[Sidenote: 1271-95.]
Persia is a great country, which was in old times very illustrious
and powerful; but now the Tartars have wasted and destroyed it. In
Persia is the city of Saba, from which the three magi set out, when
they went to worship Jesus Christ; and in this city they are buried,
in three very large and beautiful monuments, side by side. And above
them there is a square building carefully kept. The bodies are still
entire, with the hair and beard remaining. One of these was called
Jasper, the second Melchoir, and the third Balthasar. Messer Marco
Polo asked a great many questions of the people of that city as to
those three magi; but never one could he find that knew aught of the
matter, except that these were three kings, who were buried there
in days of old. However, at a place three days’ journey distant,
he heard of what I am going to tell you. He found a village there
which goes by the name of Cala Ataperistan, which is as much as to
say, “The Castle of the Fire-worshippers”; and the name is rightly
applied, for the people there do worship fire, and I will tell you
why. They relate that, in old times, three kings of that country went
away to worship a prophet that was born; and they carried with them
three manner of offerings,--gold and frankincense and myrrh,--in
order to ascertain whether that prophet were God or an earthly king
or a physician. “For,” said they, “if he take the gold, then he is
an earthly king; if he take the incense, he is God; if he take the
myrrh, he is a physician.” So it came to pass, when they had come to
the place where the Child was born, the youngest of the three kings
went in first, and found the Child apparently just of his own age; so
he went forth again, marvelling greatly. The middle one entered next,
and, like the first, he found the Child seemingly of his own age; so
he also went forth again, and marvelled greatly. Lastly, the eldest
went in, and as it had befallen the other two, so it befel him; and
he went forth very pensive.
And when the three had rejoined one another, each told what he had
seen; and then they all marvelled the more. So they all agreed to go
in all three together; and on doing so, they beheld the Child with
the appearance of its actual age,--to wit, some thirteen days. Then
they adored, and presented their gold and incense and myrrh; and the
Child took all the three offerings, and then gave them a small closed
box: whereupon the kings departed to return into their own land.
And when they had ridden many days they said they would see what the
Child had given them. So they opened the little box; and inside it
they found a stone. On seeing this they began to wonder what this
might be that the Child had given them, and what was the import
thereof. Now the signification was this: when they presented their
offerings, the Child accepted all three; and when they saw that, they
had said within themselves that he was the True God, and the True
King, and the True Physician. And what the gift of the stone implied
was that this Faith which had begun in them should abide firm as a
rock. For he well knew what was in their thoughts. Howbeit they had
no understanding at all of this signification of the gift of the
stone, so they cast it into a well. Then straightway a fire from
heaven descended into that well wherein the stone had been cast. And
when the Three Kings beheld this marvel they were sore amazed, and
it greatly repented them that they had cast away the stone; for well
they then perceived that it had a great and holy meaning. So they
took of that fire, and carried it into their own country, and placed
it in a rich and beautiful church. And there the people keep it
continually burning, and worship it as a god; and all the sacrifices
they offer are kindled with that fire. And if ever the fire becomes
extinct they go to other cities round about, where the same faith is
held, and obtain of that fire from them, and carry it to the church.
And this is the reason why the people of this country worship fire.
They will often go ten days’ journey to get of that fire.
The children were highly edified by finding this echo of the story
of the wise men of the Bible, brought from the East, and asked Uncle
Fritz if they might believe it, ever so little. He told them that, till
Mahomet’s time, all these countries were more or less under the rule
of Christian faith, though it were but limp faith, and stupid. It
was quite possible that Messer Marco Polo might have found some legends
there which he repeated here.
[Illustration: MARCO POLO]
“But I think,” said Uncle Fritz, “that if you are going to dip, before
reading, you had better begin on Cublay Khan himself.”
“Cublay Khan!” cried Fergus. “Are we to hear about Cublay Khan?”
“Why, what do you know about Cublay Khan?” cried Mary Long.
“Do you not remember,--‘Mustapha, Rubadub, Cublay Khan’?”
“I do not think you say it right. But hush! Horace is going to begin.”