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8 o. HOW PEOPLE DERIDED THE CROSS OF NAIAN ,MARCO POLO
VB see it, nor the limbs of Naian be touched by any animal. And when the great Kaan had v V won this aforesaid battle in such way as you have heard, all the men great & small V FA R TA and the barons of the four provinces of Naian • immediately •came to submit and • paid tribute FA VB FA and •made their pledge to the great Kaan. And they were of four • noble & great • provinces so as I shall tell you, who had been of the domain of the said Naian.[And]I will name these
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four provinces. The first was called Ciorcia, the second Cauli, the third Barscol, the FA fourth Sichintingiu. And of all these four great provinces was Naian lord, which was a R very great thing. • Naian having had himself secretly baptized yet would never do the works of a Christian, but in this battle he thought fit to wish to have the sign of the Cross on his banners; and he had infinite Christians in his army, who were all killed. And after the great Kaan FB VA had done this and won this battle[and]had conquered Naian, as you have heard, • & he FB was dead, the races of the people who were there in the lordship of Naian in these four provinces aforesaid, who were Saracens, idolaters, and Jews, and many other people FB VA who do not believe in God —but there were some Christians—made fun of the Christian V R faith & of the•sign of the holy Cross which Naian had carried on his banner, when
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they saw that the banners of the Cross were defeated, • and saw well that Naian was a Christian, & made very great mocking & derision and spoke against the Christians who were there, FB so much that they could not bear it, and said to them, See how the Cross of your God FB TA has helped Naian who was a Christian and worshipped it, • and his people. They made FB so great fun of it and [35d] so great mockery and their words about it grew so great that VA they came to complain of those insults before the great Kaan. And when the great Kaan vB hears it he called to him the chief Saracens and Jews and Christians & spoke evil to those FB R who made fun of it before him and before the Christians, • and rebuked them severely saying to them, If the Cross of Christ has not helped Naian it has done reasonably and justly, because
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he was disloyal and a rebel against his lord, • and the Cross of God has left him, & this because R he well deserved it because he went against justice, • and therefore see to it that you never have the hardihood to say that the God of the Christians is unjust, for he is highest goodness and highest justice. Then he calls many Christians who were there and he begins to comfort VA them, saying that they had no reason or occasion for shame, and says, If the Cross of your God has not helped Naian it has done very right, because it is good nor ought to FB do anything if not good and right nor other than what it had done. For Naian who came against his lord was both disloyal and treacherous, and so there is great right in VA that which is happened to him and the Cross of your God was righteous & did FB very well if it does not help him against right, because it is a good thing nor ought FB V to do other than well. And he spoke so loudly that everyone heard hirn. •Aid then the
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Christians hearing these words had very great joy, G' answered the great Kaan, Most
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great Sir, say they, you speak indeed truth, for the Cross is good, it would not do
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