LETTER OF PRESTER JOHN. 105 the greatest and most worthy of our house, and you may partake of our abundance. Should it please you to go back again, you shall set forth overwhelmed by benefits. "Do you desire to know the grandeur and excellence of our dynasty, the extent of our power and dominion ? Know and believe that I am the Priest John, the servant of God, and that I surpass in riches, in power, and in virtue, all the kings of the earth. Sixty-two kings are tributary to me. I am a zealous Christian, and I pi-otect and support by my alms the poor Christians who are subjects of our merciful empire. "We have formed the project of visiting the sepulchre of our Lord, at the head of a great army, as becomes the glory of our Majesty ; and we wish to combat and to humble the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose name be blessed and exalted. " Our magnificence dominates the three Indies ; our domains, setting out from Further India, where reposes the body of St. Thomas the Apostle*, advance across the deserts to the place where the sun is born, and return by a circuit to the ruins of Babylon, not far from the tower of Babel. " Sixty-two provinces, of which few are Christian, obey us ; each has its king, and all are tributary to us. In our territories are found elephants, dromedaries, camels, and animals of every species under heaven. Milk and honey flow in our country, and no poison is ever found there. One of our provinces, which is inhabited by Pagans, is traversed by a river called the Indus. Issuing from Paradise, it rolls its waters through the entire province, and in them are found emeralds, sapphires, and other precious stones. In another pro- vince pepper grows in abundance, and the earth is covered by an immense forest filled with serpents. This forest is situated at the foot of Mount Olympus, whence springs up an inexhaustible foun- tain, whose waters preserve all kinds of flavours. Then comes an arid sea of sand. At three days' journey from this immense desert there are inhabited mountains, amongst which there flows a stream that cannot be approached. This stream throws itself into a great river, into which the inhabitants of our countries plunge and bring up wonderful quantities of precious stones. Beyond that river are
- It will be observed how unvarying was the tradition of the
apostleship of St. Thomas in India.
