6] When he beheld that
great heap of treasure he was astonished, and, summoning the Calif to his
presence, he said to him: "Calif, tell me now why thou hast gathered such
a huge treasure? What didst thou mean to do therewith? Knewest thou not
that I was thine enemy, and that I was coming against thee with so great
an host to cast thee forth of thine heritage? Wherefore didst thou not
take of thy gear and employ it in paying knights and soldiers to defend
thee and thy city?"
The Calif wist not what to answer, and said never a word. So the Prince
continued, "Now then, Calif, since I see what a love thou hast borne thy
treasure, I will e'en give it thee to eat!" So he shut the Calif up in the
Treasure Tower, and bade that neither meat nor drink should be given him,
saying, "Now, Calif, eat of thy treasure as much as thou wilt, since thou
art so fond of it; for never shalt thou have aught else to eat!"
So the Calif lingered in the tower four days, and then died like a dog.
Truly his treasure would have been of more service to him had he bestowed
it upon men who would have defended his kingdom and his people, rather
than let himself be taken and deposed and put to death as he was.[NOTE 7]
Howbeit, since that time, there has been never another Calif, either at
Baudas or anywhere else.[NOTE 8]
Now I will tell you of a great miracle that befell at Baudas, wrought by
God on behalf of the Christians.
NOTE 1. - This form of the Mediaeval Frank name of BAGHDAD, Baudas [the
Chinese traveller, Ch'ang Te, Si Shi Ki, XIII. cent., says, "the kingdom
of Bao-da," H. C.], is curiously like that used by the Chinese
historians, Paota (Pauthier; Gaubil), and both are probably due to the
Mongol habit of slurring gutturals. (See Prologue, ch. ii. note 3.)
[Baghdad was taken on the 5th of February, 1258, and the Khalif
surrendered to Hulaku on the 10th of February. - H. C.]
NOTE 2. - Polo is here either speaking without personal knowledge, or is so
brief as to convey an erroneous impression that the Tigris flows to Kisi,
whereas three-fourths of the length of the Persian Gulf intervene between
the river mouth and Kisi. The latter is the island and city of KISH or
KAIS, about 200 miles from the mouth of the Gulf, and for a long time one
of the chief ports of trade with India and the East. The island, the
Cataea of Arrian, now called Ghes or Kenn, is singular among the islands
of the Gulf as being wooded and well supplied with fresh water.
