Cap. 20.

Cum ergo in prima sexta feria post diem cinerum, Sole ad occasum tendente, hospitaremur, Tartari super nos armati horribiliter irruerunt, quarentes cuiusmodi homines essemus:

Cumque respondissemus, quod Domini Papa nuncij essemus, quibusdam cibarijs a nobis acceptis, continuo discesserunt. Porro mane facto, cum surgentes aliquantulum processissemus, maiores illorum, qui erant in custodia, nobis occurrerunt, interrogantes, cur ad eos veniremus? et quid negotij haberemus? [Sidenote: Papa Christianorum pater et Dominus.] Quibus respondimus, Domini Papa nuncij sumus, qui Christianorum pater est ac Dominus. Hic nos idcirco tam ad Regem quam ad Principes, omnesque Tartaros, mittit, quia placet ei, quod omnes Christiani Tartarorum sint amici, et pacem habeant cum ipsis. [Sidenote: Legationibus mandata.] Desiderat insuper, vt apuud Deum in coelo sint magni, et idcirco monet eos tam per nos quam per literas suas, vt efficiantur Christiani, fidemque recipiant Domini nostri Iesu Christi, quia non possunt aliter saluari. Mandat praterea, quod miratur de tanta occisione hominum, et maxime Christianorum, ac potissime Hungarorum Montanorum, et Polonorum, qui sunt ei subiecti, facta per Tartaros, cum in nullo lasissent, aut ladere attentassent eos. Et quia Dominus Deus grauiter est super hoc offensus, monet eos vt a talibus de catero caueant, et de commissis poenitentiam agant. Super his etiam rogat, vt ei rescribant, quid facere velint de catero, et qua sit eorum intentio. [Sidenote: Corrensa.] Quibus auditis, et intellectis, dixerunt Tartari, se velle equos nobis subductitios vsque ad Corrensam et ducatum prabere. Statimque munera petierunt, et a nobis acceperunt. Equis igitur acceptis, de quibus descenderunt ipsi, cum eorum ducatu ad Corrensam arripuimus iter eundi. Ipsi tamen velociter equitantes, nuncium vnum pramiserunt ad prafatum Ducem cum his verbis, qua dixeramus eisdem. [Sidenote: Dux limitis occidentalis.] Est autem Dux iste Dominus omnium, qui positi sunt in custodia contra omnes Occidentis populos, ne forte subito et improuiso irruant aliqui super illos. Et iste dicitur habere sexaginta millia hominum armatorum sub se.

The same in English.

How he and his company were at the first receiued of the Tartars. Chap. 20.

Wherefore, the first saturday next after Ashwednesday, hauing about the Sunnes going downe, taken vp our place of rest, the armed Tartars came rushing vpon vs in vnciuil and horrible maner, being very inquisitiue of vs what maner of persons, or of what condition we were: and when we had answered them that we were the Popes Legates, receiuing some victuals at our handes, they immediately departed. Moreouer in the morning rising and proceeding on our iourney, the chiefe of them which were in the guard met with vs, demaunding why, or for what intent and purpose we came thither, and what business we had with them: Vnto whom we answered, We are the legates of our lord the Pope, who is the father and lord of the Christians. [Sidenote: The content of the legacie.] He hath sent vs as well vnto your Emperour, as to your princes, and all other Tartars for this purpose, because it is his pleasure, that all Christians should be in league with the Tartars, and should haue peace with them. It is his desire also that they should become great or in fauour with God in heauen, therfore he admonisheth them aswel by vs, as by his own letters, to become Christians, and to embrace the faith of our Lord Iesu Christ, because they could not otherwise be saued. Moreouer, he giues them to vndersand, that he much marueileth at their monstrous slaughters and massacres of mankind, and especially of Christians, but most of al of Hungarians, Mountaineirs, and Polonians, being al his subiects, hauing not iniuried them in ought, nor attempted to doe them iniurie. And because the Lord God is grieuously offended thereat, he aduiseth them from henceforth to beware of such dealing, and to repent them of that which they had done. He requesteth also, that they would write an answere vnto him, what they purpose to doe hereafter, and what their intention is. All which things being heard and vnderstood, the Tartars sayd that they would appoint vs poste horses and a guide vnto Corrensa. And immediately demanding gifts at our hands, they obtained them. [Sidenote: Corrensa.] Then receiuing the same horses, from which they dismounted, together with a guide wee tooke our iourney into Corrensa. [Sidenote: The duke of the western marches.] But they riding a swift pace, sent a messenger before vnto the sayd duke to signifie the message, which we had deliuered vnto them. This duke is gouernour of all of them, which lie in guard against the nations of the West, least some enemy might on the sudden and at vnawares breake in vpen them. And hee is said to haue 60000. men vnder him.

Qualiter recepti sunt apud Corrensam. Cap. 21.

[Sidenote: Mos salutandi Tartaricos proceres.] Cum ergo peruenissemus an eius curiam, fecit nobis longe a se poni stationem, et misit ad nos procuratores suos, vt quarent a nobis, cum quo ei vellemus inclinare id est, qua ei munera inclinando vellemus offerre. Quibus respondimus, quod Dominus Papa non mittebat aliqua munera; quia non erat certus, quod ad illos peruenire possemus, et insuper veneramus per loca valde periculosa. Veruntamen in quantum de his, qua habebamus ex gratia Dei et Domini Papa ad victum nostrum, sicut poterimus, honorabimus ipsum. Acceptisque muneribus duxerunt nos ad ordam siue tentorium ipsius, et instructi fuimus, vt ante ostium stationis ter cum sinistro genu inclinaremus, et caueremus attente ne pedem super limen ostij poneremus. Et postquam intrauimus, opportunt nos coram Duce omnibusque maioribus, qui ad hoc erant vocari, dicere flexis genibus ea, qua dixeramus superius. Literas etiam Dom. Papa obtulimus: sed interpres, quem de Kyouia, dato pretio, duxeramus, non erat sufficiens ad interpretandum, nec aliquis alius habebatur idoneus. [Sidenote: Bathy eiusque potentia.] Hinc equi nobis dati sunt, et tres Tartari qui nos ducerent festinanter ad ducem Bathy. Ipse est apud eos potentior excepto Imperatore, cui tenentur pra cunctis principibus obedire. Itaque iter arripuimus secunda feria post primam dominicam [Marginal note: Quadragesime.] xl. et equitando, quantum equi trotare poterant, quoniam habebamus equos recentes fere ter aut quater omni die, properabamus de mane vsque ad noctem, imo etiam de nocte sapissime, nec tamen ante quartam feriam maioris hebdomada potuimus ad ipsum peruenire.

Enter page number Go  Previous Next
Page 32 of 82
Words from 31232 to 32259 of 82784