Page:Christianity in China, Tartary, and Thibet Volume I.djvu/172

160 make diligent inquiry into the manners and customs of the Tartars."

Whilst these four Dominicans were setting out for Persia, three other monks of the order of St. Francis, Benedict of Poland, Laurence of Portugal, and John of Piano Carpini, were sent to Tartary.

These embassies had the double purpose of pro- pagating religion and civilisation. The sovereign pontiff knew well that the Tartars, ferocious and in- domitable as they were, would renounce their barbarous habits, and acquire a mild and humane character, as soon as they should be converted to the Christian faith ; and to labour for their conversion would be to take measures for the protection of the Christian nations of the West. He sent forth, therefore, preachers of the gospel, chosen from the Dominican and Franciscan orders, which, though still in their infancy, had shed great glory on the Church, and rendered society im- mense services. The Popes were in the habit of choosing their missionary ambassadors to infidel nations from these two spiritual families.

These poor monks, habituated to a hard and mortified life, required very little accommodation during their long peregrinations. Inured to the endurance of hunger, thirst, and privations of every kind, they were able to perform these long journeys at very trifling expense ; and the studious life of their convents, and their habits of preaching giving them a great command of words, rendered them better fitted than others to convince those to whom they were sent. The fervent