Chap. II. of Marc 
than Father Martini, to whom we owe the beft Defcrip- 
tion of China, and who was consequently a better Judge 
than any other of the Merit or Demerit of this Work. 
He aflures us, that there is not the lead: Reafon to doubt 
the Truth of our Author’s Relations on Account of the 
Obfcurity of the Names of Places *, for, fays he, he wrote 
them after the far tar Pronunciation, whereas later Wri- 
ters ftudy to imitate as well as they are able the Pronun- 
ciation of the Chinefe. 
I will add to thefe but one Teflimbny more, which is 
that of an Author, very able to have detected him, if he 
had caught him in Untruths, and who was far enough 
from being tender of Mens Reputations if he thought 
them to blame. The Author I mean is Athanafius Kir- 
eher, who in his Account of China , confefies, that none 
of the old Authors have more fully, or more accurately 
defcribed the remoteft Countries of the Eaft, than Marco 
Polo has done *, yet he readily admits, that there are ma- 
ny things in him fo very dark, that they may be in a 
manner ftiled inexplicable but then with great good Senfe 
and Candour, he attributes this to the Author’s want of 
Skill in Geography and Aftronomy *, and if we cgnfider 
how young he was, when his Father carried him into Par- 
tary, and how little Opportunity he had of acquiring that 
fort of Knowledge that was moft neceffary for preventing 
thofe Miftakes, we may eafily concur in Opinion with fo 
many eminent and learned Writers, that in Confideration 
of the many curious and ufeful Paflages in his Writings, 
thefe Blemilhes, efpecially as they were in a manner una- 
voidable, may very well be forgiven. After having thus 
cleared the Way, we will no longer detain the Reader 
from the Perufal of thefe Travels, which their Author has 
thus digefted. He firft gives a fuccinft Account of his 
Father’s and Uncle’s Peregrinations, and then of his own ; 
after which, be enters into a more particular Defcription of 
the Countries and Places thro’ which they pafted, and re- 
lates alfo fuch remarkable things as he was informed of in 
the Courfe of his Voyages. 
6. At the Time that Baldwin was Emperor of Constan- 
tinople , in the Year of our Lord 1250, two Gentlemen of 
the moft illuftrious Family of Paolo or Polo, at Venice , 
embark’d on board a VefTel freighted with various kinds 
of Merchandize, on their own AccouQt •, and having tra- 
vers’d the Mediterranean, and the Bofphcrus, they came 
with a fair Wind, and the Blefling of God, to Conjlanti - 
nQple. There they continued for fome Time, to repofe 
themfelves, and then eroding the Pontus Eux intis, arriv’d 
at a certain Port call’d Soldadia , from whence they went 
to the Court of a great Tartar Prince call’d Barha, to 
whom they ftiew’d the fine Jewels they had brought, and pre- 
fented him with fome of the moft valuable. That Monarch 
was far from being ungrateful ; he kindly accepted their 
Prefents, and in return, gave them others of greater Va- 
lue. They remain’d a full Year at his Court, and then 
difpos’d all things for their Return to Venice. But before 
they had an Oppportunity of departing, there broke out 
a War between this Prince Barha and another Tar- 
tar King, whofe Name was Alan ; and this Difpute be- 
ing decided by a Batde, the Army of Barha was defeat- 
ed. This unlucky Accident exceedingly embarrafs’d the 
Venetians, who knew not what Meafures to take, or how 
to get lafely back into their own Country. At length, 
however, they took a Refolution of efcaping, as well as 
they could, out of the Country where they were, and 
by leveral Byroads efcap’d to a City call’d Guthacam, 
feated on the River Tygris. They continued their Jour- 
ney from hence, thro* a great Defart, where there were 
neither Inhabitants nor Villages, till at laft they arriv’d at 
Bochara , a confiderable City in the Confines of Perfia. It 
was at the Time of their Arrival, the Refidence of a 
Prince call’d Barach , in whofe Court, meeting with a 
good Reception, and not knowing how otherwife to dif- 
pofe of themfelves, they remained three Years. At that 
Time, a certain Perfon of Diftindtion was fent Embafla- 
dor from the faid Prince Alan to the great Khan , who is 
the fuperior Monarch of all the Tartars, redding in the 
remoteft Countries of the Earth, betwixt the North-Eaft 
and the Eaft, called Cublai ; Khan who coming to Bo- 
tara, and finding there thefe two Brethren, who were now 
o Polo, 595 
well verfed in the Tartarian Language, he rejoiced ex- 
ceedingly, and perfuaded thefe Men to go with him to the 
great Emperor of the T artars , knowing that he fliould 
gratify him in this, and that they alfo fliould be entertained 
with great Honour, and rewarded with large Gifts, elpp- 
dally feeing, through the Conference had with them, he 
perceived their pleafing Behaviour. Thefe Men there- 
fore, confidering that they could not eafily return home 
without Danger, confulting together, agreed to go with 
the faid Embafiador, and accompany him to the Emperor of 
the T artars, having certain other Chriftians in their Com- 
pany, whom they brought with them from Venice , and. 
departing towards the North-Eaft and the North, were a 
whole Year in going to the faid Court of the faid King. 
The Caufe of their long Time fpent in this Journey, 
Was the Snows and Waters being much increafed, fo that 
they were forced in their Travel to ftay the wafting of the 
Snow, and decreafing of the Floods. Being therefore 
brought before the Prefence of the great Khan , they were 
moft courteoully received by him. He queftioned them 
concerning many things •, as of the Countries of the Weft, 
the Roman Emperor, and other Kings and Princes, how 
they carried themfelves in Government, and in warlike 
Affairs ; how Peace, Juftice and Concord, continued g- 
mong them ; alfo what Manner of Life and Cuftoms were 
obferyed among the Latins , and efpecially of the Pope, 
of the Chriftians, of the Church, and of the Religion of 
the Chriftian Faith *, and M. Nicholo , and M. Majfeo, as 
wife Men, told him the Truth, always fpeaking well to 
him, and orderly, in the Tartarian Tongue ; infomuch 
that he often commanded they Ihould be brought to his 
Prefence, and they were very acceptable in his Sight j 
having well underftood the Affairs of the Latins, and reft- 
ing fatisfied with their Anfwers. 
The great Khan intending to fend them his Embaffadors 
to the Pope, firft confulted with his great Lords, and 
then calling to him the two Brethren, defired them to go 
to the Pope of the Romans, with one of his Barons called 
Chogatal , to pray him to fend an hundred Men learned in 
the Chriftian Religion unto him, who might fbevy his wife 
Men, that the Faith of the Chriftians was to be preferred 
before all other Se£ts, and was the only Way of Saluta- 
tion, and that the Gods of the Tartars were Devils, and 
that they, and others, the People of the Eaft, were de- 
ceived in the Worfhip of their Gods. He gave them al- 
fo in Charge, to bring in their return from Jerufalem, of 
the Oil of the Lamp which burneth before the Sepulchre 
of our Lord Jefus Chrift, towards whom he had great 
Devotion, and held him to be the true God j they therefore 
yielding due Reverence to the great Khan, promifed that 
they would faithfully execute the Charge committed unto 
them, and prefent the Letters which they received from 
him, written in the Tartarian Tongue, according to his 
Command unto the Bifhop of Rome. 
He, according to the Cuftom of the Kingdom, com- 
manded a golden Tablet to be given them, engraven and 
figned with the King’s Mark, carrying which with them, 
throughout his whole Empire, inftead of a PafTport, they 
might be every where fafely conveyed through dangerous 
Places, by the Governors of Provinces and Cities, and re- 
ceive their Expences from them ; and laftly, how long 
foever they would ftay in any Place, whatfoever they need- 
ed, for them or theirs, fliould be furnifhed them. 
Taking their Leave therefore of the Emperor, they took 
their Journey, carrying the Letters and golden Tablet 
with them ; and when they had rid twenty Days Journey, 
the Lord who was affociated with them, began to fail 
grievoufly fick ; whereupon confulting, and leaving him 
there they profecuted their intended Journey, being every 
where courteoufly received, by reafon of the Emperor’s Ta- 
blet, yet in many Places they were compelled to ftay, oc- 
cafioned by the over-flowing of the Rivers, fo that they 
fpent three Years before they came unto the Port qf the 
Country of th t Armenians, named Giazza ; from Giazza 
they went to Acre, about the Year of our Lord 1 269., 
in the Month of April. 
But having entred into the City of Acre , they heard 
that Pope Clement the Fourth was lately dead, and that no 
other was fubftituted in his Place, for which they were 
