RUBRIIQUIS, WILLIAM DE, one of the most distinguished of mediwval travelers, was born early in the 13th c.—probably about 1228. He entered, while very young, into the Franciscan order, and being hindered in his favorite scheme of missionary labor in the Holy Land, he was sent by Louis IX. of France into Central Asia for the purpose of forming an alliance with Sartach, the son of Bata Khan of Ki ptchak, a supposed Christian sovereign, against the infidels who held the Holy Land. Taking Constantinople as the starting-point, Rubrnquis, with two companions, also Franciscans, sailed for now Soujac—near Cherson, made his way across the steppes between the Dnieper and the Don, and crossing the latter river, reached, Aug. 2, 1253, the camp of Sant&11, who was now discovered not to be a Christian, and by whom they were sent forward to his father, Batft. When they reached the encampment of Batfl on the Volga, near its mouth, that prince refused to treat with then], and sent them forward to the Tartar emperor, Mange Khan, whom they reached on Dec. 27. At this rude court they remained for several months, and accompanied it about Easter to Kara-korum, where they found a few Europeans. Some time afterward, Rubruquis, being charged with having spoken of the emperor as an infidel, although he defended himself courageously, was compelled to return, but was treated with a certain degree of rude consideration.
Proceeding along the banks of the Volga, he penetrated the difficult defiles of the Cau casus, proceeded through Armenia, Persia, and Asia Minor, to Syria, arriving at Tripoli in Aug., 1255, having spent two years and a half in his eastern travel. As king Louis, by whom the mission had been accredited, had meanwhile returned to France, Rubru quis requested permission to follow him, in order to report the result; but fortunately for science the Franciscan provincial refused to permit him to leave the east, and directed him to report in writing. To this fortunate severity we owe the interesting and curious account which he drew up, and of which a lucid summary will be found in Lardner's Cyclopedia, Inland and Maritime Discovery, vol. i. p. 261, and following. Of the later history of Rubrnquis, the only fact known is that he was still living in 1293, when Marco Polo was returning from the east. His narrative is mong the most plain and sober in its tone of all that have come down to us from the a'iventurous voyagers of the 73th century.