Lesgi Saraceni.] Post Istos Prope Mare Siue Lacum Etilia Sunt Quidam Saraceni Qui Dicuntur Lesgi, Qui Similiter Obediunt.

Post hos est Porta ferrea, quam fecit Alexander ad excludendas Barbaras gentes de Perside; de cuius situ dicam vobis postea, [Marginal note:

Reditus eius per Derbent.] quia transiui per eam in reditu. Et inter ista duo flumina in illis terris per quas transiuimus habitabant Comani antequam Tartari occuparent eas.

The same in English.

Of the dominion of Sartach, and of his Subiects. Chap. 16.

The region lying beyond Tanais, is a very goodly countrey, hauing store of riuers and woods toward the North part thereof. There be mighty huge woods which two sorts of people do inhabite. [Sidenote: The people of Moxel are Pagans.] One of them is called Moxel, being meere Pagans, and without law. They haue neither townes nor cities, but only cottages in the woods. Their lord and a great part of themselues were put to the sword in high Germanie. Whereupon they highly commend the braue courage of the Almans, hoping as yet to be deliuered out of the bondage of the Tartars, by their meanes. If any merchant come vnto them, he must prouide things necessary for him, with whom he is first of all enterteined, all the time of his abode among them. If any lieth with another mans wife, her husband, vnles he be an eiewitnes therof, regardeth it not: for they are not ielous ouer their wiues. They haue abundance of hogs, and great store of hony and waxe, and diuers sorts of rich and costly skins, and plentie of falcons. [Sidenote: The people called Merdui being Saracens.] Next vnto them are other people called Merclas, which the Latines cal Merdui, and they are Saracens. Beyond them is the riuer of Etilia or Volga, which is the mightiest riuer that euer I saw. And it issueth from the North part of Bulgaria the greater, and so trending along Southward, disimboqueth into a certain lake containing in circuit the space of 4. moneths trauel, whereof I will speak hereafter. [Sidenote: The circuite of the Caspian sea.] The two foresaid riuers, namely Tanais and Etilia, otherwise called Volga, towards the Northren regions through the which we traueiled, are not distant asunder aboue x. daies iourney, but Southward they are diuided a great space one from another. For Tanais descendeth into the sea of Pontus. Etitilia maketh the foresaid sea or lake, with the help of many other riuers which fal therinto out of Persia. [Sidenote: Kergis or Asa.] And we had to the South of vs huge high mountains, vpon the sides wherof, towards the said desert, doe the people called Cergis, and the Alani or Acas inhabit, who are as yet Christians, and wage warre against the Tartars. [Sidenote: The Saracens called Lesgi.] Beyond them, next vnto the sea or lake of Etilia, there are certaine Saracens called Lesgi, who are in subiection vnto the Tartars. Beyond these is Porta ferrea, or the yron gate, nowe called Derbent, which Alexander built to exclude the barbarous nations out of Persia. [Sidenote: He returneth by Derbent.] Concerning the situation whereof, your maiestie shall vnderstand more about the end of this Treatise: for I trauailed in my returne by the very same place. Betweene the two foresaid riuers, in the regions through the which we passed did Comanians of olde time inhabite, before they were ouerrun by the Tartars.

De Curia Sartach et de gloria eius. Cap. 17.

Inuenimus ergo Sartach prope Etiliam per tres dietas: cuius curia valde magna videbatur nobis: quia habet sex vxores, et filius eius primogenitus iuxta eum duas vel tres: et qualibet habet domum magnam et bigas forte ducentas. [Sidenote: Coiat Nestorinus.] Accessit autem doctor noster ad quendam Nestorinum Coiat nomine, qui est vnus de maioribus Curia sua. Ille fecit nos ire valde longe ad domini Iannam. Ita vocant illum qui habet officium recipiendi nuncios. In sero pracepit nobis dictus Coiat vt veniremus ad eum. Tunc incepit quarere ductor noster quid portaremus ei, et coepit multum scandalizari, quum vidit quod nihil parabamus ad portandum. Stetimus coram eo, et ipse sedebat in gloria sua et faciebat sonare citharam et saltare coram se. Tunc dixi ei verba pradicta qualiter veniremus ad dominum eius, rogans eum vt iuuaret nos vt Dominus eius videret literas nostras. Excusaui etiam me quia monachus eram, non habens, nec recipiens, nec tractans aurum vel argentum vel aliquid preciosum, solis libris et capella in qua seruiebamus deo exceptis: vnde nullum xenium afferebamus ei nec domino suo. Qui enim propria dimiseram, non poteram portator esse alienorum. Tunc respondit satis mansuete, quod bene faciebam ex quo eram monachus: sic seruarem votum meum, et non indigebat rebus nostris; sed magis daret nobis de suis, si indigeremus: et fecit nos sedere et bibere de lacte suo. Et post pauca rogauit vt diceremus benedictionem pro eo, quod et fecimus. Quasiuit et quis esset maior dominus inter Francos. Dixi, Imperator, si haberet terram suam in pace. Non, inquit, sed Rex Francia, Audiuerat enim de vobis a domino Baldewyno de Hannonia. Inueni etiam ibi vnum de Socijs domus Domimica. qui fuerat in Cypro, qui narrauerat omnia qua viderat. Tunc reuersi sumus ad hospitium nostrum. In crastino misi ei vnum flasconem de vino Muscato, quod optime se custodierat in tam longa via; et cophinom plenum biscocto quod fuit ei gratissimum, et retinuit illo sero famulos nostros secum. In crastino mandauit mihi quod venirem ad curiam; afferens literas regis et capellam et libros mecum, quia dominus suus vellet videre ea; quod et fecimus, onerantes vnam bigam libris et capella, et aliam pane et vino et fructibus. Tunc fecit omnes libros et vestes explicari, et circumstabant nos in equis multi Tartari et Christiani et Saraceni: quibus inspectis, quasiuit, si vellem ista omnia dare domino suo, quo audito, expaui, et displicuit mihi verbum, dissimulans tamen respondi, domine rogamus, quatenus dominus noster dignetur recipere panem istum, vinum et fructus non pro xenio quia exiguum quid est, sed pro benedictione, ne vacua manu veniamus coram eo.

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