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| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 |
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Citation Information
Itt
162
MARCO POLO BooK H.
then discovered that, like the Irishman's dog, his real name was Turk, though he had always been called Toby ! But M. Pauthier's learning has misled him. At least the secret must have been very badly kept, for it was known in Teimur's lifetime not only to Marco, but to Rashiduddin in Persia, and to Hayton in Armenia ; to say nothing of the circumstance that the name Temur Kha; han is also used during that Emperor's life by Oljaitu Khan of Persia in writing to the King of France a letter which M. Pauthier himself republished and commented upon. (See his book, p. 7So. )
CHAPTER X.
CONCERNING THE PALACE OF THE GREAT KHAN.
h
You must know that for three months of the year, to
wit December, January, and February, the Great Kaan
resides in the capital city of Cathay, which is called
CAMBALUC, [and which is at the north-eastern extremity
of the country]. In that city stands his great Palace,
and now I will tell you what it is like.
It is enclosed all round by a great wall forming a
square, each side of which is a mile in length ; that is
to say, the whole compass thereof is four miles. This
you may depend on ; it is also very thick, and a good
ten paces in height, whitewashed and loop-holed all
round.' At each angle of the wall there is a very fine
and rich palace in which the war-harness of the
Emperor is kept, such as bows and quivers,2 saddles
and bridles, and bowstrings, and everything needful for
an army. Also midway between every two of these
Corner Palaces there is another of the like ; so that
taking the whole compass of the enclosure you find
eight vast Palaces stored with the Great Lord's harness
of war.' And you must understand that each Palace is
assigned to only one kind of article ; thus one is stored
with bows, a second with saddles, a third with bridles,
and so on in succession right round.4
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