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
I98. THE GREAT PREPARATION FOR THIS BATTLE ,MARCO POLO fr
his people were so near them, they set themselves on the way and go against their
FA z enemies valiantly. And what shall I tell you about it? They go riding till they were 4'
L LT Z V FA come near to the place where • the army of king Caidu was by a space of • about ten miles, $0'
FA and there they pitched their tents & made their camp well and orderly. And you may know that the king Caidu was in tents in that same plain with all his people. Each of the sides they rest themselves and prepare themselves as best they can to fight together. And why should I make you a long story ? You may know quite truly that on the third day after that the son to the great Kaan was come there and the z son to the son of the Prester Johan, in the early morning each [97c] of the parties LT armed themselves and prepare themselves as best they can for the battle. And there was nop one e t
o
e reat deal of advantage f h people over the other, for there was 'M
g g p
neither of the sides which had not about 60000 horsemen well armed with bows
FA and with arrows and with swords and with clubs and with shields & with other
z z arms in their manner. • And it makes, each side, an array of its six squadrons and in t~
z each squadron they put i0000 horsemen and in each there were excellent and good t
leaders. And when the two sides were on the field drawn up and ready, then they
FA FA were only waiting till they should hear the drums begin to sound loudly, on each side one: for the Tartars dare not begin battle so long as the drums of their lord do not begin to sound, but as soon as they sound then they begin the battle. Moreover the Tartars have also such a custom that when they are drawn up that they may wait for the battle until the drums begin to sound, then they sing and play their instruments of two' strings very sweetly, and they sing and play and make great sport, waiting always for the battle. And because of this use I tell you that both these people who were drawn up and were waiting for the battle and the sounding
z of the drums, they sang and play so well and so sweetly that it was a wonder to hear. And when they had stayed some while in such way as I have told you and were waiting till they should hear the drums sound, then the drums on both sides begin to sound. And what shall I tell you about it ? When the drums begin to sound the people make no more delay but all immediately [97d] let the one people run against
FA the other furiously, and then the battle very great, very bitter, & very fierce began. They
z put the hands to the bows and cocked their arrows on them & began to shoot. Now
one could see all the air covered with arrows as if it were rain. Now could he see many men and many horses to be mortally hit . Now one could hear there shouting
z and uproar so great that he would not hear God thundering for it. And certainly
they were well seen to be mortal enemies. And why should I make you a long
' Z, V : "four"
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