where the King of Armenia had his castle, they heard of the election
of a new pope, so they came back to Acre to get his instructions
and blessing.



CHAPTER VII

The pope said a grand mass for them, and at the gospel he enters
the pulpit, a burly figure of a man with sad eyes.

"The blessing of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost be with
you and about you, Amen.

"It is not to you, Nicolo Polo, that I wish to speak, nor to you,
Matthew Polo, for neither of you are my ambassadors to the Great Khan.
Merchant and sportsmen, I honor you, and you have my blessing, but
you have no hopes of mine. The dirty diversions of the world are
between your eyes and glory," said he. "It's only myself, an old
and sorrowful man, and this child, a young and hopeful one, can
understand; old men having sight of visions, and young men dreaming
dreams. . .

"Now in the matter of converting the Great Khan and his numerous
millions, first let wisdom speak. I have little hopes. He wants
to be argued into it, you see. Religion is not a matter of argument.
It is a wisdom that surpasses wisdom. It drifts in men's souls as
the foggy dew comes unbidden to the trees. It is born before our
soul, as the horned moon is born before our eyes.