whether he were omnipotent, or if any of the inferior Gods were so?  And fearing to answer this, he demanded, “Why, since our God was perfectly good, he had made the half of all things evil?” To this I answered, that this was false; for whosoever maketh any evil is no God, and all things whatsoever are good.  At this all the Tuiuians were astonished, and set it down in writing as false or impossible.  He then asked me, “Whence cometh evil?” “You ask amiss,” said I, “for you ought first to inquire what evil is, before you ask whence it comes:  But let us return to the first question, whether do you believe that any God is omnipotent? and when that is discussed, I will answer whatever you may demand.”  On this he sat a long time without speaking, and the judges appointed by the khan commanded him to make answer.  At length he said, that no God was omnipotent; on which all the Saracens broke out into great laughter.  When silence was restored, I said, “None of your gods, therefore, can save you in all dangers, since chances may happen in which they have no power.  Besides, no man can serve two masters; how, therefore, can you serve so many Gods in heaven and in earth?” The auditory decreed that he should make answer to this, but he held his peace.

When I was about to have propounded reasons to prove the truth of the divine essence, and to have explained the doctrine of the Trinity, the Nestorians alleged that I had said quite enough, and that now they meant to speak; so I gave place to them.  When, therefore, they would have disputed with the Saracens, these men said that they agreed to the truth of the law and the gospel of the Christian, and would not dispute with them in any thing, and even confessed that they beg from God in their prayers that they may die the death of the Christians.  There was among the idolaters a priest of the sect of the Jugurs, who believe in one God, and yet make idols.  With this man the Nestorians talked much, shewing all things till the coming of Christ to judgment, and explaining the Trinity to him and the Saracens by similitudes.  All of them hearkened to their harangue without attempting to make any contradiction; yet none of them said that they believed and would become Christians.  The conference was now broken up.  The Nestorians and Saracens sang together with a loud voice, and the Tuinians held their peace; and afterwards they all drank together most plentifully.

SECTION XXXVIII.

The last audience of Rubruquis with Mangu-khan, and the letter he received for the King of France.