6o6 
The VOYAGES and TE A YE L S Book I, • 
Sign of the Crofs, having with him infinite Numbers of paring whatfoever thefe command them. The lefs prifed 
Chriftians, who were all (lain. are put to Cookery, and other Offices, and fometimes the 
The Jews and Saracens that were in the Army of Cu~ Khan bellows them on Gentlemen, with great Portions. 
blai, began to upbraid the Chriftians with this Difafter of The Men of that Country efteem it a Grace and Credit to 
the Crofs, who complain’d of it to Cublai ; he fharply re- have Daughters worthy his liking*, and think themfelves 
proved the Jews and Saracens for this Behaviour, and then born under an ill Planet, if they are not kept when lent 
turning to the Chriftians, he faid, 4 4 Surely, your God and to Court. 
44 his Crofs, would not give any Aid to Naiam, but be Cublai had two-and-twenty Sons by his four legitimate 
44 not you therefore afhamed, becaufe God being good Wives, and the Firft-born of his firft Wife was called 
44 and juft, ought not to defend Injuftice, or Iniquity. Zingis , who would have fucceeded him in the Empire, if 
44 Naiam was a Traitor to his Lord, and contrary to he had not died before his Father, tie left a Son named 
44 ail Equity, raifed Rebellion, and fought the Help of Timur , a valiant Man, wife, and experienced in Arms, 
44 your God in his mifchievous Purpofe ; but he, as a who is to fucceed his Grandfather in the Empire, inftead 
44 good and upright God, would not favour his Defigns.” of his deceafed Father ; but by his Concubines lie hath five- 
He returned after this with great Triumph to Cambalu , and-twenty Sons, all which are daily exercifed in Feats of 
and ftaid there till Eajier. On that Day he called the Arms, and are great Lords ; feven of his Sons by his Wives 
Chriftians before him, and killed their Gofpels, and made are Kings of great Provinces, and maintain their States 
his Barons do the fame. He does the like on the great with great Reputation. 
Feafts of the Saracens , Jews and Heathens , that Sego-* 16. Three Months of the Year, that is, December, Ja- 
mamber-Khan , the God of the Idols, Mohammed , Mofes, nuary , and February , Cublai refides ordinarily in Cambalu n , 
or whofoever is greateft in Heaven, might help him ; yet which is at the North-Eaft Border of Cathay ; and there, on 
he made bell fliew of liking to the Chriftian Faith, but the South Part by the new City, is feated a great Palace *, 
pretended, the Ignorance of the Nejlorian Priefts, and the firft there is a great Wall, each Square being eight Miles, 
mighty Adis of the Sorcerers, hindered his profeffing it. with a deep Ditch environing, and a Gate in the middle of 
For the better rewarding his Soldiers, he kept twelve Ba- each •, after which is the Space of a Mile in Circuit, where 
rons or Counfellors, who gave him Notice of each Captain’s Soldiers Hand ; after this is another Court of fix Miles 
Merit ; and accordingly he raifed them from the Command fquare, with three Gates on the South-fquare, and three on 
of one hundred to a thoufand, and from one thoufand to the North ; that which is in the midft, being in both the 
ten thoufand, and fo on, giving them Veffels of Plate and greater, and kept fhut, except when the Khan paffeth that 
Tablets. The Captain of one hundred hath a Tablet of Way-, the other is always open to others; in each Corner of 
Silver ; and the Captain of a thoufand, of Gold or Silver this Wall, and in the midft is a fair Palace, eight in all very ' 
gilded ; the Captain of ten thoufand has a Tablet of Gold, large, in which are kept the Khan’s Ammunitions, and Fur- 
and a Lyon’s Head on it. The Weight of the Tablets nitureof all Sorts ; for Horfes in one, in another Bows and 
differ alfo according to the Dignity. On the faid Tablet Shooting Artillery ; in a third, Caftlets, Cuiraffes, and Lea- 
ls written a Command in this Manner : 44 By the Strength ther Armour ; and fo in the reft. 
44 and Power of the Great God, and by the Grace which Within this Circuit is another Wall like the former, very 
44 he hath given to our Empire, the Name of Khan be thick and ten Paces high, all the Battlements white, the Walls 
44 bleffed, and let them all die, and be deftroyed, which fquare, each Square a Mile in Length, with fix Gates as 
44 will not obey him.” All Officers who have thefe Tablets the former, and eight Palaces alfo very large, wherein 
have Privileges in writing of all things, which they are to are the Khan’s Provifions ; between thefe two laid Walls are 
do and demand ; and the Generals, when they ride in pub- alfo many fair Trees and Meadows, in which are Deer ' 
lick, have a Cloth born over their Heads, and when they with other Game, and Store of Grals, the Paths being 
fit, it is on a Chair of Silver. Their Tablet is of three raifed two Cubits tofpare it. No Dirt or Puddles of Wa- 
hundred Sagi, which is equal to fifty Ounces of Gold, with ter, being therein. Within this laft Wall is the Palace of the 
the Images of the Sun and Moon, fuch as have a Tablet, Great Khan, the greateft that hath been feen, extending to 
with a Ger-Falcon thereon, may take with them for their the Wall on the North and South, and open where the Ba- 
Guard the whole Army of a great Commander. Cublai is rons and Soldiers pafs. It hath no Cieling but a very high 
a comely, handfome Man, of middle Stature, of a very Roof; the Foundation of the Pavement ten Palms high, 
frefh Complexion, black and bright Eyes, well-fafhioned with a W all of Marble round about it two Paces wide, as it 
Nofe, and all the Lineaments of his Body confifting of were a Walk. At the End of the Wall without, is a fair 
due Proportion. He has four Wives, who are efteemed Turret with Pillars. In the Walls of the Halls and Cham- 
lawful, and the firft-born of them is to fucceed him in the bers, are carved Dragons, Soldiers, Birds,. Beafts of divers 
Kingdom, and every one of them is called Emprels, and kinds, Hiftories of ’Wars gilded ; the Root is fo mady, 
holdeth a peculiar Court, and that in a magnificent Palace, that nothing is feen but Gold and Imagery; in every Square 
having about three hundred Women to attend her, and of the Palace is a great Hail, capable oi holding a Multi- 
many Eunuchs Servants, and at leaft ten thoufand Perfons tude oi People ; the Chambers are difpofed the beft that 
in their Families. may be devifed : The Roof is red, green, azure, and oi 
The Grand Khan hath alfo many Concubines. There is all Colours. Behind the Palace are great Rooms and private 
likewife a Nation of fair People among the Tartars called Store-houfes for his Treafure and Jewels, for his Women, 
Virgut , where every fecond Year he fends Embaffadors to and other private Purpofes. 
make Search for the faireft young Women for him ; who Over-againft the faid Palace of the Khan, is another for 
returning, bring him four or five hundred more or lefs, as Zingis his Son, whole Court was in ali Things like hiska- 
they fee Caufe. There are Examiners appointed to take a ther’s. Near this Palace towards the North, is a Mount 
View of all their Beauties, examining Eyes, Nofe, Mouth, made by Hand, a Mile in Compafs, one Hundred Paces 
&c. apart, and fet a Price on them at fixteen, feventeen, high, adorn’d with Trees, that are always green ; unto 
eighteen, nineteen, twenty, or more Carats, and they this Mountain the King commands all the Trees to be brought 
bring thofe of that rate, which their Commiffion appoints ; from remote Parts, lading Elephants with them,- for they 
thefe he caufes to be received by other Examiners, and of are taken up with the Roots, and are tranfplanted in this 
fo many perhaps chufes thirty for his Chamber of the chief, Mountain ; and becaule this Mountain is always green, it 
which he puts to fome of his Barons Wives to fee if they is called the Green Mountain : And where the Earth oi the 
fnore not in their Sleep, if in Smell or Behaviour they be Mount was taken away, are two Lakes anfwering each other, 
not offenfive ; thofe which are approved are by Fives di- with a fmall River fupplying them withftored rifti, and 
vided, each fifth Part waiting three Days and Nights in His fo grated, that the Fffih cannot get out. 
Chamber by courfe, the other in the next Lodgings pre- 
14 There have been large Differtations written upon this Defeription of our Author, and great Difputes about the City here defcribed ; fome will have 
it one Place, fome another, becaufe it is a Tartar Appellation ; and modern Writers fpeak of this City by another Name. We have not ei er ime 
Room to wafte in this Controverfy j and therefore we lhall cut it fhort. Marco Polo wrote by theEar chiefly, and therefore let down am a u 
Yhanbalik, 1. e. the Imperial City ; and it is allow’d, that Khan-balick, is the City of Peking, the prefent Metropolis of China, or which we mail 
hereafter have Occalion to fpeak at large in another Place ; and lhall therein take an Opportunity of justifying the Accounts given us m t e y 
Marco Pole . q-u 
f 
