RUBRUQUIS, rii'bru'kes, or DE RUYS BROEK, RUBROUCK, RYSBRUCK, FRIAR William of, mediaeval traveler and author: b. Rubrouck, French Flanders, about 1215; d. about 1270. He was a contemporary and brother Franciscan of Roger Bacon, but little is known of him except what can be culled from his own writings and from Roger Bacon's mention of him in his
written is not scholarly it sets forth in vivid style the geography, ethnography, manners, cus toms, religion and language of the region tra versed, and shows irrefutable evidence of a keen, accurate, honest and highly intelligent observer whom time has failed to discredit. Five manuscript copies of the narrative are known to be in existence, the most important being the' one at Cambridge and two at Leyden. Portions of the narrative were published by Hakluyt
but it was not until 1839 that a full edition of the text was published by the Paris Geographical Society in (Recneil de Voyages). (Vol. IV). There is no adequate com mentary, on the subject matter. There are, however; two useful ,editions published by the Hakluyt Society, (William of Rubrouck . . John of Pean de Carpine,) translated and edited by W. H. Rockhill (London 1900), and
and Versions of Carpini and Rubruquis,) edited by C. Raymond Beazley (London 1903). Con sult also Schmidt, F. M., 'Uber Rubruk's Reise) (Berlin 1885) ; D'Ohsson, (Histoire des Mon gols? •(1852) ; Bretschneider, 'Mediaeval Re searches from Eastern Asiatic Sources) ; Beazley, (Dawn of Modern Geography) (1906).