182 CHRISTIANITY IN CHINA, ETC. and your pope ? " And after overwhelming them with the most vehement abuse, they withdrew in high wrath. Baidjou, to whom the reply of the missionaries had been communicated, wished to put them to death at once ; and one of his officers improved on the proposal by suggesting that the chief of the embassy should be flayed alive, his skin stuffed with straw, and thus sent back to the pope by his companions.* But the oldest of Baidjou's six wives, and the officer who had been in communication with the missionaries, opposed this act of barbarity. " If you kill these messengers," said Baidjou's wife, " }'Ou will draw on you the hatred of all who shall hear of such a cruelty. You will also lose the chance of receiving ambassadors again, and con- sequently also the presents that they bring ; and people will not fail to exercise reprisals on your own envoys." " Do you remember," said the officer, " how wrathful the Kha-kan was against me because of that ambassador you made me kill, whose heart I tore out of his breast, and wore it afterwards round my neck? f If you should tell me to kill these ambassadors, know that I will not do it. I will rather go and seek the Khan, and accuse you of perfidy and barbarity." Baidjou yielded to this vehement opposition, and con- sented to let the missionaries live. He then sent his interpreters to ask how they saluted their own sove-
- Auchun disent que ly principaux messager fust escorchies et lu
peau fust emplie de pailleet envoyee a l'apostelle par ses compagnones. — Chron. Monas. Franc, fol. 393. I Te souvient il comment Cham fut jadis courecliiez a moi pour un message que tu me fesis ochirre, que je li esrachai le cuer clou ventre et puis le pendi a mon poitral, et portai par l'ost. — Ibid., fol. verso.
