IIIF Color HighRes
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| IIIF Color HighRes |
| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2 |
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Citation Information
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CHAP. XV. IIISTORI' OF SAGAMONI BORCAN
317
were no idols. They bold him to have been the best
of men, a great saint in fact, according to their fashion,
and the first in whose name idols were made.l
He was the son, as their story goes, of a great and
wealthy king. And he was of such an holy temper
that he would never listen to any worldly talk, nor
would he consent to be king. And when the father
saw that his son would not be king, nor yet take any
part in affairs, he took it sorely to heart. And first be
tried to tempt him with great promises, offering to
crown him king, and to surrender all authority into his
hands. The son, however, would none of his offers ;
so the father was in great trouble, and all the more
that he had no other son but him, to whom he might
bequeath the kingdom at his own death. So, after
taking thought on the matter, the King caused a
great palace to be built, and placed his son therein,
and caused him to be waited on there by a number of
maidens, the most beautiful that could anywhere be
found. And he ordered them to divert themselves
with the prince, night and day, and to sing and dance
before him, so as to draw his heart towards worldly
enjoyments. But 'twas all of no avail, for none of
those maidens could ever tempt the king's son to any
wantonness, and he only abode the firmer in his
chastity, leading a most holy life, after their manner
thereof. And I assure you he was so staid a youth
that he had never gone out of the palace, and thus
he had never seen a dead man, nor any one who was
not bale and sound ; for the father never allowed any
man that was aged or infirm to come into his presence.
It carne to pass however one day that the young gentle-
man took a ride, and by the roadside he beheld a dead
man. The sight dismayed him greatly, as he never
had seen such a sight before. Incontinently he
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