And
marvel not that the Saracens hate the Christians; for the accursed law
that Mahommet gave them commands them to do all the mischief in their
power to all other descriptions of people, and especially to Christians;
to strip such of their goods, and do them all manner of evil, because they
belong not to their law. See then what an evil law and what naughty
commandments they have! But in such fashion the Saracens act, throughout
the world.
Now I have told you something of Baudas. I could easily indeed have told
you first of the affairs and the customs of the people there. But it would
be too long a business, looking to the great and strange things that I
have got to tell you, as you will find detailed in this Book.
So now I will tell you of the noble city of Tauris.
NOTE 1. - We may remember that at a date only three years before Marco
related this story (viz. in 1295), the cottage of Loreto is asserted to
have changed its locality for the third and last time by moving to the
site which it now occupies.
Some of the old Latin copies place the scene at Tauris. And I observe that
a missionary of the 16th century does the same.
