ng in battle.
The battle began with a signal from the cymbals and drums, the sound of
the instruments and the singing growing deafening. At the signal both
wings advanced, a cloud of arrows filling the air, while on both sides
numbers of men and horses fell. Their arrows discharged, the warriors
engaged in close combat with lances, swords, and iron-shod maces, while
the cries of men and horses were such as to inspire terror or rouse all
hearers to the battle-rage.

For a long time the fortune of the day remained undecided, Nayan's
people fighting with great zeal and courage. But at length their leader,
seeing that he was almost surrounded, attempted to save himself by
flight. He was made prisoner, however, and brought before Kublai, who
ordered him to be put to death on the spot. This was done by enclosing
him between two carpets, which were violently shaken until the spirit
departed from the body, the dignity of the imperial family requiring
that the sun and the air should not witness the shedding of the blood of
one who belonged to the royal stock.

These extracts from the narrative of the Venetian traveller may be fitly
followed by a portion of Coleridge's remarkable dream-poem on the
subject of Kublai's palace. The poet, having been reading from
"Purchas's Pilgrimage" a brief description of the palace of the Great
Khan,--not the one above described, but a pleasure-retreat in another
section of his dominions,--fell asleep, and his dreams took the form of
an extended poem on the subject. On waking he hastened to write it down,
but was interrupted by a visitor in the midst of his task, and
afterwards found himself unable to recall another line of the poem, only
a shadowy image of which remained in his mind. The part saved is
strangely imaginative.

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree,
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.
So twice five miles of fertile ground
With walls and towers were girdled round;
And here were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree;
And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.

But oh! that deep romantic chasm which slanted
Down the green hill athwart a cedarn cover!
A savage place! as holy and enchanted
As e'er beneath a waning moon was haunted
By woman wailing for