ce to the holy Catholic
faith so many thousands of souls, which are being lost, not by their
own fault--we noticed that the king of Sian had been much pained by
the death, before he had seen it, of the horse which was brought from
your Lordship. And, considering the great pleasure which he took in a
philosopher's stone, we promised him that if he would send me to this
country I should bring him back a large horse and mare for breeding,
and a philosopher's stone a cubit long, which he had said he would
prize much. Out of desire for these things, he ordered that I be sent
back; and told the fathers that they on his behalf should write to
your Lordship--for he is so arrogant that he even sets no store by
writing. He ordered to be given to me, to present to your Lordship,
two elephants and an ivory tusk, which I have already delivered to your
Lordship. After I set out upon the voyage I underwent many hardships,
as I arrived at Malaca with ill weather, and when the chief captain
found what message I was carrying and learned my intentions in the
matter, he wished to interfere with me and detain me and stop the
voyage. He attempted to take the elephants from the junk, in order to
send them to Goya, and to take me prisoner. And in fact I suffered in
the said city and fortress of Malaca, more hardships and hindrances
than among the heathen before I was sent on the road with these
letters to bring to your Lordship, as appears more at length by the
information which I have given your Majesty for the remedy of all this.

In the name of the king of Canvoja, whose ambassador I am, and on
behalf of the religious and other Christians who are in captivity
in the kingdom of Ssian, and on my own behalf, as ambassador to your
Lordship, I petition and beseech that you be pleased to attend to the
giving of the aid which has been sought by him. And now I petition
in the name of this poor and much-beset king of Canvoja, who is so
friendly to our nation and to Christianity, more especially at present,
when he has been ruined and is in danger of a return of the king of
Sian against him (who would make complete the ruin and desolation of
his country), so good a friend of ours, who has no one to aid him. And
especially will this aid now be of profit and of immense importance,
as the king of Sian is without troops of war and has them scattered;
and each day he is becoming more powerful and is possessing himself
of the kingdom of Pegu--whose king li