The Story of Marco Polo (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. MARCO DISCOURSES OF ANCIENT ARMENIA?THE KINGDOM OF GEORGIANIA?THE EXPLOITS OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT STORY OF THE MISERLY CALIPH OF BAGDAD AND HIS GOLD A GREAT MARVEL. T N the former chapter we had the preface to Marco - Polo's book as it was composed by Rusticiano. In reading the first chapter of the book itself, we can imagine the prisoner and illustrious traveller pacing up and down in his place of confinement, and dictating to his companion the words that are to be set down. And this is the first chapter of the work as dictated by Marco: HERE THE BOOK BEGINS; AND FIRST IT SPEAKS OF THE LESSER HERMENIA. There are two Hermenias, the Greater and the Less. The Lesser Hermenia is governed by a certain King, who maintains a just rule in his dominions, but is himself subject to the Tartar. The country contains numerous towns and villages, and has everything in plenty; moreover, it is a great country for sport in the chase of all manner of beasts and birds. It is, however, by no means a healthyCh. III.] ARMENIA. 27 region, but grievously the reverse. In days of old the nobles there were valiant men, and did doughty deeds of arms; but nowadays they are poor creatures, and good at naught. Howbeit, they have a city upon the sea, which is called Layas, at which there is a great trade. For you must know that all the spicery, and the cloths of silk and gold, and other valuable wares that come from the interior, are brought to that city. And the merchants of Venice and Genoa, and other countries, come thither to sell their goods, and to buy what they lack. And whatsoever persons would travel to the interior (of the East), merchants or others, they take their way by this city of Layas. By " Hermenia" we are to understand that the traveller is speaking of t...