Chap. II. of W ILLIAM DE RUBRUQUIS. 59 1 
depofe the greateft Princes in Chriftendom, as the Cafe then 
was with the Emperor, or to fend them into the moil di- 
ftant Parts of the World, under Pretences of Religion, as 
appears from the Expeditions undertaken by his Matter 
King Louis , which were as unfortunate in their Event, as 
ill founded in their Principles. 
But it is now Time to add a few Obfervations withrefpedl 
to the Ufefulnefs of this Work, as it Hands in this Collec- 
tion, and to ftiew how far the Travels of Rubruquis con- 
tributed to make the Weftern Parts of the World acquaint- 
ed with the Paffages into the Eaft, as well as with what 
was doing there, and the Force of the feveral Monarchs 
that were in PoiTeffion of thofe Countries at the Time he 
vifited them. 
61. The Travels of Rubruquis are equally attonifhing in 
■whatever Light they are confidered. Take them with re- 
Ipedt to Length, and they extend to upwards of five thou- 
fand Miles one Way, and to near fix thoufand another. I 
mean from Conftantinople in his going out, and to Aeon or 
Rtolemais in his Return, which is fuch a Space of Ground 
as it will not be eafy to find any Man that has traverfed, 
and left us fo diftind an Account of what he has feen. But 
if Travels are not fo confiderable from their Length as from 
the Nature of the Countries that are travelled through, then 
here again is a new Proof of the Value of this Performance, 
fince it is certain no European , except John Carpin , ever 
travelled fo far before, neither have we any Accounts of 
Travels of the fame kind fince, that, only excepted, which 
follows in the next Sediion, and from which we have re- 
ceived here in Europe the firft certain Accounts of China , 
and the firft Notice we had of there being in the World 
fuch a Country as Japan. We fhall apprehend this Matter 
better, if we take a fhort View of the Countries through 
which our Monk patted by the Names they are known to 
us at prefent. It is plain, that from Conjiantinople he failed 
crofs the Black-Sea to the Port of Caff a ; from thence he 
travelled by Land all the reft of the Way, that is to fay, 
firft; through Grim T art ary, then crofling the great Rivers, 
fanais and Volga, he came into the Country of Bolgar , and 
to the Camp of Baatu , thence through the vaft Country 
of the Calmucks , and fo Nor th-Eaft ward to the Court of 
Mangu-Khan , which, according to his Defcription, mutt: 
have Jain in the Latitude of fifty Degrees North, or fome- 
what more, and confiderably higher than what is now called 
the Chinefe fartary. In his Return he patted thro’ all the 
vaft Defarts of Great fartary , though the Country of the 
Moguls , and fo by the Head of the Cafpian Sea, and then 
along the Weft Side of it through the Countries of Georgia , 
Armenia , Curdijlan , Diarbeck , and fo into Syria *, all which 
Countries then were, and moft of them are ftill, in the 
Hands of the fartars , of whom he has given us fuch an 
Account as is not only very confident with itfelf, and car- 
ries therein the ftrongeft Marks of Veracity, but is very 
agreeable alfo to the belt Accounts we have fince received 
©f thofe Countries. 
As our Author was not acquainted with the Language 
of the fartars , and did not remain long enough amongft 
them to acquire it in that Degree of Perfection which was 
necefiary to read and to underftand their Hiftories, we 
need not at all wonder at fome fmall Errors that have 
efcaped him in Points of no great Confequence. As for 
Inftance, in what he tells us of Zingis-Khan, who he makes 
a Farrier, as other Writers have done a Blackfmith, I fhall 
not trouble the Reader with Remarks on the right fpelling 
of this Word Zingis , which I have already given them as 
it ought to be fpelt, and have fince conformed to our Au- 
thor’s Manner of writing it, that the Reader might find lefs 
Difficulty in comparing this with other Books of the fame 
kind. I fay, I fhall not infill on fuch Trifles, but fhall 
content myfelf with obferving, that Zingis , however fpelt, 
is an Adjedtive, and fignifies properly the glittering or 
Ihinmg of Steel whence fprung the Notion, that this 
Prince was originally of fome Trade in which Iron or Steel 
was employed, becaufe all the fartars reprefented him as 
a Man, who from low Beginnings had raifed himfelf to 
tmiverfal Empire, and afperfed him at the fame time from 
the Confideration of his having deprived them of their 
Freedom and Independency , but among the fartars them- 
felves, this Appellation was, taken in an honourable Senfe, 
3 
Zingis fignifying with them illuftrious, and Zingis-Khan 
fignifies litterally, the moft illuftrious Monarch. 
As to the Religion of this Prince, it was undoubtedly 
that of his Country, concerning which we have a great deal 
in Rubruquis agreeable to what he faw and heard, but not 
fo clearly expreffed, as that we ftiould be able to fay pre- 
cifely what is the Faith of the fartars . Our Author is cer- 
tainly in the Wrong as to Prefbyter John , of whom fuch 
a Noife has been made in the World, and about whom fo 
little can ftill be faid with any Certainty. What led him 
into the Miftake was this ; fujan was the Khan of the 
Naymans , defeated and killed by Zingis-Khan , and it was 
from the Liken efs of his Name to John , that , our Author 
took it for granted he was that John the Prieft fo well 
known to the World. But after all, the Prefbyter John is 
ftill in being, and is no other than the grand Lama, or Su- 
preme Pontiff of the fartars , who refides, as we have be- 
fore obferved, in the Kingdom of fangut , and is in the 
Opinion of the whole far tar Nation, immortal. The 
Truth of the Matter is, that he is an Ecclefiaftical Prince, 
whofe Fame and Credit is very extenfive, tho 5 his Power 
be very reftrained. He refides in a Monaftery furrounded 
by his Monks, who, whenever he dies, fupply his Place 
from among themfelves, and keep this Secret fo religioufly, 
that all the f artars are as firmly perfuaded that their grand 
Lama lives for ever, as that the Sun always ffiines. This 
ferves to explain another Circumftance, that at firft Sight 
might feem very idle and ridiculous to the Reader, I mean 
the Queftion put to Rubruquis , whether the Pope was not 
four or five hundred Years old. It is very plain from 
hence, that they confidered the Pope as the grand Lama of 
the Weft, and having heard the Romijh Priefts infill much 
on the Perpetuity of the Church, they referred all this to 
the Perfon of the Pope, and fuppofed this Ipiritual Mo- 
narch to be immortal like their own. 
If I durft avow my own Sentiments plainly, I ftiould 
fay, that there is no better Evidence of the Idolatry of the 
fartars , than of the Papijis ; and this without intending 
any high Refledlion on the Members of the Romijh Church; 
for both have Images or Idols, both feem to worlhip them, 
and yet both when charged with it abfolutely deny the Fadt. 
Our Author plainly owns, that Mangu-Khan told him ex- 
prefsly he worlhipped but one God, and that the fartar 
Priefts, whom he charges very freely with Idolatry, dil- 
owned it themfelves, and affirmed that they reverence their 
Images only, and did riot worlhip them. But after all, 
it plainly appears, that they kept the Secret of their Reli- 
gion fo well, that our Author never fo much as heard of 
the Grand Lama, and confequently could know nothing 
at all of the Grounds of their Religion, which, to deal 
plainly with the Reader, remains full as great a Myftery to 
this Day. 
It is a Point that the fartars will never be brought to 
explain in any manner whatever \ and after all the Pains 
that I have been able to take in order to obtain fome fort 
of Certainty on this Head, I am able to fay no more of it 
than this, that whatDodlrines the Lamas or Priefts teach pub- 
lickly, are reftrained to thefe three Points : I. That there is 
one God the Fountain of Being, the Creator of all things, 
the Ruler of all things, and the foie Objedt of Divine Worlhip. 
II. That all Men in general are his Creatures, and therefore 
ought to confider each other as Brethren defeended from one 
common Parent, and alike entitled to all the Bleflings he 
bellows, and that therefore it is great Impiety to abufe thofe 
Bleflings, or to injure each other. III. That inafmuch as 
the common Reafon of Mankind hath taught them to 
eftablifh Property, it is neceffary that it it Ihould be pre- 
ferred, and that it is therefore the Duty of every Man to 
be content with his own, and to be juft to his Neighbours. 
This Religion thefe Priefts not only teach, but pradlife 
with irreproachable Exadlnefs ; and therefore Rubruquis 
very fairly owns, that the Regularity of their Manners hin- 
dered the Progrefs of the Chriftian Religion, not becaufe 
the Dodlrines of the latter were at all inferior in Sandlity to 
thofe of the former, but becaufe in point of Purity of 
Manners the Neftorians and other Chriftians were very 
deficient. * 
After Yetting this Subjedt in the bell Light we are able, 
the Reader will not find it at all difficult to apprehend a 
thing 
