552 JOURNEY OF BENEDICT GOES
So our Benedict began to prepare for his journey, and assumed both the dress and the name of an Armenian Christian merchant, calling himself Abdula, which signifies Servant of the Lord, with the addition of Isa2 or the Christian.' And he got from the Mogul king, Akbar by name, who was friendly to the brethren and above all to Benedict himself, sundry rescripts addressed to various Princes known to be either friends or tributaries of his. So he was to pass for an Armenian, for in that character he would be allowed to travel freely, whilst if known as a Spaniard he was certain to be stopped.2 He also carried with him a variety of wares, both that he might maintain himself by selling them, and to keep up his character as a merchant. There was a large supply of these wares both from (western) India, and from the Mogul dominions, provided at the expense of the Viceroy of India, aided by contributions also from Akbar himself. Father Jerome Xavier, who had for many years been at the head of the Mogul mission, appointed two men acquainted with those countries to be the comrades of his journey. One, for Benedict's
down the king and people of India as Christians of the Greek faith, and heard that the Emperor of Cathay was a Christian also. The Tartars, whom Josaphat Barbaro met at Tana, assured him that the inhabitants of Cathay were Christians, because " they had images in their temples as we have." Anthony Jenkinson's party were told at Bokhara, in 1559, that the religion of the people of Cathay was that of the Christians, or very nearly so (see also supra, p. 205, a note from Quatremère). When Dr. Richardson and Capt. Macleod, in their explorations of the states east of Burma, fell in with Chinese traders, these generally claimed them as of their own religion.
Jarric says the name bestowed on him by Xavier was Branda Abedula, i. e., Servant of the Lord." I do not know what the first word is meant for.
2 " He adopted the common Armenian costume, viz., a long frock and turban, with a scymitar, bow, and quiver, this being a dress usually worn by merchants, but yet such as marked him for a Christian" (Jarric). He allowed his hair and beard to grow long, as was the practice of merchants. He was often, however, on the journey, as his letters mentioned, taken for a Saida (Syad), or descendant of Mahomed (lb.).
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