206 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. -[N.S., XOX, 
the presbyter’s father in obedience to a heavenly command, in 
the city of Bribric.! 
Yule thinks that Pope Alexander IILI.’s letter of 1177 was 
written to the Negus of Ethiopia and that it alluded to the 
vaunting epistle we have quoted, when it told Prester Juhn 
that, the less he boasted of his wealth and power, the more 
readily would he (the Pope) comply with his wishes about a 
Church at Rome, altars in Sts. Peter and Paul, and in the 
Church of our Lord’s Sepulchre at Jerusalem.’ 
_ But enough of that phantom being, Prester John. Let us 
return for a while to Mar John ITI. 
t will be remembered that the hymn quoted in the begin- 
ning of this chapter records also (stanza 4) the conversion of 
three kings by St. Thomas. Here too the hymn may have been 
inspired by Mar John III. Stanza 4 would embody Malabar 
traditions. Bishop Roz of Cranganor, writing in 1605 mentions 
the conversion by St. Thomas of three kings (other than the 
Magi?) and of three emperors.* The three emperors were 
those of Bisnaga, Malabar, and Pande. 
castes, embraced of their own accord the law of Thomas, it be- 
ing the law of truth; and he gave them the Holy Cross to 
adore.’ 
To interpret this passage we have fortunately the ‘ Malavar’ 
text and a Spanish translation, both in a letter of Father 
Anthony Monserrate, S.J. (Cochin, 1579). The two differ prob- 
ably not a little from each other; at any rate, the Span's 
t CE. 
of the letter. (tbid.) identifies doubtfully Salmagantum with 
Sarmagantum, Samarkand. Bribric I cannot trace. ‘ 
_2 Ibid., XIX (1885), pp. 715-716. Could Prester John’s letter, if 
written in 1165, as Yule thinks, have remained so long unanswered ? 
Prester John’s letter in Assemani says nothing about such wishes. 
Cf. our Pt. I, Ch. IT. 
_ + CF. Diogo do Couto, Da Asia, Decada VII, Bk X, Ch. V, p. 478 
(Lisboa, 1783) and P. F. Vincenzo Maria di S. Catharina da Siena. Il 
Viaggio del Indie Orientali, Roma, 1622, Bk. 2, Ch. 2, p. 137. Other 
authors mention Coromandel or Bisnaga, Malabar, and Pande (+¢- 
Madura). 
Since Cheralacone should represent the country cf the Keras oF 
Cheras, #.e. Malabar, Indalacone should represent Coromandel : age gai 
Encycl. Britann., XIX (1885), p. 715, col. 1, Yule's summary 
Yule (tb7 
