acted to the two extremities of the earth,
with commercial views, in the train of ambassadors or armies. The
irruption of the Mongols, by throwing everything into agitation,
neutralized distance, filled up intervals, and brought the nations
together; the events of war transported millions of individuals to an
immense distance from the places where they were born. History has
recorded the voyages of kings, of ambassadors, of missionaries.
Sempad, the Orbelian; Hayton, King of Armenia; the two Davids, Kings
of Georgia; and several others were led by political motives to the
depths of Asia. Yeroslaf, Grand Duke of Sousdal and vassal of the
Mongols, like the other Russian princes, came to Kara-Koroum, where
he died of poison, it was said, administered by the Empress herself,
the mother of the Emperor Gayouk. Many monks, Italians, French,
Flemings, were charged with diplomatic missions to the Grand Khan.
Mongols of distinction came to Rome, Barcelona, Valencia, Lyons,
Paris, London, Northampton; and a Franciscan of the kingdom of Naples
was Archbishop of Peking. His successor was a professor of theology
of the Faculty of Paris. But how many others, less celebrated, were
led in the train of those men, either as slaves, or impelled by the
desire of gain, or by curiosity, to countries hitherto unexplored.
Chance has preserved the names of a few. The first envoy who came on
the part of the Tartars to the King of Hungary was an Englishman,
banished from his country for certain crimes, and who, after having
wandered throughout Asia, had finally taken service among the
Mongols. A Flemish Cordelier met in the depth of Tartary a woman of
Metz, named Paquette, who had been carried away from Hungary, a
Parisian goldsmith whose brother was established in Paris on the
Grand Pont, and a young man from the environs of Rouen, who had been
present at the capture of Belgrade; he saw there also Russians,
Hungarians, and Flemings. A singer, named Robert, after travelling
through the whole of Eastern Asia, returned to find a grave in the
Cathedral of Chartres. A Tartar was a helmet-maker in the armies of
Philip the Fair. Jean de Plan-Carpin met, near Gayouk, with a
Russian gentleman, whom he calls Temer, who served as interpreter.
Several merchants of Breslau, Poland, and Austria, accompanied him in