The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2 / Page 488 (Color Image)

0488	The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2

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4 30 MARCO. POLO BOOK III.

of Aden in great force. The Kings of this province of

Aden were well aware of the King's advance against

them, and went to encounter him at the strongest pass on

their frontier, with a great force of armed men, in order

to bar the enemy from entering their territory. When

the King arrived at this strong pass where the Saracens

had taken post, a battle began, fierce and fell on both

sides, for they were very bitter against each other. But

it carne to pass, as it pleased our Lord God Jesus Christ,

that the Kings of the Saracens, who were three in

number, could not stand against the Christians, for they

are not such good soldiers as the Christians are. So the

Saracens were defeated, and a marvellous number of

them slain, and the King of Abash entered the Kingdom

of Aden with all his host. The Saracens made various

sallies on them in the narrow defiles, but it availed

nothing ; they were always beaten and slain. And when

the King had greatly wasted and destroyed the king-

dom of his enemy, and had remained in it more than a

month with all his host, continually slaying the Saracens,

and ravaging their lands (so that great numbers of them

perished), he thought it time to return to his own king-

dom, which he could now do with great honour. Indeed

he could tarry no longer, nor could he, as he was aware,

do more injury to the enemy ; for he would have had to

force a way by still stronger passes, where, in the narrow

defiles, a handful of men might cause him heavy loss.

So he quitted the enemy's Kingdom of Aden and began

to retire. And he with his host got back to their own

country of Abash in great triumph and rejoicing ; for he

had well avenged the shame cast on him and on his

Bishop for his sake. For they had slain so many

Saracens, and so wasted and harried the land, that 'twas

something to be astonished at. And in sooth 'twas a

deed well done ! For it is not to be borne that the dogs

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