IIIF Color HighRes
National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
| |||||||||
|
| IIIF Color HighRes |
| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Citation Information
420
MARCO POLO 1300K II.
ifs
After the Great Kaan had returned to Cambaluc he
was very anxious to discover what had led to this affair,
and he then learned all about the endless iniquities of
that accursed Achmath and his sons. It was proved that
he and seven of his sons (for they were not all bad) had
forced no end of women to be their wives, besides those
whom they had ravished. The Great Kaan then ordered
all the treasure that Achmath had accumulated in the
Old City to be transferred to his own treasury in the
New City, and it was found to be of enormous amount.
He also ordered the body of Achmath to be dug up and
cast into the streets for the dogs to tear ; and commanded
those of his sons that had followed the father's evil
example to be flayed alive.'
These circumstances called the Kaan's attention to
the accursed doctrines of the Sect of the Saracens, which
excuse every crime, yea even murder itself, when com-
mitted on such as are not of their religion. And seeing
that this doctrine had led the accursed Achmath and his
sons to act as they did without any sense of guilt, the
Kaan was led to entertain the greatest disgust and
abomination for it. So he summoned the Saracens and
prohibited their doing many things which their religion
enjoined. Thus, he ordered them to regulate their
marriages by the Tartar Law, and prohibited their
cutting the throats of animals killed for föod, ordering
them to rip the stomach in the Tartar way.
Now when all this happened Messer Marco was
upon the spot.]
NOTE I.--This narrative is from Ramusio's version, and constitutes one of the most notable passages peculiar to that version.
The name of the oppressive Minister is printed in Ramusio's Collection Achmach. But the c and t are so constantly interchanged in MSS. that I think there can be no question this was a mere clerical error for Achnzath, and so I write it. I have also for consistency changed the spelling of Xandu, Czinnis, etc., to that hitherto adopted in our text of Chandu, Chinkin, etc.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Copyright (C) 2003-2019 National Institute of Informatics and The Toyo Bunko. All Rights Reserved.