Page:Christianity in China, Tartary, and Thibet Volume I.djvu/215

203 CHAP. VI. STATE OF CHRISTIANITY AMONG THE MONGOLS. RDBRUK, THE NEW AMBASSADOR OF ST. LOUIS TO TAUTARY. — MANNERS OF THE TARTARS. HARDSHIPS AND MISERIES OF THE ROUTE. — CAMP OF SARTAK. THE MONKS AT THE COURT OF BATOU. THEY PROCEED TO THE IMPERIAL COURT OF MANGOU-KHAN. — INCIDENTS OF THE JOURNEY. THE GRAND KHAN GIVES AUDIENCE TO THE ENVOYS OF ST. LOUIS. SINGULAR MIXTURE OF RELIGIONS AMONG THE TARTARS. — ASPECT OF KARA-KOROCM. SOLEMN DISCUSSION AMONG THE MISSIONARIES. THE BUDDHISTS AND THE MUSSULMANS. THE FRENCH MISSION- ARIES QUIT THE COURT OF THE EMPEROR OF TARTARY. LETTER OF MANGOU-KHAN TO ST. LOUIS. RETURN OF RUBRUK TO FRANCE. The ambassadors sent by King Louis to Tartary had found there a great number of Christians, though un- fortunately in a state of profound ignorance, and some- what loose in their morals. They were mostly Nestorians, though without know- ing it, and showed no spirit of exclusiveness, offering their communion freely to the Catholics, acknowledging without hesitation that the Church of Rome Avas the mother of all other churches, and even saying that they ought to have received their patriarch from the Pope, if the road to Rome had been open. The Tartars and the Khan himself were full of respect for the name of Jesus Christ, and willingly did homage to the Cross. Mangou, who had now succeeded Couyouk on the imperial throne, showed great favour to the Christians, and, indeed, was generally supposed to be a Christian him- self. Hayton, of Armenia, affirms it in the most