Purchas his pilgrimes. part 3 In fiue bookes. The first, contayning the voyages and peregrinations made by ancient kings, patriarkes, apostles, philosophers, and others, to and thorow the remoter parts of the knowne world: enquiries also of languages and religions, especially of the moderne diuersified professions of Christianitie. The second, a description of all the circum-nauigations of the globe. The third, nauigations and voyages of English-men, alongst the coasts of Africa ... The fourth, English voyages beyond the East Indies, to the ilands of Iapan, China, Cauchinchina, the Philippinæ with others ... The fifth, nauigations, voyages, traffiques, discoueries, of the English nation in the easterne parts of the world ... The first part.

Part of an Epistle written by one YVO of Narbona vnto the Archbishop of Bur∣deaux, [ 40] containing the confession of an Englishman, as touching the barbarous demeanour of the Tartars, which had liued long among them, and was drawne along perforce with them in their expedition against Hungarie: Recorded by Matthew Paris in the yeare our Lord 1243.

THe Lord therefore being prouoked to indignation, by reason of this and other sinnes committed a∣mong vs Christians, is become, as it were, a destroying enemy, and a dreadfull auenger. This I may iustly affirme to bee true, because an huge Nation, and a barbarous and inhumane people, whose Law is lawlesse, whose wrath is furious, euen the rod of Gods anger, ouerrunneth, and vtterly wasteth infinit•• [ 50] Countries, cruelly abolishing all things where they come, with fire and sword. And this present Summer, the foresaid Nation, being called Tartars, departing out of Hungarie,* 1.1 which they had surprised by trea∣son, layd siege vnto the very same Towne, wherein I my selfe abode, with many thousands of Souldiers: neither were there in the said Towne on our part aboue Fifty men of warre, whom, together with twenty Corsse-bowes, the Captaine had left in Garrison. All these, out of certaine high places, beholding the ene∣mies vaste Armie, and abhorring the beastly cruelty of Antichrist his complices, signified forthwith vnto their Gouernour▪ the hideous lamentations of his Christian subiects, who suddenly being surprised in all the Prouince adioyning, without any difference or respect of condition, Fortune, sexe, or age, were by ma∣nifold cruelties, all of them destroyed: with whose carkesses, the Tartarian chieftaines, and their brutish and sauage followers, glutting themselues, as With delicious cates, left nothing for vultures but the bare [ 60] bones. And a strange thing it is to consider, that the greedy and rauenous vultures disdained to pray vpon any of the reliques, which remained. Old and deformed Women they gaue, as it were for daylie su∣stenance, vnto their Canibals: the beautifull deuoured they not, but smothered them, lamenting and scritching, with forced and vnnaturall rauishments. Like barbarous miscreants, they quelled Virgins

vnto death, and cutting off their tender paps to present for dainties vnto their Magistrates, they engor∣ged themselues with their Bodies.

Howbeit, their spials in the meane time discrying from the top of an high mountaine the Duke of Au∣stria, the King of Bohemia, the Patriarch of Aquileia, the Duke of Carinthia, and (as some report) the Earle of Baden, with a mighty power, and in battell aray, approching towards them, that accursed crew im∣mediatly vanished, and all those Tartarian Vagabonds retired themselues into the distressed and vanquish∣ed land of Hungarie; who as they came suddenly, so they departed also on the sudden: which their celeri∣tie caused all men to stand in horrour and astonishment of them. But of the said fugitiues, the Prince of Dalmatia tooke eight: one of which number the Duke of Austria knew to bee an Englishman, who was perpetually banished out of the Realme of England, in regard of certaine notorious crimes by him comm••t∣ted. [ 10] This fellow on the behalfe of the most tyrannicall King of the Tartars, had beene twise, as a messen∣ger and Interpreter, with the King of Hungarie, menacing and plainely foretelling those michiefes which afterward happened, vnlesse he would submit himselfe and his Kingdome vnto the Tartars yoke. Well, being allured by our Princes to confesse the truth, he made such oathes, and protestations, as (I thinke) the De∣uill himselfe would haue beene trusted for. First therefore hee reported of himselfe, that presently af∣ter the time of his banishment, namely, about the thirtieth yeare of his age, hauing lost all that he had in the Citie of Acon at Dice, euen in the midst of Winter, being compelled by ignominious hunger, wearing nothing about him but a shirt of sacke, a paire of shooes, and a haire cap onely, being shauen like a foole, and vttering an vncoth noyse as if hee had beene dumbe, he tooke his iourney, and so trauelling many Countries, and finding in diuers places friendly entertain∣ment, [ 20] he prolonged his life in this manner for a season, albeit euery day by rashnes of speech, and inconstancy of heart, hee endangered himselfe to the Deuill. At length, by reason of extreame trauaile, and continuall change of ayre and of meates in Caldea, hee fell into a grieuous sicknesse, insomuch that he was weary of his life. Not being able therefore to goe forward or backward, and staying there a while to refresh himselfe, hee began (being somewhat learned) to commend to writing those wordes which he heard spoken, and within a short space, so aptly to pronounce and to vtter them himselfe, that he was reputed for a natiue member of that Countrie: and by the same dexteritie he attained to manie Languages. The man, the Tartars hauing intelligence of by their spies, drew him perforce into their societie: and being admonished by an oracle or vision, to challenge dominion ouer the whole earth, they allured him by many rewards to their faithfull seruice, by reason that they wanted Interpreters. But concerning their manners and [ 30] superstitions, of the disposition and stature of their bodies, of their Countrie and manner of figh∣ting, &c. he protested the particulars following to be true: namely, that they were aboue all men, couetous, hastie, deceitfull, and mercilesse: notwithstanding, by reason of the rigour and extremi∣tie of punishments to be inflicted vpon them by their superiours, they are restrained from braw∣lings, and from mutuall strife and contention. The ancient founders and fathers of their tribes, they call by the name of Gods, and at certaine set times they doe celebrate solemne Feasts vnto them, many of them being particular, and but foure onely generall. They thinke that all things are created for themselues alone. They esteeme it none offence to exercise cruelty against rebels. They be hardy and strong in the breast, leane and pale-faced, rough and huffe-shouldred, hauing [ 40] flat and short noses, long and sharpe chinnes, their vpper jawes are low and declining, their teeth long and thin, their eye-browes extending from their fore-heads downe to their noses, their eyes inconstant and blacke, their countenances writhen and terrible, their extreame ioynts strong with bones and sinewes, hauing thicke and great thighes, and short legs, and yet being equall vnto vs in stature: for that length which is wanting in their legs, is supplyed in the vp∣per partes of their bodies. Their Countrey in old time was a land vtterly desert and waste, si∣tuated farre beyond Chaldea, from whence they haue expelled Lyons, Beares, and such like vnta∣med beasts, with their bowes, and other engines. Of the hides of beastes being tanned, they vse to shape for themselues light, but yet impenetrable armour. They ride fast bound vnto their Horses, which are not very great in stature, but exceedingly strong, and maintained with little [ 50] prouender. They vse to fight constantly and valiantly with Iauelins, maces, battle-axes, and swords. But especially they are excellent Archers, and cunning warriers with their bowes. Their backs are sleightly armed, that they may not flee. They withdraw not themselues from the combate, till they see the chiefe Standerd of their Generall giue backe. Vanquished, they aske no fauour, and vanquishing, they shew no compassion. They all persist in their purpose of subduing the whole world vnder their owne subiection, as if they were but one man, and yet they are moe then millions in number. They haue 60000. Courriers, who being sent before vp∣on light Horses to prepare a place for the Armie to incampe in, will in the space of one night gallop three dayes iourney. And suddenly diffusing themselues ouer an whole Prouince, and sur∣prising all the people thereof vnarmed, vnprouided, dispersed, they make such horrible slaugh∣ters, [ 60] that the King or Prince of the land inuaded, cannot finde people sufficient to wage battell against them, and to withstand them. They delude all people and Princes of regions in time of peace, pretending that for a cause, which indeed is no cause. Sometimes they say that they will make a voyage to Collen, to fetch home the three wise Kings into their owne Countrey; some∣times

to punish the auarice and pride of the Romans, who oppressed them in times past; some∣times to conquer barbarous and Northern nations; sometimes to moderate the furie of the Ger∣mans with their owne meeke mildnesse; sometimes to learne warlike feates and stratagems of the French; sometimes for the finding out of fertile ground to suffice their huge multitudes; sometimes againe in deri••••on they say, that they intend to goe on Pilgrimage to Saint Iames of Galicia. In regard of which sleights and collusions certaine vndiscreet Gouernours concluding a league with them, haue granted them free passage thorow their Territories, which leagues not∣withstanding being violated, were an occasion of ruyne and destruction vnto the foresaid Go∣uernours, &c.

[ 10]

Notes

• * 1.1

  Neus••••t.