The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 / Page 604 (Color Image)

0604	The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1

302 MARCO POLO ROOK I.

of some ten paces from his table, and filled with wine,

or other good spiced liquor' such as they use. Now

when the Lord desires to drink, these enchanters by

the power of their enchantments cause the cups to

move from their place without being touched by any-

body, and to present themselves to the Emperor ! This

every one present may witness, and there are ofttimes

more than io,000 persons thus present. 'Tis a truth

and no lie ! and so will tell you the sages of our own

country who understand necromancy, for they also can

perform it.l

And when the Idol Festivals come round, these

Bacsi go to the Prince and say : " Sire, the Feast of

such a god is ' come " (naming him). " My Lord, you

know," the enchanter will say, " that this god, when

he gets no offerings, always sends bad weather and

spoils our seasons. So we pray you to give us such

and such a number of black-faced sheep," naming

whatever number they please. " And we beg also,

good my lord, that we may have such a quantity of

incense, and such a quantity of lignaloes, and "—so much

of this, so much of that, and so much of t'other, accord-

ing to their fancy—" that we may perform a solemn

service and a great sacrifice to our Idols, and that so

they may be induced to protect us and all that is

ours.

The Bacsi say these things to the Barons entrusted

with the Stewardship, who stand round the Great Kaan,

and these repeat them to the Kaan, and he then orders

the Barons to give everything that the Bacsi have asked

for. And when they have got the articles they go and

make a great feast in honour of their god, and hold

great ceremonies of worship with grand illuminations

and quantities of incense of a variety of odours, which

they make up from different aromatic spices. And

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