From Smolensk, Till We Arrived At
_Trach_[1], A City Of Lithuania, We Travelled Continually In A Plain
Interspersed With
Some hills, the whole country being covered with wood,
and our only lodgings were in miserable hovels; dining always about
Noon
wherever we could meet with a fire, which had been left burning by
travellers who had passed before us. We had generally to break the ice to
procure water for our horses; we lighted fires to warm ourselves; and our
sledges served us instead of beds, as without them we must have slept on
the ground. We went with such expedition, over the frozen snow, that we
were assured we had travelled 300 miles in three days and two nights.
Casimir king of Poland, who then resided at _Troki_, immediately on
learning my arrival, sent two of his gentlemen to compliment me in his
name, and to congratulate me on my safe return. They likewise invited me
to dine with his majesty on the following day, which was the 15th of
February, and presented me on the part of the king with a robe of purple
damask, lined with Scythian furs, in which I dressed myself to go to
court. On this occasion, I went in a coach and six, accompanied by four
noblemen and several other persons. The king himself did me the honour to
receive me, and conducted me into a magnificent apartment, where he
introduced me to two of his sons in presence of many nobles, knights, and
gentlemen of the court. A chair was placed for me in the middle of the
room; and when I offered to kneel on one knee while addressing the king,
his majesty had the goodness to insist that I should sit down in his
presence, which I did after some hesitation. I then gave a recital of all
that had occurred in my travels, with some account of the dominions of
Uzun-Hassan, and of the number of his forces, and of the empire and
manners of the Tartars. The king and his courtiers listened to me with
much attention during my whole speech, which lasted more than half an
hour. I then thanked his majesty for the present he had made me, and for
all his kindnesses to me, attributing his attentions to the esteem he
entertained for our illustrious republic. His majesty was pleased, by
means of an interpreter, to express great satisfaction at my safe arrival,
as he hardly expected I should ever have been able to return; and that he
was much pleased with the information I had given him respecting Uzun-
Hassan and the Tartars, which he believed to be more authentic than any
he had received before. After some other discourse, I was conducted to
the hall where the dinner was served; soon after which his majesty came
into the hall with his two sons, preceded by several trumpets. The king
sat down at the head of the table, having his two sons on his right hand;
the primate of the kingdom sat next on his majestys left, and I was
placed next the bishop.
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