Page:Christianity in China, Tartary, and Thibet Volume I.djvu/429

417 FRANCISCAN FRIARS SENT TO HIGH ASIA. 417 guish. The papacy, however, would not be discouraged, and notwithstanding this unfortunate state of things, Urban V., in 1370, sent off to High Asia several Do- minican and Franciscan friars, to replace those whom the persecution had carried away. lie appointed William de Prato, a. distinguished Professor of the University of Paris, to the archiepiscopal see of Pekin, and gave him twelve Franciscans for companions, and he also organised sixty others into various embassies which he sent to Tartary to the Emperor, and various Mongol princes. In 1371 he invested Francis de Podio, sur- named Catalan, with the dignity of Legate Apostolic, and sent him to the same country with twelve com- panions, the choice of whom were left to him. But nothing was ever heard more either of the Archbishop of Pekin, or the missionaries, or the ambassadors ; and as war was raging over all the countries into which the Pope had desired them to make their way, it is to be presumed that they fell a sacrifice to their efforts to fulfil their mission. The Christian communities founded in the other states of Asia subject to the Tar- tars had no happier fate than those of China, and the descendants of Tchinguiz-Khan waged implacable wars amongst themselves, weakened each other mutually, and seemed as if they were trying to prepare for Ta- merlane a prey easy to devour. Tamerlane was born in 1336, and at the earliest period when his name was heard in Europe, he was already a warrior dreaded amongst the princes and khans of his nation, and subduing them one after the other. It was not long before he led his grand army to India, which he conquered after some fierce and sanguinary battles and he also ravaged Muscovy, and subjected to his sway vol. I. E E