After Mass, Being Now Evening, William Bouchier, The Goldsmith,
Brought Us To Sup At His Lodging.
He had a wife, born in Hungary, of
Mahometan parents, who spoke French, and the language of the Comanians.
We
found here also one Basilicus, the son of an Englishman, likewise born in
Hungary, who was likewise skilled in these languages. After supper we
retired to our cottage, which, with the oratory of the monk, were placed
near the Nestorian church; which is of considerable size, and very
handsomely built, and all the ceiling is covered with silk, wrought with
gold.
I much deliberated with myself, whether I should continue in communion with
the monk and the Nestorians, because I saw their actions full of idolatry
and sorcery; but I feared to give offence to the khan in separating from
the other Christians, as I saw that my presence pleased him, for which
reason I always accompanied them to court; but when there I did not join in
their mummeries, praying always in a loud voice for the church, and that
God would direct the khan in the right way of salvation. On one occasion
the khan promised to come to the church next day; but he departed on his
journey to the northward, desiring the priests to excuse him, because he
had learnt that the dead were carried thither. But we remained behind, that
we might celebrate the festival of Easter. There were a vast multitude of
Hungarians, Alans, Rutenians or Russians, Georgians, and Armenians, who had
not received the sacrament since they were taken prisoners, as the
Nestorians would not admit them into their church unless they were
rebaptized; yet they offered their sacrament freely to us, and allowed me
to see their manner of consecration; on the vigil of Easter I saw their
ceremony of baptism. They pretend to have the ointment with which Mary
Magdalen anointed the feet of Jesus, and they put in so much of that oil in
kneading their sacramental bread; for all the people of the east use
butter, or oil, or fat from a sheeps tail, in their bread, instead of
leaven. They pretend also to have of the flour of which the bread was made
which was consecrated by our Lord at his Last Supper, as they always keep a
small piece of dough from each baking, to mix up with the new, which they
consecrate with great reverence. In administering this to the people, they
divide the consecrated loaf first into twelve portions, after the number of
the apostles, which they afterwards break down into smaller pieces, in
proportion to the number of communicants, giving the body of Christ into
the hand of every one, who takes it from his own palm with much reverence,
and afterwards lays his hand on the top of his head.
I was much at a loss how to act, as the Nestorians entreated me to
celebrate the festival, and I had neither vestments, chalice, nor altar.
But the goldsmith furnished me with vestments, and made an oratory on a
chariot, decently painted with scripture histories; he made also a silver
box or pix for the host, and an image of the blessed Virgin, and caused an
iron instrument to be made for us to make hosts in our way. Then I made the
before mentioned Christians to confess to me, as well as I could, by means
of an interpreter, explaining to them the ten commandments, the seven
deadly sins, and other matters, exhorting them to confession and penitence:
But all of them publickly excused themselves respecting theft, saying that
they could not otherwise live, as their masters neither provided them with
food or raiment; and I said they might lawfully take necessaries from their
masters, especially as they had forcibly deprived them of their subsistence
and liberty. Some who were soldiers excused themselves from having gone to
the wars, as otherwise they would be slain; these I forbid to go against
Christians, declaring, that if slain for their refusal, God would account
them as martyrs. After this I gave the holy communion to these people on
Easter day, and I hope, with the blessing of God to many, being assisted by
the Nestorians, who lent me their chalice and paten. They baptized above
threescore persons on Easter eve with great solemnity, to the great joy of
all the Christians.
Soon after this William Bouchier was grievously sick, and when recovering,
the monk Sergius visited him, and gave him so great a doze of rhubarb as
had almost killed him. On this I expostulated with the monk, that he ought
either to go about as an apostle, doing miracles by the virtue of prayer
and the Holy Ghost, or as a physician, according to the rules of the
medical aid, and not to administer strong potions to people who were not
prepared. About this time the principal priest of the Nestorians, who was a
kind of archdeacon over the rest, became sick $ and when I endeavoured, at
the request of his family, to prevail upon the monk to visit him, he said,
"Let him alone for he and three others intend to procure an order from
Mangu-khan to expel you and I." And I learnt afterwards, that there was a
dispute between them, as Mangu-khan had sent four jascots on Easter eve to
the monk, to distribute among the priests; and Sergius, keeping one to
himself, had given three to the priests, one being a counterfeit, and the
priests thought Sergius had kept too great a share to himself. Finding the
archdeacon in a dying way, I administered to him the Eucharist and extreme
unction, which he received with great humility and devotion; but, by the
advice of the monk, I quitted him before he died, as otherwise I could not
have entered the court of Mangu-khan for a whole year. When he was dead,
the monk said to me, "Never mind it: This man only, among the Nestorians,
had any learning, and opposed us; henceforwards Mangu-khan and all the
rest will crouch at our feet." He even pretended that he had killed him by
his prayers.
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