some to call the name of the Lord that is after Rabbi Salomo to apply the name of God to Images Stars and Men But the more likely opinion is that when Adam had obtained a more holy posteritie which was now multiplyed in diuers families Religion which before had been a priuate In-mate in Adams houshold was now brought into publike exercise whereof Prayer hath alwaies been accounted a principall part and God himselfe in both Testaments calleth his house a house of Prayer the calues of the lips and the ejaculations of the heart being the body and soule of Diuine worship whereof Sacrifices were in a manner but the apparel fashioned to that infancy of the Church Of the names of the posteritie of Adam and his hundred yeeres mourning for Abel of Seth his remoouing after Adams death to a mountaine neere Paradise and such other things more sauouring of fabulous vanity in the false-named Methodius Philo and others that follow them I list not to write And wel might Genebrard haue spared his paines in searching for the antiquitie of Popery in this first Age of the World Easily may we grant a Church then truely Catholike in the Posteritie of Seth instructed partly by Reuelations partly by Traditions concerning the Creation the fall the good and euill Angels the promised Seed the Vnitie and Trinitie punishments and repentance for sinne publike and priuate Deuotions and other like Articles gathered out of Moses but for the Rabble of Rabbinicall Dreames which hee addeth herevnto we had need of the implicite faith of some simple credulous Catholike to receiue them as namely Purgatory resembled in the fiery Sword at the entrance of Paradise Free-will grounded on that which GOD speaketh to CAINE Thou shalt rule ouer him the prerogatiue of the elder Brother ouer the yonger falsly applyed to the rule of the minde ouer sinfull lusts the choice of meates in the first Fathers abstinence from flesh fish and wine as hee saith which had not beene permitted to them as it is to vs Traditions when as yet they had no Scripture Superstitious Obsequies to the dead because the Iewes in their office for the dead call vpon the Fathers which lye buried at Hebron namely Adam Eue and the rest to open the gates of Paradise Deuotion to Saints because the Cherubins were set betweene Paradise and Sinners as if their Saints were honoured to keepe them out of Heauen and not the bloudie Sacrifices onely in Abels offering but that vnbloudie Sacrifice so they stile their Masse in the offering of Caine wee enuie them not their Founder yea he finds their Sacrifice of Orders in Gods executing the Priestly function of Matrimony in Adam and Eue of Baptisme in the Breeches which they ware of Penance because GOD said Thou art dust and to dust thou shalt returne of Confirmation in those words Shee shall breake thy head the Truth will breake their heads for so reading it of Vnction in that Seth went to the Cherub which kept Paradise and receiued of him three graines of the Tree of Life whereof we reade in the Apocalyps the leaues shall heale the Nations with those graines was an Oyle made wherewith Adam was anoyed and the stones put into his mouth whence sprang the Tree whereof the Crosse of our Lord was made hidden by Salomon in the Temple and after in the Poole of Bethesda Spectatum admissi risum teneatis amici Did not Genebrard deserue an Archbishopicke or if the obseruation be his did not Petrus Victor Palma which set him forth with such Comments deserue the Palme and Victory for Peters pretended Successors which could find such antiquitie for proofe of their Catholicisme Much good may it doe their Catholike mawes with such Dainties Iust art thou O Lord and iust are thy iudgements which because they will not beleeue thy Truth giuest them ouer to such strong delusions to beleeue so grosse and palpable Lyes CHAP. VII Of the cause and comming of the Floud THus wee haue seene in part the fulfilling of the Prophesie of the Seed of the Woman and of that other of the Serpent in the Posteritie of Caine and Seth. The Family of Caine is first reckoned and their forwardnesse in humane Arts as the children of this World are wiser in their generation in the things of this life which they almost onely attend then the children of light As for the Iewish Dreames that Lamech was blind and by the direction of Tubalcaine his sonne guiding his hand slew Caine supposing it had beene a wilde beast which when he knew so inraged him that he killed his sonne also they that list may follow Moses reckoneth the Generations according to the first-borne in the Posteritie of Seth as enioying the Principalitie and Priest-hood that so the promised Seed of the Woman after such a World of yeares comming into the World might iustifie the stablenesse of GODS promises his Lineall Descent from Adam with a due Chronologie beeing declared After Seth Enosh Kenan Mehalaleel Iared was Henoch the seuenth from ADAM who walked with God whom God tooke away that he should not see death This before the Law and Helias in the Law are Witnesses of the Resurrection being miraculously taken from the Earth into Heauen not by death but by supernaturall changing of their bodies That hee should bee still in an Earthly Paradise and that hee and Elias should come and preach against Antichrist and of him be slaine is a Popish Dreame the Scripture saying that HENOCH was taken away that he should not see death of Elias that he is alreadie come in the person of Iohn Baptist the Spirit and power or spirituall power of walking with GOD reforming Religion and conuerting soules beeing communicated to many of those Ministers which haue lien slaine in the streets of that great Citie This his Assumption is supposed to be visibly done Hee was a Prophet and Iude doth in his Epistle cite a testimonie of his which eyther by Tradition went from hand to hand as it seemeth the whole Word of GOD was deliuered before the dayes of Moses GOD by Visions and Dreames appearing vnto the Patriarkes or else it was written and since is lost Some hold it was penned by some Iew vnder the name of Enoch Augustine thinketh that the Booke entituled Enoch was forged in his name as other Writings vnder the names of Prophets and Apostles and therefore calleth it Apocrypha as Hierome doth also Chrysostome and Theophilact account Moses the first Pen-man of Holy Scripture Although it seemes that Letters were in vse before the floud if Iosephus his testimonie be true who affirmeth that Adam hauing prohpecied two vniuersall destructions one by fire another by water his Posteritie erected two Pillars one of bricke another of stone in both which they writ their inuentions of Astronomie that of stone was reported to remaine in his time Some ascribe this to Seth as
the depth thirtie fiue foot In the middest of the Citie she erected a Temple to Iupiter Belus saith Herodotus with Brazen gates now in his time remayning foure square each square contayning two furlongs in the middest whereof is a solid Tower of the height and thicknesse of a furlong vpon this another and so one higher then another eight in number In the highest Tower is a Chappell and therein a faire bed couered and a Table of Gold without any Image Neyther as the Chaldaean Priests affirme doth any abide here in the night but one woman whom this God shall appoint They say the God himselfe there lyeth In regard of this exceeding height Diodonus affirmes that the Chaldaeans did thereon make their obseruations of the Starres Hee also addeth that Semiramis placed in the top three golden statues one of Iupiter fortie foot long weighing a thousand Babylonian Talents till his time remayning another of Ops weighing as much sitting in a golden Throne and at her feet two Lions and iust by huge Serpents of siluer each of thirtie Talents the third Image was of Iuno standing in weight eight hundred Talents Her right hand held the head of a Serpent her left a Scepter of stone To all these was common one Table of gold forty foot long in breadth twelue in weight fiftie Talents There were also two standing cups of thirty Talents and two vessels for Perfume of like value three other vessels of gold whereof one dedicated to Iupiter weighed twelue hundred Babylonian Talents euery Babylonian Talent is said to containe seuen thousand Drachmae Atticae sixtie three pounds nine ounces and a halfe and halfe a quarter Troy weight All these the Persian Kings tooke away Without the Temple by Herodotus testimonie was a golden Altar and another huge one besides for their solemne Sacrifices the other beeing not to bee polluted with bloud except of sucking things In that greater Chaldaeans burnt yeerely in their sacrifices a hundred thousand talents of Libanotus One statue of gold twelue cubits high Darius affecting spared but Xerxes both tooke it and slew the Priest that forbad him I might here also tell of those Pensile gardens borne vp on arches foure square each square containing foure hundred foot filled on the roofe with earth wherein grew great trees and other plants The entrance was as it were a hill the arches were builded one vpon another in conuenient height still increasing as they ascended the highest which bare the walls were fiftie cubits high and twelue in breadth There were within these Arches Innes There was also a conueyance of water to the watering thereof This Garden was made long after Semiramis time by a King which herein seemed to lord it ouer the Elements and countermaund Nature being himselfe the seruant of his wiues appetite who in this lowly valley wherein Babylon stood would faine haue some representation of her owne hilly and mountainous countrey of Media This King was Nabuchodonosor as witnesseth Berosus in Iosephus who hauing conquered Egypt Syria Phoenicia Arabia inriched the Temple of Belus with the spoyles and added a new Citie to the old without the same And prouiding that the enemie might not after turne the course of the Riuer and approach to the Citie he compassed the inner Citie with three Wals and the vtter Citie with as many these of bricke those also with bitumen or pitchie slime of that Countrie adding thereunto stately gates And neere his fathers Palace he built another more sumptuous and this hee did in fifteene dayes Therein hee raysed stone-works like vnto mountaines and planted the same with all manner of trees Hee made also a pensile Garden Many more things saith Iosephus doth Berosus adde and blameth the Greeke writers for ascribing the building of Babylon to Semiramis an Assyrian This fragment of Berosus cited by Iosephus doth well serue vs to cleare both the holy and prophane Historie In the one Daniel induceth Nabuchodonosor walking in his royall Palace in Babel with words answerable to his pride Is not this great Babel that I haue builded for the house of the Kingdome by the might of my power and for the honour of my maiestie His words euen in the speaking were written in the Booke of GOD and an enditement thereof framed in the highest Court where he was adiudged presently the losse of Reason which he had thus abused Till hee knew that the most High bare rule ouer the Kingdome of men giuing the same to whomsoeuer hee will Well might he say he had built it in regard of this new Citie and Palace with other miracles thereof with more truth then some Expositors which accuse him herein of a lie for arrogating that which Semiramis did His wife also for whose loue he did this was as Scaliger thinketh Nitocris mentioned by Horodotus who also coniectureth that shee was the Daughter of Aliattes that Daniel intendeth her Dan. 5.10 that shee administred the Kingdome in the time of her husbands madnesse and in the times also of Euilmerodach and Balsasar a woman no whit inferiour to Semiramis that it may be said Semiramis began Babylon and Nitocris finished and perfected it finishing and perfecting those workes which Nabuchodonosor her husband before the time of his madnesse had begunne And for Semiramis profane histories generally make her the founder of this Citie and among others Annius his Berosus who contrary to this fragment of the true Berosus in Iosephus saith that Semiramis made Babylon of a towne a great Citie that shee might be rather esteemed the builder thereof then enlarger Nimrod had before built the Tower but not finished it and did not found the Citie which hee had designed and set out and Belus his sonne had erected those designed foundations rather of the Towne then the Citie Babylon Moses testifieth that at the first building they were by confusion of language forced to cease their worke leauing a name of their shame in stead of that renowne and name which they had promised to themselues It may be that Semiramis did amplifie this and happily so did other Assyrian and Babylonian kings as Augustine and Abidenus affirme Hanc quidem putant condidisse Babylona quam quidem potuit instaurare Likewise Abidenus saith that the wals being by inundation fallen were built againe by Nabuchodonosor and agreeth in other things with Berosus But the Graecians are children in comparison of ancient Historie and little of this matter can we affirme on their testimonie their first Historian Herodotus liuing long after this age in the time of the Persian Monarchie Howsoeuer Nabuchodonosor is hee which by diuine and humane testimonie there established that golden head of the Image the seat of the Babylonian Monarchie raising it to that high top of worldly excellence Yea Daniel speaketh of one more sumptuous Image then any mentioned by Herodotus and Diodorus set vp by this King threescore cubits high and six broad enioyning a
the writing being cancelled should bee neglected and perhaps the Name of God cast with it on the dung-hil the wise-men abolished that order on the third of Tisri which they instituted a holy-day As for the name of Maccabees Iunius saith it came from the inscription of those foure letters M. C. B. I. in the banners of those Princes which deliuered the Iewes from the Macedonian thraldome Scaliger saith that Iudas onely and properly was so called but by abuse of speech was not onely giuen to all of that kindred but to all which suffered in those times persecution for Religion as the seuen brethren and others The name Hasmonaei began with that Hircanus Scaliger thinketh because in the sixty eight Psalme it is by the Iewes interpreted Prince Aristobulus sonne of Hircanus first after the captiuitie called himselfe king and raigned one yeere Ioannes Alexander his brother twentie seuen after him his wife Alexandra nine Hircanus her sonne three moneths Aristobulus his brother three yeeres Ierusalem was taken of Pompey and Hircanus recouered the Priest-hood which he held two and twentie yeeres Antigonus by aide of the Parthians possessed Iudae a fiue yeeres and in his second yeere Herod was proclaimed King by the Romans who tooke the Citie the fift yeere of Antigonus and raigned foure and thirtie Scaliger ascribeth to Herods kingdome the number after Eusebius account reckoning from the birth of Abram 1977. he died 2016. Archelaus his son was made by Augustus Tetrarch of Ierusalem 2016. was banished 2025. Agricola was made king by Caligula 2053. Agrippa his son by Claudius 2060. and died 2116. thirtie yeeres after the destruction of the Temple The Dynastie of the Herodians lasted 139. yeeres Thus Scaliger He attributeth the Natiuitie of Christ to the 3948. yeere of the world Here we must leaue the Chronologers contending of the yeere of the world in which this blessed Natiuitie happened some adding many more yeeres some not allowing so many It is certaine by the Scripture that he was borne in the one and fortieth or two and fortieth of Augustus baptized in the fifteenth of Tiberius then beginning to be about thirtie yeeres of age in the thirtie three yeere he was crucified In the seuentie two as Baronius and seuentie one yeere of Christ as Buntingus and Liuely account Ierusalem was destroyed by Titus in the second of Vespasian Arias Montanus reckoneth this the yeere of the World 3989. and saith that the Hebrewes reckon it the 3841. which must needes be false The fault ariseth from the false computation of the Persian and Graecian Monarchies Iosephus counteth from the time of Herod to the destruction of the Temple twentie eight high Priests and a hundred and seuen yeeres After Scaliger in his Can. Isag. l. 3. this yeere 1612. is the 1614. of Christ of the World 5461. after the Iewish account of Hillel 5372. of the Armenians 1061. of the Iulian Period 6325. of the Hegira 1021. Anno 4. Olymp. 597. The Dionysian account which wee vsually follow was not generally receiued till after the time of Charles the Great CHAP. XII Of the Iewish Talmud and the Composition and estimation thereof also of the Iewish Learned men their succession their Cabbalists Masorites their Rabbines Vniuersities Students Rabbinicall creations their Scriptures and the translations of them §. I. Of the Talmud RAbbi Mosche Mikkotzi in a worke of his set forth Anno 1236. as Buxdorfius citeth him saith that the Written Law which GOD gaue to Moses and Moses to the Israelites is obscure and hard because it speaketh some things contradictorie which hee seeketh to proue by some places mis-interpreted and because it is imperfect and contayneth not all things meete to be knowne For who shall teach vs saith he the notes of Birds and Beasts a Franciscan might answere him out of the Legend of Saint Francis the Patron of his Order who shall teach them the proprietie and nature of points accents of Letters Also what fatte might be eaten what not c. Many such things are defectiue in the Law and therefore there is neede of some other Exposition of the written Law whence these things might be learned This Exposition for-sooth must be their Talmud the generation of which Viper touched before we will here more fully declare They say that Moses on Mount Sinai was not with GOD fortie daies and fortie nights to keepe Geese And GOD could haue written those Tables of the Law in an houre and sent him away with them so to haue preuented that Idolatrie with the Golden Calfe But GOD brought Moses into a Schoole and there gaue him the Law in writing first and then in all that long time expounded the same shewing the cause manner measure foundation and intention thereof in the true sense This vnwritten and Verball Law did Moses teach Ioshua be the Elders from these it was deriued to the Prophets After Zacharie and Malachie the last of these it came to the great Sanhedrib and after them by Tradion from father to sonne And Rabbi Bechai saith That Moses learned the Law written in the day time and this Traditionall Law by night for then he could not see to write Rabbi Mosche Mikkotzi sheweth the cause why God would deliuer the same by mouth onely and not in writing lest I wisse the Gentiles should peruert this as they did the other which was written And in the day of Iudgement when GOD shall demand who are the Israelites the Gentiles shall make challenge because of the Law written but the Iewes onely shall be acceped as hauing this Simani this verball exposition GOD also say they gaue them Chachamim Wise-men authors of diuers ordinances amongst them as to blesse GOD at the Sunne-rising and Sunne-setting And of Schooles where children should be taught the Law of Moses in euery Citie and where the Law of Moses should be read weekely and that the Israelites should not eate or drinke with the Gentiles nor what they had dressed after the example of Daniel c. But when the Temple was destroyed and the Iewes carried away captiues then arose vp Rabbi Iuda Hannasi who is called for his humilitie and godlinesse our Great Master to whom GOD procured such fauour in the eyes of Antoninus the Emperour that hee had authoritie to assemble out of all places of the Empire the most learned Iewes to consult in this their almost desperate Estate what course to take for the preseruation of the Law amongst the people And although this Kabala or Law giuen by word of mouth might not bee committed to writing yet in consideration and commiseration of their miserie whatsoeuer thereof was remayning in memorie hee writ in a booke which hee called Mischna that is a Deutronomie or Law reiterated contayning sixe summes diuided into sixtie lesse parts or tractates and these into fiue hundred thirtie two Chapters Thus farre R. Mikkotzi The contents of the sixe summes and their seuerall Tractates
by the finger of God being more ancient giuing confirmation to the Scripture not subiect to wresting and containing all truth whereas poore Scripture for no better defending of the Iesuiticall Iebusiticall Iezabelicall assertions is condemned first of her meane originall as being written but by the Apostles not the finger of God Secondly as a later vpstart and thirdly as receiued vpon the Churches authoritie and fourthly a dead letter written in paper or parchment with Inke subiect to wresting like a sheath which admits any blade whether of leade wood or brasse as well as the true one And lastly not containing all the mysteries of Religion explicitly as being not therefore giuen to prescribe an exact forme of Faith but written by some vpon some occasions to some Churches and therefore in controuersies as of Images Inuocation of Saints and the like where Scripture seemes to speake for heretikes wee must haue recourse to the other kind of Scripture written in the heart of the Church as Interpreter of all Scriptures Iudge of all opinions and whatsoeuer else foule-mouthed blasphemie with faire pretext can arrogate to this or derogate from the other O that men would therefore hate that Whore which these impudent Panders prostitute thus decked with the spoyles of diuine Scriptures which haue another testimonie of themselues and therefore the testimonie of God that All Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for reproofe for correction for Instruction in righteousnesse yea and hereunto sufficient that the man of God whose men whose emissaries are these gaine-sayers may bee perfect throughly perfected vnto all good workes But leaue wee Simeon and Leui brethren in euill together Yet before wee leaue their Talmud though highly esteemed amongst them I thought meet also to speake more largely both of that and of their learned Rabbins out of Petrus Galatinus Sixtus Senensis Paulus Ricius Rambam and others that write thereof The Traditionall Law they call Tora scebealpe that is the Law which is in the mouth or deliuered by word of mouth Rabbi Moses Aegyptius telleth the passages thereof thus Ioshua receiuing it of Moses deliuered it to Phineas the sonne of Eleazar the Priest Phineas to Heli the Priest hee to Samuel the Prophet Samuel to Dauid hee to Achias the Prophet who deliuered the same to Elias the teacher of Elisha Elisha or Elisaeus to Ioiada the Priest this Ioiada to Zacharias Zacharias to Hosea and hee to Amos Amos to Esay of whom Micheas receiued it and of him Ioel Nahum from him and from him againe Habacuck who taught it Sephanie the Instructer of Ieremie of whom Baruch the Scribe learned it Baruch taught it Ezra Vntill this time the Iewes had none other but the written Scripture Now for their Scriptures they call the same Arbaa Veefrim that is the foure and twentie of the number of the bookes after their computation all which they reduce to foure parts The first of which they call Tora the Law or Humas the Pentateuch or fiue bookes and they call euery booke after the first words in the beginning thereof The second part hath foure bookes Ioshua Iudges Samuel and Kings The third part comprehendeth foure other which they call the last Prophets Esay Ieremie Ezekiel and the booke of the twelue smaller Prophets The fourth part is called Chettuuim and hth eleuen bookes Paralipomenon or Chronicles the Psalmes the Prouerbes Iob Ruth Ecclesiastes Lamentations Canticles Ester Daniel Ezra which they make one with Nehemia Ecclesiasticus Iudith and Tobias and the first booke of Maccabees they haue but reckon not among the foure and twentie The third and fourth bookes of Ezra I haue not seene saith Galatinus in Hebrew but some of them say that they are lately found at Constantinople but the second of Maccabees and the Booke of Philo called the Wisedome of Salomon I neuer saw but in Greeke nor those additions to Daniel But after the Babylonian captiuitie Ezra writing out the Law which had beene burned in the destruction of the Citie other Wisemen writ out the Exposition of the Law lest if another destruction should happen the same might perish And from that time all the Wise-men which are called the men of the Great Synagogue in their teaching the Law deliuered the same both in word and writing vntill the Talmud was written It was then saith Picus in seuentie bookes after the number of the seuentie Elders These mens authoritie hath the next place to the Prophets And are in this order mentioned in their Talmud Ezra deliuered the same to Simon the Priest called Iaddus who was honoured of Alexander This Simon deliuered this explaination to Antigonus Antigonus to Iosephus the sonne of Iohn and to Iosephus the sonne of Iehezer They to Nuaeus Arbulensis and Ioshua the sonne of Peratria whose Auditor the Iewes falsly affirme that Iesus our blessed Sauiour was which liued an hundred and ten yeers after Those two deliuered the same to Iuda the son of Tibaeus and Simon the sonne of Sata These to Samaia and Abatalion and they to Hillel and Samaeus Hillel flourished an hundred yeeres before the destruction of the second Temple and had eightie Schollers or Disciples all of excellent wit and learning thirtie of them for their excellence had the Diuinitie descending vpon them as Moses and other thirtie obtained that the Sunne should stand still for them as Ioshua the rest were accounted meane Of these the greatest was Ionothas sonne of Vziel the least Iohn the sonne of Zacheus which yet knew the Scripture and Talmud and all things else to the examples of Foxes and Narrations of Diuels Hillel and Samaeus deliuered this explaination to this Iohn and to Simeon the Iust sonne of the said Hillel who after receiued Christ in his armes and prophesied of him in the Temple Rabbi Moses proceedeth and saith that Simeon taught Gamaliel Pauls Master and Gamaliel instructed his sonne Rabban Simeon who was slaine of Hadrian the Emperour after he had taught his sonne Iudas whom the Iewes for his Learning and Holinesse call Rahbenu Haccados that is our holy Master of which honourable name there had beene another in the time of the Roman Consuls These for the most part besides almost infinite others of their hearers haue left many things written of the explaination of the Law of which the Talmud was compacted Of the vnreasonable absurdities and impious blasphemies of the Talmud howsoeuer abominable in themselues yet let it not be irkesome to the Reader to see some mentioned therein to obserue the depth of diuine vengeance which in this blinded Nation wee may heare and feare For who would thinke it possible that any could entertaine in his heart that which there they haue written of GOD as that before the creation of this world to keepe himselfe from idlenesse hee made and marred many other worlds that he spends three houres euery day in reading the Iewish law that Moses one day ascending to Heauen
were it not for sensualitie ignorance and the sword these Alcoran-fables would soone vanish CHAP. V. Other Muhameticall speculations and explanations of their Law collected out of their owne Commentaries of that Argument OF such writings as haue come to our hands touching Mahomets doctrine and Religion that seemeth most fully to lay them open which is called by some Scala a booke containing the exposition of the Alcoran in forme of a Dialogue translated into Latine by Hermannus Dalmata and made the twelfth Chapter of the first Booke of the Alcoran in Italian I haue therefore presumed on the Readers patience to those former collections out of the Alcoran it selfe to adde these ensuing as a further explanation of their opinions The Messenger of GOD so beginneth that booke was sitting amongst his fellowes the praier and salutation of GOD bee vpon him in his Citie Iesrab and the Angel Gabriel descending on him said GOD saluteth thee O Mahomet c. There came foure wise-men Masters in Israel to prooue thee the chiefe of whom is Abdia-Ben-Salon Mahomet therefore sent his cousin Hali to salute them and they being come to Mahomet after mutuall salutations Abdia telleth him that he and his fellowes were sent by the people of the Iewes to learne the vnderstanding of some obscurer places of their Law Mahomet asketh if he come to enquire or to tempt Abdia saith to enquire Then Mahomet giuing him full leaue he beginneth hauing before gathered out of the whole bodie of their Law an hundred most exquisite questions The principall dregs you shall here haue Abdia Tell vs O Mahomet whether thou bee a Prophet or a Messenger Mahomet GOD hath appointed me both a Prophet and a Messenger Ab. Doest thou preach the Law of GOD or thine owne Law Mah. The Law of GOD this Law is Faith and this Faith is that there are not Gods but one GOD without partaker Ab. How many Lawes of GOD are there Mah. One the Law and Faith of the Prophets which went before vs was one the Rites were different Ab. Shall we enter Paradise for Faith or Workes Mah. Both are necessarie but if a Gentile Iew or Christian become a Saracen and preuent his good Workes Faith onely shall suffice But if Gentile Iew or Christian doe good Workes not in the loue of GOD the fire shall consume both him and his worke Ab. How doth the mercie of GOD preuent his anger Mah. When before other creatures Adam rose vp he sucesed and said GOD be thanked and the Angels hearing it said The Pittie of GOD be vpon thee Adam who answered Amen Then said the Lord I haue receiued your Prayer Ab. What be the foure things which GOD wrought with his owne hands Mah. Hee made Paradise planted the tree of the Trumpet formed Adam and did write the Tables of Moses Ab. Who told thee this Mah. Gabriel from the Lord of the world Ab. In what forme Mah. Of a man standing vpright neuer sleeping nor eating nor drinking but the praise of GOD. Ab. Tell me in order what is one what is two what three foure fiue sixe c. to an hundreth Mah. One is GOD without Sonne partaker or fellow Almightie Lord of life and death Two Adam and Eue Three Michael Gabriel Saraphiel Archangels Secretaries of GOD. Foure The Law of Moses the Psalmes of Dauid the Gospell and Alfurcan so called of the distinction of the Sentences Fiue The prayers which GOD gaue mee and my people and to none of the other Prophets Six The dayes of the Creation Seuen Heauens Eight Angels which sustaine the Throne of GOD. Nine Are the Miracles of Moses Ten Are the Fasting-dayes of the Pilgrimes three when they goe seuen in their returne Eleuen Are the Starres whereof Ioseph dreamed Twelue moneths in the yeere Thirteene Is the Sunne and Moone with the eleuen Starres Fourteene Candles hang about the Throne of GOD of the length of fiue hundred yeeres Fifteene The fifteenth day of Ramadam in which the Alcoran came sliding from heauen Sixteene Are the Legions of the Cherubims Seuenteene Are the names of GOD betweene the bottome of the earth and hell which stay those flames which else would consume of the world Eighteene Interpositions there be betweeene the Throne of GOD and the ayre for else the brightnesse of GOD would blinde the World Nineteene Be the armes or branches of Zachia a Riuer in hell which shall make a great noise in the day of Iudgement Twentie The day of the moneth Ramadam when the Psalmes descended on Dauid The one and twentieth of Ramadam Salomon was borne The two and twentieth Dauid was pardoned the sinne against Vriah The three and twentieth of Ramadam Christ the Sonne of Marie was borne the prayers of GOD be vpon him The foure and twentieth GOD spake to Moses The fiue and twentieth the Sea was diuided The sixe and twentieth He receiued the Tables The seuen and twentieth Ionas was swallowed of the Whale The eight and twentieth Iacob recouered his sight when Iudas brought Iosephs coat The nine and twentieth Was Enoch translated The thirtieth Moses went into Mount Sinai Ab. Make short worke for thou hast done all this exactly Mah. Fortie are the daies of Moses his fasting Fftie thousand yeeres shall the day of Iudgement continue Sixtie are the veines which euery of the heauens haue in the earth without which varietie there would be no knowledge amongst men Seuentie men Moses tooke to himselfe Eightie stripes are due to a drunken man Ninetie the Angell said to Dauid This my fellow hath ninetie sheepe and I but one which he hath stollen from mee An hundred stripes are due to the Adulterer Ab. Well shew vs how the earth was made and when Mah. GOD made man of mire the mire of froth this was made of the tempests these of the sea The sea of darknesse the darknesse of light this of the word the word of the thought the thought of Iacinth the Iacinth of the commandement Let it be and it was Ab. How many Angels are set ouer men Mah. Two one on the right hand which writeth his good deeds another on the left which registreth his bad These sit on mens shoulders Their pen is their tongue their inke is their spittle their heart is the booke Ab. What did GOD make after Mah. The bookes wherein are written all things past present and to come in heauen and earth and the pen made of the brightest light fiue hundred yeeres long and eightie broad hauing eightie teeth wherein are written all things in the world till the day of Iudgement The booke is made of the greatest Emerald the words of Pearles the couer of pitie GOD ouer-looketh the same an hundred and sixtie times in a day and night The heauen is made of smoake of the vapour of the sea the greennesse of the sea proceedeth from the mount Kaf which is made of the Emeralds of Paradise and compasseth the world bearing vp the heauens The gates of heauen are of gold the
how saith he can GOD haue a Sonne without a woman And how can they agree together How can GOD be made Man And why could he not haue saued man by a word but as if he had beene hindred through weaknesse did therefore become man And if he were GOD how could he suffer Yea the name of Mahomet saith hee was expressed both in the Old Testament and the Gospel Christ himselfe commending it which the Christians haue raced out yea from euerlasting it was written on the right side of the Throne of GOD. And the Musulmans deriue their faith from Abraham This I haue inserted to shew the vaine conceits they haue of our Religion and their blinde confidence in their owne with their carnall dreames of Diuine Mysteries and diuellish slanders of our Scriptures which they know not their scandall also from the worship of Images and Saints Frier Richard reciteth among Mahomets opinions That of threescore and thirteene parts of the Saracens one onely shall be saued and that the Deuils shall once bee saued by the Ascoran and that the Deuils call themselues Saracens fit companions with them in their holy things Some make it a Canon of Mahomet That they should looke toward the South when they pray that when they pray they should say GOD is one GOD without equall and Mahomet his Prophet which Lod. Barthema saith Are the Characters of the profession of a Mahumetan and that by the pronouncing of those words hee was tried whether he was an Infidell or no. These words saith the aboue-said Arabian as they affirme before the beginning of the world were written in the Throne of GOD. Bellonius in his Obseruations telleth out of their Bookes that there is a Tree in Paradise which shadoweth it all ouer and spreadeth her boughes ouer the walles whose leaues are of pure gold and siluer each of them after the Name of GOD hauing therein written the name of Mahomet And that if a Christian at vnawares should pronounce the said Prayer Laillah c. GOD is one GOD and Mahomet his Prophet hee must either die or turne Turke Such reputation haue they of this forme which they call a Prayer with as good reason as the Aue Marie among the Romists wherein yet they pray not for any thing Bellonius also saith That they hold the Heauen to be made of Smoke and the Firmament stablished on the horne of a Buffall by whose stirring Earthquakes are caused That there are seuen Paradises with Houses Gardens Fountaines and whatsoeuer sense accounteth delectable where they shall enioy all delights without any sorrow hauing Carpet Beds Boyes Horses Saddles Garments for cost and workmanship most curious and readie for attendance Those Boyes richly adorned when they haue satisfied their hunger and thirst shall present euery Saracen a huge Pome-citron in a golden Charger and as soone as they shall smell thereof there shall thence proceed a comely Virgin in gallant attire which shall embrace him and he her and so shall they continue fiftie yeeres After which space ended God shall shew them his face whereat they shall fall downe not able to endure the brightnesse but hee shall say Arise my seruants and enioy my glory for heereafter yee shall neuer die nor be grieued Then shall they see God and each lead his Virgin into his Chamber where all pleasures shall attend them If one of those Virgins should come forth at midnight shee would lighten the world no lesse then the Sunne and if shee should spet into the Sea all the water thereof would become sweet Gabriel keepeth the keyes of Paradise which are in number threescore and ten thousand each seuen thousand miles long But hee was not able to open Paradise without Inuocation of the Name of GOD and Mahomet his friend There is a Table of Adamant seuen hundred thousand dayes iourney long and broad with seates of gold and siluer about it where they shall be feasted There is extant a Constitution of Methodius Patriarke of Constantinople touching the diuersities of Penances according to the diuersitie of the offence to bee performed by such as haue reuolted from the Faith to Mahumetisme Likewise there is a fragment of Nicetas wherein are expressed the abiurations and renunciations of Mahomet and his Law by new conuerts both before Baptisme when they were admitted into the number of the Catechumeni and at Baptisme as was then vsed in the Church some of which I here mention as fitting to our purpose After the Anathema pronounced against Mahomet Ali his sonne-in-law Apompicertus Baeicer Amar Talcan Apupachren Sadicen and the rest of his consorts and successours also against Gadise Aise and others his wiues with Phatuma his daughter he Anathematiseth the Core that is Mahomets Scripture and all his learning lawes Apocryphall narrations traditions and blasphemies The fifth Article is against Mahomets Paradise there thus expressed That in it are foure Riuers one of cleare water a second of sweet milke a third of pleasant wine a fourth of honie and that the Saracens at the day of Iudgement which shall be fiue hundred thousand yeeres after his time shal liue carnally with their wiues vnder the shadowes of certaine trees called Sidra and Telech and shall eate what fruits and birds they will and shall drinke of the fountaines Caphura and Zinciber and wine out of the spring Theon Their age shall be the same with the heauens their members foure cubits they shall haue their fill of lust in the presence of God who is not ashamed Sixthly He Anathematiseth Mahumets Angels Aroth Maron Tzapha and Marona with his Prophets Chud Zalech Soaip Edres Duaciphel and Lechina Seuenthly His doctrine of the Sun Moone and his challenge to be the Key-bearer of Paradise also his house of Mecca in the middest wherof they say is a stone representing Venus on which Abraham lay with Hagar and tied thereto his Camell when he should haue sacrificed Isaac where the Pilgrimes holding their eare with one hand point to the stone with the other and so turne round till they fall downe with giddinesse He renounceth likewise their casting seuen stones against the Christians and the tale of Mahomets Camel and them which worship the Morning-starre or Lucifer and Venus which the Arabians call Chobar that is Great And thus hee proceedeth in two and twentie Articles abandoning his former sect after which he desireth Baptisme Of like subiect are the Catecheses Mystagogicae or instructions of Peter Guerra de Lorca concerning conuerting and keeping from Mahometisme in which are rehearsed and refuted a great part of their superstitions dedicated to King Philip the second But King Philip the third hath otherwise conuerted the Moores of Spaine for whom he writ his booke by an vtter subuersion turning them quite out of his dominions He therin telleth of the deuils appearing to Mahomet in forme of a Vulture with a beake and feathers of gold professing himselfe to be Gabriel sent of GOD to teach him his
Instruments they haue many and manifold but they want Organs except some blown with the mouth and all such as goes with keyes their strings are wouen of raw-silke and know not our way of making them Nor doe they know the discord-concord in musicall harmonie of diuers voyces so that their musike to vs is harsh in their owne opinion glorious For measuring houres they vse houre-glasses of water and other deuices but in this and dyalling very rude They are much addicted to Comedies and therein excell vs many young men trauelling through the Kingdome in this profession and practice or abiding in chiefe places of resort But there as here the dregs of mankind They are hired vnto feasts whither they come prouided for what play shall be demanded offering to that end their booke of Comedies to the feast-Master to chuse which hee liketh which the guests behold in their feastingtime with such pleasure that they continue sometimes ten houres in feeding their eyes and tastes with one seruice after another in both kindes Their Comedies are ancient few of later writing which the Actors pronounce in a singing accent They haue also dancers on the rope tumblers and other feat-workers Mathan an Eunuch feasted the Iesuites where all these kindes were employed being of his owne familie One of them cast three kniues vp into the aire still catching them by the hafts Another lying on his backe tossed with his feet lifted vp an earthen vessell euery way so as hardly might be done with the hands the like tennisse-play with his feet he vsed with a bell and a great table They had also dumbe shewes acted and a boy dancing very artificially on a sudden start vp a boy of earth keeping the same measures and much admirable sport betwixt them Seales are in much vse not onely for their Letters but for other their writings Poems Pictures and other things they contayne onely their name surname degree and dignitie They vse not one but diuers not in waxe but coloured red the Grandes hauing at table a boxe full of Seales which contayne their diuers names engrauen for euery Chinois is called by many names and are of diuers matter Wood Marble Iuorie Brasse Crystall Corall and other stones more precious The makers of them are many and those learned the characters differing from the vulgar and sauoring antiquitie The arte of Inke-making also is not here illiberall which they make vp in balls of the smoake of oyle and grinde with water on a stone and then take it vp with pensils made of Hares haire and write therewith not with pennes their paper being like thinne transparent parchment They all of both sexes vse fannes without which none of them come abroad not so much for necessity especially in colder places and seasons as for a kind of grace Euen as gloues with vs are most for ornament and the most vsuall presents so are fannes in China of diuers matter and forme Reed Wood Iuorie with Paper Silke or a kind of odoriferous Straw round square ouall with sentences written therein In these things these differ from vs in other things are very like in the vse of tables stooles beds which other people neere and farre obserue not but sit feede and sleepe on carpets spred on the ground Things are there exceeding cheape a hundred pound of Sugar may be bought for nine or ten six-pences and other things proportionable so that though there are none rich as wee interpret the word in Europe for such and such reuenues yet this cheapnesse doth recompence that other defect They haue Artificers of all trades and in idlenesse none may liue The impotent are well prouided for in Hospitals They haue no Gentlemen but euery man is a Plebeian vntill his merits raise him Preferment is atchieued onely by learning This maketh them generally studious §. VI. Of their language writing Astrologie Philosophie and Phisike THe beginning of this discourse must bee with their words letters and writing wherein this is first to be admitted that they haue not one booke written in the vulgar idiome or common language But they haue one language called Quonhoa for their Courts and writings which is common through all China which alone the Iesuites learned and which the learned and strangers commonly vse women also and children attayning by this common vse to the vnderstanding thereof As for the differing languages of each Prouince it is not so necessary nor commendable being but of vulgar both vse and reckoning But in euery Tongue and Dialect the words are euery one Monosyllables howsoeuer sometimes two or three vowels fall into one diphthong As for them they mention not vowels or consonants or letters but in writing the letter syllable and word is all one being nothing else but hieroglyphicall characters of which there are no fewer then words or things which yet they so compound and connexe that they haue not aboue 70. or 80000. If we pronounce any of their words in two syllables it is when two of their characters are applyed to signifie one thing Some 10000. of these characters are necessary for vsuall writing for to know them all is that which few either can or need Their sound also is in great part the same and yet both figure and signification different so that there is no so equiuocall a language neither can a Hearer write out an Oration or Speech from the Speakers mouth nor a booke be vnderstood of them which heare it read but they must look and discerne with their eyes that equiuocation which their eares cannot And in speaking they are often hereby forced sometime to repeat that which hath before been elegantly deliuered sometimes to write it or if such meanes be wanting with water on the Table or Characters formed with the finger in the ayre to expresse their mindes to the conceit of others and this is most common amongst the most learned which speake in print and affect inke-horne Rhetorike They haue fine accents by which they also distinguish this equiuocation that one and the same word thus by accents diuersified shall signifie fiue seuerall things nothing alike This makes the language hard to be learned of strangers which yet the Iesuites haue learned to write and reade and I would all the Equiuocators amongst them that teach to illude oathes and delude the World by their two-fold two-forked serpentine Equiuocation in Mental reseruations Verbal double-significations were all there learning the China language to conuert Heathens rather then here practising the Romish equiuocating Dialect to peruert Christians to worse then Heathenisme Peruerse Masters louers of strange language in Prayers to GOD in Oathes and Assertions to Man in the one Parrats without reason in the other Deuils without Religion this being the strongest bond which Religion hath binding at once to GOD and Man and yet these Religious Mountebanks by iuggling querks dissoluing these bonds and at once deluding both GOD Man Foolish Romans that sent backe the
vprore that they fell together by the eares and another quarrell happening betweene a Religious and a Secular Priest the Chinois gaue out that Cataneus the Iesuite went about to make himselfe King of China as one that knew the Countrey and had bin in both the Royall Cities with the helpe of the Iesuites there residing Iapanders and others This made the Chinois to flye from Macao and to divulge such rumors in Canton that there was a sudden muster of souldiers through the Prouince and one thousand houses of the chiefe Citie without the Walls pulled downe one of the Iesuites Societie apprehended and beaten with Canes to death and with much adoe this little adoe was after pacified And now the Iesuites thinke themselues in better case then euer and haue as they say conuerted fiue thousand to their Faith in this Kingdome after thirty yeares labours hauing foure or fiue places of Residence And would God as I professe my selfe indebted to them for this Light of History so they might haue iust cause of thankefulnesse to God and them for the Christian Light and that it were not confused with such Heathenish exchange of one Image for another and rather the names then substance of deuotion altered Beads Tapers Single Votaries Processions Monasteries Altars Images hee and she Saints with other Rites being there alreadie and the very art of their Images causing an Ethnike adoration as they tell of a Vice-roy that would not looke vpon one of them but in a Chappell in the higher part of his house set on an Altar with Tapers and Odours dayly burning thereto and their manner of Preaching being not by Word so much as by Writing and that not by Authorities of Scripture but by Arguments of Reason furthered by their owne Philosophie and commended by Mathematicall Sciences strange Ground-workes to Faith and Theologie OF THE EAST-INDIES AND OF THE SEAS AND ILANDS ABOVT ASIA WITH THEIR RELIGIONS THE FIFTH BOOKE CHAP. I. Of India in Generall and of the Ancient Rites there obserued §. I. The Limits and the ancient People and Inuasions of India THe name of India is now applyed to all farre-distant Countries not in the extreme limits of Asia alone but euen to whole America through the error of Columbus and his fellowes who at their first arriuall in the Westerne world thought that they had met with Ophir and the Indian Regions of the East But the Ancients also comprehended vnder this name a huge Tract of Land no lesse in the iudgement of Alexanders followers in his Eastern Inuasions then the third part of the Earth Ctosias accounted it one halfe of Asia Yea a great part of Africa also is comprehended vnder that name So Turnebus in his Aduersaria not onely findeth the Barbarians and Parthians called by that name in Virgil but Thebes in the higher Egypt and Ammone Temple in Higinus and Aethiopia also as in our discourse thereof will further appeare But taking India more properly Dionysius bounds it betweene Caucasus and the Red-Sea Indus and Ganges Ouid likewise in that Verse Decolor extremo quâ cingitur India Gange But Ptolemy and other Geographers did vsually diuide India by the Riuer Ganges into two parts one on this side Ganges and the other beyond Although here we finde no lesse difficultie concerning Ganges which the most with my selfe account the same with Guenga that falleth into the gulfe of Bengala which they also imagine to be that which of the Ancients is called Sinus Gangeticus Others esteeme the Riuer Canton whereon standeth the supposed Canton chiefe City of one of the Chinian Prouinces whereof wee haue so lately taken our leaue to be that Ganges of which minde are Mercator Maginus Gotardus Arthus and their disciples M. Paulus diuideth India into three parts the Lesse the Greater which hee calleth Malabar and Abassia betwixt them both Dom. Niger reckoneth the same number The Name of India flowed from the Riuer Indus Semiramis is reported to inuade India with three millions of foot-men and 500000. horse besides counterfeit Elephants made of the hides of 300000. Oxen stuffed with hay Yet Staurobates at that time the Indian Monarch brake her Forces and chased her out of the field Megasthenes reckoneth one hundred twentie two Indian Nations Arrianus in his eight booke makes a large description of this Indian world saying That they liued like the Scythians without Houses Cities Temples in a wandring course with their Tents on the barke of the Tree Tala and wild Venison the skins where of were there garments In all India were no seruants but all free-men These things were altred by Bacchus or Dionystus who made an Expedition hither not so much with Armes as with Arts He taught them the vse of Wine Oyle and Sacrificing in memorie whereof Posteritie honoured him for a god Of this the Poets and Histories of Alexander others make much mention So doth Suidas tell of one Brachman that prescribed the Rites and Lawes of the Brachmanes Solinus of Hydaspes and others of Ganges Hercules the rest with much vncertaintie Postellus strangely conceiteth himselfe that Abrahams posteritie by Keturah seated themselues in India and were there knowne by the name of Iewes before the Iewes in Palestina that they obserued Circumcision and dispersed it into Syria Egypt Armenia Colchis Iberia Paphlagonia Chaldea and India before Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and that the Brachmanes were so called quasi Abrahmanes as following the instructions of Abraham Abraham wee beleeue the Father of the faithfull but cannot father on him such vnfaithfull and degenerate generations no more then with the same Postellus wee acknowledge the Turkes the posteritie of the ten Tribes and the Tartars to be the remainder of those Turkes following Cabalisticall coniectures But that which he speaketh of the name Iewes and Abrachmanes in India may perhaps arise from a testimony cited out of Megasthenes his Indica by Clem. Alex. That all things obserued by Naturall Phylosophers in Greece bad beene handled before partly by the Brachmanes amongst the Indians partly of those which in Syria are called Iewes in which testimonie he ioyneth Iewes and Brachmanes in Profession of the same learned Science of Naturall Philosophy Apuleius maketh the Brachmans first Founders of the Pythagorean learning and reporteth further That at dinner-time the Table was made readie and the youths from diuers Places and Seruices resorted thither at which time the Masters questioned with them what good they had done that day one answereth Hee had beene a Peace-maker to reduce such such which were at oddes to amitie another had done this or that for his Parents another had studied or meditated on such a point Once he which could not giue good account of his mornings worke might not be admitted to receiue any dinner-wages Strabo in his fifteenth Booke is large in this Indian subiect Hee reporteth out of Aristobulus that the Riuer Indus by force of
beene expelled the Hospitall But alacke for pitie of so rufull an accident a Hawke had beene admitted thither for the cure of his lame legge which being whole hee inhospitally slue many of these co-hospitall weaker Fowles and was therefore expelled this Bird-Colledge by the Master thereof For Men they had not an Hospitall that were thus hospitall to Fowles They haue certaine Religious persons called Verteas which liue in a Colledge together and when I went to their House they were about fiftie in number They ware white cloth were bare-headed and shauen if that word might bee applied to them who pull off their haire on their heads and faces leauing onely a little on their crowne They liue on almes nor receiue they but the surplusage of the daily food of him that giueth them They are wiuelesse The Orders of their Sect are written in a booke of the Guzarates writing They drinke their water hot not for Physike but deuotion supposing that the water hath a Soule which they should slay if they dranke the same vnsodden For the same cause they beare in their hands certaine little brushes with which they sweepe the floore before they sit downe or walke lest they should kill the soule of some Worme or other small creature I saw their Prior thus doing The Generall of this Order is said to haue an hundred thousand men vnder his canonicall obedience and is newly chosen euery yeere I saw amongst them little boyes of eight or nine yeere old resembling the countenances of Europe rather then of India by their parents consecrated to this Order They had all in their mouth a cloth foure fingers broad let thorow both their eares in a hole and brought backe againe thorow their cares They would not shew me the cause but I perceiued it was lest some Gnat or Flie should enter thither and so bee slaine They teach that the world was made many hundred thousand yeeres agoe and that God did then send three and twentie Apostles and how hath sent the foure and twentieth in this third age two thousand yeeres since from which time they haue had writing which before they had not The same Author in another Epistle saith That the most of the Inhabitants of Cambaia are Banians They eat no flesh nor â—ill any thing yea they redeem the beasts and birds maymed or ficke and carry them to their Hospitals to be cured In Guzarat he had seene many Gioghi a religious Order of Monks which yeeld to none in Penance and Pouertie They go naked in cold weather they sleep on the dung-hils vpon an heape of ashes with which they couer their head and face I saw the place where one of these Gioghi kept in the middest of the Citie Amadeba to whom in conceit of holinesse resorted more numbers of people then to the shoares of Lisbon at the returne of the Indian Fleet. This Gioghi was sent for by the Prince Sultan Morad sonne of the Mogor and refused to come bidding that the Prince should come to him It is enough that I am holy or a Saint to this end Whereupon the Prince caused him to be apprehended and being soundly whipped to bee banished This people killeth not their Kine but nourisheth them as their mothers I saw at Amadeba when a Kow was ready to die they offered her fresh grasse and draue he Flies from her and some of them gaue this attendance two or three dayes after till shee was dead A league and a halfe from this Citie I saw a certaine Coemiterium or burying-place then which I had neuer seene a fairer sight wherein had beene buried one Cazis the Master of a King of Guzarat who had erected this fabrike and three other were buried in another Chappell The whole worke and pauement was of Marble contayning three Iles in one whereof I told foure hundred and fortie pillars with their chapiters and bases of Corinthian worke very royall and admirable On one side was a Lake greater then the Rozzio at Lisbon and that building was curiously framed with faire windowes to looke into the Lake Balbi telleth of a certaine Temple at Cape Bombain not farre from Chaul which is cut out of a Rocke ouer the said Temple growe many Tamarinds and vnder it is a Spring of running water whereof they can finde no bottome It is called Alefante is adorned with many Images a receptacle of Bats and supposed the worke of Alexander the Great as the period of his Peregrination And hereto agreeth the report of Arrianus in his Periplus of many memorials and monuments of Alexanders Expedition to these Parts as old Chappels Altars Camping-places and great Pits These hee mentioneth about Minnagara which Ortelius in his Map placeth here-away Linschoten affirmeth the same things of their Pythagorean errour and addeth that they sometimes buy Fowles or other beasts of the Portugals which meant to haue dressed them and let them flie or runne away In the High-wayes also and Woods they set pots with water and cast Corne or other graine vpon the ground to feed the Birds and Beasts and to omit their charitable Hospitals before mentioned if they take a Flea or a Louse they will not kill it but put it in some hole or corner in the wall and so let it goe and you can doe them no greater iniurie then to kill it in their presence which with all intreatie they will resist as being a hainous sin to take away the life of that to which God hath imparted both soule and body and where words will not preuaile they will offer money They eate no Radishes Onyons Garlike or any kind of Herbe that hath red colour in it nor Egges for they thinke there is bloud in them They drinke not Wine nor vse Vinegar but only Water They would rather starue then eat with any but their countrey-men as it happened when I sailed from Goa to Cochin with them in a Portugall Ship when they had spent all their store the timefalling out longer then they made account of they would not once touch our meat They wash themselues euery time they eate or ease themselues or make water Vnder their haire they haue a star vpon their foreheads which they rub euery morning with a little white Sanders tempered with water and three or foure graines of Rice among it which the Bramenes also do as a superstitious ceremony of their law They sit on the ground in their houses vpon Mats or Carpets and so they eate leauing their shooes which are piked and hooked at the doore for the which cause the heeles of their shooes are seldome pulled vp to saue labour of vndoing them The Moores amongst them will sometimes abuse the superstition of these Cambayans to their owne couetousnesse bringing some Worme Rat or Sparrow and threatning to kill the same so to prouoke them to redeeme the life thereof at some high price And likewise if a malefactor be condemned to death they will purchase his life
mentioned Wheele from the Sunne which was made in the Center vpwards to the Circumference Another manner of writing or signing they had in Circle-wise In the Prouince of Yucatan or Honduras there were Bookes of the leaues of Trees folded and squared which contained the knowledge of the Planets of Beasts and other Naturall things and of their Antiquities which some blindly-blindly-zealous Spaniards taking for Inchantments caused to be burned The Indians of Tescuco Talla and Mexico shewed vnto a Iesuite their Bookes Histories and Kalendars which in Figures and Hieroglyphicks represented things after their manner Such as had forme or figure were represented by their proper Images other things were represented by Characters and I haue seene saith Acosta the Pater Noster Aue Maria and Confession thus written As for these things I a Sinner doe confesse my selfe they painted an Indian kneeling on his knees at a Religious mans feet To God most mightie they painted three faces with their Crownes according to that painting blasphemy of the Popish Image-mongers and so they went on in that manner of picturing the words of their Popish Confession where Images failed setting Characters Their Bookes for this cause were great which besides their engrauings in Stone Walles or Wood they made of Cotton-wooll wrought into a kind of Paper and of leaues of Metll folded vp like our Broad-clothes and written on both sides Likewise they made them of the thinne inner rinde of a Tree growing vnder the vpper barke as did also the Ancient Latines from whence the names of Codex and Liber for a Booke are deriued by our Grammarians They did bind them also into some forme of Bookes compacting them with Bitumen their Characters were of Fish-hookes Starres Snares Files c. Thus did they keepe their priuate and publike Records There were some in Mexico that vnderstood each other by whistling which was ordinarily vsed by Louers and Theeues a Language admirable euen to our wits so highly applauded by our selues and as deeply deiecting these Nations in termes of sillinesse and simplicitie Yea in Our Virginia so I hope and desire Captaine Smith told mee that there are some which the spacious diuorce of the wide streame notwithstanding will by hallowes and hoopes vnderstand each other and entertaine conference The numbers of the Mexicans are simple till you come to six then they count sixe and one sixe and two sixe and three ten is a number by it selfe which in the insuing numbers is repeated as in other Languages till fifteene which they reckon in one terme ten fiue and one and so the rest to twentie Some write that the men in Mexico sate downe and the women stood when they made water The Mexicans did beleeue concerning the soule that it was immortall and that men receiued either ioy or paine according to their deserts and liuing in this World They held for an assured faith that there were nine places appointed for soules and the chiefest place of glory to bee neere vnto the Sunne where the soules of good men slaine in the Warres and those which were sacrificed are placed that the soules of wicked men abide in the earth and were diuided after this sort children which were dead-borne went to one place those which dyed of age or other disease went to another those which died of wounds or contagion to a third those which were executed by order of Iustice to a fourth but Parricides which slew their Parents or which slew their wiues or children to a fift Another place was for such as slew their Masters or Religious persons Acosta seemeth to deny that the Indians beleeued any punishments after death and yet setteth downe an Oration made at Mutezumas Election wherein he is said to haue pierced the nine Vaults of heauen which seemeth to allude to this of Gomara Their burials also were diuers as in shewed before and heere may bee added that hee which died for Adultery was shrowded like vnto their god of Leachery called Tlazoulterel he that was drowned like to Tlaloc he that died of drunkennesse like to the god of wine Ometochtli the Souldier like to Vitziliputzli But lest you wish me buried in like manner which trouble as much my English Reader with New-Spaines tedious Relations as Old-Spaines fastidious insulting spirits haue sometime done our English Nation I will aduenture further into the adioyning Prouinces CHAP. XIIII Of other places betwixt New Spaine and the Straits of Dariene §. I. Of Iucatan Acusamil Guatimala and Hondura IVCATAN is a point of Land extending it selfe into the Sea ouer against the Isle Cuba and was first discouered by Francis Hernando de Cordona in the yeere 1517. at which time one asking an Indian how this Countrey was called he answered Tectoten Tectetan that is I vnderstand you not which words the Spaniards corrupting both in the sound and interpretation called it Iucatan Iames Velasques Gouernour of Cuba sent his Cousin Iohn de Grijalua the yeere after who there fought with the Indians at Campotan and was hurt The Spaniards went to a Citie on the shore which for the greatnesse they called Cayro of that great Citie in Aegypt Here they found Turreted Houses Stately Temples Wayes paued and faire Market-places The houses were of stone or brick and lyme very artificially composed To the square Courts or first habitations of their houses they ascended by ten or twelue steps The roofe was of Reeds or stalkes of Herbs The Indians gaue the Spaniards Iewels of Gold very faire and cunningly wrought and were requited with Vestures of Silke and Wooll Glasse Beads and little Bels. Their apparell was of Cotton in manifold fashions and colours They frequented their Temples much to the which the better sort paued wayes with stone from their houses They were great Idolaters and were circumcised but not all They liued vnder Lawes and traffiked together with great fidelitie by exchanging commodities without money The Spaniards saw Crosses amongst them and demanmanding whence they had them they said that a certaine man of excellent beauty passing by that coast left them that notable token to remember him others said a certaine man brighter then the Sunne dyed in the working thereof The Spaniards sayled thence to Campechium a towne or three thousand houses Here they saw a square Stage or Pulpit foure Cubits high partly of clammie Bitumen and partly of small stones whereto the image of a man cut in Marble was ioyned two foure-footed vnknowne beasts fastning vpon vpon him as if they would teare him in pieces And by the Image stood a Serpent all besmeared with bloud deuouring a Lyon it was seuen and forty foot long and as bigge as an Oxe These things I mention as testimonies of their Art in these barbarous places and perhaps of their deuotion also Grijalua or Grisalua seeing a Tower farre off at Sea by direction therof came to an Iland called Cosumel agreeing in priuate and publike manner of life with them
à religendo of choosing againe Hunc eligentes vel potius religentes amiseramus enim negligentes vnde religio dicta perhibetur This word Religens is cited by Nigidius Figulus in Aulus Gellius Religentem esse oportet Religiosum nefas Religiosus being taken in bad sense for Superstitiosus The same Father elsewhere in his booke de vera Religione acknowledgeth another originall of the word which Lactantius before him had obserued à religando of fastning as beeing the bond betweene vs and GOD. Ad Deum tendentes saith Augustine ei vni religantes animas nostras vnde religio dicta creditur Religet ergo nos Religio vni omnipotenti Deo Lactantius his words are Diximus nomen religionis a vinculo pietatis esse deductum quòd hominem sibi Deus religauerit pietatè constrinxerit quia seruire nos ei vt Domino obsequi vt patri necesse est Melius ergo quà m Cicero id nomen Lucretius interpretatus est quia ait se religionum nodo exoluere And according to this Etymologie is that which M. Camden saith Religion in old English was called Ean-fastnesse as the one and onely Assurance and fast Anchor-hold of our soules health This is the effect of sinne and irreligion that the name and practise of Religion is thus diuersified else had there beene as one GOD soone religion and one language wherein to giue it with iust reason a proper name For till men did relinquere relinquish their first innocencie and the Author of whom and in whom they held it they needed not religere to make a second choice or seeke reconciliation nor thus relegere with such paines and vexation of spirit to enquire and practise those things which might religare bind them surer and faster vnto God and in these respects for seuerall causes Religion might seeme to be deriued from all those fountaines Thus much of the word whereby the nature of Religion is in part declared but more fully by the description thereof Religio est saith Augustine quae superioris cuiusdam naturae quam diuinam vocant curam ceremoniamque affert Religion is here described generally whether false or truely professing the inward obseruation and ceremoniall outward worship of that which is esteemed a higher and diuine nature The true Religion is the true rule and right way of seruing GOD. Or to speake as the case now standeth with vs True Religion is the right way of reconciling and reuniting man to GOD that hee may be saued This true way hee alone can shew vs who is the Way and the Truth neither can we see this Sunne except he first see vs and giue vs both eyes to see and light also whereby to discerne him But to come to Adam the subiect of our present discourse His religion before his fall was not to reunite him to GOD from whom he had not been separated but to vnite him faster and daily to knit him neerer in the experience of that which nature had ingrafted in him For what else was his Religion but a pure streame of Originall Righteousnesse flowing from that Image of GOD whereunto he was created Whereby his mind was enlightened to know the onely very GOD and his heart was engrauen not with the Letter but the life and power of the Law louing and proouing that good and acceptable and perfect will of GOD. The whole man was conformable and endeauoured this holy practise the body being plyant and flexible to the rule of the Soule the Soule to the Spirit the Spirit to the Father of Spirits and God of all Flesh which no lesse accepted of this obedience and delighted as the Father in his Child in this new modell of himselfe How happy was that blessed familiarity with God societie of Angels subiection of Creatures enuied onely of the Deuills because this was so good and they so wicked Nature was his Schoolmaster or if you will rather GODS Vsher that taught him without learning all the rules of Diuine Learning of Politicall Oeconomicall and Morall wisedome The whole Law was perfectly written in the fleshie Tables of his heart besides the especiall command concerning the trees in the middest of the Garden the one being an vniuersall and euerlasting rule of righteousnesse the other by speciall authority appointed as the manifestation of GODS diuine prerogatiue in commanding and a triall of mans integritie in obeying For the first part hereof since it was so blurred in our hearts it was renued by the voyce and finger of God on mount Sinai giuen then immediately by GOD himselfe as GOD ouer all whereas the other parts of the Law containing the Ceremoniall and Politicall ordinances were immediately giuen by the Ministerie of Moses as to that particular Nation Neither know I any that make doubt of this whole Law naturally and originally communicated saue onely that some make question of the Sabbath Howbeit I must confesse that I see nothing in that Commandement of the Decalogue prescribed but is Naturall and Moral for both the Rest is so farre Morall as the outward acts of Diuine worship cannot be performed without suspending for a while our bodily labours although Rest as a figure bee Iewish and in it selfe is either a fruit of wearinesse or idlenesse And that the seuenth dayes obseruation is naturall I meane the obseruing of one day of seauen in euery weeke appeareth both by the first order established in Nature when GOD blessed and sanctified the seuenth day the streame of Interpreters especially the later running and ioyning in this interpretation the Elder beeing somewhat more then enough busied in Allegories by the reason in the Commandement drawne from Gods example and Sanctification in the Creation by the obseruation of a Sabbath before this promulgation of the Law Exod. 16. and by the diuision of the dayes into weekes both then and before by Noah Gen. 8.10.12 by the necessitie of a Sabbath as well before the Law in the dayes of the Patriarkes as in the times of Dauid or Salomon by the perfection of the number of seuen in the Scriptures by the generall consent of all that it is Morall to set apart some time to the Lord of times and an orderly set time to the God of order which men might generally agree on for their publike deuotions which the Patriarkes practised in their Sacrifices and Assemblies the Heathens blindly as other things in their Feasts Thus saith Philo This is a feast day not of one Citie or Region but of the whole world and may be properly called the generall birth-day of the world And Clemens Alexandrinus sheweth out of Plato Homer Hesiod Callimachus and Solon that the seuenth day was not sacred alone to the Hebrewes but to the Greekes also and how mysticall was the number of seuen not onely among the Iewes but also among the Heathens both Philosophers and Poets as Philo Macrobius and others haue related Hereunto
diuersly expressed Yea euen the most lasciuious cruell beastly and Deuillish obseruations were grounded vpon this one principle That GOD must bee serued which seruice they measured by their owne crooked Rules euery where disagreeing and yet meeting in one Center The necessitie of Religion As for Policie although it is before answered yet this may be added That whereas men with all threatnings promises punishments rewards can scarce establish their politicall Ordinances Religion insinuateth and establisheth it selfe yea taketh naturally such rooting that all politicall Lawes and tortures cannot plucke it vp How many Martyrs hath Religion yea superstition yeelded but who will lay downe his life to seale some Politicians authority And so farre is it that Religion should be grounded on Policie that Policie borroweth helpe of Religion Thus did Numa father his Romane Lawes on Aegeria and other Law-giuers on other supposed Deities which had been a foolish argument and vnreasonable manner of reasoning to perswade one obscurity by a greater had not Nature before taught them religious awe to God of which they made vse to this ciuill obedience of their lawes supposed to spring from a Diuine Fountaine Yea the falshoods and varietie of religions are euidences of this Truth seeing men will rather worship a Beast Stocke or the basest Creature then professe no Religion at all The Philosophers also that are accused of Atheisme for the most part did not deny Religion simply but that irreligious Religion of the Greekes in idolatrous superstition Socrates rather swearing by a Dog or an Oke then acknowledging such gods It is manifest then that the Image of GOD was by the Fall depraued but not vtterly extinct among other sparkes this also being raked vp in the ruines of our decayed Nature some science of the God-head some conscience of Religion although the true Religion can bee but one and that which GOD himselfe teacheth as the onely true way to himselfe all other Religions being but strayings from him whereby men wander in the darke and in labyrinths of error like men drowning that get hold on euery twig or the foolish fish that leapeth out of the frying-pan into the fire Thus GOD left a sparke of that light couered vnder the ashes of it selfe which himselfe vouchsafed to kindle into a flame neuer since neuer after to be extinguished And although that rule of Diuine Iustice had denounced morte morieris to die and againe to die a first and second death yet vnasked yea by cauilling excuses further prouoked hee by the promised seed erected him to the hope of a first and second resurrection a life of Grace first and after of Glory The Sonne of God is promised to be made the seede of the Woman the substantiall Image of the inuisible GOD to be made after the Image and similitude of a Man to reforme and transforme him againe into the former Image and similitude of GOD and whereas GOD had made man before after his owne Image and lost him he now promiseth to make himselfe after Mans Image to recouer him euen that he which in the forme of GOD thought it not robbery for it was Nature to bee equall with GOD should bee made nothing to make vs something should not spare himselfe that hee might spare vs should become partaker of our Nature flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone that hee might make vs partakers of the Diuine Nature flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone This was that Seede of the Woman that hath broken the Serpents head which by death hath ouercome death and him that had the power of Death the Deuill who submitted himselfe to a death in it selfe bitter before men shamefull and of GOD accursed that hee might bring vs to a life peaceable glorious and blessed beyond what eye hath seene or heart can conceiue This promise of this Seed slaine from the beginning of the World was the seed of all true Religion the soule of Faith the life of Hope the well-spring of Charitie True it is that all receiued not this promise alike for a seed of the Serpent was fore-signified also which should bruise the heele of the Womans seede And this in the first seed and generation of Man soon appeared Caine and Abel were hereof liuely examples It appeareth that GOD had taught Adam how hee would bee worshipped as it were ordering and ordaining him the first Priest of the World which function he fulfilled both in instructing his Wife and Children in prayer with and for them and in the rites of Sacrificing His children accordingly in processe of time brought and offered their Sacrifices As concerning Sacrifices some hold opinion according to their owne practice that Nature might teach Adam this way of seruing GOD as if Nature were as well able to finde the way as to know that she is out of the way and were as well seene in the particular maner as in the generall necessitie of Religion We cannot see the Sunne without the Sunne nor come to GOD but by GOD to whom Obedience is better then Sacrifice and to hearken better then the fat of Rams ABEL saith the Scripture offered by faith without which faith it is impossible to please GOD but faith hath necessary relation to the Word of GOD who otherwise will be weary of our solemnities and asketh Who hath required them at our hands These sacrifices also besides that they were acknowledgements of their thankefulnesse and reall confessions of their sinne and death due to them therefore did lead them by the hand to Christ that Lambe of GOD that should take away the sinnes of the World figured by these slaine beasts confirming their faith in the promise and their hope of the accomplishment of which Nature could not once haue dreamed which hath rather the impression of some confused notions that wee haue lost the way and ought to seeke it then either light to discerne it or wisedome to guide vs in it Of sacrificing there were from the Beginning two kinds one called Gifts or Oblations of things without life the other Victims so our Rhemists haue taught vs to English the word Victimae slaine Sacrifices of Birds and Beasts Againe they were propitiatory consecratorie Eucharisticall and so forth whose kinds and rites Moses hath in his Bookes especially in Leuiticus so plainely declared that I should but powre water into the Sea or light a candle to the Sunne to dilate much of them these beeing the same in signification with the Leuiticall and little if little differing in the manner of doing Caine brought his offering being an Husbandman of the fruit of the ground Abel a Shepheard of the fattest of his Sheepe God respected ABEL and his offering the tree first and then the fruit the worker and then the worke which he signified either by voice or by fire from Heauen according to Theodotians translation as in
Diarbech The chiefe Cities in it are Orfa of seuen miles compasse famous say some for the death of Crassus Caramit the mother Citie of the Countrey of twelue miles compasse Mosul and Merdin of which in the next Chapter Betweene Orpha and Caramit was the Paradise of Aladeules where hee had a fortresse destroyed by Selim. This his Paradise was like to that which you shall finde in our Persian Historie Men by a potion brought into a sleepe were brought into this supposed Paradise where at their waking they were presented with all sensuall pleasures of musicke damosels dainties c. which hauing had some taste of another sleepie drinke after came againe to themselues And then did Aladeules tell them That he could bring whom hee pleased to Paradise the place where they had beene and if they would commit such murders or haughtie attempts it should bee theirs A dangerous deuice Zelim the Turke destroyed the place CHAP. XIIII Of Niniue and other neighbouring Nations WE haue hitherto spoken of Babylonia but so as in regard of the Empire and some other occurrents necessitie now and then compelled vs to make excursions into some other parts of Assyria Mesopotamia c. And I know not how this Babylon causeth confusion in that Sea of affaires and in regard of the diuision of the pennes as sometimes of tongues of such as haue written thereof Hard it is to distinguish betweene the Assyrian and Babylonian Empire one while vnited another while diuided as each partie could most preuaile and no lesse hard to reconcile the Ethnike and Diuine Historie touching the same Ptolemey straitneth Assyria on the North with part of Armenia neere the hill Niphates on the West with Mesopotamia on the South with Susiana and Media on the East But her large Empire hath enlarged the name of Syria and of Assyria which names the Greekes did not well distinguish to many Countries in that part of Asia The Scripture deriueth Syria from Aram and Assyria from Ashur Both were in their times flourishing and mention is made from Abrahams time both of the warres and kingdomes in those parts yea before from Ashur and Nimrod as alreadie is shewed Mesopotamia is so called and in the Scripture Aram or Syria of the waters because it is situate betweene Euphrates and Tygris the countries Babylonia and Armenia confining the same on the North and South Whereas therefore wee haue in our former Babylonian relation discoursed of Assyria extending the name after a larger reckoning here wee consider it more properly Euphrates is a Riuer very swift for they which goe to Bagdet buy their boats at Birra which serue them but one voyage and sell them at Felugia for seuen or eight which cost fiftie because they cannot returne But Tygris is swifter the Armenians bring victuals downe the same to Bagdet on rafts made of Goats skinnes blowne full of wind and boords laid vpon them on which they lade their goods which being discharged they open the skinnes and carrie them backe on Camels Dionysius and Strabo tell of this Riuer that it passeth through the Lake Thonitis without mixture of waters by reason of this swiftnesse which also giueth it the name for the Medes call an Arrow Tygris Lucan sayth it passeth a great way vnder ground and wearie of that burthensome iourney riseth againe as out of a new fountaine At Tygrim subito tellus absorbet hiatu Occultosque tegit cursus rursusque renatum Fonte nouo flumen pelagi non abnegat vndas The chiefe Citie in these parts was Niniue called in Ionas A great and excellent Citie of three dayes iourney It had I borrow the words of our reuerend Diocesan an ancient testimonie long before in the Booke of Genesis For thus Moses writeth That Ashur came from the land of Shinar and built Niniueh and Rehoboth and Calah and Resin At length he singleth out Niniue from the rest and setteth a speciall marke of preeminence vpon it This is a great Citie which honour by the iudgement of the most learned though standing in the last place belongeth to the first of the foure Cities namely to Niniue Others imagined but their coniecture is without ground that the foure Cities were closed vp within the same walls and made but one of an vsuall bignesse Some ascribe the building of Niniue to Ninus the sonne of Belus of whom it tooke the name to be called either Ninus as wee reade in Plinie or after the manner of the Hebrewes Niniue They conceiue it thus That when Nimrod had built Babylon Ninus disdaining his gouernment went into the fields of Ashur and there erected a Citie after his owne name betweene the riuers Lycus and Tygris Others suppose that the affinitie betwixt these names Ninus and Niniueh deceiued profane Writers touching the Author thereof and that it tooke to name Niniueh because it was beautifull or pleasant Others hold opinion that Ashur and Ninus are but one and the same person And lastly to conclude the iudgement of some learned is that neither Ashur nor Ninus but Nimrod himselfe was the founder of it But by the confession of all both sacred and Gentile Histories the Citie was very spacious hauing foure hundred and fourescore furlongs in circuit when Babylon had fewer almost as some report by an hundred and as afterwards it grew in wealth and magnificence so they write it was much more enlarged Raphael Volaterranus affirmeth That it was eight yeeres in building and not by fewer at once then tenne thousand workemen There was no Citie since by the estimation of Diodorus Siculus that had like compasse of ground or statelinesse of walls the height whereof was not lesse then an hundred foot the breadth sufficiently capable to haue receiued three Carts on a row and they were furnished and adorned besides with fifteene hundred Turrets Thus farre our reuerend and learned Bishop Diodorus telleth out of Ctesias that Ninus after he had subdued the Egyptians Phoenicians Syrians Cilicians Phrygians and others as farre as Tanais and the Hyrcanians Parthians Persians and other their neighbours he built this Citie After that hee led an armie against the Bactrians of seuenteene hundred thousand footmen and two hundred thousand horse in which Expedition he tooke Semiramis from her husband Menon who therefore impatient of loue and griefe hanged himselfe Hee had by her a sonne of his owne name and then died leauing the Empire to his wife His Sepulchre was nine furlongs in height each of which is sixe hundred feete and ten in breadth The credite of this Historie I leaue to the Author scarce seeming to agree with Moses narration of the building of Niniue any more then Semiramis building of Babylon Some write That Semiramis abusing her husbands loue obtained of him the swaying of the Empire for the space of fiue dayes in which shee depriued him of his life and succeeded in his estate But lest the
you may see in Buxtorfius In this booke were contayned the Traditions and ordinances of the Elders according to the prescript whereof the Iewish Synagogue was to bee ordered and it was receiued and approued of the Iewish Synagogue in the yeere of Christ 219. Some yeeres after Rabbi Iochanan Rector of the Vniuersitie of Ierusalem for the space of eightie yeeres enlarged that booke and called it the Talmud of Ierusalem being fitted for their vse which dwelt in the land of Israel as the other for Forreners which for the difficultie and obscuritie thereof was not had in such estimation as the former nor is it at this day After him Rabbi Asse read in the Schooles those Tractates handling euery yeere two of them so in the sixtie yeeres of his Rector-ship hee went twice through it all but finished in writing onely fiue and thirtie Tractates After him in the yeere 427. Maremar was made Rector to whom Mar the sonne of Rabbi Asse adioyned himselfe These perfected that which Rabbi Asse had left vnfinished And that which they thus added was called Gemara or the complement Thus the Mischnaios and Gemara made vp the whole Talmud These two spent in their labours threescore and thirteene yeeres And so in the yeere of our Lord 500. the Talmud was perfected receiued for authenticall and called the Babylonian Talmud according to which the Iewes to this day behaue themselues in cases spirituall and temporall accounting it as their ciuill and cannon Law The Iewes ascribe the Ierusalem Talmud to the yeere of the World 4229. the other 4265. This is called the Talmud of Ierusalem saith Serarius not because it was written there But was compiled not in the Babylonian Vniuersitie but in one of Israel and in the Ierusalem language which at that time was very corrupt and confused with Greekish Persian and Roman mixtures This was both begun and ended by R. Iochanan aforesaid betweene the times of the Misna and Gemara About the yeere 4860. and 1100. yeeres after Christ R. Isaac ben Iaccb in Spaine writ so it is called The little Talmud And in the great and true Thalmud are the additions of R. Barkaphra Eldad Danius fableth that it is in Hebrew amongst his enclosed Iewes Note also that the name Thalmud or Talmud is giuen sometimes to the whole worke sometimes and often to the Gemara noly calling it the booke of the Misna and Talmud And this is that Law verball or deliuered by word of mouth which is equalled to the other without which the written law cānot be conceiued or vnderstood The ioy of the hart saith Aben Ezra and refreshing of the bones betwixt which and the written Law hee can finde no difference but being deliuered to them from their Elders In one of their bookes printed at Cremona 1556. is this sentence Thinke not that the Law written is the foundation but rather the Law Traditionall is the right foundation and according to this Law did God make couenant with the Israelites for God foresaw their captiuitie in time to come and therefore lest the people among whom they should dwell should write out and interpret this Law as they did the other God would not haue it written And although in processe of time this Law be now written yet it is not explained by the Christians because it is hard and requireth a sharpe wit That which is spoken of the Law is applyed to commend their Talmud If you can frustrate saith the Lord my Couenant with the day and the night that is according to their booke Tanchuma when you will no longer learne and obserue the Talmud And in the Talmud is thus recorded To studie and reade in the Bible is a vertue and not a vertue that is a small vertue but to learne their Mischna or Talmud text is a vertue worthy reward and to learne by heart Gemara the complement of the Talmud is a vertue so great that none can be greater The Wise men say they are more excellent then the Prophets and the wordes of the Scribes more louely then those of the Prophets and therefore the one forced to confirme them with miracles the other simply to bee beleeued as is said Deut. 17.10 When some of his Schollers visited R. Eliazer in his sicknesse and said Rabbi teach vs the wayes of life that we may finde euerlasting life his answer was Giue honour to your fellow Students and turne away your Children from the studie of the Bible and place them betwixt the knees of the wise Neither can hee saith the Talmud in other places haue a quiet conscience which returnes from the studie of the Talmud to the studie of the Bible And Nothing is more excellent then the most holy Talmud And it is impossible to stand on the foundation of the written Law but by the traditionall And to dissent from his Doctor is as to dissent from God to beleeue the words of the wise is as to beleeue God himselfe They say The Law is like to water the Misna to wine the Gemara or Talmud to Preserues the Law like to Salt the Misna to Pepper the Talmud to Spices They blaspheme that God studies the Bible in the day time and the sixe orders of the Talmud by night Hence it is that the Rabbins are more exercised in their Talmud then in the Bible as on which their Faith is founded more then on the other and according to this doe they expound the Scripture And as their Talmud is most certaine so also is that whatsoeuer exposition of their Rabbins according to the same Thus saith Rabbi Isaac Abhuhabh whatsoeuer our Rabbins in their Sermons and mysticall explainations haue spoken wee are no lesse firmely to beleeue then the Law of Moses And if any thing therein seeme repugnant to our sense we must impute it to the weakenesse of our conceit and not to their words as for example it is written in the Talmud that a Rabbin once preached that the time would come when a woman should euery day bee deliuered of her burthen according to the saying Iere. 31.7 Concepit statimque peperit One not beleeuing this the Rabbin answered that hee spake not of a common woman but of a Henne which should euery day lay an egge Such are their expositions I know not whether fitter to be heard of Heraclitus or Democritus more lamentable or ridiculous and yet is it there said that their wordes are the words of the liuing God whereof not one shall fall to the ground and must not bee derided either in word or thought whether yee respect the persons or workes of their Rabbins Therefore in a Dutch booke printed in Hebrew characters at Cracouia 1597. it is written that the Iewes are bound to say Amen not onely to their Prayers but to all their Sermons and Expositions according to the Prophet Esay Open the gates the people commeth schomer amunim which keepeth righteousnesse that is say
away and they dyed whence came that custome of saluting and praying well to men in neezing The strangling of Achitophel they also interpret of this neezing farewell The fourth dayes fast is for Women which are with childe or giue sucke but the Tuesday and Wednesday in likelyhood were not ordinarie as the other Sunday might not bee thus honoured being the Christian Sabbath and Friday was the preparatiue to their owne Those two dayes are generally halfe holy-dayes Assembling earely in their Synagogues besides their ordinarie prayers they annexe many other Among others they vse one Prayer called Vchurachum of miraculous effect as appeared in Vespatians time who committing three Ships full of Iewes without Oare or Mariner to the wide Seas which arriued in three seuerall regions Louanda Arlado Burdeli worke for Geographers Those which arriued in this last port by tyrannicall Edict of the King were to be tryed whether they were true Iewes as Hananias Misael and Azarias made proofe of their Religion Whereupon three dayes being required as they said Nebuchadnezzar had granted them wherein to betake themselues to fasting and prayer in this time of respite three deuout Iewes Ioseph Beniamin and Samuel inuened each of them a prayer which they ioyned into one and continued in praying the same three dayes at the end whereof they cast themselues into the fire and there continued till it was consumed Hence arose this ordinance euery Munday and Thursday to vse the same prayer which is this And hee is mercifull and pardoning sinne doth not destroy the sinner Hee often turneth his anger from vs and doth not kindle all his wrath Thou O my God suffer me not to want thy mercie let thy gentlenesse and truth keepe mee alwayes Helpe vs O God our God and gather vs from the Gentiles c. for their restitution as in other their prayers and destruction of their enemies the Christians After this they prostrate themselues on their faces as before with many other orisons to the like effect §. II. Of their Law-Lectures THeir solemne ceremonie of the Law-lecture followeth In all their Synagogues they haue the fiue bookes of Moses written in great letters on Parchments of Calues-skins sowed together in length which at both ends are fastened to pieces of wood by which the booke may be lifted and carried This booke is kept in an Arke or Chest set in some wall of the Synagogue Before the doores of the Arke is a hanging of Tapestrie more or lesse precious according to the qualitie of their Feasts and for the most part wrought with Bird-worke The booke is wrapped in a linnen-cloath wrought with Hebrew words without that is hanged about some other cloath of Linnen Silke Veluet or Gold to which is fastened a plate of Siluer by a chayne of Gold vpon the which is written The crowne of the Law or holinesse of the Lord Then goeth one about crying Who will buy Gelilah etzchaijm This is an office whereby they are authorized to handle those pieces of wood and to open the booke of the Law Hee which giueth most for it hath it the money is reserued for the poore The pieces of wood are called etzchaijm tree of life according to Salomon Wisedome is a tree of life to them that lay holde thereon When the chiefe Chanter hath taken out the booke and goeth with it into the Pulpit they all sing out of Num. 10.35 Arise O Lord and let thine enemies bee scattered and let them that hate thee flye before thee And out of Esay 2.3 Many people shall goe and say Come let vs ascend to the mount of the Lord to the house of the God of IACOB and hee shall teach vs his wayes and wee will walke in his pathes for the Law shall goe out of Sion and the Word of the Lord from Ierusalem When this Praecentor layeth the booke on his arme hee saith Magnifie the Lord with mee and let vs exalt his name together to which all the people answer Exalt yee the Lord our God and bow before his foot-stoole for it is holy exalt yee the Lord our God and bow to the mountaine of his holinesse for Iehouah our God is holy There vpon a Table couered with silke hee layeth downe the booke and he which hath bought the Office taketh from it the cloathes wherein it is wrapped Then these two call some one of the Congregation by his owne and his Fathers name who commeth foorth and kisseth the booke not on the bare Parchment for that were a sinne but on the cloathes which couer it and taking it by those pieces of wood saith aloud Praise the Lord c. Blessed bee thou O Lord who hast chosen vs before any other people and giuen vs thy Law Blessed bee thou O God the Law-giuer Then the Praecentor readeth a Chapter out of the booke and then hee which was called foorth with like kissing and blessing returneth Then another is called foorth and doth likewise After him another who had need bee of strong armes for hee lifteth vp and carrieth this booke that all may see it all crying This is the Law which Moses gaue to the Israelites This Office is called Hagbahah and is sold as the former The women meane-while contend amongst themselues in this Synagogue by some Lattice to haue a sight of the Law for the women haue a Synagogue apart seuered with Lattices so besides their pretence of modestie to fulfill the saying of Zacharie The family of Dauid shall mourne apart and their wiues apart c. If he which carrieth the booke should stumble or fall it were ominous and should portend much euill These two Officers fold vp the booke as before and then come all and kisse the same and then it is carried to his place with singing After this they end their Prayers as at other times saying Lord leade mee in thy righteousnesse because of mine enemies direct thy way before me And The Lord keepe my going out and comming in from henceforth for euer Which they also say when they goe foorth on a iourney or to worke §. III. Of the Iewish Sabbath THey prepare themselues to the obseruation of their Sabbath by diligent prouision on the Friday before night of the best meates well dressed especially the women prouide them good Cakes They honour the Sabbath with three bankets first on the Friday night when their Sabbath beginneth another on the Sabbath day at noone the third before sunne-set Eate yee it to day to day is the Sabbath of the Lord to day yee shall not find it Manna in the field do you not see To day thrice mentioned and therefore by Moses owne ordaining that Manna must so often bee eaten on the Sabbath The richest Iewes and most learned Rabbins disdaine not some or other office at chopping of hearbs kindling the fire or somewhat toward this preparation The Table remaineth couered all that night and day They wash and if need
the Feast in hope of like destruction to the Christians as befell Iericho and then renew the shaking of their boughes The seuenth day is most solemne called by them Hoschana rabba the great Hosanna as if one should say the great feast of saluation or helpe because then they pray for the saluation of all the people and for a prosperous new-yeere and all the prayers of this Feast haue in them the words of sauing as O God saue vs and O God of our saluation and as thou hast saued the Israelites and such like the prayers are therefore called Hosannoth Then they produce seuen bookes and in euery of their seuen compassings lay vp one againe This night they know their fortunes by the Moone for stretching out their armes if they see not the shadow of their head by Moone-light they must dye that yeere if a finger wanteth hee loseth a friend if the shadow yeeld him not a hand hee loseth a sonne the want of the left hand portendeth losse of a daughter if no shadow no life shall abide with him for it is written Their shadow is departed from them Some Iewes goe yeerely into Spaine to prouide Pome-citrons and other necessaries for the furnishing this feast which they sell in Germany other places to the Iewes at excessiue prices They keepe their Tabernacles in all weathers except a very vehement storme driue them with a heauie countenance into their houses Their wiues and seruants are not so strictly tyed hereto §. IIII. Of their New Moones and New-yeeres day THe New-Moones are at this day but halfe festiuall to the Iewes accounting themselues free to worke or not in them but the women keepe it intirely festiuall because they denyed their Eare-rings to the molten Calfe which after they bestowed willingly on their Tabernacle The deuouter Iewes fast the day before Their Mattins is with more prayers their dinner with more cheere then on other dayes and a great part of the day after they sit at Cardes or telling of Tales That day when the Moone is eclipsed they fast When they may first see the New-Moone they assemble and the chiefe Rabbi pronounceth a long Prayer the rest saying after him The Iewes beleeuing that GOD created the world in September or Tisri conceit also that at the reuolution of the same time yeerely hee sitteth in iugdement and out of the bookes taketh reckoning of euery mans life and pronounceth sentence accordingly That day which their great Sanhedrin ordayned the New-yeeres festiuall God receiuing thereof intelligence by his Angels sent thither to know the same causeth the same day a Senate of Angels to bee assembled as it is written Daniel 12. All things prouided in the solemnest manner the three bookes are opened one of the most Wicked who are presently registred into the Booke of Death the second of the Iust who are inrolled into the Booke of Life and the third of the meane sort whose Iudgement is demurred vntill the day of Reconciliation the tenth of Tisri that if in the meane time they seriously repent them so that their good may exceed their euill then are they entred into the Booke of Life if otherwise they are recorded into the Blacke Bill of Death Their Scripture is produced by R. Aben Let them bee blotted out of the Booke of the liuing and not bee written with the Iust Blotting points you to the Booke of Death Liuing that of Life and not writing with the Iust is the third Booke of Indifferents All the workes which a man hath done through the yeere are this day examined The good workes are put in one ballance the bad in the other what helpe a siluer Chalice or such heauie metall could affoord in this case you may finde by experience in Saint Francis Legend who when the bad deeds of a great man lately dead out-weighed the good at a dead lift cast in a siluer Chalice which the dead partie had sometime bestowed on Franciscan deuotion and weighed vp the other side and so the Diuels lost their prey GOD say they pronounceth sentence of punishment or reward sometime in this life to bee executed sometime in the other In respect hereof their Rabbines ordaine the moneth before to be spent in penance and morning and Eeuening to sound a Trumpet of a Rams-horne as Aue Marie Bell to warne them of this Iudgement that they may thinke of their sinnes and besides to befoole the Diuell that with this often sounding being perplexed hee may not know when this New-yeeres day shall bee to come into the Court to giue euidence against them The day before they rise sooner in the morning to mutter ouer their prayers for remission and when they haue done in the Synagogue they goe to the graues in the Church-yard testifying that if GOD doe not pardon them they are like to the dead and praying that for the good workes of the Saints the iust Iewes there buried hee will pitty them and there they giue large almes After noone they shaue adorne and bathe themselues that they may be pure the next day for some Angels soyled with impuritie heere below are faine to purge themselues in the fierie brooke Dinor before they can prayse GOD how much more they and in the water they make confession of their sins the confession containeth two and twentie words the number of their Alphabet and at the pronouncing of euery word giue a knocke on their brest and then diue wholly vnder water The Feast it selfe they begin with a cup of Wine and New-yeere Salutations and on their Table haue a Rammes head in remembrance of That Ramme which was offered in Isaacks stead and for this cause are their Trumpets of Rams-horne Fish they eate to signifie the multiplication of their good workes they eate sweet fruits of all sorts and make themselues merry as assured of forgiuenesse of their sinnes and after meat all of all sorts resort to some bridge to hurle their sinnes into the water as it is written Hee shall cast all our sinnes into the bottome of the Sea And if they there espie any fish they leape for ioy these seruing to them as the scape-goate to carrie away their sinnes At night they renew their cheere and end this feast §. V. Of their Lent Penance and Reconciliation Fast. FRom this day to the tenth day is a time of Penance or Lent wherein they fast and pray for the cause aforesaid and that if they haue beene written in the Booke of Death yet God seeing their good works may repent and write them in the Life-Booke Thrice a day very earely they confesse three houres before day and surcease suits at Law c. And on the ninth day very earely they resort to the Synagogue and at their returne euery male taketh a Cocke and euery female a Henne if she be with childe both and the housholder saying out of the hundred and fift Psalme verses 17 18 19
Companions the first Abdollah or Abu-Bacr his sincerest and most inward friend a man very rich and releeuer of Mohameds necessities his successour after his death He dyed the thirteenth yeere of the Hegira and sixtie three of his age and was buried in the same graue with Mohamed The second was Homar the sonne of Chattab surnamed Faruq who succeeded Abi-Bacr and ruled ten yeeres and six moneths Hee was the first which was called King of the faithfull and writ the Annalls of the Moslemans and brought the Alcoran into a Volume and caused the Ramadam Fast to be obserued He was slaine the twentie three of the Hegira and buried by Abi-Bacr The third was Othman who in his twelue yeeres raigne subdued Cyprus Naisabur Maru Sarchas and Maritania and dyed A. H. 35. and was buried in the buriall place of the Citie Aali is the fourth who is called also Emir Elmumenin that is King of the faithfull Hee was slaine A. H. 40. in the sixtie three of his age and was buried in the Citie Kerbelai Hee was Vncles sonne or Cosin-German to Mohamed and his sonne-in-law and deare familiar from his youth and receiued the Mosleman law together with Mohamed whereupon hee was wont to say I am the first Mosleman And therefore the Persians detest the other three Chalifas as heretikes burne their writings wheresoeuer they finde them and persecute their followers because forsooth they were so impudent to prefer themselues before Aali and spoiled him of the right-due by Testament Hence are wars hostile cruelties betwxit them the Turks and Arabs Mohamed the false prophet in the eleuenth yeere after his Hegira or flight and the sixtie three of his age dyed at Medina and was buried there in the graue of Aaisee his wife Here is a stately Temple and huge erected with elegant and munificent structure daily increased and adorned by the costs of the Othomans and gifts of other Princes Within this building is a Chappell not perfectly square couered with a goodly roofe vnder which is the Vrne of stone called Hagiar Monaüar sometimes belonging to Aaisce aforesaid This is all couered with gold and silke and compassed about with yron grates guilded Within this which shineth with gold and gems Mohameds carcasse c833208arcasse was placed and not lifted vp by force of Load-stone or other Art but that stone-Vrne lieth on the ground The Mosleman Pilgrims after their returne from Mecca visit this Temple because Mohamed yet liuing was wont to say That hee would for him which should visit his Tombe as well as if he had visited him liuing intercede with God for a life full of pleasures Therefore do they throng hither with great veneration kisse and embrace the grates for none haue accesse to the Vrne of stone and many for loue of this place leaue their Countrey yea some madly put out their eyes to see no worldly thing after and there spend the rest of their dayes The compasse of Medina is two miles and is the circuit of the wall which Aadhd Addaule King of Baghdad built A. H. 364. The territorie is barren scorched Sands bringing forth nothing but a few Dates and Herbes CHAP. IIII. Of the Alcoran or Alfurcan containing the Mahumetan Law the summe and contents thereof §. I. Of the Composition of the Alcoran THe Booke of Mahomets Law is called by the name of ALCORAN which signifieth a collection of Precepts and Alfurcan as it is expressed and expounded in a Booke called The Exposition or Doctrine of the Alcoran because the sentences and figures thereof are seuered and distinguished for Al is the Article and phurcan signifieth a distinction or as some say Redemption Claude Duret citeth an opinion that of the Hebrew word Kara which signifieth the Law or Scripture commeth this word Koran which with the Article Al signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Scripture as with them it is esteemed The like hath Soranzo Master Bedwel in his Arabian Trudg-man saith that the Thema is not KARANA coniunxit colligit as before is deliuered but KARA which signifies to read so that Alkoran in Arabike is iust as much as Hammikra is in Hebrew that is the Text Corpus iuris the authenticall bodie of their Law It is called in that language the Koran without the Article Al and Korran so Cantacuzenus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if one should say their Bible Scripture or Booke of the Law The Word of GOD saith Mahomet in that Booke came not to mee all at once as the Law vnto Moses the Psalmes to Dauid and the Gospell to Christ The Sentences or Chapters thereof are called Azoaras which is interpreted a Face as wee call them Capita Heads So saith one which hath written Notes vpon the Alcoran but Master Bedwel who hath published an Index or Table of all these Azoara's or Chapiters with their Arabike Titles as they are named and cited by the Mahumetans saith That they call the name of the Chapiter Sura and with their Article Assura or Suraton Assurato And hee deriues of the Hebrew word Zobar that Azoara but this Arabike Sura is expressed not by Zain He but by Sin Wau and Resh differing letters being no other then the Syrian Suriya which signifieth principium initium For as the Bookes of Moses in the Hebrew and the Sections of the Ciuill and Canon Law so these Chapiters for the most part are denominated of some notable word in the beginning of the same and are so cited by Mahumetans and learned Christians Yet these sometime name it by the interpretation as the chap. Albacara the chap. of the Cow because the word so signifies The stile is not in Meter as some haue imagined for Iosephus Scaliger a great Criticke and reputed one of the greatest Linguists in the world affirmeth That that Language is not capable of metricall measures by quantities of Syllables as neither the Hebrew Abyssine or Syrian Hee saith yet That the Alcoran is composed in Rime but such as is not in any tunable proportion but that word which maketh vp the Rime being sometimes neerer and sometimes farre beyond all harmony distant from that word whereto it answereth A hobbling kinde of Rime saith Master Bedwel in his Index Alcorani and rude Poeme without all care for it is Postellus his testimony you shall haue a period of two hundred Syllables to rime and hold like cadence to as other very short Scaliger addes that at the end of such Rimes are set the figures of Flowers or some such matter which if it be so the Turkish nicetie of making no likenesse of any thing in their Carpets or other workes is stricter then these Alcoran bookes themselues and indeed is not common with them vnto other Mahumetans who vse their libertie in this point For the words and phrase no man euer writ any thing in Arabian more rudely saith an Arabian Christian in confutation hereof and much better might Muzeilenia Helcasi and Alabazbi
the Aethiopian and Calliata Ellecedi which vpon emulation composed also euery one an Alcoran glory of those their Workes containing more honestie and truth Neither hath it pleased any noble or wise man but the rude vulgar of which sore the wearie Labourers gladly gaue eare to his promise of Paradise the poore delighted to heare of Gardens in Persia and Bankrupts and Felons easily listened to securitie and libertie The language is vulgar Postellus also testifieth and without all Art of Grammar such as is obserued of their learned Writers without all bounds of reason or eloquence The Method is so confused that our Arabian Author who liued before it was so generally embraced and in freer times saith That hee had heard euen good Saracens affirme with griefe that it was so mixed and heaped together that they could finde no Reason in it Bad Rime as you haue heard and worse Reason Hierome Sauanorola hath the like saying That no man can finde herein any order Nor could so confused and foolish a Worke proceed from any naturall or supernaturall light It is yet craftily contriued when hee hath set downe some wicked doctrine presently to lace and fringe it with precepts of Fasting Prayer or good manners alwayes taking away things hard to bee beleeued or practised and where it deliuereth any truth it is maymed with defect eclipsed with obscuritie and serueth for a stale to falshood Erpenius hath translated the Chapiter of Ioseph containing a hundred and eleuen Verses the second of which calls it Coran and the next Alcoran the Article added His Annotation is Per verbum Dei intelligunt legem suam qua Coranus ipsis dicitur quam Muhamed ijs persuasit coelitus ad se demissam And although the matter bee absurd and impious yet he saith others perhaps haue of zeale said otherwise that this Coran is composed with such puritie of speech accurate analogie and expressed with perfection of writing that deseruedly it is to them the matter and rule of Grammar They call it Koran of a word which signifies to read as a reading Lecture or collection of Chapiters as the learnedst Arabs will haue it It is not much lesse then the New Testament in words The Arabs extoll it aboue all creatures and ranke it next to God and thinke him vnworthy to liue which toucheth it vnreuerent as a contemner of God They vse it therefore with all reuerence nor will permit a Christian or a Iew to touch it to sit on it is a grieuous crime capitall to Iewes or Christians Nor may they themselues touch it vnwashed and therefore write on the couer thereof Let no man touch it but he which is cleane In it are one hundred and fourteen Chapiters of vnequall quantitie that of Ioseph the twelfth the second as large as the last fortie The first is but of six Verses and therefore not reckoned a Chapiter by our Country-man Robert of Reading who also diuides the fiue following into more by tenne that the seuenth is his seuenteenth Euery Chapiter hath the name of the first word or of the subiect as this is called Ioseph the first opening because it presents it selfe at the opening of the booke It was composed out of diuers papers of Muhamed found at his house which hee professed to receiue from Gabriel at diuers times by Abubecr his father in law the Numa of that Saracen Empire Each Chapiter is called Souraton and with the Article Assurato whence the Latine call it Azoara z. for ss and o. a for o. u as in the word Alcoran it is not to be construed vultus but gradus a degree or step for these steps the whole is passed and each of these was a lesson also to be conned of children and of his disciples After these fancies had caused him to bee expelled Mecca he fled ten dayes off to Iatfrib and there diuulged the rest This is called Medina and Medinatalnabi the Citie of the Prophet and hence some Chapiters haue title of Mecca some of Medina This flight was the fifteenth of Iuly at night A. 622. which is their Aera or computation of their yeeres reckoned by the Moone so that their 1026. began the twentie ninth of December A. D. 1616. Euery Chapiter consists of Verses very vnequall and lame affected rithmes Yea sometimes a sentence is patched in to make vp a rithme Before euery Chapiter is prefixed Bismillahirrahmanirrahimi for so they read it coined together with Articles as if it were all one word the signification is In nomine Dei miseratoris misericordis that is In the name of God shewing mercie mercifull which is as much as summè misericordis exceedingly mercifull or mercifull in Act and Nature To these words they ascribe innumerable mysteries and vertues so that they thinke that almost no worke can haue good successe vnlesse they preface it with this sentence Therefore in the beginning of their bookes they vse it and whatsoeuer businesse they goe about if it be to mount their horse or set forth to rowe a boat c. as I haue beene told Also there are in the beginning of Chapiters fourteene mysticall words of the signification whereof the Arabs professe their vncertaintie and Abubecr was wont to say That in euery booke God kept somewhat secret to himselfe which in the Alcoran were those mysticall beginnings of Chapiters Diuers haue diuersly deuised to hunt out Cabalisticall senses and state-periods with other vanities from them They hold that all the Alcoran was sent in one night which they call therefore nox demissionis nox potentiae and lest it might breed a contradiction that some parts were deliuered at Mecca for so it must be written not Mecha they say that Muhamed receiued them by pieces of the Angell as occasions required but hee from God all in one night and so they will haue the name signifie also a booke sent from heauen Thus much Erpenius in his Annotations on that Chapiter wherein also he blameth the old translation of Robert Reading as in other things so in that that when his mistresse brought Ioseph before other women they were all saith the translation menstruous and cut their hands saying hee was rather an Angel then a man He translates for menstruate sunt magnificarunt eum they magnified him adding concerning that cutting off the hand that it is still an vse of the Arabs Persians and people of the East to expresse loue My friend Mr. Bedwel fortie yeeres studious of Arabike hath told mee that that translation of Reading is generally reasonable well done nor is so faultie as some will haue it or much reading supply that way As for other supply it needs a sword like that Gordian knot rather then a penne that as by the sword it hath beene obtruded on the world as a iust punishment of ingratitude to the Sonne of God the eternall Truth and not by reasons or Scriptures which it corrupts mingles mangles maimes as the Impostors obliuion sometimes sometimes
the memorie of his owne designes occasioned so by the sword and fire it may be rooted out of the world againe The first Surat or Chapiter which is the Pater noster or daily prayer of the Muhamedans I will transcribe out of Erpenius called by them Opening as before is said and the Mother of the booke foundation treasure and perfection In the name of God the shower of mercie mercifull Praise to God the Lord of the Creatures the shewer of mercie mercifull the King of the day of Iudgement Wee worship thee and we call vpon thee Direct vs into the right way the way of them who are gracious towards them without anger against them and not them which erring not Amen The Copies of the Alcaron were diuers and after Mahomets death made if it could be worse at least otherwise then he left them For Hali had one Copie left him by Mahomet which the Iewes corrupted adding racing changing at their pleasure and promised him their assistance if hee would professe himselfe a Prophet But Ozimen commanded all the Bookes to be brought and deliuered into the hands of Zeidi and Abdalla to bring all into one booke and where they dissented to reade after the Copie of Corais and to burne all the rest They thus composed the Alcoran whereof they left foure Copies which after were lost And yet Hali Abitalib and Ibenmuzod then refused to deliuer their Bookes Whereupon arose diuers Readings and afterward diuers Schismes which to compound others often endeuoured by like labours after but could not throughly perfect the same Neither doth that which we haue translated agree with those things which Frier Richard and others cite out of it in their confutations thereof The truth thereof is such in his deuisings of new and seeking and altering the old that it is not probable in Viues opinion that euer hee read the Old and New Testament For saith he though I thinke of him exceeding badly yet thinke I him not so mad to change and wrest the Scripture there especially where it made nothing against him but he had partly heard of such things partly was so perswaded by his fellowes Apostata-Iewes and Christians This riming harsh confused packing worke disagreeing each Copie from other and all from truth and honestie hath beene translated into Latine once by an English man Robertus Retinensis and after by Ioannes Segobiensis a Spaniard at the Councell of Constance and after out of Arabian into Italian published by Andraea Ariuabene The first and last of these that of Robert of Reading and the Italian translations are here by vs followed For the Arabike I vnderstand not nor can warrant this when so great a man as Scaliger findeth great fault with it He that vndertooke to mend the Latine stile marred the sense and the Italian beguileth the world in professing to haue translated out of the Arabike Thus Scaliger who mentioneth another translation then in hand which we are almost out of hope to see In the meane while such as we haue we giue to you It containeth Chapters or Azoara's 124. euery of them beginning In the name of the mercifull and pittifull God Euthymius Zigabenus mentioneth but 113. Mr. Bedwel saith that all the Arabike copies which euer hee saw whether written in the East or West amongst the Moores in Barbarie doe constantly with one consent reckon 114. The reason of this difference is this some Interpreters doe not account the first for any Chapiter but make it a kinde of Preface Robert of Reading of the second Chapter maketh foure of the third three of the fourth foure of the fifth two of the sixth three The first of these are the words of Mahomet and is called the Mother of the Booke and is as it were their Creede the rest are all deliuered as the words of GOD hee being induced as speaker The first is in this sense In the name of the mercifull and pittifull God Thankes bee vnto God the Lord of the World mercifull pittifull Iudge of the day of Iudgement Wee pray vnto thee wee trust in thee Lead vs into the right way the way of them whom thou hast chosen not of them with whom thou art angrie and of the Infidels Postellus thus translateth it In the name of God mercifull pittifull Praise bee to God King of the World mercifull and pittifull King of the day of Iudgement O let vs serue him and wee shall bee helped Direct vs in the right point the point of them with whom thou art well pleased without anger against them and they shall not erre This prayer is saith hee as common to them as the Lords Prayer to vs and is so ouer and ouer with battologies by some of them repeated that they will say ouer the same word or two or three words an hundred times saying Alhamdu lillah hamdu lillah hamdu lillah and so on with these and the other words in like manner And thus doth the Priest in their publike prayers which they say supplieth the defects of such as are negligent in praying some will say and repeat it in the fields till with wearinesse they fall downe Others with wheeling about their bodies till they be besides themselues and then in imitation of Mahomet vtter some ridiculous obscure phantasticall speeches They diuide it into seuen periods which they cal miracles as they are here by the points That which is before them In the name c. Mahomet vsed to vtter alwayes when hee arose from his sicknesse or traunce and therefore is prefixed to all the Chapters and by deuout Authors also in the beginning of their Philosophicall workes By these words the point and the right point they vnderstand the Alcoran Now let vs see the Doctrine contained in this booke which with much labour I haue thus reduced into Theologicall heads reducing that which therein is confusedly heaped and handled in diuers places to this Method naming the Chapter or Azoara where the Reader may finde each sentence §. II. The Doctrine of the ALCORAN brought into common Places OF GOD he writeth that he is One necessary to all incorporeall which neither hath begotten nor is begotten nor hath any like him the Creator long-suffering searcher of the heart true That he will confound inchantments that without his gift none can beleeue this his Alcoran that hee hath no sonne for hee needeth nothing and he which setteth a second in the place of GOD shall goe into hell Az. 31. and he hath no partaker 32. yet in Azoar 67. hee induceth God speaking thus To Christ the sonne of Marie wee haue giuen the Gospell that by him men may obtaine the loue and fauour of GOD and that the beleeuers amongst them Christians shall receiue a great reward as also in Az. 2. he saith Euery one whosoeuer liueth rightly be he Iew or Christian or if he leaueth his owne Law and embrace another if hee worship GOD and doe good shall vndoubtedly
obtaine Diuine fauour Az. 2. The Creator said I am the onely Creator alwayes the same pittifull mercifull besides whom there is none other whose miracles and great workes are vnto the wise the frame of Heauen and Earth the intercourse of night and day the ships in the Sea fit for the vse of men raine for the refreshing of the earth the composition of all creatures the windes the cloudes c. 15. Inuoke and worship one GOD alone 43. All the miracles of GOD cannot bee written if all the Trees in the world were pennes and the Sea seuen times greater and were inke with whom it is a small thing to raise the dead OF THE BIRTH OF CHRIST hee writeth thus Azo 29. Wee sent our Spirit to Marie the best of all women and the wombe vntouched Azoar 31. in likenesse of a man professing himselfe a Diuine Messenger concerning a Sonne c. And when shee in trauell plained Christ came from vnder her and said Feare not and when some chid with her about the childe the childe it selfe made answere I am the Seruant and Prophet of God Hee saith the Iewes did not slay Christ but one like him Azo 11. and vpbraideth them for not receiuing him Azo 2. and chap. 4. To Christ the Sonne of Marie properly communicating our owne soule wee haue giuen him strength and power more then other Prophets yet chap. 13. he disclaimeth that worship which is done him and his mother Az. 4. Wee giuing our soule to Christ the Sonne of Marie preferred him before all others that had beene exalted by me to speake with GOD to power and vertue He inserteth the Prayer of the Virgins Mother when shee felt her selfe with childe by Ioachim and maketh Zacharie to bee the Virgins Tutor 5. Who hee saith for his vnbeliefe was dumbe three dayes The Angell saluted Marie saying O thou the purest of all women and men deuoted to GOD. Ioy vnto thee of that great Messenger with the Word of GOD whose name is IESVS CHRIST an excellent man at the command of the Creator he shal come with Diuine power with knowledge of all learning with the Booke of the Law and Gospell shall giue Commandements to the Israelites shall giue life cure diseases shew what is to be eaten and to be done shall confirme the Old Testament shall make some things lawfull which before were vnlawfull c. Hee acknowledgeth that his Mother knew not man 11. They say the Iewes that they killed Christ the Sonne of Marie the Messenger of GOD but it was not true but they crucified in his stead another like him for the incomprehensible GOD caused him to goe vnto Him IESVS is the Spirit and Word and Messenger of GOD sent from heauen 11. And GOD spake to him Az. 13. and gaue him a cleane and blessed soule whereby he made yellow formes of birds and breathing on them made them flie Hee cured one borne blinde and the leprous and raised the dead GOD taught him the Booke and Wisdome and the Gospell and Testament Concerning his LAVV and ALCORAN he handleth it in the second Chapter of Azoara which beginneth thus In the name of the mercifull and pittifull God This booke without any falshood or errour shewing the Truth to them which loue feare and worship GOD and are studious of prayers and almes and the obseruation of the lawes giuen of GOD from heauen to thee and other thy Predecessors and the hope of the world to come hath manifested the true Sect For this bringeth the followers thereof to the highest inricheth them with the highest good as to the vnbeleeuers and erroneous it menaceth truely the greatest euill to come This hee after applieth to Paradise and Hell which is due to the Enemies of Gabriel which intimateth this Booke to his heart by the Creator and to all the Enemies of GOD and Michael and the Archangels This his Alcoran hee calleth the establishing of the Law of the Israelites and Azo 21. hee arrogateth to his Booke wisdome and eloquence and 47. hee saith it was composed of the incomprehensible and wise GOD euery where agreeing with it selfe and calleth it 63. the Booke of Abraham and 69. if it should be placed on a Mountaine that Mountaine for Diuine feare would be dissolued Those which will not be conuerted take and slay by all meanes intrapping them and fight against them till they be your Tributaries and Subiects And 18. the fifth part of all the prey is due vnto GOD and his Prophet and to your Kindred and Orphans and the poore Those that are taken in Warre kill or make slaues but pardon them if they will turne to your Law and GOD also will pardon them Such good Warriours shall haue full pardon The Iewes and Christians contrarie to that he had said before let GOD confound He hath sent his Messenger with the right way and good law that he may manifest and extoll it aboue all lawes Of the twelue moneths foure are to be consecrated to fight against the enemies Those that refuse this war-fare lose their soules and they which flie in the day of battell Az. 6. doe it by the Deuils instigation thus punishing them for their former sinnes Yea the Deuils themselues Az. 56. being conuerted thereby say to their Diobolicall Nation We haue heard a Booke sent after Moses which approoueth all his sayings and teacheth the true and right way And Az. 12. he calls the Alcoran a Booke of truth sent from aboue a Confirmer of Christs Precepts Hee saith Az. 15. That Moses deliuered some things in writing more vnwritten He makes his Booke to bee the same which GOD had taught Abraham Ismael Isaac Iacob Moses and CHRIST Az. 5. he saith his booke containes some things firme and without exception some things contrarie which froward men peruert to controuersies but the exposition thereof belongs to GOD onely and to the wisest which beleeue that all of it came from God Az. 6. he excites them to defend it when hee shall be dead or slaine and God will reward them Neither can any die but by the will of God to wit in the time appointed They which in the expedition shall haue pardon which is better then all possessions and an easie iudgement And they which die in the wayes of God are not to bee esteemed dead for they liue with GOD. That life is firme this and all worldly things mutable 7. If the Alcoran Az. 9. were not of God it would haue many contrarieties in it which himselfe yet Az. 5. confesseth They which are well Az. 10. and remaine at home are not of like merit as they which goe to warre The fire of hell is hotter then the danger of warre And although thou Prophet shouldest pardon the resisters of God and his Messenger seuentie times yet God will neuer pardon them The sicke and weake and such as haue not necessaries are excused from this necessitie of warre but to the good Warriours God giueth Paradise in reward of
cloth sewed together Tritis pilea suta de lacernis the Kings differing from the common sort because his ascended strait with a sharp top not bowed any way to the other Persians it was deadly to weare a Tiara except the top bowed in token of subiection to their forehead Only the posteritie of those which with Darius Histaspis slew the vsurping Magus might weare them bending to the middle of their head and not hanging downe to their browes as the other The Kings Tiara was properly called Cidaris and was set on by the Surena which was an hereditarie dignitie next to the King About this Cidaris hee wore a Diadem which some Authors confound and make to be the same others otherwise it was a purple band or of blew colour distinguished with white which was wreathed about the Tiara The right or strait Tiara with that purple and white band was the note of royaltie as the Crowne in these parts The Diadem in other Countries was a white band wreathed about the forehead The new King was placed also in a golden Throne and if hee pleased changed his former name as Codomannus to Darius His subiects adored him as a god so did the Greekes interprete it and Mordecas which refused this ceremonie to Haman prostrating themselues on the ground with a kinde of veneration turning their hands behind their backe if they had any sute to the King Sperchies and Bulis Lacedemonians and Conon the Athenian refused this Rite Ismenias the Theban dissembled it with taking vp his ring which for that purpose hee lot flip from his finger when hee came before the King Timagoras was put to death by the Athenians for doing it In the time of Apollonius none might come to the presence of the King which had not before done the like adoration to his Image They also when they came into the presence of the King held their hands within their sleeues for default herein Cyrus Iunior slew Antosaces and Mitraeus as Xenophon writeth Likewise for the greater Maiestie they seldome were seene of the people and then neuer on foot neither might any enter the Palace without licence of the King signifying his attendance first by a messenger this honour was reserued to the Princes which slew Smerdis which might enter at all times but when the King was in bed with his wife which Intaphernes one of the seuen transgressing therefore lost his head Yea the Scripture noteth the danger hereof in Haman the Kings greatest fauourite and Ester the Queene neither of which had libertie of entrance without the Kings call or admission It was a capitall offence to sit on the Kings Throne to weare the Kings garment or in hunting to strike any beast before the King had stricken The King as before is noted of Cambyses was not subiect to any law the people were held in much slauery if that may be so called which is voluntarie In this affection they which were scourged at the Kings command were thankefull to him for that they were had in remembrance with him Their obedience appeared when Xerxes being in a ship in danger many at his word leaped into the Sea to lighten the ship Yea they would be their owne executioners when they had offended the King None might salute him without a present His birth-day was obserued a sacred and solemne festiuall His death was bewailed with a silence of lawes and sutes fiue daies and with extinguishing that Fire which euery one obserued in his house as his household deitie The Kings abode was according to the season seuen moneths saith Zonaras in Babylon three in Susa and two in Ecbatana Aelian therefore compares them to Cranes and Aristides to the Scythian Nomades alway by this shifting enioying a temperate season Susa or Shushan was so called of the abundance of Lillies which in that language are so named saith Stephanus a Region so defended by high mountaines from the Northerne blasts that in the Summer the vehement heat parched their Barly it is Straboes report and therefore they couered the roofes of their houses with earth two cubits deepe and it killed the snakes as they crossed the wayes It was situate on Choaspes and entertained the Kings Court in Winter as Ecbatana in Summer the chiefe Citie of the Medes Sometimes it also remoued to Pasargadae and sometimes to Persepolis the richest Citie if Diodorus bee beleeued vnder the Sunne wherein was a Tower enuironed with a three-fold wall the first of which was sixteene cubits high and made with battlements the second twice as much the third square and sixtie cubits in height of hard stone with brazen gates on the East thereof was a Hill of foure acres wherein were the Sepulchres of the Kings Alexander in reuenge of the burning of Athens and by instigation of wine and Thais his Concubine Mars Bacchus Venus three heauy vnruly tyrannicall enemies conspiring burned this sometime Treasure-house of Persia The Persian Court or Palace had many Gates and Guards which took turnes by lot you reade the words of Aristotle in his booke de Mundo hereby manifested to bee his or at least as ancient in that he writeth of the Persian State flourishing before Alexander in his time had subuerted it some hee saith were called the Kings eares others his eyes and others had other offices by which the King learned whatsoeuer was any where done and therefore holden as a God And besides his Posts which brought newes by Fires or Beacons he might in one day learne the State of that huge Empire extended from the Hellespont to India The Palace-roofe admirably shined with the brightnesse of Iuorie Siluer Amber and Gold His Throne was of Gold borne vp with foure Pillars beset with gemmes His bed was also of Gold which was propounded the reward to Zorobabel and his companions Ezra 3.3 yea Herodotus tells of a Tabernacle of Gold of a Plane tree and a Vine of Gold giuen to Darius by Pithius the Bythinian This Vine Athenaeus reporteth was adorned with iewels and hung ouer the Kings bed the Grape-clusters being all precious stones in a Parlour at his beds feet were three thousand Talents of Gold in another at the head called the Kings bolster were fiue thousand Talents Gardens were adioyning which they called Paradises some very large wherein were kept wild beasts as Lions Beares Bores for the Kings game with spacious Woods and Plaines inclosed in wall Tully out of Xenophon relateth the industrie of Cyrus which with his owne hand had measured planted ordered and husbanded one of those pleasant Paradises Alexander enriched them with Trees and Plants out of Greece The Persian Kings dranke the water of Choaspes onely which to that purpose was boyled and carried with them in Siluer vessells wheresoeuer they went The Parthian Kings dranke of this and of the Riuer Eulaeus a Riuer rising in Media which after it hath buried it selfe againe recouering
at his departure to giue a signe thereof by striking downe the top of a steeple Which being effected the Kings conuersion followed together with many of the Nobilitie to the Roman faith libertie also being granted to preach it openly and to build Churches and Monasteries thorowout the Kingdome This was beleeued in England especially by a friend of our Authors vnto whom that Pamphlet was sent who requested him to say Masse in thanks-giuing to GOD for so great a benefit But in the end that Iesuite who sent the Pamphlet gaue out that it was but a thing deuised by French Hugonets to disgrace their societie Gracious societie that can sometime cure their lies with a distinction of piaefraudes sometime couer them with a robe of the new fashion Aequiuocation sometimes can expose their bastards at other mens doores to shield themselues from shame with laying the blame on others and haue a mint in their pragmaticall heads of such supersubtle inuentions what are they now disgraced and that by Hugonets Euen as truly as the Parliament-house should haue beene blowne vp by Puritans this also was the Ignatians deuice or like to that newes of the late Queene whose Ambassadours were at Rome for the Popes Absolution or that of Bezaes recantation and Geneuaes submission to the Pope Blessed Ignatius let mee also inuocate or let him deigne to reade in that all-seeing glasse this poore supplication infuse some better spirit or some cleanlier and more wittie conueyance at least into thy new progenie lest the Protestants grosser wits sent see feele the palpablenesse and impute the Iesuitical courses to that Author which said he would go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all ACHABS Prophets which when he speaketh a lie speaketh of his owne because he is a lier and the father thereof Hitherto wee tooke Ignatius for their father but now we find a New of whom they borrow Bankruptly shifts beseeming onely the Merchants of Babylon disgracing humanitie defacing diuinitie worthily raunged amongst the poore policies of the Hospitall of the desperate Since also Iansonius in his Mercurius Gallobelgicus hath told vs newes of the Kings graunt to build a Temple and Monasterie for Christians himselfe as hee saith much enclining to that religion whereupon many haue been baptized and not a few through the power of holy-water haue beene cured The King hath further sent to the Georgians to vnite them to the Romish Church and the Armenians also by an embassage to Rome haue protested all obedience to that Sea as they before had done in the Couent of Saint Augustine which is in the chiefe Citie of Persia He setteth downe the copie of King Abas his Letter to the Pope wherein he requested him to send a Prelate to gouerne at Tres Ecclesiae where the chiefe of the Armenian Christians vsed to reside The like he writeth in another letter to the King of Spaine which if it be so argueth rather his policie to obtaine good will and helpe of the Christians against the Turk then any loue to Christian Religion CHAP. X. Of the Scythians Sarmatians and Seres and of their Religion §. I. Of the Scythian Name People Region Language and manner of life VNder the name Scythia is contained a verie great part of the world It was diuided into Scythia Europaea and Asiatica Pliny saith That this name reacheth vnto the Sarmatians and Germans and to those farthest Nations which were vnknowne to other men And Strabo in his first booke saith That all knowne Regions towards the North were-called Scythians or Nomades and in his eleuenth booke he affirmeth that the Greekes called all those Northerne Nations Scythians and Celtoscythians Those beyond the Adriatike and Pontike Seas and the Riuer Ister or Danubius were called Hyperborei Sauromatae and Arimaspi those beyond the Caspian Sea Sacae and Massagetae Some will haue this name to be giuen them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to be angrie Others of their Shooting called still of some of those Nations and in some other languages Schieten of which our word Shoot is deriued Mela in his third Booke and fifth Chapter calleth them all Sagae and in the fragment which beareth the name of Cato de Originibus is mentioned Scythia Saga this word Saga Berosus interpreteth a Priest saying that Noah left the Scythian Armenians his rituall bookes which onely Priests and that onely among Priests might reade who were therefore called Saga as Noah himselfe had been These peopled the Countries from Armenia to the Bactrians all which place was called Scythia Saga ouer which Sabatius reigning in the time of Iupiter Belus Araxa with his sonne Scythia possessed all from Armenia Westward to Samatia in Europe The Grecians fable Hercules to be the father of these Nations begetting Scythes on a monster whose vpper halfe resembled a Woman the nether part a Viper It were an endlesse and boundlesse worke to seeke and set out the true and proper beginnings and bounds of this so large a Tract of the world called Scythia the particular Nations of them would be but harsh to recite out of Pliny Mela Strabo and others the multitude wherof he that will may find in Ortelius his Thesaurus collected together The Sarmatae or Sauromatae are sometime made one peculiar people of the Scythians and sometimes the names are confounded Sarmatia also being diuided into Europaea and Asiatica whereof the one is interpreted by Oliuerus Polonia by Ortelius Russia and the other Tartaria Goropius in his Becceselana admiring his owne language coniectureth that while Nimrod and his company fell to babel or after our pronuntiation babble at Babel others namely the Cymbrians or posteritie of Gomer staied still in Margiana a Countrie fruitfull of Vines whither hee imagineth Noah descended out of the Arke and there abode after the Floud These he supposeth being not at Babel retained their old and first vniuersall language But Margiana growing too little for their multiplied numbers they were forced to send out Colonies And thus the Saxons Tectosages Sauromatae Getes or Gothes the Danes Galles and other Scythian Nations the true posteritie of Gomer and keepers of the first language as he by Dutch Etymologies gathereth peopled both Scythia and Sarmatia in Asia and Europe together with all Germanie France England Norway Denmarke and some parts of Asia Minor Hee that will bee further informed of his Reasons let him reade his Saxonica Gotodanica and other Treatises of his Becceselanian Antiquities Ptolomey distinguisheth Scythia from Samatia hee confineth Sarmatia Europaea with the Sarmatian Ocean and the land vnknowne on the North with Vistula on the West the Easterne border is Tanais from whence vnto the Hircanian Sea Eastward is Sarmatia Asiatica on the North abutting on the vnknown parts of the earth on the South with the Euxine Sea and a line drawne right from thence to the Caspian Sea Scythia is by
in our way going from the Red Sea till hauing doubled the Cape we come from the Abassine Christians to those of Congo on the Aethiopian Ocean Aethiopia sub Aegypto so the Geographers call this part hath on the North Egypt on the West Libya Interior on the South Aethiopia Agisimba on the East the Red and Barbarian Seas to the Promontory Raptum which Ortelius placeth about Quiloa Porie cals it Quilimanci Mercator interprets Magala The Abissine Empire is by our late Writers intended further receiuing for the Southerne limits the Mountaines of the Moone and for the Westerne the Kingdome of Congo the Riuer Niger and Nubia and therefore contayneth Aethiopia sub Aegypto and besides Trogloditica Cinnamomifera Regio and part of the inner Libya True it is that the Great Neguz his titles comprehend thus much yet rather as a monument of what he hath had then an euidence of what hee hath The Turkes in the North the Mores on the West others other-where circumcising this circumcised Abissine and now according to Boterus and Barrius the Lake Barcena is the Center of his Dominion But euen still Frier Luys de Vrreta giues him both all before named and more The name Abissine or Abassine which is giuen to this Region Niger deriueth from the Egyptian word Abases which Strabo reporteth they gaue to all inhabited places compassed with great Desarts and situate therein in manner as the Ilands in the Sea three of which Abases he saith were subiect to the Egyptians Scaliger saith that the Arabians call these Aethiopians Elhabaschi whence they are vsually named Abassines and this with him is an argument that they are not Natiues of the place but thither deriued out of Arabia For the Abaseni are by Vranius in Stephanus placed in Arabia Thurifera whose words are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. This haue I inserted out of Stephanus for satisfying the more iudicious Scaliger addeth that the Language in which their Ecclesiasticall and sacred Bookes are written is as farre from the true Ethiopicke as the Dutch or Italian The tongue is most elegant if care and diligence be added and is called Libertie because the Arabian Conquerors therefore only free did vse it The Ethiopians themselues call it Chaldee yet is it neerer the Hebrew then the Chaldee it is onely learned by Booke and of their Priests They indeed haue other Histories of themselues from the floud downewards but whereto a man must not rashly giue credit They call themselues Ethiopians To take now some exacter view of these parts leauing those Iewish monstrous Fables of Monsters of threescore and ten cubits their great lyes of the little Pigmey-Christianes with such other stuffe fit for them to write who are iustly credulous of lyes because they beleeued not truth let vs see what others haue written both of the people and place and first of the first and most ancient Relations §. II. Of the Nations neere the Falls of Nilus and of Meroe THe Cataracts or Falls of Nilus which separate Ethiopia from Egypt are by the most Authors reckoned two the greater and the lesse Stephanus addeth a third at Bonchis an Ethiopian City These are Mountaines which incroch vpon the Riuer and with their loftie lookes and vndermining trecherie hauing drawne vp the Earth which should affoord him a Channell into their swelling and ioynt conspiracie as with a mixt passion of feare and disdaine make the waters in their haste and strife ouerthrow themselues downe those steepe passages the billowes bellowing and roaring so terribly with the Fall that the Inhabitants as some affirme which dwell neere are thereby made deafe and the Riuer amazed and dizzie whirles it selfe about forgetting his tribute to Neptune till forced by his owne following waters hee sets or rather is set forward on his iourney They are now called Catadhi which signifieth noyse of those dreadfull and hideous out-cries which there are caused Thus saith Bermudesius of those Falls in the Kingdome of Goiame which rush downe from a Rocke almost halfe a league high and steepe sounding like Thunder Betwixt these Falls and Meroe Strabo placeth the Troglodytae of which we haue alreadie spoken and the Blemmyes Nubae and Megabari They are Nomades without Towne or habitation and addicted to robbery Procopius testifieth that these were accustomed to doe much damage on the Romane Confines and therefore Dioclesian brought them out of their barren Territories and gaue them Elephantina and the Region adioyning for habitation communicating to them the Roman Rites and Superstitions and built the Citie Philas in hope of future friendship Coelum non animam they changed the Soyle not the Soule but were no lesse iniurious to Oasis and other the Romane subiects They worshipped some Gods borrowed of the Graecians Isis and Osiris of the Egyptians and Priapus The Blemmyes also offered humane Sacrifices with cruell inhumanitie to the Sunne till Iustinians time who tooke away those bloudie deuotions As for the tale that those Blemmyes wanted heads and had their eyes and mouthes in their brests the Authors had either no eyes to see the truth or more head then they should to deuise lyes as we may say of other shapelesse and monstrous shapes of people which Plinie and Solinus out of other Authors report to inhabit these vnknowne parts some wanting lips some nostrils some tongues or mouthes c. indeed all wanting truth Rather would I counsell the studious of Geographie to learne the names of the Peoples and Nations of these Regions of Plinie and Solinus which because we haue but names of them I forbeare to name Meroe doth inuite mee to a longer entertainment being an Iland which Nilus with louely embraces claspeth about according to Iosephus and Cedrenus sometimes called Saba as now also the Abissines name it the Egyptians call it Naule Babe the Inhabitants Neube our Maps Guegere to which Theuet addeth more if not more then truth The Iland after Heliodorus the Bishop of Tricca his description is three square each of which triangle limits are made by three Riuers Astaboras and Asasoba Strabo cals it Astapus and Astosabus this from the South that from the East drowning their names and waters with Nilus in it is in length three thousand furlongs in bredth a thousand plentifull of Elephants Lions Rhinocerotes Corne and Trees besides her hidden treasures and Mynes of Iron Brasse Siluer Gold and Salt It hath also Heben wood as Lucan singeth Laeta comis Hebeni It receiued that name of Moroe sister of Cambyses or after Eusebius of Merida the Mother of Chenephris King of Egypt They worshipped a Barbarian God and besides Pan Hercules and Isis They cast their dead into the Riuer others reserued them at home in glasse shrines others in earthen receptacles buried them neere to their Temples They esteemed them for Gods and sware by them They ordained
Their markets are on Sundayes The Knights come hither exceeding yong the sooner to attaine Commendams at home which goe by Senioritie There are resident about fiue hundred and as many abroad to repaire vpon summons Sixteene of them are Counsellors of State called Great Crosses There are seuen Albergs or Seminaries one of which was of England till in the generall Deluge vnder Henrie the eight Saint Iohns without Smithfield sometime the Mansion of the Grand Prior of England was hooked into that crooked streame though still that Title continue an Irish man now enioying it Euery Nation feed by themselues in their seuerall Alberges and sit at table like Friars But how doe I pre-occupate my Christian Relations and fall into a Lethargie hauing opportunitie of such an Hospitall and such Hospitulars Now a word of the ancient Nauigations about Africa Hanno his voyage set forth by the Carthaginians seemed fabulous but Ramusius sheweth euery place by him mentioned to agree with the later Discoueries of the Portugals and thinketh guided by a Portugall Pilot skilfull of those Seas which skanned this Nauigation of Hanno that hee went as farre as Saint Thome Long before this Homer reporteth of Menelaus compassing the Ethiopians from Egypt which some interprete of sayling by the Cape of Good Hope as the Portugals Of this minde Strabo citeth Aristonichus Of Salomon and Iehoshaphat is said before Herodotus affirmeth the Phoenicians sayling in the Red Sea in Cambyses time but this was vsuall and yeerly as Plinie sheweth lib. 6. cap. 23. The same Plinie alledgeth out of Cornelius Nepos the sayling of Eudoxus out of the Red Sea round about Africa to Cales which Strabo relateth otherwise and refuteth The like may be shewed in some other instances of which reade Master Hakluyt his Epistle Dedicatorie Tom. 1. Ramusius part 1. pag. 111. and Galuanus in his Discoueries of the World Which I mention not to disparage or weaken the Portugals praises but to giue Antiquitie their due which I thinke could not ordinarily if at all compasse so long a Nauigation for want of the Compasse yet we should iniurie our Authors if wee should not beleeue somewhat although not so much as they report And this agreeth with the Greeke prouerbe of Hanno's Discoueries and Iubas Historie that hee which findeth sweetnesse in the one may swallow the other and as well entertayne Bauius as Mauius the Periplus of the one and Libyke Histories of the other not obtayning full credit nor wholly meet to be reiected And thus much of this African part of the World the Regions and Religions thereof the one most subiect to the burning beames of the heauenly Sunne the other least enlightning by the comfortable warmth of the Sunne of Righteousnesse blacke in body but more darkned and deformed spiritually as hauing onely some parts of Habassia entirely possessed with Christians besides what in Congo hath of later yeeres beene effected by the Portugals and that little which is subiect to them and Spaine all the rest being Pagan or Mahumetan And would God this were the case of Africa alone seeing that if we diuide the knowne Regions of the world into thirtie equall parts it is Master Brerewoods Computation The Christians part vnderstand it in all Sects and Professions bearing that name is as fiue the Mahumetans as sixe and the Idolaters as nineteene besides that huge heathenous Tract of the vnknowne South Continent which by probable reasons is by him coniectured to bee no lesse then Europe Africa and Asia together So farre is it from truth which one of our Country-men hath lustily bragged on behalfe of his Romish Mother That the Catholike Roman Religion hath had and hath yet a farre greater sway in the world then any other Religion euer had or hath whereas this our Africa hath more Mahumetans in two or three Cities then Romish Catholikes perhaps in her whole compasse And for Asia how pitifully doth he tumble together some names of a few Townes or little Ilands it seemeth vnknowne to himselfe as monuments of Romish Conquests What their American Conuersions are is touched elsewhere Yea euen in our Europe where this mysticall Babylon is situate the mother of the whoredomes and abominations of the Earth the number of Protestants is not much inferiour vnto them But his reasons haue beene alreadie proued vnreasonable by him whose Pen then and Prelacie since wee with all dutie acknowledge a pillar to the Truth and Ornament to our Church and State For my part I am sorrie his assertion is no truer as one seeing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 betweene Catholike and Roman a great gulfe not easily without many prouisoes passable but betweene Heathen and Heauen a bottomlesse depth the way impassable and life impossible Let vs pray to him which is the Way the Truth the Life to make and be the Way by reuelation of his Truth vnto euerlasting Life to these poore Africans that as they are almost wholly in all professions Christian Iewish Morish Ethnike circumcised in the flesh so they may receiue that Circumcision of the Spirit not made with hands which may cut away this superfluitie of superstitions wherein they seeme more deuout then any part of the World and make them with meeknesse to receiue that Word which being grafted in them is able to saue their soules Amen Lord Iesus RELATIONS OF THE DISCOVERIES REGIONS AND RELIGIONS OF THE NEW WORLD OF NEW FRANCE VIRGINIA FLORIDA NEW SPAINE WITH OTHER REGIONS OF AMERICA MEXICANA AND OF THEIR RELIGIONS THE EIGHTH BOOKE CHAP. I. Of the New World and why it is named AMERICA and the West Indies with certaine generall discourses of the Heauens Ayre Water and Earth in those parts §. I. Of the names giuen to this part of the World and diuers opinions of the Ancients concerning the Torrid Zone NOw are wee shipped for the New World and the New Discoueries But seeing this Inkie Sea through which I vnder-take a Pilots office to conduct my Readers is more peaceable then That which on the back-side of this American World was called the Peaceable by Magellane the first Discouerer it yeeldeth vs the fitter opportunitie to contemplation and discourse in such Philosophicall subiects as the best Authors haue thought worthy the first place in their Histories of these parts Yet before we prie into Natures mysteries the better to know our intended voyage let vs enquire somewhat of the Names if any notice may thence arise of the places thereby knowne The New World is the fittest name which can be giuen to this vast and huge Tract iustly called New for the late Discouerie by Columbus An. Dom. 1492. and World for the huge intention thereof as Master Hakluyt hath obserued A new World it may bee also called for that World of new and vnknowne Creatures which the old World neuer heard of and here onely are produced the conceit whereof moued Mercator to thinke which I dare not thinke with him that the great
they are sowre and hang too high h Creation i Of the Angels k Belzebub said he was made of fire therefore better thē he which was made of earth Azoar 17. l Paradise The Turkes Paradise a beastly carnall one l Of Hell m Of Purgatorie n Of the Prophet Mahomet o Mahomet guiltie of his witchcraft often speaketh of it that he may not bee thought such a one p Of the Prophets in Scripture q Such tales as these of Abraham Salomon c. you shall finde both in the Iewish and Popish Legends as if the Iew Papist Mahumetan had contended for the whetstone which any one that readeth shall finde r Alexander Mahomets fittest Saint to follow ſ Of the Resurrection and last Iudgement Morals and Iudicials t Azoar 33.34 u See more in the Title of Women following x Pilgrimage to Mecca y Contrarie to which is the word common in Scripture for that which is lawfull in common vse Mecha saith Scal. alwaies in the Alcoran is called Haram and the Pilgrims Hurmun that is votaries z Abraham Author of pilgrimage rites His oathes Inheritances and Iust dealing Courtesie Mortall Sentences Sententias loquitur Carnifex Washings and Prayer Almes Tradition Meates vncleane Drinkes and Games Women Marriage Diuorce Swearing Forcing to baleeue Vsurie Repentance Friendship Infidels a Magdeburgenses in Centuria 7. haue so gathered some heads of this headlesse Monster the same is done by Cantacuze nas in summula sectae Sarac. c. but not thus fully b Anonymi in Alcoran Annotat c M. Bedwels Mahammedis imposturae in the preface c Relat. Master Harb a F. Sansov Bellar. lib. 3. b Ierusalem was rased of them An. 1219. yet durst they not destroy the holy sepulchre because of that Testimony of Iesus in their Alcoran yea they kisse the Gospels in reuerence especially Luc. 1. missus est Gabriel which they will often reiterate Vitr. l. 3. They call it not Ierusalem but BEITAALMIKDAS that is the house of the Sanctuary and Cudsi Mubarrak that is the blessed Sanctuarie Bed Trud. c The Turkes reckon Greene the Prophets colour h Arab. Nob. in Consut. Alcor i Of Mahomets Lent k Richardus Confut. Alcor l Pietro Messia tradotto per F. Sanso vino lib. 4. cap. 1. m Bell. Obseru lib. 3 cap. 9. Methodij Constitut in Bib. Pat. vbi Abucara disput cont Sar. See of this in the next Chapter and in the second Chapter Cateches Myst pro aduenis ex Secta Mahom. Thesaur sapientiae diuinae in salute om gent. procuranda Easterne languages Arabike Authors Moslemans Creed Mosleman Precepts are Circumcision Fiue houres Prayer Almes Fast Pilgrimage Fighting Note Washings Order of visiting the sicke of Wils Restitutions and Burials Mescuites or Moschees and their Ceremonies in them Mosleman women dis-respected Hence some ascribe to the Turites falsly that women haue no soules Easterne attire A note for trauellers in these parts not to prouoke them without liberty in vrine c. a cause of quarrell often to Christians a Ap. Breidenbach Sup. cap. 5. b Pilgrimage to Mecca M. Hak. tom 2. c Vertoman lib. 1. cap. 14. d Alcorr Italie m Pilgrimage to Mecca Hak. n L. Bar. with the Carouan of Damasco trauelled two and twentie houres of foure and twentie o Description of the Mosquita at Mecca p The house of Abraham described q Of this stone see sup c. 2. r Vertoman lib. 1. cap. 15. A. D. 1503. ſ The Pilgrims going to the Mountaine of Pardons t Barthema saith Isaac u Description of Medina the word signifies the people x In Barthema it is said that it was a graue fossa vnder the earth and there were also Hali Othman Bubecher and Homor with the bookes of their ordinanes and Sects y Which some are reported to doe indeed after their so holy pilgrimage-sights not further polluting their eyes m They pretend visions and miracles c. But haue not Antichrist and all Idolaters their miracles faith hath euer relation to the word of God n Agg. 2.12 13 o Caluino-Turcismus Giff. Turec Papismus D. Sut. p Because at Trent nothing might bee decreed but what was first sent and ordered from Rome hence grew this Prouerbe q When the Soldans raigned in Egypt they had a Ceremonie after the Pilgrimage to cut in pieces a Camel which had carried their Alcoran in great solemnitie to the Soldans Palace euery particle of the beast and of his furniture being esteemed and reserued as a holy Relique the same is now performed saith Dousa at Constantinople The like was in Beniamins dayes at Bagedat I know not what Camel superstition is often ment oned in the Alcoran Mecca and the Temple Rabe like to the house at Loretto in Angel legends The blacke stone Zam Zam Ismaels Well Mahumetan sacrifices Lying Tradition Territorie of Mecca Balsam brought from Gilead to Cairo thence to Mecca Scerif of Mecca Medina Mohameds birth and life a Arab. Nob. ref b Leo. l. 1. c Odmen 12. Hali. 4. ye Alhacen fiue m neths and twenty dayes Moaui 17. yeeres Iezid three yeeres eight moneths who say that the Prophet commanded not to blame but to pray for and to obey rulers though wicked for yee shall haue mercy they punishment d Ref. Ara. Nob. e G. Bot. Ben Curio calleth these Sects Melici followed in Africa Asafij professed in Arabia and Syria Arambeli in Armenia and Persia Buanisi in Alexandria and Assyria all foure are followed in Cairo lib. 5. 1. f Scal. E. T. l. 4. g 68. Sects Sarrac h Moreb Neb. l. 1. c. 70. l. 3. c. 18. 24. i God is a co-worker in euery worke of whom and in whom all things are and moue not a sparrow nor a haire from our head falleth to the ground without diuine prouidence Vid. Zanch. de Nat. D. 5. c. 1. c But two principall factions Mahumetan at this day d I. Leo. l 3. e What difference herein betweene the Mahumetane our Seperatist f Tronchi g In Itinerario Assassines of these see l. 2. c. 22. h A. Zach. Chro. Serac i Leo lib. 4. k Io. Bot. Ben. l Fr. Richard cap. 13. m This difference is in the Latine translation not in the Arabike as Erpenius hath obserued t Sup. c. 2. Io. Bot. Ben. a Lib. 18. c. 30. b Turci quasi Teucri Richer de reb. Turc Mart. Barletius de Scodrensi expug lib. 1. mention this opinion Andr. à Lacuna c Lonicer Chr. Turc to 1. l. 1. d Pom. Mela. l. 1. c. vlt. Plin. l. 6. c. 7. e Laon. Chalcondyl lib. 1. Io. Bapt. Egnatius Nic. Euboic Sagun Ep. Knolls c. f I. Leunel hist Musulm g P. Bizar hist Pers lib. 5. h Knoll Turc Hist Hieron Megisarus Ling. Turc. Institut literae sunt ijs 31. a Hist Musulman lib. 1. Theodor Gaza de Orig. Turcar. Epist. Io. Bapt. Egnat de Orig. Turc But see also sup c. 2. which is more likely For I read