To This We
Answered That We Were Ignorant Of These Languages, And Though There Were
Saracens In Our Land, They
Inhabited at a great distance from our lord the
Pope; and we proposed, that when they had written in the
Tartar language,
they might explain the meaning to us, which we would carefully write down
in our language, and would then deliver both the originals and the
translation to his holiness. On this they went from us to the emperor. We
were again called upon at Martinmas, when Kadac, the chief minister of the
empire, with Chingay and Bala, and several scribes, came to us and
explained the emperor's letter, word for word; and when we had written it
in Latin, they made us interpret every sentence to them, to see if we had
any way erred. And when both letters were written, they made us read them
over twice more, lest any thing were mistaken: Saying, "Take heed that
every thing be well understood, as great inconvenience might arise from
wrong conception." They gave us likewise a copy of the emperor's letters in
Arabic, in case any one might be found who could explain them in our
country.
SECTION XXXII.
The Papal Envoys receive a Licence to depart.
These Tartar ministers informed us, that the emperor proposed to send
envoys along with us; and it seemed to us, that they wished we should ask
this from the emperor, and one of the principal among them advised us to
make that request. But this did not appear at all convenient, and we
answered, that it did not become us to make any such petition; but if it
were the pleasure of the emperor to send envoys, we should use our utmost
endeavour, with God's assistance, to conduct them in safety. We were averse
from this measure, for the following reasons: Lest, seeing the wars and
dissensions which subsisted among the Christians, they should be the more
encouraged to make war upon us: We were afraid that the messengers were
meant to act as spies, to examine the approaches to our land: We dreaded
that they might be slain by the way: for when the servants which attended
us, by desire of the cardinal legate of Germany, were on their return to
him, they were well nigh stoned to death by the Germans, and forced to put
off that hateful dress: And it is the custom of the Tartars, never to make
peace with those who have slain their messengers, till they have taken a
severe revenge. Fourthly, we feared their messengers might be taken from us
by main force. And lastly, because no good could arise from them, as they
were to have no other commission or authority, except merely to deliver the
letter of the emperor to the pope and princes of Christendom, which letter
we already had.
The third day after this, being the feast of St Brice, 13th November, we
received our passport, and a letter sealed with the emperor's own seal; and
going to the emperor's mother, she gave each of us a gown made of
fox-skins, having the hair outwards, and a linen robe; from every one of
which our Tartar attendants stole a yard, and from those that were given to
our servants, they stole a full half.
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