This of course gave the others who stood by, and who had not been
admitted, the greatest desire to enter therein.
So when the Old Man would have any Prince slain, he would say to such a
youth: "Go thou and slay So and So; and when thou returnest my Angels
shall bear thee into Paradise. And shouldst thou die, natheless even so
will I send my Angels to carry thee back into Paradise." So he caused them
to believe; and thus there was no order of his that they would not affront
any peril to execute, for the great desire they had to get back into that
Paradise of his. And in this manner the Old One got his people to murder
any one whom he desired to get rid of. Thus, too, the great dread that he
inspired all Princes withal, made them become his tributaries in order
that he might abide at peace and amity with them.[NOTE 1]
I should also tell you that the Old Man had certain others under him, who
copied his proceedings and acted exactly in the same manner. One of these
was sent into the territory of Damascus, and the other into
Curdistan.[NOTE 2]
NOTE 1. - Romantic as this story is, it seems to be precisely the same that
was current over all the East. It is given by Odoric at length, more
briefly by a Chinese author, and again from an Arabic source by Hammer in
the Mines de l'Orient.
The following is the Chinese account as rendered by Remusat: "The soldiers
of this country (Mulahi) are veritable brigands. When they see a lusty
youth, they tempt him with the hope of gain, and bring him to such a point
that he will be ready to kill his father or his elder brother with his own
hand. After he is enlisted, they intoxicate him, and carry him in that
state into a secluded retreat, where he is charmed with delicious music
and beautiful women. All his desires are satisfied for several days, and
then (in sleep) he is transported back to his original position. When he
awakes, they ask what he has seen. He is then informed that if he will
become an Assassin, he will be rewarded with the same felicity. And with
the texts and prayers that they teach him they heat him to such a pitch
that whatever commission be given him he will brave death without regret
in order to execute it."
The Arabic narrative is too long to extract. It is from a kind of
historical romance called The Memoirs of Hakim, the date of which Hammer
unfortunately omits to give. Its close coincidence in substance with
Polo's story is quite remarkable. After a detailed description of the
Paradise, and the transfer into it of the aspirant under the influence of
bang, on his awaking and seeing his chief enter, he says, "O chief!
