II. 147; Lockhart in J. R. G. S.
XXXVI. 152; Koeppen, II. 99; G. Deveria, Hist. du College des
Interpretes de Peking in Melanges Charles de Harlez, pp. 94-102; MS.
Note of Prof. A. Vissiere; The Tangut Script in the Nan-K'ou Pass, by
Dr. S. W. Bushell, China Review, xxiv. II. pp. 65-68.) - H. Y. and H. C.
Pauthier supposes Mark's four acquisitions to have been Bashpah-Mongol,
Arabic, Uighur, and Chinese. I entirely reject the Chinese. Sir H. Yule
adds: "We shall see no reason to believe that he knew either language or
character" [Chinese]. The blunders Polo made in saying that the name of
the city, Suju, signifies in our tongue "Earth" and Kinsay "Heaven" show
he did not know the Chinese characters, but we read in Bk. II. ch.
lxviii.: "And Messer Marco Polo himself, of whom this Book speaks, did
govern this city (Yanju) for three full years, by the order of the Great
Kaan." It seems to me [H. C.] hardly possible that Marco could have for
three years been governor of so important and so Chinese a city as
Yangchau, in the heart of the Empire, without acquiring a knowledge of the
spoken language. - H. C. The other three languages seem highly probable.
The fourth may have been Tibetan. But it is more likely that he counted
separately two varieties of the same character (e.g. of the Arabic and
Persian) as two "lettres de leur escriptures" - H. Y. and H. C.
NOTE 2. - [Ramusio here adds: "Ad und citta, detta Carazan," which, as we
shall see, refers to the Yun-nan Province.] - H. C.
NOTE 3. - From the context no doubt Marco's employments were honourable and
confidential; but Commissioner would perhaps better express them than
Ambassador in the modern sense. The word Ilchi, which was probably in
his mind, was applied to a large variety of classes employed on the
commissions of Government, as we may see from a passage of Rashiduddin in
D'Ohsson, which says that "there were always to be found in every city
from one to two hundred Ilchis, who forced the citizens to furnish them
with free quarters," etc., III. 404. (See also 485.)
CHAPTER XVI.
HOW MARK RETURNED FROM THE MISSION WHEREON HE HAD BEEN SENT.
When Mark returned from his ambassage he presented himself before the
Emperor, and after making his report of the business with which he was
charged, and its successful accomplishment, he went on to give an account
in a pleasant and intelligent manner of all the novelties and strange
things that he had seen and heard; insomuch that the Emperor and all such
as heard his story were surprised, and said: "If this young man live, he
will assuredly come to be a person of great worth and ability." And so
from that time forward he was always entitled MESSER MARCO POLO, and thus
we shall style him henceforth in this Book of ours, as is but right.
