AUDIENCE GRANTED TO THE MISSIONARIES. 173 which should not, along with all the rest of the earth, submit to his authority. The monks were sent for back again when this was over, but very little notice was taken of them ; and for a whole month they suffered much from scarcity of food, as what was distributed to them for four days barely sufficed for one. Fortunately they were assisted in their distress by the Russian goldsmith Come, who seemed to take a pleasure in giving them information about the Khan and his subjects. They also received much information from various Russians and Hun- garians, both priests and laymen, who could speak Latin and French, and who had been living among the Tartars for several years.* The Grand Khan at length gave a solemn audience to all the ambassadors, and the envoys of the Pope resolved to profit by it, to fulfil, if possible, the mission with which they are charged. The missionaries having asked Couyouk why his armies ravaged the world, he replied, " God has commanded me and my forefathers to exterminate criminal nations." The monks stated that the sovereign pontiff desired to know whether the Kha-kan had embraced Christianity already ; for, in fact, there had been a rumour of such a conversion, and the fame of it had spread to the West, and is even related as a fact by Aboulfarages. " God knows it," was the reply ; " and if the Pope wishes to know too, he has but to come and see." It is certain that Tourakina did make some profession of Christianity, and that the emperor had in his service a great number of Christians, amongst whom he espe-
- Narrative of Piano Carpini, passim.
