During These Visits, She Continued To Rally Me On My Silence, And
Endeavoured To Teach Me Their Language.
I honoured the monk Sergius as my bishop, because he could speak the
language, though he was totally uneducated; and I afterwards learnt, when I
came to his own country on my return, that he was no priest, but merely an
adventurous weaver.
In many things he acted in a way that much displeased
me, for he caused to be made for himself a folding chair such as bishops
use, and gloves, and a cap of peacocks feathers, with a small gold cross;
but I was well pleased with the cross. He had scabbed feet, which he
endeavoured to palliate with ointments[3]; was very presumptuous in speech,
was present at many of the vain and idolatrous rites of the Nestorians, and
had many other vanities with which I was much displeased. Yet we joined his
society for die honour of the cross, as he got a banner full of crosses on
a cane as long as a lance, and we carried the cross aloft through among all
the tents of the Tartars, singing Vexilla regis prodeant, &c. to the
great regret of the Mahometans, who were envious of our favour.
I was informed of a certain Armenian who came, as he said, from Jerusalem
along with the monk Sergius, carrying a silver cross of about four marks
weight, adorned with precious stones, which he presented to Mangu-khan, who
asked what was his petition.
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