a circuit of the coast by another, which brought them to the
place where the fleet of boats was at anchor. Finding these all
abandoned, but with their colors flying, they instantly seized them,
and pushing off from the island, stood for the principal city of
Zipangu, into which, from the appearance of the colors, they were
suffered to enter unmolested. Here they found few of the inhabitants,
besides women, whom they retained for their own use, and drove out all
others.

When the King was apprized of what had taken place, he was much
afflicted, and immediately gave directions for a strict blockade of
the city, which was so effectual that not one person was permitted to
enter or to escape from it during six months that the siege continued.
At the expiration of this time, the Tatars, despairing of succor,
surrendered upon the condition of their lives being spared. These
events took place in the course of the year 1264 [properly 1284]. The
grand khan, having learned some years after that the unfortunate issue
of the expedition was to be attributed to the dissensions between the
two commanders, caused the head of one of them to be cut off, and the
other be sent to the savage island of Zorza, where it is the custom to
execute criminals in the following manner. They are wrapt round both
arms in the hide of a buffalo fresh taken from the beast, which is
sewed tight. As this dries, it compresses the body to such a degree
that the sufferer is incapable of moving or in any manner helping
himself, and thus miserably perishes.

DANTE ALIGHIERI

Born in Florence in 1265, died in Ravenna in 1321; of an
ancient family attached to the Guelph party; first saw
Beatrice in his ninth year; married Gemma Donati two years
after the death of Beatrice; fought with the Guelphs;
entrusted with foreign missions; endeavored to reconcile
Guelphs and Ghibellines; while on an embassy to Rome his
house in Florence destroyed in a riot, and he condemned to
exile; his life thenceforth one of wandering; settled in
Ravenna in 1320, where he died a year later; all his works
except "Vita Nuova" written in exile; his "Divine Comedy" in
three parts written in 1300-18.

I

THAT LONG DESCENT MAKES NO MAN NOBLE[26]

Having confuted the errors of others in so far as they related to
riches themselves we have to confute those on the subject of time as a
cause of nobility, in that part where