Now It Came To Pass In Those Days That The Queen BOLGANA, Wife Of ARGON,
Lord Of The Levant, Departed This Life.
And in her Will she had desired
that no Lady should take her place, or succeed her as Argon's wife, except
one of her own family [which existed in Cathay].
Argon therefore
despatched three of his Barons, by name respectively OULATAY, APUSCA, and
COJA, as ambassadors to the Great Kaan, attended by a very gallant
company, in order to bring back as his bride a lady of the family of Queen
Bolgana, his late wife.[NOTE 2]
When these three Barons had reached the Court of the Great Kaan, they
delivered their message, explaining wherefore they were come. The Kaan
received them with all honour and hospitality, and then sent for a lady
whose name was COCACHIN, who was of the family of the deceased Queen
Bolgana. She was a maiden of 17, a very beautiful and charming person, and
on her arrival at Court she was presented to the three Barons as the Lady
chosen in compliance with their demand. They declared that the Lady
pleased them well.[NOTE 3]
Meanwhile Messer Marco chanced to return from India, whither he had gone
as the Lord's ambassador, and made his report of all the different things
that he had seen in his travels, and of the sundry seas over which he had
voyaged. And the three Barons, having seen that Messer Nicolo, Messer
Maffeo, and Messer Marco were not only Latins, but men of marvellous good
sense withal, took thought among themselves to get the three to travel
with them, their intention being to return to their country by sea, on
account of the great fatigue of that long land journey for a lady.
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