386 JOINVILLE'S MEMOIRS OF SAINT LOUIS IX. £PT. n. retained me in his service, allowing me, like a kind lord, 800 livres Tournoie. I instantly returned thanks to God, for I had now more money than I had need of. It is now necessary that I speak of the state and power of the princes beyond sea, and I shall first begin with the sultan of Connie.* This sultan is the most powerful king of all pagan land, and had a most marvellous work achieved ; for he had melted part of his gold, and made it into large vessels after the manner of the earthen pots in which wine is preserved in those countries, each of which held about a tun of wine. He afterwards had these pots broken, and the pieces lay in one of his castles, which was open for every one to see and touch these broken masses of gold. It was said that he had si χ or seven of these large golden pots. His great riches were apparent in a pavilion which the king of Armenia sent to the king of France when he was at Cyprus, for it was estimated at 500 livres. The king of Armenia sent word, that it had been given to him by one of the serrais of the sultan of Connie. Now you must know that these serrais have the care and management of the pavilions of the sultan, and their employment is to clean every day the apartments of his different palaces. This king of Armenia was vassal to the sultan of Connie ; and went to the grand cham of Tartary to complain that the sultan had made war upon him, and kept him in vassalage, and at the same time tc entreat he would support and succour him. He consented to become vassal to the cham of Tartary, if he would supply him with a large body of men-at-arms against the sultan of Connie. The cham of Tartary was willing to do this, and sent him a considerable force, with which the king of Armenia marched against the sultan, whose army was nearly equal to his ; but the Armenians and Tartars defeated the troops of their enemy; and in consequence of this the king of Armenia was no longer vassal nor subject to the sultan. This victory, which he had gained by the assistance of the Tartars, increased his renown * This sultan of Iconium, a town in Cilicia or Caramania, which the Turks at this day call Coni, had the name of Asatines, and was a Christian. There is a letter from him to Pope Gregory IX. , who wanted to persuade him to embrace the Christian religion, in the Ecclesiastical Annals of Odoricus Raynaldue, in the year 1235, n. 37» in which he is called Alatinus.