A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 01: Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History of the Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present TimeKerr, Robert
History
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 01: Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History of the Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present Time
Kerr, Robert
Voyages and travels
Next morning all the Nestorian priests collected at the chapel, and smote
on a board, instead of ringing a bell. They then sang matins very
reverently, put on all their ornaments, and prepared the censer and
incense. After waiting some time, Cotata Caten[1], the principal wife of
the khan, came into the chapel, attended by many ladies, and having with
her Baltu, her eldest son, and several other children. All these prostrated
themselves, ducking after the manner of the Nestorians; they then touched
all the images and kissed their hands, and afterwards gave the right hand
of fellowship to all who stood beside them, which is the custom among the
Nestorians. The priest sang many hymns, and gave the lady some incense in
her hand, which she threw into the fire, and then the priests perfumed her.
After this she began to put off the ornaments of her head, called Bacca,
and I saw her bareheaded; but as we were now commanded to leave the chapel,
I know not what followed. As I was going out I saw a silver basin brought,
but I am ignorant if she was then baptized, but rather think not; because
at Easter I saw a fount consecrated with great solemnity, and some persons
baptized, but no such ceremony was seen on the present occasion, and I know
they do not celebrate the mass in a tent, but only in a standing church.
During our absence, Mangu-khan himself came to the chapel, into which a
golden bed was brought, on which he sat with his queen, opposite the altar.
We were then sent for, and a door-keeper searched us for concealed weapons.
On going in with a bible, and breviary in my bosom, I first bowed down
before the altar, and then made an obeisance to Mangu-khan, who caused our
books to be brought to him, and enquired the signification of the images or
pictures with which they were ornamented, to which the Nestorians answered
as they thought proper, because we had not our interpreter. Being desired
to sing a psalm after our manner, we chanted _Veni sancte Spiritus_. Then
the khan departed, but the lady remained, and distributed gifts to all the
Christians present. She gave the monk Sergius a jascot, and another to the
archdeacon of the Nestorians, and she caused a _nassic_ or large cloth like
a coverlet, and a buckram, to be spread out before us; and as I declined
the offer, she sent them to our interpreter, who sold the nassic at Cyprus,
for eighteen gold sultanies, though it was much the worse for the carriage.
Then red wine, like that of Rochelle, and caracina and cosmos were brought,
and the lady holding a cupful in her hand, desired a blessing on her knees,
and she drank it up, we and all the priests singing with a loud voice.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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