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Marco Polo, Rustichello of Pisa - The Travels of Marco Polo, 1
Marsden justly notes that Marco habitually speaks of Latins, never of Franks. Yet I
suspect his own mental expression was Farangi.
CHAPTER IV. HOW THE TWO BROTHERS TOOK THE ENVOYS' COUNSEL, AND WENT
TO THE COURT OF THE GREAT KAAN.
So when the Two Brothers had made their arrangements, they set out on their travels, in company with
the Envoys, and journeyed for a whole year, going northward and north-eastward, before they reached
the Court of that Prince. And on their journey they saw many marvels of divers and sundry kinds, but of
these we shall say nothing at present, because Messer Mark, who has likewise seen them all, will give
you a full account of them in the Book which follows.
CHAPTER V. HOW THE TWO BROTHERS ARRIVED AT THE COURT OF THE GREAT
KAAN.
When the Two Brothers got to the Great Kaan, he received them with great honour and hospitality, and
showed much pleasure at their visit, asking them a great number of questions. First, he asked about the
emperors, how they maintained their dignity, and administered justice in their dominions; and how they
went forth to battle, and so forth. And then he asked the like questions about the kings and princes and
other potentates.
CHAPTER VI. HOW THE GREAT KAAN ASKED ALL ABOUT THE MANNERS OF THE
CHRISTIANS, AND PARTICULARLY ABOUT THE POPE OF ROME.
And then he inquired about the Pope and the Church, and about all that is done at Rome, and all the
customs of the Latins. And the Two Brothers told him the truth in all its particulars, with order and good
sense, like sensible men as they were; and this they were able to do as they knew the Tartar language
well.[NOTE 1]
NOTE 1. - The word generally used for Pope in the original is Apostoille (Apostolicus),
the usual French expression of that age.
It is remarkable that for the most part the text edited by Pauthier has the correcter Oriental form
Tatar, instead of the usual Tartar. Tattar is the word used by Yvo of Narbonne, in the
curious letter given by Matthew Paris under 1243.
We are often told that Tartar is a vulgar European error. It is in any case a very old one; nor does
it seem to be of European origin, but rather Armenian;[1] though the suggestion of Tartarus may have
given it readier currency in Europe. Russian writers, or rather writers who have been in Russia,
sometimes try to force on us a specific limitation of the word Tartar to a certain class of Oriental
Turkish race, to whom the Russians appropriate the name. But there is no just ground for this.
Tatar is used by Oriental writers of Polo's age exactly as Tartar was then, and is still, used in Western
Europe, as a generic title for the Turanian hosts who followed Chinghiz and his successors. But I believe
the name in this sense was unknown to Western Asia before the time of Chinghiz. And General
Cunningham must overlook this when he connects the Tatariya coins, mentioned by Arab
geographers of the 9th century, with "the Scythic or Tatar princes who ruled in Kabul" in the beginning
of our era. Tartars on the Indian frontier in those centuries are surely to be classed with the Frenchmen
whom Brennus led to Rome, or the Scotchmen who fought against Agricola.
[1] See J. As. ser. V. tom. xi. p. 203.
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