I Request Of Your Magnificence, That, When I Have Delivered Your
Letters, It May Be Lawful For Me To Come
Back into your dominions; chiefly
because you have servants of our nation at Balac, who want a priest to
teach
Them and their children the law of our religion, and I would
willingly stay with them." He then asked whether I knew that our lords
would send me back to him? To this. I answered, "I know not what may be the
purpose of my sovereign; but I have licence to go wherever I will, where it
is needful to preach the word of God, and it seems to me necessary in these
parts; wherefore, whether my lords send ambassadors or not, if it is your
pleasure, I will return." Then, after a long pause, as if musing, he said,
"You have a lone way to go, make yourself strong with food, that you may be
enabled to endure the journey." So he ordered them to give me drink, and I
departed from his presence, and returned not again. From that time I could
have no time nor place to expound to him the catholic faith; for a man must
not speak before him, unless what he pleaseth to order or allow, except he
were an ambassador, who may speak what he will, and they always demand of
such whether he has any thing more to say.
The soothsayers are the priests of the Mongals, and whatever they command
to be done is performed without delay.
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