"We Moals
believe that there is but one God, and we have an upright heart towards
him." "Then," said
I, "may God grant you this mind, for without his gift it
cannot be." He then added, "God hath given to the hand divers fingers, and
hath given many ways to man. He hath given the Scriptures to you, yet you
keep them not. You certainly find not in the Scriptures that one of you
should dispraise another?" "No," said I; "and I signified unto your
highness from the beginning, that I would not contend with any one." "I
speak not," said he, "respecting you. In like manner, you find not in your
Scriptures, that a man ought to swerve from justice for the sake of money?"
To this I answered, "That our Scriptures taught no such evil doctrine,
neither had I come into, these parts to get money, having even refused that
which was freely offered to me." And one of the secretaries, then present,
certified, that I had refused a jascot and a piece of silk. "I speak not of
that," said the khan; "God hath given you the Scriptures and you keep them
not; but he hath given to us soothsayers, and we do what they bid us, and
live in peace." He drank four times, as I think, before he disclosed these
things; and, while I waited attentively in expectation that he might
disclose any thing farther respecting his faith, he began another subject,
saying: "You have stayed a long time here, and it is my pleasure that you
return. You have said that you dared not to carry my ambassadors with you;
will you carry my messenger, or my letters?" To this I answered, "If he
would make me understand his words, and that they were put in writing, I
would willingly carry them, to the best of my power." He then asked if I
would have gold or silver, or costly garments? I answered, that we received
no such things; but not having wherewith to bear our expences, we could not
get out of his country without his help. He then said, that he would
provide us in all necessaries through his country, and demanded how far we
would be brought. I said it were sufficient if he gave us a pass into
Armenia. To this he answered: "I will cause you to be carried thither,
after which look to yourself. There are two eyes in one head, yet they both
look to one object. You came here from Baatu, and therefore you must return
by him." Having requested and obtained leave to speak, I addressed him
thus: "Sir! we are not men of war, and desire that they who would most
justly govern according to the will of God may have dominion in the world.
Our office is to teach men to live according to the law of God: For this,
purpose we came into these parts, and would willingly have remained here if
it had been your pleasure; but since you are pleased that we should return,
I shall carry your letters according to my power, in obedience to your
commands.
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