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worthy the

noting.

A caveat right we were wel forewarned of this circumstance by some which had been amongst the Tartars, that we should never varie in our tale. Then I besought him, that he would vouchsafe to accept that small gifte at our hands, excusing my selfe that I was a Monke, and that it was against our profession to possesse gold, or silver, or precious garments, and therefore that I had not any such thing to give him, howbeit he should receive some part of our victuals in stead of a blessing. Hereupon he caused our present to be received, and immediately distributed the same among his men, who were mette together for the same purpose, to drinke and make merrie. I delivered also unto him the Emperor of Constantinople his letters (this was eight dayes after the feast of Ascension) who sent them forthwith to Soldaia to have them interpreted there: for they were written in Greeke, and he had none about him that was skilfull in the Greeke tongue. He asked us also whether we would drink any Cosmos, that is to say mares milke? (For those that are Christians among them, as namely the Russians, Grecians, and Alanians, who keep their own law very strictly, wil in no case drinke thereof, yea, they accompt themselves no Christians after they have once drunke of it, & their priests reconcile them unto the Church as if they had renounced the Christian faith.) I gave him answere, that we had as yet sufficient of our owne to drinke, and that when our drinke failed us, we must be constrained to drink such as should be given unto us. He enquired also what was contained in our letters, which your Majestie sent unto Sartach? I answered: that they were sealed up, and that there was nothing conteined in them, but good and friendly wordes. And he asked what wordes wee would deliver unto Sartach? I answered: the words of Christian faith. He asked again what these words were? For he was very desirous to heare them. Then I expounded unto him as well as I could, by mine interpreter, (who had no wit nor any utterance of speech) the Apostles creed. Which after he had heard, holding his peace, he shooke his head. Then hee assigned unto us

[I. 102.]

two men, who shoulde give attendance upon our selves, upon our horses, and upon our Oxen. And hee caused us to ride in his companie, till the messenger whome hee had sent for the interpretation of the Emperours letters, was returned. And so wee traveiled in his companie till the morowe after Pentecost.

Howe the Alanians came unto us on Pentecost or Whitson even. Chap. 13.

Pon the even of Pentecost, there came unto us cer

of

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taine Alanians, who are there called *Acias, being *Or, Akas. Christians after the maner of the Grecians, using greeke bookes and Grecian priests: howbeit they are not schismatiques as the Grecians are, but without acception of persons, they honour al Christians. And they brought unto us sodden flesh, requesting us to eat of their meat, and to pray for one of their company being dead. Then I sayd, because it was the even of so great and so solemne a feast day, that we would not eate any flesh for that time. And I expounded unto them the solemnitie of the sayd feast, whereat they greatly rejoyced: for they were ignorant of all things appertayning to Christian religion, except only the name of Christ. They and many other Christians, both Russians, and Hungarians demanded of us, whether they might be saved or no, because they were constrained to drinke Cosmos, & to eate the dead carkases of such things, as were slaine by the Saracens, and other infidels? Which even the Greeke & Russian priests themselves also esteeme as things strangled or offered unto idoles : because they were ignorant of the times of fasting, neither could they have observed them albeit they had knowen them. Then instructed I them aswell as I could and strengthened them in the faith. As for the flesh which they had brought we reserved it untill the feast day. For Cloth is the there was nothing to be sold among the Tartars for gold chiefe march& silver, but only for cloth and garments, of the which andise in kind of marchandise wee had none at all. When our servants offered them any coine called Yperpera, they

Tartarie.

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rubbed it with their fingers, and put it unto their noses, to try by the smell whether it were copper or no. Neither did they allow us any foode but cowes milke onely which was very sowre & filthy. There was one thing most necessary greatly wanting unto us. For the water was so foule and muddy by reason of their horses, that it was not meete to be drunk. And but for certaine bisket, which was by the goodnes of God remaining unto us, we had undoubtedly perished.

Of a Saracen which said that he would be baptized and of certaine men which seemed to be lepers. Chap. 14.

UPon

[Pon the day of Pentecost there came unto us a certain Saracen, unto whome, as hee talked with us, we expounded the Christian faith. Who (hearing of Gods benefits exhibited unto mankind by the incarnation of our Saviour Christ, and the resurrection of the dead, & the judgement to come, & that in baptisme was a washing away of sinnes) sayd, that hee would be baptized. But when we prepared our selves to the baptizing of him, he suddenly mounted on horsebacke, saying that he would goe home and consult with his wife what were best to be done. And on the morrow after he told us, that he durst in no case receive baptisme, because then he should drinke no more Cosmos. For the Christians of that place affirme that no true Christians ought to drinke thereof: and that without the said liquor he could not live in that desert. From which opinion, I could not for my life remove him. Wherefore be it knowen of a certainty unto your highnes, that they are much estranged from the Christian faith by reason of that opinion which hath bin broached & confirmed among them by the Russians, of whom there is a great multitude in that place. The same day Scacatay the captaine aforesayd gave us one man to conduct us to Sartach, and two other to guide us unto the next lodging, which was distant from that

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place five dayes journey for oxen to travell. They gave unto us also a goate for victuals, and a great many bladders of cowes milke, & but a little Cosmos, because it is of so great estimation among them. And so taking our journey directly toward the North, me thought that wee had passed through one of hell gates. The servants which conducted us began to play the bold theeves with us, seeing us take so little heed unto our selves. At length having lost much by their theevery, harme taught us wisdome. And then we came unto the extremity of that province, which is fortified with a ditch from one sea unto another: without the bounds wherof their lodging was situate. Into the which, so soone as we had entred, al the inhabitants there seemed unto us to be infected with leprosie: for certain base fellowes were placed there to receive tribute of al such as tooke salt out of the salt Salt pits. pits aforesaid. From that place they told us that we [I. 103.] must travel fifteen daies journey, before we shuld find any other people. With them wee dranke Cosmos, and gave unto them a basket full of fruites and of bisket. And they gave unto us eight oxen and one goate, to sustaine us in so great a journey, and I knowe not how bladders of milke. And so changing our oxen, Ten dayes many we tooke our journey which we finished in tenne journey. dayes, arriving at another lodging: neither found we any water all that way, but onely in certaine ditches made in the valleys, except two small rivers. And from the time wherein wee departed out of the foresaid province of Gasaria, we travailed directly Eastward, having a Sea on the South side of us, and a waste desert on the North, which desert, in some places, reacheth twenty dayes journey in breadth, and there is neither tree, mountaine, nor stone therein. And it is most excellent pasture. Here the Comanians, which were called Capthac, were wont to feede their cattell. Howbeit by the Dutch men they are called Valani, and the province it selfe Valania. But Isidore calleth all that

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Comania.

The length of tract of land stretching from the river of Tanais to the lake of Mæotis, and so along as farre as Danubius, the countrey of Alania. And the same land continueth in length from Danubius unto Tanais (which divideth Asia from Europe) for the space of two moneths journey, albeit a man should ride poste as fast as the Tartars use to ride and it was all over inhabited by the Comanians, called Capthac: yea and beyond Tanais, as farre as the river of Edil or Volga: the space betweene the two which rivers is a great and long journey to bee travailed in ten dayes. To the North of the same province lieth Russia, which is full of wood in all places, and stretcheth from Polonia and Hungaria, even to the river of Tanais: and it hath bene wasted all over by the Tartars, and as yet is daily wasted by them.

Russia.

Prussia.

Of our afflictions which we sustained: and of the Comanians maner of buriall. Chap. 15.

the

Hey preferre the Saracens before the Russians, because they are Christians, and when they are able to give them no more golde nor silver, they drive them and their children like flockes of sheepe into the wildernes, constraining them to keepe their cattell there. Beyond Russia lieth the countrey of Prussia, which the Dutch knights of the order of Saint Maries hospitall of Jerusalem have of late wholly conquered and subdued. And in very deede they might easily winne Russia, if they would put to their helping hand. For if the Tartars should but once know, that the great Priest, that is to say, the Pope did cause the ensigne of the crosse to bee displaied against them, they would flee all into their desert and solitarie places. We therefore went on towards the East, seeing nothing but heaven and earth, and sometimes the sea on our right hand, called the Sea of Tanais, and the sepulchres of the Comanians, which appeared unto us two leagues off, in which places they were wont to burie their kinred