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
THE DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLDS AND ITS GREAT TRADE
Cambaluc froth all sides than into any city of the world, and greater quantity of all things, VB FB
and I will tell you what. First of all[I shall telllyou that all the dear things that
come from Indie, these are precious stones and pearls, and silk and •all the spicery, VA L
and all other dear things, are brought to this town. And again all the beautiful
things and all the dear which are in the province of Catai &from Mangi and from all VA
other provinces round about are brought there also . And this happens because everyone VA FB
from everywhere brings there for the lord who lives there and for his court and for the city FB
which is so great and for the ladies and for the barons and the knights of whom there are FA
so many and for the great abundance of the multitude of the people of the armies
of the lord, which stay round about as well for the court as for the city, and of other people FA
who come there by reason of the court which [44a] the great lord holds there, and for FB
one and for another; • & because the city is in too good a position & is in the middle of many VA
provinces. And for this reason which I have told you more dear things and of greater
value come to this town and greater quantities than into any town in the world,
and more goods are sold and bought there than in any other city, • so that so much of R FB
everything comes there that it is without end. For you may know in truth that among the L
rest, almost each day in the year there comp into this town more than a thousand carts' FA
loaded with silk alone, for many cloths of gold and of silk are made there and many FB FR
other things. And it is no wonder, for in all the provinces round there is no flax, so that it is
convenient to make everything of silk. And yet it is true that they have cotton and hemp in
some places, but not enough to satisfy them; but they do not snake much of it, because of the
great quantity which they have of silk, and cheap, which is better than flax or cotton. And again FA
this city of Cambaluc has round it infinite villages and more than two hundred other FB R R
cities both far and near which come, the people of these towns, from a distance of TA
200 miles to buy many things in this city, and from there they have the things which
are needed for them, and live for the most part while the court is here by selling the things R
needful to the city. And so it is not a great thing if as many things as I have told
you come into this city of Cambaluc so that it is a city of very great trade. And since FB
I have told you of this wonder well and skilfully and have shown you the nobility •of FB this city and of the lord, now I shall tell you of the government of the lord and of the doings FB of the mint and of the money which is made in this same city of Cambaluc, and we shall show you clearly how the great lord can do much more and spend more than I have told you; nor shall I tell you of it in this book, for it could not be that FB you will be satisfied that I an: speaking truth and reason.`
.95.
1 FB: cent mille R: piu di mille fra carrette, & some di seda,
2 ne ne uof dirai en ce liure Raison cornant FB: ne ne diray en test liure car il ne pourroit estre si que
vous
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