to be set down in writing.  After which, he asked who it was that your majesty made war against, as he had heard that you had departed from your own country with an army.  To which I answered, that you warred against the Saracens, because they had violated the house of God at Jerusalem.  He then asked if your majesty had ever before sent ambassadors to him.  And I said never to him.  He then desired us to be seated, and gave us to drink; and it is accounted a great favour when any one is admitted to drink cosmos in his house.  While I sat looking down upon the ground, he desired me to look up; either wishing to observe me more distinctly, or out of some superstitious fancy:  for these people look upon it as a sign of ill-fortune, when any one sits in their presence holding down his head in a melancholy posture, and more especially when he leans his cheek or chin upon his hand.

We then departed from the tent of audience, and immediately afterwards our guide came and told us, that, as our king had desired that we might remain in this country, Baatu could not consent to this without the knowledge and authority of Mangu-khan; and it was necessary, therefore, that I should go with the interpreter to Mangu, while my companion and the clerk should return to the court of Sartach, and remain there till my return.  On this the interpreter began to lament himself as a dead man; and my companion declared, that rather as separate from me, he would allow them to take off his head.  I added, that I could not possibly go without my interpreter, and that we should need two servants, that we might be sure of one in case of the other being sick.  Upon this the guide returned into the presence and reported to Baatu what we had said, who now gave orders that the two priests and the interpreter should go forwards to Mangu, but that the clerk must immediately return to Sartach; and with this answer the guide came to us.  When I now endeavoured to plead for the company of our clerk, he desired me to be silent; for as Baatu had already given the orders, they must be obeyed, and he dared not go again into the court.  Goset, our clerk, still had twenty-six yperperas remaining of the alms we had formerly received, ten of which he retained for himself and the servant, and gave us the remaining sixteen.  We then sorrowfully parted, the clerk returning to the court of Sartach, while we remained following the court of Baatu.  On Assumption eve, 14th August, our clerk arrived at the court of Sartach, and the next day the Nestorian priests were seen adorned in the vestments of which they had deprived us.

[1] The Greater Bulgaria of our author seems to comprehend the provinces of
    Astracan and Casan in Russia.—­E.

SECTION XXII.

The Journey to the Court of Mangu-khan.