The Reason
Of Their Making This Demand Was, That We Had Shaven Our Heads By The Advice
Of Our Guide, That We Might Appear Before The Khan After The Fashion Of Our
Country, Which Made The Nestorians Take Us For Tuinians Or Idolaters.
On
being demanded what reverence we would pay to the khan, I said, that though
as priests, dedicated to God, the highest in our country did not suffer us
to bow the knee, yet we were willing to humble ourselves to all men for the
sake of the Lord.
That we came from a far country, and with permission,
would first sing praises to God, who had brought us hither in safety, and
should afterwards do whatever might please the khan; providing he commanded
nothing that was derogatory to the worship and honour of God. Then they
went into the presence, and reported what we had said, and they brought us
before the entrance of the hall, lifting up the felt which hung before the
decor, and we sung A solis ortus cardine, &c.
When we had sung this hymn, they searched our bosoms, to see that we had no
concealed weapons, and they made our interpreter leave his girdle and knife
with one of the doorkeepers. When we came in, our interpreter was made to
stand at a sideboard, which was well supplied with cosmos, and we were
placed on a form before the ladies. The whole house was hung with cloth of
gold, and on a hearth, in the middle, there was a fire of thorns, wormwood-
roots, and cowdung.
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