The
Monk Pretended That He Only Believed The Christians, Yet Would Have All To
Pray For Him; But In This Sergius Lied, For He Believes None, But All
Follow His Court As Flies Do Honey.
He gives to all, and all think they are
his familiars, and all prophecy prosperity to him.
Then we sat down before
the court, and they brought us flesh to eat, which I refused, saying, that
if they would provide for us, it ought to be at our house. They then
desired us to go home, as we were only sent for that we might eat. On my
return I called on the monk, who was ashamed of the lie he had told me, and
would not, therefore, say any more of the matter; yet some of the
Nestorians affirmed, that the khan had been baptized, but I said that I
would neither believe it, nor report it to others, as I had not been
present.
We came to our old empty house, where they provided us in bedding and
coverlids, and gave us some fuel They gave us the carcase of a small lean
sheep, as food for us three in six days, and lent us a pot and trivet to
boil our flesh, and gave us a platter of millet every day. We boiled our
meat first in water, and afterwards boiled our millet in the broth; and
that was our whole allowance, which would have sufficed if we had been
suffered to eat in peace, but there were many starved fellows about the
court that thrust themselves in among us, and insisted to partake. The cold
became very severe, and Mangu-khan sent us three fur coats, with the hair
outwards, which we thankfully received; but we represented that we had not
a house in which we could pray for the khan, our cottage being so small
that we could scarcely stand up in it, neither could we open our books on
account of smoke, after the fire was lighted. On this the khan sent to ask
the monk if he would be pleased with our company, who gladly received us;
and after this we had a better house before the court, where none lodged
but we and the soothsayers, they in front of the first lady, and we at the
farthest end, towards the east, before the palace of the last lady. We made
this alteration on the 13th of January.
Next morning all the Nestorian priests collected at the chapel, and smote
on a board, instead of ringing a bell. They then sang matins very
reverently, put on all their ornaments, and prepared the censer and
incense. After waiting some time, Cotata Caten[1], the principal wife of
the khan, came into the chapel, attended by many ladies, and having with
her Baltu, her eldest son, and several other children. All these prostrated
themselves, ducking after the manner of the Nestorians; they then touched
all the images and kissed their hands, and afterwards gave the right hand
of fellowship to all who stood beside them, which is the custom among the
Nestorians.
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