From him we went to the court of Cota, the khans second lady, who is an idolater, and whom we found very sick; yet the Armenian monk made her rise from bed and adore the cross on her knees, with many ceremonies.

Sometime after the lady Cota was sick almost to death, and the divination by lot of the idolaters did her no good.

Next day Mangu-khan, hearing that we were passing, and having learned that the lady Cota was somewhat better, made us come in, and took the cross into his hand, asking several questions, which I did not understand, but I did not see that he worshipped it.

Then paying our obeisance to the khan, we went to the lady Cota, whom we found strong and cheerful.

From the whole of this story, it would appear that the lady Cota was hysterical from constipation; and that Sergius had the good fortune to remove the cause by a few doses of rhubarb.

When our Quinquagesima came, which is the Lent time of all the people of the east, the lady Cota fasted all that week, and came every day to our oratory, giving meat to the priests and other Christians, of whom a great company came daily to attend the service.

su espaldar y su cota, y aún prosigue impávido entre las llamas, buscando nuevas víctimas; desprecia el oro, aborrece la hermosura, y no le inquieta la ambición.

cota, f., coat of mail.

The first act, which runs through fifty pages, was composed by Rodridgo Cota; the other twenty are ascribed to Ferdinando de Rojas.