Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	call_v	great_a	see_v	5,633	4	3.5188	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00709	An exact and curious suruey of all the East Indies, euen to Canton, the chiefe cittie of China all duly performed by land, by Monsieur de Monfart, the like whereof was neuer hetherto, brought to an end. VVherein also are described the huge dominions of the great Mogor, to whom that honorable knight, Sir Thomas Roe, was lately sent ambassador from the King. Newly translated out of the trauailers manuscript.	Feynes, Henri de.; Loiseau de Tourval, Jean.	1615 (1615)	STC 10840; ESTC S102015	23,945	52

any They make their prouison of water in great Borachoes made of whole goate-skins and sometimes are much distressed through want of it There is no fowle in all the desart but Pigions which nestle in those ruines The king of this hether part of the desart is a Mahometan tributarie to the Turke and so superstitious or timorous that by reason of certaine vowes customes and auncient traditions hee neuer entreth vnder any roofe the better to behold his forces about him He is so strong that at an hours warning he will bring 100000. horsemen to the field with out any difficulty their horses being the goodliest in the world Their Attire is after the Turkish fashion Turbant onely excepted in steed whereof they haue a kind of Capp rowled about with a black Turbant They are of a swart complexion and all as well men as women goe almost naked It is very true that such as intend to write back to Aleppo take with them at their departure some sitting Pigions from their young-ones which afterwards they let flie backe againe from what part soeuer they will handsomely loaden with their letters And the like doe they in some other cases for speedy warnings through all those parts After thirty dayes iourney more or lesse wee came to Nane where the whole Carauan takes water vpon Euphrates and there we reposed and refresht our selues some eight dayes together expecting boates for our transportation It is a good Towne full of bad people but yet there begins to cease all penury and discommodity for want of victuals finding in that Country all kind of meates and refreshings fit for mans life So wee embarked our selues there and after twelue dayes came within foure leagues of Babilon hauing seene nothing else on either side the riuer but Palme-trees Date-trees which beare most excellent fruite when they bee ripe and returne a most comfortable odour on the water Betweene Nane and Babilon there is a great lake which is vulgarly named the Pitchie sea I went expresly to see the head of it which proceedeth out of a rocke in fiue seuerall clefts about the bignes of a mans waste which soone after meeting al in one run 18. leagues long till it looseth it selfe vnder the ground This blacke and thick lickour serues to build withall instead of lime There the Basha sent vs all manner of necessarie assistance to bring our men and Merchandice to Babilon paying a certaine custome as one per centum siluer and precious stones excepted which are tole-free This Citty which now the Turkes call Bagdat is at this present scituate vpon the Riuer Tigris and not vpon Euphrates as aunciently it was though it bee still the selfe same stuffe and rubbish which the Babilonians carried foure leagues further to rebuild their CITTIE on the banke of TIGRIS wherein finding yet a further inconuenience they transported it on the other side as to this day there are yet extant great tokens togeather with some habitations which haue still kept in the first place There is also a great bridge of boates though som-what incommodious by reason of the largenes and height of the Riuer The towne is twice as bigge as Paris but therein are many great Gardens Orchards and arrable grounds that which seemes most admirable is to see so great an enclosure compassed with so faire wals For indeed 4. waggons may goe a front vpon them and are built all with bricke The houses within the Cittie are lowe enough vaulted vnder and tarassed on the top The Castle is exceeding strong faire great and well stored with munition There the Basha makes his dwelling place I sawe him walke abroad on a day and t was reported hee had very neere 50000 foote to waite vpon him and as many horse the best arraied that can euer bee hauing their harnesses all deckt with gold siluer and precious stones to the very stirrups with a great noise of Trumpets Drummes Cimbals Clarions and hautbois I was so curious likewise as to goe to the place where it is said the great tower of Babel was built being about halfe a dayes iourney distant where I sawe nothing but a high mountaine of earth in the midst of a plaine wherein digging you may finde certaine bricks whereof it is laide the tower was built From Babilon I went to Ezpan now the cheife and most gallant Cittie of Persia I durst allmost say of all the world where the Sophy is most resident The way is troublesome and discomodious enough beeing of fifteene long dayes trauaile through wast desarts voyde of al townes and houses or any other succour partly by nature partly so wasted of purpose to impeach th' approches of the Turke Onely from one dayes Iourney to another the Sophie hath caused to bee erected certaine kind of great harbours or huge lodgings like hamlets called Carauan-sara or Surroyes for the benefit of Carauanes out of which lodgings trauailers dare not issue without a conuoy which the gouernors of the said places giue from one to another and the Captaine of the conuoy must bring back a good certificat from the Captaine of the Carauan how hee hath faithfully brought them to the next lodging and that they were wel pleased with his conuoy Otherwise vpon the least complaint the king should heare hee would cause the Gouernors head to be cut off his house set a fire vnder whom the spoyle were committed restoring to the full out of his owne treasure what goods soeuer of the Marchants which were past recouerie Yet is it true thereof haue beene seene few examples by reason of very few misdemeanures in that nature but whensoeuer any hath happned that iustice hath beene seuerely executed Now these lodgings are exceeding comely with faire shops belonging thereto and are able to entertaine all Carauans neuer so great the like being so set throughout all Persia. Hispaan is halfe as bigge againe as Paris very strong very populous wonderfull frequented aswell because of trafficke as for the Kings presence and all the Courts of Iustice Checker and Religion It is vnpossible to relate the pleasures recreations and delights which are there either for stately Buildings great faire Gardens store and goodnes of fruits continuall riding and all other kinds of noble exercises with an incredible Pompe triumph and magnificence where once they vndertake it There is also great peace and plenty through all Persia both of common things which others haue in some sorte aswell as they as of sundry other singularities which none haue but they indeed or at least with such abundance and excellencie Among other the finest fairest and best bezear-stones which they find cleauing to the liuer of certaine goates There also is found the greate mine of Turquesses and the greatest quantity of silke that can be imagined which the men themselues doe spinne For their bodyes they are reasonable handsome for their minds reasonable tractable and ciuill Being in the said Cittie I saw

certaine king who forbad his people the exercise of husbandry and Tillage or any other thing necessary for the vse of man And hauing gathered togeather all the victualls of the country caused it strongly to be immured where he kept his residence suffering the most part of his subiects to perish through famine or sicknes so that at this instant the whole countrey remaines waste and desolate Where in times past there was wont to be found many rare commodities namely most faire rubies and is now all togeather frequented with sauage beastes yea in so great quantity that they haue almost driuen out the inhabitants Yet for such as remaine there to this day they bee Gentiles and of a swhartie hue Thence I made it 18. dayes iourneyes to the Realme of Camboge which is very spatious but voyd of any rarieties of note onely that the King is able to bring 400000. men to the field and makes warre vpon the King of Sian Thence I came to Sian the King whereof is able to bring 600000. men to the field These two Kings haue neyther Horses nor any fiery Instruments but make vse onely of bowes and a certaine kind of pike made of a knottie wood like Canes called Baubuc which is exceeding strong though pliant and supple for vse Both these Kings are Gentiles but yet differ enough in manners for the King of Sian worshippeth a white Elephant And that of Camboge doth as the most of the aboue-mentioned I saw nothing remarkable in both these kingdomes hauing but coasted them but onely much Benzoin in Sian which is an aramaticall gumme distilling out of a certaine tree when they haue first cut an incision into it whereof they make a great trade as being the onely place where it is found I spent three moneths in trauersing these two Kingdomes Thence I embarqued my selfe in one of the Portugall ships which vsually trafficke thither for Benzoin and arriued at Conchin a most fertile Kingdome as likewise all the others be in those Climes Pegu onely accidentally excepted From Conchin I trauailed by land 2. moneths and a halfe to Bisnagat otherwise called Ballagat by the Portugals which is a most faire Cittie and the Metropolitan of the kingdome vnto which it giues his name It stands within two leagues of the rocke of Diamonds belonging to the King who makes his ordinarie abode in the said Citty and retaineth 15000. men continually labouring in the said mine with straight commandement that all the great ones be layed vp in his Treasurie suffering none to be sold but little ones such as we see in these parts So that there is not any great ones sold or transported vnlesse it bee by stealth or some deuice As I haue seene one with the great Mogor as bigge as a Hens egge and of that very forme which he caused expresly to bee peirced like a pearle to weare it on his arme which stone had beene so purloin'd from this King and cost the other 500000. Parots which is little lesse then a million It waigheth 198. Mangelins and each Mangelin waigheth fiue graines I my selfe found meanes by mony priuily to haue another great one conueyed into my handes whereof I will speake more by and by This King is a Gentile and of a hard Swartie complexion Hee worshippeth the tooth of a Monkey and some in his Kingdome worship a certaine kind of Serpent Thence I trauailed 11. dayes till I came to the Realme of Decan Dialcan or Idalcan their King dwelleth within a dayes iourney of Goa which is a strong Citty the Portugals hold and the viz-roy of the Portugall-Indies keeps there his residence against whom this King who is a Mahometan and very mightie makes warre now and then Thence I came to Goa it selfe an Iland but fiue leagues in compasse neuerthelesse the greatest Mart towne in all the Indies for there all the aboue-mentioned Kingdomes and the Portugals mutually come to discharge and recharge themselues It is a verie faire Cittie about the bignes of Poictiers At the mouth of the Port on each side is erected a great Fortresse very strongly manned by the Portugals In this Iland is the hard Waxe made which we call Spanish Waxe and is made in manner following They inclose a large plotte of ground with a little trench filled with water then they sticke vp a great number of small staues vppon the sayd plot that being done they bring thither a sort of pis-mires farre bigger then ours which being debar'd by the water to issue out are constrained to retire themselues vppon the sayd staues where they are kil'd with the heate of the Sunne and thereof it is that the Lacka is made This is a Climate where it raines without intermission the three moneths of Winter and so outragiously that it is vnpossible to keepe the sea vppon that coast without Shipwracke After the rayne is fallen comes there a land winde which dryeth vp the ayre and two houres after is very safe sayling Thence I embarqued my selfe with the permission and Pasport of the Viz-roy for Lisbone but we had such a terrible tempest that we were eyght whole dayes in the bottomes and Iles of Las Chagues despairing euer to come out againe in the end God miraculously deliuered vs and brought vs to Mozambique which is a Fort belonging to the Portugals Then to Solfale where they are Mahometans and all blacke And thence onely commeth the Ebony Then we arryued at Lisbone where I was imprisoned and continued so foure yeeres long without euer telling me the cause why Finally after much adoe I was set at libertie through the great meanes my LORD the Duke of Mayenne made for me when he came into Spaine about the marriages And as it seemeth in fauour and hope of them or els I fully beleeue I had neuer beene released For as I heard there by the meanes of some prisoners the Viz-roy of Goa had giuen straight warning that I was an vndertaking man who had exactly viewed all those Countries and could doe much hurt vnto the King their Master by the acquaintances and intelligences I had of them if euer I could come among the French English or Hollanders There was I in my chamber of the prison by an vnlucky aduenture miserably robd of a little hollow pipe of white latten long and slender which I had euer kept so close that no body in the world knew of it and therein were 35. rough Diamonds which was all that I euer had gotten in my long and painefull trauels among which the others being but common there was a mighty great one waighing no lesse then 79 Carrats and therfore of an vnestimable valew the first theefe was presently yea within a quarter of an howre robd of them by another so being passed from hand to hand when after many daies and troubles I almost had giuen ouer at enquiry all last the second theefe was found out by meanes of the first and being found

70000. gallant Harquebusiers go out to meete the king at his returne from a victorious iourney against the Turkes vpon whom hee had conquered foure Prouinces and because they were not come farre enough to his minde he did condemne them to pay three Zequins a peece with threats that if they offended againe in the like he would cut off their heads And did compell them to remaine in guard in a large spatious place before his Pallace where euery euening he caused them to play and exercise themselues as though they had beene in warre causing withall store of artillery to bee shot in among them and if any one through feare seemed to neglect his dutie hee caused his Turbant to be taken off the man knockt downe to death with staues himselfe giuing the first stroake At this his entrie they made him a great triumph with a long magnificence Among the rest they erected in the said place before his Pallace foure fortresses all full of fire-workes with Lions Dragons Leopards Crocodils and other beasts whose motion was artificially made to run vpon lines from one fort to another fighting as they had beene aliue They made likewise foure forrests to be burnt consisting of all sortes of fruit full trees whereon the fruits were so naturally represented that nothing could be more perfect The said place is all vaulted about with Porches like to the Place Royall in Paris hauing faire shops of euery side as wel within as without There the king commanded each one according to his seuerall trade to deck their shops in the richest manner they coulde which they also did and hauing shut vp all the passages for the sunne there was no other light but with lamps and torches placed in the best order that can euer bee deuised which burning continually did returne a brightnes cleerer then the day it selfe and I might well haue saide there was all the riches in the world for so they had dilligently sought after and either bought or borrowed it of purpose from all parts to appeare euery one more gallant and well-minded to their Prince then his neighbor Surely all that euer I haue seene since through al my trauails I thinke I saw it first there About foure a clocke in the euening the King vsed to come within that place remained there til morning playing walking passing the time which triumphs continued so for the space of two moneths togeather There I saw the greatest quantity of rich stuffes and tapistries that euer I saw before or since siluer and coyned money of all countries yea with a good quantity out of Frāce Spaine Within that place there is a 1000 peeces of ordinance as well great as small which they say they had gotten from the Turke And among the rest I perceiued foure French peeces of which hauing told the king he made me answer that hee had taken them from the great Vizier when he defeated him before Tawris in his fathers time He is in a manner of the same religion the Turke is of except some I know not what differences which I vnderstand not being hereticks one to another When the King dies he that succedeth puts out the eyes of all his Brethren and keepeth them close prisoners in a great Castle but yet with as much ease as he can a kinde of curtesie which hath beene but since this kings time that now is for in times past they slew them as they doe in Turkie From Ispaan I went to Casbin 12. dayes iourney distant a very Populous and rich Citty of great Traffick about the bignes of Orleans which though it bee great and strong enough yet the chiefest strength thereof lieth in the great number of horsemen that are continually about it But there are no further commodities then at Ispaan From thence I trauailed 15. daies iourny through very faire and well manured countryes till I came to Tauris A Citty very populous too and of great traffick some-what perhaps bigger then Toulouze And was heretofore farre greater yea of a huge bignes as yet is to bee seene by the ruines but since hauing bin sackt and sackt againe by the Turke hath lost allmost all former beauty hauing heretofore both for the fairenes and plentifulnes of the soyle and statelines of the place bin the seate of the Persian Kings Thence I prosecuted my trauail to Syras being 16. daies iourney distant It is still a braue place for trade but chiefly for armour the healthfullest Seate and the fairest in all Persia where the Verdican or lieutenant generall of the Sophie resideth with all his Ianizaries to the number of 50000. horsmen the best horses in the world next to those of the desert for they dare not haue any other but such as the king giueth them neither can they sell them and when they die he giueth them others as also to all the rest of his horsemen The Citty is some-what greater then Auignon where there are the fairest remnants of greatnes of stately buildings the finest Gardens Brookes and Fountaines that can be seene There are kinds of causeys in those parts made for pleasure 12. leagues in length bordered on each side with faire trees in forme of a vaulted palisado so thick that the sunne beams cannot pierce through Of each side of them there are faire springs of cleere running water and betweene euery 15. foote of ground are great vessells full of cleere water made in forme of a fountaine which throwes out water the bignes of a mans bodie From Syras I went 8. daies iourney to the chiefe Citty of the great Realme of Lar which giues his name to the whole kingdome and from whence coms the best Bezar-stones There is the galantest the strongest and best stored Castle vnder the Persian king being impossible to be battered or mined vnderneath is the Cittie wholly commanded by this Castle There the king causeth such an order to be obserued through his whole kingdome that before his Subiects sell any thing those commodities that are his owne shall first be put to sale then they must sell theirs at the same rate He is verie affable to strangers From Lar I went to Bandier a small fort which the Portugals hold in Persia to supply Ormus with water and victuall which hath but verie litle or none at all Thence I past to Ormus an Iland and kingdome which the Portugals do hold though the Moorish king hath not abandoned his possession but liue in some reasonable peace one with another It is of a great force and consequence to them drawing from thence very great commodities for it lyeth iust in the passage to Mecha and of necessitie euerie ship that passeth that way must make a stay there to pay the customs Among the rest I can affirme to haue seene one that willingly taxed her selfe at 100000. Francs for her customs There is but Brimstone and salt in this Iland with out fresh

Ierusalem so contrary one to another and so much beaten and beaten againe as it is both shame and losse that such toyes should be vttered but that euer some prettie wit must get money by making others loose their tyme I thought this Author could not but proue profitable and welcome Seeing that with no other end but onely to see learne he did vndertake his trauell without loade or engagement of marchandise or of any priuate end or company ranging still vp downe and curiously prying and peircing as far as he could into euery Iland or Continent yea neuer by water where hee might by land hath discouered in yonder world more Nations more People more Kingdomes more Townes more Fashions more Particularities then euer any man before or since to our knowledge Now for the Style this man doth not stand vpon flowers nor I my selfe who do follow him as neere as I can Neyther doth hee fill the paper with idle talkes of a Tempest or a Ship-wracke a Robberie here a Disgrace there or shamefully recount how many Kicks how many Knocks and Bastinadoes hee had this way or that way a thing more then most common among Turkes and Infidels He sweares vpon his credite he had none Neyther doth he stand vpon any other vayne particulars but directly goeth to the maine saying what hee can and what hee knoweth goes to the heart and life of whom he intends to bee reuenged not onely for his long imprisonment but also for somewhat more then he dares write for this present Whereof neuerthelesse he will giue an inkling in his fit place before he end sufficient enough to enforme of the whole such as are not altogether blind or deafe But nowe it is high tyme to heare him speake ⸫ THE TRAVAILES of Monsieur de Monfart to CHINA by land the like whereof was neuer yet performed IN the name of GOD in the yeere of our LORD 1608. I Henry Defeynes commonly called by the name of the Mannor of Monfart wayting then vppon the most Illustrious most Reuerend Cardinall of Ioyeuse vpon some priuate discontent taken against such a person of whom I could not well nor yet trulie would reuenge my selfe knowing nothing doth so much aggrauate and nourrish vp griefe as Idlenes yea idlenes in the same place where the griefe hath beene taken and in continuall sight of the cause and subiect thereof neither seeing at that time any worthy warre in Christendome to applie my bodie and minde away from my wonted thoughts did fully resolue to vndertake some farre and hard trauell that by leauing behinde olde displeasures and purposely going to seeke and finde me new I should striue to banish the one by meanes of the other or at least trie what change the chiefest I thinke comfort in misery would worke in me For sure it is not to haue fellowes otherwise a man might soone be contented First then I went the common and neerer way from Paris directly to Venice not yet well resolued which way I should bend afterwards but determining there to take my course At Venice I must needs indeed take ship Therefore hauing resolued vpon Babilon Persia and the East Indies I sayled to Alexandretta otherwise called by the Turks Scanderone in Syria This is a common way a knowne towne which serues for a hauen to Aleppo though three dayes iourney off It is an ill-fauoured vnluckie and vnwholesome Citty within eyght myles of Tharshis the birth-Cittie of S. Paul But many going returning daily from thence haue both sayd and written so much of it as I neede little to add Onely thus much that it is the first place of firme land where first and formost and for the first discommoditie there are no Innes to bee found for trauellers so that they must eyther carrie their owne victuals and prouision themselues or put it vppon Cammels Secondly almost all trauellers but trulie at least and chiefely all Christians come to loose the right of themselues and become as poore wretched slaues subiect to all iniuries disgraces robberies mis-vsings in words and deeds by theeues drunkards or the next base fellow from which their very Ianizaries and Gardes cannot alwayes defend them though they be payd deerely for it and sometimes indeed do their best for the same and for some priuate offence eyther punish the malefactors themselues or cause them sharply to be punished But against hundreds of theeues as they flocke ordinarily together to assayle passengers there is none nor can be any Iustice or helpe at all So that a Christian being now become the weaker though twice stronger must here begin whether he will or no to obserue his masters commandement and turne the left cheeke when hee hath beene smitten on the right For indeed the readie way to preuent more blowes is euen to take the hand that hath stricken you very hartilie kissing it with a cheereful countenance stroake the knaue by the beard which he will take verie kindly From Scanderone therefore I went to Aleppo and your chiefe place in the way is Antiochia where Christians were first so called This Aleppo is one of the fairest and greatest Mart-Citties in all the world And from thence one cannot trauell with a simple guarde or Conuoy but with whole Carauans otherwise called Caffes that is whole numbers and multitudes of men with their Cammels ioining and cleauing all in a troope like an Armie to march together in those hence forward most hard desolate and very dangerous wayes There hauing found the vsuall Embassador from the Basha of Babilon Captaine of the Caffe or Carauane which goeth twice a yeare from thence thether I gaue him a 100. Rials of eight for my dyet safe conduct through the Arabian desart The Carauane cōsisted at that time of 10000 men or rather more They trauell all by night as well to auoide the vehement heate of the day as to be guided by the starre and therefore such guides as are expert in that faculty name themselues Pilots They carry all their victuals on Cammels till they come to certaine place beyond the Desart wherof I le speake anon This desart is all sandy and destitute of paths or highwayes neither may there be any by reason of the continual motion which the wind causeth in the sand All that groweth there as well trees as shrubbs are Caper-plants or Tamariskes on which the Cammels do feede There shall you find no kind of fierce or Sauage beasts but only Asses Roes Gazells which is a kind of wild goates with an innumerable number of Staggs yea in such quantity and so bolde as often times they run through the Carauane not knowing whether men are to be feared or no. We were most commonly constrained for meere necessity to goe and bayte out of our way to enioy the vse and commodity of some wells which to this day are preserued among the ruines of certaine townes that heretofore were builded in those places And sometimes without finding