Travels Of Marco Polo: Four

This great king and the master of Tartars of whole world, and of all those regions, being informed of the Europeans was very pleased. Calling a council of his barons, he informed them, that he wished to send messengers to the Pope, the lord of the Christians, which they unanimously approved. He then asked the brothers in friendly terms to be the bearers of this message; and this they prudently declared themselves ready and willing to undertake. He next ordered letters to be written, to be conveyed by them in company with a certain baron named Kogotal, whom he assigned as companion. He instructed them, after the necessary salutations, to request of his holiness, to send a hundred wise men, learned in all the seven arts, who might show to the idolators, and other subjects of his dominion, the diabolical nature of their law, and how that of Christians are superior. Further he gave to the messengers a golden tablet, marked with his seal, containing an express order, that wherever they went, they should have their necessities supplied. Having received this, and taken leave of the king, barons and the whole court, they mounted their horses and commenced the journey. After a few days, Kogotal the baron, at a city named Alau, fell sick and could not proceed; but the brothers went on till they came safely to Laias in Armenia. In this journey, however, owing to bad roads and large rivers, which they could not cross on horseback, three years were consumed. Wherever they went, on showing the golden tablet, they were received with greatest honours and supplied with whatever they wanted.

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