CHAPTER V.

HOW THE GREAT KAAN CAUSED NAYAN TO BE PUT TO DEATH.

And when the Great Kaan learned that Nayan was taken right glad was

he, and commanded that he should be put to death straightway and in

secret, lest endeavours should be made to obtain pity and pardon for

him, because he was of the Kaan’s own flesh and blood. And this was the

way in which he was put to death: he was wrapt in a carpet, and tossed

to and fro so mercilessly that he died. And the Kaan caused him to be

put to death in this way because he would not have the blood of his

Line Imperial spilt upon the ground or exposed in the eye of Heaven and

before the Sun.{1}

And when the Great Kaan had gained this battle, as you have heard,

all the Barons and people of Nayan’s provinces renewed their fealty

to the Kaan. Now these provinces that had been under the Lordship of

Nayan were four in number; to wit, the first called CHORCHA; the second

CAULY; the third BARSCOL; the fourth SIKINTINJU. Of all these four

great provinces had Nayan been Lord; it was a very great dominion.{2}

And after the Great Kaan had conquered Nayan, as you have heard, it

came to pass that the different kinds of people who were present,

Saracens and Idolaters and Jews,{3} and many others that believed not

in God, did gibe those that were Christians because of the cross that

Nayan had borne on his standard, and that so grievously that there

was no bearing it. Thus they would say to the Christians: “See now

what precious help this God’s Cross of yours hath rendered Nayan, who

was a Christian and a worshipper thereof.” And such a din arose about

the matter that it reached the Great Kaan’s own ears. When it did so,

he sharply rebuked those who cast these gibes at the Christians; and

he also bade the Christians be of good heart, “for if the Cross had

rendered no help to Nayan, in that It had done right well; nor could

that which was good, as It was, have done otherwise; for Nayan was a

disloyal and traitorous Rebel against his Lord, and well deserved that

which had befallen him. Wherefore the Cross of your God did well in

that It gave him no help against the right.” And this he said so loud

that everybody heard him. The Christians then replied to the Great

Kaan: “Great King, you say the truth indeed, for our Cross can render

no one help in wrong-doing; and therefore it was that It aided not

Nayan, who was guilty of crime and disloyalty, for It would take no