After Some Time, Kublai-Khan Having Consulted With His Great Lords,
Informed Them, That He Was Desirous To Send Them
As his ambassadors to the
pope of the Romans, accompanied by one of his lords named Chogatal[8],
requesting that
He would send an hundred men, learned in the Christian
religion, to his courts, that they might instruct his wise men, that the
faith of the Christians was preferable to all other sects, being the only
way of salvation; that the gods of the Tartars were devils, and that they
and other people of the east were deceived in the worship of these gods. He
likewise commanded them, on their return from Jerusalem, to bring him some
of the oil from the lamp which burns before the sepulchre of our Lord Jesus
Christ, to whom the emperor had great devotion, believing him to be the
true God. Yielding due reverence to the great khan, they promised
faithfully to execute the charge which he had committed to them, and to
present to the pope the letters in the Tartarian language, which he gave
them for that purpose. According to the custom of the empire, the great
khan caused to be given them a golden tablet, engraven and signed with the
mark or signet of the khan, in virtue of which, instead of a passport, the
bearers were entitled to be everywhere conveyed in safety through dangerous
places, by the governors of provinces and cities, throughout the whole
empire, having their expences everywhere defrayed, and should be furnished
with whatever was needful for them and their attendants in all places, and
for as long as they might have occasion to stay.
Taking their leave of the great khan, they set out upon the journey into
the west, carrying with them the letters to the pope, and the golden
tablet. After travelling twenty days, the Tartar lord, who was associated
in their embassy to the pope, fell grievously sick; on which, having
consulted upon what was best to be done, they resolved to leave him, and to
continue their journey, They were everywhere courteously received, through
the authority of the imperial tablet; yet they were often compelled to
wait, by the overflowing of the rivers, in the course of their journey, so
that they spent three years before they reached the port in the country of
the Armenians, called Giazza [9]. From thence they proceeded to Acre [10],
where they arrived in the month of April 1269. On their arrival at Acre,
they were informed of the death of Pope Clement IV., by Tibaldo Visconti of
Placentia, the papal legate who then resided in that place. They related to
him what had befallen them, and declared what commission they had received
from the great khan to the pope, and he advised to wait the creation of a
new pope, to whom they might deliver their letters. Upon this they took
shipping for Venice, by the way of Negropont, intending to visit their
friends and relations, and to remain there until a new pope should be
elected. On their arrival, Nicolo found that his wife was dead, whom he had
left pregnant at his departure; but that she had left a son, now nineteen
[11] years of age, who is this very Marco, the author of this book, in
which he will make manifest all those things which he has seen in his
travels.
The election of the pope was deferred two years, and the Polos became
afraid least the great khan might be displeased at their delay. They went
therefore back to Acre, carrying Marco along with them; and having gone to
Jerusalem for the holy oil requested by Kublai, they received letters from
the legate, testifying their fidelity to the great khan, and that a pope
was not yet chosen. They then set out on their journey, and went to Giazza,
in Armenia. In the mean time letters came from the Cardinals to the legate
Visconti, declaring that he was elected pope, and he assumed the name of
Gregory. On this the new pope sent messengers to the Polos to call them
back, or to delay their departure from Armenia until he might prepare other
letters for them, to present to the khan in his name, and to inform them,
that he meant to join two friars predicants in commission with them, Nicolo
of Vicenza and Guelmo of Tripoli, men of learning and discretion. The Polos
accordingly remained at Giazza, where these two monks arrived with letters
and presents of great value for the khan, and furnished with ample powers
and privileges, and authority to ordain priests and bishops, and to grant
absolution in all cases, as fully as if the pope were present. But learning
that the sultan of Babylon, Bentiochdas[12], was leading a great army to
invade Armenia, and where he committed the most cruel ravages, the two
friars became afraid of themselves, and delivered the letters and presents
of the pope to Nicolo, Maffei, and Marco; and to avoid the fatigues of the
ways and the dangers of war, they remained with the master of the temple,
then at Giazza, and returned with him to Acre.
But the three Venetians proceeded boldly through many dangers and
difficulties, and at length, after a journey of three years and a half,
they arrived at the great city of Clemenisu[13]. In this lengthened journey
they had often long stoppages, on account of the deep snow and extreme
cold, and on occasion of floods and inundations. When the khan heard of
their approach, though yet at a great distance, he sent messengers forty
days journey to meet them, that they might be conducted with all honour,
and to provide them with every accommodation during the remainder of their
journey. On their arrival at the court, and being introduced into the
presence, they prostrated themselves before the khan on their faces,
according to the customary form of reverence; and being commanded to rise,
were most graciously received.
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