Matthew Paris has represented, from authentic
documents, the danger and distress of Europe (consult the
word Tartari in his copious Index). From motives of zeal and
curiosity, the court of the great khan in the xiiith century
was visited by two friars, John de Plano Carpini, and
William Rubruquis, and by Marco Polo, a Venetian gentleman.
The Latin relations of the two former are inserted in the
1st volume of Hackluyt; the Italian original or version of
the third (Fabric. Bibliot. Latin. Medii Aevi, tom. ii. p.
198, tom. v. p. 25) may be found in the second tome of
Ramusio.