262 CHRISTIANITY IN CHINA, ETC. himself ? They alleged that it was because he feared that if he should absent himself from his country, the Franks, his neighbours and enemies, would come and invade it. Houlagou seemed to accept the excuse, and kept young Aziz with him all the winter ; but when he dis- missed him, he gave him the following letter, to deliver to his father.* " In the name of God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth ! Know, oh Prince Xassir, that we arrived before Bagdad in 655 (a.d. 1257), and that we took its sovereign prisoner. He had behaved ill to us, and being questioned, he acknowledged this, and owned that he deserved death. Covetous of his riches, he has ended by losing all. His grasping despotism has caused him to exchange the most precious goods for annihilation. According to the adage, i That which has reached the summit begins to decline,' but we, on the contrary, are increasing. " Oh ! Prince Nassir, and all you generals and war- riors of Syria, know that we are the soldiers of God upon the earth, and that he has created us in his wrath, and given us power over those who have awakened his anger. May the example of so many countries en- lighten you ! May the misfortunes of others serve you for a lesson ! " Surrender, before the veil shall ojje?i f ; for we are
- The letter is said to have been written in Arabic by the cele-
brated astronomer Nassir-sed-din, who had attached himself to Hou- lagou. f Coran, chap. i. ver. 20. This letter contains several quotations from the Coran, which seems strange from a Tartar general.
