A.D. 

 1246. 



Eldegay. 



Bathy heareth 

 the Legates. 



He behaves 

 himselfe like 

 a king. 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



none other cause, but only that if you intend any mischiefe 

 against our lord, or bring any poyson with you, fire may 

 take away all evill. Unto whom we answered, that to the 

 end we might cleare ourselves from all suspition of any 

 such matter, we were contented to passe through. When 

 therefore we were come unto the Orda, being demanded 

 by his agent Eldegay with what present or gift we would 

 do our obeisance ? Wee gave the same answere which we 

 did at the court of Corrensa. The gifts being given and 

 received, the causes of our journey also being heard, they 

 brought us into the tabernacle of the prince, first bowing 

 our selves at the doore, & being admonished, as before, 

 not to tread upon the threshold. And being entred, we 

 spake unto him kneeling upon our knees, & delivered 

 him our letters, and requested him to have interpreters to 

 translate them. Who accordingly on good friday were 

 sent unto us, and we together with them, diligently 

 translated our sayd letters into the Russian, Tartarian, and 

 Saracen languages. This interpretation was presented 

 unto Bathy, which he read, & attentively noted. At 

 length wee were conducted home againe unto our owne 

 lodging, howbeit no victuals were given unto us, except it 

 were once a litle Millet in a dich, the first night of our 

 comming. This Bathy caries himselfe very stately & 

 magnificently, having porters and all officers after the 

 maner of the Emperour, and sittes in a lofty seate or 

 throne together with one of his wives. The rest, namely, 

 as well his brethren and sonnes, as other great personages 

 sit underneath him in the midst upon a bench, and others 

 sit downe upon the ground, behinde him, but the men on 

 the right hand and the women on the left. He hath very 

 faire and large tentes of linnen cloth also, which were once 

 the kings of Hungaria. Neither dare any man come into 

 his tent (besides them of his owne family) unles he be 

 called, be he never so mighty and great, except perhaps it 

 be knowen that it is his pleasure. Wee also, for the same 

 cause, sate on the left hand ; for so doe all ambassadors in 

 but in returning from the Emperour, we were 

 164 



gouig 



