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. We were perfectly aware of this
knavery, but did not think it convenient to take any notice.
SECTION XXXIII.
The return of the Papal Envoys to Europe.
At length we took our departure, and travelled the whole winter through the
desert, often sleeping all night on the snow, unless when we cleared a
piece of ground with our feet, and frequently in the morning we found
ourselves entirely covered by the snow, which had drifted over us during
the night. On Ascension day, we arrived at the court of Baatu, of whom we
inquired what message we should deliver in his name to the Pope? To this he
answered, that he had no message to give us in charge, but only that we
should carefully deliver what we had received from the emperor. Having
received additional passports from him, we continued our journey, and
arrived at the station of Montij on the Sabbath after the Whitson week,
where our companions and servants, who had been kept so long from us, were
returned at our desire. From thence we travelled to the station of
Corrensa, who again required presents from us, but we now had none to give.
He however appointed two Comanians, of the lowest order of the Tartar
subjects, to accompany us to Kiow in Russia; but our Tartar guide did not
quit us till we were beyond the Tartar bounds; after which the Comanians,
who had been ordered by Corrensa to attend us, brought us in six days from
the last guard of the Tartars, to the city of Kiow, where we arrived
fifteen days before the festival of John the Baptist, 9th June 1248. On
receiving notice of our approach, the whole inhabitants of Kiow came out
joyfully to receive us, congratulating us as men returned from death to
life; and we were received in a similar manner in our whole progress
through Russia, Poland, and Bohemia. Daniel, and his brother Wasilico,
feasted us splendidly, and detained us, contrary to our desire, for eight
days. In the meantime, they and their bishops and nobles, having consulted
on those matters, which we had propounded to them, when on our journey
towards the Tartars, made an unanimous declaration, that they would
henceforwards hold the Pope as their special lord and holy father, and
would adhere to the Roman church as their lady and mistress, confirming all
things which they had previously sent on this subject, by their own abbot,
to the Pope before our return; and in ratification of all this, they sent
envoys and letters along with us to the Pope[1].
[1] In Section XIX. of this journey, Wasilico, or Wasiley, is mentioned as
duke of Russia; but who must only have been duke of some subordinate
province. This submission of Russia, or of his particular dukedom,
produced no fruit to the Romish see, as the Russian empire still
remains what are called Greek schismatics. - E
CHAP. IX.
Travels of William de Rubruquis into Tartary, about the year
1253.[1]
INTRODUCTION.
These travels were undertaken by order of Louis IX. of France, usually
called St Louis. In the original, or at least in the printed copies which
have come down to our times, Rubruquis is said to have commenced his
journey in the year 1253; but this date is attended with some difficulties,
as we are certain that king Louis was a prisoner from 1249 to 1254. It is
possible, indeed, that he may have dispatched this mission while a
prisoner; yet it is more probable, that the date may have been vitiated in
transcription. The real name of this early traveller, who was a friar of
the minorite order, is said to have been Van Ruysbroek[2], from a village
of that name near Brussels, Latinized, or Frenchified rather, into De
Rubruquis. By Hakluyt he is named Rubruk. The version here offered to the
public, is a translation from the Latin copy in Hakluyt, as addressed by
the adventurous traveller to his royal master, after his return from
traversing the whole extent of Tartary; the English translation, by that
early and meritorious collector, being far too antiquated for modern
readers.
[1] Hakluyt, I. 80. for the Latin, and I.101. for the English. See likewise
Harris, I. 556.
[2] Pinkerton, Mod. Geogr. II. xvi.
Dedication by the Author
To the Most Excellent and Most Christian Lord Louis, by the Grace of GOD
the illustrious King of the French; Friar William de Rubruquis, the meanest
of the Minorite Order, wisheth health and continual triumph in CHRIST
JESUS.
It is written in the book of Ecclesiasticus, "That the truly wise man shall
travel through strange countries; for he hath tried the good and evil among
men." All this, Sire, I have performed; and I wish I may have done so as a
wise man, and not as a fool. For many do foolishly those things which have
been done by wise men, and I fear I may be reckoned among that number. But
as you were pleased to command me at my departure, that I should write down
every thing I saw among the Tartars, and should not fear to write long
letters, I now therefore obey your orders, yet with awe and reverence, as
wanting fit language in which to address so great a king.
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