The use of the term by Marco may possibly be an illustration of what I
have elsewhere propounded, viz. that he was not acquainted with Chinese,
but that his intercourse and conversation lay chiefly with the foreigners
at the Kaan's Court, and probably was carried on in the Persian language.
But not long after the date of our Book we find the word used in Italian
by Jacopo Alighieri (Dante's son): -
"A voler giudicare
Si conviene adequare
Inprimo il Taccuino,
Per vedere il cammino
Come i Pianeti vanno
Per tutto quanto l'anno."
- Rime Antiche Toscane, III. 10.
Marco does not allude to the fact that almanacs were published by the
Government, as they were then and still are. Pauthier (515 seqq.) gives
some very curious details on this subject from the Annals of the Yuen. In
the accounts of the year 1328, it appears that no less than 3,123,185
copies were printed in three different sizes at different prices, besides
a separate almanac for the Hwei-Hwei or Mahomedans. Had Polo not omitted
to touch on the issue of almanacs by Government he could scarcely have
failed to enter on the subject of printing, on which he has kept a silence
so singular and unaccountable.
The Chinese Government still "considers the publication of a Calendar of
the first importance and utility. It must do everything in its power, not
only to point out to its numerous subjects the distribution of the
seasons,... but on account of the general superstition it must mark in the
almanac the lucky and unlucky days, the best days for being married, for
undertaking a journey, for making their dresses, for buying or building,
for presenting petitions to the Emperor, and for many other cases of
ordinary life. By this means the Government keeps the people within the
limits of humble obedience; it is for this reason that the Emperors of
China established the Academy of Astronomy." (Timk. I. 358.) The
acceptance of the Imperial Almanac by a foreign Prince is considered an
acknowledgment of vassalage to the Emperor.
It is a penal offence to issue a pirated or counterfeit edition of the
Government Almanac. No one ventures to be without one, lest he become
liable to the greatest misfortunes by undertaking the important measures
on black-balled days.
The price varies now, according to Williams, from 1-1/2d. to 5d. a
copy. The price in 1328 was 1 tsien or cash for the cheapest edition,
and 1 liang or tael of silver for the edition de luxe; but as these
prices were in paper-money it is extremely difficult to say, in the
varying depreciation of that currency, what the price really amounted to.
[Illustration: Mongol Compendium Instrument seen in the Observatory
Garden]
[Illustration: Mongol Armillary Sphere in the Observatory Garden]
["The Calendars for the use of the people, published by Imperial command,
are of two kinds.
