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 WORLD. ROI DOR IS SET FREE the flocks in this way two full years. And when he had watched [49a] the flocks of LT Prester Johan • with the shepherds for two years with a very great guard so that he could not P R
escape, he is made to come before the Prester Johan dressed like a shepherd, • all full of VB R
fear and trembling, thinking that he meant to make him die. But Uncan•said with a smile, VB Welcome, my shepherd; & how is the flock? To whom the King of Gold answered with very courteous words, My lord, may thy most humble servant be commended to thee. To whom the Prester Johan said, Sec how well thou, exalted to such pride, hast been humbled. See how lightly thou wast exalted to the greatest pride, and that against thy lord to whom thou wast obliged for the greatest benefits received from hint. Thou wast full of the greatest ingratitude; thou hast presumed to rebel against nie, forgetting my power & only judging thine own which was not well measured by thee. See how thou, thinking thyself so exalted a lord, hast been made my prisoner by only.seven of my servants. Judge thyself the punishment of thy fault. To whom the King of Gold all trembling said, My lord, though I see that my fault full of ingratitude deserves every punishment, yet remembering thy clemency I pray thee send me back to thy flock, not as head but as the lowest servant to thy flock. To whom the Prester Johan said, King of Gold, not remembering any ungrateful fault of thine but only the love I have borne thee and the generosity of my rule, I command that the shepherd dress be taken off and that thou be clothed in thy former royal robes. The King of Gold, hearing the order of the lord, all astonished and unable to judge y- it was for his health or for his death in royal dress, stood all trembling what should be the end. And he has rich robes like a king given him and does him great honour. And then VA FB
he says to him, Lord King of Gold, thou canst now see well by experience that thou VA P
wast not a man of power to war with me; for thy power is nothing • in comparison of me, P VA
and there is no equality with nie, •since I have had thee taken in thy kingdom and have set thee P
with the flocks for two years and could kill thee if I wished; no nian could snatch thee from my hand. •I judge, King, that if I were thee I should make thee feel the pain of thy rebellion so VB full of ingratitude with the most bitter punishment of death. And even not like thee, but like a just judge, I ought to give that judgement. But wishing not to remember any of thy memorable ingratitude but only friendship and that I have honoured and raised thee above all the rest, I determine to send thee back to thy kingdom with this advice, that thou resolve to be grateful for so many benefits received from me thy lord; for if thou shalt be so thou shalt know that thou art bid fare well, and shalt live in thy kingdom honourably as that realm deserves, and with no less happiness received from it shalt leave it to thy sons. But if thou shalt be so rash as not to recognize or understand the inequality of thy power compared with that of thy lord, I remind thee that I have many thousands of servants of no less courage than are the seven who brought thee prisoner to nie. And if in future thou commit a fault thou shalt have no occasion to find in me any remission of thy fault, but only justice, nor must thou hope to escape from my hands. Bidding thee therefore fare well as our friendship constrains me, live in thy kingdom
.IO9.
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