The Author's Introductory Account.

At the time that Baldwin was Emperor of Constantinople, in the year of our Lord 1250, two gentlemen of the most illustrious family of Paolo or Polo, at Venice, embarked on board a vessel freighted with various kinds of merchandize on their own account; and having traversed the Mediterranean and the Bosphorus, they came with a fair wind, and the blessing of God, to Constantinople. There they continued for some time to repose themselves, and then crossing the Pontus Euxinus, arrived at a certain port called Soldadia, from whence they went to the court of a great Tartar prince, called Barha, to whom they showed the fine jewels they had brought, and presented him with some of the most valuable. That monarch was far from being ungrateful; he kindly accepted their presents, and in return gave them others of greater value. They remained a full year at his court, and then disposed all things for their return to Venice. But before they had an opportunity of departing, there broke out a war between this Prince Barha and another Tartar king, whose name was Alan; and this dispute being decided by a battle, the army of Barha was defeated. This unlucky accident exceedingly embarrassed the Venetians, who knew not what measures to take, or how to get safely back into their own country. At length, however, they took a resolution of escaping, as well as they could, out of the country where they were, and by several by-roads escaped to a city called Guthacam, seated on the river Tygris. They continued their journey from hence through a great desert, where there were neither inhabitants nor villages, till at last they arrived at Bochara, a considerable city on the confines of Persia. It was, at the time of their arrival, the residence of a prince called Barach, in whose court, meeting with a good reception, and not knowing how otherwise to dispose of themselves, they remained three years. At that time a certain person of distinction was sent ambassador from the said Prince Alan to the Great Khan, who is the superior monarch of all the Tartars, residing in the remotest countries of the earth, betwixt the north-east and the east, called Cublai Khan; who coming to Bochara, and finding there these two brethren, who were now well versed in the Tartarian language, he rejoiced exceedingly, and persuaded these men to go with him to the great Emperor of the Tartars, knowing that he should gratify him in this, and that they also should be entertained with great honour, and rewarded with large gifts, especially seeing, through the conference had with them, he perceived their pleasing behaviour. These men therefore considering that they could not easily return home without danger, consulting together, agreed to go with the said ambassador, and accompany him to the Emperor of the Tartars, having certain other Christians in their company, whom they brought with them from Venice; and departing towards the north-east and the north, were a whole year in going to the said court of the said king.

The cause of their long time spent in this journey, was the snows and waters being much increased, so that they were forced in their travel to stay the wasting of the snow, and decreasing of the floods. Being therefore brought before the presence of the Great Khan, they were most courteously received by him. He questioned them concerning many things; as of the countries of the west, the Roman Emperor, and other kings and princes, how they carried themselves in government, and in war-like affairs; how peace, justice, and concord continued among them: also what manner of life and customs were observed among the Latins, and especially of the Pope, of the Christians, of the Church, and of the religion of the Christian faith; and M. Nicolo and M. Maffio, as wise men, told him the truth, always speaking well to him, and orderly, in the Tartarian tongue; insomuch that he often commanded they should be brought to his presence, and they were very acceptable in his sight; having well understood the affairs of the Latins, and resting satisfied with their answers.

The Great Khan intending to send them his ambassadors to the Pope, first consulted with his great lords, and then calling to him the two brethren, desired them to go to the Pope of the Romans, with one of his barons called Chogatal, to pray him to send an hundred men learned in the Christian religion unto him, who might show his wise men that the faith of the Christians was to be preferred before all other sects, and was the only way of salvation, and that the gods of the Tartars were devils, and that they, and others, the people of the east, were deceived in the worship of their gods. He gave them also in charge, to bring, in their return from Jerusalem, of the oil of the lamp which burneth before the sepulchre of our Lord Jesus Christ, towards whom he had great devotion, and held him to be the true God; they therefore yielded due reverence to the Great Khan, promised that they would faithfully execute the charge committed unto them, and present the letters which they received from him, written in the Tartarian tongue, according to his command, unto the Bishop of Rome.

He, according to the custom of the kingdom, commanded a golden tablet to be given them, engraven and signed with the king’s mark; carrying which with them throughout his whole empire, instead of a passport, they might be everywhere safely conveyed through dangerous places, by the governors of provinces and cities, and receive their expenses from them; and lastly, how long soever they would stay in any place, whatsoever they needed, for them or theirs, should be furnished them. Taking their leave therefore of the Emperor, they took their journey, carrying the letters and golden tablet with them; and when they had ridden twenty days’ journey, the lord who was associated with them, began to fall grievously sick; whereupon consulting and leaving him there, they prosecuted their intended journey, being everywhere courteously received by reason of the Emperor’s tablet; yet in many places they were compelled to stay, occasioned by the overflowings of the rivers, so that they spent three years before they came unto the port of the country of the Armenians, named Giazza; from Giazza they went to Acre, about the year of our Lord 1269, in the month of April.

But having entered into the city of Acre, they heard that Pope Clement the Fourth was lately dead, and that no other was substituted in his place, for which they were not a little grieved. At that time there was a certain legate of the Apostolic See at Acre, viz., Master Tibaldo Nisconti di Piacenza, to whom they declared all they had in commission from the Great Khan, and he advised them to expect the creation of a new Pope. In the mean space therefore departing to Venice to visit their friends, Master Nicolo found that his wife was dead, whom at his departure he had left with child, but had left a son named Marco, who was now nineteen years of age. This is that Marco who composed this book, who will manifest therein all those things that he hath seen. The election of the Pope of Rome was deferred two years. They fearing the discontent of the Emperor of the Tartars, who expected their return, went back again to Acre to the legate, carrying with them Marco aforesaid, and having gone to Jerusalem, and fetched the oil with the legate’s letter, testifying their fidelity to the Great Khan, and that a Pope was not yet chosen, they went again towards Giazza.

In the meantime messengers came from the cardinals to the legate, declaring to him that he was chosen Pope, and he called himself Gregory. Hearing this, he presently sent messengers to call back the Venetians, and admonishing them not to depart, prepared other letters for them, which they should present to the Great Khan of the Tartars, with whom he also joined two preaching friars, men famous for their honest conversation and learning. The one was called Friar Nicholo Davicenza, the other Friar Gulielmo de Tripoli; to these he gave letters and privileges, and authority to ordain priests and bishops, and of absolution in all cases as if himself were present, with presents also of great value, to present to the Great Khan, together with his benediction. They came to Giazza, a sea-port in Armenia, and because Bentiochdas and the Sultan of Babylon, leading a great army, then invaded the Armenians, the two friars above mentioned began to be afraid of themselves, and delivering the letters and presents to Signiors Nicolo, Maffio and Marco, desiring to avoid the danger of the ways and peril of wars, remained with the master of the temple, and returned with him.

But the three Venetians exposing themselves to all danger, with many labours and much difficulty, travelled many days always towards the north-east and north, till they, after three years and a half, came to the Emperor of the Tartars great city of Clemenisu; for in the winter time their journey had often long hindrances by reason of the snow and extreme cold, with inundations of waters. However, King Cublai hearing of their coming, though they were yet very far off, sent messengers forty days’ journey to meet them, who should conduct them, and furnish all necessaries for their journey. Going therefore to the King’s court, and being brought to his presence, they fell down before him on their faces, yielding the accustomed reverence; of whom being courteously received, they were ordered to rise, and he commanded them to declare how they passed the many dangers of the ways, and what they had treated with the Bishop of Rome; then they related it distinctly and at large, and gave the Emperor the Pope’s letters and presents, which they brought; at which the Khan wonderfully rejoicing, commended their faithful cares. The oil also brought from the Lord’s sepulchre, and offered unto him, he reverently received, commanded it should be honourably preserved, and asking of Marco, who he was? Master Nicolo answered, that he was his Majesty’s servant, and his son; he entertained him with a friendly countenance, and taught him to write among other of his honourable courtiers; whereupon he was much esteemed of all the court, and in a little space learned the customs of all the Tartars, and four different languages, being able to write and read them all.

The Great Khan, to make his wisdom more apparent, committed an ambassage unto him to be performed in a city called Carachan, unto which he could scarcely travel in six months’ space; but he carrying himself wisely in all things, discharged what he had in commission with the commendation and favour of the prince, and knowing the Emperor would be delighted with novelties, in the places which he passed through, he diligently searched the customs and manners of men, and the conditions of the countries, making a memorial of all that he knew and saw to divert the Great Khan; and in six-and-twenty years which he continued one of his court, he was so acceptable to him, that he was continually sent through all his realms and signiories for the affairs of the Great Khan, and sometimes for his own, but by the Khan’s order; and this is the true reason that the said Master Marco learned and saw so many particulars relating to the east, which follow in order in these memoirs; but these Venetians, having stayed in that court many years, and grown very rich in jewels of great value, were inspired with desire to visit their country, fearing that if the Khan (now old) should die, they should not be able to return. One day Master Nicolo, seeing the Khan merry, craved licence to depart in the name of all three: whereat he was moved, and asked why they would put themselves on so dangerous a journey, and if they wanted riches, he would give them twice as much as they had, and out of pure affection would not permit their departure.

Yet not long after it happened, that a king of the Indians, named Argon, sent three of his counsellors unto the court of the great Cublai, whose names were Ullatai, Apusea, and Coza, to treat with him, that he would deliver him a wife; for his wife, named Bolgana, being lately dead, begged this favour of the king at the point of death, and left in her will, that he should not marry a wife of another family than her own, which was of Catha. King Cublai, therefore, yielding to his request, caused to be sought out for them a fair young maiden of seventeen years of age, named Cogalin, descended of the former queen’s family, to be the wife of Argon. Those ambassadors departing, rode eight months the same way they came, but found bloody wars among the Tartars, so that they were constrained to return, and acquaint the Great Khan with their proceedings. In the mean time Master Marco had returned from those parts of India, where he had been employed with certain ships, and declared to the Khan the singularities of the places, and the security of those seas; which reaching the ears of the ambassadors, they conferred with the Venetians, and agreed, that they with the Queen should go to the Great Khan, and desire leave to return by sea, and to have the three Latins, men skilled in sea affairs, with them, to the country of King Argon. The Great Khan was much displeased with their request, yet upon their petition granted it, and caused Nicolo, Maffio, and Marco to come into his presence, and after much demonstration of his love, would have them promise to return to him after they had spent some time in Christendom, and in their own house; and he caused to be given them a tablet of gold, in which was written his command for their liberty and security through all his dominions, and that expenses should be given them and theirs, and a guide or convoy for safe passage, ordering also that they should be his ambassadors to the Pope, the kings of France and Spain, and and other Christian princes.

He caused fourteen ships to be prepared, each having four masts, and able to bear nine sails in sailing, the form of which is too long here to be related; four or five of them had from two hundred and fifty to two hundred and sixty mariners in each of them. In these ships, the ambassadors, the Queen, with Nicolo, Maffio, and Marco, set sail, having first taken leave of the Great Khan, who gave them many rubies and other precious stones, and their expenses for two years. After three months they came unto a certain island called Java, and from thence sailing through the Indian Sea, after eighteen months they came into the country of King Argon; six hundred men of the mariners and others, and but one of the women, died in the passage, but only Coza of the three ambassadors survived. When they came to the country of King Argon, they found that he was dead, and that one Chiacato governed the kingdom for his son, who was under age. They sent to acquaint him with their business, who answered that they should give her to Casan, the king’s son, then in the parts of Arbor Secco, in the confines of Persia, with sixty thousand persons for the guard of certain passages against the enemy. Having done so, Nicolo, Maffio, and Marco returned to Chiacato, and stayed there nine months.

After this taking leave, Chiacato gave them four tables of gold, each a cubit long, and five fingers broad, of the weight of three or four marks, in which were written, that in the power of the Eternal God the name of the Great Khan should be honoured and praised many years, and every one who should not obey should be put to death, and his goods confiscated. In them were further contained, that these three ambassadors should be honoured, and service done them in all lands and countries as to his own person, and that horses, convoys, expenses, and necessaries should be given them; all which was so duly put in execution, that sometimes they had two hundred horses for their safeguard. In this their travel, they heard that the Great Khan was dead, which took from them all desire of returning thither.

They rode till they came to Trebizond, and from thence to Constantinople, and after to Negropont, and at last came with great riches safe to Venice, A.D. 1295.

Here ends the historical introduction of our author, which shows us how he came to be qualified for writing the following description of the remotest countries in the east. The reader will naturally observe that our author wrote under very particular circumstances, as having no other knowledge than what he acquired amongst the Tartars; and therefore, though the harsh and uncouth names, that occur in the subsequent relation of his travels, may both disfigure and perplex them, yet they very plainly prove the sincerity and authority of our author’s writings, since taking things as he has stated them, it was simply impossible that he should have written them any otherwise than as they stand; for it was his hard lot to travel with the Tartars, and to pen the history of his travels in a prison, so that their imperfections ought not to be ascribed to the man, but to his circumstances.