Wherefore, The Third Day After This, Namely, Vpon The Feast Of Saint Brice [Sidenote:

Nouember 13.], they gaue vs our passe-port and a Letter sealed with the Emperours owne seale, sending vs vnto the Emperours mother, who gaue vnto eche of vs a gowne made of Foxe skinnes, with the furre on the outside, and a piece of purple.

[Sidenote: They are rewarded with gifts.] And our Tartars stole a yard out of euery one of them. And out of that which was giuen vnto our seruant, they stole the better halfe. Which false dealing of theirs we knew well enough, but would make no words thereof.

Qualiter ab illo itinere redierunt. Cap. 33.

[Sidenote: Difficilis legatorum reditus.] Tunc iter ad reuertendum arripuimus, at per totam hyemem venimus, iacentes in desertis sapius in niue, nisi quantum poteramus nobis cum pede locum facere. Ibi quippe non erant arbores; sed planus campus. Et sape mane nos inueniebamus totos niue, quam ventus pellebat, coopertos. Sic venientes vsque ad Ascensionem Domini peruenimus ad Bathy. [Sidenote: Bathy.] A quo cum inquireremus, quid responderet Domino Papa, dixit se nolle aliud, nisi quod Imperator diligenter scripserat, demandare. Datisque nobis de conductu literis, ab eo recessimus, & sabbatho infra octauas Pentecostes vsque ad Montij peruenimus, vbi erant socij nostri, ac seruientes, qui fuerant retenti, quos ad nos fecimus reduci. [Sidenote: Corrensa.] Hinc vsque Corrensam peruenimus, cui iterum a nobis donaria petenti non dedimus, quia non habebamus. Deditque nobis duos Comanos, qui erant ex Tartarorum plebe, vsque ad Kiouiam Russia. Tartarus tamen noster non dimisit nos, donec exiremus vltimam Tartarorum custodiam. Isti vero alij, qui nobis a Corrensa dati sunt, in sex diebus ab vltima custodia vsque ad Kiouiam nos duxerunt. Venimus autem illuc ante festum Beati Iohannis Baptista xv. diebus. [Sidenote: Iunij 8. Gratulationes reducibus facta. Basilius & Daniel Principes.] Porro Kiouienses aduentum nostrum percipientes, occurrerunt nobis omnes latanter. Congratulabantur enim nobis, tanquam a morte suscitatis. Sic fecerunt nobis per totam Russiam, Poloniam & Bohemiam. Daniel & Wasilico frater eius festum nobis magnum fecerunt, & nos contra voluntatem nostram bene per octo dies tenuerunt. Medioque tempore inter se & cum Episcopis, caterisque probis viris, super his, qua locuti fueramus eisdem, in processu nostro ad Tartaros consilium habentes, responderunt nobis communiter, dicentes: [Sidenote: Russi agnoscunt primatum Papa.] quod Dominum Papam habere vellent in specialem Dominum, & in patrem, sanctam quoque Romanam Ecclesiam in dominam & magistram, confirmantes etiam omnia, qua prius de hac materia per Abbatem suum transmiserant. Et super hoc etiam nobiscum ad Dominum Papam nuncios suos & literas transmiserunt.

The same in English.

How they returned homewards. Chap. 33.

[Sidenote: The sore iourneys of the legates in returning.] Then taking our iourney to returne, we trauailed all Winter long, lying in the deserts oftentimes vpon the snow, except with our feete wee made a piece of ground bare to lye vpon. For there were no trees, but the plaine champion [Footnote: Champagne (Fr.) Open] field. And oftentimes in the morning, we found our selues all couered with snow driuen ouer vs by the winde. [Sidenote: Bathy.] And so trauailing till the feast of our Lordes Ascension, we arriued at the court of Bathy. Of whom when wee had enquired, what answere he would send vnto our Lord the Pope, he said that he had nothing to giue vs in charge, but onely that we should diligently deliuer that which the Emperour had written. And, hauing receued letters for our safe conduct, the thirteenth day after Pentecost, being Saterday, wee were proceeded as farre as Montij, with whome our foresaide associates and seruants remained, which were withheld from vs, and we caused them to be deliuered vnto vs. [Sidenote: Corrensa.] From hence wee trauailed vnto Corrensa, to whom, requiring gifts the second time at our hands, we gaue none, because we had not wherewithall. And hee appointed vs two Comanians, which liued among the common people of the Tartars, to be our guides vnto the citie of Kiow in Russia. Howbeit one of our Tartars parted not from vs, till we were past the vtmost gard of the Tartars. But the other guides, namely the Comanians, which were giuen vs by Corrensa, brought vs from the last garde vnto the citie of Kiow, in the space of sixe dayes. And there we arriued fifteene dayes before the feast of Saint Iohn Baptist. [Sidenote: Iune 8. How they were welcomed at their returne.] Moreouer, the Citizens of Kiow hauing intelligence of our approach, came foorth all of them to meet vs, with great ioy. For they reioyced ouer vs, as ouer men that had bene risen from death to life. So likewise they did vnto vs throughout all Russia, Polonia, and Bohemia. [Sidenote: Basilius and Daniel Princes.] Daniel and his brother Wasilico made vs a royall feast, and interteined vs with them against our willes for the space Of eight dayes. In the mean time, they with their Bishops, and other men of account, being in consultation together about those matters which we had propounded vnto them in our iourney towards the Tartars, answered vs with common consent, saying: that they would holde the Pope for their speciall Lord and Father, and the Church of Rome for their Lady & mistresse, confirming likewise al things which they had sent concerning this matter, before our comming, by their Abbate. And for the same purpose, they sent their Ambassadours and letters by vs also, vnto our Lord the Pope.

* * * * *

Itinerarium fratris Willielmi de Rubruquis de ordine fratrum Minorum, Galli, Anno gratia 1253. ad partes Orientales.

Excellentissimo Domino & Christianissimo, Lodouico Dei gratia Regi Francorum illustri, frater Willielmus de Rubruquis in ordine fratrum Minorum minimus salutem, & semper triumphare in Christo. Scriptum est in Ecclesiastico de sapiente [Marginal note: Ecclus 39. ver 4.], In terram alienarum gentium transibit, bona & mala in omnibus tentabit. Hoc opus, Domine mi Rex, feci: sed vltinam vt sapiens et non stultus. Multi enim faciunt quod facit sapiens, sed non sapienter, sed magis stulte; de quorum numero timeo me esse. Tamen quocunque modo fecerim; quia dixistis mihi quando recessi a vobis, vt omnia scriberem vobis, quacunque viderem inter Tartaros, & etiam monuistis vt non timerem vobis scribere longas literas, facio quod iniunxistis:

Enter page number Go  Previous Next
Page 43 of 82
Words from 42392 to 43413 of 82784