NOTE 1.—Friar William, of Tripoli, of the Dominican convent at Acre, appears to have served there as early as 1250. [He was born _circa_ 1220, at Tripoli, in Syria, whence his name.—H. C.] He is known as the author of a book, _De Statu Saracenorum post Ludovici Regis de Syriâ reditum_, dedicated to Theoldus, Archdeacon of Liège (_i.e._ Pope Gregory). Of this some extracts are printed in Duchesne’s _Hist. Francorum Scriptores_. There are two MSS. of it, with different titles, in the Paris Library, and a French version in that of Berne. A MS. in Cambridge Univ. Library, which contains among other things a copy of Pipino’s Polo, has also the work of Friar William:—“_Willelmus Tripolitanus, Aconensis Conventus, de Egressu Machometi et Saracenorum, atque progressu eorumdem, de Statu Saracenorum_,” etc. It is imperfect; it is addressed THEOBALDO _Ecclesiarcho digno Sancte Terre Peregrino Sancto_. And from a cursory inspection I imagine that the Tract appended to one of the Polo MSS. in the British Museum (Addl. MSS., No. 19,952) is the same work or part of it. To the same author is ascribed a tract called _Clades Damiatae_. (_Duchesne_, V. 432; _D’Avezac_ in _Rec. de Voyages_, IV. 406; _Quétif, Script. Ord. Praed._ I. 264–5; _Catal. of MSS. in Camb. Univ. Library_, I. 22.) NOTE 2.—I presume that the powers, stated in this passage from Ramusio to have been conferred on the Friars, are exaggerated. In letters of authority granted in like cases by Pope Gregory’s successors, Nicolas III. (in 1278) and Boniface VIII. (in 1299), the missionary friars to remote regions are empowered to absolve from excommunication and release from vows, to settle matrimonial questions, to found churches and appoint _idoneos rectores_, to authorise Oriental clergy who should publicly submit to the Apostolic See to enjoy the _privilegium clericale_, whilst in the absence of bishops those among the missionaries who were priests might consecrate cemeteries, altars, palls, etc., admit to the Order of Acolytes, but nothing beyond. (See _Mosheim, Hist. Tartar. Eccles._ App. Nos. 23 and 42.) NOTE 3.—The statement here about Bundúḳdár’s invasion of Cilician Armenia is a difficulty. He had invaded it in 1266, and his second devastating invasion, during which he burnt both Layas and Sis, the king’s residence, took place in 1275, a point on which Marino Sanuto is at one with the Oriental Historians. Now we know from Rainaldus that Pope Gregory left Acre in November or December, 1271, and the text appears to imply that our travellers left Acre before him. The utmost corroboration that I can find lies in the following facts stated by Makrizi:—