275, ccxlv.)
Many strange sayings have been unduly ascribed to our traveller, but I
remember none stranger than this by Colonel Tod: "Marco Polo calls
Cashgar, where he was in the 6th century, the birthplace of the Swedes"!
(Rajasthan, I. 60.) Petis de la Croix and Tod between them are
answerable for this nonsense. (See The Hist. of Genghizcan the Great, p.
116.)
On cotton, see ch. xxxvi. - On Nestorians, see Kanchau.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
OF THE GREAT CITY OF SAMARCAN.
Samarcan is a great and noble city towards the north-west, inhabited by
both Christians and Saracens, who are subject to the Great Kaan's nephew,
CAIDOU by name; he is, however, at bitter enmity with the Kaan.[NOTE 1]
I will tell you of a great marvel that happened at this city.
[Illustration: View of Samarcand. (From a sketch by Mr. Ivanoff.)
"Samarcan est une grandisme cite et noble."]
It is not a great while ago that SIGATAY, own brother to the Great Kaan,
who was Lord of this country and of many an one besides, became a
Christian.[NOTE 2] The Christians rejoiced greatly at this, and they built
a great church in the city, in honour of John the Baptist; and by his name
the church was called. And they took a very fine stone which belonged to
the Saracens, and placed it as the pedestal of a column in the middle of
the church, supporting the roof. It came to pass, however, that Sigatay
died. Now the Saracens were full of rancour about that stone that had been
theirs, and which had been set up in the church of the Christians; and
when they saw that the Prince was dead, they said one to another that now
was the time to get back their stone, by fair means or by foul. And that
they might well do, for they were ten times as many as the Christians. So
they gat together and went to the church and said that the stone they must
and would have. The Christians acknowledged that it was theirs indeed, but
offered to pay a large sum of money and so be quit. Howbeit, the others
replied that they never would give up the stone for anything in the world.
And words ran so high that the Prince heard thereof, and ordered the
Christians either to arrange to satisfy the Saracens, if it might be, with
money, or to give up the stone. And he allowed them three days to do
either the one thing or the other.
What shall I tell you? Well, the Saracens would on no account agree to
leave the stone where it was, and this out of pure despite to the
Christians, for they knew well enough that if the stone were stirred the
church would come down by the run. So the Christians were in great trouble
and wist not what to do. But they did do the best thing possible; they
besought Jesus Christ that he would consider their case, so that the holy
church should not come to destruction, nor the name of its Patron Saint,
John the Baptist, be tarnished by its ruin. And so when the day fixed by
the Prince came round, they went to the church betimes in the morning, and
lo, they found the stone removed from under the column; the foot of the
column was without support, and yet it bore the load as stoutly as before!
Between the foot of the column and the ground there was a space of three
palms. So the Saracens had away their stone, and mighty little joy withal.
It was a glorious miracle, nay, it is so, for the column still so
standeth, and will stand as long as God pleaseth.[NOTE 3]
Now let us quit this and continue our journey.
NOTE 1. - Of Kaidu, Kublai Kaan's kinsman and rival, and their long wars,
we shall have to speak later. He had at this time a kind of joint
occupancy of SAMARKAND and Bokhara with the Khans of Chagatai, his
cousins.
[On Samarkand generally see: Samarqand, by W. Radloff, translated into
French by L. Leger, Rec. d'Itin. dans l'Asie Centrale, Ecole des Langues
Orient., Paris, 1878, p. 284 et seq.; A travers le royaume de Tamerlan
(Asie Centrale) ... par Guillaume Capus ... Paris, 1892, 8vo. - H. C.]
Marco evidently never was at Samarkand, though doubtless it was visited by
his Father and Uncle on their first journey, when we know they were long
at Bokhara. Having, therefore, little to say descriptive of a city he had
not seen, he tells us a story: -
"So geographers, in Afric maps,
With savage pictures fill their gaps,
And o'er unhabitable downs
Place elephants for want of towns."
As regards the Christians of Samarkand who figure in the preceding story,
we may note that the city had been one of the Metropolitan Sees of the
Nestorian Church since the beginning of the 8th century, and had been a
bishopric perhaps two centuries earlier. Prince Sempad, High Constable of
Armenia, in a letter written from Samarkand in 1246 or 1247, mentions
several circumstances illustrative of the state of things indicated in
this story: "I tell you that we have found many Christians scattered all
over the East, and many fine churches, lofty, ancient, and of good
architecture, which have been spoiled by the Turks. Hence, the Christians
of this country came to the presence of the reigning Kaan's grandfather
(i.e. Chinghiz); he received them most honourably, and granted them
liberty of worship, and issued orders to prevent their having any just
cause of complaint by word or deed. And so the Saracens, who used to
treat them with contempt, have now the like treatment in double measure."
Shortly after Marco's time, viz. in 1328, Thomas of Mancasola, a
Dominican, who had come from Samarkand with a Mission to the Pope (John
XXII.) from Ilchigadai, Khan of Chagatai, was appointed Latin Bishop of
that city.