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.]