CHAP. XI.
Of the Religion of the Tartars, and Cathayans.
IOannes a 1.1 de Plano Carpini thus writeth of their religion. They beleeue that there is one GOD, the maker of all things visible and inuisible, the Author of good things and punishments, yet doe they not wor∣ship him with prayers, praises, or any certaine rites. They haue also Idols of Felt, in the fashion of a man, and the same they set on both sides of their Tent-doores, and vnder them they put a thing of Felt fashioned like a Dugge. These they account the keepers of their Cattell, Authors of their Milke and yongstore. Others they make of silke, and doe them much honour. Some place them in a faire Chariot couered, before the doore of their flation: and who∣soeuer stealeth any thing out of that Chariot is slaine without all pitty. Their Captaines haue one alway in the middest of their Tent. To these Idols they offer the first fruits of their Milke: and the first morsels of their meate, and first draught of their drinke, at meales. And when they kill a beast, they offer the heart to their Idoll, leauing it be∣fore him till the morning, and then they take and eate it. They make an Idoll also to their chiefe Emperour, and offer thereunto with great solemnitie, as well other crea∣tures as horses, which none after dare ride on till death. They breake not a bone of the beasts which they kill for meate, but burne them with fire. They bend themselues to this Idoll toward the South, as to God. They worship the Sunne, Lights, and Fire: Water also, and the Earth, offering thereunto the first of their meates and drinkes, and in the morning before they eate or drinke. They haue no set rites prescribed by Lawe, nor doe they compell any to deny their religion simply: although in some of their cu∣stomes they are very rigorous. Thus they martyred Michael Duke of Russia, because he refused to doe reuerence to the Image of Cingis Can, which had beene their first Em∣perour: and compelled they yonger brother of Andrew Duke of Saruogle in Russia, to marry his said brothers wife according to their custome, after that they had slaine her former Husband.
They haue certaine traditions, according to which they reckon these things follow∣ing to be sinnes. * 1.2 To thrust a knife into the fire or any way to touch the fire with a knife, or with their knife to take flesh out of the Cauldron, or to hew with an hatchet neare to the fire. For they thinke that they should so cut away the head of the fire. They ac∣count it sinne also to leane on the whip wherewith they beate their horses (for they ride not with spurres.) Also to touch arrowes with a whip, to take or kill yong Birds, to strike an horse with the raine of their bridle, and to breake one bone against another. Like∣wise to poure out meate, milke, or any kinde of drinke, vpon the ground: or to make water within their Tabernacle, which whosoeuer doth willingly, is slaine: but otherwise he must pay a great summe of money to the inchanter to bee purified: who causeth the Tabernacle with all things therein to passe betweene two fires. Besides if any hath a morsell giuen him which hee is not able to swallow, and for that cause casteth it out of his mouth, there is an hole made vnder his Tabernacle, by which hee is drawne forth, and slaine without all compasion. Likewise whoso∣euer treades vpon the threshold of any of the Dukes Tabernacles hee is put to death. Thus are these Gnattes strayned, vvhen as hostile inuasions, mur∣ther, and such other Camels, are easily amongst them swallowed. They thinke that