on three hills to wit Sion on which the Iebusites built their Tower and which in Dauids time was further builded on and called the Citie of Dauid The second hill was Mount Moriah which Dauid bought of Arauna to erect thereon the Temple The third was the higher Acra called the Suburbe These were compassed with one wall without and within diuided with three walls by which the Citie of Dauid and Moriah and the higher Acra were seuered In the circuit of the walls were nine gates Hee that desireth further to reade or rather to see the old Ierusalem with her holy Fabriques let him resort to Arias Montanus his Antiquitates Iudaicae where he both relateth and in figures presenteth these things It is supposed that Melchisedech built it about the yeere of the World 2023. and called it Salem Hierome in his 129. Epistle hath these words Ipsa Metropolis tua prius Iebus postea Salem tertio Hierosolyma nunc Aelia As if it were called Iebus before it had the name of Salem which is not so probable Yea Ierome himselfe in his 126. Epistle confutes Iosephus and the vulgar opinion that Salem was Ierusalem and sayth that Salem was a Towne neere to Scythopolis which remayned to his time where also were still shewed the ruines of Melchisedeks Palace the monument of her ancient and antiquate splendor The like Saint Ambrose in his Commentarie on Hebr. 7. The Kings thereof were anciently called Melchi-zedek or Adoni-zedek that is Kings or Lords of Iustice or of Zedek which some will haue the first name thereof and Salem the second this signifieth Peace Righteousnesse indeed and peace did here kisse each other when the Lord our righteousnesse here preached peace and was made our peace and righteousnesse the true Melchizedek whose Kingdome is righteousnesse peace and ioy in the holy Ghost It was after called Ierusalem by addition of the word Iereth as some thinke to the former name Salem For so it is said of Abraham when GOD tried his obedience in here offering his sonne hee called the place Iehoua iereh the Lord will prouide from which and Salem by composition ariseth this name so fitting both the Citie and mysterie Iosephus sayth it was first called Solyma and by Melchisedech named Hierosolyma of a Temple by him there built as if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had beene the language of Ierusalem elsewhere he attributeth it to Dauid from an Hebrew deriuation which and other like Etimologies haue caused Masius to pronounce him ignorant of the Hebrew and educated onely in the Greeke as Scaliger somewhere affirmeth of Philo his companion in Nation learning and in that Grecian eloquence wherein they neuer had companions neither of their owne nor scarse of any other Nation The Iebusites after possessed and of them some deriue the name Ierusalem quasi Iebussalem till Dauid expelled them who had before raigned in Hebron called Cariatharbe the Citie of foure men say some because of Adam Abraham Isaac and Iacob their both dwelling and buriall there yet Adam others say was buried in mount Caluarie with other speculations curious and vncertaine Hee translated the highest seat both of spirituall and temporall Regiment to Ierusalem where he raigned after three and thirtie yeeres to whom succeeded Salomon and the rest in order It then contayned in circuit fiftie furlongs compassed with a great ditch threescore foot deepe and two hundred and fiftie broad Nabuchodonosor destroyed it Nehemias re-edified it three and thirtie furlongs in circuit The Machabees Herod and others added to her excellence till Titus befieged and tooke it in which siege are said to haue perished eleuen hundred thousand people and being now a Sepulchre of dead carkasses was made a spectacle of diuine vengeance for murthering the Lord of Life But those struggling spirits and small remnants of life which remayned in this forlorne carkasse of the sometime Ierusalem breathed a new rebellion in the time of Adrian and thereby breathed her last as before is said Bernard de Breidenbach sayth he neuer saw any place which had a fairer prospect then Ierusalem presenting to the eye Arabia the Plaine of Iericho and the dead Sea But what doe wee now in Aelia or the now Ierusalem whose rarities the iournals of many testifie Concerning the former The Historie of this Citie the Scripture hath recorded and where Diuine Historie endeth Iosephus and Hegesippus that I speake not of late Writers haue largely supplied especially concerning her latest fates and as I may terme it in her funerall Sermon Strabo Iustine and others haue written of this people but not sincerely But the fountaines are cleere enough to acquaint vs with their true originall which commeth next to bee considered CHAP. II. Of the Hebrew Patriarchs and their Religion before the Law also of their Law and Politie §. I. Of the Patriarchs and Religion before the Law THe name of Hebrewes some deriue from Abraham as if they were called Hebraei quasi Abrahai Arias Montanus telleth vs that this name of Hebrewes was not appropriate to any familie but common to all such as hauing passed ouer the Riuer Euphrates fixed their Tents and abode betweene that Riuer and the great Sea Hee gathereth this from the Hebrew word which signifieth to passe ouer Such an one first of all was Heber seeking a life answerable to his name whose example sayth hee Thare imitated and after Abram for his twofold transmigration from Chaldaea and from Haran deserued that name and left it to his posteritie But Iosephus Augustine and others more fitly in my mind of Heber the fourth from Shem the sonne of Noah with whose familie as wee haue sayd continued the ancient Language of the world called of his name Hebrew his sonne Peleg or Phaleg bearing the name of that diuision which at the time of his birth the rest of the world in their Languages sustained This Peleg was grand-father to Serug whom some affirme to haue beene the first maker of Idols which were afterwards worshipped by Nahor his sonne and Thare his Nephew the father of Abram who preached openly that there was but one God Creator and Gouernour of all things and by this doctrine prouoking the Chaldaeans against him warned by Oracle departed towards Canaan Bellarmine so eagerly swalloweth this opinion that he taxeth Caluine of heresie for attributing to Abraham the contrarie namely that Abraham before GOD called him out of Vr was an Idolater an opinion so much more probable then the other as hauing better authoritie For Ioshua obiecteth to the Israelites their fore-fathers Idolatrie and nameth Abraham amongst them And Genebrard doth so interprete it Masius in his Commentaries on that place both zealous and learned Papists yea Lindanus specifieth the Idolatrie and calleth him a worshipper of Vesta Suidas sayth that Abraham by the obseruation of the Creatures in his studie of Astronomie lifted vp his mind aboue the starres
thirtie peeces of siluer were sold thirtie of them for one peece Thus were these men forsaken of GOD that had forsaken GOD made man who for man had vouchsafed to crie to GOD Why hast thou forsaken mee Their owne Talmud relates how GOD had before forsaken their holies in these words Fortie yeeres before the desolation of the Temple the lot no more ascended on the right hand nor did the peece of scarlet grow white nor the euening Lampe burne and the doores of the Temple opened of themselues The time is the passion of Christ when the vaile of the Temple was rent which is here called a selfe-opening of the doores The Lot is that Leuit. 16.8 which was cast for the two Goates that on the right hand was sacrificed the other was sent into the Wildernesse and a peece of scarlet put betweene his Hornes at the doore of the Temple which if it looked white they reioyced as hauing their sinnes pardoned according to that Es 1.18 their scarlet sins should be as white as snow These signes ceasing argued a ceasing of that Ceremoniall Religion which then died when Christ died although for the more honorable funerall they were not quite buried so soone till the Apostles had preached and by miracles confirmed the Gospell and GODS Iustice had made the Temple it selfe sometimes the throne now the Sepulchre of those ceremonies buried in the ruines of that holy Citte and Temple not thence to be raked or reuiued by any without Antichristian Sacriledge But let vs see what followed amongst the Iewes which reiected Christ the Truth body and substance of their typicall Ceremonies §. II. Of the Destruction of the Iewes vnder ADRIAN GAlatinus tels vs of two false Prophets whom comming in their owne name they receiued for their Messias hauing before refused IESVS that came in his Fathers name both these were called Ben or Barchosba that is the sonne of lying The one not long after the Passion of CHRIST if the Iewes bee not the sonnes of lying which write it the other in the time of Adrian Rabbi Akiba famous for his wisedome for his twentie foure thousand Disciples and for his long life receiued both in their succeeding ages and interpreted to the first that place of Haggai I will shake the heauens c. But afterward the slew him as the Salmud witnesseth which also affirmeth that Titus enioyned the Iewes which he suffered to remaine that from thence they should no more obserue Sabbaths nor abstaine from menstruous women Fortie eight yeeres after the destruction of Ierusalem the Iewes made the Citie Bitter to be their chiefe Citie and rebelled by the perswasion of Benecochab so he called himselfe that is the sonne of the Starre Of him Hierome testifieth that he had a iuggling tricke to kindle straw in his mouth breath it forth as if he had spit fire Of him did R. Akiba which had beene Armour-bearer to the former interpret that Prophecie of Balaam Num. 23. There shall arise a starre of Iacob Adrian then Emperor besieged them in Bitter where if you beleeue the Iewish fables were 80000. which sounded Trumpets euery one of them captaines of many Bands which helped Barchosba so they called him after that is the sonne of lying who had two hundred thousand Souldiers which to testifie their loue and valour had cut off euery man a finger from his hand After three yeeres and six moneths the Citie was taken and this their Messias slaine together with such multitudes that the blood reached to the horses mouthes and carried downe great streames with the streame thereof running to the Sea foure miles from Bitter And Adrian had a Vine-yard eighteene miles square which he hedged with those slaine carkasses as high as a man can reach a reacher I thinke There were two Riuers in the Region of Ierico and the third part of them by estimation of the Wise-men was the blood of the slaine and seuen yeeres together did the people of the Gentiles fatten and hearten their Vines only with the blood of the Iewes Adrian slue also at Alexandria in Egypt seuen hundred thousand Iewes Dion Niceus a more credible Author affirmeth that Adrian sent Seuerus against the Iewes who in regard of their multitudes would not trie it with their ioynt forces in set battell but taking his occasions and best oportunitie proceeded more slowly and more surely tooke fiftie of their fortified Castles rased nine hundred and fourescore of their best Townes slue at sundry times fiue hundred and eightie thousand of their men besides innumerable multitudes which perished of famine sicknesse and fire these gleanings being greater then the other Haruest Salomons Sepulchre by falling downe had fore-signified this their downe-fall And Hyaena's and Wolues prodigiously entring their Cities seemed to howle their Funerall obsequies All Iudaea was left almost desolate Eusebius out of Ariston Pellaeus addeth that Adrian prohibited the Iewes by an Edict to come neere to Ierusalem or once from any high place to looke towards the same or the Region adioyning Neuer did Nabuchodonosor or Titus so afflict the Iewes as Adrian did Salmanticensit saith there was a Decree made at Rome that no Iewe should euer enter Cyprus where the Rebellion beganne and that Adrian destroyed twice as many Iewes as had come out of Egypt with Moses Wee haue alreadie shewed how hee destroyed this Citie and built a new the present Ierusalem called of his owne name Aelia Hee made Swine ouer the Gates of this new Citie which Images were most faithfull Porters to prohibite the Iewes faithfully superstitious in their faithlesse superstitions to enter And as hee had erected a Temple to Iupiter in or neere the place where the Temple had stood so to afflict the Christians also hee built another Temple of Iupiter in Golgatha and of Venus at Bethleem which continued till the time of Constantine The Christian Iewes gayned by this losse For when as they might not come to Ierusalem they afterwards relinquished their wonted Iewish Ceremonies This was the end of Barchosba And such is the end of all which fight against GOD and their Soueraigne their Arrowes which they shoote against the Cloudes fall downe vpon themselues Hee proues a falling Star which being but a grosser elementarie exhalation is eleuated by his owne aspiring course not to the firmament but to some higher Region of the ayre where it shineth with the fire which burnes it and moueth with some short glance till with selfe-ruine it returneth whence it had beginning to the Earth Thus haue we seene the Iewes banished their countrie about the yeere 135. agreeing to which their miserable estate was that order of Men mentioned by Scaliger called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mourners Heraclitus his Heires which spent their time in weeping and intended nothing but Lamentation for the Desolation of their Sanctuarie These haue beene among the Iewes saith he euer since this destruction and
were once a yeere on the ninth day of the Moneth Ab allowed entrance into Ierusalem by Adrians Edict But then also saith Saint Hierome they are forced to pay for it that they which sometime bought the blood of Christ now must buy their owne teares There may you see saith he on that day whereon Ierusalem was taken by the Romans decrepit women and old ragged men annis pannisque obsitos and many wretched people but pittied of none with blubbered cheekes blacke armes disheueled hayre howling and lamenting for the ruines of their Sanctuarie in their bodies and habite bearing and wearing the markes of Diuine vengeance Of whom the Souldier exacteth his fee also for libertie of further weeping It is written in an ancient Iournall of Burdeaux that not farre from the Images there is a stone boared thorow to which the Iewes come yeerely and anoint it lamenting grieuously and renting their garments and then depart Beniamin an Hebrew Author relateth that one and twentie dayes iourney from Kupha through the Wildernesse he trauelled to the Region of Seba where dwelled Iewes called the children of Rechab or men of Theima which gaue Tithes to the Disciples of the wise who continually applied themselues to learning and to Sermons alway sitting in the Schoole and to the humbled Israelites and deuout persons which lament Sion and bewayle Ierusalem These dwell in Caues or in ruined houses fasting all the daies of their life except on the Sabbaths and Festiuals beseeching mercy continually at the hands of God touching the banishment and deportation of Israel they neuer eate flesh nor drinke wine The same also do all the Iewes of the Countrey Theima and of Talmaas pray All which go with rent clothes and fast fortie dayes for the Iewish captiuitie And so let them mourne which refuse the glad tidings of great ioy to all people that vnto vs is borne IESVS a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord But yet what rockie heart can but mourne with them and for them thus made spectacles to the World of bodily and spirituall misery which both in these times mentioned and before in the time of Traian and in all ages since hath pursued them in all places of their habitation if that name may be giuen to this World-wandring and Vagabond-people In the time of Traian Adrians predecessor the Iewes had rebelled in Egypt and Cyrene where they committed much outrage and mischiefe vnder one Luke their Captaine against whom the Emperour sent Martius Turbo who destroyed many thousands of them and fearing that the Iewes in Mesopotamia would do the like commanded Lucius Quietus to destroy them vtterly in recompence of which seruice executed to his minde he made him president of Iudaea Dion saith That the Captaine of the Iewes was named Andrew and that they slue many Greekes and Romans did eate their flesh gyrt themselues with their guts were imbrued with their blood and clothed with their skinnes many they sawed asunder from the crowne downewards many they cast to the Beasts and many were found to kill one another with mutuall combats so that two hundred and twentie thousand persons perished by this vnspeakeable crueltie In Egypt and Cyprus vnder their Captaine Artemion they destroyed two hundred and fortie thousand They were subdued by Traians captaynes specially by Lucius And it was made a capitall crime for a Iewe although forced by tempest to set foote in Cyprus Africa was re-peopled where they had destroyed with new Colonies No maruell if the Romans thus prouoked both in the time of Traian Hadrian destroyed so many thousands of them Iulian afterward gaue them leaue to return into their Countrie re-build their Temple more for hatred of the Christians then for loue to their Nation Whose wickednesse and answerable successe herein is plainely detected and detested by Gregorie Nazianzene and other Fathers as we haue before related §. III. Of other their False Christs and Seducing Prophets TO adde further of their bodily confusions and the illusions of their bewitched minds Nicephorus mentioneth a Pseudo-Moses of the Iewes in the parts of Arabia destroyed by the forces of the Empire together with his Complices in a like Rebellion Socrates describeth a further madnesse of theirs for true is that saying of Saint Paul That they which will not beleeue the Truth are giuen ouer to strong delusions to beleeue lies In the I le of Creete was a false Prophet that affirmed himselfe to be Moses which led the Israelites thorow the Red-Sea and to be sent from Heauen to those Iewes to conduct them thorow the Red-Sea into the continent of the holy Land This he perswaded them for the space of a whole yeere going from Citie to Citie And at last induced them to leaue their riches to them that would take them and to follow him at a day appointed he went afore them vnto a Promontorie of the Sea and there bid them leape in which many obaying perished in the waues and many more had perished had not some Christian Merchants and Fishers beene at Land which saued some and forbad the rest to follow The Iewes seeking to be reuenged of this counterfeit Moses could no where finde him and therefore thought him to be some Deuill in humane shape which sought their destruction and thereupon many of them became Christians Beniamin Teudelensis reporteth of one in Persia called Dauid Elroi sometime the Disciple of Hasdai which was Head of the captiuitie one learned in the Law and Talmud in forraine learning in the Ismaelites tongue and in Magike who gathered together the Iewes in Hhapthon and would needes warre on all Nations and winne Ierusalem affirming that GOD had sent him therefore and to free them from the Gentiles Many beleeued him to bee the Messias The King of Persia sent for him imprisoned him in the citie Dabasthan whence they are not freed during life But he three dayes after when the King and his Councel sate to examine and take order for this businesse came amongst them And when the King asked who brought him thither he said his owne wisedome and industrie The King bid lay hold on him but his seruants answered they could heare him but not see him and away he went the King following him to a Riuer ouer which Dauid stretching his hand-kerchiefe passed ouer and was then seene of them all who in vaine pursued him with their boates This Dauid the same day went ten dayes iourney from thence to Elghamaria and declared to the Iewes there all which had passed The Persian sent to the Calipha of Bagded that he should cause the head of the Captiuitie to perswade him to other courses otherwise threatning destruction to all the Iewes in Persia which Iewes likewise for feare thereof writ to the head of the Captiuitie He therefore writ to Dauid We would haue thee to knowe that the time of our deliuerance is not yet come nor haue we yet seene our signes and
cast off the yoke of homage to the Crym conquered diuers Tartarian Princes the Empires of Casan and Astracan 2700. miles downe the Volga from Mosco and by a generall Councell of his Princes Prelates and Nobles was crowned and stiled the Emperour and Great Duke of Volladamiria Muscouia Cazan and Astracan c. His Conquests grew with his yeeres He tooke from the King of Poland the famous Citie of Pollozca the great Citie of Smolensca Doragabus Vasma and many other Townes with much riches and infinite numbers of captiues seuen hundred miles within their confines Lituania and Bela Russia goodly Townes of Trafficke and Countries yeelding Waxe Flaxe Hempe Tallow Hides Corne and Cattell in abundance He grew puissant and proud ouermightie for his next Neighbours and bloudie in all his Conquests When his good Queene Nastacia dyed she was canonized a Saint and to this day worshipped in their Churches By her he had two Sonnes Iuan and Theodore The Emperour after this married one of the Chircas by whom hee had no issue that hee would be knowne of The manner of this Marriage was strange and heathenish which I forbeare out of their owne History to relate By this Marriage hee was much strengthened by the Tartars better Souldiers then the Natiues of whom he made vse to curbe his Princes and Nobles which were discontent with his cruell robbing and incessant murthering of his Nobilitie He set forward with 100000. Horse and 50000. Foot with prouisions of Cannon and Munition towards Liuonia and Swethia kils men women and children in his way to Nouogrod and Plesco the two greatest Townes of Trafficke in all the East with the Narue which three stand triangle wise at the end of the Baltike Sea within the Sound In this last hee built a Castle called Iuan Gorod and caused the eyes of the Architect to bee bored out Thence he enters the Confines of Liuonia sends Knez Iuan Grinscoy to besiege Newhous which was taken with all the Townes in the way to Dorp This also yeelded and the Tartars carried away eight thousand Captiues the Merchandize and Treasure was sent to Nogrod for the Emperours vse He proceedeth deuideth his Army into foure parts ten thousand are appointed to draw the Ordnance ouer the frozen Lakes takes all in his way thirty walled Townes and Castles neere the Easterne Sea within two hundred miles compasse drowning burning rauishing Maydes and Wiues stripping them naked notwithstanding the cold tying them by two and three at their Horse tayles and dragging them some aliue some dead the wayes and streets lying full of carkasses of euery age and sexe These Liuonians are accounted the fairest people in the World Infinite numbers were sent into Russia with infinite treasure Sixe hundred Churches were robbed and destroyed He and his Tartars at last came to Reuell besiegeth and batters it with twentie Cannons The Inhabitants by night make vp the breaches by carrying and casting hote and cold water which froze so thicke that after sixe weekes siege and 20000. Cannon shot spent with losse of 7000. he hasted away the sudden thaw also making him to leaue much of his Artillery behind with former booties baggage and 30000. men in his retiring Enraged with fury for this repulse and losse hee comes backe to the Narue spoyles the Towne of all the Riches and Merchandise kils men women and children and giues the spoyle to his Tartars which bred no small emulation in his Russe Captaines Thence hee marcheth to Plescoue alias Vobsco where he intended to doe the like easily beleeuing those which reported that these two Townes and Nouogrod had practised against him that by their meanes hee had sustayned his losse at Reuel But there met him a Magician Mikula Sweat which that Towne held their Oracle who with bold Imprecations and Exorcismes calling him Bloud-sucker and Deuourer of Christian flesh swore by his Angell that hee should not escape death by a present Thunderbolt if he or any of his did touch the least childs haire in that Citie which God by his Angel did preserue for better purpose then his rapine that therefore he should get him thence before the fierie Cloud of Gods wrath were raysed which he might behold hanging ouer his head it being a very great and darke storme at that instant The Emperour trembling at these words desired Prayers for his deliuerance and forgiuenesse of his cruell thoughts I saw this Impostor a foule creature hee went naked Winter and Summer induring extreame frost and heat His Holinesse could not endure me He did many strange things by Magicall Illusions and was much followed and feared there of Prince and people The Emperour returning to Nouogrod where all his Captiues and Prisoners remayned in exceeding discontent he chargeth it with 30000. Tartars and 10000. Gunners of his Guard who without respect rauished the women and maides robbed and spoyled all that were within it murthered young and old burned the houshold stuffe and Merchandises with Ware-houses of Waxe Flaxe Cordage Tallow Hides Salt Wines Cloth of Gold Silkes Furres all set on fire The Waxe and Tallow melted ran downe the Kennels of the streets together with the bloud of 700000. men women and children as some affirmed besides beasts insomuch that with bloud and carkasses the Riuer Volca was as it were stopped He vanted that this Massacre should exceed those of Niniue and Ierusalem The Citie being thus destroyed and desolate he returned towards Musco and in the way employes his Captaynes to take the people in the Townes and Villages within a hundred miles compasse Gentlemen Peasants Merchants and Monkes old and young with their Families Goods and Cattle to goe and inhabit this ruined Nouogrod exposing them to a new slaughter For many of them dyed with Pestilence and poyson of that infected place which could not bee replenished to any purpose Not long after God empties the Emperours Kingdome and chiefe Cities of his people by Pestilence Famine Fire and Sword and this his crueltie bred such discontent that many practised to destroy him which were still discouered Hee countenanced the Rascalitie and the most desperate Souldiers against the chiefe Nobility Hee setled his Treasures in Mosco and the principall Monasteries Many of the Nobilitie he put to shamefull deaths and tortures and now suspecting his Chercas Tartars also he placed them in his new Conquests of Leefland and Sweathland The Crim Tartar his ancient Enemy inuaded him incited by his Nobilitie as he found out against whom he leuies out of remote Prouinces a huge Army of strangers with his owne hundred thousand horse and fifty thousand foot He discards his Chercas wife and puts her in a Monastery and among many of his owne Subiects chuseth Natalia Daughter to Kneaz Pheodor Bulgaloue a great Commander in his warres who soone after lost his head and his Daughter within a yeere was shorne a Nunne Newes came of his Enemies approch God suffered this wicked
the other beganne first to haue a being which hee further prosecuteth in many particulars But before we prosecute these Babylonian affaires after the Floud it shall not be amisse to shew here the Chaldaean Fables of Antiquities before the Floud out of Berosus a Chaldaean Priest which liued in the time of Alexander Polyhistor citeth out of Berosus his first Booke this report of himselfe and Tatianus saith he was the Priest of Belus and wrote his Chaldaean Storie to Antiochus the third after Seleucus in three Bookes His name signifieth the Sonne of Osee Alorus raigned the space of ten Sari Sarus with them is three thousand sixe hundred yeares Alasparus three Sari Amelus thirteene Sari Amenus twelue Metalarus eighteene Daorus tenne Aedorachus eighteene Amphis tenne Otiartes eight Xixuthrus eighteene in his time as is said before the Floud happened The whole space is an hundred and twentie Sari which amounteth to foure hundred thirtie two thousand yeares This I thought not vnfit although incredible to report from Berosus both because my scope is to declare as well false as true Religions it being not Theologicall but Historicall or rather Historically Theologicall and because the Ancients Cicero Lactantius Augustine haue mentioned this monstrous Computation of the Chaldaean Kalender which yet they racke higher to foure hundred threescore and ten thousand yeeres Here you haue the particulars out of Apollodorus and Abidenus which both borrowed them of Berosus Polyhistor addeth that there came one out of the Red Sea called Oannes and Annedotus a Monster other-where like a fish his head feet and hands like a man as saith Photius but Al. Polyhistor ascribeth two heads one of a fish and the other of a man the Image whereof was vnto his times reserued This Monster liued without meate and taught them the knowledge of Letters and all Arts buildings of Cities foundations of Temples enacting of Lawes Geometry and Husbandry and all necessaries to mans life Afterwards he returned to the Sea and after him appeared other such Monsters Foure of them came out of the Sea saith Abidenus when Daos whom Apollodorus calleth Daorus raigned their names were Euedochus Eneugamus Enaboulus Anementus Pentabiblus it seemeth was then their chiefe Citie That Oannes the first did write of the first beginning That all was darknesse and water in which liued monstrous creatures hauing two formes men with two wings and some with foure with one body two heads one of a man and another of a woman with the priuities of both Sexes others with hornes and legs like Goats some with Horse feet some like Centaures the former part Men the after part Horses Buls also headed like Men and Dogges with foure bodies c. with many monstrous mixtures and confusions of creatures whose Images were kept in the Temple of Belus Ouer all these ruled a woman named Omorkae which signifieth the Sea and by like signification of Letters the Moone Then came Belus and cut her in twaine and made the one halfe of her Land the other Heauen and the creatures therein appeared This Belus made men and beasts the Sunne Moone and Planets these things reporteth Berosus in his first Booke in the second he telleth of Kings before mentioned which raigned till the Floud After the Floud also the same Polyhistor out of him sheweth That Sisuthrus hauing by Saturnes warning before built an Arke as is before said and laid vp all Monuments of Antiquitie in Sipparis a Citie dedicated to the Sunne and now with all his World of Creatures escaped the Floud going out of the Arke did sacrifice to the gods and was neuer seene more But they heard a voyce out of the Ayre giuing them this Precept To bee Religious His Wife Daughter and Ship-master were partakers with him of this honour Hee said vnto them the Countrey where they now were was Armenia and hee would come againe to Babylon and that it was ordayned that from Sipparis they should receiue Letters and communicate the same to men which they accordingly did For hauing sacrificed to the gods they went to Babylon and digged out the Letters Writings or Bookes and building many Cities and founding Temples did againe repayre Babylon Thus farre out of Alexander Polyhistor a large Fragment of the true Berosus CHAP. XI Of the Citie and Countrey of Babylon their sumptuous Walls Temples and Images LEauing these Antiquities rotten with Age let vs come to take better view of this stately Citie Herodotus Philostratus Plinie and Solinus report concerning the compasse of Babylon That the walls contayned foure hundred and eightie furlongs situate in a large Plaine foure square inuironed with a broad and deepe Ditch full of water Diodorus saith That there were but so many furlongs as are dayes in the yeare so that euery day a furlong of the wall was built and thirtie hundred thousand Work-men imployed therein Strabo ascribeth to the compasse three hundred and eightie furlongs and Curtius three hundred fiftie eight ninetie furlongs thereof inhabited the rest allotted to Tylth and Husbandry Concerning the thicknesse of the walls or the height they also disagree The first Authors affirme the height two hundred Cubites the thicknesse fiftie They which say least cut off halfe that summe Well might Aristotle esteeme it a Countrey rather then a Citie being of such greatnesse that some part of it was taken three dayes before the other heard of it Lyranus out of Hierome vpon Esay affirmeth that the foure squares thereof contayned sixteene miles a piece wherein euery man had his Vineyard and Garden according to his degree wherewith to mayntaine his Family in time of siege The Fortresse or Tower thereof he saith was that which had beene built by the Sonnes of Noah And not without cause was it reckoned among the Wonders of the World It had a hundred Brazen gates and two hundred and fiftie Towers It was indeed a Mother of Wonders so many Miracles of Art accompanyed the same the workes partly of Semiramis partly of Nabuchodonosor which I would desire the Reader to stay his hastie pace and take notice of Euery where I shall not I cannot be so tedious in these kinds of Relations Diodor. thus addeth of Semiramis shee built also a bridge of fiue furlongs The walles were made of Bricke and Asphaltum and slimy kind of Pitch which that Countrey yeeldeth Shee built two Palaces which might serue both for ornament and defence one in the West which inuironed sixtie furlongs with high Bricke walles within that a lesse and within that also a lesse circuit which contayneth the Tower These were wrought sumptuously with Images of beasts and therein also was game and hunting of beasts this had three gates The other in the East on the other side the Riuer contayned but thirtie furlongs In the lower Countrey of Babylonia she made a great square Lake contayning two hundred furlongs the walls whereof were of Bricke and that pitchie Morter
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
due place The Turkes displaced those Saracens the Christians of the West by warre made those parts Christian but were expelled againe by the Turkes and they by the Tartars The Mamaluke slaues and their Aegyptian Soldan after held the Syrian Dominion vntill Selim the great Turke subdued it to the Ottoman Empire vnder which it still groneth Of these things this our History will acquaint you in the proper reports of these Nations Aleppo is now chiefe Citie of Syria but Damascus both in elder and later times hath born the greatest name being the head of Aram as Esay affirmeth called of Iulian the Citie of Iupiter and eye of the whole East Holy and Great called also the Trophee of Iupiter because he there had conquered the Titans It is interpreted drinking bloud by Hierom who telleth from the Hebrewes tradition that in this field Kain slew his brother Chytreus expoundeth it saccus sanguinis Wolphius deriueth it of two words signifying bloud and to spoyle which in the times of Hazael and Benhadad and of Resin it performed but neuer so much as when the Saracens made it the sinke of bloud and spoyle which they executed on the Christians and Noradine Saladine and the Turkes fitting themselues and this Citie to the name before the Aegyptian Sultans and Ottoman Turkes were Lords of it Stephanus ascribeth the name to one Ascus a Giant which cast Dionysius there into the Riuer Or because Damascus the sonne of Mercury comming hither out of Arcadia built it or because Dionysius there fleid off the skin of Damascus which had cut vp his Vines The Turkes now call it Leunclauius and Chytreus testifie Scham and so is the whole Region called in the Arabian Chronicle whose extract you may find in our Saracenicall history The Armies of Dauid Ahab Teglath Phalasar preuayled much against it The Babylonians subuerted it After that the Ptolomeys repayred it Pompei wanne it Paul hallowed it The Saracens as is sayd polluted it The Christians in vaine besieged it in the yeere one thousand one hundred forty and seuen r Haalon the Tartar one thousand two hundred threescore and two obtayned it and about one thousand foure hundred Tamerlane besieged it and as he had done at Aleppo filling the ditch with the bodies of captiues and slain carkasses cast wood and earth vpon them and at last forced it and the Castle Hee spared the Citie for the Temples sake which had fortie Porches in the circuite and within nine thousand Lampes of Gold and Siluer But the Aegyptians by a wile possessing it he againe engirt it and recouered it Hee commanded Mahomet the Pope or Chalife and his priests which came to meete him to repayre to the Temple which they did with thirteene thousand Citizens where he burnt them all and for monument of his victory left three Towers erected of skuls of dead men The Aegyptians regained and held it till Selim the Turke dispossessed them 1517. Now in thus many alterations of State who doubteth of diuersity in Religions in Syria First the true Religion in the times of Noah and the first Patriarkes Next those superstitions of Rimmon and the rest before related in the Assyrian Babylonian Persian Macedonian and Roman gouernments After which long night the Sunne of Righteousnesse shone vnto the Syrians and made a more absolute Conquest then all the former not by Legions and Armies but by a handfull of Fishermen manifesting his Power in their weakenesse the Reason of Men and Malice of Deuils not being able to withstand their Euangelicall weapons which s were mighty through GOD to cast downe holdes and bring into captiuity euery thought to the obedience of CHRIST insomuch that hence the t Christian World receyued first that name And how sweet would thy name remaine O Syrian Antiochia euen now in thy latest fates which first was christned with the name Christian haddest thou not out-liued thy Christianity or rather after the soule departed remained the carkasse of thy selfe which ceasing to be Christian hast long since ceased to bee had not the Diuine hand reserued a few bones of thy carkasse to testifie this his iustice to the world And what harmonie could haue beene more gratefull to the Gentiles eares then thy memorie Damascus where the Doctor of the Gentiles was first taught himselfe and made a Teacher of others But in thee was the Chayre of Pestilence the Throne of Sathan the sincke of Mahumetan impietie to the rest of the world infecting with thy contagion and subduing with thy force more Nations then euer Paul by preaching conuerted Syria first in the first and principall Priuiledges of Mankind embracing in her rich armes if some bee right Surueiours the promised Possession the Seale of a further and better inheritance was with the first subdued to Saracene seruitude vnder their Caliph vnder the Turkes vnder the Christians from the West vnder the Tartars from the East vnder the Mamalukes from the South and from the North the Ottoman by new successions and vicissitudes of miseries and mischiefes become a common Stage of bloud and slaughter And in all these later changes of State and chaunces of Warre Religion was the life that quickned those deathes and whetted those murdering swords no crueltie or sacriledge against GOD or man so irreligious and inhumane but Religion was pretended to be the cause and bare the Standard to destruction a new Religion alway erected with a new Conqueror For the Readers delight wee haue here added out of Hondius which hee had contracted out of Ortelius the Map of Pauls Peregrination for the plantation of the Gospell PEREGRINATIO PAULI In qua omnia loca quorum fit mentis in actis et epistolis Apostolorum et Apocalypsi describuntur CHAP. XVII Of Phoenicia and of the Theologie and Religion of the ancient Phoenicians of their Arts and Inuentions PHoenicia is the Sea coast of Syria after Plinie or that coast or tract bordering on the Sea from Orthosa now Tortosa to Pelusium This Sea coast saith Andreas Masius was of the Greekes called Phoenicia and of the Hebrewes peculiarly stiled Chanaan and the Inhabitants Chananites So the Spies tell Moses the Chanaanites dwell by the Sea The woman in the Gospell which Matthew calleth a Canaanite is by Marke named a Syrophoenicean and the Septuagint in this place for the Kings of Chanaan read the Kings of Phoenicea And in the Scripture it is appellatiuely vsed for a Merchant because the Phoenicians or Chanaanites were famous for Merchandize as appeareth both by diuine and prophane testimonie Most properly the Northerly part is Chanaan Phoenicia the Southern Palestina although it is sometime extended as wee haue said euen to Egypt Dionysius which maketh the Phoenicians the first Mariners Merchants and Astronomers placeth Gaza and Ioppe in Phoenicia Sachoniatho a Phoenician supposed to haue liued before the Troian warre wrote in his owne language the History of his Nation which Philo Biblius
name before mentioned you please to giue her which I know not how mystically is also called Cybele Berecynthia and with a confused mixture of Heauen and Earth THE EARTH Astaroth a word plurall is exemplified in the European Iunones mentioned in Inscriptions and in those altars in Master Camden and Master Selden inscribed DEABVS MATRIBVS diuers of which haue beene found in this Iland intended by them as were also the Beli which made vowes DIS SYRIS Lucian sayth that he saw also at Biblos the Temple of Venus Biblia wherein are celebrated the yeerely rites of Adonis who they say was slaine in their Countrie with beatings and wofull lamentings after which they performe Obsequies vnto him and the next day they affirme him to be aliue and shaue their heads And such women as will not bee shauen must prostitute their bodies for one day vnto strangers and the mony hence accrewing is sacred to Venus Some affirme that this ridiculous lamentation is made not for Adonis but Osiris in witnesse whereof a head made of Paper once a yeere in seuen dayes space comming swimming from Egypt to Byblos and that without any humane direction Of which Lucian reporteth himselfe an eye-witnesse This is called the mourning for Thamuz which Iunius interpreteth Osiris whence the fourth moneth commonly their Haruest is called Tamuz For Ists which instituted these rites was their Ceres Hierom interpreteth it Adonis but it seemeth the difference is more in the name then the Idoll or rites Women were the chiefe lamenters if not the onely as Ezechiel testifieth and the pronenesse of that sexe to teares and to superstitious deuotion also which they seeme to acknowledge whose praying stile is pró deuoto foemineo sexu likewise Ethnike Authors are witnesses Plutarch sayth the women kept the Adonia or feast of Adonis euery where through the Citie setting forth Images obseruing exequies and lamentation Ammianus reported of this festiuall solemnized at Antiochia at the same time when Iulian entred the Citie then filled with howlings and lamentings and elsewhere compareth the women which lamented the death of their young Prince to the women which obserued the rites of Venus in the feasts of Adonis Iulius Firmicus affirmeth that in most Cities of the East Adonis is mourned for as the husband of Venus and both the smiter and the wound is shewed to the standers by For Mars changed into the shape of a Bore wounded him for the loue of Venus Hee addeth that on a certaine night they lay an Image in a bed and number a set bead-roll of lamentations which being ended light is brought in and then the Priest anointeth the chappes of the Mourners whispering these words Trust in God for wee haue saluation or deliuerance from our griefes And so with ioy they take the Idoll out of the Sepulchre Was not this mourning thinke wee sport to the Deuill especially when this Adonia was applyed vnto the buriall and resurrection of Christ the Pageant whereof followeth the Good-Friday and Lenten fast of the Papists Yet is this worse then the former not onely because Corruptio optimi pessima the best things by abusing are made worst but also because the treason of Iudas and Peters deniall is proposed in action to the peoples laughter inter tot eachinos ineptias solus Christus est serius seuerus saith L. Viues complayning of this great wickednesse of the Priests magno scelere atque impietate Sacerd. but here and elsewhere often when he telleth tales out of Schoole the good mans tongue is shortned and their Index purgeth out that wherewith hee seeketh to purge their leauen But let vs backe from Rome to Biblos Hereby runneth the Riuer Adonis also which once a yeere becommeth red and bloudie which alteration of the colour of the water is the warning to that their Mourning for Adonis who at that time they say is wounded in Libanus whereas that rednesse ariseth indeed of the winds which at that time blowing violently doe with their force carry downe alongst the streame a great quantity of that red Earth or Minium of Libanus whereby it passeth This constancy of the wind might yet seeme as maruellous as the other if diuers parts of the world did not yeeld vs instance of the like In Libanus also was an ancient Temple dedicated to Venus by Cyniras Astarte or Astaroth was worshipped in the formes of sheepe * not of the Sydonians only but of the Philistims also in whose Temple they hanged the armour of Saul And wise Salomon was brought by doting on women to a worse dotage of Idolatrie with this Sydonian Idoll among others And not then first did the Israelities commit that fault but from their first neighbour-hood with them presently after the dayes of Ioshua This Sidon the ancient Metropolis of the Phoenicians now called Saito in likelihood was built by Sidon eldest Sonne of Canaan and fell to the lot of Asher whence it is called Great Sidon It was famous y for the first Glasse-shops and destroyed by Ochus the Persian This faire mother yeelded the world a Daughter farre fairer namely Tyrus now called Sur whose glory is sufficiently blazed by the Prophets Esay and Ezechiel being situate in an Iland seuen hundred paces from the shore to which Alexander in his siege vnited it whom it held out eight moneths as it had done Nabuchodonosor thirteene yeeres which long siege is mentioned in Ezec. 26.7 in nothing more famous then for helping Salomon vnder Hiram their King to build the Temple a hundred fiftie fiue yeeres before the building of Carthage This Hiram Iosephus reports it out of Dius a Phoenician Historiographer inlarged the Citie and compasses within the same the Temple of Iupiter Olympius and as he addeth out of Menander Ephesius therein placed a golden Pillar he pulled downe the old Temples and built new and dedicated the Temples of Hercules and Astarte Ithobalus Astartes priest slew Phelles the King and vsurped the Crowne He was great Grandfather to Pygmalion the brother of Dido Founder of Carthage The Phoenicians famous for Marchandise and Marinership sailed from the red Sea round about Afrike and returning by Hercules pillars arriued againe in Aegypt the third yeere after reporting that which Herodotus doubted of and to vs makes the Storie more credible that they sailed to the South-ward of the Sunne They were sent by Pharaoh Neco Cadmus a Phoenician was the first Author of Letters also to the Greekes At Tyrus was the fishing for purple not farre off was Arad a populous Towne seated on a rocke in the sea like Venice Alongst the shore is Ptolemais neere which runneth the Riuer Belaeus and nigh to it the sepulchre of Memnon hauing hard by it the space of an hundred cubites yeelding a glassie sand and how great a quantitie soeuer is by ships carried thence is supplied by the Winds which minister new sands to be by the nature of the place changed
clensed and a greater Leprosie then Naamans is daily clensed in the Church by the lauer of Regeneration first sanctified to that vse in this streame where the holy Trinitie did first yeeld it selfe in sensible apparition to the world thereby to consecrate that Baptisme whereby wee are consecrated to this blessed Trinitie the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost In which respect Pilgrims in memorie thereof doe still wash themselues in this riuer spotting themselues further I feare by this washing with some myre of superstition I cannot blame this sacred streame if it seeme loth as Plinie sayth to leaue so fertile a Countrey and lingreth as long as it may in lakes by the way not only for that salt Sea or hellish Lake which shutteth vp his guiltlesse waues in perpetual imprisonment but also for those pleasures in the passage the fruits of the earth without exaction freely yeelded as Roses Sage Rue c. of the trees in Oliues Figs Pomegranates Dates and Vines which last the Mahumetan superstition doth not cherish and the Westerne Christians did so husband that one Vine by their arte industrie yeelded three vintages in August Septemb. October The grapes of Eshcol which could lade two men with one cluster were not so famous as the Balme of Gilead which the first Merchants we reade of from that Mart vented to other parts of the world These Balme-trees grew in the Vale of Iericho which being cut yeelded this precious liquor whereof besides the admirable effects in cures other wonders are told by ancient and later Writers too long heere to relate Bellonius will doe it for mee if any list to reade his Obseruation Hee is not of their mind which thinke there is now no true Balsam in the World these in Iudaea being perished but thinketh in Arabia-Foelix it groweth naturally from whence some shrubs he saw in Cairo But I should be too tedious if I should insist on this Argument That instance of such a world of people in such a patch of the world doth sufficiently declare the fertilitie when as Dauid numbred them an eleuen thousand Israelites and of Iuda foure hundred seuentie thousand or as in 2. Sam. 24.9 fiue hundred thousand which drew Sword and yet Beniamin and Leui were not reckoned in this number and in the dayes of Ieroboam Abija King of Iuda brought into the field foure hundred thousand and Ieroboam eight hundred thousand and on this part were slaine in one battell fiue hundred thousand all choice men which Historie cannot bee matched with the like in all Ages and places of the world that a Countrey an hundred and sixtie miles long and not aboue sixtie in bredth should nourish at once or lose in a battell such multitudes not to speake of impotent persons women and children But this multitude by ciuill warres and inuasions of enemies decreased till first the reliques of Israel and after the remnant of Iuda were by the Assyrians and Babylonians led captiue and the Land enioyed her Sabbaths For the Kingdome of Israel consisting of ten Tribes some reckon Simeon also to Iuda because of his portion mixed with Iudaes as Beniamins was adioyning thereto to whom the Leuites like wise and Priests forsaking their Cities and all the religious Israelites annexed themselues forsooke not the house of Dauid onely but the house of the Lord and set them vp Calues Aegyptian superstitions at Dan and Bethel and made Priests for their Idolatrous purpose This their rebellion and apostasie GOD plagued with ciuill dissention and forren hostilitie vntill at last the Assyrians remoued them altogether and repeopled those parts with new Colonies Such is the end of religion which hath not GOD for the beginning but is grounded on humane policie a sandie foundation Iuda could not take warning but prouoking GOD by idolatrous courses at last was carried to Babel and thence after seuentie yeeres returned The historie of these things so fully related in Scripture I should but marre in the telling After this their returne the Land was not as before named after the portions of the seuerall Tribes but was called by a generall name Iudaea and the people Iewes because the Tribe of Iuda had before inhabited those parts or at least the principall of them dilating themselues further as they encreased in number and power But more especially Iudaea was the name of one third part of the Countrey by that name distinguished from the other two Samaria and Galilea which two last are sometimes referred to Phoenicia Galilaea was the most Northerly confining on Libanus and Antilibanus toward the North Phoenicia Westerly Coelosyria on the East and Samaria with Arabia inclosing her Southerly borders Iordan parteth it in the middest It was diuided into the higher and lower Galilee the higher called also Galilee of the Gentiles contayneth the springs of Iordan and those Cities which Salomon gaue to Hiram The lower was also called Galilee of Tiberias that Citie giuing name both to the Lake and Region in which Nazareth was famous and the hill Thabor Samaria is seated betwixt Galilee and Iudaea much lesse then either of them Iudaea is the most Southerly betweene the Mediterranean and Dead Seas Samaria and Idumea Plinie maketh Galilaea a part of it and Peraea another part separated from the rest by Iordan The rest he diuideth into ten Toparchies Ierico Emaus Lidda Ioppe Acrabatena Gophnitica Thamnitica Betholene Tephene Orine in which was Ierusalem farre the fairest of the Cities of the East not of Iudaea alone Herodium with a famous Towne of the same name Hee addeth vnto these the Region of Decapolis so called of the number of the Townes and the Tetrarchies Trachonitis Paneas Abila Arca Ampeloessa Gabe Those ten Townes of Decapolis were Caesarca Philippi Asor Cedes Neptalim Sephet Corozain Capharnaum Bethsaida Iotapata Tiberias and Bethsan otherwise called Scythopolis and before Nysa where Bacchus buried his Nurse But these are parts of those former parts aboue mentioned and so may wee say of the rest sustayning in diuers respects diuers diuisions best fitting to the present polities and little to our purpose Those things which of old were famous in those places are mentioned in the Scripture Those things which since haue beene more remarkable I purpose in the next part of this Worke of Christian Religions to handle and especially the rarities of Ierusalem sometimes the holy Citie and Citie of the great King now a Den of Theeues an habitation of Mahumetans or rather now not at all for this which is now is a new Citie called by the Founder Aelia Capitolina built by Aelius Adrianus who caused the plough to passe through and salt to be sowne in the old as testifying her eternall desolation and fulfilling Christs prophesie to the vtmost not leauing a stone vpon a stone if Titus had not fully accomplished the same before Arias Montanus in his Nehemias affirmeth that Ierusalem was founded
Messias is come represented that Scepter by the holy Ghost in Iacob promised to Iuda and therefore not only vnder the Kings and Iudges did exercise iudgement but also when there was no King or Iudge in Israel Of their qualitie it is thus written They appointed none said R. Iohanan but men of wisedome stature and of goodly presence and of old age and cunning in exorcismes and vnderstanding the seuenty Tongues that they might not need interpreters Their Stature and comlinesse Rabbi Selomoh saith was required to acquire them reuerence and skill in enchantment to conuince such Wizards There were required the whole number of seuenty and one in determining the going to Warre in adding to a Citie or the reuenues of the Temple or in conuenting the ordinarie Iudges of the Tribes To constitute one of this number they vsed imposition of hands R. Iudas saith of fiue A Wolfe Lyon Beare Leopard and Serpent were to be slaine by the three and twent e. The great Colledge called Sanhedre ghedola consisted of seuenty and one the lesse of three and twenty That odde number aboue seuenty was to supply the roome of Moses which was ouer those first seuenty Hereby Galatinus gathereth that in the Councell that condemned Christ there was the whole number of seuenty and one which is true if Herod had not before disanulled that society The greater Sanhedrin ordained the lesse for those seuenty ordained all the Sessions of Judges which in other Cities and Places ruled the people and to this Court of the seuenty in Ierusalem they were all subiect The place where they sate was called Gazith that is Carued whereof this Court had the name as the Starre-chamber with vs Other Courts or houses of Iudgement they had diuers of the three and twenty One of them sate in the Gate of the Mountaine of the Temple another in the Gate of the Court others in euery Citie And when there was a controuersie it was first brought to that Citie or Towne and so to the rest if occasion required in order to that in the Gate of the Mount after to that in the Court-gate and last to the Gazith Consistory in which they sate from Morning till Night On Sabbaths and solemne dayes they sate on the Wall But when Herod obtained the Scepter he slew Hercanus and his sonne Antigonus which had beene King and Priest and also all of the seede Royall and burnt the Genealogies of their Kings And further to establish his Throne in blood hee killed the Scribes and Doctors of the Law and caused all the Sanhedrin to be done to death Because the Rabbanan they are the words of the Talmud had said according to Deut. 17. From among thy brethren thou shalt set a King ouer thee He slew the Rabbanan or Masters reseruing only Baba the sonne of Bota whose eyes hee after put out And therefore the Sanhedrin perished for as is said fiue or at least after R. Ismal three were necessary to the ordination by the imposition of hands But there were by Herods permission other Iudges instituted to be vnder the King like the former Colledge but had no authority of sentence in waighty and criminall causes and therefore they said to Pilate It is not lawfull for vs to put any man to death as some thinke But others maintaine the contrary Betramus taketh a middle course that the Iewes might examine and condemne but then were to present the condemned party to the Roman Magistrate for execution except in the cause of stoning wherein they tooke more libertie as in the Acts of the Apostles by Stephen and Paules example appeareth After their false sentence pronounced against Christ they were expelled from the Consistory Gazith fortie yeeres before the destruction of the Temple and afterwards by the commaundement of the Romanes were all slaine They being expelled Gazith held their Consistory at Hamith another place in Ierusalem but saith R. Abdimi with the place they lost their power in criminall Iudgements which might not bee giuen but in Gazith So do the Rabbines interpret the words Deut. 17.10 According to the words which they of that place shew thee thou shalt doe They had inferior punishments with the whippe for smaller offences In which the Law had stinted them at forty stripes and they abated one of that number for feare of exceeding as Paul saith Hee had fiue times receiued forty stripes saue one The whippe was of Calues leather as Drusius affirmeth Betramus saith that they had in each City seuen Iudges in money matters whereof three were principall two Leuites and one of the rest from whence the number is said to be but three They had also ten Aediles Taskers or Iudges of the Market one of which was of the Priestly Stocke They had in Ierusalem an vnder-Prouost or Captaine of the Temple In other Cities of their dispersion they had Synagogues and Magistrates as at Alexandria Antiochia Sardis and other Cities where they had obtained priuiledges and immunities That which is spoken of their threefold Consistory consisting eyther of 3. or 23. or 71. Buxtorfius thus relateth that that of 3. was appointed in such habitations which had vnder the number of 120. House-holders and that it behooued alwaies two of the three to agree in their sentence The other of twenty three was in greater Townes or Cities and dealt in greater matters the former in money matters this in criminall and in the Gates of the City and was called the lesse Synedrium The greater was at Ierusalem where the wisest was chosen to bee President of the Councell as successour to Moses Caput Curiae so they called him and Nasi the wisest of the other 70. was adioyned as his Colleague called Ab-beth-din The Father of the Consistory These two sate alone somewhat separate from the rest which made a halfe circle so that these two might see them all The manifold mutations of their State by the Babylonians Persians Macedonians Egyptians Sytians Romans and ciuil wars amongst themselues did both then change the face of Gouernement and haue made it now to vs obscure and vncertaine §. IIII. Of the Iewish Excommunications NOW concerning the Iewish Excommunications Drusius hath obserued that the Iewes had three kinds and degrees of Excommunications Niddui Herem Samatha the first signifieth a Remouing the second Anathema the third the same which the Apostle calleth Maran-atha by the first they are made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which is an example Gen. 4.4 excommunicated from the Ecclesiasticall Assemblies Hee which was thus Excommunicated was called Menudde and the denouncers Menuddim There were foure and twenty causes for the which it was inflicted If any died therein without repentance they iudged him worthy of stoning and therfore stoned his coffin whereof they giue example in one Eleazer the sonne of Henoch They might enter the Temple when they were excommunicated but that they might enter the Synagogue is vnlikely Thus they write
is King of the whole world hauing in the word Echad many superstitious subtilties that the letter Daleth in regard of his place in the Alphabet signifieth foure and the word Echad contayneth in numerall letters two hundred fortie and fiue whereunto adding three hael elohechem emes God our Lord is true they make vp the number of two hundred fortie and eight and so many members there are in mans bodie for euerie member a prayer secures them all And this verse thrice recited secureth against the ill spirit They esteeme it a holy prayer by which miracles may bee wrought and therefore vse it morning and euening They haue another prayer called Schone esre that is eighteene because it contayneth so many thankesgiuing which they say twice a day and the chiefe chanter of the Synagogue singeth it twice by himselfe They thinke by this prayer to obtaine remission of their sinnes They must pray it standing so that one foot must not stand more on the ground then the other like the Angels And their foote was a right foote When they come to those words in it Holy holy holy Lord God of hosts they leape vp three times aloft And hee say their Chachamim which speaketh a word during this prayer shall haue burning coales giuen him to eate after his death These eighteene thanksgiuings are for the eighteene bones in the chine or back-bone which must in saying hereof be bended After this followeth a prayer against the Iewes reuolted to Christianitie and against all Christians saying These which are blotted out that is reuolters shall haue no more hope and all vnbeleeuers shall perish in the twinkling of an eye and all thine enemies which hate thee O GOD shall be destroyed and the proud and presumptuous Kingdome shall quickly be rooted out broken layd euen with the ground and at last shall vtterly perish and thou shalt make them presently in our dayes obedient to vs Blessed art thou God which breakest and subduest them which are rebellious They call the Turkish Empire the Kingdome of Ismael the Roman Edomiticall proud c. They are themselues indeed exceeding proud impatient and desirous of reuenge The Talmud sayth That the lying spirit in the mouth of Achabs Prophets which perswaded him to goe and fall at Ramoth Gilead was none other but the spirit of Naboth whom hee had before flaine And Victor Carbensis a Christian Iew testifieth That there are not vnder heauen a more quarrelsome people themselues acknowledging the Christians farre meeker then themselues when they haue this Prouerb that the modestie of the Christians the wisedome and industrie of the Heathens and faith of the Iewes are the three pillers which sustaine the world But to returne to their deuotions After those other before mentioned followeth a prayer for the good sort for Proselytes reedifying of the Temple for sending the Messias and restauration of their Kingdome In the end they pray GOD to keepe them in peace and when they come to these words Hee that makes peace aboue shall make peace ouer all Israel Amen they goe backe three paces bow themselues downewards bend their head on the right hand then on the left if some Christian bee there with an Image they must not bow but lift vp their heart This they doe for honours sake not to turne their hinder parts on the Arke and thus they goe like Crabbes out of the Synagogue vsing certaine prayers not running but with a slow pace lest they should seeme glad that their Mattins were done Other their niceties in praying as laying the right hand on the left ouer the heart not spetting nor breaking winde vp or downe not interrupted by a King to cease prayer to shake his bodie this way and that way not to touch his naked bodie and to say Amen with all his heart for they that say Amen are worthie to say it in the world to come And therefore Dauid endeth a Psalme with Amen Amen signifying that one is to bee said heere and the other in the other world also in a plaine eminent place purged from all filth freed from the sight of women his face to the East standing his feet close together fixing his eyes on the ground eleuating the heart to heauen c. I hold it enough thus to mention Their praying to the East must be vnderstood from our Westerne parts because Ierusalem standeth that way for otherwise Rambam sheweth that Abraham prayed in Mount Moriah toward the West and the Sanctum Sanctorum was in the West which place also Abraham set forth and determined And because the Gentiles worshipped the Sunne toward the rising therefore Abraham worshipped Westward and appointed the Sanctuarie so to stand The Talmud saith Praying to the South bringeth wisdome toward the North riches I might heere also adde their Letanie and Commemoration of their Saints almost after the Popish fashion As thus for a taste Wee haue sinned before thee haue mercie on vs O Lord doe it for thy names sake and spare Israel thy people Lord doe it for Abraham thy perfect one and spare Israel thy people Lord doe it for him which was bound in thy porches to wit in Mount Moriah where the Temple was afterward builded and spare Israel thy people Lord doe it for him which was heard in the ladder Iacob from thy high place and spare Israel thy people Lord doe it for the merit of Ioseph thy holy one c. Lord doe it for him which was drawne out of the waters Moses and spare c. Lord doe it for Aaron the Priest with Vrim and Thummim Lord grant it for him that was zealous for thy name Phineas Lord doe it for the sweet Singer Dauid Lord doe it for him which built thine house They name not any but expresse him after this sort And then proceed in like manner with the titles attributes and workes of GOD. Doe it for thy Name Doe it for thy Goodnesse for thy Couenant thy Law thy Glorie c. in seuerall versicles And then to their Saints in a new passage Doe it for Abraham Isaac and Iacob Doe it for Moses and Aaron for Dauid and Salomon as if their combined forces should effect more then single Doe it for Ierusalem the holy Citie for Sion for the destruction of thy house for the poore Israelites for the bare Israelites for the miserable Israelites for the Widdowes and Orphans for the sucking and wained and if not for our sake yet for thine owne sake Then in another forme Thou which hearest the poore heare vs thou which hearest the oppressed heare vs Thou which heardest Abraham c. With renuing a commemoration of their Saints larger then before and after some repeating the diuine titles in another tune they oppose their Saint and wicked ones together as Remember not the lye of Achan but remember Iosua forgiuing him and remember Heli and Samuel and so on in a tedious length CHAP. XVI Of their Ceremonies at home after
Towne where they come And there this new numen and old impostor faining himselfe rauished in spirit pronounceth graue words and spirituall commandements at sundry times lifting vp his eyes to heauen and after turning to those his disciples willeth them to carry him from thence for some imminent iudgement there to be executed as is reuealed to him They then pray him to auert that danger by his prayer which he accordingly doth which the people deluded by their hypocrisies reward with a large beneuolence at which they after amongst themselues doe merrily scoffe They eate also of the herbe Matslatz and sleepe vpon the ground naked of clothes and shame and commit also abominable Sodomitrie And thus much of their misorderly orders of an irreligious Religion He that will read more at large of them let him read the Booke of the Policie of the Turkish Empire which out of Menauino discourseth more largely of these things and other the Turkish Rites Septemcastrensis telleth of certaine Saints of exceeding estimation for holinesse whose Sepulchres are much frequented of deuout Votaries as that of Sedichasi which signifieth a holy Conquerour in the confines oof Caramania Another is called Hatsehipettesch that is The Pilgrims helpe Another Ascik passa who helpeth in loue-matters and for children in barrennesse Another Van passa for concord and Scheych passa in trouble and affliction and Goi or Muschin or Bartschin passa inuoked for their cattle and Chidirelles for trauellers to whom he sometime appeareth as a traueller and any one that hath extraordinarily liued is reputed a Saint after his death They haue many whose names I remember not saith hee in like reuerence with them as are the Apostles with vs When they would seeke for things lost they go to one Saint when they are robbed they goe to another and for the knowledge of things secret they repaire to a third They haue their Martyrs and Miracles and Reliques Thus they tell of certaine religious men condemned wrongfully for suspition of treason to the fire which they entred without harme as those three companions of Daniel and their shooes were hanged vp for a Monument Their Nephes ogli that is soules or persons begotten of the holy Spirit such is their fancie without seed of man they hold in such reputation that they account themselues happy which can doe them any good yea that can touch them and if their haires be laid vpon any they say that their sicknesses are cured In this reputation of sanctitie they haue a certaine old woman which hauing a dog with her in her pilgrimage to Mecca readie to die for thirst made water in her hand and gaue it to the dog which charitable act was so highly accepted that a voyce was presently heard from heauen saying This day thou shalt be in Paradise And at the same time shee was caught vp bodie and soule into heauen and hereupon are they liberall to their dogs If this crosse an opinion which some Saracens hold that women come not to Paradise no maruell seeing falsehood is commonly contrarie both to the Truth and it selfe He that would read the miraculous tales which they tell of their Saints may haue recourse to that namelesse Author which of his Countrey is called and heere often cited by name Septemcastrensis who telleth of his Master and his Mistris their deuotion and vowes to Goi and Mirtschin for preseruation of their cattell sometimes miraculous so readie is the Deuill with his sauing destruction and destroying preseruation yea hee saith that the Deuill doth turne himselfe amongst them into an Angell of light with such effectuall illusions that there are seene or at least beleeued amongst them the dead raised to life diseases of all sorts cured secrets of the hearts disclosed treasures long before hidden in the ground reuealed and besides such ostentation and shew of dissembled holinesse that they may seeme not to come short of the Fathers and Apostles in that behalfe if bodily exercise were the triall of sanctitie Busbequius tells that they haue like conceit of one Chederles amongst them as some superstitious persons haue of St. George and the Turkes affirme to bee the same The Deruis haue a great Temple dedicated in his honor at Theke Thioi not farre from Amasia the chiefe Citie of Cappadocia The Countrey and both Legends agree for the killing of the Dragon deliuering the Virgin c. They say that hee trauelled many Countries and at last came to a Riuer the waters whereof yeelded immortalitie to the drinker and now cannot be seene Chederles heereby freed from death rides about euery where on his horse which thence also dranke in immortalitie and delighteth in battells taking part with the best cause and to make vp the tale they say hee was one of the companions of Alexander the Great they affirme that Alexander was Salomons chiefe Captaine and Iob his high Steward In that Moschee or Temple at Theke Thioi is a fountaine of water which they say sprang vp of the staling of Chederles horse Like Stories haue they of his horse-keeper and nephew whose Sepulchres they shew where deuout Pilgrims obtaine many blessings They shew for relikes the pieces of the shooes which Chederles his horse brake in that Dragon-fight vse the same in drinke against agues and head-aches These places are full of Dragons and Vipers Sultan Murat Chan or Amurath the second in a battell against the Christians vsed this prayer O righteous God giue vs strength and victorie O Muhamet O Mustapha the top of glory by abundance of miracles by the abundance of Gaiberenlers which are friends to the Musulmans and walke inuisible by the abundance of the Cheders grant vs victorie In the time of Vrchan or Orchanes the sonne of Ottoman they say these Gaib-erenlers appeared on white horses in a battell against the Christians and slew them These they say are friends to the Islams that is Catholike or right beleeuing Musulmans and are diuine protectors of the Imania or Mahumetan Law Such tales you may read in the Spanish relations of the West Indies as at the battell of Tauesco where a strange horse-man discomfited the Indians c. And our inuocation of God and Saint George is rather Turkish then truely Christian For God alone is our strength which teacheth our hands to fight and our fingers to battell and whom haue I in heauen but thee and I haue desired none in earth with thee As for George and Chederles I know them both alike in matter of Inuocation saue that it is worse to abuse to impietie a Christian name then a Turkish and King Edward the third seemed to inuoke Edward as much as George Ha Saint Edward Ha Saint George saith Thomas Walsingham But that of George is rather an Embleme of euery Christian as not onely the Heroique Muse of our Spencer in Poeticall fiction but the Diuiner of great Diuines in their iudiciall censure haue manifested It seemeth
out of Berosus and Nicolaus Damascenus of old and Cartwrights later trauels what may be thought thereof Armenia as Strabo affirmeth receiued the name of one of Iasons companions which followed him in his Nauigation out of Harmenia a Citie of Thessaly betweene Pherae and Larissa The wealth of this Region appeared when Ptolomey appointing Tigranes to bring in to the Romans sixe thousand Talents of Siluer he added voluntarily beyond that summe to euery Souldier in the Campe fiftie drammes of Siluer to euery Centurion a thousand to euery Deputie of a Countrey and Chiliarch a Talent Their Religion must at first be that which Noah and his Family professed after by time corrupted Here saith our Berosus Noah instructed his posteritie in Diuine an Humane Sciences and committed many naturall secrets vnto writing which the Scythian Armenians commend to their Priests onely none else being suffered to see or reade or teach them He left also Rituall Bookes or Ceremoniall of the which hee was termed Saga that is Priest or Bishop Hee taught them also Astronomy and the distinction of yeeres and moneths For which they esteemed him partaker of Diuine Nature and surnamed him Olybama and Arsa that is the Heauen and the Sunne and dedicated to him many Cities some saith he remaining at this day which beare these names And when hee went from thence to gouerne Cytim which now as bee affirmeth they call Italy the Armenians were much affected to him and after his death accounted him the Soule of the heauenly bodies and bestowed on him Diuine Honors Thus Armenia where hee began and Italy where he ended doe worship him and ascribe to him Names Heauen Sunne Chaos the Seed of the World the Father of the greater and lesse Gods the Soule of the World mouing Heauen and the Creatures and Man the GOD of Peace Iustice Holinesse putting away hurtfull things and preseruing good And for this cause both Nations signifie him in their writings with the course of the Sunne and motion of the Moone and a Scepter of Dominion persecuting and chasing away the wicked from among the societie of men and with the chastitie of the bodie and sanctimony of the minde the two keyes of Religion and Happinesse They called also Tidea the mother of all after her death Aretia that is the Earth and Esta that is the Fire because shee had beene Queene of the Holy Rites and had taught maidens to keepe the holy euerlasting fire from euer going out Noah before he went out of Armenia had taught men Husbandry more ayming at Religion and Manners then Wealth and Dainties which prouoke to vnlawfull things and had lately procured the wrath of GOD. And first of all men he found out and planted Vines and was therefore called Ianus which to the Aramaeans soundeth as much as The Author of Wine Thus farre Berosus lib. 3. and in the fourth Booke hee addeth that Nymbrot the first Saturne of Babylon with his sonne Iupiter Belus stole away those Rituall or Ceremoniall bookes of Iupiter Sagus and came with his people into the land Sennaar where he appointed a Citie and laid the foundation of a great Tower a hundred thirtie and one yeeres after the Floud but neither finished this nor founded the other Old Ianus when hee went hence left Scytha with his mother Araxa and some inhabitants to people Armenia being the first King thereof Sabatius Saga being consecrated High Priest from Armenia vnto the Bactrians all which space saith he in our Age is called Scythia Saga In his fifth booke hee reporteth That Iupiter Belus possessed with ambition of subduing the whole world closely endeuoured to make or take away Sabatius Saga who being not able otherwise to escape his treachetie fled away secretly But Ninus the sonne of Belus pursued his fathers intent against Sabatius who substituted his sonne Barzanes in his place and fled into Sarmatia and after from thence into Italy to his father Ianus Barzanes was subdued by Ninus But to come to an Author of better credite Strabo saith The Armenians and Medes haue in veneration all the Temples of the Persians but the Armenians especially esteeme the Temples of Tanais as erecting them in other places so in Acilesina They dedicate vnto them men-seruants and women-seruants the most noble of that Nation there dedicating shall I say or prostituting their daughters where after long prostitution with their Goddesse they are giuen in marriage none refusing such matches How much can the shadow how little can the substance of Religion perswade men to The Image of Tanais or Anaitis was set vp in her Temple all of solid gold and when as Antonius warred against the Parthians this Temple was robbed The same went That hee which first had layed sacrilegious hands on the spoyles was smitten blind and so diseased that he died thereof But when Augustus being entertained of an ancient warriour at Bononia asked him of the truth of this report he answered Thou now O Emperour drinkest that bloud for I am the man and whatsoeuer I haue came by that bootie This Goddesse is supposed to be the same with Diana A Region of Armenia bare the same name Anaitis How bloudy Rites the Armenians sometimes vsed appeareth by the Historie of the Riuer Araxes before called Halmus borrowing this later name of a King there raigning to whom in warres betwixt him and the Persians the Oracle prescribed the sacrifice of his two faire daughters Pietie forbade what pietie commanded and whiles the King would be an Vmpire between Nature and the Oracle which is the vsuall euent in arbitrements he satisfied neither That the Oracle might bee fulfilled he sacrificed two of noble birth of notable beautie that Nature might not be wronged hee wronged Iustice the true touch-stone of true pietie hee spared his owne and offered the daughters of Miesalcus but so hee lost both his daughters by Miesalcus reuenging sword and himselfe in this Riuer by himselfe drowned Bacchus loued Alphoesibaea an Armenian Damsell and while Tygris then if you beleeue the Story called Sollax was too coole a Mediatour betweene the two hot louers hee swam ouer on a Tygers backe Hence the Fable of his Metamorphosis into a Tygre hence that name left to the Riuer Armenia was subdued to the Persians by Cyrus one part thereof payed to the Persians twentie thousand Colts for yeerely tribute Sariaster sonne to Tigranes the Armenian King conspired against his father the Conspirators sealed their bloudie faith with a bloudie ceremonie they let themselues bloud in the right hands and then dranke it Wonder that in such a treachery as immediately before the same Author affirmeth of Mithridates his sonne that any man would helpe or that hee durst importune the Gods no wonder that so bloudie a seale was annexed to such euidence The Temple of Baris mentioned by Strabo may happily be some Monument of Noahs descent by corruption of the word Lubar as before said Iosephus out of
by Alexander Ortelius esteemeth Derbent to be Caucasiae portae which Plinie calleth a mightie worke of Nature c. §. VI. Of the Circassians WEstward from hence is entrance into the Circassian Countrey extending it selfe on Meotis fiue hundred miles and within land two hundred Christians they are in profession from hence the Soldans of Egypt had their slaues of which were raised their Mamalukes Their chiefe Cities are Locoppa and Cromuco at the mouth of Tanais the Turke hath fortified Asaph They liue in great part on robberies In old time in this Tract was Phanagoria and therein the Temple of Venus surnamed Apaturia because that when the Gyants assaulted her she implored the aide of Hercules who slew them all one after another Cimmerium a Towne at these straits gaue name thereunto of Cimmerius Bosphorus But little can be said of these in particular more then generally may be said of the Scythians to whom they are reckoned Georgius Interianus hath written a Tractate of these Zychi or Circassi called of themselues Adiga expressing their vnchristian Christianitie and barbarous manner of liuing which I hold fittest in our discouerie of the diuers professions of Christian Religion to relate §. VII Of the Curdi SOme adde vnto Armenia in their moderne Maps and Discoueries besides the Turcomani a people that came thither out of Tartaria the Curdi both still retaining the Tartarian and Arabian manner of life in Tents without Cities Townes or Houses Their Religion halteth betwixt diuers Religions of the Turkes Persians and Christians of the Iacobite and Nestorian Sects In heart they are neither fast to GOD nor Man dissembling with the Persian and Turke and better skilled in robberie murther and faithlesse treacherie their daily practise then mysteries of Faith and Religion They are also Lords of Bitlis and some other Cities and Holds in those parts They are called Courdines by Sir Anthony Sherley who saith they know no other fruits of the earth but what belonged to the sustenance of their cattell vpon the milke butter and flesh of which they liue ruled by certaine Princes of their owne which giue partly an obedience to the Turke partly to the Persian as they are neerest the confines of the one or the other Yet in that simplicitie of liuing through ambition warres grow daily among them euen to the extirpation of a whole Nation As we found freshly when wee passed by one of their Princes called Hiderbeague all whose people were deuoured by the sword or carried away captiue by Coatheague and himselfe remained onely with some twentie soules in a Rocke Ten thousand of their Courdines subiect to the Turke abandoned their Countrey and requested some waste land to be giuen them by Abas the present Persian which gaue them entertainment one occasion of quarrell betwixt him and the Turke They are supposed to be a remnant of the ancient Parthians and neuer go abroad without their Armes Bowes Arrowes Scimitars and Bucklers euen when age seemeth to haue fastned one foot in the graue They adore and worship the Deuill that hee may not hurt them nor their cattell they are cruell to all sorts of Christians their Countrey is therefore called Terra Diaboli One of their Townes is named Manuscute a mile from which is an Hospitall dedicated to Saint Iohn Baptist much frequented as well by Turkes as Christians whom superstition hath perswaded that whosoeuer will bestow Kidde Sheepe or Money to releeue the poore of that place shall both prosper in his iourney and obtaine the forgiuenesse of his sinnes CHAP. II. Of the Medes ARmenia extending it selfe if Iustine haue measured rightly eleuen hundred miles on the East encountereth Media in which lieth our next perambulation It receiued the name of Madai the sonne of Iaphet not of Medus the sonne of Medea and Iason It limited on the North with the Caspian Sea on the South with Persia on the East with Parthia Ecbatana the chiefe Citie built as Plinie affirmeth by Seleucus indeed farre more ancient and by them happily reedified is distant from the Caspian straits twentie miles These Straits are a narrow way made by hand thorow the Hills scarce wide enough for a Cart to passe eight miles in length the Rocks manifesting their indignation at this interruption by obscure frownes and salt teares continually streaming from them which I know not by what sudden horror are presently congealed into Ice also all the Summer time armies of Serpents keeping the passages Well may this bee the house of Enuie so fitly doth that fable of the Poet agree with the nature of this place Domus est imis in vallibus huius Abdita lose carens non vlli peruia vento Tristis ignaui plenissima frigoris quae Igne vacet semper caligine semper abundet videt intus edentem Vipereas carnes vitiorum alimenta suorem INVIDIAM Of Ecbatana we reade in the Historie of Iudith that Arpachshad built the walls of hewen stones seuentie cubits high and fiftie cubits broad c. Herodotus affirmeth that after the Assyrians had raigned in Asia fiue hundred and twentie yeeres the Medes rebelled and chose Deioces to be their King and at his command builded him this Royall Citie and a Palace of great beautie the timber whereof was Cedar ioyned with plates of siluer and gold it was seuen furlongs in compasse his successours are there reckoned Phraortes Cyoxares Astyages Iustine reporteth that Arbactus or Arbaces Lieutenant of the Medes vnder Sardanapalus rebelled against him for his effeminate life and translated the Empire from the Assyrians with whom it had continued thirteene hundred yeeres to the Medes Diodorus Siculus addeth in this conspiracie vnto this Arbaces the Mede Belesus whom some call Phul Beloch the Babylonian who shared the state betwixt them the Babylonian possessing Babylonia and Assyria and Arbaces Media and Persia Of this more is said before In the time of Ninus Farnus saith Diodorus was King of Media who encountring with Ninus in battell was there taken with his wife and seuen sonnes all which the bloudie Conquerour commanded to be crucified And thus remained Media hand-maid to the Assyrians till the time of Sardanapalus but not without some disquiet For in Semiramis time the Medes rebelled and destroyed Nineue But Semiramis inuaded their Countrie with a mightie Armie and comming to the Hill Bagistanus sacred to Iupiter there pitched her Tents and in the plaine fields made a garden containing twelue furlongs Beyond the garden shee cut a Rocke seuenteene furlongs high grauing therein her owne Image and an hundred others bringing her gifts Some tell this otherwise that shee pourtrayed her owne Image in that huge quantitie and appointed an hundred Priests continually to attend the same with offerings and diuine worship At Chaona a Citie of Media shee espying another huge Rocke in the Plaine caused another Garden to bee made in the middest thereof with sumptuous houses
together of rosted Almons they made bread and wine of the roots of herbs This and venison was there food In one plaine of Media were pastured fiftie thousand Mares belonging to the King the herbe whereon they principally fed is stil called Medica The race of Horses called Nisaei were here bred and hence dispersed allouer the East Among the Medes none might be King by the Law of the Countrey except hee were in stature and strength eminent All the Medes saith Bardesanes a famous Chaldaean nourish Dogs with great care to which they cast men readie to die whiles they are yet breathing to be deuoured of them The Medes worshipped the fire with barbarous honours done thereto Their Kings held such Maiestie that none might laugh or spit before them They were seldome seene of their people They had alway Musitians attending them Their wiues and children accompanied them in their battells The name of the Medes remained famous after the Persian Conquest as appeareth by the stile which the Scripture giueth them The Law of the Medes and Persians which was vnchangeable the King himselfe not hauing power to reuoke his sentence As for the Catalogue of the Kings which succeeded Arbaces vntill the time of Astyages and the times of their raigne wee haue before shewed it out of Scaliger in our first Booke Chap. 13. True it is that all agree not in that account Reinerus Reineccius leaueth out diuers of them and numbreth the yeeres of the Median Dynastie but 261. whereas our former account hath 322. But I had rather referre the Reader to that Catalogue then trouble him with new out of this or other Authors Media hath beene diuided into Media Maior and Atropatia the former containeth Tauris supposed by Ortelius to be the forenamed Ecbatana yet now wanting walls altogether containing in circuit sixteene miles and of people two hundred thousand subdued to the Turke 1585. and before by Selim and Soliman but since recouered by the Persian Sultania famous for the fairest Moschee in the East Casbin to which the Persian hath remoued the Royall Seat from Tauris The Lake of Van three hundred miles long and an hundred and fiftie broad after Strabo Manlianus Lacus of salt-water the greatest next to Meotis Gyllius affirmeth that eight great Riuers runne into it without any apparant issue to the Sea Atropatia is now called Seruan the chiefe Citie is Sumachia or Shamaki in which the Sophi not long since built a Turret of flint and free-stone and in a ranke of flints therein did set the heads of the Nobilitie and Gentrie of the Countrey for a terrour to the rest the quarrell was pretended for Religion intended for Soueraigntie Their ancient Religion differed not much from the Persian and such also is it still Their Kings had many wiues which custome extended after to the Villages and Mountaines in so much that they might not haue lesse then seuen The women also esteemed it a credit to haue many husbands and a miserable calamitie to haue lesse then fiue Cyrus subdued them to the Persians Alexander to the Macedons What should wee speake of the Parthians who made Ecbatana their Seat Royall in the Summer time and of the Saracens Tartars Persians and Turkes who haue successiuely vexed these Countries Not farre from Shamaki saith Master Ienkinson was an olde Castle called Gullistone now beaten downe by the Sophi and not farre from thence a Nunrie of sumptuous building wherein was buried a Kings daughter named Ameleck Channa who slew her selfe with a knife for that her Father would haue forced her shee professing chastitie to haue married a Tartar King vpon which occasion the Maidens euerie yeere resort thither to bewaile her death There is also a high Hill called Quiquifs vpon the top whereof they say dwelt a Gyant named Arneoste hauing on his head two great Hornes and Eares and Eyes like a Horse and a tayle like a Cow who kept a passage thereby till one Haucoir Hamshe a holy man bound him with his woman Lamisache and his sonne After who is therefore had in Saint-like reputation Obdolowcan King of this Country vnder the Sophi besides gracious entertainment granted vnto Mr. Anthony Ienkinson for our English Merchants great priuiledges Anno 1563. Gilan also anciently Gelae is reckoned to Media Into these Cities of Media the Israelites were transported together with their Religion by Salmanesar the Assyrian GOD in his manifold wisdome so punishing their sinnes and withall dispersing some sparks of diuine truth CHAP. III. Of the Parthians and Hyrcanians §. I. Of Parthia PArthia is placed by Plinie in the rootes of the Hills hauing on the East the Arians on the West the Medes on the South Carmania on the North Hyrcania rounded with desarts Hee affirmeth that the Kingdomes of the Parthians were eighteene Eleuen of them neere to the Caspian Sea and the other seuen neer the Red Sea The word Parthian signifieth with the Scythians an exile Their chiefe Citie was Hecatompylos now as some affirme Hispaham for the excellencie thereof called of the Persians Halfe the world These Scythian exiles in the times of the Assyrians Medes Persians and Macedonians were an obscure people the prey of euery Conquerour which after seemed to diuide the world with the Romans Their speech was mixt of the Median and Scythian their Armies consisted most part of seruants which they held in great respect instructing them in feats of Armes In an Armie of fiftie thousand wherewith they encoutred Antonie there were onely eight hundred freemen The Parthians had no vse of gold or siluer but in their armour They had many wiues whereof they were so iealous that they forbad them the sight of other men They performed all businesse priuate and publike on horse-backe this being the distinction of free-men from seruants Their buriall was in the bellies of birds or dogs Their naked bones were after couered with earth they were exceedingly superstitious in the worship of their gods a stout vnquiet seditious vnfaithfull people Arsaces first a famous thiefe after the Founder of that Kingdome left no lesse memorie of himselfe amonst the Parthians then Cyrus among the Persians or Alexander among the Macedonians The day wherein hee ouerthrew Seleucus was solemnly obserued euery yeere amongst them as the beginning of their libertie Of him they called all their Kings Arsaces as the Roman Emperors are named Caesars They called themselues the brethren of the Sunne and Moone which are in those places worshipped This Arsaces was worshipped after his death They were no lesse bloudie to their brethren when they came to the Crowne then the Ottomans are at this day Phrahartes slew thirtie of his brethren and before them his father and after his sonne rather then he would endure a possibilitie of a Competitor About 224. yeeres after Christ Artabanus the last Persian King being slaine by Artaxeres or Artaxares the
Countrie or People Whereunto may bee answered That since diuers of the great Tartarian Lords before subiects to the great Cham hauing made themselues absolute Lords of their seueral States the way hath not bin so open to passe being otherwise of it selfe exceedingly both long difficult and dangerous and the adioyning Princes recouering themselues from Tartarian seruitude will neither suffer their owne to goe out nor others freely to enter their Dominions as the Muscouite the King of China and others Master Ant. Ienkinson which went as farre thither-ward as Bogharre could not passe further for warres in those parts Neither haue any gone thither by Sea And yet euen in this time wee haue not altogether wanted witnesses Ludonicus Vertomannus an hundred yeeres since in Bengala met with diuers Christians who affirmed That there were in their Countrie diuers Signiors Christians subiect to the great Cham. These were white men of a Citie called Sarnau In M. Hakluits painefull labours we may reade of diuers passages out of Russia and Persia by Carauans into Cathay Ramusius also in his Annotations before M. Paulus telleth of one Chaggi Memet a Persian Merchant who had beene at Campion and Succuir in Catay Damircan then reigning and had acquainted him with diuers partiulars thereof Also in the Epistle of Emanuel Carualius a Iesuite dated at Malaca in Ianuarie 1599. is contained the transcript of Ierome Xauerius his letter from Lahor the Citie Royall of the great Mogor dated August 1598. Wherein the Iesuit relateth That whiles he was in conference with the Prince there entred into the Palace an olde-man of Mahomets Religion threescore yeeres of age who affirmed to the Prince That hee had come from Xatai by the way of Mecca Presently some which knew him affirmed That hee had distributed in almes an hundred thousand pieces of gold at Mecca The Prince asking if it were so hee affirmed That he did it because he was old and could not long liue nor carrie those things away with him Being demanded of the State of Xatai he answered That he had there liued thirteene yeeres in the Citie Royall Xambalu the King whereof was verie mightie and had in his Empire a thousand and fiftie Cities some of them verie populous He said he had often seene the King with whom no man speaketh but by a supplication nor is answered but by an Eunuch Being asked how he had accesse thither he answered That he sustained the person as well of the Embassadour of the King of Caygar as of a Merchant and being detained in the first City by the Magistrate he shewed his Commission and post was presently sent to the King who returned in a moneth riding nintie or an hundred miles a day with change of Horses bringing him letters of admission No man was troublesome to him in the way They punish theeues seuerely which also is obserued of the Cathayans in Iosapha Barbaro and in Marcus Paulus aforesaid The people he affirmed were white comely long-bearded and very personable In Religion he said they were Isauites or Christians professors of Iesus and some among them Musauites or Iewes and many Mahumetans who hoped to draw the King being a Christian to their Sect The Iesuit addeth That he further conferred with him another day about their Religion who told him that they had many Churches and some very great many Images both painted and carued especially of the Crucifixe which they religiously worship Euerie Church hath his Priest much reuerenced The Priests liued single and kept Schooles wherein they instructed the youth which should after take Orders they had also one among the Priests supereminent and were all maintained at the Kings costs as were the Churches also both built and repaired They ware blacke clothes and on Holy-dayes red with Caps much like the Iesuites but greater He added That hee had often seene the King go to Church That there were many of both Sexes which in Cloysters liued a Monasticall life some obseruing also a single life in their owne houses He reported That the Countrie was rich and had in it many Mines of Siluer the King had foure hundred Elephants which they said were brought from Malaca And from Pegu also hee said that Merchants resorted thither which voyage was halfe a yeere it seemeth thorow the Sea betweene China and Iapan Xauerius addeth That while he was at Caximir he heard of many Christians in Rebat a Kingdome ioyning to Xatai who had Churches Priests and Biships to whom he had written three wayes in the Portugall and the Persian Tongues The greatest obiection against this History that distinguisheth Cathay from China is the report of Iacob Pantogia a Iesuite in a letter dated from Paquin the Seate Royall of China in March 1602. in which hee blameth a double errour of our Maps both for making China larger then it is and for adioyning to the same this questioned Kingdome of Cathay whereas saith he China or Sinay is Cathay and this Paquin where now wee liue is Cambalu This hee proueth by the incredible riches which he here saw agreeing to that which is commonly reported of Cathay and by the testimonie of certaine Moores and Mahumetans whom he found in Paquin which vsually euerie fifth yeere resort hither vnder shew of an Embassage and paying of Tribute indeed for gaine by way of traffique their tribute meane while obtaining sufficient retribution out of the Kings Coffers who sustaineth them and theirs all the time of their abode in China at his owne costs besides other gifts Of these Merchants which resorted hither out of Persia and the Countrie of the Mogores the Iesuites by enquiry learned that this Countrie of China was called Cathay and had no other name in Persia and among the Mogores nor did they know any other Countrie so called And asking further how they called the Citie Paquin they answered Cambalu whereupon the Iesuit concludeth without all scruple as is said And againe in the Chinian Epistles dated 1607. is reported That Benedictus Goes sent sixe yeeres after of the Iesuites by the way Mogor to finde out Cathay remained in the borders of China in the Prouince of Xanti from whence he writ Anno 1606. That he could finde no other Catay then the Kingdome of China This report furthereth Pantogiaes opinion But if it be not sufficient to oppose the former report of Xauier to these of Pantogia and Goes and the different qualities of the Chinians and Cathayans as in their proper places shall follow both in things priuate and publike Diuine and Humane I answere That the name of Cambalu is by Marcus Paulus and others interpreted The Citie of the Prince or Cam. And Perera interpreteth Pachin or Paquin where the King of China alwaies resideth to signifie the Towne of the Kingdome as he was there aduertised the same signification in manner remaining to the diuers appellations in differing languages as a common name to be applied to any
to Cialis gouerned by the King of Cascars base sonne with whom at first he had some difference about Religion which with a gift was pacified And in a disputation with the Mahumetan Doctors before him the Viceroy tooke part with Goes affirming that the Christians were the true Misermans and that their Ancesters professed that law a thing worthy by the way to bee obserued Here hee met with some Merchants returning from Cathay which could tell him of Ricci and the other Iesuites at Paquin as before you heard out of Pantogia And here first did he learne that China was Cathay At his departing from Cialis the Viceroy gaue him his letters of passe and inscribed him a Christian according to his desire whereat a Mahumetan Priest much wondered affirming that theirs with the Region shifted also their Religion In twenty dayes they came to Pucian thence to Turphan a fortified Citie thence to Aramuth and so to Camul the last City of this Kingdome of Cialis In nine dayes they passed from Camul to the Northerne walles of China where they stayed twenty fiue dayes expecting the Viceroyes answere for their admission at a place called Chiaicuon And then being entred the walles they came in one dayes iourney to the Citie Socieù All the space betweene Cialis and the borders of China is subiect to the out-rodes of the Tartars the cause that Merchants trauell in great feare in the day time looking not whether the coast be cleare and trauelling the night with great silence and secresie They found many Saracens slaine in the way The countrey people they seldome kill but rob of their cattell as for corne and rice they hold it food for beasts and not for men feeding on flesh and liuing aboue an hundred yeeres The Saracens in these parts are effeminate and might easily bee subdued by the Chinois if they would On the West parts of China is that Wall before mentioned to exclude the Tartars and two fortified Cities with strong Garrisons hauing their proper Viceroy and other Magistrates Canceu the head City of the Prouince Scensi and Soceù which is diuided into two parts one of which is inhabited by Saracens which trade here for Merchandize the other by Chinois whom the Saracens heere call Cathayans Euery night the Saracens are enclosed in their owne Citie in other things as the Chinois subiect to the same Lawes and Magistrates Neyther may any forreyner returne into his countrey which hath stayed there nine yeeres Euerie sixth yeere seuenty two Legates come after an olde custome to pay a kind of tribute to the King this but a shew the intent being to inrich themselues as is sayd with Marchandize being maintained in respect of that pretence at the Kings Charge Into Soceù Goes came at the end of the yeere 1605. and here met with other Saracens returning from Paquin which told him of the Iesuites there residing adding that the King did not tell but powred out of a measure a dayly allowance of money to them which I mention to shew that a man must bee sparing of credite to Saracen Trauellers and Merchants But Goes could not a long time certifie these his fellowes of his arriuall being ignorant of their China names and it was foure monethes iourney to Paquin from Soceu the force of Winter is there very great yet did they send in that vnseasonable season one of their Conuerts a Chinois called Ioannes Ferdinandus who after a tedious iourney found Goes then lying on his death-bed when hee brought him the letters from the Society Eleuen dayes after he dyed not without suspition of poyson giuen him by the Saracens who had also before deuised by the way many shifts to make themselues Masters of his goods they haue likewise a custome that if any dye by the way his goods are shared amongst the rest Here did the Saracens offer to seize all into their hands but Ferdinandus professed himselfe his Nephew borne of a China Mother and with much a doe eating Swines flesh together with the Armenian in token they were not Saracens obtayned that little which was left of Goes his substance scarcely enough to pay charges yet this and all the other tedious circumstances of this long Narration I haue thus largely related for the instruction of Geographers and Merchants of these parts desirous to know or trade those Countryes the knowledge whereof I thinke no Europaean else hath learned by experience in some hundreths of yeeres last past His Companion the Armenian was sent from Paquin to Macao and thence to India and being taken by Hollanders in the way at Sincapura was redeemed by the Portugals and returned to Ciaul where he yet liues as Trigautius our Authour affirmeth But it is high time for vs to take view of our Tartarian Religion CHAP. XIII Of the Religion of the Tartars and Cathayans IOANNES DE PLANO CARPINI thus writeth of their Religion They beleeue that there is one GOD the maker of all things visible and inuisible the Authour of good things and punishments yet do they not worship him with prayers prayses or any certaine rites They haue also Idols of Felt in the fashion of a man and the same they set on both sides of their Tent-doores and vnder them they put a thing of Felt fashioned like a Dugge These they account the keepers of their Cattell Authors of their Milke and young store Others they make of Silke and doe them much honour Some place them in a faire Chariot couered before the doore of their station and whosoeuer stealeth any thing out of that Chariot is slaine without all pitty Their Captaines haue one alway in the middest of their Tent. To these Idols they offer the first fruits of their Milke and the first morsels of their meate and first draught of their drinke at meales And when they kill a beast they offer the heart to their Idoll leauing it before him till the morning and then they take and eate it They make an Idoll also to their chiefe Emperour and offer thereunto with great solemnitie as well other creatures as horses which none after dare ride on till death They breake not a bone of the beasts which they kill for meate but burne them with fire They bend themselues to this Idoll towards the South as to a God They worship the Sunne Lights and Fire Water also and the Earth offering thereunto the first of their meates and drinkes and in the morning before they eate or drinke They haue no set rites prescribed by Law nor doe they compell any to deny their Religion simply although in some of their customes they are very rigorous Thus they martyred Michael Duke of Russia because he refused to doe reuerence to the Image of Cingis Can which had beene their first Emperour and compelled the younger brother of Andrew Duke of Saruogle in Russia to marrie his said brothers wife according to their custome after that they had slaine her former Husband They haue certaine traditions
Doer or his Posteritie The Ancients made no question of the Soules immortalitie speaking often of the Dead as liuing in Heauen But of the punishments of wicked men in Hel not a word The later Professors teach that the Soule dies with or soone after the Bodie and therfore beleeue neither Heauen nor Hel. Some of them hold that good mens soules by the strength of vertue hold out some longer time but of bad men to die with the bodie But the most common opinion taken from the Sect of Idolaters and brought in fiue hundred yeeres since holdeth that the World consisteth of one substance and that the Maker thereof together with Heauen and Earth Men Beasts Plants and the Elements doe make vp one bodie of which euery Creature is a distinct member thence obseruing what loue ought to be amongst all things and that Men may come to become one with GOD. Although the learned men acknowledge one supreame Deitie yet doe they build him no Temple nor depute any place to his worship no Priests or Ministers of Religion no solemne Rites no Precepts or Rules none that hath power to ordaine or explaine their Holies or to punish the Transgressors They doe Him no priuate or publike deuotions or seruice yea they affirme that it belongs to the King only to do sacrifice and worship to the King of Heauen and that it is treason for others to vsurpe it For this cause the King hath two Temples very magnificent in both the Royall Cities the one consecrate to Heauen the other to Earth in the which hee was wont himselfe to sacrifice but it is now performed by some principall Magistrates which slay there many Sheepe and Oxen and performe other Rites many to Heauen and Earth in his stead To the other spirits of Hills Riuers and the foure Regions of the World onely the chiefe Magistrates doe sacrifice nor is it lawfull to priuate men The Precepts of this Law are in their nine Bookes before mentioned Nothing in this Sect is moee generall from the King to the meanest then their yeerely Obits to their Parents and grand-fathers which they account obedience to Parents though dead of which afterwards The Temple they haue is that which in euery Citie is by the Law built to Confutius in that place where there Schoole or Commencement house is This is sumptuous and hath adioyning the Palace of that Magistracie which is ouer the Bachellors or Graduates of the first degree In the chiefe place of this Temple or Chappell is placed his Image or else his name in golden Cupitall Letters on a faire Table besides which stand other Images of his disciples as inferiour Saints Into this Temple euery new and full Moone all the Magistrates of the Citie assemble with the Bachellors and adore him with kneelings wax-lights and incense They do also yeerely on his birth-day and other appointed times offer vnto him meat-offerings or dishes with great prouision yeelding him thanks for the learning they haue found in his Bookes as the cause of their Degrees and Magistracies But they pray not to him for any thing no more then to the dead in their Obits There are other Chappels of the same Sect vnto the Tutelare spirits of each Citie and proper to euery Magistrate of the Court Therein they binde themselues by solemne oath to obserue the Lawes in their function and that at their first entrance heere they offer meates and burne odours acknowledging diuine Iustice in punishing periurie The scope of this Sect of the learned is the publike peace and well ordering of the priuate and publike state and framing themselues to Morall vertues wherein they doe not much disagree from the Christian veritie They haue fiue concords in their Moralitie in which as Cardinall vertues they comprise all Humanitie the duties namely of Father and Child Husband and Wife Master or Superiour and those vnder them Brethren amongst themselues and lastly Equals and Companions They condemne single life and permit polygamie This precept of Charitie to doe to others as one would bee done to is well handled in their Bookes and especially the pietie and obseruance of Children to their Parents and Inferiours to their Superiours Longobardus saith that euery new and full Moon-day a little before Sun-rising in all the Cities of this Kingdome and in all the streets at one and the same houre they make publication of these sixe Precepts First Obey thy Father and Mother Secondly Reuerence thy Elders and Superiours Thirdly Keepe peace with thy Neighbours Fourthly Teach thy Children Fiftly Fulfill thy Calling and Office The last prohibiteth crimes Murther Adulterie Theft c. Many mixe this first with other Sects yea some hold not this a Sect but an Academie Schoole or Profession of Policie and gouerning the priuate and publike State §. IIII. Of the Sect Sciequia THe second Sect is called Sciequia or Omitose in Iapon pronounced Sciaccu and Amidabu the characters to both are the same the Iaponites call it also the Totoqui Law This was brought into China from the West out of a Kingdome called Thiencio or Scinto now Indostan betweene Indus and Ganges Anno Dom. 65. I haue read That the King of China mooued by a dreame sent Legates thither which brought thence Bookes and Interpreters which translated those Bookes from hence it passed into Iapon and therefore the Iaponders are deceiued which thinke that Sciaccu and Amidabu were Siamites and came into Iapon themselues Perhaps they then heard of the Apostles preaching in India and sending for that had this false doctrine obtruded on them These hold that there are foure Elements whereas the Chinois foolishly affirme fiue Fire Water Earth Metals and Wood not mentioning the Aire of which they compound this Elementary World with the creatures therein They multiplie Worlds with Democritus and with Pythagoras hold a Metampsychosis or passage of Soules out of one body into another They tell of a Trinitie of Gods which grew into one Deitie This Sect promiseth rewards to the good in Heauen to the euill threatens punishments in Hell extolleth Single life seemes to condemne Marriage bids fare-well to house and houshold and begs in Pilgrimages to diuers places Their Rites doe much agree it is the Iesuites assertion with the Popish their Hymnes and Prayers with the Gregorian fashion Images in their Temples Priestly Vestments like to their Pluutalia In their Mumsimus they often repeate a name which themselues vnderstand not Tolome which some thinke may be deriued from that of Saint Thomas Neither in Heauen or Hell doe they ascribe eternitie but after certaine spaces of yeeres they allow them another birth in some other Earth there allowing them penance for their passed sinnes The seuerer sort eate not flesh or any thing that had life but if any delinquish their penance is not heard the gift of some money or the mumbling ouer their Orisons being they promise of power to free from Hell These things made a faire shew but their corruptions
best house which needed lest furniture of houshold Hee added that they searched the secrets of Nature and that returning into the Citie if they met with any carrying figs or grapes they receiued of him gratis if oyle they powred it on them and all mens houses and goods were open to them euen to the Parlors of their wiues When they were entred they imparted the wisdome of their sentences as the other communicated his meats If they feared any disease they preuented the same with fire as was now said of Calanus Megasthenes reproueth this Calanus as Alexanders Trencher-Chaplaine and commendeth Mandanis saying That when Alexanders messengers told him that he must come to the sonne of Iupiter with promise of rewards if he came otherwise menacing torture hee answered That neither was he Iupiters sonne nor did possesse any great part of the earth as for himselfe he neither respected his gifts nor feared his threatnings for while he liued India yeelded him sufficient if he dyed he should be freed from age and exchange for a better and purer life Whereupon he saith Alexander both pardoned and praised him Clitarchus reporteth also that to the Brachmanes are opposed another sect called Pramnae men full of subtiltie and contention which derided the studies of others in Physiologie and Astronomie He diuideth the Brachmanes into those of the Mountaines clothed in Deere skins which carried scrips full of roots and medicines which they applied with certaine charmes to cure diseases and the second sort he calleth Gymnetae those naked ones before mentioned whereof it seemeth they were called Gymnosophistae which had women amongst them but not in carnall knowledge the third he calleth Ciuill which liued in Cities and Villages wearing fine linnen and apparrelled in skins Clemens Alexandrinus speakes of their fastings and other austere courses out of Alex. Polyhistor de rebus Indicis The Brachmanes saith he neither eate any quick thing nor drinke wine But some of them eat euery day as we doe some onely euery third day They contemne death nor much esteeme of life beleeuing to be borne againe Some worship Pan and Hercules But those Indians which are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for their grauitie and austeritie liue altogether naked These practise Truth and foretell things to come and worship a certaine Pyramis vnder which they thinke are laid the bones of some god Neither the Gymnosophists nor these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vse women but thinke it vnlawfull and against Nature and therefore obserue chastitie Likewise there are Virgins which are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the female sexe They seeme to obserue the heauenly bodies and by their signification to foretell future euents Thus farre Clemens Nicolaus Damascenus saith That at Antiochia hee saw the Indian Embassadors sent to Augustus from Porus the King as his letter contained of sixe hundred Kings with presents among which was a female-Viper of sixteene Cubits one of the like bignesse Strabo saith he saw sent out of Egypt and a Cray-fish of three Cubits and a Partrich bigger then a Vulture Zarmanochagas one of these Indian Philosophers was one of the Embassadours who at Athens burned himselfe not moued thereto by aduersitie but by prosperitie which had in all things followed his desires lest in his succeeding age it might alter and therefore entered the fire anointed naked laughing His Epitaph was Here lyeth Zarmanochagas the Indian of Bargosa which according to his Countrey-custome made himselfe immortall But it is not such maruell that their Philosophers thus contemned death whereas their Women the weaker and more fearefull sexe wherein out-went their sexe and weakenesse For their custome admitting many wiues the dearest of which was burned with the deceased husband Hae igitur contendunt inter se de amore viri they are Hieromes words ambitio summa certantium est ac testimonium castitatis dignam morte decerni They ambitiously contend amongst themselues to obtaine this fatall testimonie of their husbands loue and their owne chastitie and the conqueresse in her former habit lyeth downe by the carkasse embracing and kissing the same contemning the fire which thus marryeth them againe in despight of deaths diuorce A thing to this day obserued in many parts of India as we shall see anon Arrianus reporteth of a place called Comar it seemeth the Cape Comori ouer-against Zeilan wherein is a Hauen to which vsed to resort certaine Votaries which had deuoted themselues to a single life to wash themselues in those holy-waters The like was done by their Nun-like women They had a tradition of a certaine goddesse which vsed to wash her selfe there euery moneth Suidas telleth of a Nation called Brachmanes inhabiting an Iland in the Sea where Alexander erected a pillar with inscription that he had passed so farre They liue an hundred and fiftie yeeres and haue neither bread wine flesh nor metals nor houses but liue of the fruits and cleere water and are very religious Their wiues liue apart on the other side Ganges to whom they passe in Iuly and August and after fortie dayes returne home againe When the wife hath had two children shee neither knoweth her husband after nor any other man which is obserued also when in fiue yeeres he can raise no issue of her hee after abstaineth These slay no beasts in sacrifice but affirme That GOD better accepteth vnbloudie sacrifices of Prayer and more delighteth in Man his owne Image In the Hills called Hemodi Bacchus is said to haue erected pillars to witnesse his Conquest as farre in that Easterne Ocean as Hercules did in the West He built the Citie Nysa where he left his sicke and aged Souldiers which Alexander spared and suffered to their owne libertie for Dionysius or Bacchus his sake And as Bacchus erected Pillars so did Alexander Altars to the Twelue chiefe gods as high as Towers Monuments of his farre trauels where he obserued solemne games and sacrifices Hee sacrificed also not to his Countrey gods alone but to Hydaspis Acesine and Indus Indian Riuers and to other gods with other Rites and Sacrifices then he had before vsed drowning a golden bowle in Indus and another in the Ocean in his Ethnicke superstition To him did the Indian Magi so doth Arrianus call their Brachmanes say That hee was but as other men sauing that hee had lesse rest and was more troublesome and being dead should enioy no more land then would serue to couer his bodie And euery man said they stamping with their feet on the ground hath so much as he treadeth on Eusebius reciteth out of Bardesanes Cyrus that amongst the Indians and Bactrians were many thousand Brachmanes which as well by Tradition as Law worshipped no Image nor ate any quick Creature dranke no Wine nor Beere only attending on Diuine things whereas the other Indians are very vicious yea some hunt Men sacrifice and deuoure them and were as Idolaters Plinie besides his Relations of Monsters in
World to bee a Tallipoy In few dayes after he is carried vpon a Thing like an Horse-litter which they call a Serion vpon ten or twelue mens shoulders in apparrell of a Tallipoy with Pipes and Drums and many Tallipoys with him and all his friends which accompany him to his House standing without the Towne and there leaue him Euery one of them hath his House which is very little set vpon sixe or eight Posts to which they ascend on a Ladder of twelue or fourteene steps These Houses are commonly by the High-wayes side and among the Trees and in the Woods They goe strangely apparrelled with one Camboline or thin Cloth next to their bodie of a browne colour another of yellow doubled many times vpon their shoulders These two bee girded to them with a broad Girdle and they haue a Skin of Leather hanging on a string about their neckes whereon they sit bare-headed and bare-footed with their right armes bare and a broad Sombrero or shadow in their hands to defend them in Summer from the Sunne and in Winter from the raine They are shauen on their heads beards and all their bodies They obserue perpetuall Chastitie and are modest in their going When one of them dies his body is kept many dayes with Feasts and after is set on a high Scaffold many Tallapoys feasting about it Thus it is carried to the place of burning by a great number of people where it is consumed with sweet Woods to the bones these buried neere their Houses and the ashes cast into the water Balby resembles them in Habite and Ceremonies to their Friers They goe with a great Pot made of Wood or fine Earth and couered tyed with a broad Girdle vpon their shoulders which commeth vnder their arme wherewith they goe to beg their Victuals which they eate which is Rice Fish and Hearbs They demand nothing but come to the doore and the people presently doe giue them one thing or other which they put together in their Pot. They keepe their Feasts by the Moone and at a new Moone is their most solemne Feast and then the people send Rice and other things to that Kiack or Church of which they be and there all the Tallipoys of that Church meet and ate that which is sent them They Preach against all abuses and many resort vnto them When they enter into their Kiack at the doore their is a great Iarre of Water with a Cocke or a Ladle in it and there they wash their feet and then enter in lifting vp their hands to their heads first to their Preacher then to the Sun and so sit downe When the Tallipoys preach many of the people carry them gifts vnto the Pulpit where they sit and preach And there is one that sitteth by them to take that which the people bring which is diuided among them They haue none other Ceremonies nor Seruice that I could see but onely Preaching Bomferrus a Franciscan and after him Boterus say That they hold an innumerable multitude of Worlds from all eternitie succeeding one after another and also an innumerable number of Gods but not all at once They imagine that fiue haue gouerned this present World whereof foure are passed aboue 2090. yeeres agoe Now they are without a God and expect the fifth many Ages hereafter after whose death they conceiue that the World shall perish by fire and then another World shall follow and others Gods to rule it They recken likewise in the number of their Gods certaine Men which yet haue first passed into Fishes Beasts and Birds of all sorts After death they beleeue three Places one of Pleasure Scuum like the Mahumetane Paradise another of Torment Naxac the third of Annihilation which they call Niba The Soules after their phantasie abide in the two former places whence they returne so often into this life till at last they be holden worthy that Niba Hee addeth that they haue Couents or Colledges of Priests which liue three hundred together or more in one place haue no vse of Women are harbourers of Strangers and liue some of Almes some of Rents They haue like Nunneries also for the Women There is supposed to be in one Idol-Sanctuary whereof they haue many 120000. Idols They fast thirtie dayes in the yeere in which they eat nothing till night They are of opinion That he which in this world robbeth another man shall in the next world bee his seruant for recompence They hold it a sin also to kill a liuing creature although this be not strictly obserued amongst them Some Iewes are of opinion That this people descended of those Israelites which Salomon sent to Ophir which they place in this Kingdome But the Peguans themselues ascribe their Religion to a Dog and a China woman which escaped shipwracke The Deuill is highly worshipped of these Pegusians to whom they erect a stately Altar and adorne it with varietie of Flowers and Meates of all sorts so to fee and feede him that hee should not hurt them This is principally done when they are sicke for then they make Vowes and build Altars which they couer with Clothes and Flowers They entertaine him also with diuersitie of Musicke and appoint him a Priest whom they call the Deuils Father which procureth his Rites and Musicke Some as soone as they rise from their beds bring a basket of Rice and meates and a burning Torch in their hands running vp and downe in the streets openly professing to feede the Deuill to preuent harme from them that day And if Dogs follow them they hold them to be sent of the Deuill to deuoure those meates in his name Some will not eate till they haue first cast something behinde their backes to the Deuill And in the Country Villages some of the richer inhabitants leaue their houses furnished with store of food three moneths space to bee inhabited of him keeping meane while in the fields that so the other nine moneths they may bee out of his danger And howsoeuer the Tallipoys preach against this deuillish deuotion yet they cannot reclaim the people The Tallipoys euery Munday arise early and by the ringing of a Bason call together the people to their Sermons which are of Iustice to man but nothing of Religion to God They wash themselues once a yeere and the water wherewith they are washed the people account holy and reserue it for their drinke as a holy potion They hold that all which doe well of whatsoeuer Religion shall be saued and therefore care not as Balby affirmeth if any of their Nation turne Christian They haue many Feasts very solemnly obserued One Feast called Sapan Giachie is kept twelue leagues from the Citie whither the King rides in a triumphall Chariot with his Queene in exceeding pompe so adorned with Iewels that the eye cannot endure their shining his Nobles attending Another is kept in Pegu against which day all the Courtiers prouide them certaine Pillars or Images
be the Reliques of the Tartarian conquests in those parts so Adelham is King of Iustice Neza in the Persian which Scaliger saith is of like extent in the East as Latine in the West is a Lance Maluco signifieth the Kingdome Neza or Nizamaluco the Speare or Lance of the kingdom So Cotamaluco the Tower of the kingdom Imadmaluco the Throne of the Kingdome c Nizamaluco is also called Nizamoxa which Xa or Scha is a Persian title signifying as Monsieur in France Don in Spaine and giuen by Ismael the Sophi and Tamas his sonne to all those Kings that would communicate in their Sect which Nizamoxa only yeelded to Other of them made shew but soone recanted Thus farre Garcias The Decan Kings being now ten or twelue make joynt warre against the Mogoll hauing one Lieutenant Generall which is Amber Chapu an Abassen slaue before mentioned out of Captaine Hawkins who hath many Lecks of Rupias in ready money and is Protector of the Kingdome of Amdanagar the titular King being a childe One Robert Iohnson an Englishman turned Moore and was entertained with much respect of one of the Decan Kings but died eight dayes after his Circumcision So were Robert Claxon and Robert Trally voluntarily robbed of that which they neuer had Faith and Religion and turned Moores The Decans dominians reach from the West Sea to that of Choromandel or very neere thereto The chiefe reason of their Mahumetan Religion was that Conquest by Nosaradin and his successors Moores that there are so many Kingdomes proceed from that diuision before mentioned §. III. Of the Banian and Cambayan superstitions THe Religion in Cambaya is partly Moorish partly Heathenish The Banians are many in Sinda and other Countries of the Mogol There are some thirty Casts of them in Sinda this is the Countrey which Indus last forsaketh inhabited by Boloches and Rasbooches and Banians the great Townes and Cities gouerned by Mogols These are of thirty different Sects which may not eate with each other They must also marry in their owne Cast Tribe and Sect and which is more in the same trade as the Sonne of a Barber with a Barbers Daughter These marriages are made when they be yong sometime almost before they be For when two women are pregnant the Parents will make a match betweene their Children if death or the sexe disappoint not When they are three or foure yeeres old the Parents which haue agreed on a match betweene their Children make a great feast and set this young couple on horsebacke a man behind each of them to hold them in their best clothes accompanied with the Bramenes or Priests and many others according to their state and so leade them vp and downe the Citie where they dwell and then to the Pagode or Temple After Ceremonies there done they come home and make festiuall cheere certaine dayes as they are able At ten yeeres of age they lie together The burning their dead is common to all their Sects They are of the Pythagorean or he was rather of their fancy which he learned of the Indians When the husband dies the wife shaues her head and weares her jewels no more so continuing till death Thus farre Master Withington M. Couert relateth that they haue God in pictures of stone hanging their Beades on the heads of the pictures and then with their faces towards the Sunne doe worship it saying all their comforts proceed from it I saw a Kow adorned with Iewels and a Vest of gold her head bedecked with garlands flowers and then being brought to a burial place where they vse to make Sermons they kisse her feet and teats and worship her I asking why they did so they answered that she was the mother of beasts brought them milke butter cheese and the Oxe to till the ground and lastly her Hide did make leather to make them shooes Moreouer they say she is blest by the Mother of God to be honored aboue all beasts Another writes that these Banians are the wisest Merchants in the East exceeding the Iewes very rich some worth 2. or 300000li. He addes that they pay a great summe to the Mogol to preuent killing of Oxen and when our men had shot a Turtle-doue through the wings they will giue a Riall of eight to redeeme and preserue it Generall Downton in his last Iournall writes that when they would haue obtained a Bazar or Market by the shoare answere was made that they might but not for Bullocks For the Mogol had granted his Firma to the Banians for a mighty summe yeerly to saue their liues For Souldiery these are but shadowes of men all their Fortitude smoking out in these superstitious speculations and therefore an easie prey to any Inuader So true a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haue they sustained being metamorphosed and transanimated from men to blockes and liuing statues or to ghosts Beniamin Day nameth one of their Sects called Ash-men whose bodies being most part naked are couered with ashes whereby they looke like ghosts or dead men They liue idlely on reliefe not so much as begging One of these was in great account with haire hanging to his feet platted together his nailes fiue or sixe inches long Vertomannus is Author that they worship not Idols or Pagodes Others report That this way aad others they are exceeding religiously deuoted They obserue a strict kind of fasting which lasteth with some eight dayes with others fifteene twenty or thirty dayes in all which space they eate not a bit onely when they thirst drinke water One could not see when to make an end of this his penance till his left eye fell out of his head as both had done before out of his heart In Cambaia they had one Bramene in such reputation of holinesse and honour that they would salute him before they meddled with their worldly affaires One affirmed to this Iesuite That if his Bramene should command him to distribute all his goods to the poore he would doe it yea he would lay downe his life at his command On the eight day of Ianuarie i in that Citie were giuen in almes twenty thousand Pardawes which is in value about a Flemish Dollar one man had giuen fiue thousand thereof another three thousand another fifteene hundred The cause was because that day as their Bramenes affirmed the Sunne departed from Sur to Horte Of their Pilgrimages is spoken before some Eastward to Ganges some Westward to Mecca to wit the Moores not men alone but women also and because Mahomet hath forbidden all vnmarried women this holy Iourney they will marrie before they set forth and dissolue the same marriage againe after their returne Hereby they thinke to purchase merit with God I went one day sayth Pinnerus to the publike Hospitall which the Citizens of Cambaia had founded for all kindes of Birds to cure them in their sicknesse Some Peacockes were there incurable and therefore might haue
then they goe out of the Citie passing by the Riuers side to the burning-place where is prepared a great square Caue full of Wood. Here is made a great Banquet the woman eating with ioy as if it were her wedding-day and after they sing and daunce till the woman bid to kindle the fire in the Caue then she leaueth the Feast and taketh her husbands neerest kinsman by the hand and goeth with him to the banke of the Riuer where she strippeth her of her cloathes and iewels bestowing them at her pleasure and couering herselfe with a cloth throweth herselfe into the Riuer saying O wretches wash away your sinnes Comming out of the Water shee rowleth herselfe into a yellow cloth and againe taking her husbands kinsman by the hand goeth to the said Caue by which is erected a little Pinnacle on which she mounteth and there recommendeth her children and kindred to the people After this another woman taketh a pot with oyle and sprinkleth it ouer her head and therewith annoynteth all her bodie and then throweth it into the Furnace the woman going together with the same Presently after the woman the people throw great pieces of Wood into the Caue so that with those blowes and the fire she is quickly dead and their great mirth is on a suddaine turned into great lamentation and howling When a Great man dyeth all the women of his house both his wife and slaues with whom hee hath had carnall copulation burne themselues together with him Amongst the baser sort I haue seene saith Master Frederike the dead man carried to the place of buriall and there set vpright the woman comming before him on her knees casteth her armes about his necke while a Mason maketh a wall round about them and when the wall is as high as their neckes one comming behind the woman strangleth her the workeman presently finishing the wall ouer them and this is their buriall Ludouicus Vertomannus relateth the same Funerall Rites of Tarnasseri as in other parts of India sauing that there fifteene or twentie men in their idolatrous habit like Diuels doe attend on the fire wherein the husband is burned all the Musicians of the Citie solemnizing the Funerall pompe and fifteene dayes after they haue the like solemnitie at the burning of the woman those diuellish fellowes holding fire in their mouthes and sacrificing to Deumo and are her intercessors to that Diuell for her good entertainment The cause of burning their wiues is by some ascribed to their wonted poysonings of their husbands before this Law by others that the husband might haue her helpe and comfort in the other world Odoricus telleth of a strange and vncouth Idoll as bigge as Saint Christopher of pure Gold with a new band about the necke full of precious stones some one whereof was of value if he valued iustly more then a whole Kingdome The roofe pauement and seeling of the walls within and without the Temple was all Gold The Indians went thither on pilgrimage some with halters about their neckes some with their hands bound behind them some with kniues sticking on their armes and legges and if after their pilgrimage the wounded flesh festered they esteemed that limbe holy and a signe of their Gods fauour Neere to the Temple was a Lake where-into the Pilgrims cast Gold Siluer and Gemmes for honour of the Idoll and reparation of his Temple At euery yearely Feast the King and Queene with the Pilgrims and People assembling placed the said Idoll in a rich Chariot and with a solemne procession of Virgins two and two in a ranke singing before him and with Musicall Instruments carrie him forth Many Pilgrims put themselues vnder the Chariot wheeles where they are crushed in pieces More then fiue hundred persons vsed thus to doe whose carkasses were burned and ashes kept for holy Reliques Otherwise also they will deuote themselues to such a martyrdome in this manner The parents and friends assemble and make a Feast to this Votarie and after that hang fiue sharpe kniues about his necke and so carrie him before the Idoll where he taketh one of his kniues and cryeth For the worship of my God I cut this my flesh and cutting a piece casteth it at the face of the Idoll and so proceeding at the last sayth Now doe I yeeld my selfe to death in the behalfe of my God and being dead is burned as before Our Country-man Sir Iohn Mandeuile reporteth the same Historie of their Idoll-Procession and the ashes of those voluntary Martyrs which they keepe to defend them against tempests and misfortunes He also sayth That some Pilgrims in all their peregrinations not once lifted vp their eye-lids some at euery third or fourth pace fell downe on their knees to worship some whipped others wounded themselues yea killed themselues as is before said Nicolo di Conti reporteth the same in his time Neither is this bloudy custome yet left as Linschoten affirmeth by report of one of his chamber-fellowes that had seene it They haue sayth he a Waggon or Cart so heauie that three or foure Elephants can hardly draw it which is brought forth at Faires Feasts and Processions At this Cart hang many Cables or Ropes whereat all the people hale and pull of deuotion In the vpper part of the Cart standeth a Tabernacle and therein the Idoll vnder it sit the Kings wiues playing on Instruments And while the Procession passeth some cut pieces of their flesh and throwe at the Pagode some lay themselues vnder the wheeles of the Cart with such euent as you haue heard Gasparo Balby relateth the same and addeth That the Priests which haue care of this Idoll and certaine women are consecrated to these deuotions from their Cradles by their Zeale-blind parents And the women prostitute their bodies to gaine for the Idoll whatsoeuer they can get ouer and aboue their owne maintenance This filleth the Citie with Strumpets there being of this Sacred you may interpret it Cursed crue foure hundred in one place of the Citie These haue their place in the Idoll-procession some of them in the Chariot which is drawne by men euery one accounting himselfe happy that can touch or draw the same This he sayth was at Negapaton He further affirmeth That not farre from the Citie of Saint Thomas is the Towne Casta where the the Wife is not burned as at Negapatan but a great Graue being made for the deceased Husband they place the liuing Wife by the dead corps and their neerest kindred cast earth vpon them both and stampe thereon They which marry wed in their owne degree as a Smith to a Smiths daughter and they powre out their prayers at the Image of some Kow or a Serpent called Bittia di Capella Their Bramenes burne Kowes dung and if they intend any warres with other Nations they anoint their Nose and Forehead with those ashes not washing themselues till the euening They which sacrifice themselues to the Pagode
bringeth water from Nilus continueth fiftie miles the Cisternes which receiue it are as you haue heard and it is thought as this our Author affirmeth that those parts of Alexandria which the ground hideth cost more then that which is open to the view Yet doe these Cisternes now much decay The Citie sheweth faire without but within they are Baumgartens wordes like a heape of stones few houses are whole The Custome is farmed by the Iewes at two hundred thousand Madeins a day a coyne of siluer trebling the value of an Asper thirtie of them amounting to a Riall of eight the Port is free to friend and enemie Ten in the hundred is paid in kinde of all thing for custome onely money payes but one and a halfe whereof they take an exact account that they may ghesse at the value of returned commodities then paying eleuen in the hundred more euen for such Goods as are in propertie vnaltered The places anciently famous in Alexandria besides the Musaeum and Serapium before mentioned as their Vniuersitie and Librarie were the Isaeum and other their Temples which with the Palaces are said to take vp the fourth part of their Citie Beniamin Tudelensis speaketh of a faire building without the walls in his time called Aristotles Schoole wherein were twentie Schooles and betweene them marble pillars sometimes much frequented as he saith but I thinke deceiued to heare Aristotles Reading He mentions Vaults a mile long He found there three thousand Iewes Thebes that sometime was so famous a Citie contayneth not now aboue three hundred Families and still retayneth some bones of the carkasse of old Thebes many pillars walls inscriptions in Latine Greeke and Egyptian characters Memphis her next successor is vtterly ruinate §. V. Of the Saracens their Acts and Sects of the Mamalukes and Cophties THe Mahumetanes entred Aegypt about Anno 637. After their state sinking vnder the weight of it selfe which is the ordinary sicknesse of Greatnesse they grew to dissentions and Sects as is said in our Saracen History For the seate of the Saracenicall Caliphas beeing by Macamat remoued to Bagdat which hee had builded there arose new Caliphs in Damasco in Egypt whose seate was after at Cayro in Cayroan to whom the Africans yeelded subjection and after at Marocco But in Elcains time while hee sought to winne the East from the Caliph of Bagdat his Lieutenant rebelled against him and hee was faine to liue in Egypt where Gehoar had built Cayro The Sect of Hali had before also preuayled in Egypt for which case Nafissus father was forced to flee the Countrey yet this fect after was restored by Asmulinus and Solinus his sonne first Caliph of Egypt But when the Westerne forces vnder Godfrey of Bullen grew terrible to the East the Egyptians payd tribute to the Christians which Dargan the Sultan detayning was by Almericus King of Ierusalem ouerthrowne in battell Noradine of Damasco sent Saracon his sonne to helpe Sanar the Sultan against this Dargan which Saracon was by the Caliph appointed Sultan who before had slaine the Sultan and Saladine his Successour slew the Caliph for comming to him with pretence of doing him reuerence hee smote him to the ground with an Iron Mace and rooted out his Posteritie to settle his owne This History is diuersly reported Peucerus maketh the Egyptian Caliphs to bee Schismaticall from their first entrance which was as hee saith in Anno 703. which raigned in Egypt foure hundred forty and seuen yeeres of the profession of Hali. Curio writeth otherwise as in their History wee haue shewed So also doth Leo dissenting from them both a man learned in his owne Religion Hee saith that the Caliph of Cayro had contmued two hundred and thirty yeeres when as Saladine slew him and subjected himselfe to the Caliph of Bagdet the onely Caliph then remayning This Saladine was nephew to Saracon who chased the Christians out of Syria His Children raigned after him of which Melechsala was last who first inuented the Order of the Mamalukes which were Cireassian slaues bought in their youth and trayned vp to Armes Artes and Religion of the Saracens whom hee made of his Guard But they slew their Master and vsurped the Kingdome to themselues alwayes electing one of their Company the first of which Mamaluke Kings was Turquemenius who was slaine of his fellow Cothus and hee of Bendocader who was also poysoned c. Leo sayth that Saladines Family raigned an hundred and fiftie yeeres and Piperis was sayth hee the first Mamaluke King Campson Gaurus and Tomumbeius the last of these Kings were ouerthrowne by Zelim the Turke Anno 1517. whose Successours still hold Aegypt and haue a Bassa resident at Cayro from whence was carried by water many Ornaments to Constantinople The Caliph was at Bagdet so heere retayned some spirituall preeminence much like the Rex sacrorum amongst the Romanes whose Title was Royall and his Office in their superstitious ceremonies to performe those Rites which the Kings had vsed personally to doe but this titular King was subject to higher Powers of the Pontifex People and Senate Baumgarten saw him in white attire with a forked Diadem or Mitre a blacke and long beard with a great retinue comming to salute Tongobardinus a great Mamaluke which sometimes had beene a Deacon in Spaine and now had embraced the world and the world him possessing Honours Wealth and fiue and thirtie Wiues in Cayro Peter Martyr sayth that the Caliph selleth the Soldan this Dignitie at a price and ascending the Throne doth giue and commit vnto the Soldan there standing on foote the absolute power of life and death and then descending difrobeth himselfe attiring the Soldan with the same Robes So it appeareth that the name and power of the Caliph all the time of the Mamalukes as the Ghost of it selfe had some almost breathlesse shadow left the life and substance being in the Soldan There is sayth Leo in Cayro and in all Aegypt foure Sects differing from each other in Canon and Ciuill Lawes all Mahumetans Hee which professeth one of these Sects cannot at his pleasure betake him to another except being learned hee shew reasons therefore Each of these Sects hath his peculiar Iudge from whom yet lyeth an appeale to a higher Iudge being Gouernour of the Sect called Essafichia Whosoeuer attempteth ought against the Precepts of his owne Sect is secretly punished by the Iudge thereof And although the Priests of these seuerall Sects vse differing Liturgies and Rites yet doe they not take one the other for Enemies with hatred or mutinies but if any question arise Learned men by conference debate the same No man vpon paine of grieuous punishment may reproach any of the foure Doctors first Authors of those foure Sects There is one Sect of religious men in Cayro called Chenesia which liue vpon Horse-flesh therefore are lame Iades bought and set vp a fattening and sold to these Chenesians which Sect is rise
charmes were the cause that made the earth bring forth her fruit and that he might the easier perswade them he retired himselfe once or twice a yeere to a certain house accompanied with two or three of his friends where he vsed inchantments If any man offered to see what he did it cost him his life Euery yeere he offereth a man in the time of Haruest which was kept for that purpose and taken of such Spaniards as had suffered shipwrack on that Coast They which further desire to know the riches and commodities of these Countries may resort to the Authors in this Chapter mentioned Sir Francis Drake in the yeere 1586. besides his worthy exploits in other places tooke the Forts of S. Iohn and Saint Augustine whence he brought Pedro Morales and Nicholas Burgoignon whose relations concerning that Countrey Master Hackluit hath inserted among other his painfull labours Dauid Ingram reported many strange things which he saith he saw in these parts Elephants Horses and beasts twice as big as Horses their hinder parts resembling Greyhounds Buls with eares like Hounds beasts bigger then Beares without head or necke but hauing their eyes and mouthes in their brests and another beast Cerberus he cals him Colluchio which is saith he the Deuill in likenesse of a Dogge and sometimes of a Calfe with many other matters wherein he must pardon me if I be not too prodigall of my Faith He tels also of punishment of adultery by death the woman cutting the adulterers throat and the neerest kinsman hers after many prayers to the Colluchio and a further punishment in that they haue no quicke bodie buried with them to attend them into the other world as all others haue But they that list to beleeue may consult with the Author Anthony Goddard another of Ingrams company left by Sir Iohn Hawkins going another way at Panuco yeelded himselfe to the Spaniards with whom was Miles Philips and Iob Hortop whose discourses of their disaduentures with the Spaniards and Indians Master Hakluit hath published and hath Goddards also written CHAP. VIII Of the Countreys situate Westward from Florida and Virginia towards the South-Sea §. I. Of Cibola Tigues Quiuira and Noua Albion WE haue hitherto discouered those parts of this Northerne America which trend along the North Sea which the English and French Nations haue most made knowne vnto vs further Westward the mid-land countreys are not so well knowne yet following our Spanish guides wee here present them from their relations to your view When as Cortez had conquered Mexico as after followeth to be related he was made Admirall of the South-Seas but the gouernment of Mexico and New Spaine was with the title of Vice-roy giuen to Antonio de Mendoza These two partly in emulation of each others glory partly in hope of enriching themselues sought to discouer vnknowne Lands the one by Sea the later both by Sea Land The Viceroy sent as he himselfe testifieth Francis Vasquez de Coronado and Frier Marco de Nisa with Stephen a Negro by land out of whose relations we haue inserted that which concerneth our purpose Marke the Frier and Stephen set forth with certaine Indians in this Discouerie and Stephen going before came to Ceuola as Marke related where hee was slaine the Frier followed with his Indian guides and passed thorow one place where was small store of Victuall because it had not there rained as the Inhabitants affirmed in three yeares space The Indians call him Hayota that is a man come from Heauen Hee passed on further led by the same of Ceuola which with other sixe Cities were reported to be vnder the gouernment of one Lord and to haue houses of stone consisting of diuers stories where were many Turqueses with many other strange reports of their Markets multitudes and wealth But because the Frier came not there for feare of the Negros entertainment let vs listen to Francis Vasquez who came saw and ouercame An 1540. He went with his Army from Culiacan which is 200. leagues from Mexico and after a long and tedious iourney he at last arriued in this Prouince and conquered almost with the losse of himselfe the first Citie of the seuen which he called Granado Twice he was striken downe with stones from the wall as he offered to scale the same He saith that their houses were of foure or fiue stories or lofts to which they ascended on ladders and that they had Cellers vnder the ground good and paued But those seuen Cities were small Townes all standing in the compasse of foure leagues all called by that generall name of Ceuola or Cibola and none of them particularly so called but hauing other peculiar names they were of like building In this Towne which he conquered stood 200. houses walled about and 300. others not walled The Inhabitants had remoued their wiues and wealth to the Hill Hee reporteth of beasts there Beares Tygres Lions and Sheepe as bigge as horses with great hornes and little tayles Ounces also and Stagges That which the Indians worshipped as farre as they could learne was the Water which said they caused the Corne to grow and maintained their life Hee found there a garment excellently embroidered with needle-worke Vasquez went hence to Tiguez to Cieuic and to Quiuira as Lopez de Gomara reporteth This way is full of crooke-backed Oxen. Quiuira is in 40. degrees and the Countrey is temperate They saw Ships in the Sea which bare Alcatoazes or Pelicans of Gold and Siluer in their Prowes laden with Merchandise which they tooke to be of China or Cathay The men in these parts cloath and shoo themselues with leather they haue no bread of any kind of graine their chiefe food is flesh which they often eate raw either for custome or for lacke of wood They eate the fat as they take it out of the Oxe and drinke the bloud hot which of our buls is counted poison and the flesh they warme for they seethe it not at a fire of Oxe-dung They rather may be said to rauin then to eate it holding the flesh with their teeth cut it with rasors of stone They goe in companies as the Scythian Nomades Tartarian floords and many other Nations following the seasons and best pasturings for their oxen These Oxen are of the bignesse and colour of our Buls but their hornes are not so great They haue a great bunch vpon their shoulders and more haire on their fore-part then on the hinder and it is like wooll They haue as it were a horse-mane on their backe bone and much haire and very long from their knees downwards They haue great tufts of haire on their foreheads and haue a kinde of beard vnder their chins and throats the males haue very long tayles with a great knob or flocke at the end so that in some respect they resemble a Lyon in other the Camels Horses Oxen Sheepe or Goats They push with their hornes and in their rage
848 Saualets many Voyages Sciequian Sect 463 Sclauonian Tongue the large extent thereof 973 Scribes not a Sect but a Function 132. The Historie of them 132. 133. Two sorts of them 132 Scriptures sense how diuerse 14 The mysticall is miste-all and missecall 16. Opinions concerning the Scripture 169. First penned by Moses 175. Digested by Ezra 87. Numbers of the Bookes Chapters Verses Who first Authour of Chapters 159 The Trent Decree of Translations 168. Iewes respect to the Scripture 168. 169 Seyles King of the Scythians his misfortunes 398 Scythia a great part of the World contayned vnder the name 396 Why so called ibid. The people religion language and manner of life 396 397. Their Temples Diuination Funerals c. 397. 398 Their cruelty and hatred of Forreigne Rites ibidem Particular Nations in Scythia their Acts and Rites 398. 399. seq Scythes a Monster 396 Scythilmus 45 Sea the Creation thereof 10. Diuision thereof 575. Commodities thereof ibid. The Red Sea 84 582. 583. seq 775. seq A large Discourse of the Sea and many Obseruations thereof 571. 572. seq The forme greatnesse depth ibid. The profit motion and saltnesse 573. 574 The Sea Original of Fountaines 574. Varieties of Seas 575. 576 The Persians and Mogol haue no power by Sea 293 Seales a kind of Fishes 435 Seba Peopler and people of Arabia 37. 225. The Region of Seba 143 Sebua Sebuaeans 139. Sebuaeans a Sect of Samaritans ibid. Sebaste in Samaria 105 Seboraei whence so called 165 Sebyrians 432 Secsina in Barbary 700 Sects in Golchonda 995 Seed of the woman and the Serpent 27 Master Selden his deserued commendation 70. 150 Seilan or Zeilan 616. seq The riches and rarities thereof ibid. Their Temples Images Monasteries Processions 617. Their workmanship and iugling 618 Whither Seilan bee Taprobane ibid. Selim the great Turke 283. sequitur Selim the second 285. 286. Selim the great Mogol now reignning his greatnesse and conditions 519. 520 Selfe-penance vide Punishments Selfe-murther 633 Selebes they abound with Gold 578 eat mans flesh 608. Ilands neere ibid. Seleucia 63. Turned into Bagdet 50. Built by Seleucas 63. With eight other of that name 73 Seleucus worshipped 70. His historie 73 Seleuccian Family of Turkes 279 280. 281 Semiramis her Pillar 45. Her Babylon Buildings 48. 49. Not the Founder thereof ibid. Her Sepulchre 45. The first that made Eunuchs 61. Abuse of her Husbands 66. Supposed the Founder of the Temple at Hierapolis 68 Her Image there 69. In Media 350. Her inuading India 381 Senaga Riuer 714 Senacherib ouerthrowne by Mice 62. Slaine by his owne Sonnes 66 Sentence in the Court of the Iewes how giuen 98 Sentida a feeling herbe 563 Sensim an Order of Tartarian Priests who obserue great strictnesse 418 Separatists a Sect of Moores 273 Sepulchres vide Funerals Serpents eaten in America 33. Diuers kinds of Serpents in India 565. Death to kill a Serpent ibid. The King of Calicuts opinion of Serpents 565. 566. Huge Serpents in Africa 623. 624 Seuerall kinds of Serpents there ibid. Serpent vsed to tempt Eue 21. 22 His curse 23. Seed of the Serpent 27. 28 Serpent Images in Belus Temple 47 Serpent honoured by the Phaenicians 77. By the Ophitae 135 Worshipped by the Arabians 221 By the Indians 565. By the Aegyptians 637. 638. By the Adeans 652. A Serpent the Armes of the King of China 451. Tame Serpents 623 Serpents in Brasill 912. 913 Seres their Habitaion and Rites 400 Serug Author of Idolatry 45. 95 Sesostris 227 Seth his Natiuitie and Posteritie 29. 30. Artes ascribed to him 31 Sethiani a Sect of the Iewes worshippers of Seth 135 Sem Sonne of Noah 36. His Posteritie 37. The same with Melchisedec 45 Serapis his Temple and Rites 650 651 Seriffo of Barbary his History 695 696 Seuerus his seueritie 71 Seuerity Elders 99 Seuenty Weekes of Daniel 98 Sharke a Fish 953. 954 Shaugh Tamas the Story of him and of the Persian troubles after his death 585. 586 Shem and his Posteritie 37 Shemer 136. A Citie so called ibid. Sherly viz. Sir Anthony Sherley his Trauels 388. 389 Sheshack and Shacke 58 Shomron Mountaine 136 Siam Silon or Sion a Citie and Kingdome in India 490. Their Houses Inundations Monkes and Superstitions ibidem Their Gods and Religious Men 491. sequitur Their Feastes Temples Deuotions 492. The Kings greatnesse ibidem Besieged 493. Acts of the Blacke and White Kings ibidem Fury of the Iapanders there ibidem They weare Balls in their yards 496 Sibils counterfeit 35. 38 Sichem 137. Called Flauia Caesarea and Naples 143. The Sichemites Religion ibid. Sicke persons how vsed amongst the Iewes 206 Sidon the building thereof 78 Sidonians first Authors of Weights and Measures 82 Sidon first inhabited the Sea-coast 86 Siluer the nature thereof and of the Mines 797 Sinai 225. Mount Sinai how situate ibid. Sincopura Straits 579 Sinda described 532. 533 Sinne the definition and distinction thereof 24. Whence Originall Sinne and how ibidem Whither by Generation 25 Sinnes combination in our first Parents 22. The fearefull state of Sinners 28. Seuen mortall sinnes reckoned by the Turkes 301 Sinne-offering of the Iewes 116 The nature of actuall sinne 25 What accounted sinnes by the Tartars 415. 416 Sion 94 Sithuchrus the same with Noah 47. His Chaldaean Legend ibid. Sitting a signe of reuerence standing of dignitie 420 Skuls in the Temple of Mexico how many 873. In Nicaragua 888 Skuls of Parents made drinking cups 951. A Turret built of stone and Skuls 951 Slaues of Angola 766 Sleds vsed by the Samoeds drawne with Deere 432. Their swiftnesse ibid. Sleds drawn with dogs 744 Snakes vide Serpents Snake-wood where growing 570 Socatera or Socotoro 778. The description thereof 779 Socota an Idoll in Virginia 839 Sodome and Sodomites 85. Historie of Sodome 83. 84. sequitur The Sodomie of Turkes 229 230. Of Persians 371 Of Tartars 419. Of Chinois 440 Sogor a Village neere Sodome 84 Sofala 756. Supposed Ophir ibid. Soldania 761. Their cheape sale of beasts beastly habit and diet colour c. 762. 763. 764 Solyman a name of diuers Turkes 280. 284 Solyman the Magnificent his acts 284. 285 Solmissus how situate 339 Sommers Ilands 960. 961 Sophia chiefe Temple in Constantinople turned into a Meschit 306. 307 Sophi of the Turkes 321 Sorceries of the Tartars 416 Soule 13. It s immortalitie 126 The Iewes Opinion of three soules and one Sabbatary 127 Dogzijn their Opinion of the soule 220 South-sea sayled by Viloa and Alarchon 922 South Continent how great 832 By whom discouered 831 Spaniards how detested in the Philippinas 604. 605. 606. In Cuba 954. Indian conceits of them and their Horses 962 Their cruelties in the West Indies and of their peruerse Conuersion of the Indians vnto Christianitie 962. 963. sequitur Spaine infested by the Danes 1045 Spelman viz. Sir Henry Spelman his deserued commendation 116 Spirit very God 3. Our sanctifier 4. His manner of working 6. 7. Mouing on the waters 6
16. i Ra. in Gloss ordin k Lyra in 4. Reg. 17. l Wolph in 2. Reg. 17. Selden in tract de DIS Syris m Amos 5.26 n Drus in Amos o Zanc. Confes p Whittak de Scrip. quaest. 1. cap. 9. q Bellar. de verbo Dei lib. 1. c. 9. r Metamorph. 4 10. Å¿ Solinus c. 18. t Quint. Curt. lib. 5. u Coelius Rhod. lib. 8. cap. 11. a Cap. 10. b Scalig. Can. Isag. lib. 2. 3. c The Chaldean Dynastie d The Arabian Dynastie e The Assyrian Dynastie Moses Gen. 14.1 speaketh of Amraphel King of Shinar that is of these parts of Babylonia as his companions raigned not farre hence f The Median Dynastie g The Persian Dynastie h The Macedonian Dynastie i Oros 1. c. 19. k 2. Reg. 17.24 l Called Merodach m Scal. notae in frag Beros n The second Pesian Dynastie o Lib. 3. cap. 1. p Caelius R. lib. 17. cap. 29. q Diodor. Sic. lib. 3. cap. 7. r Iustin lib. 1. Orosius li. 2. 1. 2. Å¿ Some thinke this Belelus to be Daniel whom the Babylonian King called Belteshazzar Broughtons Concent t Phrygio Carion lib. 2. u Euseb Chron. per Scalig. x Strabo lib. 14 y 1. Cor. 15.32 z Herod lib. 2. a Sc. canon l. 3. b Berosus apud Iosephum contra App. lib 1. Caluisius c Animaduers in Eusebium pag. 85. D. Willet holdeth otherwise Com. in Dan. 6. d Ioseph Antiq. l. 18. c. 12. e Seleucia was built by Seleucus Nicator on a channel digged out of Euphrates into Tygris Plin. l. 6. cap. 26. f Pausanias Arcad lib. 8. g Hieron in Es 13. h Scal. animaduers in Euseb pag. 126. i Act. Mon. ex M.S. Cariens pag. 211. k Sir A. Sherly l I. de Bar. Asdec 1. lib. 1. m Scal. can Isa lib. 2. 3. n Lydyal Em. Tem. vid. Ott. Fris Chron. 1.7 cap. 3. o Lib. 3. cap. 2. p Loys le Roy. lib. 8. Knolls T.H. pag. 113. M. Polo Ven Haiton Armen q Decad. As l. 1. r Rich. contra Alcoran cap. 13. Å¿ M. Pa. lib. 1. cap. 7. t Cap. 8. u This may be Vr of the Chaldees whence Abraham passed first to Canaan x Volater l. 11. y Spartâ—an in Caracal Alex. ab Alexand. gen dier lib. 4. cap. 8. z Lib. 2. cap. 24. a Cartwright b Curio Sar. hist lib. 8. c Maginus d Assyrias Latio maculauit sanguine Carras sayth Lucan e Cartwright f Inf. l. 4. c. 8. l. 2. c. vlt. a Lib. 6. cap. 1 Raph. Fitch Hak to 2. Strab. lib. 11. Di nys Asero Carm. Geog. Lucan l. 3. b Ioh. 3.3 c D. King on Ionas Lect. 2. d Gen. 10.11 e Annius vpon Beres Volaterran Plin. 6. Nat. hist 13. Ar. Mont. Iunius Trem. Diod. Sic. Strabo Paulus de Pa’atio vpon Ionas f Diod. Sic. l. 3 c. 1. g Alian var. hist l. 7. c. 1. h Wolph in 2. King 19. i Luc. in Ioue Tragaedo k Metam 4. l Saturnal l. 1. 23. m Apud Macrob Ada Deus lego Hada 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est vnus Chaldaeum Syrum est Drus Praet in Luc. 18. fortasse ait Seldenus meus deductum ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heb. Iud ei enim vestibus suis inscriptum gerebant illud Deut. 6. Dominus vnus c. sic Archang. in Cabal dog Apollo vocatur Sol quia sine multitudine Sol quia solus est coelestis ignis ait Plato omnia decoquens quae ad magni animalis cibum pertinent n Gramay As Sigon in Sulpit. o Nah. 2.6 p Dorothaeus in his Synopsi affirmeth that by an Earthquake the lake which compassed the Citie drowned it and a fire consumed the vpper part thereof Of Mosull and the Nestorians here see Onuphrius in vita Iul. 3. q G. Bo. Ben. part 1. l. 2. r M. Paul l. 1. cap. 6. Å¿ Magin Geogr. t I. Boem. l. 1. a Gen. 10.22 b Strab. l. 1. l. 13. c Mela de sit Orb. l. 1. d Plin. l. 5. C. 12. e G. Post Bar. Syr. descrip. Broc descrip. Ter. san f Lib. 5. C. 15. g Lucian de Dea Syria h Lib. 16. i Lib. 5. c. 23. k Gilb. Cognat in Annot. There was another Hierapolis in Phrygia wherein was a famous Temple of Apollo with a Caue or Vault vnder it deadly to al entrers but the Priests yea to the birds also which flew ouer it Damas. in vita Isidor ap Phot. 242. * Of the Knaueries of these effeminate Priests in selfe-whippings with whipstrings full of bones and wounding themselues with weapons their prodigious Sodomiticall lusts thefts fortune-tellings and other abhominations see Apuleius Asin Aur. l. 8. 9. Lucians Asse whence the former was taken Euen still amongst the religious men of the Turkes and others both Mahometans and Indians these seuere courses which themselues are vsed almost to a miracle in doing and suffering So vaine so vile a thing is man to illude the world and himselfe and to doe homage to the deuill with such austere hypocrisies which imposed in and for the verity might with the worlds admiration to Gods glory proclaime them holy Confessors and Martyrs which buy hell at a deerer rate following selfe deuotions and will-worships then others sauing their selfe denying get the gift of God aeternall life m Quid referam vt volitet crebas intacta per vrbes Alba Palestinae sancta columba Syro Tibul. lib. 1. Hence it seemeth the Iewes held Doues in that hatred that hee that kept Doues might not bee alowed for a witnesse as being accounted a sinner Ph. Ferd ex R. Ab. ben Katton yet Io. 2.16 are mentioned sellers of Doues in the Tempie and they were an vsuall offering Luc. 2. n Euseb de praep. l. 8. cap. 5. o Iul. Hyginas Fab. 197. p Plutarch de superstitione q Sueton. Ner. r De Consolat ad Ap. Å¿ Vid. l. 2. c. 8. G. Malm. de gest reg Ang. l. 2. c. 10 Ier. 44.18 1. Cor. 8.4 t Cartwright u Zozomen l. 5. cap. 18. Niceph. lib. 10. cap. 18. Euagr. l. 1. c. 16. Strab. l. 16. x Ouid. Metam lib. 1. y Ter. in Eunucho Iul. Capit. Verus Zeale without knowledge resembled to hell z Nic. l. 16.23 17.14 a Lambit Apollinei nemoris nutritor Orontes Claudiax b Strab. lib. 16. c Eus de laudib Constantini de praep. Eu. lib. 4. cap. 8. d Tacit. l. 2. hist Ap. Phot. Biblioth 242. a Nic. Damascenus speaketh of this warre Adad sayth Scaliger in his notes on that Fragment was the common name of all the Syrian Kings Hie om sayth Benhadad Appian Alex. de bellis Syriacis Appian ibid. b Val. Max. 4. cap. 1. c 2. Mac. 3. d Dan. 2. e Graserus interpreteth and laboureth to proue these two legs to be the Easterne Empire vnder the Turke and Westerne vnder the Pope refuted by D. Willet in Append ad Dan. f Dan. 7.24 g Trem. Iun. in Dan D. Downam of Antichrist