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| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2 |
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Citation Information
CHAP. XXXVIII. THE GOLDEN KING
17
ambassadors. [Old P'ing yang, 5 lis to the south] is said to have been the residence of the primitive and mythical Chinese Emperor Yao. A great college for the education of the Mongols was instituted at P'ing-} ang, by Yeliu Chutsai, the enlightened minister of Okkodai Khan. [Its dialect differs from the T'aï-yuan dialect, and is more like Pekingese.] The city, lying in a broad valley covered with the yellow löss, was destroyed by the T'aï-Ving rebels, but it is reviving. [It is known for its black pottery.] The vicinity is noted for large paper factories. [" From T'ai-yuan fu to P'ing-yang fu is a journey of 185 miles, down the valley of the Fuen-ho." (Colonel Bell, Proc. R. G. S. XII. 189o, p. 6i.) By the way, Mr. Rockhill remarks (Land of the Lamas, p. Io) : " Richthofen has transcribed the name of this river Fuen. This spelling has been adopted on most of the recent maps, both German and English, but Fuen is an impossible sound in Chinese." (Read Fen ho.)—H. C.] (Cathay, ccxi. ; Ritter, IV. 516 ; D'Ohsson, II. 70 ; Williamson, I. 336.)
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
CONCERNING THE CASTLE OF CAICHU.
ON leaving Pianfu you ride two days westward, and
come to the noble castle of CAIcrIU, which was built
in time past by a king of that country, whom they used
to call the GOLDEN KING, and who had there a great
and beautiful palace. There is a great hall of this
palace, in which are pourtrayed all the ancient kings of
the country, done in gold and other beautiful colours,
and a very fine sight they make. Each king in succes-
sion as he reigned added to those pictures.1
[This Golden King was a great and potent Prince,
and during his stay at this place there used to be in
his service none but beautiful girls, of whom he had
a great number in his Court. When he went to take
the air about the fortress, these girls used to draw him
about in a little carriage which they could easily move,
and they would also be in attendance on the King for
everything pertaining to his convenience or pleasure.2]
Now I will tell you a pretty passage that befel
between the Golden King and Prester John, as it was
related by the people of the Castle.
VOL. II. B
1
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