His Excellency the Ambassador leaves Spaan and returns in
company with Ussuncassan to Tauris, where he meets the
Ambassadors of the Duke of Burgundy and the Duke of Muscovy,
and, after many audiences, takes leave of Ussuncassan.
On the 25th of November, as above mentioned, His Majesty left Spaan with
his court, and all returned, with their families, to winter at Como. I
accompanied His Majesty, and we travelled as nearly as possible through
the same places by which we had come, lodging under tents, and wherever
we settled, bazaars were established by those who are deputed to follow
the camp with provisions and corn of every description.
On the 14th of December, 1474, we entered Como with His Majesty, where,
with difficulty, I obtained a small house for our lodging, after staying
two days under tents. We remained at Como with the king, who often
summoned us to his presence, until the 21st of March, during which time
we suffered considerably from the extreme cold. When we ate with His
Majesty, he made us enter his apartment in the pavilion, but sometimes
we remained outside, and departed without ceremony. When we dined with
him, he took great pleasure in asking us about places in our country, and
put some strange questions. His demeanour is certainly good; and he is
constantly surrounded by men of rank. At least four hundred people sat
daily at his entertainments, and sometimes many more, all seated on the
ground. The food is brought to them in vessels of copper, and consists
sometimes of rice; sometimes of corn, with a little meat; and it is a
pleasure to see with what avidity it is eaten. The Shah and those who
ate in his company, were served in an honourable manner, the dishes
being abundant and well prepared. His Majesty always drinks wine at his
meals; he appears to be a good liver, and took pleasure in inviting us
to partake of the dishes which were before him. There were constantly
present a number of players and singers, to whom he commanded whatever
he wished to be played or sung, and His Majesty appeared to be of a
very merry disposition. He was tall and thin, and had a slightly Tartar
expression of countenance, with a constant colour on his face. His hand
trembled as he drank. He appeared to be seventy years of age. He was
fond of amusing himself in a homely manner; but, when too far gone, was
sometimes dangerous. Take him altogether, however, he was a pleasant
gentleman. We remained in Como, as I have said, till the 22nd of March.
It would not be to the purpose for me to mention the number of times I
had spoken to the Shah on the subject of my embassy; it may be understood
by the result.
On the 21st of March, 1475, we left Como for Tauris with the whole
_lordo_; that is, with all who followed the Shah, whose whole family,
with the baggage, went on camels and mules, of which there were great
numbers. We journeyed from ten to twelve miles a day, and sometimes, but
rarely, twenty, when in search of good pasturage. It is the practice of
the Shah to send his pavilion on to the place where he wishes to settle,
and where there is good pasturage and water, and to which place the whole
lordo sets out on the following night, and remain there till the grass
is consumed, when they proceed to another place in a similar manner. The
women are always the first on the ground to erect the tents and make
preparations for their husbands. The Persians dress well; they are good
horsemen, and ride the best horses they have. They are a very pompous
nation, and their camels are so well caparisoned that it is a pleasure to
look at them. Few are so poor as not to possess at least seven camels.
So that, from a distance, one would suppose there were a great number of
people, which is not actually the case. When the Shah arrived at Tauris
he might have had in his company about two thousand men on foot. There
never appeared to Messer Josefa Barbaro and myself more than five hundred
horsemen following the Shah, as the rest went as they pleased. The tents
of the Shah were exceedingly beautiful: the one in which he slept was
like a chamber; it was covered with red felt, with doors, which would
serve for any room. As we journeyed along, bazaars were established in
the lordo, at which everything was to be had, but at a high price. We,
with our tents, that is one for each, followed His Majesty and were
frequently invited to partake of his hospitality. He also often made us
presents of eatables, and certainly showed us great kindness, nor did we
ever receive injury from any of his followers or from any one else.
On the 30th of May, 1475, at about fifteen miles from Tauris, there came
to His Majesty a certain Friar Lodovico da Bologna, accompanied by six
horsemen, who called himself the Patriarch of Antioch, and said that he
was sent as ambassador from the Duke of Burgundy. The Shah immediately
sent to ask us whether we knew him, on which we gave a favourable report
of him to His Majesty.
On the 31st, the Shah sent for him in the morning, and also for us to
be present at the audience. The Patriarch had brought with him three
dresses of cloth of gold, three of crimson velvet, and three of violet
cloth, which he presented to the Shah. The Shah made us enter his tent,
and, having requested the ambassador to state his mission, the latter
said that he had been sent by the Duke of Burgundy, in whose name he made
great offers. He made a long speech, which seemed to have little effect
upon the Shah, and which it is unnecessary here to repeat. We dined with
His Majesty, who put many questions to the ambassador, which he answered;
after which, we returned to our tents.
On the 2nd of June, 1475, we entered Tauris, and were provided with a
lodging, and on the 8th we and the said Patriarch were sent for. And,
although the Shah had told me four times previously that I should return
to the Frank country, and that the Magnificent Messer Josafà Barbaro
should remain with him, I constantly objected to this, nor did I think
that any more would be said on that subject. When we appeared before His
Majesty, he said to the Patriarch: “Thou shalt return to thy lord and
inform him that I intend to abide by my promise of making war on the
Ottoman, which I am on the point of doing”: with other words on the same
subject. Then, turning to me, he said: “Thou also shalt go with this
Casis to thy lord, and say that I am on the point of going to war with
the Ottoman, and that they, too, wish to do the same. I cannot send a
better or more efficient messenger than thou. Thou hast been to Spaan and
returned with me, and hast seen everything, and mayest report to thy lord
and to all the lords of Christendom.” When I heard this I was very much
displeased, and replied that I could not do anything of the kind, for the
reasons I assigned. He then said, with an angry look: “I wish and command
thee to go, and of this my command I will write to your lord.” I then
requested the Patriarch and Messer Josafà to give me their opinion; who
both said that I could not do otherwise than obey. In deference, then, to
their opinion and the wish of the Shah, I replied: “Sire, since such is
your pleasure, I will, although loath, do what you command; and wherever
I may be, I will speak of your Majesty’s great power and good will, for
the satisfaction of all Christian princes, who, on their part, may wish
to follow your Majesty’s example.” My answer appeared to please him, and
he vouchsafed me a few gracious words in reply. When we left we were
taken to another place, and the Patriarch and I received as a present
from the Shah two very light robes made after the Persian fashion. We
went again to the Shah, and, after saluting him, returned to our room,
where he sent us each, as presents, a small sum of money, a horse, and
a few trifles of small importance. He left Tauris this day, while we
remained until the 10th, when we started together to go to His Majesty,
who was encamped at the distance of about twenty-five of our miles from
Tauris, at a place where there was water and good pasturage.
On the 10th, then, we started from Tauris and went to His Majesty’s
encampment, and having pitched our tents in the accustomed place,
remained many days until the grass was consumed. We then left, and
proceeded about fifteen of our miles, to a place where we stayed till the
27th, when he took leave of us. During the last period we were with the
Shah we were occasionally summoned to his presence, though not for any
matter of importance, and sometimes we received presents of eatables.
On the 26th, we were summoned by His Majesty, and, before we entered the
presence, were shown some very light articles of silk, lately made. We
were also shown three presents, one of which was intended for the Duke of
Burgundy, to be sent by the Patriarch, another for our Signory, and the
third to be taken by a certain Marco Rosso, who had come as ambassador
from the Duke of Muscovy, the Lord of Rossia Bianca. They consisted of
Gesdi manufactures, two swords and _tulumbanti_, all things of a very
light description. We were then summoned to His Majesty’s presence, where
there were two of his Turks, whom he intended sending as ambassadors,
one to the Duke of Burgundy and the other to the Duke of Muscovy. When
the Patriarch and I made our salutations, he addressed us in these
words: “You will go to your sovereigns and to the Christian princes, and
tell them how I was on the point of setting out against the Ottoman,
but that, having heard that he was in Constantinople, where he intends
to remain the whole of this year, I did not deem it becoming to go in
person against his people; I have, therefore, sent some of my forces
against my disobedient son and some to annoy the Ottoman, and I have come
to this place to be in readiness myself at a future time to attack the
Ottoman. And this you will tell your sovereign lords and to the Christian
princes.” He commanded his own ambassador to say the same. This language,
and that which he had previously held, was very displeasing to me; but
we could only reply that we would fulfil his commands. With this he
dismissed us, and, as we were about to depart, we were made to stay till
the morning. In the meantime, he caused all his foot-soldiers to assemble
by the mountain side, and in the morning we were sent to a tent in a
commanding situation, where there was one of the _Ruischasan_, who had
the charge of the ambassadors, and who, after conversing with us about
various things, said: “Here come a great many foot-soldiers; it will
afford you _tanfaruzzo_ (that is, amusement), to see them.” His slaves
added, that those who came were in great numbers, but that great numbers
also remained behind. The soldiers marched past the side of the mountain
that we might the better see them. When they had passed, it was said that
they might have amounted to ten thousand. Wishing to hear everything,
we were assured that they were the same foot-soldiers who had come with
the Shah, and that the review had been got up in order that we might
report it. When the review was over the Shah gave us the letters, and we
returned to our tents. Inquiring of various persons, and, among others,
of Messer Josafà Barbaro, to ascertain the number of horse-soldiers there
may have been with His Majesty, I heard that there were upwards of twenty
thousand, or, taking the good and bad together, upwards of twenty-five
thousand. Their arms are bows and swords, and shields worked with silk or
thread. They have no lances. Most men of rank wear very beautiful helmets
and cuirasses, and they have good and handsome horses. I have nothing
more to say concerning the Persians, I have spoken sufficiently of their
country, and of their manners, and of everything else. I might have been
more diffuse, but at the risk of being tedious.