Chapter X.

THE HISTORY OF THE ASSASSINS, AND OF THE MANNER IN WHICH THEIR PRINCE WAS KILLED, TOGETHER WITH THE DESCRIPTION OF MANY OTHER COUNTRIES.

Mulehet, in the Saracen language, is as much as to say a place of heretics, and of this place they call the men Mulehetici, that is, heretics in their law, as with us Patarines. As I have spoken of the country, the Prince of it, who is called the Old Man of the Mountain, shall be next spoken of, concerning whom Marco heard much from many. His name was Aloadine, and he was a Mohammedan. He had, in a lovely valley, betwixt two mountains, which were very high and inaccessible, caused a pleasant garden to be laid out, furnished with the best trees and fruits he could find, adorned with divers palaces and houses of pleasure, beautified with gilded bowers, pictures, and tapestries of silk. Through this place, by pipes to different parts of these palaces, run wine, milk, honey, and clear water; in them he had placed beautiful damsels, skilful in songs and instruments of music and dancing, and to make sports and delights unto men whatsoever they could imagine. They were also richly dressed in gold and silk, and were seen continually sporting in the garden and palaces. He made this palace because Mohammed had promised such a sensual paradise to his devout followers. No man could enter it; for at the mouth of the valley was a strong castle, and the entrance was by a secret passage. Aloadine had certain youths, from twelve to twenty years of age, such as seemed of a bold and dauntless disposition, whom he instructed daily as to the delights in Mohammed’s paradise, and how he could bring men thither; and when he thought proper, he caused a certain drink to be given to ten or twelve of them, which cast them into a dead sleep, and then he caused them to be carried into several chambers of the said palaces, where they saw things as aforesaid; as soon as they awaked, each of them had those damsels to supply them with meats and excellent wines, and yield all varieties of pleasures to them; insomuch that the fools thought themselves in paradise indeed.

When they had enjoyed these pleasures four or five days, they were cast into a sleep, and carried forth again; after which he caused them to be brought into his presence, and questioned them where they had been? who answered, “By your grace, in paradise;” and recounted before all what hath been before mentioned. Then the Old Man answered, “This is the commandment of our prophet, that whosoever defends his Lord, he allows him to enter paradise; and if thou wilt be obedient unto me, thou shalt have this grace;” and having thus animated them, he was thought happy whom the Old Man would command, though it cost him his life; so that other lords, and his enemies, were slain by these assassins, who exposed themselves to all dangers, and contemned their lives. Hereupon he was esteemed a tyrant, feared in all those parts, and had two vicars, one in the parts of Damascus, and another in Curdistan, which observed the same order with the young men. He used also to rob all which passed that way. Ulan, in the year 1262, sent and besieged his castle, which, after three years’ siege, they took, slew him, and undermined his paradise, not being able for want of provisions to hold out longer.

Departing from the aforesaid place you come unto a country pleasant enough, diversified by hills, plains, and excellent pasture, in which are fruits in great plenty, the soil being very fruitful: this continues six days, and then you enter a desert of forty or fifty miles, without water; after this you come to the city of Sapurgan, where plenty of provisions are found, but especially melons, the best in the world, sweet like honey. Passing from hence we came to a certain city called Batach, which formerly was large and famous, having sumptuous marble palaces, but now overthrown by the Tartars.

In this city they report that Alexander took the daughter of King Darius to wife. To this city on the east and north-east continue the confines of Persia; but if you go from hence, and proceed between the east and the north-east, you cannot find any habitation for two days’ journey, because the inhabitants of that place having endured many great grievances by thieves, are compelled to fly unto the mountains, to places of more safety. Many rivers are found there and much game. Lions also are found there; and because travellers find no food in that journey, they carry as much victuals with them as is necessary for two days. The two days’ journey ended, we met with a castle called Thaican, where is great plenty of corn, and very pleasant fields; the mountains also on the south are high, some of which are of white and hard salt; and the inhabitants for thirty days’ journey about fetch it from thence, being the best in the world, and so hard that they must break it with iron instruments, so much that the whole world might have a sufficient quantity of salt from thence. The other mountains have store of almonds and pistaches.

Going between the east and north-east from hence, the country is fruitful; but the inhabitants are murderers, perfidious Mohammedans, and drunkards. Their wine is boiled, and truly excellent. They go bare-headed, save that the men bind up their heads with a certain string of ten handfuls long; but they make clothing of the skins of wild beasts, such as breeches and shoes, and use no other garments. After three days’ journey is the city Seassom, seated in a plain, and there are many castles in the mountains round about it: a certain great river also flows through the middle thereof. There are many porcupines in that country, which they hunt with dogs, and they, contracting themselves with great fury, cast their prickly quills at men and dogs, and wound them. That nation hath a particular language, and the shepherds abide in the mountains, having made caves for their habitations. You go hence three days’ journey, without meeting any inhabitants, to the province of Balaxiam, which is inhabited by Mohammedans, who have a peculiar language. Their kings, who succeed each other hereditarily, are reported to have derived their descent from Alexander the Great, and from the daughter of Darius, and are called Dulcarlen, that is to say, Alexandrians. There are found the ballassas, and other precious stones, of great value.

No man, on pain of death, dare either dig such stones, or carry them out of the country, but with the licence and consent of the king; for all those stones are the king’s, and he only sends them to whom he pleases, either as presents, or in payment of tribute: he exchanges also many for gold and silver; and this he doth lest the stone, whereof there is so much plenty, should become too common and cheap. Other mountains also in this province yield stones called Lapis Lazuli, whereof the best azure is made; the like is not found in the world. These mines also yield silver, brass and lead. The country itself is very cold: there are many horses, and those excellent, large, strong, and swift, which have so hard and tough hoofs, that they need no iron shoes, although they run over rocks. It is said that not many years ago there were horses of the race of Alexander’s Bucephalus, which had the same forehead mark as he had, in the possession only of the king’s uncle, who was killed for refusing the king to have some of them; whereupon his widow, in spite, destroyed the whole race. There are also excellent falcons. The soil of this country bears excellent wheat and barley without husk, and oil made of nuts, and mustard, which is like flax-seed, but more savoury than other oil. There are straight passages and difficult places. The men are good archers and huntsmen, clothed in beasts’ skins. The hills are steep and high, large plains, fine rivers; and if any have an ague, by living two or three days on the hills he recovers, which Marco experienced himself after a year’s sickness. The women in the skirts of their garments put sixty or eighty yards of cotton; the burlier a woman looks, she is in their eyes the handsomer.

The province of Bascia is ten days’ journey towards the south from the country of Balexiam. The country itself is very hot, which is the reason the people are brown. They have a language of their own, and wear gold and silver earrings, with pearls and other stones artificially wrought in them; they eat fish and rice, and are idolaters, crafty and cruel. The province of Chesmur is seven days’ journey distant from Bascia, the inhabitants whereof have also their own language, and are idolaters beyond all others, cunning enchanters, forcing their idols to speak, and darkening the day. From hence you may go to the Indian sea. The men and women are brown, not wholly black, the heat being somewhat tempered. Their food is flesh and rice, yet are they exceedingly lean: there are many cities and towns in this country; their king is tributary to none. There are certain hermits in this province, who in monasteries and cells worship idols, honouring their gods with great abstinence of meat and drink, and observe great chastity, are very cautious not to offend their idols, and live long; of these are many reputed saints, and the people show them great reverence. The men of this province kill no living creature, and shed no blood; and if they eat flesh, it is necessary that the Saracens, who live amongst them, kill the creature. Coral is here sold dearer than anywhere. We will leave the way to India now, and return to Balaxiam, and direct our way towards Cathay, betwixt the east and north-east. Beyond Balaxiam is a certain river, whereon stand many castles and villages belonging to the King of Balaxiam’s brother; and after three days’ journey is the province Vachan, having in length and breadth three days’ journey, the inhabitants whereof have a peculiar language, and worship Mohammed. They are, however, stout warriors and good hunters, for the country abounds with wild beasts.

If you depart thence betwixt the north-east and east, you must ascend for three whole days together, until you come to an exceeding high mountain, than which there is said to be none higher in the world. There also between two mountains is a great lake, and through a plain runs a very fine river, near which are excellent pastures, so that in them a lean horse or an ox may be fat in ten days. There is also plenty of wild beasts, especially exceeding great wild sheep, having horns, some of them six spans long, of which they make divers kinds of vessels. The plain contains twelve days’ journey in length, and is called Pamer; nor is there any habitation there; and travellers must carry victuals with them. No bird also appears there, by reason of the cold; and it is reported that if fire be kindled there it is not so bright nor so effectual to boil anything as in other places. From hence the way leadeth forty days’ journey further between the east and north-east, through the mountains, hills, and valleys, in which many rivers are found, but no village or herbs, and the country itself is called Palow, and some huts and cottages of men are seen on the tops of those high mountains, but such as are savage and wicked idolaters, who live by hunting, and are clothed by the skins of the beasts they kill. After this you come to the province of Chascar, which is tributary to the Great Khan, and the people are Mohammedans. In it are vines, pleasant gardens, fruitful trees, cotton, flax, and hemp, and a fertile soil. The inhabitants have a particular language, and are merchants and artificers, so covetous, that they eat that which is bad, and drink worse. Some Nestorian Christians are found there, who also have their churches. The country extends itself five days’ journey.