The Priest Sang Many Hymns, And Gave The Lady Some Incense In
Her Hand, Which She Threw Into The Fire,
And then the priests perfumed her.
After this she began to put off the ornaments of her head, called Bacca,
And I saw her bareheaded; but as we were now commanded to leave the chapel,
I know not what followed. As I was going out I saw a silver basin brought,
but I am ignorant if she was then baptized, but rather think not; because
at Easter I saw a fount consecrated with great solemnity, and some persons
baptized, but no such ceremony was seen on the present occasion, and I know
they do not celebrate the mass in a tent, but only in a standing church.
During our absence, Mangu-khan himself came to the chapel, into which a
golden bed was brought, on which he sat with his queen, opposite the altar.
We were then sent for, and a door-keeper searched us for concealed weapons.
On going in with a bible, and breviary in my bosom, I first bowed down
before the altar, and then made an obeisance to Mangu-khan, who caused our
books to be brought to him, and enquired the signification of the images or
pictures with which they were ornamented, to which the Nestorians answered
as they thought proper, because we had not our interpreter. Being desired
to sing a psalm after our manner, we chanted Veni sancte Spiritus. Then
the khan departed, but the lady remained, and distributed gifts to all the
Christians present. She gave the monk Sergius a jascot, and another to the
archdeacon of the Nestorians, and she caused a nassic or large cloth like
a coverlet, and a buckram, to be spread out before us; and as I declined
the offer, she sent them to our interpreter, who sold the nassic at Cyprus,
for eighteen gold sultanies, though it was much the worse for the carriage.
Then red wine, like that of Rochelle, and caracina and cosmos were brought,
and the lady holding a cupful in her hand, desired a blessing on her knees,
and she drank it up, we and all the priests singing with a loud voice.
Another time, when they were mostly all drunk, the carcass of a sheep was
brought in and presently devoured, and then some large fishes, resembling
our carp, which they eat without bread or salt. And when the lady was
drunk, she took her chariot and went away, the priests singing all the
while. Next Sunday, the son of the khan, by a Christian mother, came to the
chapel and acted in a similar manner, but not with so much solemnity, and
only gave the priests to drink, and some parched millet to eat. Before the
first Sunday in Lent, the Nestorians fast three days, which they call the
fast of Jonas; and the Armenians fast five days in honour of St Lorkis,
their tutelary saint. The Nestorians begin their fast on Tuesday and end it
on Thursday, and on Friday they bless the flesh, as if it were the Paschal
Lamb.
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