The Travels of Marco Polo (Pt. 3)

When they had travelled, I know not how many days, the Tata Baron fell sick, so that he could not ride, and being very ill and unable to proceed further, he halted at a certain city. So the two brothers judged it best that they should leave him behind and proceed to carry out their commission, and as he was well content that they should do so, they continued their journey. And I can assure you that whithersoever they went, they were honourably provided with whatever they stood in need of, or chose to command, and this was owing to that tablet of authority from the Lord which they carried with them. So they travelled on and on until they arrived at Laos in Hermenia, a journey which occupied them, I assure you, for three years. It took them so long because they could not always proceed, being stopped sometimes by snow, or by heavy rains falling, or by great torrents which they found in an impassable state. They departed from Laos and came to Acre, arriving there in the month of April, in the year of Christ, 1269. And then they learned that the Pope was dead. And when they found that the Pope was dead, they went to a certain wise churchman, who was legate for the whole kingdom of Egypt, and a man of great authority, by name of Theobald of Piacenza, and told him of the mission on which they were come. When the legate heard their story, he was greatly surprised, and deemed the thing to be of great honour and advantage for the whole of Christendom. So his answer to the two ambassador brothers was this, Gentlemen, ye see that the Pope is dead. Wherefore, ye must needs have patience until a new Pope be made, and then shall ye be able to execute your charge. Seeing well enough that what the legate said was just, they observed, but while the Pope is a making, we may as well go to Venice and visit our households. So they departed from Acre and went to Negroponte, and from Negroponte, they continued their journey to Venice. On their arrival there, Messer Nicholas found that his wife was dead, and that she had left behind her a son of 15 years of age, whose name was Marco. And tis of him that this book tells. The two brothers abode at Venice a couple of years, tarrying until a Pope should be made. When the two brothers had tarried as long as I have told you, and saw that never a Pope was made, they said that their return to the Great Khan must be put off no longer. So they set out from Venice, taking Mark along with them, and went straight back to Acre, where they found the legate of whom we have spoken. They had a good deal of discourse with him concerning the matter, and asked his permission to go to Jerusalem to get some oil from the lamp on the sepulchre, to carry with them to the Great Khan as he had enjoined. The legate giving them leave, they went from Acre to Jerusalem and got some of the oil, and then returned to Acre and went to the legate, and said to him, As we see no sign of a Pope being made, we desire to return to the Great Khan, for we have already tarried long, and there has been more than enough delay. To which the legate replied, Since tis your wish to go back, I am well content. Wherefore he caused letters to be written for delivery to the Great Khan, bearing testimony that the two brothers had come in all good faith to accomplish his charge, but that, as there was no Pope, they had been unable to do so.