Marco Polo : vol.1 / Page 171 (Color Image)

0171	Marco Polo : vol.1

THE DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLD, AND WENT CONQUERING

to him and willingly held him with reverence & obedience for lord. And this Cinghis P VA

Kan maintained the lordship well and frankly. And what shall I tell you about it?

In a little time so great a multitude of Tartars came there that it was a marvel that V TA

could not be believed. And when Cinghis Kan saw that he had so great a multitude of VB

most valiant people he, being of a great heart, wished to come out from those deserts and wild R

places and arrayed himself with this his people with bows and with pikes and with their LT FB

other arms of their use . and with victuals, • because they were strong and well trained with FB V R

bows, having been used to them while they were shepherds, and went conquering through

all those [26d] other parts; and I tell you that so great was the fame of his justice and FB R

kindness that wherever he went everyone came to submit himself, and happy was he who was

able to be in his favour, so that • in very little time' they conquered quite eight' provinces. TA

And this could reasonably happen because at the time the lands and provinces in those parts R

were either ruled by the community or each had its own king and lord, and as there was no

union among them they could not separately resist so great a host. But when he had gained and R

taken the provinces and cities •and villages by force, he let no one be killed or spoiled after the P

victory; and • he put governors in them of such justice that he did them no harm nor took R

away from them their things, but when he had ordered the lands anew with lords and LT

guardians of his own people and with those whom he trusted well, he • took all the chiefs and • all R VB

the brave young men who were in them & led them with him to conquer other people,

with great provision and gifts. And in this way he conquered this great multitude of R

people which you have heard. And these people who were conquered, when they saw that FB

he saved and guarded them against all men and that they had taken no harm from him, and

when they saw the good rule and the great kindliness of this lord they went too

gladly with him and were loyal to him. And when Cinghis Kan had gathered so great FB

a multitude of people that they cover all the world, and saw that they all obeyed him LT

faithfully • & followed him, •seeing that fortune so favoured him, he proposes to himself to V R

attempt greater things;—he says to them that he wishes to conquer a great part of the LT

world.' And the Tartars answered that it pleased then' well and that they would follow him LT

gladly wherever he should go. •And then he sends his messengers to Uncan, that is in V VB

our manner Prester Johan, feignedly because he knew in truth that the aforesaid would not R

listen to their words; and it was in the 1200 year that was since Christ was born.

He sends to him to say that he wishes to take his daughter to wife. And when TA

Prester Johan hears that which Cinghis Kan sends to him asking his daughter to

1 VA: empochi ani

2 V: nuove

3 TA: tutto il mondo LT: totum alium mondum

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