Khagan

But Ogedai died suddenly, and these armies were recalled.

Universal terror seized Europe, and the Pope, as the head of Christendom, determined to send ambassadors to the Great Khan to ascertain his real intentions.

He sent a friar named John of Plano Carpini from Lyon in 1245 to the camp of Batu on the Volga, who passed him on to the court of the Great Khan at Karakorum, the capital of his empire, of which only the slightest trace is now left on the left bank of the Orkhon some hundred miles south of Lake Baikal.

Here for the first time they heard of a kingdom on the east coast of Asia which was not yet conquered by the Mongols and which was known by the name of Cathay.

Fuller information was obtained by another friar named William Ruysbroeck or Rubruquis, a Fleming, who also visited Karakorum as an ambassador from St. Louis and got back to Europe in 1255 and communicated some of his information to Roger Bacon.

The information brought back by these wandering friars fades, however, into insignificance before the extensive and accurate knowledge of almost the whole of Eastern Asia brought back to Europe by Marco Polo, a Venetian, who spent 18 years of his life in the East.

His travels form an epoch in the history of geographical discovery only second to the voyages of Columbus.

In 1260, two of his uncles, named Niccolo and Maffeo Polo, started from Constantinople on a trading venture to the Crimea, after which they were led to visit Bokhara and thence on to the court of the Great Khan, Kublai, who received them very graciously and, being impressed with the desirability of introducing Western civilization into the new Mongolian Empire, he entrusted them with a message to the Pope, demanding 100 wise men of the West to teach the Mongolians the Christian religion and Western arts.

Beyond this limit anyone is at liberty to sport, if he be a gentleman.

The great khan, however, scarcely ever went hunting in this direction, and hence the game had increased and multiplied to such an extent, particularly the hares, that all the crops of the province were destroyed.

The great khan, being informed of this, proceeded thither with all his court, and the game that was taken was past counting.

Tayanfu is a place of great trade and great industry for here they manufacture a large quantity of the most necessary equipments for the army of the emperor there grow here many excellent vines supplying great plenty of wine and in all Cathay this is the only place where wine is produced it is carried hence all over the country there is also a great deal of silk here for the people have great quantities of mulberry trees and silkworms from this city of Tayanfu you ride westward again for seven days through fine districts with plenty of towns and boroughs all enjoying much trade and practising various kinds of industry out of these districts go forth not a few great merchants who travel to India and other foreign regions buying and selling and getting gain after those seven days' journey you arrive at a city called Pianfu a large and important place with a number of traders living by commerce and industry it is a place too where silk is largely produced so we will leave it and tell you of a great city called Kachanfu but stay first let us tell you about the noble castle called Keichu chapter thirty-eight concerning the castle of Keichu on leaving Pianfu you ride two days westward and come to the noble castle of Keichu which was built in time past by a king of that country whom they used to call the Golden King and who had there a great and beautiful palace there is a great hall of this palace in which are portrayed all the ancient kings of the country done in gold and other fine colours and a very fine sight they make each king in succession as he reigned added to those pictures this Golden King was a great and potent prince and during his stay at this place there used to be in his service none but beautiful girls of whom he had a great number in his court when he went to take the air about the fortress these girls used to draw him about in a little carriage which they could easily move and they would also be in attendance on the king for everything pertaining to his convenience or pleasure now I will tell you a pretty passage that befell between this Golden King and Prester John as it was related by the people of the castle it came to pass as they told the tale that this Golden King was at war with Prester John and the king held a position so strong that Prester John was not able to get at him or to do him any scath wherefore he was in great wrath so seventeen gallants belonging to Prester John's court came to him in a body and said that an he would they were ready to bring him the Golden King alive his answer was that he desired nothing better and would be much bounded to them if they would do so so when they had taken leave of their lord and master Prester John they set off together this goodly company of gallants and went to the Golden King and presented themselves before him saying that they had come from foreign parts to enter his service and he answered by telling them that they were right welcome and that he was glad to have their service never imagining that they had any ill intent and so these mischievous squires took service with the Golden King and served him so well that he grew to love them dearly and when they had abode with that king nearly two years conducting themselves like persons who thought of anything but treason they one day accompanied the king on a pleasure party when he had very few else along with him for in those gallants the king had perfect trust and thus kept them immediately about his person so after they had crossed a certain river that is about a mile from the castle and saw that they were alone with the king they said one to another that now was the time to achieve that they had come for then they all incontinently drew and told the king that he must go with them and make no resistance or they would slay him the king at this was in alarm and great astonishment and said how then good my sons what thing is this ye say and whither would you have me go they answered and said you shall come with us will you nil you to Prester John our lord end of section one section two of the book of Sir Marco Polo the Venetian concerning the kingdoms and marvels of the east volume two this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Anna Simon the book of Sir Marco Polo the Venetian concerning the kingdoms and marvels of the east volume two by Ricicello da Pisa translated by Henry Yule book second part two chapters thirty-nine to forty-four chapter thirty-nine how Prester John treated the Golden King his prisoner and on this the Golden King was so sorely grieved that he was like to die and he said to them good my sons for God's sake have pity and compassion upon me

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And when you have travelled those eight days' journey, you come to that great city which I mentioned, called Kenjanfu.

A very great and fine city it is, and the capital of the kingdom of Kenjanfu, which at all times was a noble, rich, and powerful realm, and had many great and wealthy and puissant kings.

But now the king thereof is a prince called Mangalai, the son of the great Khan, who hath given him this realm and crowned him king thereof.