RESTORATION OF ARGON.

463

other barons to adopt the same sentiments, and his personal influence, on account of his age and known character for justice and wisdom, was so great, that he easily gained them over to the enterprise, and they promised to be directed by him. The name of the leader of this enterprise was Boga, and the chief of his fellow-conspirators were named Elcidai, Togan, Tegana, Taga, Tiar Oulatai, and Samagar. With these, Boga went to the tent where Argon was confined, and told him that they repented of the part they had taken against him, and that in reparation of their error they had come to set him free and take him for their lord.

CHAPTER LIX.

HOW ARGON RECOVERED THE SOVEREIGNTY.

WHEN Argon heard Boga's words, he thought at first that they came to mock him, and was very angry and cross. "Fair sirs," said he, "you sin greatly in making me an object of mockery,and ought to be satisfied with the wrong you have already done me in imprisoning your rightful lord. You know that you are behaving wrongfully, and therefore I pray go your way and mock me no more.' "Fair Sir Argon," said Boga, "be assured that we are not mocking you at all, but what we say is quite true, and we swear to it upon our faith." Then all the barons took an oath that they would hold him for their lord. And Argon on his side swore that he would never trouble them for what was past, but that he would hold them all as dear as his father Abaga had done. And as soon as these mutual oaths had been taken, they took Argon out of prison, and received him as their lord. Then Argon told them to shoot their arrows at the tent in which the melic who had the command of the army was, and they did so, and thus the melic was slain. This melic was named Soldan, and was the greatest lord after Acomat. Thus Argon recovered the sovereignty.

CHAPTER LX.

HOW ARGON CAUSED HIS UNCLE ACOMAT TO BE PUT TO DEATH.

AND when Argon found that he was assured of the sovereignty, he gave orders to the army to commence its march towards the court. It happened one day that Acomat was at court in his principal palace making great festivity, when a messenger came to him and said: "Sir, I bring you news, not such as I would, but very evil. Know that the barons have delivered Argon and raised him to the sovereignty, and have slain Soldan, your dear friend; and I assure you that they

are hastening hither to take and slay you; take counsel immediately what is best to be done." When Acomat heard this, he was at first so overcome with astonishment and fear that he knew not what to do or say; but at last, like a brave and prudent man, he told the messenger to mention the news to no one, and hastily ordered his most trusty followers to arm and mount their horses; telling nobody whither he was going, he took the route to go to the Sultan of Babilonia, believing that there his life would be safe. At the end of six days he arrived at a pass which could not be avoided, the keeper of which knew that it was Acomat, and perceived that he was seeking safety by flight. This man determined to take him, which he might easily do, as he was slightly attended. When Acomat was thus arrested, he made great entreaty, and offered great treasure to be allowed to go free; but the keeper of the pass, who was a zealous partizan of Argon, replied that all the treasure in the world should not hinder him from doing his duty towards his rightful lord. He accordingly placed Acomat under a strong guard, and marching with him to the court, arrived there just three days after Argon had taken possession of it, who was greatly mortified that Acomat had escaped. When therefore Acomat was delivered to him a prisoner, he was in the greatest joy imaginable, and commanding the army to be assembled immediately, without consulting with anybody, he ordered one of his men to slay his uncle, and to throw his body into such place as it would never be seen again, which order was immediately executed. Thus ended the affair between Argon and his uncle Acomat.

CHAPTER LXI.

THE DEATH OF ARGON.

WHEN Argon had done all this, and had taken possession of the principal palace with the sovereignty, all the barons who had been in subjection to his father came to perform their homages as to their lord, and obeyed it as such in everything. And after this, Argon sent Casan, his son, with full thirty thousand horsemen, to the Arbor Secco, which is in that country, to protect his land and people. Argon thus recovered his sovereignty in the year 1286 of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, and Acomat had held the sovereignty two years. Argon reigned six years, at the end of which he died, as was generally said, by poison.

ACCESSION OF CASAN TO THE THRONE.

465

CHAPTER LXII.

HOW QUIACATU SEIZED UPON THE SOVEREIGNTY AFTER THE DEATH OF ARGON.

WHEN Argon was dead, his uncle, named Quiacatu, seized upon the sovereignty, which he was enabled to do with the more ease in consequence of Casan being so far distant as the Arbor Secco. Casan was greatly angered when he heard of the death of his father and of the usurpation of Quiacatu, but he could not leave his post at that moment for fear of his enemies. He threatened, however, that he would find the occasion to revenge himself as signally as his father had done upon Acomat. Quiacatu held the sovereignty, and all were obedient to him except those who were with Casan; and he took the wife of his nephew Argon and held her as his own, and enjoyed himself much with the ladies, for he was excessively given to his pleasures. Quiacatu held the sovereignty two years, at the end of which he was carried off by poison.

CHAPTER LXIII.

HOW BAIDU SEIZED UPON THE SOVEREIGNTY AFTER THE DEATH OF

QUIACATU.

WHEN Quiacatu was dead, Baidu, who was his uncle, and a Christian, seized upon the sovereignty, and all obeyed him except Casan and the army with him. This occurred in the year 1294. When Casan learnt what had occurred, he was more furious against Baidu than he had been against Quiacatu, and, threatening to take such vengeance on him as should be talked of by everybody, he resolved that he would delay no longer, but march immediately against him. He accordingly provisioned his army, and commenced his march. When Baidu knew for certain that Casan was coming against him, he assembled a vast number of men, and marched forwards full ten days, and then encamped and waited for him to give battle. On the second day Casan appeared, and immediately there. began a fierce battle, which ended in the entire defeat of Baidu, who was slain in the combat. Casan now assumed the sovereignty, and began his reign in the year 1294 of the Incarnation. Thus did the kingdom of the Eastern Tartars descend from Abaga to Casan, who now reigns.

H H

CHAPTER LXIV.1

OF THE LORDS OF THE TARTARS OF THE WEST.

THE first lord of the Tartars of the West was Sain, who was a very great and powerful king. He conquered Russia, and Comania, and Alania, and Lac, and Mengiar, and Zic, and Gucia, and Gazaria. All these provinces were conquered by king Sain. Before this conquest, they were all Comanians, but they were not under one government; and through their want of union they lost their lands, and were dispersed into different parts of the world; and those who remained were all in a state of serfdom to king Sain. After king Sain reigned king Patu, after him king Berca, next king Mungletemur, then king Totamongur, and lastly Toctai, who now reigns. Having thus given you a list of the kings of the Tartars of the West, we will tell you of a great battle that fell out between Alau, the lord of the East, and Berca, the lord of the West, as well as the cause of the battle, and its result.

CHAPTER LXV.

OF THE WAR BETWEEN ALAU AND BERCA, AND THE BATTLE THEY

FOUGHT.

IN the year 1261 there arose a great quarrel between king Alau, lord of the Tartars of the East, and Berca, king of the Tartars of the West, on account of a province which bordered on each of their territories, which both claimed, and each was too proud to yield it to the other. They mutually defied each other, each declaring that he would go and take it, and he would see who dared hinder him. When things had come to this point, each summoned his followers to his banner, and they exerted themselves to such a degree that within six months each had assembled full three hundred thousand horsemen, very well furnished with all things appertaining to war according to their usage. Alau, lord of the East, now began his march with all his forces, and they rode many days without meeting with any adventure worth mentioning. At length they reached an extensive plain, situated between the Iron Gates and the Sea of Sarain, in which they encamped in good order, and there was many a rich pavilion and tent. And there Alau said he would wait to see what course Berca would follow, as this spot was on the borders of the two territories.

(1) The following chapters follow the last chapter in Marsden's translation.

THE WAR BETWEEN BERCA AND ALAU.

467

CHAPTER LXVI.

HOW BERCA AND HIS HOST WENT TO MEET ALAU.

Now when king Berca had made all his preparations, and knew that Alau was on his march, he also set out on his way, and in due time reached the same plain where his enemies awaited him, and encamped at about ten miles' distance from him. Berca's camp was quite as richly decked out as that of Alau, and his army was more numerous, for it numbered full three hundred and fifty thousand horsemen. The two armies rested two days, during which Berca called his people together, and addressed them as follows:-"Fair sirs," said he, "you know certainly that since I came into possession of the land I have loved you like brothers and sons, and many of you have been in many great battles with me, and you have assisted me to conquer a great part of the lands we hold. You know that I share everything I have with you, and you ought in return to do your best to support my honour, which hitherto you have done. You know what a great and powerful man Alau is, and how in this quarrel he is in the wrong, and we are in the right, and each of you ought to feel assured that we shall conquer him in battle, especially as our number exceeds his; for we know for certain that he has only three hundred thousand horsemen, while we have three hundred and fifty thousand as good men as his and better. For all these reasons, then, you must see clearly that we shall gain the day, but since we have come so great a distance only to fight this battle, it is my will that we give battle three days hence, and we will proceed so prudently and in such good order that we cannot fail of success, and I pray you all to show yourselves on this occasion men of courage, so that all the world shall talk of your deeds. I say no more than that I expect every one of you to be well prepared for the day appointed."

CHAPTER LXVII.

ALAU'S ADDRESS TO HIS MEN.

WHEN Alau knew certainly that Berca was come with so great an army, he also assembled his chiefs, and addressed them as follows:"Fair brothers, and sons, and friends," said he, "you know that all my life I have prized you and assisted you, and hitherto you have assisted me to conquer in many battles, nor ever were you in any battle where we failed to obtain the victory, and for that reason are we come here to fight this great man Berca; and I know well that he has more men than we have, but they are not so good, and I doubt