Brief Biography: Bar Sauma, born in Tai-tu (
Brief Itinerary: Leaving Taitu shortly
after Marco Polo arrived in
THE MONKS
OF KUBLAl KHAN
EMPEROR OF
OR
THE HISTORY OF THE LIFE AND TRAVELS OF
RABBAN SAWMA, ENVOY AND
PLENIPOTENTIARY
OF THE MONGOL KHANS TO THE KINGS OF
ALLAHA III BECAME PATRIARCH OF THE
TRANSLATED FROM THE SYRIAC
BY
SIR E. A. WALLIS BUDGE, KT.
M.A., LITT.D. (
D.LIT. (DURHAM), F.S.A.
Sometime Keeper of Egyptian and
Assyrian Antiquities,
Corresponding Member of the
Corresponding Member of the
Philosophical Society of
With 16 plates and 6
illustrations in the text
THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY
First published in 1928
[All rights reserved]
Made in
Printed by Harrison & Sons,
Ltd.,
TO
THE RIGHT REVEREND
FREDERIC LLEWELYN DEANE, D.D.
BISHOP OF
BISHOP BELOVED OF THE OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE
APOSTOLIC " FISHERS OF MEN," GREAT FISHER OF FISH IN
" THAT GO DOWN TO THE SEA IN SHIPS AND OCCUPY THEIR
BUSINESS IN GREAT WATERS"
WITH THE REVERENCE, SYMPATHY AND AFFECTIONATE
ESTEEM OF THE TRANSLATOR
' The figures in heavy type within brackets on this and following pages
refer to the numbers of the pages in Bedjan's edition (the second) of the Syrian
text, and are added to facilitate reference to this text.
124 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
CHAPTER I.
THE HISTORY OF RABBAN SAWMA.
There was a certain man who was a believer, and he was a nobleman and a
fearer of God. He was rich in the things of this world, and he was well endowed
with the qualities of nature; he belonged to a famous family and a well-known
tribe. His name was SHIBAN the Sa'ora (i.e. the Inspector or Visitor--Periodeutes).
He dwelt in the city which is called KHAN BALIGH or KHAN BALIK (i.e.
HISTORY OF RABBAN SAWMA 125
receiveth; and he who seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it is opened to him " (Matt. vii. 8), He said, confidently concerning the certain hope. And behold, this is performed for both orders (i.e. sexes), namely, men and women, when petitions are presented with a right intention. For behold, Hanna, the wife of Halkana was not prohibited, seeing that she made entreaty with a right object (I Sam. i. 10 ff.), and the wife of Menokh (Manoah) was not rejected, and she received the angel readily in her chamber (Judges xiii. 2 f.).
Now God made the spirit of conception to breathe upon the woman Keyamta, and she brought forth a (5) son, and they called his name " SAWMA" [i.e. the son who was obtained by fasting; his full name was " BAR SAWMA," i.e.; the " son of the fast."]. And they rejoiced [with] a great joy, neighbours of his family and his relations rejoiced at his birth.
And when they had brought him (after a praiseworthy system of education) to
the period when he was capable of receiving instruction, they handed him over to
a worthy teacher, and before him (i.e. under his direction) they trained
him diligently in ecclesiastical learning; and they betrothed him to a maiden
and rejoiced in him. He was held to be worthy to receive the grade of priest,
and he was numbered among the ranks (?) of the clergy, and he became Keeper in
126 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
the church of above-mentioned city. He led a life of strict chastity and humility, and he devoted himself with great diligence to the acquisition of spiritual excellences, and he struggled to make himself fit for the things of the world which is to come. And when he was twenty years of age the divine fire was kindled in his heart, and it burned up the brambles (or thorny growth) of sin, and cleansed his chaste soul from impurity and contamination of every kind. For he preferred more than any other thing whatsoever the love of his Lord, and, grasping the plough, he was unwilling to look behind him (Luke ix. 62). He cast away forthwith the shadow of the world, and renounced straightway the desirable things thereof. (6) He esteemed dainty meats as things which had no existence, and he rejected wholly the drinks which make a man drunk.
Now when his parents perceived this, great pain overtook them, and acute sorrow cleaved to them, because their only son was separating himself from them. They rose up and with broken hearts made supplication to him, and brought before him promises of things of this world, saying, "Why, O our precious son, is separation from us beloved by thee? How is it that our affliction is desired by thee? Why is our mourning sweet in thy sight? Consider now. To whom will our wealth revert? Think, who is our heir? Ponder well who will be the master of the [produce of] our toil?
HISTORY OF RABBAN SAWMA 127
How can it possibly be pleasing to thee for our seed and name to be blotted out? Why doth the thought of thy heart suggest that strangers should be our heirs?" And having persuaded him with tears in this manner, and having stirred up grief in him by their lamentation and talk similar [to that given above], he hearkened to them outwardly, and dwelt with them as far as his body was concerned, but very unwillingly. And during the three years in which he ministered to his parents according to the body, he never (7) ceased from his toil, and he contended continually in his laborious career.
And when [his parents] saw that their exhortations were of no avail, and
that, in comparison with the love of Christ, their words were accounted as
nothing, they left him to perform his desire. Then he divided all his
possessions, that is to say, his apparel and his clothing generally (or
furniture), among the poor, and took the garb of the monk; and he received the
tonsure from the holy and pious father, Mar Giwargis (George) the Metropolitan.
And he began to toil in the vineyard of his Lord with the hope of the kingdom
which is to come, and the confidence the possession of heavenly happiness, and
that he would receive the whole dinar as his wages. (Matt. xx. 1-16). He
set apart a cell for himself and he shut himself up therein seven years; and
after that [period] he decided to remove
128 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
himself from the children of men, and to practice himself in the ascetic life in the mountain, in a place which was wholly isolated, so that he might rest there [undisturbed] in his life as a recluse. Then he set out and went a journey of one day from their [i.e. his parents'] city, and he elected to dwell there. And he found (8) a certain place where there was a cave, and there was by the side of it in that mountain a spring of water. And he dwelt there peacefully and thanked his Lord, which held him to be so worthy that at length the report of him went forth in that region, and men used to gather together about him to hear his words, and honour was set apart for him (i.e. ascribed to him) by every man.
CHAPTER II.
THE HISTORY OF MAR YAHBH-ALLAHA,
THE CATHOLICUS AND PATRIARCH OF THE EAST.
In the foreknowledge of God everything is known. And the thoughts of the
children of men, whether they belong to the right hand (i.e. be good), or
whether they belong to the left hand (i.e. be bad), all of them, even
before they are formed in the breast, are revealed unto Him. He therefore, in
accordance with their character, elects and makes righteous [if they be good],
and because of them [if they be bad] He chastiseth and punisheth. Now unto Moses
it was said, "Behold, I have given thee [as] God to Pharaoh." (Exod.
vii. I). And his election maketh known concerning the good disposition [of
Moses] (9) and the hardness of the heart of Pharaoh. For even before
Pharaoh existed, it was known [to God] that he would be hard: [of heart], and he
was rejected. For unto Jeremiah God said, " Before I had formed thee in the
belly I knew thee, 'and before thou didst go forth from the womb I sanctified
thee and gave thee to be a prophet to the nations" (Jer. i. 5). And Paul
said, "God hath not cast aside His people who from the very beginning were
known to Him" (Rom. xi. I, 2),
130 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
because assuredly, of [their] good will and pure thoughts. Now, certain characteristics of election make themselves visible in the person of him that is elected, and certain radiances shine forth from him which makes known that he is worthy of grace. The man who hath an enlightened mind perceiveth these, but the man who hath not an understanding mind knoweth them not. Since the person about whom we are going to speak was elected because of his superior discipline (or, exalted life), it is necessary for us to describe the manner of his election, and show how of a certainty it contributed to the perfect will.
There was, in the city of
[The text is defective here, or some words have been omitted.]
HISTORY OF YAHBH-ALLAHA 131
and they admonished (or exhorted) him concerning these and much like matters, and it seemed to them that they might be talking rather to a statue than to a rational man. But even after suffering affliction in many ways he did not turn back from his course, and his mind did not resist from its quest. On the contrary he made straight his aim, and after fifteen days of great labour he arrived at the place where RABBAN SAWMA was. And he gave the salutation of peace to RABBAN SAWMA, who rejoiced in him and received him gladly.
And after MARK had rested and was refreshed RABBAN SAWMA asked him, saying, "My son, whence comest thou? And how did it happen to thee that thou hast come to this mountain? (11) In what city do thy kinsfolk dwell? Who is thy father, and whose son art thou? "
And MARK answered him, saying, " I am the son of Bayniel the archdeacon
of the city of
And RABBAN SAWMA said unto him, "What is thy reason for coming to me
with such labour and fatigue?" And MARK said unto him, "I wish to
become a monk (or anchorite). Because I heard the report of thee I dropped
everything and have sought thee; deprive me not of my desire." And RABBAN
SAWMA said unto him, "O our brother, this path is difficult. Even the old
[and experienced] monks endure the hardness
132 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
thereof with the greatest difficulty; shall I permit youths and children to
Journey on it?" And having besought him for many reasons to return to his
parents, and MARK having refused to do so, RABBAN SAWMA admitted him [to his
cell] and taught him; and he clothed him in a woollen garment, and made him to
labour in the ascetic life. After three years MARK received the tonsure, that is
to say the garb of the monk, from the pious Metropolitan MAR NESTORIS (Nestorius)
on the first day of the week, or the Sunday [when the prayer beginning] "Rukha
Paraklita" is said. And he continued to perform many ascetic labours and
kept the fasts which lasted all day until the evening. And [the monks] in that
mountain used to toil in (12) the cultivation of purity and holiness, and
they were comforted by God unto Whom they had committed their souls.
CHAPTER III.
RABBAN SAWMA AND RABBAN MARKOS WISH
TO GO
TO
One day they meditated, saying, "It would be exceedingly helpful to us
if we were to leave this region and set out for the West, for we could then
[visit] the tombs of the holy martyrs and Catholic Fathers and be blessed [by
them]. And if Christ, the Lord of the Universe, prolonged our lives, and
sustained us by His grace, we could go to
134 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
submit to what was evil for his sake, they rose up and distributed their furniture, and the objects which they used in everyday life, among the poor, and they went to that city (i.e. Pekin) so that they might take companions for the journey [i.e. join a caravan] and provide themselves with food for the way.
Now when the Christians who were living there became acquainted with them, and knew their intention, they gathered together about them so that they might make them abandon their plan. And they said [unto them}, "Peradventure ye do not know how very far off that region is to which ye would go? Or, perhaps ye have not the least idea in your minds, or have forgotten, how difficult it will be for you to travel over the roads, and that ye will never reach there? Nay, sit ye down here, and strive to perform the works whereunto ye have been called. For it is said, 'The kingdom of heaven is within you'" (Luke xvii. 21). And RABBAN SAWMA and RABBAN MARK replied, "It is a long time since we (14) put on the garb of the monastic life, and we have renounced the world; we consider ourselves to be dead men in respect of it. Toil doth not terrify us, neither doth fear disturb us. There is, however, one thing which we ask of you: for the love of Christ pray for us. And ye shall cast away the word which would produce doubt (or hesitation), and shall make supplication to God that our desire may be
TRAVELS OF SAWMA AND MARKOS 135
fulfilled." [And the Christians of that city] said, "Depart in peace." And they kissed each other, and parted with bitter tears and distressful words, saying, "Depart in peace. And may our Lord, Whom ye seek, be with you, and may He allot to you that which is pleasing to Him, and will be of help to you! Amen."
And RABBAN SAWMA and RABBAN MARK came to the city of
And the report of the arrival of the two monks reached the lords of that city, KONBOGHA (i.e. Sun-worshipper) and IFOGHA (or IBOGHA) (i.e. Moon-worshipper), the sons-in-law of the King of Kings, KUBLAI KHAN (Plate XII), and as soon as they heard the report they sent messengers and had
136 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
the two monks brought to the Camp. And they received them with gladness, and the fire of love for them burned in their breasts. And when the Lords knew that they were "going to flee from us," they began to say unto them, "Why are ye leaving this country of ours and going to the West? For we have taken very great trouble to draw hither monks and fathers from the West. How can we allow you to go away?" RABBAN SAWMA said unto them, "We (16) have cast away the world. And as long as we live in the society of men there will be no peace to us. Therefore it is right that we should flee because of the love of Christ, Who gave Himself unto death for our redemption. Whatsoever is in the world we have cast behind us. Although your love moveth us not to depart, and your gracious goodness would hold us fast, and your alms are bestowed upon us lavishly; and although it is grateful to us to sojourn with you, we remember the Lord's word which saith, 'What shall it profit a man if he possess the whole world and lose his soul? And what shall a man give as a substitute for his soul?' (Matt. xvi. 26). We earnestly desire the separation, but wherever we shall be we shall always remember, according to our feebleness, both by night and by day, your kingdom in [our] prayers."
And when the Lords of the city saw that their words had no effect upon them, and that they would
TRAVELS OF SAWMA AND MARKOS 137
not yield to their persuasion, they selected for them gifts, namely, beasts on which to ride, and gold, and silver, and wearing apparel [and rugs]. Then the two monks said, "We have no need of any [of these things]. For what can we do with these possessions? (17) And how can we possibly carry such a weight [as] this?" And the kings mentioned above replied, "Ye have no knowledge of the length of this journey, and the expenses which it demands. We, however, do know, and we advise you not to set out empty [handed]; if ye do ye will be unable to arrive at the place which ye have decided to be your destination. Accept then these gifts from us as a loan (or trust), and if some occasion of necessity should befall you, spend what ye need from them; if, on the other hand, the necessity does not arise, and ye arrive safe and sound, distribute them among the monasteries and habitations of the monks which are there, and the Fathers (i.e. Bishops), so that we may enjoy association with our Western Fathers. For it is said, 'Let your superfluity be [a supply] for those who are in want' " (2 Cor. viii. 13). Then the two monks, seeing that the kings were giving with a sincere heart, accepted what they gave to them. And they bade farewell to them sorrowfully, and they shed tears wherewith joy was mingled.
And they came from thence to the city of
138 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
a country in
And from there they went to the country of LOTON [? KHOTAN, or HO-THIAN, or YUTHIAN, a city between TANGOTH and KASHGAR], a toilsome and fatiguing journey of two months; the region was a bare and barren desert and it was without inhabitants, because its waters were bitter, and no crops are sown there. And on the whole journey there were only eight days when, with the greatest difficulty, was sweet water found which the travellers could carry with them.(1) And in the days when they arrived at LOTON it happened that a war was raging between the King of Kings (19) KUBLAI KHAN and King OKO ['O-'ho, Commander-in-chief of the army of Mien?].
(1) Or perhaps the meaning is, "was sweet water found wherewith to load (i.e. to fill) the water-skins."
TRAVELS OF SAWMA AND MARKOS 139
And OKO had fled from him and had entered [this] country, and destroyed thousands of men therein. The caravan roads and ways had been cut, and grain (?) was scarce and could not be found; and many died of hunger and perished through want.
And after six months the two monks went forth from that place and came to the
country of KASHKAR [or KASHGAR, a city on the frontiers of
And they came to the place where King KAIDO [a nephew of KUBLAI KHAN] was
encamped by the Teleos (i.e. TALAS). And they went into his presence, and prayed
that his life would be preserved, and they blessed his kingdom, and they asked
him for a written order so that no man in his country might do them harm. And
with the greatest difficulty (20) and in a state of exhaustion whereto
fear was added, they arrived at KHORASAN, [a province of north-eastern
140 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
which was in the neighbourhood of the city of
And having enjoyed the conversation of those brethren they set out to go to
ADHORBIJAN [a frontier
TRAVELS OF SAWMA AND MARKOS 141
we have seen the glorious and spiritual face of our General Father." And
when he asked them, "Whence [come] ye?" they replied, "From the
countries of the East, from KHAN BALIK, the city of the King of Kings [KUBLAI]
KHAN. We have come to be blessed by you, and by the Fathers (i.e. Bishops), and
the monks, and the holy men of this quarter of the world. And if a road [openeth]
to us, and God hath mercy upon us, we shall go to
And when the Catholicus saw their tears, and that they were moved with gladness at their meeting with him, his mercy showed itself unto them, and he comforted them and said unto them, Assuredly, O my sons, the Angel of Providence shall protect you on this difficult journey, and he shall be a guide unto you until the completion of your quest. Let not your toil make you sad, for it is said in the Prophet (22) 'Those who sow in tears, shall reap in joy' (Ps. cxxvi. 5). That for which ye hope ye shall attain, and in return for the sufferings and tribulations which ye will have to bear, ye shall receive a perfect recompense and wages twofold in this world, and never-failing good things and never-ending delights in the world which is to come." And they did homage to him, and gave thanks to him.
And having enjoyed intercourse with him for a few days they brought forward [the following]
142 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
request: " If we have found mercy (i.e. favour) in the eyes of Mar our
Father, let him permit us to go to
And when the Catholicus saw the beauty of their object, and the innocence of their minds, and the honesty of their thoughts, he said unto them, "Go ye, my sons, and may Christ, the Lord of the Universe, grant unto you your petition (23) from His rich and overflowing treasury, and may He grant you a full measure of His grace, and may His compassion accompany you whithersoever ye go. And he wrote for them a pethikha (i.e. a letter of introduction) to these countries so that they might be honourably entreated whithersoever they went; and he sent with them a man to show them the way, and to act as guide along the roads.
And they arrived in
TRAVELS OF SAWMA AND MARKOS 143
(or relics?) of that country. And from there they turned back and came to the
country of BETH GARMAI, and they received blessings from the shrine (or tomb) of
MAR EZEKIEL [the prophet, near Dakok], which was full of helps and healings. And
from there they went to ARBIL, and thence to MAWSIL (i.e.
Now when MAR DENHA or DENKHA, the Catholicus, heard of their manner of life, he sent and asked them to go to him; and they went forthwith and gave him the customary salutation.
And he said unto them, " We have heard that ye
144 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
have been received into a monastery. This however, doth not please us. For
whilst the two of you sojourn in the monastery ye will be able to make perfect
your own peace (or rest), and that is all that ye will do, but if ye abide with
us ye will bring benefit and peace (or rest) to the whole community. Therefore
stay ye with us, and support the Door of the Kingdom [compare Sublime Porte] in
whatever manner cometh to your hands." And they said unto him,
"Whatsoever thou commandest (25), O our Father, we will do."
And the Catholicus said unto them, "Ye shall go to King ABGHA [or ABAGHA
KHAN, or ABAKA KHAN, the son and successor of HULAGU KHAN, and great grandson of
Chingiz Khan, who ascended the throne of Persia as the second Mongol Khan in
1265], and obtain for us PUKDANE (i.e. written orders, or letters patent
confirming his appointment as Catholicus)." And the two monks said unto
him, "Thus shall it be, but let Mar our Father send with us a man who shall
take the Pukdana [from the king] and give it to him (i.e. the Catholicus),
and we will go on from there to
And when the two monks went to the Blessed Camp, the Amirs brought them in
before the King, and he asked them about the object of their coming, and what
their native country was;
TRAVELS OF SAWMA AND MARKOS 145
and they made a reply to him which revealed unto him their object. And ABHGHA
KHAN commanded the nobles of his kingdom to fulfil their petition, and to give
them the written orders (Pukdane)which they had asked for. And the two
monks sent the written order which Mar Catholicus had demanded to him by the
hands of his messenger, and they and their companions set out for
And when they arrived at the city of
146 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
CHAPTER IV.
RABBAN MARK IS ORDAINED METROPOLITAN, AND IS CALLED MAR YAHBH-ALLAHA, AND RABBAN
SAWMA BECOMES VISITOR-GENERAL
And the two monks turned back and came to Mar Catholicus, who rejoiced [at
the sight of] them, and said unto them, "This is not the time for a journey
to
RABBAN MARK IS ORDAINED 147
will reveal our thought, and show forth what is hidden in our heart.
" We have not come from that country (i.e.
1 The terseness of this sentence renders it almost ununderstandable. The Patriarch having decided to make Mark Metropolitan Bishop, wished to give him a Syriac name, and to hear him called "Mar(i)" i.e. "My Lord," but he could not make up his mind as to the name Mark should in future be known by. Therefore, he resorted to "pious divinations." He wrote certain names on slips, and laid them face downwards on the Altar and, presumably, prayed. Whether someone, either the Patriarch or a Priest, then drew out a slip as in a lottery, or whether the slip bearing the chosen name separated itself from the other slips under some supernatural influence, cannot be said.
148 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
the name of YAHBH-ALLAHA came forth, and the Catholicus said, "This is from
the blessed Lord, blessed be He!" And they were each worthy [of honour].
And RABBAN MARK received the rank of Metropolitan of the See of KATI [i.e. Kathay,
or
And after a few days a report came to the effect that the road by which they had travelled there was wholly cut off, and that it was impossible for any man to use it, for the hearts of the kings of the two frontiers were changed [i.e. were hostile to each other and they were fighting], namely, the king on the one side of the [river] GIHON (i.e. the Oxus), and the king of the other side. And therefore the luminaries (i.e. RABBAN
RABBAN MARK IS ORDAINED 149
SAWMA and MARK the Metropolitan) returned to the monastery of MAR MICHAEL of
TAR'IL, and they sat down in their cell for two years, more or less.
And one night when MAR YAHBH-ALLAHA was sleeping he saw a dream, and it seemed to him that he went into a great church, and that there were in the church images of the saints, and that in the midst of them there was the CROSS (30). And he stretched out his right arm in order to receive a blessing from it, and as he stretched forward his arm, the Cross receded from him, and it ascended until it came to the top (roof?) of the temple, where he grasped it and kissed it, and then he went out of the church.
And he saw lofty trees that were laden with different kinds of hard fruits,
and various soft fruits, and he began to pluck and to eat them, and he gave
[some of them] to the crowd of people who were gathered together, and fed them
therewith. And when he woke up he showed the dream to RABBAN SAWMA, saying,
"I have seen a dream and it troubleth me." And RABBAN SAWMA said unto
him, "Relate thy dream to me." And when he had related it to him
RABBAN SAWMA interpreted it, saying, "That thy arm extended itself after
thou hadst stretched it out to be blessed by the CROSS and by the images of the
saints, showeth that thou wilt attain to the great stature [i.e. the
150 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
highest rank] of the Fathers (or Bishops). And that thou didst eat of the fruit
of the trees, and didst give of them to the people to eat, showeth that thou
wilt thyself enjoy the heavenly gift which resteth upon thee, and that thou wilt
also make many people enjoy that same gift."
And again, on another night, MAR YAHBH ALLAHA saw another (31) vision. It seemed him as if he were sitting upon a high throne and that many people were gathered together round about him, and he was teaching [them] And as he was speaking his tongue became long and longer until the greater part of it went forth from his mouth; and then it became divided into three portions, and there appeared on the tip of each portion something which was like unto fire. And the people who were there marvelled and glorified God. And when he awoke he again related his dream to RABBAN SAWMA, who said unto him, "This is no dream, for it is a revelation and it resembleth a revelation; and it differeth in no way from [the revelation of] the Spirit which in the form of tongues of fire rested upon the Apostles (Acts ii. 3). And assuredly the Holy Spirit resteth upon thee, and the patriarchal throne shall be given into thy hands, so that thou mayest complete His service, and minister to its operation" (32).
CHAPTER V.
YAHBH-ALLAHA IS ELECTED PATRIARCH.
Now whilst these things were taking place, MAR DENHA, the Catholicus, was
still alive, but he had been suffering from sickness for a long time in
152 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
anguish that at length he fell down upon the ground like a dead man. After a
time the people lifted him up, and put his turban on him, and spake words of
consolation to him. And when the prayers for the dead were ended [the Catholicus]
was buried [on
And on the following day the Fathers gathered together to elect a person
suitable to sit on the [patriarchal] Throne. There were present the following:
first and foremost there was MARAN-'AMMEH, Metropolitan of ELAM. Another was
[the Metropolitan of] TANGOTH [in
YAHBH-ALLAHA ELECTED PATRIARCH 153
and their policy of government, and their language. And when [the nobles of
And MAR YAHBH-ALLAHA rose up and came to the holy monastery of MAR MICHAEL of TAR'IL, where Rabban Sawma was. Now the monks had already heard of the death of the holy Father, Mar Denha, and when MAR YAHBH-ALLAHA arrived, they received him with gladness, and comforted him; and they [told] him that they approved of his being elected Catholicus. It was a divine movement, and an act (35) which proceeded from God, and which all creation was compelled to carry out. And when he talked to RABBAN SAWMA, the Rabban said unto him, "This is a divine matter, from which thou canst not possibly ask for release; therefore let us go forthwith to King ABHGHA (or ABAGA), and if he consents thereto we shall receive the conclusion."
154 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
And they rose up and set out for ADHORBIJAN together with the aged and
venerable men, and Fathers (i.e. Bishops), and monks who accompanied them, for
at that time the kings used to pass the summer in that place. And they arrived
at the place where the king was at
And he took Mar Yahbh-Allaha by the hand and said unto him, " Be strong and rule, and may God be with thee and support thee." And he covered his head with a cloak, for a cloak was lying on his shoulders, and he gave him his own chair of state (sandali) which was a small throne.
YAHBH-ALLAHA ELECTED PATRIARCH 155
And he gave him also a parasol (shather), which is called in Mongolian sukor,
and this is raised up above the heads of kings and queens, and their
children, and it is sufficient to keep away from them the strength of the sun
and rain; but on most occasions parasols are spread over them to do them honour.
And the king gave him also a PAIZA of gold, which is the sign (or symbol) of
these kings, and the customary Pukdane, that is to say, written commands, which
authorized him to have dominion over every one (37), and the great seal
which had formerly belonged to the Catholicus, his predecessor. And he allotted
to him the large sum of money which was necessary to pay the expenses of the
laying on of hands.
Then Rabban Sawma and MAR YAHBH-ALLAHA rose up and came to
MAR MOSES, Metropolitan of ARBIL.
156 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
MAR GABRIEL, Metropolitan of
MAR ELIJAH, Metropolitan of DAKUK and BETH GARMAI.
MAR ABRAHAM, Metropolitan of TRIPOLIS and
MAR JACOB, Metropolitan of
MAR JOHN (38) Metropolitan of ADHORBIJAN.
And the other Bishops, twenty-four in number, among whom were: -
[MAR JOSEPH, Bishop of SALAMIS.
MAR ABRAHAM, Bishop of USHNUK.
MAR JOHN, Bishop of SHUSHTAR.]
[These three names are added from Bedjan's note on p. 38 of this text.]
This laying on of hands took place in the month of the second Teshri, on the first Sunday of the "Consecration of the Church," in the year one thousand five hundred and ninety-three of the Greeks [i.e. in November, I28I], in the seven and thirtieth year of his age.
Now it happened that in the winter of that year King ABHGHA came down to BAGHDAD, and MAR YAHBH-ALLAHA, the Catholicus, went to him on the Sabbath which came before the Lord's Fast (i.e. Lent). And he explained to him the affairs of the Christians [i.e. their actual condition], and found mercy (i.e. sympathy) in his sight. And the king bestowed upon him
YAHBH-ALLAHA ELECTED PATRIARCH 157
large gifts, and gave him a written authority (pukdana) to levy a tax each year on behalf of the churches, and monasteries, and monks, and priests, and deacons, thirty thousand dinars (nearly £15,000) or one hundred and eighty thousand white zuze. [The silver zuza=about 20d. of our money?]. And the Catholicus sent out [men] to exact a gift from the various countries equivalent to this amount. (39) Now when King Abhgha departed this temporary life the gift was withheld.
158 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
CHAPTER VI.
THE FALSE ACCUSATIONS WHICH MAR YAHBH SUFFERED IN THE DAYS OF AHMAD THE KING.
About the events which immediately followed we will not prolong our discourse. [In short] after ABHGHA there rose up as king, his brother, AHMAD [who is also known as NEKUDAR, or TAKUDAR, who was baptized and was called NIKALEOS, or NICHOLAS], the son of HULAGU. He lacked education and knowledge, and he persecuted the Christians greatly because of his association with the HAGARAYE [i.e. the descendants of HAGAR, the Muhammadans], towards whose religion he leaned, and because of two of the envious old men (i.e. bishops}, who found the opportunity to fulfil their desire. They went into the king's presence through the help of certain erring men, one of whom was called (40) SHAMS AD-DIN, the lord of the DIWAN [the son of BEHAI AD-DIN MUHAMMAD] that is to say, chief of the scribes of the dumasion (. . .the State or Treasury), and the other was the Shakh 'ABD AR-RAHMAN. And they calumniated MAR YAHBH-ALLAHA the Catholicus, and RABBAN SAWMA, and made accusations against them [to the king], saying, "The hearts of these
THE FALSE ACCUSATIONS 159
men are with ARGHON, the son of ABHGHA, and they have written treasonable
things against thee, O King, to the King of Kings KUBLAI KHAN. And the Amir if
SHAMOT is a participator in the treason." The latter had been a monk and an
ascetic, and was then the Eparch of the city of
Now these two men used Ahmad as a tool in fulfilling their desire through the two old men who have already been mentioned, that is to say Isho'-Sabhran, Metropolitan of TANGOTH, and SIMON, Bishop of ARNI [or Arna, in the diocese of 'Akra]. These two bishops had plotted together and agreed that the one of them should become the Catholicus, and the other Metropolitan and Visitor-General. And this plan having, through the counsel of the Adversary, entered (41) their minds they contrived this scheme of theirs as we have described.
Now the king who lacked understanding, inasmuch as he had cast God aside, did
not ponder in his mind, saying, "These men can have no benefit in this
matter, why should they bring themselves to make false accusations?" but he
believed the words of the crafty ones. And by his command MAR YAHBH-ALLAHA, the
Catholicus, and RABBAN SAWMA and the Amir SHAMOT were brought up into the Great
House. After the written authorisations (Pukdane) which he had given to them, he
took away the house of Mar Catholicus, and the Paiza [some words omitted?]. And
when
160 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
Mar Yahbh-Allaha and Rabban Sawma had gone into the Hall of Judgment, they did not know what was required of them, and they remained there stupefied, saying, "What have we done?" And the messenger who had brought them into the Hall of Judgment said unto them, "Your holy men, and the scribes, and the men of your Communion have made accusations against you before the king."
And the great Amirs, that is to say the judges said unto the Catholicus, "What evil thing hast thou seen in the king that thou shouldst lie concerning him, and shouldst send calumnies about him to the King of Kings, KUBLAI KHAN saying, 'This man hath abandoned the way of his (42) fathers and hath become a Muhammadan. And the Catholicus replied, "I do not understand." And the judges said unto him, "Thy scribes have declared these things against thee." And the judges brought the scribes, and when each one of them had been questioned by himself, every one of them stated that which he knew. And Mar Catholicus said, " O Amirs, why do ye weary yourselves? Fetch back that messenger, with whom are the letters, and examine them. If this accusation which hath been made against me is [proved] true, I will die ungrudgingly an in my own blood. But if it be [proved] to a false, it rests with you to judge and to take vengeance [on my behalf]."
THE FALSE ACCUSATIONS 161
And the Amirs accepted this proposal, and they made it known to the king, and
the king sent after the messenger, and took back from him all the letters in the
neighbourhood of Khorasan. And when the letters had been opened and read, there
was found in them nothing which any way resembled the accusations. But the
judges said nothing about this to [the accusers of the Catholicus], and
therefore we know that they had taken the letters as a pretext.
And the Catholicus remained in prison for forty days, more (43) or less, in great anxiety, and bitter suffering and anguish all day long, until God in His mercy visited him, and he as saved from death. Now King Ahmad as exceedingly wroth with him, and as the thirsty man longeth for cool waters, even so did the king thirst to shed his blood. And would have done so had it not been for the Angel of Providence who governs this holy throne, and who wrought upon the mother of the king [KUTUI KHATUN], and upon the Amirs, and prevented him from carrying into effect the thought which he had devised. And further, through the word of those whom we have mentioned, the Catholicus found mercy in the sight of the king, and he gave him [back] the Letter of Authority (Pukdana) and the Paiza, and he made his heart happy and sent him back.
162 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
Then Mar Yahbh-Allaha said farewell to the king and went to the city of
One night, before he had heard of what had happened to AHMAD the king, MAR YAHBH-ALLAHA had a dream. And it seemed to him that a young man of handsome appearance came to him carrying a dish, which was covered over
MURDER OF AHMAD KHAN 163
with a napkin, in his hands, and he said unto the Catholicus, "Stand up, and eat what is laid on the dish." And when he drew back the cloth he found a boiled head [of a man] in the dish, and he ate the whole head leaving nothing except he bones of the jaw. And the young man said unto him, "Dost thou know (45) what thou hast eaten?" And the Catholicus said unto him, "No." And the young man said unto him, "This was the head of King AHMAD"; and the Catholicus awoke straightway and was frightened. And a few days later the report of the murder of the king, which hath already been mentioned, arrived, and the news that King ARGHON was reigning. And the joy of the Catholicus was great, not because of the death of Ahmad, but because ARGHON had become king.
And there and then the Catholicus, and the old men and the monks went to offer their congratulations to King ARGHON, and to pay the homage which the Christians were in duty bound to pay to their kings according to the apostolic commandment, "Let every soul be in subjection to the supreme powers who are in authority, for there is no authority existing which is not from God" (Rom. xiii. I). And having seen King ARGHON and congratulated him, the Catholicus prayed for the permanence of his kingdom. And Arghon paid him very great honour, and magnified his grade when he heard what had happened to
164 THE MONKS OF K0BLAl KHAN
him through the king, his predecessor. And when he knew how the two holy
bishops, who we have mentioned above, had served the Catholicus he commanded
them to be destroyed. Then MAR YAHBH-ALLAHA (46), the Catholicus, said
unto him, " O King, live for ever! We Christians have laws, and everyone
who doth not fulfil them is called a transgressor of the law. Our law doth not
demand the slaying of a man, but only the condemnation of [his] guilt; and
behold, there are many kinds of punishment which those who discipline offenders
can apply to him. By our law the sentence of death cannot be passed on these
reverend men, but only the sentence of complete dismiss from that grade with the
ministration which they have been entrusted." And this [advice] was
pleasing in the eyes of the king, and he sent away the Catholicus in great
honour, and he returned to his cell in great gladness. And when the venerable
Fathers had gathered together to the Catholicus to salute him and to comfort
him, a discussion (or enquiry) took place concerning the action of the old men
who have already been mentioned. And after much debating, and after those old
men had confessed their offence, they came to a decision and excommunicated both
the bishops, and they were expelled from every ecclesiastical office [which they
held].
CHAPTER VII.
(47)ON THE DEPARTURE OF RABBAN SAWMA TO THE COUNTRY OF THE ROMANS IN THE NAME OF KING ARGHON AND OF THE CATHOLICUS MAR YAHBH-ALLAHA.
Now MAR YAHBH-ALLAHA, the Catholicus, increased in power, and his honour
before the King and
166 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
the language except Rabban Sawma, and knowing that he was fully capable of this,
he commanded him to go [on the embassy].
THE JOURNEY OF RABBAN SAWMA; TO THE COUNTRY OF THE ROMANS IN THE NAME OF KING ARGHON AND OF THE CATHOLICUS MAR YAHBH-ALLAHA
Then RABBAN SAWMA said, "I desire this embassy greatly, and I long to go." Then straightway King ARGHON wrote for him "Authorities" (pukdana) to the king of the Greeks, and the king of the PEROGAYE (Franks?) that is to say Romans, and Yarlike [i.e. the "Ordinances" of the Mongolian kings], and letters, and gave him gifts for each of the kings [addressed by him]. And to RABBAN SAWMA he gave two thousand mathkale (£1,000?) of gold, and thirty good riding animals, and a Paiza (see above, pp. 62, 63). And RABBAN SAWMA came to the cell of the Catholicus to obtain letter from MAR YAHBH-ALLAHA, and to say farewell to him. The Catholicus gave his permission to depart (49), but when the time for his departure arrived, it did not please the Catholicus to permit him to go. For he said [unto Rabban Sawma], "How can this possibly take place? Thou hast been the governor of my cell, and thou knowest that through thy departure my affairs will fall into a state of utter confusion." And having said such words as
RABBAN SAWMA IN
these they said farewell to each other, weeping as they did so. And the Catholicus sent with him letters, and gifts which were suitable for presentation to Mar Papa (the Pope), and gifts [i.e. offerings] according to his ability.
RABBAN SAWMA IN
And RABBAN SAWMA set out on his journey, and there went with him a number of
excellent men from among the priests and deacons of the Cell of the Catholicus.
And he arrived at BETH RHOMAYE [i.e. the territory of the Romans] on the
borders of the
And after [some] days he arrived at the great city of CONSTANTINOPLE (50), and before they went into it he sent two young men to the Royal gate (Sublime Porte) to make known there that an ambassador of King Arghon had come. Then the king commanded certain people to go forth to meet them, and to bring them in with pomp and honour. And when RABBAN SAWMA went into
168 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
the city, the king allotted to him a house, that is to say, a mansion in which to dwell. And after RABBAN SAWMA had rested himself, he went to visit the king BAEIAET'E [Andronicus II] and after he had saluted him, the king asked him, "How art thou after the workings of the sea and the fatigue of the road?" And RABBAN SAWMA replied, "With the sight of the Christian king fatigue hath vanished and exhaustion hath departed, for I was exceedingly anxious to see your kingdom, the which may our Lord establish!"
And after they had enjoyed food and drink RABBAN SAWMA asked the king to be allowed to see the churches and the shrines [or tombs] of the Fathers [i.e. Patriarchs], and the relics of the saints that were therein. And the king handed RABBAN SAWMA over to the nobles of his kingdom and (51) they showed him everything that was there.
First of all he went unto the great church of . . ., [i.e. the
RABBAN SAWMA IN
MARY MAGDALENE, and that stone which was laid on the grave of our Lord, when Joseph the . . . brought Him down from the Cross. Now MARY wept on that stone, and the place hereon her tears fell is wet even at the present time; and however often this moisture is wiped away the place becometh wet again. And he saw also the stone bowl in which our Lord changed the water into wine (52) at KATNE (Cana) of Galilee; and the funerary coffer of one of the holy women which is exposed to public view every year, and every sick person who is laid under it is made whole; and the coffer of MAR JOHN OF THE MOUTH OF GOLD (Chrysostom). And he saw also the stone on which SIMON PETER was sitting when the cock crew; and the tomb of King CONSTANTINE, the Conqueror, which was made of red stone (porphyry?); and also the tomb of JUSTINIAN, which was [built of] green stone; and also the BETH KAWMA (resting place) of the Three Hundred and Eighteen [orthodox] Bishops who were all laid in one great church; and their bodies have not suffered corruption because they had confirmed the [True] Faith. And he saw also many shrines of the holy Fathers, and many amulets of a magical character (talismata) and image[s] in bodily form made of bronze and stone (Eikons?).
And when RABBAN SAWMA went [back] to King BAEIAET'E he said, "May the king live
170 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
for ever! I give thanks unto our Lord that I have been held worthy to see these things. And now, if the king will permit me, I will go and fulfil the command (53) of King ARGHON, for the command to me was to enter the territory of the Progaye [i.e. Franks]." Then the king entreated him with great kindness, and gave him gifts of gold and silver.
RABBAN SAWMA IN
And he departed from
RABBAN SAWMA IN
arrived at the sea-shore, and he landed at the name of which was
172 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
And the Cardinals said unto him, "For the present rest thyself, and we will discuss the matter together later"; and they assigned to him a mansion and caused him to be taken down thereto.
Three days later the Cardinals sent and summoned RABBAN SAWMA to their presence. And when he went to them they began to ask him questions, saying, "What is thy quarter of the world, and why hast thou come?" And he replied in the selfsame words he had already spoken to them (57). And they said unto him, "Where doth the Catholicus live? And the Cardinals. And thus they did, and [their act] was pleasing to those Cardinals. And when RABBAN SAWMA went into their presence no man stood up before him, for by reason of the honourable nature of the Throne, the twelve Cardinals were not in the habit of doing this. And they made RABBAN SAWMA sit down with them, and one of them asked him, "How art thou after all the fatigue of the road?" And he made answer to him, "Through you prayers I am well and rested." And the Cardinal said unto him, "For what purpose hast thou
RABBAN SAWMA IN ITALY 173
come hither?" And RABBAN SAWMA said unto him, "The Mongols and the
Catholicus of the East have sent me to Mar Papa concerning the matter of
Three days later the Cardinals sent and summoned RABBAN SAWMA to their presence. And when he went to them they began to ask him questions, saying, "What is thy quarter of the world, and why has thou come?" And he replied in the selfsame words he had already spoken to them (57). And they said unto him, "Where doth the Catholicus live? And which of the Apostles taught the Gospel in thy quarter of the world ? " And he answered them, saying, "MAR THOMAS, and MAR ADDAI, and MAR MARI taught the Gospel in our quarter of the world, and we hold at the present time the canons [or statutes] which they delivered unto us." The Cardinals said unto him, "Where is the Throne of the Catholicus?" He said to them, "In BAGHDAD." They answered, What position hast thou there?" And he replied, " am a deacon in the Cell of the Catholicus, and the director of the disciples, and the Visitor-General." The Cardinals said, " It is a marvellous thing
174 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
that thou who art a Christian, and a deacon of the Throne of the Patriarch of
the East has come upon an embassy from the king of the Mongols."And RABBAN
SAWMA said unto them, "Know ye, O our Fathers, that many of our Fathers
have gone into the countries of the Mongols, and Turks, and Chinese and have
taught them the Gospel, and at the present time there are many Mongols who are
Christians. For many of the sons of the Mongol kings and queens (58) have
been baptized and confess Christ. And they have established churches in their
military camps, and they pay honour to the Christians, and there are among them
many who are believers. Now the king [of the Mongols], who is joined in the bond
of friendship with the Catholicus, hath the desire to take
BELIEF OF RABBAN SAWMA 175
said unto him, "How dost thou believe? Recite thy belief, article by article." RABBAN SAWMA replied to them, saying:--
THE BELIEF OF RABBAN SAWMA, WHICH THE
CARDINALS DEMANDED FROM HIM.
"I believe in One God, hidden, everlasting, without beginning and without (59) end, Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit: Three Persons, coequal and indivisible; among Whom there is none who is first, or last, or young, or old: in Nature they are One, in Persons they are three: the Father is the Begetter, the Son is the Begotten, the Spirit proceedeth.
"In the last time one of the Persons of the Royal Trinity, namely the Son, put on the perfect man, Jesus Christ, from MARY the holy virgin; and was united to Him Personally (parsopaith), and in him saved (or redeemed) the world. In His Divinity He is eternally of the Father; in His humanity He was born [a Being] in time of MARY; the union is inseparable and indivisible for ever; the union is without mingling, and without mixture, and without compaction. The Son of this union is perfect God (60) and perfect man, two Natures (keyanin), and two Persons (kenomin)--one parsopa (. . .)
The Cardinals said unto him, "Doth the Holy Spirit proceed from the Father or from the Son, or is it separate?" RABBAN SAWMA replied,
176 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
"Are the Father, and the Son, and the Spirit associated in the things which appertain to the Nature (keyana) or separate?" The Cardinals answered, "They are associated in the things which concern the Nature (keyana) but are separate in respect of individual qualities."RABBAN SAWMA said, "What are their individual qualities?" The Cardinals replied, "Of the Father, the act of begetting: of the Son the being begotten: of the Spirit the going forth (proceeding). RABBAN SAWMA said, "Which of Them is the cause of that Other?" And the Cardinals replied, "The Father is the cause of the Son, and the Son is the cause of the Spirit." RABBAN SAWMA said, "If they are coequal in Nature (keyana), and in operation, and in power, and in authority (or dominion), and the Three Persons (kenome) are One, how is it possible for one of Them to be the cause of the Other? For of necessity (61) the Spirit also must be the cause of some other thing; but the discussion is extraneous to the Confession of faith of wise men. We cannot find a demonstration resembling this statement of yours.
"For behold, the soul is the cause both of the reasoning power and the act of living, but the reasoning power is not the cause of the act of living. The sphere of the sun is the cause of light and heat, and heat is not the cause of light. Thus we think that which is correct,
BELIEF OF RABBAN SAWMA 177
namely, that the Father is the cause of the Son and the Spirit, and that both the Son and the Spirit are causations of His. Adam begot Seth, and made Eve to proceed [from him], and they are three; because in respect there is absolutely no difference between begetting and making to go forth (or proceed)."
Then the Cardinals said unto him, "We confess that the Spirit proceedeth from the Father and the Son, but not as we said, for we were only putting thy modesty [or, religious belief?] to the test. "And RABBAN SAWMA said, "It is not right that to something which is one, two, three, or four causes should be [assigned]; on the contrary I do not think that this resembleth our Confession of Faith. "Now though the Cardinals restrained (62) his speech by means of very many demonstrations, they held him in high esteem because of his power of argument.
Then RABBAN SAWMA said unto them, "I have come from remote countries neither to discuss, nor to instruct [men] in matter of the Faith, but I came that I might receive a blessing from MAR PAPA, and from the shrines of the saints and to make known the words of King [ARGHON] and the Catholicus. If it be pleasing in your eyes, let us set aside discussion, and do ye give attention and direct someone to show us the churches here and the shrines of the saints; [if ye will
178 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
do this] ye will confer a very great favour on your servant and disciple."
Then the Cardinals summoned the Amir of the city and certain monks and
commanded them to show him the churches and the holy places that were there; and
they went forth straightway and saw the places which we will now mention. First
of all they went into the
RELICS IN
and clothes the Emperor with it (64), that is to say, places it upon his own head [to show], as they say, that priesthood reigneth over sovereignty[or kingship].
And when they had seen all the churches and monasteries that were in Great Rome, they went outside the city to the church of MAR PAUL the Apostle, where under the altar is his tomb. And there, too, is the chain wherewith Paul was bound when he was dragged to that place. And in that altar there are also a reliquary of gold herein is the head of MAR STEPHEN the Martyr, and the hand of MAR KHANANYA (ANANIAS) who baptized PAUL. And the staff of PAUL the Apostle is also there. And from that place they went to the spot where PAUL the Apostle, was crowned [with martyrdom]. They say that when his head was cut off it leaped up thrice into the air, and at each time cried out CHRIST! CHRIST! And that from each of the three places on which his head fell there came forth waters which were useful for healing purposes, and for giving help to all those who were afflicted. And in that place there is a great shrine (65) wherein are the bones of martyrs and famous Fathers, and they were blessed by them.
And they went also to the Church of my Lady MARYAM , and of MAR JOHN the Baptist, and saw therein the seamless tunic of our Lord. And there is also in that church the tablet [or
180 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN |
slab] on which our Lord consecrated the Offering and gave it to His
disciples. And each year Mar Papa consecrates on that tablet the Paschal
Mysteries. There are in that church four pillars of copper [or brass], each of
which is six cubits in thickness; these, they say, the kings brought from
From that place they went into the church of MART MARYAM, and [the priests] brought out for them reliquaries made of beryl (crystal?), wherein was (66) the apparel of MART MARYAM, and a piece of wood on which our Lord had lain when a child. They saw also the head of MATTHEH the Apostle, in a reliquary of silver. And they saw the foot of PHILIP, the Apostle, and the arm of JAMES, the son of ZABHDA! (ZEBEDEE}, in the Church of the Apostles, which was there. And after these [sights] they saw buildings which it is impossible to describe in words, and as the histories of those buildings would make any description of them very long I abandon [the attempt].
RABBAN SAWMA IN
After this RABBAN SAWMA and his companions returned to the Cardinals, and
thanked them for having held him to be worthy to see these shrines and to
receive blessings from them. And RABBAN SAWMA asked from them permission to go
to the king who dwelleth in
And they went from that place to the country of TUSZKAN (TUSCANY), and were honourably entreated, and thence they (67) went to GINOH (GENOA). Now the latter country has no king, but the people thereof set up to rule over it some great man with whom they are pleased.
And when the people of
And there was there a great church with the name of SAINT SINALORNIA (
182 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
did not fast during the first Sabbath of Lent. And when they asked them, "Wherefore do ye do thus, and separate yourselves from all [other] Christians" (68), they replied, "This is our custom. When we were first taught the Gospel our fathers in the Faith were weakly and were unable to fast. Those who taught them the Gospel commanded them to fast forty days only."
RABBAN SAWMA IN FRANSA OR FRANGESTAN.
Afterwards they went to the country of PARIZ (Paris), to king FRANSIS [i.e.
Philippe IV le Bel]. And the king sent out a large company of men to meet them,
and they brought them into the city with great honour and ceremony. Now the
territories of the French king were in extent more than a month's journey. And
the king of
RABBAN SAWMA IN FRANSA 183
gifts, that is to say, presents which he had brought. And the king of FRANCE answered him, saying, "If it be indeed so that the MONGOLS, though they are not Christians, are going to fight against the Arabs for the capture of JERUSALEM, it is meet especially for us that we should fight [with them], and if our Lord willeth, go forth in full strength."
And RABBAN SAWMA said unto him, "Now that we have seen the glory of thy kingdom, and have looked upon the splendour of your strength with the eye of flesh, we ask you to command the men of the city to show us the churches and the shrines, and the relics of the saints, and everything else which is found with you, and is not to be seen in any other country, so that when we return we may make known in the [various] countries what we have seen with you." Then the king commanded his Amirs, saying, "Go forth and show them all the wonderful things which we have here, and afterwards I myself will show [them] what I have." And the Amirs went out with them.
(70) And RABBAN SAWMA and his companions remained for a month of days
in this great city of
184 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
Scriptures, and also of profane learning; and they studied wisdom, that is to say philosophy and [the art of] speaking (rhetoric?), and [the art of] healing, geometry, arithmetic, and the science of the planets and the stars; and they engaged constantly in writing [theses], and all these pupils received money for subsistence from the king. And they also saw one Great Church wherein were the funerary coffers of dead kings, and statues of them in gold and in silver were upon their tombs. And five hundred monks were engaged in performing commemoration services in the burial-place [i.e. mausoleum] of the kings, and they all ate and drank at the expense of the king. And they fasted and prayed continually in the burial-place of those kings. And the crowns of those kings, and their armour (71), and their apparel were laid upon their tombs. In short RABBAN SAWMA and his companions saw everything which was splendid and renowned.
And after this the king sent and summoned them, and they went to him in the church, and they saw him standing by the side of the altar, and they saluted him. And he asked RABBAN SAWMA saying, "Have you seen what we have? And doth there not remain anything else for you to see?" Then RABBAN SAWMA thanked him [and said "There is not"]. Forthwith he went up with the king into an upper chamber of gold, which the king opened, and he brought
RABBAN SAWMA AND KING OF
forth from it a coffer of beryl wherein was laid
the Crown of Thorns which the Jews placed upon the head of our Lord when they
crucified Him. Now the Crown was visible in the coffer, which, thanks to the
transparency of the beryl, remained unopened. And there was also in the coffer a
piece of the wood of the Cross. And the king said to RABBAN SAWMA and his
companions, "When our fathers took
RABBAN SAWMA GOES
TO THE KING OF ENGLAND
[i.e. EDWARD I].
And they went forth from that place, that is to say, from
186 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
of the Mongols." And the people made haste and went to the king and
informed him [of their arrival], and the king welcomed them gladly, and the
people introduced them into his presence. And those who were with RABBAN SAWMA
straightway gave to the king the PUKDANA [i.e. letter of authorisation]
of King Arghon, and the gifts which he had sent to him, and the Letter of Mar
Catholicus (73). And [King Edward] rejoiced greatly, and he was
especially glad when Rabban Sawma talked about the matter of
Then RABBAN SAWMA said unto the king, "We beseech thee, O king, to give [thy servants] in order to show us whatever churches and shrines there are in this country, so that when we go back to the Children of the East we may give them descriptions of them." And the king replied, "Thus shall ye say to King Arghon and unto all the Orientals: We have seen a
RABBAN SAWMA RERTURNS TO
thing than which there is nothing more wonderful, that is to say, that in the countries of the Franks there are not two Confessions of Faith, but only one Confession of Faith, namely, that which confesseth Jesus Christ; and all the Christians confess it." And King Edward gave us many gifts and money for the expenses of the road (74).
RABBAN SAWMA RETURNS TO
And from that place we came to the city of
;At the end of the winter there came from the country of ALMADAN (ALLEMAGNE?) a man of high degree, who was the . ., i.e. "Visitor" of MAR PAPA, and who was on his way to Rome.(1) And when he heard that RABBAN SAWMA was there, he went to visit
(1) John identified him with John of Jerusalem, who, in
1286 went to
188 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
him and salute him. And when he entered [his house] they gave each other
"Peace!" and they kissed each other in the love of Christ. And the
Visitor said unto RABBAN SAWMA (75), "I have come to see thee. For I
have heard concerning thee, that thou art a good and wise man, and also that
thou hast the desire to go to
And that Visitor departed from him and went to
RABBAN SAWMA RETURNS TO
SAWMA and his companions [bidding] them to go to him. And as soon as ever the
messenger had arrived, they set out for
And when they arrived MAR PAPA sent out a Metropolitan bishop and a large company of men to meet them. And straightway RABBAN SAWMA went into the presence of MAR PAPA, who was seated on his throne. And he drew nigh to the Pope, bowing down to the ground as he did so, and he kissed his feet and his hands, and he withdrew walking backwards, with his hands clasped [on his breast]. And he said to MAR PAPA, "May thy throne stand for ever, O our Father! And may it be blessed above all kings and nations! And may it make peace to reign in thy days (77) throughout the Church to the uttermost ends of the earth! Now that I have seen thy face mine eyes are illuminated, and I shall not go away brokenhearted to the countries [of the East]. I give thanks to the goodness of God who hath held me to be worthy
190 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
to see thy face." Then RABBAN SAWMA presented unto him the gift of King Arghon and his Letters, and the gift of MAR YAHBH-ALLAHA the Catholicus, that is to say a blessing [i.e. gift] and his Letter. And MAR PAPA rejoiced and was glad, and he paid more honour to RABBAN SAWMA than was customary, and he said unto him, "It will be good if thou wilt keep the festival with us, for thou wilt see our use." Now that day [marked] the half of our Lord's Fast [i.e. Mid-Lent]. And RABBAN SAWMA made answer, "Your command is high and exalted." And MAR PAPA assigned to him a mansion in which to dwell, and he appointed servants to give him everything he might require.
Some days later RABBAN SAWMA said to MAR PAPA, "I wish to celebrate the Eucharist so that ye might see our use"; and the Pope commanded him to do as he had asked. And on that day a very large number of people were gathered together in order to see how the ambassador of the Mongols celebrated the Eucharist (78). And when they had seen they had rejoiced and said, "The language is different, but the use is the same." Now the day on which he celebrated was the Sunday [on which the prayer beginning] "ainaw asya" [i.e. Who is the physician"] is recited. And having performed the mysteries, he went to MAR PAPA and saluted him. And the Pope said unto RABBAN SAWMA,
RABBAN SAWMA IN
"May God receive thy offering, and bless thee, and pardon thy transgressions and sins." Then RABBAN SAWMA said, "Besides the pardon of my transgressions and sins which I have received from thee, O our Father, I beseech thy Fatherhood, O our holy Father, to let me receive the Offering from thy hands, so that the remission [of my sins] may be complete." And the Pope said, "So let it be!"
And on the following First Day of the Week, which was the Festival of Hosannas [i.e. Palm Sunday], from the break of day onwards, countless thousands and tens of thousands of people gathered together before the papal throne, and brought branches of olives, which the Pope blessed and gave to the Cardinals, and then to the Metropolitans and then to the Bishops, and then to the Amirs, and then to the nobles, and then he cast them among all the people. And he rose up from the throne (79), and they brought him into the church with great ceremony. And he went into the apse of the altar and changed his apparel, and he put on a red vestment with threads of gold [running through it], and ornamented with precious stones, and jacinths, and pearls down to the soles of his feet, that is to say, sandals. And he went to the altar, and then went forth to the pulpit, and addressed the people and admonished them. And he consecrated the Mysteries and gave the Eucharist Mystery to RABBAN SAWMA
192 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
first of all--he having confessed his sins--and the Pope pardoned his transgressions and his sins and those of his fathers. And RABBAN SAWMA rejoiced greatly in receiving the Eucharistic Mystery from the hand of MAR PAPA. And he received it with tears and sobs, giving thanks to God and meditating upon the mercies which had been poured out upon him.
Afterwards, on the day of the Holy Passover (Thursday) MAR PAPA went to the
RABBAN SAWMA IN
from that place and entered the great temple (nave?), and gave to each of his reverend Fathers two gold tarpe [i.e. "leaves" (sheets?)] and thirty silver parpare [i.e. silver coins], and then went out. And MAR PAPA gathered together the people of his Cell [i.e. his palace household], and he washed their feet, and he wiped [them] with a napkin which he had wrapped around his loins, to the end. And when he had finished all the services of the Passover, at mid-day he made a great table [i.e. feast], and the servants placed before every man his portion of food. Now those who reclined [i.e. sat at meat] were two thousand, more or less. And when they removed the bread from the table only three hours of the day were left 81).
And on the following day, which was the Passion of our Redeemer, MAR PAPA put on a black cloak, and all the reverend Fathers did likewise. And they went forth barefooted and walked to the church of my Lord, the Adorable Cross; and MAR PAPA did homage to it, and kissed it, and gave it to each one of the reverend Fathers. And when crowds of people saw it they uncovered their heads, and they knelt down on their knees and did homage before it (i.e. adored it]. Then MAR PAPA addressed and admonished the people, and at the same time he mde the sign of the Cross over the four quarters of the world. And when the service of prayer
194 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
was concluded, he brought some of the Paschal Offering, and set wine with it, and MAR PAPA partook by himself of that Offering (now it is not customary for Christians to offer up the Offering on the day of the Passion of our Redeemer), and went back to his Cell i.e. palace)
And on the day of the Sabbath of Light MAR PAPA went to the church, and they read the Books of the Prophets, and the prophecies concerning the Messiah. And he placed in position the Wazna, i.e. baptismal font, and arranged branches of myrtle round about it, and MAR PAPA consecrated the baptism-water and baptized three children, and signed them with the sign of the Cross. Then he went to the apse and changed his apparel of the Passion (82), and he put on his ceremonial vestments, to state the price of which is beyond the power of words, and he celebrated the Holy Mysteries.
And on the day of the Sunday of the Resurrection MAR PAPA went to the holy church of my LADY MARY. And he and the Cardinals, and the Metropolitans, and the Bishops, and the members of the congregation saluted each other, and they kissed each other on the mouth, and he celebrated the Mysteries, and they receive Eucharistic Mystery, and then he returned to his Cell [i.e. palace]. And he made a great feast, and [there was] infinite gladness. And on the following Sunday Mar Papa performed
RABBAN SAWMA IN
the laying on of hands, and he consecrated three bishops And RABBAN SAWMA and his companions saw the use followed, and they celebrated the blessed festivals with them.
And when these things had taken place RABBAN SAWMA asked MAR PAPA for [his] command to return. And MAR PAPA said unto him, "We wish thee to remain with us, and to abide with us, and we will guard thee like the pupil of our eye." But RABBAN SAWMA replied, " O our Father, I came on an embassy for your service (?). If my coming had been the result of my personal wish, l would willingly (83) bring to an end the days of this my useless life in your service at the outer door of your palace. [But I must return], and believe that when I go back and show the show who are there the benefits which thou hast conferred upon my poor person, that the Christians will gain great content thereby. Now I beseech our Holiness to bestow upon me some of the relics [of the saints] which ye have with you."
And MAR PAPA said, "If we had been in the habit of giving away these relics to the people [who come] in myriads, even though the relics were as large as the mountains, they would have come to an end long ago. But since thou hast come from a far country, we will give thee a few." And he gave to RABBAN SAWMA a small piece of the apparel of our Lord Christ, and a piece of the cape (. . .) that is to say,
196 THE MONKS OF KUBLAI KHAN
kerchief of my LADY MARY, and some small fragments of the bodies of the saints that were there. And he sent to MARR YAHBH-ALLAHA a crown for his head which was of fine gold and was inlaid with precious stones; and sacred vestments made of red cloth through which ran threads of gold; and socks and sandals on which real pearls were sewn; (84) and the ring from his finger; and a "Pethikha" or Bull which authorized him to exercise Patriarchal dominion over all the Children of the East. And he gave to RABBAN SAWMA a "Pethikha" which authorized him to act as Visitor-General over all Christians. And Mar Papa blessed him and he caused to be assigned to him for expenses on the road one thousand, five hundred mathkale of red gold. And to King Arghon he sent certain gifts. And he embraced RABBAN SAWMA and kissed him and dismissed him. And RABBAN SAWMA thanked our Lord who had held him to be worthy of such blessings as these.
THE RETURN OF RABBAN SAWMA FROM
And RABBAN SAWMA returned. He crossed the seas which he crossed when he came, and he arrived (85) in peace at the place where King ARGHON was, sound in body, and with soul safely
RETURN OF RABBAN SAWMA FROM
kept. And he gave to him the Letter of Blessings, and the gifts which he had brought from MAR PAPA and from all the kings of the Franks. And he showed him how they had welcomed him with love, and how they had hearkened gladly to the Pukdane (or Royal Dispatches) which he had carried [to them], and he related the wonderful things which he had seen, and the power of [their] kingdom[s]. And King rejoiced, and was glad, and thanked him, and said unto him; "We have made thee to suffer great fatigue, for thou art an old man. In future we shall not permit thee to leave us; nay, we will set up a church. at the Gate of our Kingdom (i.e. palace), and thou shaft minister therein and recite prayers." And RABBAN SAWMA said, "If my lord the king would command MAR YAHBH-ALLAHA, the Catholicus, to come and receive the gifts which have been sent to him by MAR PAPA, and the sacred vestments which he destined for him, he could set up the church which the king is going to set up at the Door of his Kingdom, and consecrate it." And these things took place in this way. Now because it was not our intention to relate and set out in order all the unimportant things which RABBAN SAWMA did (86) and saw, we have abridged very much of what he himself wrote in his narrative in Persian. And even the things which are mentioned here have been abridged or amplified, according to necessity.
.