The Book of Ser Marco Polo, the Venetian: Concerning the Kingdoms and Marvels of the East, Volume 1Scribner, 1903 - Asia |
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Common terms and phrases
14th century according ancient appears Arabic Armenia Asia authority Badakhshan Barons Bolghar Book Bretschneider brother Buddhist called Cambaluc Cathay century CHAPTER Charchan chief China Chinese Chinghiz Christians Court death desert doubt Dynasty east edition Emperor French Friar galleys Genoa Genoese Geographical gold Henry Yule Hiuen Tsang honour Hormuz horses Ibn Batuta India journey Kaan Kaan's Kashgar Kermán Khan Khotan King kingdom Kúblái lake Lamas Latin latter Lord Maffeo Marco Polo mentioned Messer Marco miles Mongol mountains Nayan Nestorian Nicolo NOTE palace Palladius Pamir Pashai passage passed Pauthier Peking Persia plain Polo's present Prester John Prince probably province quoted Ramusio Rashiduddin regard river Rockhill route Rusticiano Saracens says seems seqq speaks story Tangut Tartars tell Tibet Tibetan town translation travellers tree tribes Venetian Venice wall whilst word writes Yule's
Popular passages
Page 217 - IN Xanadu did Kubla Khan A stately pleasure-dome decree: Where Alph, the sacred river, ran Through caverns measureless to man Down to a sunless sea.
Page 112 - So geographers, in Afric maps, With savage pictures fill their gaps, And o'er unhabitable downs Place elephants for want of towns.
Page 154 - My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.
Page 53 - Cambaluc ; the first traveller to reveal China in all its wealth and vastness, its mighty rivers, its huge cities, its rich manufactures, its swarming population, the inconceivably vast fleets that quickened its seas and its inland waters...
Page 209 - ... marble palace, the rooms of which are all gilt and painted with figures of men and beasts and birds, and with a variety of trees and flowers, all executed with such exquisite art that you regard them with delight and astonishment.
Page 125 - And you must know that in the same mountain there is a vein of the substance from which Salamander is made. For the real truth is that the Salamander is no beast, as they allege in our part of the world, but is a substance found in the earth ; and I will tell you about it.
Page 299 - ... possible kind. But you should know that in every case where a Baron or Knight dines at those tables, their wives also dine there with the other ladies. And when all have dined and the tables have been removed, then come in a great number of players and jugglers, adepts at all sorts of wonderful feats,6 and perform before the Emperor and the rest of the company, creating great diversion and mirth, so that everybody is full of laughter and enjoyment.
Page 338 - ... every piece a variety of officials, whose duty it is, have to write their names, and to put their seals. And when all is prepared duly, the chief officer deputed by the Kaan smears the Seal entrusted to him with vermilion. and impresses it on the paper, so that the form of the Seal remains printed upon it in red ; the Money is then authentic.
Page 352 - By night, however, they cannot go so fast as by day, because they have to be accompanied by footmen with torches, who could not keep up with them at full speed. Those men are highly prized; and they could never do it did they not bind hard the stomach, chest, and head with strong bands. And each of them carries with him a gerfalcon tablet, in sign that he is bound on an urgent express; so that if perchance his horse break down, or he meet with other mishap, whomsoever he may fall in with on the road,...