592 The VO YA GE S and TR A V ELS Book I, 
what extreamly puzzled, not only our Author, but all who 
have wrote of the Affairs of the Tartars , and it is this j 
that they are abfolutely indifferent as to other Religions, 
entertaining all with equal Reiped, whether Chrijiians , 
Mohammedans , or Jews, which proceeds from their finding 
the fundamental Principles of their own Religion taught by 
them all, and pradifed by none that come amongft them 
better than by themfelves, or by their Priefls. 
We find in Rubruquis , fome mention made of a Na- 
tion called Alhafifin , of whom it will be requifite to give 
the Reader fome Account ; they are the fame that are 
mentioned by our antient Hiftorians, under the feveral 
Names of Hajfejfins , AJfeJfms, AJfaJfins , AJfanites , and Cha- 
fians , and were in Truth as odd a Sort of People as ever 
exifted. They poffeffed a Trad of Country which con- 
tained twelve Cattles and Villages in the Neighbourhood 
of Tyre, were a mix’d Race of Men, and for a long time 
made no Profeffion of any Religion, but pradifed a loofe 
Kind of Mohammedifm , and were Tributaries, firft to the 
Knights Templars, and then to the Chriftian Earls of Tri- 
poly. In the eleventh Century, they would have declared 
themfelves Chriftians, if they might have been releafed 
from that Tribute ; but this was refufed, and they grew 
thenceforward the rnoft bitter Enemies the Chriftians had. 
Thefe People were governed by a Prince ftiled by our 
old Hiftorians, the old Man of the Mountain, who find- 
ing himfelf furrounded by States much more powerful 
than his own, aevifed a new and ftrange Way of making 
himfelf equally dreadful to his Neighbours and to Stran- 
gers. He gave out, that he only was the true Vicar 
of Mohammed, and that he had the Keys of Para- 
dife in his Hands: To fupport which Notion, he caufed 
a fine Garden to be laid out, in a Valley, near his Palace, 
adorned in every refpect, fo as to refemble the Paradife of 
that Prophet ; he likewife provided a fort of Opiate, and 
whenever he law a young Man of a daring and refolute 
Temper, he fent for him, and promifed him the perpe- 
tual Enjoyment of all fenfual Delights, if he would exe- 
cute boldly whatever he commanded ; and by way of ear- 
neft, having given him the Opiate to drink, caufed him to 
be carried while afleep into his Garden, where, when he 
awoke, he found every thing he could with for, and ma- 
ny beautiful Women to attend him ; when he had re- 
mained there a certain time, the Opiate was again admi- 
niftred, and he was conveyed back when afleep, to the 
Palace, where the old Man of the Mountain promifed 
him, that provided he fulfilled all his Commands during 
Life, he fhould dwell after Death perpetually in that 
Garden. 
By this Artifice, he eftablifhed an Order of Men ready 
to venture on whatever he commanded, and when any Prince 
made War upon him, he difpatched three or four of thefe 
young Villains to his Court, or Camp, with Inftrudions 
to murder him, which they never failed to perform. It 
was by their Hands that Louis of Bavaria was killed in 
the Year 1231, and in 1251, he difpatched four of them 
with the like Commiffion to the Court of Louis IX. but 
luddenly altering his Mind, he difpatched four more with 
counter Orders, who made fuch hafte, that they arrived 
at the French Court before the former, and difcovering 
themfelves to King Louis , remained always near his Per- 
fon, to preferve him from their Companions, whom they 
likewife difcovered at their Arrival, and for this Service, 
the French Monarch fent them back to their Matter, load- 
ed with Prefents. By this Means the old Man of the 
Mountain became terrible, even to the rnoft powerful Mo- 
narchs j and from the Pra&ice of his defperate Bravos, 
we have the Word Affaffins, and the Phrafe of Affaffina- 
tion, for Murders of this Nature. This Practice was con- 
tinued to the Time of which an Author fpeaks, a little 
ufter which, the whole Nation was extirpated by the 
Tartars. 
Thefe are all the Fads mentioned in his Writings, that 
feem to ftand in Need of Explanation, unlefs we except 
what he has delivered concerning the Witchcraft and Sor- 
ceries of the Tartars. As to thefe, we can only fay, that 
they are ftill much addided to fuch Superftitions, and are 
thereby expofed, as he has fhewn us, to many Impoftures, 
and abundance of Mifchiefs that attend them. But in one 
Particular he is miftaken, which is in confounding the Sor - 
cerers with the Lamas, or Tartar Priefts, whereas they 
are quite different Perfons. What he relates of the Di- 
vination by the Blade-bones, is confirmed by all other 
Travellers, and is a Sort of Folly pradifed by the Lap- 
landers and other northern Nations. A Folly ridiculous 
and abfurd indeed, but not more fo than the other Arts of 
Divination, which have prevailed in politer Countries, and 
which are not perhaps wholly extinguiftied at this Day. 
What he fays in relation to the fprinkling of Allies on 
the Floor, relates to another fuperftitious Cuftom of the 
fame kind, which gave Birth to that kind of Fortune- 
telling called Geomancy, which was transferred to Eu- 
rope and about which feveral Treatifes have been written, 
and one particularly in our own Tongue, not many Years 
ago, which I mention to ftiew not only the Probability of 
what Rubruquis has related, but likewife to demonftrate, 
that the giving into fuch foolilh Pradices is not peculiar to 
fuch Nations as we efteem barbarous ; though I fhall rea- 
dily allow, that it is a Mark of Stupidity and Barbarity 
where-ever it appears. 
We have no certain Account how this Relation of Ru- 
bruquis was received by the King his Matter, but in all Pro- 
bability it was very agreeable to him, fince, though that 
Prince, after his Return to France, took all imaginable 
Pains to fet the Affairs of his Kingdom in Order, and to 
reform the Abufes that had crept into it during his Ab- 
fence : Yet he ftill retained a ftrong Defire of repairing alfo 
the Dilgrace he had fuftained in his former Expedition,, 
by renewing the War againft the Infidels, which deter- 
mined him to make another Expedition againft them, 
and this, notwithftanding all the Oppofition that could be 
made to it, he undertook in the Spring of the Year 1270. 
He transported on this Occafion a numerous Army into 
Africa, refolving to begin the Operations of the War with 
reducing the Kingdom and City of Tunis, to which he 
laid Siege. But before he had made any great Progrels 
towards taking the Place, the Plague broke out in his 
Army, and the King being infe&ed therewith, died on 
the Twenty-fifth of Augujl the fame Year. 
The belt French Hiftorians, as well as thofe of other 
Nations, condemn thefe Kinds of Expeditions, as idle 
and romantick ; and yet it cannot be denied, that if thi^ 
Spirit of making War againft the Infidels had not been 
raifed at that Time, it is more than probable, that the 
Mohammedans would have over-run the beft Part of Eu- 
rope i whereas in confequence of this Spirit, they were 
driven out of Portugal and Spain , to which I muft crave 
Leave to add, that the Travels of Rubruquis, and others 
into different Parts of the Eaft, firft infpired that Paftion 
for Difcoveries, which has fince produced fuch mighty 
Effects. Before that Time, we knew little or nothing in 
this Part of the World of the Situation of diftant Coun- 
tries *, and thofe who affedted to be thought great Wits, la- 
boured to diferedit whatever was delivered in Relations of 
this Kind, which prevailed in fome Places ; and if it had 
prevailed in all, we had been, at this Day, as ignorant, as 
poor, and as much Slaves as our Anceftors were before 
that Spirit of Commerce arofe, that has not only difco- 
vered both the Indies, but has taught Men of Courage, 
that the whole World is their Country ; and that he who 
improves ufeful Knowledge , if not properly encou - 
raged at home, will be a welcome Gueft where-ever he 
goes. 
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SECTION 
