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Their custome

of purifying.

[I. 57.]

that they take in hand, and they call the moone the
Great Emperour, and worship it upon their knees. All
men that abide in their tabernacles must be purified with
fire: Which purification is on this wise, They kindle two
fires, and pitch two Javelines into the ground neere unto
the said fires, binding a corde to the tops of the Javelines.
And about the corde they tye certaine jagges of buckram,
under which corde, and betweene which fires, men, beastes,
and tabernacles do passe. There stand two women also,
one on the right side, and another on the left casting
water, and repeating certaine charmes. If any man be
slaine by lightning, all that dwell in the same tabernacle
with him must passe by fire in maner aforesaid. For
their tabernacles, beds, and cartes, their feltes and gar-
ments, and whatsoever such things they have, are touched
by no man, yea, and are abandoned by all men as things
uncleane. And to bee short, they thinke that all things
are to be purged by fire. Therefore, when any ambassa-
dours, princes, or other personages whatsoever come unto
them, they and their giftes must passe betweene two fires
to be purified, lest peradventure they have practised
some witchcraft, or have brought some poyson or other
mischiefe with them.

Of the beginning of their empire or government.
Chap. 8.

The people of The East Coongal, is reported to have had of olde

He countrie, whereof wee have entreated, which

Tartaria.

The original

& the exploits of Chingis.

is called

time foure sortes of people. One of their companions was called Yeka Mongal, that is the great Mongals. The second company was called Sumongal, that is, the Water-Mongals, who called themselves Tartars of a certaine river running through their countrey named Tartar. The third was called Merkat, and the fourth Metrit. All these people had one and the same person, attire of body and language, albeit they were divided by princes and provinces. In the province of Yeka Mongal, there was a certaine man called Chingis. This man

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became a mighty hunter. For he learned to steale men, & to take them for a pray. He ranged into other countries taking as many captives as he could, and joining them unto himselfe. Also hee allured the men of his owne countrey unto him, who followed him as their captaine and ringleader to doe mischiefe. Then began he to make warre upon the Sumongals or Tartars, and slewe their captaine, and after many conflicts, subdued them unto himselfe, and brought them all into bondage. Afterward he used their helpe to fight against the Merkats, dwelling by the Tartars, whom also hee vanquished in battell. Proceeding from thence, he fought against the Metrites, and conquered them also. The The Naimani. Naimani hearing that Chingis was thus exalted, greatly disdeined thereat. For they had a mighty & puissant Emperour, unto whom all the foresaid nations payed tribute. Whose sonnes, when he was dead, succeeded him in his Empire. Howbeit, being young and foolish, they knew not howe to governe the people, but were The discord of divided, and fell at variance among themselves. Now brethren. Chingis being exalted, as is aforesaid, they neverthelesse invaded the forenamed countries, put the inhabitants to the sword, and carried away their goods for a pray. Which Chingis having intelligence of, gathered all his subjects together. The Naimani also, and the people called Karakitay assembled and banded themselves at a certaine straight valley, where, after a battell foughten they were vanquished by the Mongals. And being thus vanquished, they were, the greater part of them, slaine; and others, which could not escape, were carried into captivitie. In the land of the foresayd Karakytayans, Occoday Cham, the sonne of Chingis Cham, after he was Occoday created Emperour, built a certaine citie, which he called Cham. Chanyl. Neare unto which citie, on the South side, there is an huge desert, wherein wilde men are certainely reported to inhabite, which cannot speake at all, and are destitute of joynts in their legges, so that if they fall, they cannot rise alone by themselves. Howbeit, they are of

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Haython
Paulus
Venetus call
them

* Cathayans.

discretion to make feltes of Camels haire, wherewith they clothe themselves, and which they holde against the winde. And if at any time, the Tartars pursuing them, chance to wound them with their arrowes, they put herbes into their wounds, and flye strongly before them.

Of the mutuall victories betweene them, and the people of Kythay. Chap. 9.

B Ut the Mongals returning home into their owne countrey, prepared themselves to battell against the *Kythayans: Which their Emperour hearing, set forward against them with his armie, and they fought a cruell battell, wherein the Mongals were overcome, and all their nobles in the armie, except seven, were slaine. And for this cause, when they, purposing to invade anie region, are threatned by the inhabitants thereof to be slaine, they doe, to this day, answere: in old time also our whole number besides being slaine, we remayned but seven of us alive, and yet notwithstanding we are now growen unto a great multitude, thinke not therefore to daunt us with such brags. But Chingis and the residue that remained alive, fled home into their countrey: And having breathed New victories. him a little, he prepared himselfe to warre, and went forth against the people called Huyri: These men were Christians of the sect of Nestorius. And these also the Mongals overcame, and received letters or learning from them for before that time they had not the arte of writing, and nowe they call it the hand or letters of the Mongals. Immediately after, hee marched against the countrey of Saruyur, and of the Karanites, and against the land of Hudirat; all which he vanquished. Then returned he home into his owne countrey, and breathed himselfe. Afterward, assembling his warlike troupes, they marched with one accord against the Kythayans, and waging warre with them a long time, they conquered a great part of their land, and shut up their Emperour into his greatest citie: which citie they had so long time besieged, that they began to want necessary provision for their

Letters.

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armie. And when they had no victuals to feede upon,
Chingis Cham commaunded his souldiers, that they should
eate every tenth man of the companie. But they of the [I. 58.]
citie fought manfully against them, with engines, dartes,

Emperour.

Part of

and arrowes, and when stones wanted they threw silver, Silver cast at and especially melted silver: for the same citie abounded the enemie in with great riches. Also, when the Mongals had fought stead of stones. a long time and could not prevayle by warre, they made a great trench underneath the ground from the armie unto the middest of the citie, and there issuing foorth they fought against the citizens, and the remnant also without the walles fought in like manner. At last, breaking open the gates of the citie, they entred, and putting the Emperour, with many other to the sworde, they tooke possession thereof and conveighed away the golde, silver, and all the riches therein. And having appointed certaine deputies over the countrey, they returned home into their owne lande. This is the first time, when the Emperour of the Kythayans being vanquished, Chingis Cham ob- Chingis Cham tayned the Empire. But some parte of the countrey, proclaimed because it lyeth within the sea, they could by no meanes conquere unto this day. The men of Kytay are Pagans, Cathay in having a speciall kinde of writing by themselves, and (as it the sea. is reported) the Scriptures of the olde and newe Testa- The letters, ment. They have also recorded in hystories the lives of the their forefathers: and they have Eremites, and certaine religion of the houses made after the manner of our Churches, which Cathayans. in those dayes they greatly resorted unto. They say that they have divers Saints also, and they worship one God. They adore and reverence CHRIST JESUS our Lorde, and beleeve the article of eternall life, but are not baptized. They doe also honourably esteeme and reverence our Scriptures. They love Christians, and bestowe much almes, and are a very courteous and gentle people. They have no beardes, and they agree partly with the Mongals in the disposition of their countenance. In all occupations which men practise, excellent there are not better artificers in the whole worlde. workmanship.

Their

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Thossut Can

subdued.

India.

Their countrey is exceeding rich, in corne, wine, golde,
silke, and other commodities.

Of their warre against India major and minor.
Chap. 10.

Nd when the Mongals with their emperour Chingis

And

sayd victorie, they divided their armies. For the Emperour sent one of his sonnes named Thossut (whom also son of Chingis. they called Can, that is to say, Emperour) with an armie against the people of Comania, whom he vanquished with much warre, and afterward returned into his owne country. But he sent his other sonne with an armie India minor against the Indians, who also subdued India minor. These Indians are the blacke Saracens, which are also called Æthiopians. But here the armie marched forward to fight against Christians dwelling in India major. Which the King of that countrey hearing (who is commonly called Presbiter John) gathered his souldiers together, and came The stratagem foorth against them. And making mens images of copper, of the king of he set each of them upon a saddle on horsebacke, and put fire within them, and placed a man with a paire of bellowes on the horse backe behinde every image. And so with many horses and images in such sorte furnished, they marched on to fight against the Mongals or Tartars. And comming neare unto the place of the battell, they first of all sent those horses in order one after another. But the men that sate behind laide I wote not what upon the fire within the images, and blew strongly with their bellowes. Whereupon it came to passe, that the men and the horses were burnt with wilde fire, and the ayre was darkened with smoake. Then the Indians cast dartes upon the Tartars, of whom many were wounded and slain. And so they expelled them out of their dominions with great confusion, neither did we heare, that ever they returned thither againe.