CHAPTER X.

HOW THE TWO BROTHERS AGAIN DEPARTED FROM VENICE, ON THEIR WAY BACK TO

THE GREAT KAAN, AND TOOK WITH THEM MARK, THE SON OF MESSER NICOLAS.

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

Kaan 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 Kaan, as he had enjoined.{1} 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’s being made, we desire to return to the Great

Kaan; 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 Kaan, 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.

NOTE 1.—In a Pilgrimage of date apparently earlier than this, the

Pilgrim says of the Sepulchre: “The Lamp which had been placed by

His head (when He lay there) still burns on the same spot day and

night. _We took a blessing from it_ (_i.e._ apparently took some of

the oil as a beneficent memorial), and replaced it.” (_Itinerarium

Antonini Placentini_ in _Bollandists_, May, vol. ii. p. xx.)

[“Five great oil lamps,” says Daniel, the Russian Hégoumène,

1106–1107 (_Itinéraires russes en Orient_, trad. pour la Soc. de

l’Orient Latin, par Mme. B. de Khitrowo, Geneva, 1889, p. 13),

“burning continually night and day, are hung in the Sepulchre of

Our Lord.”—H. C.]