242 THE BOY CRUSADERS.

overran Russia, ravaged Poland, desolated Hun-
gary, devastated the frontiers of Germany, and
caused such dread, that even England was agi-
tated with the danger that threatened all Christen-
dom.

About the year 1245, however, Mango, the grand-
son of Gheniskhan, professed a desire to embrace
Christianity; and Oulagon, the brother of Mango,
espoused a Christian woman; and, when King Louis
was wintering in Cyprus, ambassadors from Tartary
reached the island, with messages to the effect that
the great khan had been baptised, and that he would
readily aid the Crusaders in rescuing Jerusalem from
the Moslems. The saint-king received the ambas-
sadors with joy, entertained them hospitably, con-
ducted them to church, and, when they departed,
sent two monks with magnificent presents to the
great khan, and exhortations to hold fast the pro-
fession of his faith without wavering. Even when
the Tartars menaced Bagdad, an ambassador, des-
patched by King Lovis from Acre, was at the court
of the great khan. with the object of converting the
Tartars; and it appears clear that, however little
they might care for either faith, the Tartars, in the
struggle of Christian and Moslem in the East, were
ever ready to take the side of the Christian against
the Moslem.

Such being the state of affairs, Mango sent his
brother with an army to besiege Bagdad; and
Oulagon, raising his banner, marched towards the
city of the ea Now it happened that Musteazem,
being at once under the influence of the most egTe-