The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 02 by Hakluyt, Richard, 1552-1616

The long and wonderful voyage of Frier Iohn de Plano Carpini, sent ambassadour by Pope Innocentius the iiii. An. Do. 1246. to the great CAN of Tartaria; wherin he passed through Bohemia, Polonia, Russia, and so to the citie of Kiow vpon Boristhenes, and from thence rode continually post for the space of sixe moneths through Comania, ouer the mighty and famous riuers of Tanais, Volga, and Iaic, and through the countries of the people called Kangitta, Bisermini, Kara-Kitay, Naimani, and so to the natiue countrie of the Mongals or Tartars, situate in the extreme Northeasterne partes of all Asia: and thence backe againe the same way to Russia, and Polonia, and so to Rome; spending in the whole voyage among the sayd Tartars one whole yeere and aboue foure moneths. Taken out of the 32. booke of Vincentius Beluacensis his Speculum historiale.

LIBRI XXXII.

De prima missione Fratrum Pradicatorum et Minorum ad Tartaros. Cap. 2.

[Sidenote: Ascelinus.] Hoc etiam tempore misit Innocentius IIII. Papa Fr. Ascelinum de ordine Pradicatorum cum tribus alijs Fratribus, auctoritate, qua fungebantur, de diuersis ordinis sui conuentibus sibi associatis, cum literis Apostolicis ad exercitum Tartarorum, in quibus hortabatur eos, vt ab hominum strage desisterent, et fidei veritatem reciperent. [Marginal note: Vide Mechouium lib. I cap. 5.] [Sidenote: Simon Sanquintinianus.] Et ego quidem ab vno Fratrum Pradicatorum, videlicet a Fr. Simone de S. Quintino, iam ib illo itinere regresso, gesta Tartarorum accepi, illa duntaxat, qua superius per diuersa loca iuxta congruentiam temporum huic operi inserui. [Sidenote: Ioannes de Plano Carpini.] Siquidem et eo tempore quidam Frater ordinis Minorum, videlicet Fr. Iohannes de Plano Carpini, cum quibusdam alijs missus fuit ad Tartaros, qui etiam, vt ipse testatur, per annum et quatuor menses et amplius cum eis mansit, et inter eos ambulauit. [Sidenote: Benedictus Polonus.] A summo namque Pontifice mandatum, vt omnia, qua apud eos erant, diligenter scrutaretur, acceperat, tam ipse, quam Fr. Bendictus Polonus eiusdem ordinis, qui sua tribulationis particeps et socius erat. [Sidenote: Libellus historialis Iohannis de Plano Carpini.] Et hic ergo Fr Ioannes de his, qua apud Tartaros vel oculis proprijs vidit, vel a Christianis fide dignis, qui inter illos captiui erant, audiunt, libellum historialem conscripsit qui et ipse ad manus nostras peruenit. De quo etiam hic quasi per epilogum inserere libet aliqua, videlicet ad supplementum eorum, qua desunt in pradicta Fr Simoms historia.

The same in English.

The voyage of Iohannes de Plano Carpini vnto the Northeast parts of the world in the yeere of our Lord, 1246.

Of the first sending of certaine Friers Pradicants and Minorites vnto the Tartars, taken out of the 32 Booke of Vincentius Beluacensis [Footnote: Vincentius Belvacensis, or of Beauvais who died in 1264 was a favourite of Louis IX of France, who supplied him with whatever books he required. He thus obtained plenty of material for his _Speculum Majus_ (printed at Douay in 1624, 10 vols. in 4, folio), a badly chosen and ill-arranged collection of extracts of all kinds. It is in four parts the first called _Speculum naturale_ the second, _Speculum doctrinale_, the third _Speculum morale_ and the fourth _Speculum Historiale_.] his Speculum Historiale beginning at the second Chapter.