Travels Of Marco Polo: Seventy Three

The king Facfur maintained 15000 poor children because in that province many are abandoned by the parents because they are not able to support them.  So when a rich man had no issue he went to the king and got as many as he pleased.  When the boys and girls came of age the king married them together, and gave them a means of living.  And thus were educated 20000 males or females annually.  He did another thing: When he went through any place and saw two fine houses and by the side of them a small one, he enquired why the first were greater than the other; and being told that it belonged to a poor man, who could not afford to build one larger, presently he gave him money enough to enable him to do so.  He made himself be served by more than 1000 domestic servants of both sexes.  He maintained his kingdom in such justice that no evil was done, and all commodities could be left unguarded except by the royal equity.  Now, I have given you an account of the king; I will tell you of the queen.  She was led to the great Khan, who made her be honoured and served as a powerful sovereign; but the queen and her husband never came out of the islands of the ocean, and died there, and thus the whole kingdom remained with the khan.  Now, let us tell of the province of Manji, and the manners and customs of the people, beginning with the city of Koiganzu.

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