IIIF Color HighRes
National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
| |||||||||
|
| IIIF Color HighRes |
| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Citation Information
338 . MARCO POLO BOOK II.
•
~
40
.1*
s
a
i
a
4
~
a .
great Naccara of the Prince is heard to sound. As
soon as that begins to sound the fight also begins on
both sides ; and in no case before the Prince's Naccara
sounds dare any commence fighting.'
So then, as they were thus singing and playing,
though ordered and ready for battle, the great Naccara
of the Great Khan began to sound. And that of Nayan
also began to sound. And thenceforward the din of
battle began to be heard loudly from this side and from
that. And they rushed to work so doughtily with their
bows and their maces, with their lances and swords,
and with the arblasts of the footmen, that it was a
wondrous sight to see. Now might you behold such
flights of arrows from this side and from that, that
the whole heaven was canopied with them and they
fell like rain. Now might you see on this side and
on that full many a cavalier and man-at-arms fall
slain, insomuch that the whole field seemed covered
with them. From this side and from that such cries
arose from the crowds of the wounded and dying that
had God thundered, you would not have heard Him
For fierce and furious was the battle, and quarter there
was none given.
But why should I make a long story of it ? You
must know that it was the most parlous and fierce and
fearful battle that ever has been fought in our day.
Nor have there ever been such forces in the field in
actual fight, especially of horsemen, as were then en-
gaged for, taking both sides, there were not fewer
than 760,000 horsemen, a mighty force ! and that
. without reckoning the footmen, who were also very
numerous. The battle endured with various fortune
on this side and on that from morning till noon. But
at the last, by God's pleasure and the right that was
on his side, the Great Khan had the victory, and Nayan
~
4
~
!'
i
•
♦ itv.
+1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Copyright (C) 2003-2019 National Institute of Informatics and The Toyo Bunko. All Rights Reserved.