Page:Christianity in China, Tartary, and Thibet Volume I.djvu/311

FRANCISCAN MISSIONS IN HIGH ASIA. 299 What answer the Pontiff made to Argoun is not on record, but probably he contented himself with the customary exhortations to protect the Christians, and instruct himself in the true religion, without being very explicit on the subject of the assistance the Tartars asked for. At this epoch there was war among the Christian princes themselves, and in the midst of in- ternal commotions, they could not think of going oh a crusade to the Holy Land. Argoun, however, was not discouraged, but pursuing his object with tenacious perseverance, sent, in 1288, a fresh embassy addressed to Nicholas IV., who had just ascended the pontifical throne. The principal person in this embassy was Barsuma, the Oigour monk, who had been appointed to a bishopric by his travelling companion, Jaballaha, who had, as we have seen, him- self been made Patriarch of the Nestorians by the in- fluence of Abaga. Barsuma spoke to the Pope of the design of Argoun to make war on the Saracens and take the Holy Land from them, and he described to him the flourishing condition of Christianity in Tartary and China, where Kublai had always shown himself favourable to the missionaries. The Christian faith could hardly fail, in fact, to make considerable progress in High Asia. The monks of St. Francis were now scattered over these vast coun- tries, and preaching the Gospel with zeal and perse- verance. They had founded several missions, to which new apostles were continually proceeding, who counted as nothing the fatigues and dangers of these Ions; and toilsome journeys if they could only make God known, and effect the salvation of souls.