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| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2 |
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Citation Information
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CHAP. LXV.
THE CONQUEST OF MANZI
147
example I will tell you somewhat of his liberal
acts.
In those provinces they are wont to expose their new-
born babes ; I speak of the poor, who have not the
means of bringing them up. But the King used to have
all those foundlings taken charge of, and had note made
of the signs and planets under which each was born, and
then put them out to nurse about the country. And
when any rich man was childless he would go to the
King and obtain from him as many of these children as
he desired. Or, when the children grew up, the King
would make up marriages among them, and provide for
the couples from his own purse. In this manner he used
to provide for some 20,000 boys and girls every year.?
I will tell you another thing this King used to do.
If he was taking a ride through the city and chanced to
see a house that was very small and poor standing
among other houses that were fine and large, he would
ask why it was so, and they would tell him it belonged
to a poor man who had not the means to enlarge it.
Then the King would himself supply the means. And
thus it came to pass that in all the capital of the kingdom
of Manzi, Kinsay by name, you should not see any but
fine houses.
This King used to be waited on by more than a
thousand young gentlemen and ladies, all clothed in the
richest fashion. And he ruled his realm with such
justice that no malefactors were to be found therein.
The city in fact was so secure that no man closed his
doors at night, not even in houses and shops that were
full of all sorts of rich merchandize. No one could do
justice in the telling to the great riches of that country,
and to the good disposition of the people. Now that I
have told you about the kingdom, I will go back to the
Queen.
VOI,. II. K 2
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