IIIF Color HighRes
National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
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| IIIF Color HighRes |
| Marco Polo : vol.1 |
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Citation Information
.7
NICOLAU AND MAFEU ARE SENT TO THE POPE rMARCO POLO P delighted much to talk with them to learn of the things of the sunsetting, • so that he often
commanded them to be brought before him.
8. OW THE GREAT KAAN SENDS THE TWO BROTHERS FOR HIS MESSENGERS TO
VA VA THE APOSTLE OF ROME. [5C] And when the great Kaan, that is the lord of
LT all the lords, who had Cublai Kaan for name, who was king and lord of all
V V the Tartars of all the world and of all the provinces and kingdoms and regions of the greater part of the east, that vast part of the earth, had heard all the doings of the Latins VA so as the two brothers had told him well and skilfully he showed that it pleases him V FB P beyond measure. And in his mind he thought[and]says to himself one day that he will send FB R them as messengers to the Apostle; and he wished first to have the counsel of his barons upon LT this. And when his barons had been summoned to council he told them that he wished to send his messengers to the lord Pope of the Christians, & the said barons with one mind declared it to be good . LT V And then he called these brothers to him, & with kindly words prays the said two brothers that LT FB they go on this embassy to the lord Pope with one of his barons . And they answered him LT VA VA prudently that they will be quick and ready to do completely all his commandment as that
of their liege lord. But it is true[,they said,]that it is a great while since we left those parts, and we do not know what may have happened or been done away, because the conditions of the lands are changed, and we are much afraid that we cannot fulfil thy commandment; but none the less we are ready to all our power to do all that thou shalt command us, and we promise thee by
the help of the grace of God to return to thee as soon as we can. Then the great lord, having heard that which the two brothers said, makes one of his barons come before him who had FB Cogatal for name, and says to him that he should make himself ready, for he wishes him to go with the two brothers to the Apostle. He says tq him, Sir, I am your man, and VA TA am ready to do all your command with all my might . Then he had sealed charters made that his subject princes might see and honour the said ambassadors. After this the great lord
had his letters and privileges immediately made in the Turkish tongue to send to the Apostle and entrusts them to the two brothers and to his baron, and charges them that which he wishes them to say on his part to the Apostle.' And you .may know FB that in the letter and in the embassy was contained that which he[sent]him, so as
1 V has, "... privileges immediately made in the Tartar (tartarescha) tongue to send to the chief Pontiff; which letter spoke in this form: O Chief Pontiff of all the Christian Faith, I Cholai Emperor of all the sunrising pray thee to send as many as IO.O men who are very discreet and instructed in the law of the Christians, and who know the seven arts to dispute with and overcome the Indians (cf. c. i 2 6) and other kinds of people, and to destroy the idols which my
people worship and keep in their houses, and know well to show by reason that the law of the Christians is better than ours."
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