Page:Christianity in China, Tartary, and Thibet Volume I.djvu/317

305 ARGOUN AND PIIILir THE FAIR. 305 Argoun will be accompanied by two Christian kings of Georgia, his vassals, who can bring with them twenty- thousand horse, or more ; that, considering how diffi- cult it would be for the King of France and his barons to send over the sea the great number of horses they will require, Argoun will furnish them with twenty or thirty thousand horses, either as a gift, or at a suitable price; that Argoun would also have provisions prepared in Turkey, and that there should be delivered to the Franks, by his orders, sheep and cattle, camels, grain, flour, and all other kinds of provisions that could be procured. He finishes by expressing the surprise of Argoun that the ambassadors of the King of France had refused to salute him in the manner prescribed by Mongol etiquette, alleging that they would not kneel to him because he was not a Christian. He says that Argoun had three times requested them by his officers comme il disoient, il ne feroient pas voire honneur dagenoiller roy de- vant li pour ce quil nestoit mie baptise ne lui crestien, et si les en fist- il par trois fois requerre par ses grans barons ; et quant il vit qu'il neu voloient autre chose faire, il les fist venir en la maniere qu'il voudrent, et si leur fist grant joie et mont les honnoura si comme il mersmes scevent. Si vous fit assavoir, sire, le dit Argon que si le dit votre message firent ce par votre commandement, il en est tout liez, car tout ce qui vous plaist li plait ausing, priant vous que si vous li envoyez yceuls ou autres messages, que vous voulliez souffrir et commander leur que il li facent tale reverence et honneur comme coustume et usage est en sa cour sanz passer feu. " Et je Busquaril devant dit message d'Argon oflfre mon corps, mes freres, mes enfans et tout mon avoir a mettre tout nuit et jour au service de vous, monsieur le roi de France, et vous promet que si vous voles envoier messages au dit Argon, que je les menrai, et con- duirai a mains la moitie de depens, travail, peril et double que il mont este quant a vous plaira." Collated with three copies preserved in the archives of France. VOL. I. X