of worship with grand
illuminations and quantities of incense of a variety of odours, which they
make up from different aromatic spices. And then they cook the meat, and
set it before the idols, and sprinkle the broth hither and thither, saying
that in this way the idols get their bellyful. Thus it is that they keep
their festivals. You must know that each of the idols has a name of his
own, and a feast-day, just as our Saints have their anniversaries.[NOTE
12]

They have also immense Minsters and Abbeys, some of them as big as a small
town, with more than two thousand monks (i.e. after their fashion) in a
single abbey.[NOTE 13] These monks dress more decently than the rest of
the people, and have the head and beard shaven. There are some among these
_Bacsi_ who are allowed by their rule to take wives, and who have plenty
of children.[NOTE 14]

Then there is another kind of devotees called SENSIN, who are men of
extraordinary abstinence after their fashion, and lead a life of such
hardship as I will describe. All their life long they eat nothing but
bran,[NOTE 15] which they take mixt with hot water. That is their food:
bran, and nothing but bran; and water for their drink. 'Tis a lifelong
fast! so that I may well say their life is one of extraordinary
asceticism. They have great idols, and plenty of them; but they sometimes
also worship fire. The other Idolaters who are not of this sect call these
people heretics--_Patarins_ as we should say[NOTE 16]--because they do not
worship their idols in their own fashion. Those of whom I am speaking
would not take a wife on any consideration.[NOTE 17] They wear dresses of
hempen stuff, black and blue,[NOTE 18] and sleep upon mats; in fact their
asceticism is something astonishing. Their idols are all feminine, that is
to say, they have women's names.[NOTE 19]

Now let us have done with this subject, and let me tell you of the great
state and wonderful magnificence of the Great Lord of Lords; I mean that
great Prince who is the Sovereign of the Tartars, CUBLAY by name, that
most noble and puissant Lord.

NOTE 1.--[There were two roads to go from Peking to Shangtu: the eastern
road through Tu-shi-k'ow, and the western (used for the return journey)
road by Ye-hu ling. Polo took this last road, which ran from Peking to
Siuen-te chau through the same places as now; but from the latter town it
led, not to Kalgan as it does now, but more to the west, to a place called
now Shan-f