The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2 / Page 148 (Color Image)

0148	The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2

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IIO

MARCO POLO

I300K II.

was about to die he commanded that by his tomb they

should erect two towers [one at either end], one of gold

and the other of silver, in such fashion as I shall tell you.

The towers are built of fine stone ; and then one of them

has been covered with gold a good finger in thickness,

so that the tower looks as if it were all of solid gold

and the other is covered with silver in like manner so

that it seems to be all of solid silver. Each tower is a

good ten paces in height and of breadth in proportion.

The upper part of these towers is round, and girt ail

about with bells, the top of the gold tower with gilded

bells and the silver tower with silvered bells, insomuch

that whenever the wind blows among these bells they

tinkle. [The tomb likewise was plated partly with gold,

and partly with silver.] The King caused these towers

to be erected to commemorate his magnificence and for

the good of his soul ; and really they do form one of the

finest sights in the world ; so exquisitely finished are they,

so splendid and costly. And when they are lighted up

by the sun they shine most brilliantly and are visible

from a vast distance.

Now you must know that the Great Kaan conquered

the country in this fashion.

You see at the Court of the Great Kaan there was a

great number of gleemen and jugglers ; and he said to

them one day that he wanted them to go and conquer

the aforesaid province of Mien, and that he would give

them a good Captain to lead them and other good aid.

And they replied that they would be delighted. So the

Emperor caused them to be fitted out with all that an

army requires, and gave them a Captain and a body of

men-at-arms to help them ; and so they set out, and

marched until they came to the country and province of

Mien. And they did conquer the whole of it ! And

when they found in the city the two towers of gold and

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