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I 04. KALENDARS OF THE DIVINERS OF CAMBALUC 'MARCO POLO
FB of rice, millet, and panicle by the appointed officials. And he has this done all the days of the year; and it is a very great kindness of the lord who has pity on his poor people. P R And because no poor man is denied bread, for this wonderful and stupendous liberality, all the people are so fond of him that they worship him as God. Now I have told FB FB you and spoken of this ordinance, and then we shall tell you of another thing.
z There are then in the city of Cambaluc about five thousand astrologers and diviners, between
Christians, Saracens, and Cataians, for whom, as for the aforesaid poor, the great Kaan causes food and clothing to be provided every year; who use their art in the city continually. For they have their certain Astrology, in which are written the signs of the planets, the hours and minutes of the whole year. And so every year the aforesaid Christian, Saracen, and Catalan astrologers, namely each sect by itself, watch the course and arrangement of the whole year in this Astrology according to the course of each moon. For they sec and find what sort of weather each moon of that year will produce according to the natural course and arrangement of the planets and signs and their properties. Namely, in such a moon there will he thunders and tempests; in such, an earthquake; in such, thunderbolts, lightnings, and many rains; in such, R Z sicknesses and plagues & wars and infinite quarrels;' and so with each -moon, • according as they shall find. And they will say that so it is bound to follow according to the course and R z R z reason of nature, • adding, • but God is able to do more and less • according to his will. • And so they will make many little pamphlets in which they will write everything which shall happen in each month that year; which pamphlets are called tacuini. And they sell one of these pamphlets for one groat to any who wishes to buy that he may know what may happen that year. And those who shall be found to have spoken more truly will be held more perfect masters in the art R Z and will obtain greater honour. Again if anyone shall have proposed. in his mind. to enter upon R Z some great work or to set out for some • distant • place for trade or for any other things which he must do, or shall have planned to do anything, and wished to foreknow the end of the business, R he will inquire of these. .He will go to find one of these astrologers and will say to him, See in your books how the sky stands just now, because I should wish to go to do such business or Z R Z trade, .telling him the year, •month, •day, hour, and minute of his birth; because every one as soon as he is born is taught, the first thing that he is taught, about his nativity. For such a R way as this is observed among them. For • the Tartars count the number of their years from 12 Z to 12 & • they mark twelve years with twelve signs; for the first is marked with a lion, the second with an ox, the third with a dragon, the fourth with a dog, &c., proceeding like this up to the twelfth number; so that when one is asked when he was horn, then he answers, In the course of the year of the lion, on such a day or night, hour, and minute of such a moon, or however R he was born, and under what year-sign; • & the fathers observe this to have it carefully[noted]
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