But retoʳneng to the com̄emoration of the deade, I saie that whan they celebrate that com̄emoration there assemble about the sepultures a great nombre of men and women, oldemen and children, which sytt in plumpes,[146] wᵗʰ their priestes, and candells burneng in their handes. The priests either pray or reade in their language. And having finisshed their reading and praieng, they cause their meate to be brought, even to the very place. So that the streates arr full of folks, going and comyng to and fro that place of buriall. This place is iiij or v myles in circuite. And alongest the waie thither the poore folke lye, asking almes: some of them offering to saie praieres for their benefactoʳˢ. Their sepultures haue certein stones pitched vpright: wᵗʰ l’res declaring the name of the bodie buried; and some haue a litell chappell walled over them. This suffiseth tooʷcheng their superstition. Wherfore, tooʷcheng their dissembling in religion, I shall recite one vnto yoʷ, wissheng to God that amongest vs Christen men, either there were no such dissembling or that it were punisshed as this was that I shall tell yoʷ. The first whereof me seemeth were very good, and the seconde not amysse.
There was a Macomettane saint aftre their maner, who went naked as a beast, preaching and speaking so much of their faith, that he had gotten right good creadite. And having a great recourse of ydeote people that folowed him, he could not be so satisfied, but wolde needes go close himself in a wall, pretending to fast xl daies wᵗhout meate; not doubting but to passe it over in healthe wᵗhout any detryment to his bodie. And being determyned to prove this mastrie,[147] he caused bricke to be brought into a forest. Of the which, wᵗʰ morter and such lyme as they vse in those ꝑties, he made a litle rounde house, into the which he mured himself. And being founde at the xl daies ende alyve and sownde, the people woondred at hym. But one more wylie than the other smelte in that place a certein savoʳ of flesshe, and, causing it to be digged, founde the frawde. This came to the kings eares, who caused the Cadilashcar[148] to be apprehended, and a certein disciple of his also, who, wᵗʰ small torment, confessed that he had broken an hole into the wall: throʷgh the which he putt in a litle cane, and so conveighed brothe and other substanciall things into hym by night; wherefore they both suffred death.
And, as tooʷcheng the yll handling of the Christians that I haue seene there, I shall recite that I learned in the yere 1487, in the mooneth of Decembre, of one Pietro di Guasco, a Genowaie, borne in Capha, who, whilest I was in Persia, came thither, and was there wᵗʰ me about iij moonethes. He being enqⁱred of for newes of those parties, tolde me, that being on a daie in Thauris, an Armenien called Choza[149] Mirech (who was a riche merchaunt in all wares) stoode in a certein goldsmythes shoppe, wheare came vnto him a saint aftre their maner called Azi:[150] willeng him to rynege the faith of Christ, and to make himself a Macomettane: wherevnto he made curteyse answere, praieng him not to trowble him; but thother ꝑsevered, still calleng on him importunately to rynege. He againe shewed him mooney, intending therewᵗʰ to pacifie him; but the saint wolde no money, persevering still that he wolde haue him rynege. Wherevnto, Choza Mirech answered that he wolde not rynege, but ꝓsever in the faith of Jesu Christ, as he had doon hitherto. Wherevpon this rybaulde drewe a swearde out of an other mannes sheathe by, and strake Choza so on the heade that he slewe him, and incontinently fledde. There was a sonne of his in the shoppe of xxx yeres olde, or thereabouts, that beganne to weepe, and departing out of the shoppe, went towards the coʳte, and caused the king to be enformed of it: who, seemyng to be mervailousely offended wᵗhall, com̄aunded the saint shulde be apprehended, sending abroade streight to seeke him. So that he was founde in a citie ij daies ioʳney from Thauris, called Meren, and was broʷght to the kings presence; who called for a knyfe, and wᵗʰ his owne hand slewe him, comaunding his bodie to be throwen into the streate, and there to be lefte, that the dogges might eate him. Askeng wheather this were the waie to encrease the faith of Macomett? But whan the night drewe neere, divers of the people, those that were most ialouse of their religion, went vnto one Daruis Cassum, who had the custodie of the King Assambey, his sepulture, father to the king that now is: being, as who wolde saie, the Prioʳ of thospitall wᵗʰ vs, a man of accompte and reputac̃on, that had been Treasorer to the king before, and besought him to give them leave to take awaie that bodie that the dogges shulde not eate it. He, thinkeng no further, gave them leave, so that the people tooke him and buried him: which whan the king vnderstode, being shortely aftre (for the streate is neere vnto his palaice), he com̄aunded Daruis Cassam to be taken and brought vnto him, to whom he saied: Darrest, thoʷ com̄aunde contrary to my com̄aundement? Well, lett him dye, wherevpon he was incontinently slayne. That doon, he saied further, syns the people hath transgressed my com̄aundemᵗ, the whole towne shall suffer for it, and be putt to sacke. And so his people beganne to sacke the towne to the mervailoᵘse feare and disquieting of all men, which endured for iij or iiij howres, and than com̄aunded he them to staie and to leave sacking. But for all that he taxed a certein some of golde vpon them of the towne; and finally sent for the sonne of this Choza Mirech vnto him, whom he compforted and chearished wᵗʰ verie good and gratiouse woordes; for this Choza Mirech that was slayne was a notable ryche merchaunt man, and of verie good fame. Wherfore this suffise now, both tooʷcheng the evill entreatie of Christen men in those ꝓties, and also to the ending of this seconde parte, and of the whole woʳke described by me wᵗʰ the best order I coulde, considering the great varietie of things, of places, and tymes:[151] to the praise of oʳ Lorde Jesu Christ very God, vnto whom we Christen men, and spetially borne wᵗhin oʳ most excellent citie of Venice, arr much more bounde than arr these barbarouse people, which arr ignoraunt of all good maner and full of evill customes.
THE END OF THE VOYAGES OF M. JOSAFA BARBARO TO TANA AND TO PERSIA.
Letter addressed by the same author to the Rev. Monsignor Piero Barocci, Bishop of Padua, in which is described the herb Baltracan, used by the Tatars for food.
My Lord,—Having heard from my brother M. Anzolo, who had the happiness to stay with your Grace many days in those pleasant mountains of the Padovano, how much you delight in hearing of the nature of plants, especially of those which are not generally known, I wished, in order not to fail in my duty towards your Grace, to write you a description of one I remember among many others, which I saw in Tartary, during my stay at Tana. The Tartars have a plant in their country which they call Baltracan, the want of which would cause them great suffering, and prevent them from going from place to place, especially across those great deserts and solitudes, where they find nothing to eat except this plant, which supports them and gives them vigour. Accordingly, as soon as its stem has grown up, all the merchants and other people who wish to go long journeys, start in security, saying, “Let us go, for the Baltracan has grown.” And should one of their slaves escape when the Baltracan is grown, they abstain from following him, as they know that he can find support anywhere. And when they march with the lordo they carry supplies of it on carts and on the croups of their horses and even on their shoulders, for their sustenance, nor do they mind the load, so pleasant is its perfume. When any of it was brought to Tana, we merchants immediately ate of it. Nor must I omit to mention, that when in Albania, where I had been sent as Proveditore, after my return to Venice, as I was riding towards Croatia with five hundred persons, I saw some of this Baltracan at the roadside, which I began eating; after which, the whole company wanted to taste it. When they had tasted it, it came so much into use, that everyone carried bundles of it; those who were not on horseback carrying it on their shoulders. This they did, not so much from necessity, as on account of its good flavour and smell, and the Albanians shouted out Baltracan, Baltracan. I subsequently saw some of this Baltracan at Terrarsa in the Padovana; and, in order that your Lordship may know it, when searching for it in those mountains, I will describe its form in a few words. It has a leaf like that of the rape, with a stem thicker than one’s finger, which, at seedtime attains a height of more than a braccio. The leaves spring from the stem at the distance of a quarter of a braccio from each other. Its seed is like that of fennel, but larger. It has a pungent but pleasant taste, and when it is in season, it is broken as far as the soft part. It has a smell of rather musty oranges, and from its nature requires nothing to flavour it, so that it can be eaten without salt. I consider that, at the proper time, it may be sown like other seeds, especially in temperate places and in good soil. Each stem has a root of its own, and is hollow in the interior. The bark of the stem is green inclined to yellow. But, I believe that those who would not know it by any other characteristic, would know it by taking notice of its seeds. The Tartars and all who are acquainted with it, boil the leaves in a kettle with water, and when they have allowed the liquor to cool they drink it as though it were wine, and say it is very refreshing; and I can affirm that it is so from my own experience. Recommending myself to your Grace,
I am your Grace’s servant,
Josafa Barbaro.
Venice, this 23rd of May, 1491.