国立情報学研究所 - ディジタル・シルクロード・プロジェクト
『東洋文庫所蔵』貴重書デジタルアーカイブ

> > > >
カラー New!IIIFカラー高解像度 白黒高解像度 PDF   日本語 English
0756 The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1
マルコ=ポーロ卿の記録 : vol.1
The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 / 756 ページ(白黒高解像度画像)

New!引用情報

doi: 10.20676/00000269
引用形式選択: Chicago | APA | Harvard | IEEE

OCR読み取り結果

 

 

440

MARCO POLO   BOOK II.

Wassáf tells a long story in illustration of Kúblái's justice and consideration for the peasantry. One of his sons, with a handful of followers, had got separated from the army, and halted at a village in the territory of Bishbaligh, where the people gave them sheep and wine. Next year two of the party carne the same way and demanded a sheep and a stoup of wine. The people gave it, but went to the Kaan and told the story, saying they feared it might grow into a perpetual exaction. Kúblái sharply rebuked the Prince, and gave the people compensation and an order in their favour. (De Mailla, ix. 460 ; Hammer's Wassaf, 38-39.)

CHAPTER XXVIII.

How THE GREAT KAAN CAUSES 'FREES TO BE PLANTED BY THE

HIGHWAYS.

THE Emperor moreover hath taken order that all the

highways travelled by his messengers and the people

generally should be planted with rows of great trees a

few paces apart ; and thus these trees are visible a long

way off, and no one can miss the way by day or night.

Even the roads through uninhabited tracts are thus

planted, and it is the greatest possible solace to travellers.

And this is done on all the ways, where it can be of

service. [The Great Kaan plants these trees all the

more readily, because his astrologers and diviners tell

him that he who plants trees lives long.'

But where the ground is so sandy and desert that trees

will not grow, he causes other landmarks, pillars or stones,

to be set up to show the way.]

NOTE I.—In this Kúblái imitated the great King Asoka, or Priyadarsi, who in his graven edicts (circa B.C. 250) on the Delhi Pillar, says : " Along the high roads I have caused fig-trees to be planted, that they may be for shade to animals and men. I have also planted mango-trees ; and at every half-coss I have caused wells to be constructed, and resting-places for the night. And how many hostels have been erected by me at various places for the entertainment of man and beast." (j. A. S. B. Iv. 604.) There are still remains of the fine avenues of Kúblái and his successors in various parts of Northern China. (See lVilliamson, i. 74.)

~