Latest / The Travels of Marco Polo, Volume 1 / 036 - Book Second Part 1 Chapters 11 to 14 Concerning the city of Cambaluc How the great Kaan maintains a

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036 - Book Second Part 1 Chapters 11 to 14 Concerning the city of Cambaluc How the great Kaan maintains a · The Travels of Marco Polo, Volume 1

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  Speaker 1: Section thirty six of the Book of Sir Marco Polo
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  Speaker 1: the Venetian concerning the Kingdoms and Marvels of the East,
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  Speaker 1: Volume one. This is a libovox recording. All libovox recordings
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  Speaker 1: are in the public domain. For more information or the volunteer,
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  Speaker 1: please visit libovox dot org. Recording by Annossimum. The Book
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  Speaker 1: of ser Marco Polo the Venetian concerning the Kingdoms and
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  Speaker 1: Marvels of the East, Volume one, Parusicello da Pisa, translated
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  Speaker 1: by Henry Yule, Book the second Part one, chapters eleven
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  Speaker 1: to fourteen. Chapter eleven concerning the City of Cambaluc. Now,
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  Speaker 1: there was on that spot in all times a great
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  Speaker 1: and noble city called Kambaluc, which is, as much as
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  Speaker 1: to say in our tongue, the city of the Emperor.
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  Speaker 1: But the Great Khan was informed by its astrologers that
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  Speaker 1: this city would prove rebellious and raise great disorders against
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  Speaker 1: his imperial authority. So he caused the present city to
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  Speaker 1: be built close beside the old one, with only a
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  Speaker 1: river between them. And he calls the people of the
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  Speaker 1: old city to be removed to the new town that
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  Speaker 1: it founded. And this is called Taido. However, he allowed
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  Speaker 1: a portion of the people which he did not suspect,
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  Speaker 1: to remain in the old city, because the new one
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  Speaker 1: could not hold the whole of them. Big as it is.
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  Speaker 1: As regards the size of this new city, you must
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  Speaker 1: know that it has a compass of twenty four miles,
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  Speaker 1: for each side of it had the length of six miles,
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  Speaker 1: and it is four square. And it is all walled
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  Speaker 1: around with walls of earth, which have a thickness of
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  Speaker 1: full ten paces at the bottom, and a height of
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  Speaker 1: more than ten paces. But they are not so thick
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  Speaker 1: at the top, for their diminish in thickness as they rise,
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  Speaker 1: so that at top they are only about three paces thick.
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  Speaker 1: And they are provided throughout with loopholed battlements, which are
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  Speaker 1: all whitewashed. There are twelve gates, and over each gate
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  Speaker 1: there is a great and handsome palace, so that there
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  Speaker 1: are on each side of the square three gates and
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  Speaker 1: five palaces. Four I ought to mention there is at
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  Speaker 1: each angle also a great and handsome palace. In those
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  Speaker 1: palaces are vast halls, in which are kept the arms
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  Speaker 1: of the city garrison. The streets are so straight and
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  Speaker 1: white that you can see right along them, from end
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  Speaker 1: to end, and from one gate to the other, and
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  Speaker 1: up and down the city there are beautiful palaces, and
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  Speaker 1: many great and fine hostelries, and fine houses in great numbers.
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  Speaker 1: All the plots of ground on which the houses of
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  Speaker 1: the city are built are four square and laid out
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  Speaker 1: with straight lines, all the plots being occupied by great
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  Speaker 1: and spacious palaces, with courts and gardens of proportionate size.
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  Speaker 1: All these plots were assigned to different heads of families.
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  Speaker 1: Each square plot is encompassed by handsome streets for traffic,
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  Speaker 1: and thus the whole city is arranged in squares, just
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  Speaker 1: like a chessboard, and disposed in a manner so perfect
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  Speaker 1: and masterly that it is impossible to give a description
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  Speaker 1: that should do it justice. Moreover, in the middle of
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  Speaker 1: the city there is a great clock, that is to say,
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  Speaker 1: a bell which has struck at night, and after it
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  Speaker 1: has struck three times, no one must go out in
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  Speaker 1: the city unless it be for the needs of a
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  Speaker 1: woman in labor or of the sick, And those who
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  Speaker 1: go about on such errands are bound to carry lanterns
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  Speaker 1: with them. Moreover, the established guard at each gate of
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  Speaker 1: the city is one thousand armed men. Not that you
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  Speaker 1: are to imagine this guard is kept up for fear
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  Speaker 1: of any attack, but only as a guard of honor
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  Speaker 1: for the sovereign who resides there, and to prevent thieves
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  Speaker 1: from doing mischief in the town. Chapter twelve, how the
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  Speaker 1: Great Khan maintains a guard of twelve thousand halls, which
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  Speaker 1: are called Kashi Khan. You must know that the Great Khan,
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  Speaker 1: to maintain a state have the guard of twelve thousand horsemen,
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  Speaker 1: who are styled Kashi Khan, which is as much as
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  Speaker 1: to say knights devoted to their lord, that he keeps
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  Speaker 1: these for fear of any man whatever, but merely because
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  Speaker 1: of his own exalted dignity. These twelve thousand men have
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  Speaker 1: four captains, each of whom is in command of three thousand,
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  Speaker 1: and each body of three thousand takes a turn of
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  Speaker 1: three days and nights to guard the palace, where they
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  Speaker 1: also take their meals. After the expiration of three days
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  Speaker 1: and nights, they are relieved by another three thousand, who
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  Speaker 1: mount guard for the same space of time, and then
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  Speaker 1: another body takes its turn, so that there are always
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  Speaker 1: three thousand on guard. Thus it goes until the whole
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  Speaker 1: twelve thousand who are styled, as I said, Kashi Khan,
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  Speaker 1: have been on duty. And then the tour begins again,
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  Speaker 1: and so runs on from year's end to year's end,
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  Speaker 1: Chapter thirteen. The fashion of the Great Khant's table at
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  Speaker 1: his high feasts. And when the Great Khant sits at
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  Speaker 1: table on any great court occasion, it is in this fashion.
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  Speaker 1: His table elevated a good deal above the others. And
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  Speaker 1: he sits at the north end of the hall, looking
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  Speaker 1: towards the south, with his chief wife beside him on
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  Speaker 1: the left. On his right sit his sons and his
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  Speaker 1: nephews and other kinsmen of the blood imperial, but lowell,
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  Speaker 1: so that their heads are on a level with the
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  Speaker 1: Emperor's feet. And then the other barons sit at other
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  Speaker 1: tables lower still, so also with the women. For all,
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  Speaker 1: the wives of the Lord's sons and of his nephews
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  Speaker 1: and other kinsmen sit at the lower table to his right,
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  Speaker 1: and below them again the ladies of the other barons
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  Speaker 1: and knights, each in the place assigned by the lord's orders.
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  Speaker 1: The tables are so disposed that the Emperor can see
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  Speaker 1: the whole of them from end to end, many as
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  Speaker 1: they are further, you are not to suppose that everybody
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  Speaker 1: sits at table. On the contrary, the greater part of
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  Speaker 1: the soldiers and their officers sit at their meal in
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  Speaker 1: the hall. On the carpets outside the hall will be
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  Speaker 1: found more than forty thousand people, For there is a
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  Speaker 1: great concourse of folk bringing presents to the Lord, or
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  Speaker 1: come from foreign countries with curiosities. In a certain part
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  Speaker 1: of the whole, near where the Great Cahn holds his table,
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  Speaker 1: there is set a large and very beautiful piece of workmanship,
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  Speaker 1: in the form of a square coffer or buffet, about
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  Speaker 1: three paces each way, exquisitely wrought with figures of animals,
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  Speaker 1: finely carved and gilt. The middle is hollow, and in
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  Speaker 1: it stands a great vessel of pure gold, holding as
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  Speaker 1: much as an ordinary butt. And at each corner of
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  Speaker 1: the great vessel is one of smaller size, of the
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  Speaker 1: capacity of a firkin. And from the former, the wine
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  Speaker 1: or beverage, flavored with fine and costly spices, is drawn
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  Speaker 1: off into the latter. And on the buffet of foreshad
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  Speaker 1: are set all the Lord's drinking vessels, among which are
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  Speaker 1: certain pitchers of the finest gold, which are called ferniks,
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  Speaker 1: and are big enough to hold drink for eight or
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  Speaker 1: ten persons, and one of these is put between every
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  Speaker 1: two persons, besides a couple of golden cups with handles,
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  Speaker 1: so that every man helps himself from the pitcher that
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  Speaker 1: stands between him and his neighbor, and the ladies are
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  Speaker 1: supplied in the same way. The value of these pitchers
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  Speaker 1: and cups is something immense. In fact, the Great Kahan
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  Speaker 1: has such a quantity of this kind of plate, and
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  Speaker 1: of gold and silver in other shapes, as no one
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  Speaker 1: ever before saw or heard tell of, or could believe.
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  Speaker 1: There are certain barons specially deputed to see that foreigners
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  Speaker 1: who do not know the customs of the court are
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  Speaker 1: provided with places suited to their rank. And these barons
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  Speaker 1: are continually moving to and fro in the hole, looking
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  Speaker 1: to the wants of the guests at table, and causing
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  Speaker 1: the servants to supply them promptly with wine, milk, meat,
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  Speaker 1: or whatever they lack. At every door of the hole,
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  Speaker 1: or indeed wherever the Emperor may be, there stand a
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  Speaker 1: couple of big men, like giants, one on each side,
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  Speaker 1: armed with staves. Their business is to see that no
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  Speaker 1: one steps upon the threshold in a nay and if
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  Speaker 1: this does happen, they strip the offender of his clothes,
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  Speaker 1: and he must pay a forfeit to have them back again,
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  Speaker 1: Or in lieu of taking his clothes, they give him
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  Speaker 1: a certain number of blows. If they are foreigners ignorant
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  Speaker 1: of the order, then there are barons appointed to introduce
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  Speaker 1: them and explain it to them. They think, in fact
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  Speaker 1: that it brings bad luck if any one touches the threshold.
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  Speaker 1: Howbut they are not expected to stick at this in
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  Speaker 1: going forth again, for at that time some are like
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  Speaker 1: to be the worse for liquor and incapable of looking
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  Speaker 1: to their steps. And he must know that those who
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  Speaker 1: weigh upon the great Khan with his dishes and his
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  Speaker 1: drink are some of the great barons. They have the
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  Speaker 1: mouth and nose muffled with fine napkins of silk and gold,
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  Speaker 1: so that no breath nor odor from their persons should
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  Speaker 1: tain the dish of the goblet presented to the Lord.
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  Speaker 1: And when the Emperor is going to drink, all the
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  Speaker 1: musical instruments, of which he has vast store of every kind,
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  Speaker 1: begin to play, And when he takes the cup, all
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  Speaker 1: the barons and the rest of the company drop on
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  Speaker 1: their knees and make the deepest obeisance before him. And
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  Speaker 1: then the Emperor doth drink, But each time that he
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  Speaker 1: does so, the whole ceremony is repeated. I will say
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  Speaker 1: naught about the dishes, as you may easily conceive that
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  Speaker 1: there is a great plenty of every possible kind. But
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  Speaker 1: he should know that in every case where a baron
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  Speaker 1: or knight dines at those tables, their wives also dine
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  Speaker 1: there with the other ladies. And when all have dined
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  Speaker 1: and the tables have been removed, then come in a
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  Speaker 1: great number of players and jugglers, adepts at all sorts
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  Speaker 1: of wonderful feats, and perform before the Emperor and the
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  Speaker 1: rest of the company, creating great diversion and mirth, so
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  Speaker 1: that everybody is full of laughter and enjoyment. And when
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  Speaker 1: the performance is over, the company breaks up and every
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  Speaker 1: one goes too his quarters. Chapter fourteen, concerning the great
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  Speaker 1: feast held by the Grand Khan every year on his brea.
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  Speaker 1: You must know that the Tatars keep high festival yearly
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  Speaker 1: on their birth days, and the Great Khan was born
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  Speaker 1: on the twentieth day of the September moon, so on
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  Speaker 1: that day is held the greatest feast of the year
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  Speaker 1: at the Khan's court, always excepting that which he holds
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  Speaker 1: on nearest day, of which I shall tell you afterwards. Now,
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  Speaker 1: on his birthday, the Great Khan dresses in the best
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  Speaker 1: of his robes, all wrought with beaten gold and full
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  Speaker 1: twelve thousand barrens, and knights on that day come forth
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  Speaker 1: dressed in robes of the same color and precisely like
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  Speaker 1: those of the Great Khan, except that they are not
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  Speaker 1: so costly. But still they are all of the same
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  Speaker 1: color as his, and are also of silk and gold.
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  Speaker 1: Every man so clothed has also a girdle of gold,
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  Speaker 1: and this as well as the dress, is given him
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  Speaker 1: by the Sovereign. And I will aver that there are
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  Speaker 1: some of these suits decked with so many pearls and
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  Speaker 1: precious stones, that a single suit shall be worth full
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  Speaker 1: ten thousand goldens. And of such raiment there are several sets.
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  Speaker 1: For he must know that the Great Khan thirteen times
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  Speaker 1: in the year presents to his barons and knights such
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  Speaker 1: suits of raiment as I am speaking of, and on
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  Speaker 1: each occasion they wear the same color that he does,
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  Speaker 1: a different color being assigned to each festival hence you
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  Speaker 1: may see what a huge business it is, and that
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  Speaker 1: there is no prince in the world but he alone
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  Speaker 1: who could keep up such customs as these. On his birthday. Also,
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  Speaker 1: all the tartars in the world, and all the countries
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  Speaker 1: and governments that owe allegiance to the Khan offer him
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  Speaker 1: great presents according to their several ability, and as prescription
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  Speaker 1: or orders have fixed the amount. And many other persons
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  Speaker 1: also come with great presence to the Khan in order
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  Speaker 1: to beg for some employment from him. And the Great
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  Speaker 1: Khan has chosen twelve barons, on whom is laid the
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  Speaker 1: charge of assigning to each of these supplicants a suitable answer.
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  Speaker 1: On this day life, all the idolators, all the Saracens,
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  Speaker 1: and all the Christians and other descriptions of people make
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  Speaker 1: great and solemn devotions, with much chanting and lighting of
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  Speaker 1: lambs and burning of incense, each to the God whom
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  Speaker 1: he doth worship, praying that he would save the Emperor
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  Speaker 1: and grant him long life and health and happiness. And thus,
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  Speaker 1: as I have related, is celebrated the joyous feast of
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  Speaker 1: the Khan's birthday. Now I will tell you of another
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  Speaker 1: festival which the Khan holds at the New Year, and
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  Speaker 1: which is called the White Feast. End of Section thirty
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  Speaker 1: six