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 PREPARING FOR BATTLE • I 2 I •
against them to defend himself with so great a people that he shall put them all to ur
death in such a way that the great Kaan shall never dare to have a wish to send another R
army against him there to his borders. And then this king makes very great preparation FB R
of armed men • and of elephants (for he always kept them without number in his realms• as FB R VB
quickly as he could, and I will tell you what. Now you may know quite truly that he
had two thousand' very large elephants well armed and prepared for war, and made LT
men make on each of these elephants [56a] a castle of wood very strong & very
well made and planned for combat; and on each castle he had at least twelve men
well armed. to shoot arrows and to fight, and in some there were fifteen or sixteen and FB R LT
in some more, who were able conveniently to fight. And he had also gathered together R R
beside these quite sixty thousand armed men on the ground, between those on horses— VB VA
and some were there on foot.' He makes indeed the preparation so fine that it well FB
seemed that of a powerful king and of a great, as he was. For you may know that it
was indeed an army to make a great effort in battle. And what shall I tell you about FB
it it ? This king, when he had made so great preparation as I have told you to fight FB
with the Tartars, he makes no delay but all immediately sets himself on the road
with all his people to go with the greatest speed against the army of the great Kaan VB
which was then at the city of Uncian which is in the kingdom of C.ardandan, as I have told FB FB FB
you another time before this. They go without finding adventure which does to mention
until they were come near by three days marches to the hosts of the Tartars, and there
he pitched his camp to stay for some days and to rest himself and his people and his host. R FB FB
HERE HE TELLS OF THE BATTLE WHICH WAS BETWEEN THE ARMY OF THE • I22 •
GREAT KAAN AND THE KING OF MIEN. And when in a few days the lord y of the hosts of Tartars to whom the great Kaan had given the command of the VB army, knows certainly that this king of Mien and Bangala was coming upon him R
with so great a people he has fear indeed, because he had with him only twelve VA
thousand horsemen, but all proved men and expert in the art of war. But without mistake VB
he was a very valiant man in his body and wise and practised in wars and in battles FB
and a very good captain of troops, and he had Nescradin for name. He showed no fear, FB FB R
but arranges and arms and exhorts his men very well. He exerts himself to the utmost y
of his power to defend the country and his people and himself; for he had very good FB
men at arms with him • and valiant fighters ; • and went with his people to the pass. And why P v
should I make you [56b1 a long story of it ? You may know quite truly that the FB
Tartars all and twelve thousand horsemen together well mounted came off into the FB
plain of Uncian and waited there for the enemy to come to the battle. And they
' R (below): "about woof,
VB: xlm hornenj armatj a chauallo et moltj pedonj V omits the number.
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