Page:Christianity in China, Tartary, and Thibet Volume I.djvu/202

190 190 CHRISTIANITY IN CHINA, ETC They delivered to St. Louis a letter which was trans- lated to him into Latin from the Persian by Andre de Lonjumel, a Dominican monk, who had known David some years before, when he accompanied Friar Anselm to the camp of Baidjou. The letters of Iltchikadai re- presented the Grand Khan as a zealous convert to Chris- tianity, disposed to favour in all things the professors of that religion. The king, Saint Louis, having inquired what circumstances had induced him to embrace the faith, was told that Couyouk had had a Christian mother, and that his conversion had been occasioned by her ex- hortations, and those of a holy bishop named Malassias, from whom he had received baptism, on the day of the Epiphany, along with eighteen sons of kings, and many lords of the court. They admitted, however, that amongst the Tartars there were a great many who were not baptized, but they affirmed that Iltchikadai had been so a long time ; adding that, though he was not of the blood royal, he was very powerful. Saint Louis having asked what could possibly be the motive of Bai- djou for giving the ambassadors of the holy see so bad a reception, they replied that Baidjou was not a Chris- tian, but a Pagan, and surrounded by Mussulman coun- sellors ; but that his power had been much diminished since he was now subordinate in command to Iltchi- kadai. Such is the substance of the statements made by these ambassadors, and it will be seen that they con- envoya par devers lui son ambassade, qui moult lui dirent de bonnes paroles et debonnaires, entre lesquelles pai'oles lui mandoit le roy de Tartarie qu'il estoit tout prest a son command, a lui aider a con- querir la terre sainte, et delivrer Jerusalem des mains des Sarrazins et payens. Le roi recut beniguement icelle ambassade. — Joinville, " Hist, de Saint Louis," p. 25.