We Then Went To The Third Court, In
Which A Christian Lady Formerly Resided; But On Her Death, She Was
Succeeded By A Young Woman, Who, With The Khans Daughter, Joyfully Received
Us, And Worshipped The Cross With Great Reverence.
We went then into the
house of the young lady Cerina, behind the third court, which had formerly
belonged to her mother, who likewise worshipped the cross with great
devotion.
We next went into the court of the fourth and last lady, whose
house was very old, but the khan gave her a new house and new chariots
after Easter. This lady was an idolater, yet she worshipped the cross,
according to the directions of the monk and priests. From that place we
returned to our oratory, the monks accompanying us with great howlings and
outcries in their drunkenness, as they had been plentifully supplied with
drink at every visit; but this is not considered as blameable or unseemly,
either in man or woman in these parts.
[1] Caten signifies lady and Cotata was her particular name. - Harris.
SECTION XXXV.
Of a great Cure performed by the Armenian monk Sergius, on one of the
Wives of Mangu-khan.
Sometime after the lady Cota was sick almost to death, and the divination
by lot of the idolaters did her no good. Mangu-khan then sent for the monk,
who indiscreetly engaged to cure her on the forfeiture of his head. On
this, the monk sent for us, and entreated us, with tears, to watch and pray
all night along with him, which we did. He took of a certain root called
rhubarb, which he beat to powder and put among water, along with a little
crucifix, and he used to give of that water to all sick persons, which
griped them by reason of its bitterness, and which they attributed to a
miracle. I proposed to prepare some holy water, according to the rites of
the church of Rome, which hath great power to cast out devils, as I
understood the lady was vexed of a devil[1]. At his request, I consecrated
some holy water, which he mingled with the rhubarb, and left his crucifix
all night in the mixture.
Next morning I and the monk and two Nestorian priests went to the lady, who
was then in a small house behind her great one. She sat up in her bed and
worshipped the cross, laying it honourably by her upon a silken cloth; she
drank of the holy water mixed with rhubarb, and washed her breast, and, at
the desire of the monk, I read the passion of our Lord according to St
John, over her. At length she felt herself relieved, and ordered four
jascots to be brought, which she first laid at the foot of the cross, and
gave three to the monk, offering one to me, which I refused; then the monk
took this likewise, and gave one to each of the priests, keeping two to
himself, so that she gave away forty marks in all at this time.[2] She then
ordered wine, which she gave to the priests, and made me drink thrice from
her hand in honour of the holy trinity.
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