page 512 (Color Image)

0512	The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1

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MARCO POLO BOOK I.

Great Desert of Lop, and on the other side is a small

desert of three days' journey in extent.' The people are

all Idolaters, and have a peculiar language. They live

by the fruits of the earth, which they have in plenty, and

dispose of to travellers. They are a people who take

things very easily, for they mind nothing but playing

and singing, and dancing and enjoying themselves.2

And it is the truth that if a foreigner comes to the

house of one of these people to lodge, the host is

delighted, and desires his wife to put herself entirely at

the guest's disposal, whilst he himself gets out of the way,

and comes back no more until the stranger shall have

taken his departure. The guest may stay and enjoy

the wife's society as long as he lists, whilst the husband

hàs no shame in the matter, but indeed considers it an

honour. And all the men of this province are made

wittols of by their wives in this way.3 The women

themselves are fair and wanton.

Now it carne to pass during the reign of -VIANGU KAAN,

that as lord of this province he came to hear of this

custom, and he sent forth an order commanding them

under grievous penalties to do so no more [but to provide

public hostelries for travellers]. And when they heard

this order they were much vexed thereat. [For about

three years' space they carried it out. But then they

found that their lands were no longer fruitful, and that

many mishaps befell them.] So they collected together

and prepared a grand present which they sent to their

Lord, praying him graciously to let them retain the

custom which they had inherited from their ancestors ;

for it was by reason of this usage that their gods bestowed

upon them all the good things that they possessed, and

without it they saw not how they could continue to exist.4

When the Prince had heard their petition his reply was

" Since ye must needs keep your shame, keep it then,"

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