red and praised for many years; and whosoever disobeyeth, shall he put
to death, and all his goods confiscated." Besides this preamble, they
farther commanded, that all due honour should be shown to the three
ambassadors of the khan, and service performed to them in all the countries
and districts subject to his authority, as to himself in person; that all
necessary relays of horses and escorts, and their expences, and every thing
needful should be supplied to them freely and gratuitously. All this was
duly executed, so that sometimes they had 200 horse for their safeguard.
During their journey, they were informed that the great emperor of the
Tartars, Kublai-khan was dead, by which they considered themselves absolved
from all obligations of the promise they had made to return to his court.
They continued their journey to Trebisond, on the south side of the Euxine;
whence they proceeded by the way of Constantinople and Negropont to Venice,
where they arrived in safety, and with great riches, in the year 1295.

On their arrival at their own house, in the street of St Chrysostom in
Venice, they found themselves entirely forgotten by all their old
acquaintances and countrymen, and even their relations were unable to
recognize them, owing to their long absence, now thirty-five years from
setting, out on their first journey into the east; besides being much
altered by age they had become altogether resembling Tartars in their
speech, dress and manners, and were obliged to use some extraordinary
expedients to satisfy their family and countrymen of their identity, and to
recover the respect which was their due, by a public acknowledgment of
their name, family, and rank. For this purpose, they invited all their
relations arid connections to a magnificent entertainment, at which all the
three travellers made their appearance in rich eastern habits of crimson
satin. After the guests were seated, and before the Polos sat down, they
put off their upper garments which they gave to the attendants, appearing
still magnificently dressed in habits of crimson damask. These they threw
off at the appearance of the last course or service of the entertainment,
and bestowed likewise on the attendants; while they themselves still
appeared clad in magnificent dresses of crimson velvet. When dinner was
over, and all the servants had withdrawn, Marco Polo produced to the
company the coats of Tartarian cloth or felt, which he, and his father and
unc