That Plano Karpini saw Yaroslav in Mongolia is undoubted, for in his writings he describes the visit to the Grand Prince minutely, and how he knew him, also Yaroslav’s death, but of this conversion there is not a syllable. Nevski received the envoys, but avoided discussion. He informed them that he would take counsel and give an answer in writing. The Pope was encouraged by the fall of Byzantium and the rise of Baldwin’s empire, which forced the Patriarch to Nicea, thus hindering communication between him and Russia, and also through the conquest of Russia itself by the Mongols. Hence his hope to win the two most important Russian princes, Daniel of Galitch, and Alexander Nevski. Daniel at first roused in the Pope hopes which were not justified later. Nevski on the contrary gave absolute refusal at the outset, and thus relieved the Pope from further explanations. He consulted his spiritual advisers and prepared a written answer stating briefly and clearly: “We know sacred history; we adhere to the teachings of the Apostles, and the traditions of the Fathers. We follow the seven ecumenical councils, but we do not recognize your teaching.” In his letter the Pope praised Nevski because he had not recognized the Khan. It is hardly possible that the West knew not of Nevski’s journey to Mongolia, for the Livonian Knights knew that he had been there, and whatever they knew Rome knew also. Nevski did not see how peace, power and glory could come to Russia through papal supremacy, but to hear the Pope’s statement that the West could not think of Nevski as a subject of the Mongols must have grieved his spirit. It reminded him, who had tamed invading Germans at the Raven Stone and elsewhere, that he must bear the Mongol yoke on his shoulders. The gloomy vision was not brightened by the fact that he, a Grand Prince of Kief, had no domain whatever, and that Andrei, his brother, through whimsical rule in Vladimir, was ruining power where it really existed. In the Horde itself the friendly Batu was growing senile, and it was evident to all men who knew the situation that power was slipping from him. But those eager to rule at the Horde had not yet ventured on action. Sartak, Batu’s son, was reigning in his father’s name, and though Berkai, his uncle, was threatening Sartak, even with death, neither the son nor the brother had real power. Ulavchi, Batu’s favorite, was the man who managed every affair at the Horde. Whoever went to Sarai at that period, however much he pleased Berkai or Sartak, could do nothing, unless first of all he gave presents to Ulavchi, and came to an agreement with him. Toward the end of his long life Batu became so feeble that for two or three years before his death no one heard of him; it was as though he had already ceased to exist. By some accounts he died in 1255, by others two years earlier. It was difficult to tell who held power at Sarai during that period. No matter where one looked, disorder was evident.