Page:Christianity in China, Tartary, and Thibet Volume I.djvu/251

239 DEPARTURE OF THE ENVOYS. 239 that he could not be responsible for their persons ; and Mangou, therefore, contented himself with charging him with letters, in reply to those he had brought from the King of France. Rubruk asked whether, after having delivered these letters, he might return to watch over the spiritual welfare of the Christians in this part of Tartary. To this request Mangou made no reply at all, but, after advising the Franciscan to provide himself well with necessaries for the long journey he was about to undertake, offered him the usual refreshment, gave him three robes, and dismissed him. In the letter sent to St. Louis, the Mongol emperor takes the title of Son of Heaven, and Sovereign Lord ; he refuses to acknowledge David, the envoy of Iltehi- kadai, and the Regent Queen Ogoul ; and, finally, he commands King Louis, if he wishes to merit his favour and obtain his friendship, to obey exactly the laws of the successors of Tchinguiz-Khan. The literal transla- tion of the missive is as follows : — " This is the command of the Eternal God ! There is but one God in Heaven, and one Sovereign Lord upon the Earth, — Tchinguiz-Khan, the Son of Heaven ! " These are the words that we make you hear ; we, who are in this country, whether Mongols, Naimans, Merkites, or Mussulmans. Wherever ears can hear, or horses can gallop, all those to whom my orders have reached, and who shall not obey them, or who shall arm themselves to resist them, they shall have eyes and not see ; they shall have ears and hear not ; they shall have hands, and not be able to make use of them ; they shall have feet, and shall not be able to walk. Such are the commands of the eternal God, and of the God