August 30, 2025 • 18 mins
18 - The Book of Ser Marco Polo, Volume 2.
18 - Book Fourth, Chapters 01 to 12. Concerning Great Turkey. Of certain battles that were fought by King Caidu. Of the exploits of king Caidu's valiant daughter. How Abaga sent his son Argon in command against king Caidu. How Argon after the battle heard that his father was dead. Of the battle between Argon and Acomat.
18 - Book Fourth, Chapters 01 to 12. Concerning Great Turkey. Of certain battles that were fought by King Caidu. Of the exploits of king Caidu's valiant daughter. How Abaga sent his son Argon in command against king Caidu. How Argon after the battle heard that his father was dead. Of the battle between Argon and Acomat.
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Section eighteen 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 dot org. Recording by Will Staunton in Toronto, Canada.
(00:20):
The Book of Sir Marco Polo, the Venetian concerning the
Kingdoms and Marvels of the East, Volume two by Rousticchello
da Pisa, translated by Henry Yule, Book fourth Chapters one
to twelve, Chapter one concerning Great Turkey. Note A considerable
number of the Quasa historical chapters in this section, which
(00:42):
I have followed M. Pothier in making into a fourth book,
are the merest verbiage and repetition of narrative formulae without
the slightest value. I have therefore thought it undesirable to
print all at length, and have given merely the gist
or an extract of such chapters. They will be found
in English in H. Murray's and Writes editions, and in
the original frame. In the addition of the associateated geography
(01:02):
in Bartoli and in Pothier. In Great Turkey, there is
a king called Kaidu, who is the Great Khan's nephew,
for he was the grandson of Shagatai, the Great Khan's
own brother. He hath many cities and castles, and is
a great prince. He and his people are tartars alike,
and they are good soldiers, for they are constantly engaged
(01:23):
in war. Now, this king, Khaidu, is never at peace
with his uncle, the Great Khan, but ever at deadly
war with him, and he hath fought great battles with
the Khan's armies. The quarrel between them arose out of
this that Kaidu demanded from the Great Khan the share
of his father's conquest that of right belonged to him,
and in particular he demanded a share of the provinces
(01:44):
of Kathay and Manzi. The Great Khan replied that he
was willing enough to give him a share such as
he gave to his own sons, but that he must
first come on summons to the council at the khans
court and present himself as one of the Khan's liegemen. Kaidu,
who did not trust. His uncle very far declined to come,
but said that where he was he would hold himself
(02:05):
ready to obey all the Khan's commands. In truth, as
he had several times been in revolt, he dreaded that
the Khan might take the opportunity to destroy him. So
out of this quarrel between them there arose a great war,
and several great battles were fought by the host of
Kaidu against the host of the Great Khan. His uncle
and the Great Khan from year's end to year's end,
(02:25):
keeps an army watching all Kaidu's frontier, lest he should
make forays on his dominions. He none the less will
never cease his aggressions on the Great Khan's territory, and
maintains a bold face to his enemies. Indeed, he is
so potent that he can well do so, for he
can take the field with one hundred thousand horse, all
stout soldiers and inured to war. He has also with
(02:48):
him several barons of the Imperial lineage, i e. Of
the family of Chingas Khan, who was the first of
their lords and conquered a great part of the world.
As I have told you, more particularly in a former
part of this book. Now you must know that Great
Turkey lies toward the northwest when you travel from Hormos.
(03:09):
It begins on the furthest bank of the River Jhan
and extends northward to the territory of the Great Khan.
Now I shall tell you of sundry battles that the
troops of Kaidu fought with the armies of the Great Khan.
Chapter two, of certain battles that were fought by King
Kaidu against the armies of his uncle, the Great Khan.
(03:31):
Now it came to pass in the year of Christ's
incarnation one thousand, two hundred sixty six, that this King
Kaidu and another prince called Yesudar, who was his cousin,
assembled a great force and made an expedition to attack
two of the Great Khan's barons, who held lands under
the Great Khan, but were Kaidu's own kinsmen, for they
were sons of Chagatai, who was a baptized Christian and
(03:53):
own brother to the Great Khan. One of them was
called Shibai and the other Shiban. Kaidu, with all his
host amounting to sixty thousand horse, engaged the Khan's two barons,
those cousins of his, who also had a great force,
amounting to more than sixty thousand horsemen, and there was
a great battle. In the end the barons were beaten
(04:15):
and Kaidu and his people won the day. Great numbers
were slain on both sides, but the two brother barons
escaped thanks to their good horses. So King Kaidu returned home,
swelling the moor with pride and arrogance, and for the
next two years he remained at peace and made no
further war against the Khan. However, at the end of
those two years, King Kaidu assembled an army composed of
(04:35):
a vast force of horsemen. He knew that at Kara
Koran was the Great Khan's son, Nomogan, and with him George,
the grandson of Prester John. These two princes had also
a great force of cavalry, and when King Kaidu was ready,
he set forth and crossed the frontier. After marching rapidly
without any adventure, he got near Kara Karan, where the
(04:58):
Khan's son and the young or Prester John were awaiting
him with their great army. For they were well aware
of Kaidu's advance in force, they made them ready for
battle like valiant men, and all undismayed, seeing that they
had more than sixty thousand well appointed horsemen. And when
they heard Kaidu was so near, that they went forth
valiantly to meet him. When they got within some ten
(05:20):
miles of him, they pitched their tents and got ready
for battle. And the enemy, who were about to equal
in numbers, did the same, each side, forming in six
columns of ten thousand men with good captains. Both sides
were well equipped with swords and maces and shields, with
bows and arrows and other arms after their fashion. You
must know that the practice of the Tartars going to
(05:40):
battle is to take each a bow and sixty arrows.
Of these, thirty are light, with small sharp points for
long shots and following up an enemy, whilst the other
thirty are heavy with large broad heads, which they shoot
at close quarters, and with which they inflict great gashes
on face and arms, and cut the enemy's bow strings
and commit great havoc. This everyone is ordered to attend to.
(06:03):
And when they have shot away their arrows, they take
to their swords in maces and lances, which also they
ply stoutly, so when both sides were ready for action,
for the nakaras began to sound loudly, one on either side,
for tis their custom never to join battle till the
great nakarah is beaten. And when the nakaras sounded, then
(06:24):
the battle began in fierce and deadly style, and furiously
the one host dashed to meet the other. So many
fell on either side, that in an evil hour for
both it was begun. The earth was thickly strown with
the wounded and the slain men and horses, whilst the
uproar and din of battle was so loud you would
not have heard God's thunder. Truly, King Kaidu himself did
(06:45):
many a deed of prowess that strengthened the hearts of
his people. Nor less on the other side did the
Great Khan's son and Prester John's grandson. For well, they
proved their valor in the medley, and did astonishing feats
of arms, leading their troops with right good judgment. And
what shall I tell you? The battle lasted so long
that it was one of the hardest the Tartars ever fought.
(07:06):
Either side strove hard to bring the matter to a
point and rout the enemy, but to no avail. And
so the battle went on till vesper tide, and without victory.
On either side. Many a man fell there, many a
child was made an orphan. There many a lady widowed,
and many another woman plunged in grief and tears for
the rest of her days. I mean the mothers and
the rains of those who fell. So when they had
(07:29):
fought till the sun was low, they left off and
retired each side to its tents. Those who were unhurt
were so dead tired that they were like to drop,
and the wounded, who were many on both sides, were
moaning in their various degrees of pain. But all were
more fit for rest than fighting, so gladly they took
their repose that night, and when morning approached, King Khaidu,
(07:49):
who had news from his scouts that the Great Khan
was sending a great army to reinforce his son, judged
that it was time to be off. So he called
his host to saddle and mounted his horse at dawn,
and away they set on their return to their own country.
And when the Great Khan's son and the grandson of
Prester John, saw that King Kaidu had retired with all
his host, they let him go unpursued, for they were
(08:11):
themselves sorely fatigued and needed rest. So King Kaidu and
his host rode and rode till they came to their
own realm of Great Turkey, and to Samarkand, And there
they abode a long while without again making war. Chapter three.
What the Great Khan said to the mischief done by
Kaidu his nephew, that were Kaidu not of his own
(08:33):
imperial blood, he would make an utter end of him,
et cetera. Chapter four of the Exploits of King Kaidu's
Valiant Daughter. Now you must know that King Kaidu had
a daughter whose name was Ayaruk, which in the Tartar
is as much as to say the bright moon. This
damsel was very beautiful, but also so strong and brave
(08:54):
that in all her father's realm there was no man
who could outdo her in feats of strength. In all trials,
she showed greater strength than any man of them. Her
father often desired to give her in marriage, but she
would none of it. She vowed she would never marry
till she found a man who could vanquish her in
every trial him, she would wed, and none else. And
when her father saw how resolute she was, he gave
(09:15):
a formal consent in their fashion, that she should marry
whom she list. And when she list, the lady was
so tall and muscular, so stout and shapely withal, that
she was almost like a giantess. She had distributed her
challenges over all the kingdoms, declaring that whosoever should come
to try a fall with her, it should be on
these conditions, viz. That if she vanquished him, she should
(09:37):
win from him one hundred horses, and if he vanquished her,
he should win her to wife. Hence, many a noble
youth had come to try his strength against her, but
she beat them all, and in this way she had
won more than ten thousand horses. Now it came to
pass in the year of Christ twelve eighty that there
presented himself a noble, young gallant, the son of a
(09:58):
rich and poissant king, a man prowess and violence and
great strength of body, who had heard word of the
damsel's challenge, and came to match himself against her in
the hope of vanquishing her and winning her to wife
that he greatly desired, for the young lady was passing fair.
He too was young and handsome, fearless, and strong in
every way, insomuch that not a man in all his
(10:19):
father's realm could vie with him. So he came full
confidently and brought with him one thousand horses to be
forfeited if she should vanquish him. Thus she might gain
one thousand horses at a single stroke. But the young
gallant had such confidence in his own strength that he
counted securely to win her. Now ye must know that
King Kaidu and the Queen his wife, the mother of
(10:41):
the stout Damsel, did privily beseech their daughter to let
herself be vanquished, for they greatly desired this prince for
their daughter, seeing what a noble youth he was, and
the son of a great king. But the damsel answered
that never would she let herself be vanquished if she
could help it. If indeed he should get the better
of her, than she would gladly be his wife, according
to the wager, but not otherwise. So a day was
(11:03):
named for a great gathering at the palace of King Kaidu,
and the King and Queen were there, and when all
the company were assembled, for great numbers flocked to see
the match. The damosel first came forth in a straight
jerkin of Samot, and then came forth the young bachelor
in a jerkin of Sendaal, and a winsome sight they
were to see. When both had taken post in the
middle of the hall, they grappled each other by the arms,
(11:24):
and wrestled this way and that, but for a long
time neither could get the better of the other. At last, however,
it so befell that the damsel threw him right valiantly
on the palace pavement. And when he found himself thus
thrown and her standing over him, great indeed was his
shame and discomfiture. He gat him up straight away without more.
Ado departed with all his company, and returned to his father,
(11:47):
full of shame and vexation that he, who had never
yet found a man could stand before him, should have
been thus worsted by a girl and his one thousand
horses he left behind him. As to King I Do
and his wife, they were greatly annoyed, as I can
tell you, for if they had had their will, this
youth should have won their daughter and ye must know
(12:08):
that after this her father never went on a campaign,
but she went with him, and gladly he took her
for not a knight in all his train played such
feats of arms as she did. Sometimes she would quit
her father's side and make a dash at the host
of the enemy, and seize some man thereout as deftly
as a hawk pounces on a bird, and carry him
to her father. And this she did many a time.
(12:30):
Now I will leave this story and tell you of
a great battle that Kaidu fought with Argon, the son
of Abaga, lord of the Tartars of the Levant. Chapter five,
how Abaga sent his son Argon in command against King Kaidu. Abaga,
the Lord of the Levant, had many districts and provinces
bordering on King Kaidu's territories. These lay in the direction
(12:52):
of the Arbor Soul, which the Book of Alexander calls
the Arbor Sick, about which I have told you before.
And Abaga, to watch against forays by Kaidu's people, sent
his son Argon, with a great force of horsemen to
keep the marches between the Arbor Sakh and the River John.
So there tarried Argon with all his host. Now it
(13:13):
came to pass that King Kaidu assembled a great army
and made capture thereof a brother of his called Barak,
a brave and prudent man, and sent this host under
his brother to fight with Argon. Barak and his army
crossed the John or Oxus and are totally routed by Argon,
to whose history the traveler now turns chapter six. How Argon,
(13:39):
after the battle, heard that his father was dead and
went to assume the sovereignty as was his right. After
Argon had gained this battle over Kaidu's brother Barak and
his host, no long time passed before he had news
that his father, Abaga was dead. Whereat he was sorely grieved,
he made ready his army and set out for his
father's court to assume the sovereignty as was his right.
(14:01):
But he had a march of forty days to reach it.
Now it befell that an uncle of Argon's, whose name
was Accomat soldan, for he had become a saracen when
he heard of the death of his brother Aboga. Whilst
his nephew Argon was so far away, thought there was
a good chance for him to seize the government. So
he raised a great force and went straight to the
(14:21):
court of his late brother Aboga, and seized the sovereignty
and proclaimed himself king, and also got possession of the treasure,
which was of vast amount. All this, like a crafty knave,
he divided among the barons and the troops to secure
their hearts and favor to his cause. These barons and soldiers, accordingly,
when they saw what large spoil they had got from him,
were all ready to say he was the best of kings,
(14:44):
and were full of love for him, and declared they
would have no lord but him. But he did one
evil thing that was greatly reprobated by all, for he
took all the wives of his brother Aboga and kept
them for himself. Soon after he had seized the government,
word came to him and how Argon, his nephew, was
advancing with all his host Then he tarried not but
(15:04):
straightway summoned his barons and all his people, and in
a week had fitted out a great army of horse
to go meet Argon. And he went forth light of heart,
as being confident of victory, showing no dismay, and saying
on all occasions that he desired not so much as
to take Argon and put him to a cruel death.
Chapter seven, how Acomat Suldan set out with his host
(15:28):
against his nephew, who was coming to claim the throne
that belonged to him. Relates how Acomat marches with sixty
thousand horse, and, on hearing of the approach of Argon,
summons his chiefs together and addresses them. Chapter eight, how
Argon took counsel with his followers about attacking his uncle
Acomat's Souldan Argon, uneasy at hearing of Acomat's approach, calls
(15:52):
together his barons and counselors and addresses them. Chapter nine,
How the barons of Argon answered his address. An old baron,
as the spokesman of the rest, expresses their zeal and
advises immediate advance. On coming within ten miles of Acomat,
Argon encamps and sends two envoys to his uncle. Chapter ten.
(16:13):
The message sent by Argon to Acomat a remonstrance and
summons to surrender the throne. Chapter eleven, how Acamat replied
to Argon's message, And when Acamat Suldan had heard the
message of Argon his nephew, he thus replied, Sirs and envoys,
(16:33):
quoth he my nephew's words are vain, for the land
is mine, not his, and I help to conquer it
as much as his father did. So go and tell
my nephew that if he and I will make him
a great prince and give him ample lands, and he
shall be as my son and the greatest lord in
the land after myself. But if he will not, let
him be assured that I will do my best to
bring him to his death. That is my answer to
(16:56):
my nephew. And naught else of concession or covenant shall
you ever have from me. With that, Acomat ceased and
said no more. And when the envoys had heard the
soldan's words, they asked, again, is there no hope that
we shall find you in different mind? Never quoth he.
Never whilst I live, shall ye find my mind changed?
(17:18):
Argon's wrath at the reply, both sides prepare for battle.
Chapter twelve of the Battle between Argon and Acomat and
the Captivity of Argon, there is a prolix description of
a battle almost identical with those already given in chapter
two of this book and previously. It ends with the
(17:39):
rout of Argon's army and proceeds, and in the pursuit
Argon was taken. As soon as this happened, they gave
up the chase and returned to their camp full of
joy and exaltation. Acomat first caused his nephew to be
shackled and well guarded, and then, being a man of
great lechery, said to himself that he would go and
enjoy himself among the fair women of his court. He
(18:01):
left a great melk in command of his host, enjoining
him to guard argon like his own life, and to
follow to the court by short marches to spare the troops.
And so Acomat departed with a great following, and on
his way to the royal residence. Thus, then Acomat had
left his host in command of that melik whom I mentioned,
whilst Argonne remained in irons and in such bitterness of
(18:24):
heart that he desired to die. End of section eighteen.
Recording by Will Staunton in Toronto, Canada,
Section eighteen 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 dot org. Recording by Will Staunton in Toronto, Canada.
(00:20):
The Book of Sir Marco Polo, the Venetian concerning the
Kingdoms and Marvels of the East, Volume two by Rousticchello
da Pisa, translated by Henry Yule, Book fourth Chapters one
to twelve, Chapter one concerning Great Turkey. Note A considerable
number of the Quasa historical chapters in this section, which
(00:42):
I have followed M. Pothier in making into a fourth book,
are the merest verbiage and repetition of narrative formulae without
the slightest value. I have therefore thought it undesirable to
print all at length, and have given merely the gist
or an extract of such chapters. They will be found
in English in H. Murray's and Writes editions, and in
the original frame. In the addition of the associateated geography
(01:02):
in Bartoli and in Pothier. In Great Turkey, there is
a king called Kaidu, who is the Great Khan's nephew,
for he was the grandson of Shagatai, the Great Khan's
own brother. He hath many cities and castles, and is
a great prince. He and his people are tartars alike,
and they are good soldiers, for they are constantly engaged
(01:23):
in war. Now, this king, Khaidu, is never at peace
with his uncle, the Great Khan, but ever at deadly
war with him, and he hath fought great battles with
the Khan's armies. The quarrel between them arose out of
this that Kaidu demanded from the Great Khan the share
of his father's conquest that of right belonged to him,
and in particular he demanded a share of the provinces
(01:44):
of Kathay and Manzi. The Great Khan replied that he
was willing enough to give him a share such as
he gave to his own sons, but that he must
first come on summons to the council at the khans
court and present himself as one of the Khan's liegemen. Kaidu,
who did not trust. His uncle very far declined to come,
but said that where he was he would hold himself
(02:05):
ready to obey all the Khan's commands. In truth, as
he had several times been in revolt, he dreaded that
the Khan might take the opportunity to destroy him. So
out of this quarrel between them there arose a great war,
and several great battles were fought by the host of
Kaidu against the host of the Great Khan. His uncle
and the Great Khan from year's end to year's end,
(02:25):
keeps an army watching all Kaidu's frontier, lest he should
make forays on his dominions. He none the less will
never cease his aggressions on the Great Khan's territory, and
maintains a bold face to his enemies. Indeed, he is
so potent that he can well do so, for he
can take the field with one hundred thousand horse, all
stout soldiers and inured to war. He has also with
(02:48):
him several barons of the Imperial lineage, i e. Of
the family of Chingas Khan, who was the first of
their lords and conquered a great part of the world.
As I have told you, more particularly in a former
part of this book. Now you must know that Great
Turkey lies toward the northwest when you travel from Hormos.
(03:09):
It begins on the furthest bank of the River Jhan
and extends northward to the territory of the Great Khan.
Now I shall tell you of sundry battles that the
troops of Kaidu fought with the armies of the Great Khan.
Chapter two, of certain battles that were fought by King
Kaidu against the armies of his uncle, the Great Khan.
(03:31):
Now it came to pass in the year of Christ's
incarnation one thousand, two hundred sixty six, that this King
Kaidu and another prince called Yesudar, who was his cousin,
assembled a great force and made an expedition to attack
two of the Great Khan's barons, who held lands under
the Great Khan, but were Kaidu's own kinsmen, for they
were sons of Chagatai, who was a baptized Christian and
(03:53):
own brother to the Great Khan. One of them was
called Shibai and the other Shiban. Kaidu, with all his
host amounting to sixty thousand horse, engaged the Khan's two barons,
those cousins of his, who also had a great force,
amounting to more than sixty thousand horsemen, and there was
a great battle. In the end the barons were beaten
(04:15):
and Kaidu and his people won the day. Great numbers
were slain on both sides, but the two brother barons
escaped thanks to their good horses. So King Kaidu returned home,
swelling the moor with pride and arrogance, and for the
next two years he remained at peace and made no
further war against the Khan. However, at the end of
those two years, King Kaidu assembled an army composed of
(04:35):
a vast force of horsemen. He knew that at Kara
Koran was the Great Khan's son, Nomogan, and with him George,
the grandson of Prester John. These two princes had also
a great force of cavalry, and when King Kaidu was ready,
he set forth and crossed the frontier. After marching rapidly
without any adventure, he got near Kara Karan, where the
(04:58):
Khan's son and the young or Prester John were awaiting
him with their great army. For they were well aware
of Kaidu's advance in force, they made them ready for
battle like valiant men, and all undismayed, seeing that they
had more than sixty thousand well appointed horsemen. And when
they heard Kaidu was so near, that they went forth
valiantly to meet him. When they got within some ten
(05:20):
miles of him, they pitched their tents and got ready
for battle. And the enemy, who were about to equal
in numbers, did the same, each side, forming in six
columns of ten thousand men with good captains. Both sides
were well equipped with swords and maces and shields, with
bows and arrows and other arms after their fashion. You
must know that the practice of the Tartars going to
(05:40):
battle is to take each a bow and sixty arrows.
Of these, thirty are light, with small sharp points for
long shots and following up an enemy, whilst the other
thirty are heavy with large broad heads, which they shoot
at close quarters, and with which they inflict great gashes
on face and arms, and cut the enemy's bow strings
and commit great havoc. This everyone is ordered to attend to.
(06:03):
And when they have shot away their arrows, they take
to their swords in maces and lances, which also they
ply stoutly, so when both sides were ready for action,
for the nakaras began to sound loudly, one on either side,
for tis their custom never to join battle till the
great nakarah is beaten. And when the nakaras sounded, then
(06:24):
the battle began in fierce and deadly style, and furiously
the one host dashed to meet the other. So many
fell on either side, that in an evil hour for
both it was begun. The earth was thickly strown with
the wounded and the slain men and horses, whilst the
uproar and din of battle was so loud you would
not have heard God's thunder. Truly, King Kaidu himself did
(06:45):
many a deed of prowess that strengthened the hearts of
his people. Nor less on the other side did the
Great Khan's son and Prester John's grandson. For well, they
proved their valor in the medley, and did astonishing feats
of arms, leading their troops with right good judgment. And
what shall I tell you? The battle lasted so long
that it was one of the hardest the Tartars ever fought.
(07:06):
Either side strove hard to bring the matter to a
point and rout the enemy, but to no avail. And
so the battle went on till vesper tide, and without victory.
On either side. Many a man fell there, many a
child was made an orphan. There many a lady widowed,
and many another woman plunged in grief and tears for
the rest of her days. I mean the mothers and
the rains of those who fell. So when they had
(07:29):
fought till the sun was low, they left off and
retired each side to its tents. Those who were unhurt
were so dead tired that they were like to drop,
and the wounded, who were many on both sides, were
moaning in their various degrees of pain. But all were
more fit for rest than fighting, so gladly they took
their repose that night, and when morning approached, King Khaidu,
(07:49):
who had news from his scouts that the Great Khan
was sending a great army to reinforce his son, judged
that it was time to be off. So he called
his host to saddle and mounted his horse at dawn,
and away they set on their return to their own country.
And when the Great Khan's son and the grandson of
Prester John, saw that King Kaidu had retired with all
his host, they let him go unpursued, for they were
(08:11):
themselves sorely fatigued and needed rest. So King Kaidu and
his host rode and rode till they came to their
own realm of Great Turkey, and to Samarkand, And there
they abode a long while without again making war. Chapter three.
What the Great Khan said to the mischief done by
Kaidu his nephew, that were Kaidu not of his own
(08:33):
imperial blood, he would make an utter end of him,
et cetera. Chapter four of the Exploits of King Kaidu's
Valiant Daughter. Now you must know that King Kaidu had
a daughter whose name was Ayaruk, which in the Tartar
is as much as to say the bright moon. This
damsel was very beautiful, but also so strong and brave
(08:54):
that in all her father's realm there was no man
who could outdo her in feats of strength. In all trials,
she showed greater strength than any man of them. Her
father often desired to give her in marriage, but she
would none of it. She vowed she would never marry
till she found a man who could vanquish her in
every trial him, she would wed, and none else. And
when her father saw how resolute she was, he gave
(09:15):
a formal consent in their fashion, that she should marry
whom she list. And when she list, the lady was
so tall and muscular, so stout and shapely withal, that
she was almost like a giantess. She had distributed her
challenges over all the kingdoms, declaring that whosoever should come
to try a fall with her, it should be on
these conditions, viz. That if she vanquished him, she should
(09:37):
win from him one hundred horses, and if he vanquished her,
he should win her to wife. Hence, many a noble
youth had come to try his strength against her, but
she beat them all, and in this way she had
won more than ten thousand horses. Now it came to
pass in the year of Christ twelve eighty that there
presented himself a noble, young gallant, the son of a
(09:58):
rich and poissant king, a man prowess and violence and
great strength of body, who had heard word of the
damsel's challenge, and came to match himself against her in
the hope of vanquishing her and winning her to wife
that he greatly desired, for the young lady was passing fair.
He too was young and handsome, fearless, and strong in
every way, insomuch that not a man in all his
(10:19):
father's realm could vie with him. So he came full
confidently and brought with him one thousand horses to be
forfeited if she should vanquish him. Thus she might gain
one thousand horses at a single stroke. But the young
gallant had such confidence in his own strength that he
counted securely to win her. Now ye must know that
King Kaidu and the Queen his wife, the mother of
(10:41):
the stout Damsel, did privily beseech their daughter to let
herself be vanquished, for they greatly desired this prince for
their daughter, seeing what a noble youth he was, and
the son of a great king. But the damsel answered
that never would she let herself be vanquished if she
could help it. If indeed he should get the better
of her, than she would gladly be his wife, according
to the wager, but not otherwise. So a day was
(11:03):
named for a great gathering at the palace of King Kaidu,
and the King and Queen were there, and when all
the company were assembled, for great numbers flocked to see
the match. The damosel first came forth in a straight
jerkin of Samot, and then came forth the young bachelor
in a jerkin of Sendaal, and a winsome sight they
were to see. When both had taken post in the
middle of the hall, they grappled each other by the arms,
(11:24):
and wrestled this way and that, but for a long
time neither could get the better of the other. At last, however,
it so befell that the damsel threw him right valiantly
on the palace pavement. And when he found himself thus
thrown and her standing over him, great indeed was his
shame and discomfiture. He gat him up straight away without more.
Ado departed with all his company, and returned to his father,
(11:47):
full of shame and vexation that he, who had never
yet found a man could stand before him, should have
been thus worsted by a girl and his one thousand
horses he left behind him. As to King I Do
and his wife, they were greatly annoyed, as I can
tell you, for if they had had their will, this
youth should have won their daughter and ye must know
(12:08):
that after this her father never went on a campaign,
but she went with him, and gladly he took her
for not a knight in all his train played such
feats of arms as she did. Sometimes she would quit
her father's side and make a dash at the host
of the enemy, and seize some man thereout as deftly
as a hawk pounces on a bird, and carry him
to her father. And this she did many a time.
(12:30):
Now I will leave this story and tell you of
a great battle that Kaidu fought with Argon, the son
of Abaga, lord of the Tartars of the Levant. Chapter five,
how Abaga sent his son Argon in command against King Kaidu. Abaga,
the Lord of the Levant, had many districts and provinces
bordering on King Kaidu's territories. These lay in the direction
(12:52):
of the Arbor Soul, which the Book of Alexander calls
the Arbor Sick, about which I have told you before.
And Abaga, to watch against forays by Kaidu's people, sent
his son Argon, with a great force of horsemen to
keep the marches between the Arbor Sakh and the River John.
So there tarried Argon with all his host. Now it
(13:13):
came to pass that King Kaidu assembled a great army
and made capture thereof a brother of his called Barak,
a brave and prudent man, and sent this host under
his brother to fight with Argon. Barak and his army
crossed the John or Oxus and are totally routed by Argon,
to whose history the traveler now turns chapter six. How Argon,
(13:39):
after the battle, heard that his father was dead and
went to assume the sovereignty as was his right. After
Argon had gained this battle over Kaidu's brother Barak and
his host, no long time passed before he had news
that his father, Abaga was dead. Whereat he was sorely grieved,
he made ready his army and set out for his
father's court to assume the sovereignty as was his right.
(14:01):
But he had a march of forty days to reach it.
Now it befell that an uncle of Argon's, whose name
was Accomat soldan, for he had become a saracen when
he heard of the death of his brother Aboga. Whilst
his nephew Argon was so far away, thought there was
a good chance for him to seize the government. So
he raised a great force and went straight to the
(14:21):
court of his late brother Aboga, and seized the sovereignty
and proclaimed himself king, and also got possession of the treasure,
which was of vast amount. All this, like a crafty knave,
he divided among the barons and the troops to secure
their hearts and favor to his cause. These barons and soldiers, accordingly,
when they saw what large spoil they had got from him,
were all ready to say he was the best of kings,
(14:44):
and were full of love for him, and declared they
would have no lord but him. But he did one
evil thing that was greatly reprobated by all, for he
took all the wives of his brother Aboga and kept
them for himself. Soon after he had seized the government,
word came to him and how Argon, his nephew, was
advancing with all his host Then he tarried not but
(15:04):
straightway summoned his barons and all his people, and in
a week had fitted out a great army of horse
to go meet Argon. And he went forth light of heart,
as being confident of victory, showing no dismay, and saying
on all occasions that he desired not so much as
to take Argon and put him to a cruel death.
Chapter seven, how Acomat Suldan set out with his host
(15:28):
against his nephew, who was coming to claim the throne
that belonged to him. Relates how Acomat marches with sixty
thousand horse, and, on hearing of the approach of Argon,
summons his chiefs together and addresses them. Chapter eight, how
Argon took counsel with his followers about attacking his uncle
Acomat's Souldan Argon, uneasy at hearing of Acomat's approach, calls
(15:52):
together his barons and counselors and addresses them. Chapter nine,
How the barons of Argon answered his address. An old baron,
as the spokesman of the rest, expresses their zeal and
advises immediate advance. On coming within ten miles of Acomat,
Argon encamps and sends two envoys to his uncle. Chapter ten.
(16:13):
The message sent by Argon to Acomat a remonstrance and
summons to surrender the throne. Chapter eleven, how Acamat replied
to Argon's message, And when Acamat Suldan had heard the
message of Argon his nephew, he thus replied, Sirs and envoys,
(16:33):
quoth he my nephew's words are vain, for the land
is mine, not his, and I help to conquer it
as much as his father did. So go and tell
my nephew that if he and I will make him
a great prince and give him ample lands, and he
shall be as my son and the greatest lord in
the land after myself. But if he will not, let
him be assured that I will do my best to
bring him to his death. That is my answer to
(16:56):
my nephew. And naught else of concession or covenant shall
you ever have from me. With that, Acomat ceased and
said no more. And when the envoys had heard the
soldan's words, they asked, again, is there no hope that
we shall find you in different mind? Never quoth he.
Never whilst I live, shall ye find my mind changed?
(17:18):
Argon's wrath at the reply, both sides prepare for battle.
Chapter twelve of the Battle between Argon and Acomat and
the Captivity of Argon, there is a prolix description of
a battle almost identical with those already given in chapter
two of this book and previously. It ends with the
(17:39):
rout of Argon's army and proceeds, and in the pursuit
Argon was taken. As soon as this happened, they gave
up the chase and returned to their camp full of
joy and exaltation. Acomat first caused his nephew to be
shackled and well guarded, and then, being a man of
great lechery, said to himself that he would go and
enjoy himself among the fair women of his court. He
(18:01):
left a great melk in command of his host, enjoining
him to guard argon like his own life, and to
follow to the court by short marches to spare the troops.
And so Acomat departed with a great following, and on
his way to the royal residence. Thus, then Acomat had
left his host in command of that melik whom I mentioned,
whilst Argonne remained in irons and in such bitterness of
(18:24):
heart that he desired to die. End of section eighteen.
Recording by Will Staunton in Toronto, Canada,
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