AD. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1253- 



A caveat right we were wel forewarned of this circumstance by some 

 worthy the which had been amongst the Tartars, that we should never 

 ^°^^i' varie in our tale. Then I besought him, that he would 



vouchsafe to accept that small gifte at our hands, excusing 

 my selfe that I was a Monke, and that it was against our 

 profession to possesse gold, or silver, or precious garments, 

 and therefore that I had not any such thing to give him, 

 howbeit he should receive some part of our victuals in 

 stead of a blessing. Hereupon he caused our present to be 

 received, and immediately distributed the same among his 

 men, who were mette together for the same purpose, to 

 drinke and make merrie. I delivered also unto him the 

 Emperor of Constantinople his letters (this was eight 

 dayes after the feast of Ascension) who sent them forthwith 

 to Soldaia to have them interpreted there : for they were 

 written in Greeke, and he had none about him that was 

 skilfull in the Greeke tongue. He asked us also whether 

 we would drink any Cosmos, that is to say mares milke } 

 (For those that are Christians among them, as namely the 

 Russians, Grecians, and Alanians, who keep their own law 

 very strictly, wil in no case drinke thereof, yea, they ac- 

 compt themselves no Christians after they have once drunke 

 of it, & their priests reconcile them unto the Church as 

 if they had renounced the Christian faith.) I gave him 

 answere, that we had as yet sufficient of our owne to 

 drinke, and that when our drinke failed us, we must be 

 constrained to drink such as should be given unto us. He 

 enquired also what was contained in our letters, which 

 your Majestie sent unto Sartach } I answered : that they 

 were sealed up, and that there was nothing conteined in 

 them, but good and friendly wordes. And he asked what 

 wordes wee would deliver unto Sartach ? I answered : the 

 words of Christian faith. He asked again what these 

 words were } For he was very desirous to heare them. 

 [I. 1 02.] Then 1 expounded unto him as well as I could, by mine 

 interpreter, (who had no wit nor any utterance of speech) 

 the Apostles creed. Which after he had heard, holding 

 his peace, he shooke his head. Then hee assigned unto us 



252 



