ians established near his great tent, in which the clergy
sang their devotions publickly and openly, and struck the regular hours on
bells, according to the custom of the Greek church, whatever number of
Tartars or others might be in the presence; while no other of the Tartar
dukes did any thing like this.

It is the custom of this emperor never to converse himself with any
stranger, however high his rank, but always to hear, as it were, and to
answer through an intermediate person: Whoever proposes any matter to his
consideration, or listens to his reply, however great his quality, must
remain on his knees the whole time; and no one must presume to speak on any
subject after the determination of the emperor is expressed. For the
dispatch of affairs, both public and private, he has agents, secretaries,
scribes, and officers of all kinds, excepting pleaders; as every thing is
concluded according to his will and pleasure, without strife or judicial
noise: and the other princes of the Tartars act exactly in the same manner.

While we remained at his court, the emperor and all his princes erected a
standard of defiance against the church of God, the Roman empire, and all
the Christian kingdoms and nations of the west, unless they should become
obedient to his commands. Their avowed intention is to subdue the whole
earth under their authority, as they were commanded by Zingis-khan, and
they have only abstained from this intention of late, on account of the
death of Occaday-khan, the emperor's father, who was poisoned. Of all the
nations under heaven, they are in some fear of the Christians only, and on
this account they are now preparing to make war on us. In all his letters
their emperor styles himself the Power of God and the Emperor of Mankind;
and the seal of the present emperor is thus inscribed:

GOD IN HEAVEN; AND CUYNE-KHAN ON EARTH, THE POWER OF GOD: THE SEAL OF THE
EMPEROR OF ALL MEN.

SECTION XXIX.

_Of the Admission of the Papal and other Envoys to the Emperor._

We were called into the presence of the emperor, in the same place where he
had been inaugurated; and Chingay, his chief secretary, having written down
our names, and the names of those who sent us, and the name of the duke of
Solangi and others, he read over all these names in a loud voice to the
emperor and the assembled dukes. Then everyone of us bowed the knee four
times before him, and having warned us to beware of touching the threshold,
w