was built by Hadrian the Emperour whose name it retains it is now the usual retreat of this Grand Signior and where at present he abides for its vicinity to his affairs in Hungary Pera by others called Galata once peopled by the Genoese as the Mart and Factory of that State taken by Mahomet in 1653. but still replenished with Christian Merchants and Artificers But above all other Constantinopolis Description of the famous City of Constantinople by Heaven erected to be the head of an Empire as the onely seat which Romans Greeks and now the Turks have chosen and reputed to be most commodiously seated not for the Government onely of the Empire but as was before generally mentioned of the whole World By its first Founders Name it was called Byzantium and after many various turns of Fortune betwixt the Persians and Spartans it setled at last under the Roman Empire by the Conquest of Severus who sacked it after three years siege for their partaking with Niger his Competitor but yet such Majesty remained in the very ruines that Herodian reports not without favour and pity thereof Mirabantur homines utrum eorum qui primi Extruxerunt vel eorum qui deinceps sunt demoliti vires essent potiores it was wondred at whether the strength of the Founders or the destroyers was greatest From this Rubbish it was reared re-edified by Constantine the Great and finished May 11.331 and endowed with the Priviledges of Rome and called for that reason Nova Roma for some short times but in memory of its raiser afterwards Constantinople It continued in this state under the Eastern Empire 1100. years and upwards till an unfortunate Constantine sirnamed Palaeologus lost it to Mahomet the Great A.D. 1453. by the base covetousness of the Citizens who would not for their own defence supply the Emperor with money It is eighteen miles in compass by which computation it is one third part bigger then London and the Suburbs it is said to contain seven hundred thousand souls and would be much more populous were it not for the plague whose Triennial mischief destroyeth multitudes it is fortified toward the Land with three strong and high walls the one higher then the other but towards the Sea with one only built with many Turrets which strongly flanker it It yields a pleasant prospect afarre off by reason of the many Groves and Gardens within it but is meanly built the Houses but two stories high some of course Stone the rest of Timber rough and ungarnished there are the in it 8000. Mosques or Churches which are beauty of the City the chief of them and worthy of remarque is that of St. Sophia which in elegancy though not in bulk exceeds all the Fabricks of the World the sides and floor flagged with Marble with a stately Porch at the entrance add hereunto the Sepulchral Mosques of the Turkish Sultans which are very sumptuous together with the Seraglio built all of white Marble round in form and crowned at the top with shining golden Spires not to omit the Mosque of Solyman the magnificent one of the present wonders of the world But Canstantinople which is seated upon seven Hills and Mountains as well as Rome is better furnished with a Port and Haven so convenient and advantagious to shipping and so commodiously seated upon the Thracian Bosphorus that Ships of all burdens and with all winds may come close to the walls the water is so deep As to the Seraglio it standeth on one of the seven Hills in the North-east quarter of the City like a Delta two Angles of it aspect the Sea which affords it a most pleasant speculation the other is joyned by a wall to the City towards which it hath one gate only the other gates are never opened but for the private pleasure of the Grand Seignior or his displeasure to be executed by the death of some of his Officers and Bashaws it contains three Courts one within another the first is open to all persons in the second sits the Divan or Courts of Justice into which no man comes on Horse-back the third is the Mansion and privacy of the Grand Seignior and his women it is three miles in circuit in which are contained many delightful Groves of Cypresses intermixed with Plains delicate Gardens Artificial Fountains Banquetting Turrets and Prospect Rooms with a most magnificent Audience-Chamber for Ambassadors floored with embroidered Velvet seamed with Pearl and other Jewels I have the longer insisted on this place because as the Mistris of the World she draws all eyes upon her and therefore it is fit to dress her in those Ornaments which she usually wears and do become her greatness Callipolis is another famous portion thereof seated on the Northen promontory of Chersonese the first City of note possessed by the Turks in Europe taken in the reign of Orchanes in 1358. from whence they easily spread their conquest over the adjacent Provinces it is the most convenient passage between Europe and Asia by reason of the safe harbour and good anchorage Next followeth MACEDON bounded on the East with the Aegaean Sea Macedon described on the West with Albania on the North with Mysia superiour and on the South with Epyrus and Achaia it is now principally divided into Thessaly a sweet and delectable Country Macedon specially so called and Migdonia by the Turks called Jamboli It is a fertile Region inclosed with Hills and near the Jonian Sea plain and woody That it was once the Empress of the East it is well known but at this day it is Turkish and without any famous Cities save in a piece of Albania In it is nothing so memorable as the Mount Athos Mount Athos or holy Mount It is seventy five miles in compass three dayes journey long and a half a days journey broad resembling the shape of a man lying with his face upward whose highest cone alwayes covered with Snow is seen thirty miles off at Sea It is exceeding fertile in Grass Fruit Oyl and Wine Long ago it was dedicated in honour of St. Basil to the Greek Caloieri and endowed with priviledges which at this day it enjoyeth by the Turks good favourâ— that is to say Priviledge of Greek Priestâ— that no man neither Graecian nor Turk may inhabit in this place except he be a Priest So that their number in these days are about six thousand dispersed into twenty four Monasteries ancient and warlike built for fear of Theeves and Pyrats although there be no such great cause In these Monasteries are many reliques which cause great concourse of people and they are stately built and richly adorned This was made a Roman province in the year of the World 3798. after the Captivity of their last King Perseus and was upon the division of that Empire to East and West consigned to the Eastern to which it continued subjected till Amurath rent in from that Dominion by taking Thessalonica it is now governed by a
conversation with them who read the Old and New Testament unto him for himself was unlettered he preferred Christianism and seemed of opinion that thereby only a man might attain unto salvation and accordingly he framed his life which bred admiration in them that knew him and gave him a greater reputation then he did expect But this hasty spring was quickly blasted for the Devil taking advantage by this his esteem enflamed his heart with pride which wrought in him a desire to be taken for a Prophet thinking all other attributes of Religion and sanctity to be but vile and base Mahomet aspires to the name of a Pâ—â—phet To aspire unto that opinion he embraced a solitary life retiring to a Cave in the Mountains where he lived free from the ordinary conversation of men repaired seldom to his own home and his speeches mixt with gravity and holiness teaching good life and beating down Idolatry moved not onely such as saw him to admire but the rest also that heard by other mens ears held him to be a Saint To increase this opinion of sanctimony of the falling sickness wherewith he was afflicted he made good use Mahomet troubled with the Falling sickness for he gave it out when he fell into his fits incident to that disease that he conferred with the Angel Gabriel by whom the pleasure of God was revealed unto him and that his trance proceeded through the weakness of his earthly Carcase that was astonished at the Divine presence of the Heavenly Ambassadour To pass by the vulgar story of his pedigree Grown now famous he thought it necessary to divulge into the world some works in writing whereby his name might encrease His best help was a Jew Scribe whom for want of a better Scholar he entertained but shortly after his Master the Devil the Church of Christ then labouring with the sickness of many Heresies procured the acquaintance of a Christian called Sergius born in Alexandria by profession a Monk and by infection a Nestorian witty eloquent and learned who having mist of some Ecclesiastical preferment which in his opinion he had deserved full of despight and revenge The Monk Sergius his Coadjutor in a devillish discontent having fled out of Syria into the house of Mahomets Master sought as well to raise a scandal upon the Christian Religion as upon the professors thereof the readiest way to kindle this fire he found to be Mahomet who as is already said had won some extraordinary opinion of sanctity After some conference between them the Jew for insufficiency was discharged Sergius being fully informed how Mahomet had hitherto proceeded made him to understand how weakly and grosly he had erred in fundamental points necessary for the advancement of a new Religion His damnable advice and cunningly shewed him not only the means how to smooth his past errors without scandal but to compose a new Treatise collected out of the Old and New Testament united into some common principles with devised additions of his own to bring Christians Jews and Gentiles under one profession that should give credit to his Doctrine and humour the hearers which being divulged amongst the Idolatrous people who were easily caught spread the poyson it contained over all the Arabies but the wiser sort fearing as they had cause that the setling of a new Religion might also draw with it a new form of Government opposed themselves against it calling Mahomet an Impostor reproving his hypocrisie and taxing his sensuality and drunkenness of both which he was guilty and sent to apprehend him whereof Mahomet from some of his friends in Mecca having notice left his Cave and fled to the Desarts Sergius in the mean time sounding in the ears of the people his parts and piety the sixteenth of July 622. from which flight the Turks begin their computation of Hegyrathi unto whom divers Novelists resorted The Hegyra as also such as the Estates had banished for approving his late coyned trash This swarm of Wasps being stirred nothing but revenge could ease their hearts Mahomet willingly taking the advantage there offered enlarged his thoughts holding it now less difficil for him to gain a Kingdom then the title of a Prophet which he had obtained To make a smooth way to his enterprize by under-hand means he exasperated the heady Novelists whereof there were many of wealth and estimation to be sensible of their banishment and to repair their wrongs by force himself accounted unto them Revelations which assured him that God was displeased with the Meccans for the rigorous prosecuting him and his Sectaries that God willed to chastise their Tyranny of victory he was assured and whosoever of them dyed in that holy War his soul should presently ascend to Heaven with these and such like motives the giddy people encouraged and seduced elected Mahomet to be their chief who ordaining Officers and Captains and receiving an Oath of fidelity as well from them as from their troops marched to the City of Medina Mahomet takes Medina and though repulsed at first yet after a field fight with the said enemy at a place called Bedez often mentioned in the Alcoran where he had the Victory took it by force the cause of his quarrel being pretended against the Jews Synagogue which he converted into a Temple for his own abominations This first good fortune wrought the effect he desired for instantly by his Army he was saluted Calipha which interpreted is King and because his creation happened upon a Friday that day was ordained by him to be their Sabboth Takes Mecca His next conquest was the City of Mecca where he triumphed in the blood of his Neighbour Citizens which was not spared and proclaimed death to all those that did not embrace his Doctrine The Princes and great men in Arabia opposite unto him assembled all their forces Opposed by the Nobles oâ— Arabia Mahomet being too weak was overthrown wounded and fled to Mecca yet in the end the war continuing he prevailed and reduced the three Arabies under his subjection Grown great and glorious with his Victories at that time the Emperor of Constantinople and King of Persia being men of weak and tame Spirits and assisted with the Saracens who had been deceived and abused of their pay by Heraclius the Emperor as also by Julian the Apostate for Mahomets appearance was signalized with the contemporary raign of that miscreant he invaded their Dominions and with a conquering sword triumphed over Syria the City of Jerusalem His conquests the Kingdom of Mesopotamia and Persia the great City of Babylon with other Eastern Provinces of all which as of the Arabies he stiled himself King Being now grown elder by his inordinate life in the state of his body then in years which exceeded not sixty seven full of glory as well in regard of his large Empire as in opinion of sanctity in being esteemed a Prophet And retirement and weary with war with
to his Friends and so a child easily forgets both Christ his Parents and his Kindred that after if he chance in company with them he shall not know them No man can express by Words the Lamentations Cries Tears and grievous sighs at this distraction of Children The Father to see his Son educated in the fear of Christ torn from him and made an instrument of Satan to oppose Christ hurried from his Mother to live perpetually with strangers leaving whatsoever is dear in blood pleasing in society or loving infamiliarity with an everlasting dereliction after listed in the ranks of those the Greeks call Fatherless and Motherless yet many of these although they have denied Christ carry about them the Gospel of St. John In the beginning was the word c. in Greek or the Arabick tongue as an Amulet or preservative in their Arm-pits and with great desire they expect the Christian Sword according to some Turkish Prophecies should revenge and free them from those great afflictions and persecutions and that if Christians do it not whatever is the cause or with what mind soever hindred all very ill deserve of Christian Religion CHAP. X. A Narration of a Papists dispute with a Turk AFter I had travelled with much labour and many dangers the better parts of the world and seen many pleasant Towns and Countries as Socrates Plato and other Philosophers had diligently done at length I arrived at the famous City of Hungary Varadinum where by chance I met one Dervis Gsielebi a skilful man in the Laws of Mahomet who having dispatched his business with the Governour he very much desired conference with some Christian about Religion on either side This motion of his being published by an Interpreter and none for divers dayes appearing to encounter him in defence of the Christian cause though many Religious persons were in that Town struck mute and speechless at the courage of one Ethnick Infidel who seemed to me like Israelites that durst not adventure on one uncircumcised Goliah provoking them This I perceiving and grieving in my spirit that in such plenty of Clerks and learned men none was so well armed with Truth as durst though by Interpreters reprove the insolence of such an Heathen and fearing that so wicked and detestable a silence in so good a cause with so bad a man would betray the truth and render our Saviour Jesus Christs Opinion with him more ignominious I my self though never called to Ecclesiastical Function undertook the charge of arguing this point of Piety with him and so a prefixed day was agreed between us when multitudes of people of each Religion came as Spectators of the event The place was in a Monastery of Franciscans the day Whitson-Sunday day of Pentecost where he moved to me first this Question Where God had his being before the Heavens and Earth and therein all things else were created Which question though it seemed to me not much pertinent to our purpose yet lest he should imagine us ignorant of our great Gods universal presence I said He then was in his own being But when that seemed to him somewhat obscure and that he did not sufficiently understand it I then told him He was where he now is Which he understanding denied in the general and said Not so but that be then was in a bright Cloud Which when he earnestly affirmed I quoted Genesis for they also read the book of Moses and the Prophets and said If God were in a cloud before the Foundation of Heaven and earth then that Cloud must be created before them both and upon further argument on this point being at last convicted he would dispute no further in it but gave me leave to propound some Question to him and for solemnity of that days sake I thought fit to say something thereof and finding these words In the name of God his mercies and the Spirit of them in their Alcoran in the Arabian Tongue and Character I desired him to read them The mystery of the Holy Trinity Which when he had considered and wondred at he said Christian from whence had you this for in the beginning of all our actions we Musselmen use these three words and prefix them to every Chapter of our Alcoran when we sit down to eat when we go to prayers when we wash our hands or other parts of our bodies these words we first pronounce and these actions finished we sprinkle our heads with water and repeat these words In the Name of God his Mercies and the Spirit of them When thus he had confessed the Truth I desired to understand from him what he meant by the word Mercies who Replied He understood it literally without other signification Then I applied my self to the mystical interpretation and divided it according to Truth into three persons the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost and shewed them written in the Arabick tongue And when he saw I had mentioned the Son of God he questioned How God could have a Son since according to their Law and Doctrine of Mahomet God had neither Wife nor Child To whom I answered according to my weak understanding and capacity We Christians call God the Father for his Creatures sake being the first creating Cause and sole preserver of all created who was for ever in the same Essence he now is in and will be for eternity and is the first Person in the Trinity We believe the Son who by Mahomet in the Arabick phrase is called Rahman and signifieth Mercies so changed by him to be likewise God not according to flesh for God is a spirit born of a Woman but of the Essence and substance of God omnipotent begotten by God the Father and so took humane flesh by the Holy Virgin Mary suffered for us died and was buried and according to the saying of the Prophets arose again the third day and ascended into Heaven and sitteth at the Right Hand of God the Father there to judge the quick and the dead to render immortal happiness to those that have faith in him and to the unfaithful everlasting punishment I then presented him a Crucifix and said Behold this now and see if Mahomet did unworthily call the Son of the Eternal God by the Name of Mercies when with Armes thus stretched forth he calls poor sinners to his embraces saying Come unto me all ye that labour and are burthened with sins and I will refresh you And to render him more capable of the Trinity I pointed to the Sun saying You have a fair similitude here As there is but one Sun that hath Form Heat and Light So there is but one God and Father who hath â—the Son and the Holy Spirt which you call Rucahim consisting of three Person equally of one substance and from eternity coexisting This comparison wrought in him a belief in God the Father his onely begotten Son and the Holy Ghost a Trinity in Unity And when he had heard my weak discourses of
be the object of this expedition and to settle the other Provinces of Moldavia and Valachia in a perfect subjection to the grand Seignior they for some late years having fluctuated and wavered in their duty towards him and still ready upon all occasion or change of their Princes to break out into open hostisity and disquiet and disturb the Provinces nearest them and to take part with any revolt of others and help and assist it to a formidable and very considerable puissance But in the mean while they approached and entred the Hungarian limits without leave The Turks Policy 〈◊〉 his entrance 〈◊〉 Hungary and enlarged their Quarters into the Towns and Villages belonging to the Emperour contrary to the Tenour of the former and existing League which appointed the bounds of their Jurisdiction nevertheless complying in all things with the Hungarians and paying their Quarters justly nor taking the least thing from them without satisfaction which was made Capital by the Prime Visier who carassed the Inhabitants and treated them very humanely and civilly upon any addresse or complaint made to him The grosse of this Army when made up by the Auxiliary Tartars who are hir'd to wait upon his expeditions forces marching also from all parts even out of Dalmatia where he resolved to stand onely upon the defensive part against the attempts of the Venetians amounted in all to near two hundred and fifty thousand men disposed of afterwards into several parts and commands a Resolution being taken to commence the War which was usher'd with this Letter from the Grand Seigniour to the Emperour The Copy of this Letter or Summons coming newly to hand by a person of quality and having seen the like insolenee and blasphemous arrogance formerly Printed in the Turkish History I thought it would be something satisfactory to publish this which expresseth some extraordinary design and resolution of this Victorious and succesful Infidel as a further instance and Motive to the preceding Exhortation WE by the Grace of God Lord of many Countries Victor and Triumpher over our Enemies Potent Emperour of the Turks Co-adjutor of the God Mahomet and the Moon Protector of the Sepulchre of the crucified Christ Implacable enemy to all professing Christianity To the Roman Caesar King of few Regions give to know That we come to thee with a people of thirty three Kingdoms so great a multitude as thou never sawest or heardst of before to bereave thee by force of Arms of thy Crown and Tribute of thy Subjects The City by thy self Inhabited we will besiege we will overcome thy strong men thy women with child we will give to Vniversal slaughter Their Embrio's as Toads we will thrust through with Spears and sharpened Stakes Thy most valiant young men we will rend in pieces and cast them forth for meat for the dogs Thee thy Popes Cardinals Arch-bishops Monks and Nuns together with all their own dependings we will send as slaves into perpetual bondage and finally we will ruine and destroy you all and then shall you see whether your crucified Christ will save you from us who could not save himself as if we or ours could give credit or yield any belief to such incredible things The very City where he was born wherein he lies dead we even in joy detain under our dominions and assuredly you may believe that he will not help you as being long since slain This we were willing to signifie that thou and thine might know the real Event and Truth thereof as soon as thou couldst expect This is given forth by us at our Great Metropolis called Constantinople which the valour of our Ancestors hath taken from yours and that which we keep and will alwayes keep to the Ignominy and disgrace of you all Dated at Constantinople in the 15. year of our Reign and the 23. of our Age. The Hungarians in the mean while had armed themselves under the commands of the two Counts Serinus and Forgatz whose Ancestors had been terrible to the Turks and were famous for their martial exploits and atchievements but subjected by the Emperours order to his Generallissimo Count Montecuculi which at first bred a discontent in the Hungarians who have no affection for the Germans nor would ever cheafully engage with them except out of envy or emulation and this is and was one of the chief causes of that little opposition and inconsiderable resistance that hath been made against this present invasion The cause of this misunderstanding hath been very ancient upon the account of Religion and much ado there hath been to keep the Hungarians in obedience and fealty to the Emperour of Germany as their King and Soveraign which from being Elective is now and hath for many yeares been made Hereditary that force upon their Priviledge Rights and Liberty interwoven with more violent constraints upon their conscience had caused a very great averseness to this Fortain Government and a general defection in 16â—0 and those years for fuller satisfaction whereof we must referre the Reader to the Turkish History Upon the same score it was that Bethlehem Gabor Prince of Transilvania entred Hungary some few years after and possessed himself of the Fortress of Newhuse alias Newhausel the Governour whereof was delivered bound unto him by the Inhabitants with Presburg and other places and designed having the Regalia in his hands which were deposited at Presburg to Crown himself with the consent likewise of the States and the People he being of the same reformed perswasion but the Emperours successes in Bohemia against the Prince Elector Palatine with whom Bethlehem was in Confederacy and the King of Denmark soon after made him relinquish his design and secure himself at home by which meanes the Hungarians were forced to submit but yet so that they alwayes had a hankering and ready proneness to any alteration and a grudging at and indisposition to the house of Austria whose Prerogative they have in all their Assemblies highly disputed and debated And as a further incentive and reason to this reluctancy may be added The Aunrians cujelâ—d the general fair and civil usuage in point of Religion and Taxes which the Tu ks every where observes in those places of the same Kingdom which are far the better half thereof that are in and under his subjection and dominion not intently and prudently considering that that forbearance and lenity is meerly a temporary baid and lure to debauch them from their duty to a Christian Prince For he that will but reflect on the miserable and calamitous condition of the Greeks and other Provinces which have been long subdued and have no dependance and vicinity to Christendom but are swallowed up in a total Conquest is sufficiently warned against those insinuating treacherous kindnesses and popular captations which will certainly end in most unsufferable slavery and bondage even to the snatching away their children and enhausing the Tax of money to the tribute of life upon their Mahumetanized posterity carried