dayes sayling we arriued at Leo néere vnto Venice which is a most famous Citie so well knowen vnto all men by report that I néed not to spend any time in describing it lest I should rather obscure it then any way by my barren stile illustrate the same onely this I note that there is both a countrey called Venetia and a Citie called also by the same name The countrey of Venice ioyneth to the Adriaticke Sea on the one side and hath the Alpes on the other side Therein are these Cities Verona Vincentia Patauium and Venice the head citie of the rest Patauium is the Citie and Vniuersitie of Padua by Padus This Padus is the riuer Po in Italy which riseth out of Vesulus the highest hill of the Alpes and runneth by the marches of Liguria into the Adriaticke Sea One arme of Padus called Padusa stretcheth to Rauenna The Citie Venice standeth in the Adriatticke sea not far from the countrey of Venice We stayed in Venice 17. daies and hauing ended our businesse there wee returned to Zante where after we had staied thrée daies we set saile for Constantinople The chiefest places of note which we saw betwixt Zante and Constantinople are these First not farre from Zante wée passed by two Iles on the West side of Peloponnesus in the sea Jonium called of old Strophades or Plotae but vulgarly at this day Striuales whereof one of them is vninhabited the other inhabited only by certaine of their religious men whom they call Coloires about thirty in number who weare long haire and neuer eat flesh and very seldome fish but at certaine seasons of the yéere but liue of hearbes oliues oile and wine and such like things They neuer come out of that I le neither euer vpon any occasion admit any women to come amongst them for they may not marry but liue single and solitary al the daies of their life A Coloire hath his etymologie of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 calos hiereus that is bonus Sacerdos a good Priest From thence wée sailed along in sight of the maine land of Graecia which amongst all other Countries in Europe hath béene accounted the most noble and most famous It was first called Helles of one of the sonnes of Deucalion and Pyrrha And afterwards it was called Graecia of a King whose name was Graecus Peloponnesus is a Prouince in Greece now called Morea Macedonia is also a large Country in Europe or Prouince in Graecia now called Romnelli It hath on the East the Sea Aegaeum on the West the Sea Ionium on the South Epirus on the North Dalmatia It was first called Emathia of Emathias who was King thereof Afterwards Macedonia of Macedon the sonne of Deucalion The Macedonians descended of Sethim sonne of Iaon The Prouinces of Macedonia are these first Thessalia secondly Hellade thirdly Myrmidone By reason whereof Homer gaue thrée sundry names vnto the Thessalians vz. Myrmadons Helenes and Achees But at the last it was called Thessalia of Thessale which possessed that Kingdome The principal Citie in Macedonia is Thessalonica which at this day is called Salonica by corruption In this part of Graecia is Parnassus a mountaine hauing two tops whereon the nine Muses did dwell Athens is still inhabited it is situated betwéene Macedonia and Achaia on the sea coast first built by Cecrops and called Cecropia lastly called Athens of Minerua who in Greece was called Athene This City was the mother and nurce of all liberall Arts and Sciences but now there is nothing but Atheisme and Barbarisme there for it is gouerned by Turkes and inhabited by ignorant Greekes Some ruines of ancient buildings are there yet to be séene Thebes was a famous Citie in Macedonia but now a small Castle of little account After we came as high as the Iland Creta which is now called Candie we left the way towards Egypt and entred into the Arches called Archipellago betwixt Cerigo and Cerigotta Cerigo is an Iland at the entrance into the Arches subiect to the Venetians but inhabited by Greekes This Ile was first called Scothera and after as Aristotle saith Porpheris for the beautifull marbles which are there Plinie and diuers others doe call it Citherea by the name of Cithere the sonne of Phaenis and is now called Cerigo where Venus made her first habitation and therein is a Temple erected for her The ruines of that Temple of Venus are to bee séene there to this day A little below this Temple of Venus vpon the same mountaine was the Castle of Menalaus husband to Helene who was king of Sparta and Lord of this I le Departing from Cerigo we came amongst the Cyclades which are 53. Iles in the sea Aegaeum called also by some Sporades but vulgerly the Arches or Archipelago But more properly Câ—clade and not vnfitly Sparades althogh Sporades are taken especially for certaine scattered Ilands in the Carpathian Sea about Creete or Candia which is not farre from the Cyclades or Iles in the Arches Onely this is the difference that all the Ilands betwixt Cicâ—â—â— and Candia are in the Ionian sea But Cerigo and all the Ilands in Archipellago are in the Aegean sea On a cléere day a man may sée twenty Ilands at one time in these Arches It is a dangerous place for shipping in a storme by reason that the Ilands are so néere together whereof some are inhabited and some not About twenty leagues from Cerigo we touched at an Iland called at this day Milo but of old Miletum mentioned in S. Pauls voyage Act. 20. 15. This I le is inhabited by Greekes and yéeldeth great store of milstones and dymmety which are there both good and good cheape Whiles our ship staied at Milo we tooke boat to saile to sée another Iland not farre from Milo called of old Delos where sometimes was the famous Temple aud Oracle of Apollo But at this day it is called Sdiles and is a very small and poore Iland About twenty miles from Delos there is another I le called of old Seriphus by an inhabitant whereof Themistocles was vpbraided that the commendation and fame he gat was for his Countries sake because hée was borne an Atheman But Themistocles answered the Seriphian that neither had himselfe béene worse if hée had beene borne in Seirphus nor the other better if he had béene borne at Athens But this Iland commonly is called Serigo But the most famous and fruitfull Iland in all the Arches at this day is Chios as it was formerly called Act. 20. 15. so called because it resembleth the Gréeke letter Chi in forme and fashion As also Delta an I le by Nilus not farre from Alexandria is so called because it representeth the figure of the letter Delta But Chios is now called commonly Syo Chios is an Iland in the sea Aegeum betwixt Lesbos and Samos It is distant from Delos an hundred miles it is in circuit nine hundred furlongs It was first called
beset the battlements of their steeples round about with lampes But when their Lent is ended they burne lampes in their stéeples onely once a wéeke and that is on Thursday at night which is the Eue before their Sabboth After we had refreshed our selues héere halfe the day being not yet spent we rode from hence to a poore village called Nebecke or as they pronounce it Nebhkeh where we lodged in an old Cane distant from Hassio 27. miles And vnderstanding at this place that the way that we were to passe on the morrow was full of Arabs and that two daies before many men were found in the way killed by them wée feared to goe any further Yet meeting with company contrarie to expectation March 17. we went forwards and saw no house nor company all the day long besides our selues vntil we came to a village called Cotifey where wee lodged in a very stately new Cane built by Synan Bashaw and not altogether finished This Cane doth far exceed that at Marrah before mentioned for herunto is adioyned a fair new Church and a Bazar that is a Market place where trauellers may buy many good things Heere is also meat for trauellers and prouender for their horses to be had of the founders cost And in the middle of this Cane there is a faire large fountaine of water of hewed stones foure square wherein there is excéeding good water for Trauellers to drinke and chambers for their lodging but if they will haue any beds they must bring them with them or sléepe on the hard ground as most men that trauell that way are wont to doe March 18. From Cotifey we had not much more than 20. miles to Damaâ—cus The first ten miles was a desart and dangerous way and we hardly escaped danger for an Aâ—aâ—ian horsman seeing vs come stood as a spie in our way to view our strength and marked euery one of vs very narrowly and what weapons we had and then rode vp an high mountaine as fast as if it had beene plaine ground â—o acquaint his companions what a prey he had found for them Whereupon our Ienesarie cast aside his vpper garment being a gambeâ—looke and bad vs all make ready our weapons and he himselfe rode before vs with his launce on his shoulders expecting there comming vpon vs suddenly but they hauing espâ—ed from the top of the mountaine fifty Ienesarie of Damaâ—cus at the least with their Iâ—mmoglans comming after vs came not and so by the prouidence of God we escaped their hands The other part of our way to Damascus was a pleasant plain of ten miles in length hauing many fruitfull oillages fine riuers and pleasant gardens thereon At our entrance into this plaine or valley riding downe an hill we beheld the prospect of Damascus ten miles off whither we came about two of the clocke in the afternoone and tooke vp our lodging in the middle of the City at a Cane called in Mouâ—â—â—co Cane Nebbe that is the Cane of the Prophet but by the Turkes Cane Haramin where we hired three chambers for our mony and our seruants bought our meat and dressed it themselues as they did also all the rest of the way where we could get any thing To this end we tooke a Cooke with vs and other seruants from Aâ—eppo to dresse our meat and to looke to our horses Héere we met with Frenchmen and other Christians staying for company to go to Ierusâ—lem At Damascus many Iewish Merchants and Gréekes and others knew some of vs and came to salute vs and present vs with 〈◊〉 good things as they had both wine and bread and 〈◊〉 â—nd fruit c. and lent vs very good beds with sheets and 〈◊〉 surmâ—â—â—e 〈…〉 wellouâ— wâ—â—rieâ— bodâ—es March 19. and 20. we staied at Damascus to rest our selues and see the City Of Damascus DAmascus is a most ancient City and as Esay spake of it in his time The head of Aram is Damascus Isa 7. 8. so Damascus is the chiefest City of Syria to this day The situation thereof is most pleasant being built on a plaine ground strongly walled about and a strong Castle therein with many fine riuers running on euery side of it especially Abanah and Pharpar mentioned 2. King 5. which now are diuided into many heads The Turkes say that their Prophet Mahomet was once at Damascus and that when he saw the pleasant situation of it and beheld the stately prospect of it excelling all others that euer he saw before refused to enter into the City lest the pleasantnesse thereof should rauish him and moue him there to settle an earthly Paradise and hinder his desire of the heauenly Paradise It hath also many pleasant Orchards and gardens round about the Citie and some waies for the space of a mile and more about the citie there are many Orchards and great varietie of fruites some called Adam apples and Adâ—ms figs sundry other strange fruites Damascus is called by the Turkes Sham and they call it the garden of Turkey because there is no place in all the Turkes dominions especially in Syria that yeeldeth such abundance of fruit Heere we stated two daies and three nights to rest our selues and see the Citie And hauing a Greeke to our guide hee â— hewed vs first a stately Muskia or Turkish Church erected in the place where the Temple of Ryâ—mon stoode mentioned 2 King 5. And two other memorable matters mentioned Act. 9. 25. viz. the place where the Disciples let downe 〈◊〉 the night through the wall in a basket whereof the Christ 〈…〉 Keepe an eract memoriall taking vpon the â—â—to demo strate the very place of the wal which we 〈…〉 bekâ—ing they confirmed it with this reason that Damascus was neuer ouercome and that there haue béene Christians dwelling there euer since the time of Paul and therefore might keepe a memoriall of the very place But to let the place passe the thing it selfe we know to be true He shewed vs also the house of Ananias which is vnder the ground whereinto we were led downe a paire of staires from the stréete as it were into a Celler and the dore being vnlocked wee entred with candels into the place where wee sawe two darke chambers where a man cannot see to reade in the day time without candels here they say he liued in secret for feare of the Iewes Many Christians comming thither to sée that place with a coale write their names on the wall and there are so many names there already that there is scarce roome for any other to set his name Some of them report Damascus to be built in the place where Kain killed his brother Abel And some say it is néere it and offered to bring vs to the place but we refused They take vpon them also at Damascus to demonstrate the place where S. George was buried so they do likewise at Aleppo but I thinke the one to be as true as the other There is a
1198. yéeres But this is a maruellous thing and worthy to be noted that Constantinople being reedified and new set vp by Constantine the sonne of S. Helene whom some report to haue beene an Englishwoman borne at Cholchester after the proportion and likenesse of Rome was by another Constantine sonne of another Helene taken sacked and brought into the hands of the Turkes which foreuer is like to be in the iudgement of man an irreparable dammage vnto al Christendome Yet the Turks haue a Prophecie that as the Empire was gotten by Mahomet so by another of that name Mahomet it shall be lost againe Mahomet after hée had thus taken the City resoluing to kéepe there the seat of his Empire caused with all diligence the wals to be new made and certaine other ruinated places to be repaired And in stead of the great number of the people that were there slaine and carried away as prisoners he caused to be brought thither out of all the Prouinces and Cities by him conquered a certaine number of men women and children with their faculties and riches whom he permitted there to liue according to the institutions and precepts of such Religion as it pleased them to obserue and to exercise with all safety their handicrafts and merchandises which ministred an occasion vnto an infinite multitude of Iewes and Marannes driuen out of Spaine for to come and dwell there By meanes whereof in very short time the City began to increase in trafficke riches and abundance of people This Mahomet was the first founder of the great Seralia where the great Turke now vsually dwelleth which he builded at the entry of the channell about one of the corners of the City vpon the Promontorie Chrisoseras which afterwards by the great Turkes which successiuely haue dwelled there hath béene greatly beautified and augmented He sounded likewise vpon one of the Mounts of the same City a sumptuous Muskia or Church with an Amarathe and College enduing them all with great yéerely reuennues which is not to be maruelled at for fortune was so fauourable vnto him that after he had ruinated the Empire of Constantinople and Trapezonde he tooke from the Christians 12. Kingdomes and 200. Cities so that by reason of his great prowesses and Conquests the name and title of Great was giuen vnto him and to this day remaineth vnto the house of the Ottomans As the Turke who died about foure yéeres since was called Sultan Mahomet the Grand Chan of Turkey and the fourtéenth of the Line of Ottoman And his sonne which now raigneth being not yet aboue twenty yéeres of age is called Sultan Achomet the fifteenth Grand Chan of the Line of Ottoman and writeth himselfe also as his Predecessors haue done King of the blacke and white Seas and of the holy Cities Mecha and Ierusalem Proijcit ampullas sesquipedalia verba Lofty words he casteth out And arrogant titles sends about Ouer against Constantinople about the Seralia point on the other side the water there is another City called Gallata or Perah which in ancient time was called Cornubizantij It is a City of great antiquity builded by the Genoezes It is called by the Greekes vulgarly Perah which is a Gréeke word signifying beyond because it is situated beyond the Canall But by the Turkes it is called Gallata Of fearfull fires and terrible Earth-quakes which haue happened within Constantinople ZOnoras the Constantinopolitan Historian maketh mention in his Histories of two fearfull fires which happened vnto Constantinople whereof the first was in the time and Empire of Leon the great spreading it selfe from the North vnto the South along by Bosphorus to wit the length of one of the Seas to the other and was so horrible and furious for the space of foure daies that it deuoured and brought to ashes the whole beauty of the City namely the place where the Senate and Citizens chosen to deliberate vpon common affaires did assemble There was also burned another princely house and a Pallace ioyning vnto the caue or den called Nymphee and diuers other Churches and priuate houses The second fire which was in the time and raigne of the Emperour Basil lightned in such sort that it compassed the market of Copper and consumed to ashes the houses and stréets thereabouts with y◠Pallace within which was a Librarie of 120000. volumes of Bookes and the Stature of a Dragon of the length of 120. foot which was written in letters of gold the Jlliads and the Odisse of Homer And moreouer burned the most renowned simulachres of Juno of Samos of Minerua of Lynde of Venus and of Guide and finally deuoured the most pleasant places of the Citie Héereunto may I adde a third fire which befell the same Citie Anno Dom. 1607. October 14. wherein were burned 3000. houses together vnder Sultan Achomet the 15. Grand-Chan of the line of Ottoman who now raigneth Of two fearefull Earth-quakes which happened to CONSTANTINOPLE THE said Zonoras reciteth that during the raigne of Anastasius chosen vnto the Empire of the East parts there happened such a great earthquake that it ruined euen to the foundations a great number of buildings not onely at Constantinople but likewise in Bythinia and other places thereabout But the last whereof diuers worthy Authors haue written namely Munster in his Geographie was so strange fearefull for the space of 18. dayes continually that with horrible fearefulnesse dammage it cast downe to the ground the walles of the Citie and all the buildings towards the sea side and ouerthrew all the ditches It did also cast downe the Tower where the Turk kept his munition with fiue others more The house of Tribute which stoode néere vnto the walle was ouerthrowen euen to the foundation into the sea with the Leadings of the waters and conduits which with incredible expences had beene made to leade the waters out of the Danube into the Citie were for the most part broken and bruised And the chanell which is betwixt Constantinople and Perah was so moued that by great surges it cast the water ouer the walles of both the Cities But the worst of all was that more then 13000. persons remained dead on an heape This great Earthquake happened in the moneth of September in the yeere of grace 1509. in the raigne of Baiazeth the second of that name and the 9. Emperour vnto the Turkes which succéeded Mahomet the second who with all diligence caused the walles of the Citie to be repaired The rest of the noble Antiquities which presently are to be found at Constantinople are the Hippodrome which the Turkes doe call Atmaiden which is the place where in times past the Emperours made the horses to run for the pleasure and delectation of the people which beheld the same vpon a stage or theater which now is altogether ruined In the middest of this place was set vp vpon foure bowles of fine marble a faire Obelisquie of coloured stone all of one piece 50. cubits high beset
Constantinople who ruleth all the rest Yet as the Iewes so also the Greekes to this day are without a king and both they and their Patriarks are but slaues to the great Turke And although their Patriarch of Constantinople bee counted their chiefe Patriarch yet I haue knowen one Milesius a learned man indéed who was first Patriarch of Constantinople preferred to the place by master Edward Barton an English Gentleman and Lord Ambassadour for Quéene Elizabeth of famous memorie and the mirror of all Ambassadours that euer came to Constantinople who for his wisedome good gouernment policie and Christian cariage hath left an immortal fame behind him in those Countries to this present day and lieth buried at an Iland of the Gréeks within twelue miles of Constantinople called Bartons Iland to this day After whose death this good man Milesius was by the Gréeks displaced from being Patriarch of Constantinople which they durst not doe whiles master Barton was liuing because being a man of knowledge he laboured to reforme the Greekes from many of their superstitious customes Whereupon presently after the death of master Barton they said their Patriarch was an Englishman and no Gréeke and therefore Manzulled him that is displaced him Yet bearing some reuerence towards him for his learning made him Patriarch of Alexandria And being there Patriarch he excommunicated the Patriarch of Antiochia because he accepted of reliefe at the Popes hand and made him come to Alexandria to humble himselfe vnto him and acknowledge his fault before he would suffer him to execute his Patriarkes office Master Henry Lello a learned wise and religious English gentleman sometime student in Oxford and afterwards at the Innes of the Court succéeded Master Barton in his place and in many things excéeded him especially in his religious carriage and vnspotted life and had not the times béene more troublesome in his regiment than in the time of his predecessor Master Barton he would euery way haue gone beyond him He first of all reformed his family and afterwards so ordered himselfe in his whole carriage that he credited our Countrey and after ten yéeres gouernment of the English Nation there he returned into his Countrey with the teares of many with generall good report of al Nations there dwelling or soiourning is worthily by his excellent Maiesty rewarded with Knighthood for his good seruice If Milesius had liued this good gentleman would haue restored him to Constantinople as he placed many other Archbishops both at Salonica of old called Thessalonica and elsewhere In the Mountaines betwixt Scanderone and Aleppo there are dwelling a certaine kind of people called at this day Coords comming of the race of the ancient Parthians who worship the Deuill and allege for their reason in so doing that God is a good man and will doe no man harme but that the Deuill is bad and must be pleased lest he hurt them There was one of our Carriers a Muccre man and Malim named Abdell Phat who was said to be of that Race and Religion There is also although not in the direct way yet for safety and pleasantnesse of the way it is sometimes taken in the way to Aleppo an ancient City called Achilles where one Asan Bashaw ruleth like a King paying duties to the Turkes successiuely from his predecessors comming of the house of Sanballat who hindred the building of the Temple of Ierusalem who is called to this day Eben Sumbolac that is the sonne of Sanballat and all his kinred call one another Ammiogli that is Brother Ammonite for they account themselues of the race of the Ammonites This Asan Bashaw is now old and for the most part referreth all matters of gouernment to his kinsman Vseph Bege that is Lord Ioseph The second night in our trauell from Scanderone we lodged at a place called The gardens in the open fields hauing the ground to our bed a stone to our pillow as Iacob in his trauell had and the skie to our couering And many poore trauellers in these parts who come vnprouided haue nothing els but the air for their supper except they can meet with the fruits of trées or hearbes of the fields We met in some places with villages of Tents where our Ienesarie Parauan Bashaw being partly feared and partly loued amongst them brought vnto vs from them bread and water often times Their bread is made all in cakes after the ancient manner as Abraham entertained Angels with hearth cakes At one place we had also presented to vs very good sweet goats milke and also good sowre milke turned by art which is the most common dish in those hot Countries The day following we came about noone to a village called Hanadan eight miles on this side Aleppo ouer against which village on the right hand on the top of the hill there is as the Jewes report the sepulcher of the Prophet Ieremie At this village Hanadan there are many pigion houses whereof the poore people make much profit bringing them to Aleppo to sell At this village we dined with Musmelons Sambouses and a Muclebite And after dinner we slept an houre or two as the custome of the Country is and then rode forwards towards Aleppo whither we came by fiue of the clocke and were kindly entertained at Cane Burgol by the worshipfull Richard Colthurst Esquire Consull for the English Nation there Syria is in Asia hauing on the East Euphrates on the West Aegypt on the North Cilicia on the South Arabia Assyria ioineth vnto Syria and hath on the East Media on the West Mesopotamia on the North Armenia Minor on the South Susiana About sixty miles from Aleppo the riuer Euphrates and Tygris méet at a place called vulgarly Beere or Birha but of old it was called Mesopotamia where Laban dwelt at Padan Aram. And there is yet a heape of stones within halfe a daies iourny of Aleppo néere vnto Taedith inhabited by Iewes where Laban following after Iacob made couenant with him which Laban called Iegar-sahadutha that is An heape of Witnesses But Iacob called it Galeed that is A Watch Tower as we reade Gen. 31. 47. The City Niniue was in Assyria situated by Tygris whereof now there is no memoriall left But in the place where Niniueh stood there is a little towne called Muscla from whence the inhabitants of that place bring a kinde of linnen cloath called Muslina to Aleppo to sell to Merchants there At Bâ—â—ha by the Riuer Euphrates they that goe Babylon vsually take boat but stay vntill their boats be made and then buy them and goe downe the Riuer Euphrates with a swift currant but cannot come backe againe by water Babylon is now called by the Turkes Bagdat It is also gouerned by Turkes It bordereth vpon Persia A great part of Mesopotamia and Assyria is also called Babylonia of the Citie Babylon Also there is a City in Egypt called Babylon not farre from the I le Delta
built by certaine Babylonians Betwixt Aleppo and Babylon Merchants trauell often ouer the desart of Arabia and euery quarter of the yéere Carauans come from thence with many hundred Camels laden with merchandise And their custome hath béene and is still sometimes when they haue occasion to send some sudden newes from Babylon to fasten some briefe writing to one of the wings of a Bagdat or Babylonian pigeon or about her necke in such sort that it may not hinder her flying and to send her therewith to bring newes to Aleppo which is at the least ten daies iourney off which when I heard at the first it séemed to me wonderfull strange and almost incredible but after I vnderstood how they traine them to it the strangenesse thereof was diminished For when the hen doue sitteth or hath yoong ones they take the cocke pigeon and put him in a cage and when the Carriers goe with their camels they set the pigeon in an open cage on a camels backe and when they are a daies iourney or two from home set her at liberty who presently mounteth vp aloft and beholding her way neuer ceaseth flying vntill she come to her mate which any of the house perceiuing looke for some paper fastned about her and so in post haste vnderstand speedie newes And so by degrees they traine them further further to the places of their trafficke This I haue knowen put in practise and performed by an English Merchant of Aleppo who in such sort sent a Bagdat pigeon to Scanderone three daies iourney from Aleppo and by her returne vnderstood when ships arriued thither and departed from thence which séemeth not vnto me so strange as that which we reade of performed by a Cobler of Rome who taught a dawe to speake and to salute the Emperour as he passed by with these words Salue Caesar which the Emperour hearing gaue vnto the Cobler a good reward and bought his dawe which another poore man in Rome perceiuing hoping to get the like reward tooke vpon him to teach another daw the same lesson and day and night as he sate at his work vsed still to prattle vnto his daw and bid him say Salue Caesar and when he perceiued he could not make his daw once frame himself to pronounce those words he chafing rapped him on the bill and said Operam oleum perdidi that is I haue lost my labour in vaine yet still continued his diligent endeuour and by often repeating both Salue Caesar and Operam oleum perdidi in the end his daw had learned both the one and the other and when the Emperour passed by said Salue Caesar the Emperour answered Tales habeo domi salutatores that is J haue such saluters inow at home whereupon the daw replied Operam oleum perdidi which the Emperour hearing bought this daw also because he had one lesson more than the other and rewarded the poore man well for his labour I am bold to write vnto you in absence as pleasantly as I was wont to speake vnto you in presence whereby you may perceiue I am still the same man and of the same minde and as merry out of England as euer I was in England But to procéed in my discourse and description of Syria All Syria of old was called Aram and the Syrians Aramites But especially I doe read of thrée of the chiefest Cities in Syria called by the name Aram The first was Aram Naharaim which was Mesopotamia for Nahar in Hebrue signifieth a Riuer and Naharaim is the duall number thereof signifying two Riuers which were Euphrates and Tygris Mesopotamia the Gréeke word signifieth the same comming of two Gréeke words viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the middle and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a Riuer and therefore was it called Mesopotamia because it was situated betwéene two Riuers that is Euphrates and Tygris The second was Aram Damasek that is Damascus which is still the chiefest City in all Syria The third was called Aram Sobah which some thinke to haue béene that City which is now called Aleppo And of this Aram Sobah I finde mention made 2. Sam 8. 3. 4. 5. And also in the title of the sixty Psalme where mention is made of the salt valley which is but halfe a daies iourney from Aleppo which is a very great plaine without grasse growing on it the very sand whereof is good salt naturally after raine being dried againe by the sunne they gather it There is also a little Iland or mountaine in the midst thereof plaine on the toppe which yéeldeth the best salt Some Iewes there dwelling doe also say that Aleppo was the City Sepheruaim but I thinke it to be a latter City which some say was called Apollonius but I know no reason for it except it were built by one of that name Howsoeuer it should séeme this City Aleppo hath often changed her name and that if it were not Aram Sobah yet to be built not farre from the place where Aram Sobah stood But the Turkes changing the names of all places where they come call Aleppo at this day Halep which signifieth Milke because it yéeldeth great store of milke Aleppo is inhabited by Turkes Moores Arabians Iewes Greekes Armenians Chelfalines Nostranes and people of sundry other Nations The Turkes come of Magog the sonne 〈◊〉 Iapheth For as we reade Gen. 10. 1. Noah had thrée sonnes Shem Ham and Iapheth Shem and his posterity dwelt in Syria in Chaldaea and in Persia being the East parts of the world whence came the Syrians the Aramites the Chaldeans and the Persians The sons of Shem are named Gen. 10. 22. to be these Elam Ashur Lud and Aram. Of Elam came the Elamites or Persians of Ashur the Assyrians of Lud the Lydians of Aram the Aramites or Syrians These sonnes of Shem with their posteritie are cast out of the holy Line who were deadly enemies to their kindred Gen. 10. 22. 23. Ham with his séed went into Canaan being the South part of the world of whom came the Cananites the Egyptians Ethiopians and the Arabians The sonnes of Ham are set downe Gen. 10. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. c. to be these Cush Mizraim Put and Canaan Of Cush came Nimrod a mighty hunter the builder of Babel Of Mizraim came the Egyptians who in Hebrew are called Mizraims Of Put came the Blacke-Moores Of Canaan the Cananites And so foorth as you may reade Gen. 10. Iapheth went with his séed into the Westerne and Northern parts of the world Of whom came the Greekes the Medes the Simbrians the Germanes the Scythians the Turkes and the Thratitians The Iles of the Gentiles came of Iapheth and his sonnes The sonnes of Iapheth are set downe Gen. 10. 2. 5. to bée these Gomer Magog Madai Iauan Tuball Mesech Tiras c. Of Gomer came the Tartarians Of Magog the Turkes and Scythians Of Madai the Medes Of Iauan the people of Asia and Graecia And what people
if he be not louing dutifull and obedient vnto thée héere I giue thée a Canzhare that is a dagger to cut off his head And alwaies after those daughters or sisters of the King weare a broad and sharpe dagger and whensoeuer their husbands which are giuen vnto them by the King to be their slaues displease them they may and doe cut off their heads They exempt no calling from marriage but hold it a blessing from God to haue many children and the desire of many children maketh them take many wiues The Great Turke hath many hundred yea as I haue heard a thousand women only for his owne vse And yet as Augustus Caesar spake of Herod when he killed his owne two sonnes Alexander and Aristobulus with the infants of Bethlem rather than he would faile of his purpose in killing Christ It is better to bee Herods hogge than his sonne for his hogges liued but his sonnes died So it is better to be the Great Turkes hogge than his sonne for they being forbidden by their Law to eat swines flesh kill no hogges but all the sonnes of the Great Turke are strangled to death by their eldest brother after the death of their father to auoid treason A diuelish policie and like vnto that of Hatto a Bishop of Mentz or Magunce in Germanie who as the Cronicles mention 500. yéeres agoe in time of a great dearth called all the poore people in all the whole Country into a great barne pretending to make a great dole But hauing them sure enough he fired the barne and burnt them all vp saying These be the Rats and Mice which deuoure vp the corne This was his policie to make bread better cheape But for this vnmercifull mercie God made him an example for all vnmercifull men to the worlds end For a multitude of Rats came and deuoured him in such terrible sort that where his name was written in windowes walles or hangings they neuer ceased till it were razed out and droue him from house to house to saue his life And where he had a strong Tower in the middest of the great Riuer of Rhene which yet standeth there to be séene in the midst of the Riuer he thought himselfe sure if he could flie thither Notwithstanding the Rats swamme after him thither and there deuoured him And it is called the Rats tower to this day as Trauellers know and I my selfe haue séene this present yeere 1608. Iuly 7. It standeth on a little Jland in the midst of the Riuer of Ryne betwixt the Cities Mentz and Cullyn or Colonia néere vnto a Towne called Bingam on the one side of the Riuer and another Towne called Baccara on the other side the Riuer where is made the best Rhenish wine in all Almania Not far from Sanquer where there is a choller of iron fastened to a wall whereinto all fresh Trauellers are enforced by their company to put in their necks to make them frée and are enhansed at Bobar vsually or at Sanquer if they lodge there SVLTAN Mahomet this great Turkes father when he came to the Crowne put to death 19. of his brethren according to the custome of his predecessors as a wicked policie to preuent treason The Persians are yet somewhat better although too bad where the eldest sonne is king after the death of his father and all the rest of their brethren haue their eyes put out yet liue Other Turkes haue thrée wiues and haue as many women-slaues as they can kéepe whom they vse as wiues and esteeme them equall with their wiues The manner of their mariage is this First if a man like a yong woman he buyeth her of her father and giueth a great summne of money for her and then enrolleth her in the Cadies booke that hee hath bought her of her Father for his wife and then the friends feast and banket together and this is all they performe in mariage Onely the father of the yong woman giueth great store of houshold-stuffe with her and this is caried openly by particulars through the stréetes of the citie on horses or Cammels and sometime by men and women the parties newly maried going before with musicke playing before them Their eight Commandement is the same with our sixt 8. Thou shalt not kill In their Alcoran it is written that God hateth murther And they say that it is the second sinne which crept into the world after the creation being first committed by cursed Cain who killed his brother Abel And their beliefe is that this sinne of wilfull murther is impardonable But if it be by méere chance or in their owne defence or else in lawfull wars or in cases of iustice by the Maiestrate they hold it lawfull Often haue I heard Turkes brawle one with another and in words most vilely reuile one another but neuer did I sée or heare of two Turkes in their priuate quarrels strike one another neither dare they strike one another for if they do they are presently brought before the Maiestrate and seuerely punished Yea if one doe but lift vp his hand to strike another hée is cast into prison and kept in irons vntill he haue payed some great fine or receiued some other punishment But they will strike Iewes and Christians oftentimes who dare not strike them againe If a man in secret be killed and found dead either openly in the stréete or priuately in an house the master of the house or the parish where hee dwelleth must find out the murtherer otherwise hee himselfe shall be accused of murther and both he and the whole Contrado where hee dwelleth must pay vnto the Subbashaw so many hundred Dollers as shall be required at their hands And therefore the Subbashaws oftentimes being wicked men doe hire some desperate person to kill a man in the night that thereby he may take occasion to eat of the whole Contrado We had an English man not long since who sléeping on the Tarras that is on the top of the house in the night as the custome of the contrie is in the heate of Sommer who had his throat cut being asléepe in bed by two or thrée wicked men who came from the stréete by a ladder to the top of the house and after they had committed this murther being discried by the barking of a dog and séene also by the master of the house through his chamber windowwhere he slept but not plainely discerned being somewhat darke they made haste downe againe and were neuer knowen But on the morrow after the master of the house an English man also was in trouble himselfe because he could not find out the murtherers and it cost him an hundreth Dollers at the least before hee could bee fréed and the whole Contrado or Parish was also fined In like sort if an house be robbed he who is robbed must either finde out the thiefe or els he himselfe shall be troubled for it and put to a great fine If an house be but endangered
please God to call him and is at this day the greatest traueller of a man of his calling that I know in all England both by sea and land By land he hath trauelled further then Iacob and the same way that Iacob did from Hebron to Padan Aram and hath had as hard lodging in his trauell as Iacob had viz. the ground to his bed a stone for his pillow the skie for his couering and sometimes the aire for his supper By Sea farther then S. Paul then Aeneas or Vlysses haue done and all the whole way that they all haue trauelled and further Wherefore gentle Reader if thou take in good part these his trauels and my paines and labour in collecting them together it may perhaps encourage him to enlarge them and me to procure them and to adde thereunto his conference and disputations with Iewes Iesuits and sundry other nations which I vnderstand hee hath had with them and such arguments as haue beene vsed on both sides letters in sundry languages which haue beene written on both sides from one to another In the meane time I leaue him with his foure fellow trauellers soiourning at the earthly Ierusalem and thee gentle Reader trauelling towards the heauenly Ierusalem where God grant at length we may all ariue IESVS CHRIST being our Pilot and Ienisary to conduct vs thereunto AMEN Thine euer in the Lord THEOPHILVS LAVENDER The Trauels of certaine English-men into Heathen Countries set foorth by their Letters the Contents whereof are heere set downe as followeth * ⎠* THe first Letter was written from Constantinople the Primate and Metropolitan Citie in all Thracia wherein the Author certâ—fiâ—th his friend of his voyage from England thither and of such famous places and memorable matters as he saw and obserued in the way thither pag. 1. II. The second was seat from the same renowned Citie wherein he describeth Constantinople from the beginning hitherto shewing the first building destruction reedifying and gouernment of the same vnto this present day and what Antiquities are to be seene therein pag. 17. III. The third was written from Aleppo in Syria Comagena wherein the Author most iudiciously and learnedly discourseth of his voyage from Constantinople thither and describeth both generally the whole Country of Syria and particularly the City of Aleppo the chiefest City for trafficke therein and sheweth that Aleppo is inhabited by people of sundry Countries with the Religion Gouernment Manners and Customes of euery Nation there dwelling or soiourning which is of all the rest most pleasant to read for the varietie of matters therein contained pag. 31. IIII. The fourth and last letter was written from Ierusalem wherein he maketh relation of his trauell by Land together with foure other Englishmen from the City of Aleppo in Syria Comagena to Ierusalem by the Sea of Galile or Tyberias and Lake of Genezareth and so thorow the whole Land of Canaan which way was neuer trauelled by any Englishman before neither possibly can be trauelled againe at this day in regard of the turbulent and troublesome estate of those Countries which is like euery day to grow worse rather than better And this iourney may be called Iacobs iourney because all the whole way which they trauelled thither is the way which Iacob trauelled from Bethel or Beershebah to his vncle Labans house at Padan Aram in Mesopotamia pag. 86. And this may serue partly for a Confirmation of M. Henry Tymberley his voyage from Grand Cayro in Egypt formerly called Memphis to Ierusalem performed the selfe same yeere and at the selfe same time for all of them met together at Ierusalem And partly it may serue for a correction of some false things therein contained wâ—erein being printed without his consent they haue done him wrong as in the Preface to the Reader you may see plainly But chiefly it may serue for a direction to others who are minded heereafter to trauell into those Orientall Countries or East parts of the world either to further them by the good directions heerein contained or to hinder them in regard of the imminent dangers A LETTER SENT from Constantinople to a learned Gentleman in England wherein the Author discourseth of his voiage from England thither and of such famous places and memorable matters as hee saw in the way thither WOrshipfull and my worthy good friend in most kind and curteous manner I salute you wishing vnto you all ioyes internall externall and Eternall Being now by the prouidence of God after long and tedious trauell arriued in safety at Constantinople and calling to mind your continuall kindnesse towards me since our first acquaintance and your earnest request vnto me at my departure out of England which was to acquaint you with such occurrences as in my voyage should offer themselues vnto my viewe I could not without some note of ingratitude which I would not willingly incur refuse to impart vnto you what memorable matters and famous places I haue seene and obserued in my voyage May it please you therefore to vnderstand that after our departure from the coast of England wee saw no land vntill wee came neere vnto the coast of Spaine and then appeared first of all in sight vnto vs a towne in Spaine called Territh or Tenerith which was discerned first by a red sandy path on a mountaine neere vnto it And shortly after wee saw lubraltore on Europe side and Abshiâ— commonly called Ape hill on Affrica side betwixt which 2. places we entred in at the straights mouth with a swift currant and a good wind commonly called the straights of leubraltore betwixt which place and Porungal wee saw many Whales in the bay or Gâ—lph of Portingal And in three dayes sailing from the straights we arriued at Argier in Barbary where we staied three daies and were kindly intreated both by Ally Bashaw king of Argier and also by Amurath Rayse commonly called Morat Rayse This citie is in forme like vnto a top-saile broad below and narrow aboue It is situated on the side of an hill walled about and a strong Castle neere vnto the water side It was first called Mesgana secondly Iol the royall seate of IVBA the noble king of Mauritania who in the time of the ciuil warre betwixt Caesar and Pompey valiantly defended Pompeyes part By the Moores and Turkes at this day it is called Iezaier but by the Spaniards it is called Algier The people of this place and the Spaniards are bitter enemies and annoy one another oftentimes About 300. leagues from Argier wee saw Teddel a citie in Affrica and cape Bonne which was formerly called Hyppo where S. Augustine was Bishop and Tunis neere whereunto the ancient citie Carthage stood built by Queene Dido whereof some rumes are yet to bee seene Tunis is in Libia and Morocus and Fesse in Numidia About these parts we saw flying fishes as big an Hearing with two great sinnes like vnto wings before and two lesse behind who being chased by Dolphines
and Bonitaes fly as long as their wings are wet which is not farre but oft agables length Porpisces and many other strange and deformed fishes we saw in our voiage the names whereof we knew not We saw also sword fishes and threshers which two kind of fishes are deadly enemies vnto the Whale The sword fish swimmeth vnder him and pricketh him vp and then the Thresher when hee hath him vp belaboureth him with his flayle or extraordinary long taile and maketh him roare On the other side ouer against Barbary in the Spanish sea we saw two Iles called Baleares which are also called Maâ—orque Minorque thirty miles distant the one from the other And other 2. Iles in the Balearique sea called Ieuis Ebusus betweene Sardinia and Africa the earth whereof will suffer no venemous thing to liue we saw also an I le called now Pantalarea but of old it was called Paconia It is very full of hils and rockes there groweth great quantity of Cotton Capers Figs Melons and Reisings The Iland is full of cesternes They say that not onely the men of that Iland but the women also are naturally good swimmers but whether they be all so or not I know not but sure I am we saw one woman come swimming from thence to our ship being becalmed with a basket of fruite to sell The I le is but thirtie miles in length and ten miles in breadth The day following we saw Sicilia a famous Iland in the Tyrrhen sea 618. miles about The Iland is most pleasant and no lesse fertile In this Iland is Aetna an high hill burning continnally with brimstone it is now called Mons Gibelli out of this hill riseth most horrible smoake and flames of fire and sometimes burning stones in great number I haue heard that in this I le there is a water whereinto if a dog be cast he will die presently but being taken out and cast into another water neere vnto it he liueth againe but this I haue not seene and therefore referre it to others which haue seene it Messana commonly called Missina is the chiefest citie in Sicilie neere the Promontory Pelorus In the sea néere vnto this Iland there is a dangerous rocke called Scylla and ouer against this dangerous rocke there is a gulfe of the sea called Charibdis commonly at this day called the Kirbies It is a very dangerous place by reason of streames flowing contrary each to other It is ouer against Scylla Marriners which saile betwixt these two are carefull to keepe an euen course lest whiles they seeke to shun the one they rush vpon the other according to that verse Incidit in Scyllam cupiens vitare Charib dim that is Seeking to auoid one danger they fall into another And in the Terrhen sea by Sicilie there is another I le called Strongyle or Stromboly which burneth in like sort as Aetna doeth it is ouer against Naples Sicilia is 50. leagues in length that is 150. miles accounting three leagues to a mile Ouer against cape Passera which is a marke for Marriners at the Eastward end of Sicilia there is an Iland called Malta where vpon some occasion we touched It is that Iland mentioned Act. 28. 1 2. where the viper came on Pauls hand It was then called Melita but now Malta The inhabitants were then Barbarians yet shewed Paul no little kindnesse for they kindled a fire and receiued him and his companie because of the present colde c. But now they are such Barbarous people which inhabit it that rather then they will receiue Paul and his companions I mean Protestants or any good Christians to the fire in kindnes to warme them they will rather in crueltie cast them into the fire to burne them Then a viper came on Pauls hand and hee shooke him off without hurt but now there are so manie viperous people there who vse so strict Inquistion when strangers come that it is impossible for a good man to shake them off without harme either to his soule if hee dissemble or to his body if he professe the trueth The inhabitants are Renegadoes and Bandidoes of sundry nations especially Greekes Italians Spaniards Moores and Maltezes There are many Souldiers there who are in pay vnder the Spaniards and their Captaines are called Knights of Malta The common sort weare no other clothing because of the extreamitie of the heat then a linnen or white shirt girded vnder their brests and ouer the same a fine white woollen mantle called by the Moores a Barnuse There are in this Iland 60. Castles as many villages all well inhabited There groweth great store of Cottons Pomegranates Cytrons Orenges Melons and other exellent fruits but for wheat wine they doe furnish themselues out of Sicilia Tripoly in Barbary is a City situated on the maine land vpon the coast of the Mediterranian Sea It was builded by the Romans and afterward subdued by the Gothes which possessed the same vnto the time of Homer The next places of any note which wée saw were two Ilands in Graecia namely Zephalonia and Zante betwixt which two our Ship passed Both of them are inhabited by Greekes but gouerned by the Signiory of Venice who every third yéere send Prouidores with other Officers to rule there They are both very fruitfull Ilands yéelding great store of currance oliues pomecitrons oringes and lemmons but small store of corne which they continually fetch from other Countries If through extremity of wether or danger of Pirates or cursares corne be not duly brought vnto them in short time they are ready to famish Zephalonia was of old called Ithaca where Vlysses the sonne of Laertes was King who excelled all other Greeks in eloquence and subtilty of wit He is commended by ancient Writers for a famous Traueller but if he were liuing in these daies his trauels would be counted nothing in respect of the trauels of many other now liuing for he trauelled but betwixt Venice and Egypt which is now a common voyage Zante of old was called Zacynthus it was somtimes a wooddy I le in the sea Ionium on the West of Peloponesus But there is now very little wood in it It is hilly round about but the middle of it is a plaine and fruitfull valley yéelding great store of Currance which are brought from thence into England The Greekes wonder what we vse to doe with so many Currance and aske sometimes whether we vse to dye with them or feed Hogges with them They were a very poore kind of people when our English Marchants vsed traffique there first but now they are growen rich and proud There is also a citie in that I le called Zante by the name of the Iland which citie was built by Zacynthus sonne to Dardanus who raigned there We staied ten dayes in the rode of this city before we could get Pratticke that is leaue to come amongst them or to vse traffique with them for their custome
is not to giue present Pratticke vnto any strangers vnlesse they bring a letter of health from the place whence they come which we had not And therefore some of our companie who had businesse there we sent to the Lazaretta which is a place like vnto the pest house in More-fields where though they be in health yet there they must stay so long as it pleaseth the Signiors of health which is sometime twenty and sometimes forty dayes and in the meane time if any of their companie fall sicke though it be at the end of fortie daies yet must they stay forty daies longer So long as they are kept without Pratticke they haue a Guardian set to watch them that they come into no companie neither any man into theirs yet may their friends come to visit them and standing farre off may speake with them but if they come too neere them the Guardian will cry out vnto them Alargo alargo that is Stand backe And whosoeuer coÌ„meth so néere them as to touch them looseth his owne Pratticke and must kéepe them companie during their continuance there If they bring any letters for any Merchants in the Citie the GuardiaÌ„ wil open them aire them at the fice before he wil deliuer them But if the letter be sowed or if there bee any thread about them they must not be deliuered vntill they that brought them haue Prattick And this they doe vnder pretence of auoiding sicknesse but they haue a further meaning therein viz. partly to get money and bribes and partly to bee acquainted with the businesse of all commers and what commodities they bring And whosoeuer presumeth to come on shoare without Pratticke is in danger of hanging or hauing the strappado And though they haue a certificate that there is health in the place from whence they came yet must they not come on shoare before they haue shewed their Fede or Neate patent vnto three officers called Signiors of health Zante is very much subiect vnto earthquakes There is no yeere passeth without many earthquakes especially in the moneths of September and October in which moneths I haue knowen two or three earthquakes in one weeke In regard whereof they build houses very lowe lest they should bee ouerthrowen by earthquakes And when they feele the earthquakes beginne whether it be by day or by night the Greekes vse presently to ring their bels to stir vp the people unto Praier In Zante there is a very strong Castle standing on an high hill it is also very large halfe as big as the Citie of Zante and therein dwelleth the Prouidatore who gouerneth the Iland and many other and there is the place of iudgement where all causes both Criminall and Iudiciall are decided by the Prouidatore his Counselliers ouer which place these two Lattin verses are written on the walle in letters of gold Hic locus odit amat punit conseruat honorat Nequitiam pacem crimina iura probos which may be Englished thus This place doeth hate vnthrifâ—ines Loue peace and punish wickednes Maintaineth right and equity And honoureth good men worthily Ouer against Zante is the maine land of Graecia called now Morea but of old Peloponnesus almost enuironed with the sea hauing on the West and South the sea Adriaticum on the east the sea of Creete And in the middle of Peloponnesus is a Country called Arcadia so called of Arcas sonne to Jupiter by Calistho who raigned there Arcadia is famous for shepheards There are great store of shéepe continually feeding and good pasture for them In the narrow strait going into Peloponnesus was Corinth that famous City in Achaia situated but now vtterly destroied From Zante wée set saile towards Venice and touched by the way at many places and first of all at a Port néere vnto Corphu called Madonnâ— de Gazopo where there is a Church dedicated vnto the Virgin Mary whereunto there is great resort of such as haue escaped dangers by sea or sicknesse or other dangers by land to offer something to Madonna de Gazopo for their deliuerance And amongst many others it was told vs by our consort the master of a Venice ship in our company that an Italian ship being in great distresse by extremity of wether in the gulfe of Venice when all hope of helpe by worldly meanes was past euery man fell to praier like the Mariners in Ionas ship and euery man called vpon his god some to Neptune some to S. Nicolas some to one Saint some to another But the master of the ship praied to Madonna de Gazopo in this manner O blessed Virgin deliuer me out of this danger and J will offer vnto thee if I come safely to Gazopo a candle as bigge as the maine maste of my ship One of his mates hearing him plucked him by the shoulders and said O master what doe you meane to dally with our blessed Lady in this extremitie For it is impossible you should performe it Whereunto he replied Hold thy peace foole it concerneth vs to speake faire now we are in danger and to make large promises but if she deliuer vs I will make her content with a candle of seuen or eight in the pound Not much vnlike vnto another desperate Mariner whom I haue heard of who in a dangerous storme séeing euery man fall to his praiers and prepare themselues to die he fell on his knées and praied in this manner O Lord I am no common begger I doe not trouble thee euery day for I neuer praied to thee before and if it please thee to deliuer me this once I will neuer pray to thee againe as long as I liue So true is that old saying Qui nescit orare discat nauigare that is He that knoweth not how to pray let him goe downe to sea For great dangers by sea do driue them to praier who neuer praied before though none pray effectually but the faithfull who pray feruently From Madonna de Gazopo we sailed along by Albania and were driuen with a crosse winde to Ottronto in Calabria at the entrance into the gulfe of Venice where we staied two daies And then we had a good winde which brought vs to Ragouza an ancient City in Dalmatia which is a part of Jllyrium or Illyricum as others call it bordering vpon Liburnia Eastward But at this day that which of old was called Illyris or Illyricum is now called Sclauonia or Wendenlande hauing on the North Pannonia on the West Jstria on the East Mysia superior on the South the Adriaticke Sea It was so called of Illyrius son to Polyphemus From thence we sailed along the Illyrian shoare in the gulph of Venice and came to an hauen towne in Istria called Rauina ouer against Rauenna on the coast of Calabria which Rauenna is an ancient Citie in Italy by the Adriâ—tticke Sea At Rauina we tooke in a Pilot to direct vs to Venice Istria is a part of Italy ioyning to Illyricum and is now called Sclauonia From Rauina in one
Ethalie by Ephodore But by Methrodorus Chio of the Nymph Chione and as others say Macrine or Pythiosa but at this day called Syo This Iland is inhabited chiefly by Gréekes but gouerned by Turkes It is full of gardens oringes lemmons citrons figs peares apples pruans apricocks dates and oliues and likewise of all sorts of hearbes swéet flowers good and holesome waters There is also great store of mastick in this Iland which is gathered of certaine trées like vnto Lentiscos trées in this manner About the beginning of the moneths of Iuly and August the husbandmen with a sharpe pointed iron doe rent and cut the barke of the trées in diuers places and out of these incisions and cuts procéedeth the masticke by drops as it were gumme which they gather in the moneth of September following In this Iland are also great store of Partriges which both in colour and quality doe much differ from ours Their colour is somewhat red and they are as tame as though they were chickens or hens In certaine villages of this Iland the country people doe féed them by great flocks driuing them in the day time to grase in the mountaines and towards night the boyes or girles which doe kéepe them doe call them together by a whistle or song And these Partriges being accustomed to such calls presently euery flocke which sometimes are two or thrée hundred gather to their conducter which bringeth them home to their village and dwelling as though they were hens or tame géese They goe also a feeding by small flocks in the stréets of the City This Iland is one of the seuen which contended for Homers birth And they say that Homer was buried in this Iland and that his sepulcher is to be séene to this day vpon the Mount Helias within an old Castle in this Iland but I haue not séene it The maine land of Asia is in sight ouer against Chios and therein Smyrna Ephesus and Thyatira called now Tyria with the rest of the seuen Churches of Asia to whom S. Iohn wrote which are mentioned Reuel 1. 11. And Pathmos the Ile where Iohn was put into a hot tunne of oile Reuel 1. 9. After we had staied ten daies in Chios which as I haue said is now vulgarly called Sio or Scio we sailed towards Constantinople by Mitilene an Iland in the Aegean sea It was first called Lesbos secondly Issa thirdly Pelasgie fourthly Mitilene and Mytais and lastly Metelyn of Milet the sonne of Phoebus which builded the City and named it Mytelene Of this City was Pythagoras Alceus the Poet and his brother Antimenides Theophrastus and Phanius and Arion that skilfull plaier on the harpe and Tersander that famous Musitian Sapho a woman well learned in Poetry was also a Lesbian being called the tenth Muse She inuented the verses which after her name were called Saphicke Verses This Mytilenes was formerly called Bythinia which is a Country in Asia opposite to Thracia néere Troy It was first called Bebricia after Mygdonia and then Bythinia but at this day it is called Lesbos néere vnto Lemnos from whence commeth the terra sigillata otherwise called terra Lemnia which is said to be a remedy against poison the bloody flixe and the plague From Mittelyn we sailed by Tenedos an I le betwixt Lesbos and Hellespont néere Troy whereof Virgill speaketh Aeneid 2. Est in conspectu Tenedos notissima fama Insula c. There is an I le in sight of Troy And Tenedos it hight A wealthy land while Priamus state And kingdome stood vpright The best and most excellent wines in all Graecia are made at Chios and Tenedos There is also a City in the same I le called Tenedos built by Tenes In this Iland was the Temple of Neptune Ouer against Tenedos is Troy which is also called Troas or Troada whereof I can speake no more but this that hath béene long since written Iam seges est vbi Troia fuit That is Waste lie the wals that were so good And corne now growes where Troy towne stood And againe as Virgill speaketh fuit Ilium ingens Gloria Teucrorum That is The City of Troy called Ilium of Ilus who enlarged the same did florish and the glory of the Troians was great And finally O iam periere ruinae The very ruines of it are come to ruine The Sea betwéene Moeotis and Tenedos is called Pontus A little beyond Troy we entered the strait of Hellespont which is a narrow sea called Hellespontus of Helle. It lieth betwéene the Aegean Sea and Propontis and parteth Europe from Asia It is not now called by the name of Hellespont but it is called now The Castles for there are still two Castles which were of old called Sestos and Abydos one on the one side of the Helispont the other on the other side erected in memory of the loue of Leander and Hera ouer which narrow sea he often swomme vnto her and was in the end drowned The riuer Scamander runneth by the Castles Mayto is still a towne ouer against Abydos but on the same side as Seste There is made great store of good wine which is red in colour in taste like claret wine and sugar and yet they put no sugar into it for it is pleasant of it selfe Héere our Merchants ships vsually take in wine for their prouision There are very many wind milles there hauing ten wings a piece The strength of Constantinople consistet chiefly in these two Castles for these Castles are well fortified with munition and are to examine all shippes that passe by from whence they came and whither they would and there they are to pay a tribute to the King If any Ships refuse to stay from the Castles they will shoote them through But if these Castles were battered down Constantinople and all the countrey thereabouts might be easily wonne Notwithstanding these Castles a small flight to kéepe the narrow seas betwixt Chios and the Castles might in short time famish all that countrey for the greatest part of their prouision for Rice and other Corne commeth from Alexandria and those parts with the Gazenda of the great Turk but I leaue this to martiall men and marriners Gallipolis is a great ancient Citie 20. miles distant from the Castles which are at this day called the Castles of Gallipoly in the way to Constantinople situated vpon Cherenes of Thracia at the point which looketh towards Propontis which is all the sea from the straites of Hellespont to Bosphorus Thraicus Some hold opinion that it was built by Caius Caligula And others say that it was in times past inhabited by French men for that this word Gallipoly signifieth the Citie of the Gaules or Frenchmen and for that the French men do dwell in Gaule as Nicopolis and Phillipopolis signifie the City of Nicolas and Philip. Not far from Gallipoly was that famous City Nice where the Generall Councell was held in Bythinia And néere vnto Constantinople is Câ—alcedon or
Chalcedonia ouer against Byzantium which was a famous City in Bythinia where another Generall Councell was held But it is now no City but onely a plaine field hauing héere and there an house yet standing At the point of Chalcedon we first beheld the prospect of Constanâ—inople which is most pleasant to behold being like vnto a City in a wood or a wood in a City hauing firre trées Cyprus trées and other pleasant trées in gardens adioining to their houses It is also adorned with many stately Towers Churches and high Stéeples The forme of the City is like vnto a Triangle whereof two squares are by the water side the other adioineth to the Land After our Ship had saluted the Port we went ouer to the other side and anchored at Fundacâ—ee and went on shore at Gallata to salute the honourable Sir Henrie Lello Lord Ambassadour for Quéene Elizabeth of famous memorie and to visit our English Merchants resident there Our ship hauing discharged her goods at Fundacle remoued from thence and anchored further from shoare betwixt Tapanau and Bezetash expecting a good winde to depart Constantiople is on the other side the water in Thracia which is also called the countrey Romania in Europe hauing on the west Macedonia on the North Isther on the East Pontus on the South the Sea Aegeum As yet I haue not beene farre in Constantinople wherefore I forbeare to write any thing thereof at this time purposing hereafter when I haue thorowly viewed it to describe it vnto you at large In this Interim I humbly take my leaue and leaue you to him who neuer leaueth his Your Worships euer in the Lord wholly to bee commanded WILLIAM BIDDVLPH A description of the famous Citie of Constantinople as it is now vnder SVLTAN ACHOMET the 15. Grand-Chan of the line of OTTOMAN Salutem in Authore salutis c. SInce the writing of my former letters I hauing often beene at Constantinople and thorowly viewed the same according to promise I haue thought good to write somthing vnto you thereof May it please you therefore to vnderstand that Constantinopolis is a Citie in Thracia so called of Constantine the Emperour because hee enlarged the same It was before called Byzantium Strabo entituled it Illustre and Plinie Iustine called it most Noble being one of the most fertile in all Europe It is situted in Thracia vpon the gulph Ponthus which separateth Asia from Europe The forme thereof is thrée square whereof the two sides are washed by the sea the third ioyneth vnto the firme land The soile thereof is very delectable bringing foorth all kindes of good fruites necessarie for sustenance of humane life The situation thereof is so well deuised and ordered that no Ship can enter nor goe foorth but with leaue from the head Vizeir for the Turke is master of the Sea Pontike which hauing 2. mouths the one comming from Propontidis and the other from the Sea Euxinum which is the Blacke sea is by Ouid called the Port of two Seas for the distance from Constantinople to Calcedon is but 14. furlongs And the place which by the ancients is called Phane situated in Asia whereas Jason returning from Calchos sacrificed vnto the 12. gods hath in breadth but 10. furlongs But for as much as many great riuers of Asia many more of Europe doe fall into the Euxine sea commonly called the blacke sea it commeth to passe that being full shee gusheth out through the mouth of her with great violence into the sea Pontique and from thence through the straight of Hellespont being not much broader then thrée furlongs into the Aegean Sea This citie according to the saying of many ancient Authors was first builded by the Lacedemonians vnder the conduct of their Captaine Pausanias which was about the yeere of the world 3292. and before the birth of Iesus Christ 663. yeeres which after they had consulted with Apollo where they should plant and settle their abode and dwelling place they were by an oracle answered that they should doe it euen hard by the blind which were the Megarians for that after they were sailed into Thracia leauing the good and fruitfull coast where since Byzantium was builded vnaduisedly went and planted themselues either for yâ— opposition in the most fruitful ground of Asia or for the vain hope they had for the fishing they builded there a Citie which was called Calcedon But they found themselues greatly deceiued For the fishes being caried by the violence of the floud and tide of the Euxine Sea into Propontis approaching néere vnto the Banks of Calcedon being afraid through the whitenesse of the rockes doe retire straight waies to the side of Bizantium which gaue occasion vnto the valiant Paulanias to fortifie the Citie with good walles rampiers changing the first name thereof which as Plinie saith was Ligos and called the same Bizantium Notwithstanding Diodorus Polybius doe contrarily say that it was called Byzantium by the name of a Captaine which was the first founder thereof Pausanias as Zonoras writeth possessed the same seuen yéeres during which time Fortune shewing her selfe an enemie vnto his magnificence stuffed the hearts of the Athenians with such an insatiable ambition that they hauing brought thither their forces after a long siege and diuers assaults did beare away the victorie which the Lacede monians seeing could not abide but with their whole puissance tooke their weapons in hand with such pertinacy that the aduenture thereof on the one side and on the other was very dangereous and variable And being sometimes taken againe by her first founders and afterwards by her aggressors became in the end a pray vnto both the armies And after that Seuerus succeeding in the Râ—mane Empire the tyrant Pissininus her mortal enemie being in possession Byzantium suborned the Emperour to lay siege vnto the same who not hauing sufficient power to ouercome the same by assaults kept them besieged the space of three whole yéeres in the end through extreame famine constained them to yéeld themselues vnto the mercy of the Romanes which was such that after they had put to the sword all the men of warre that were within it and killed the Maiestrates thereof ruined and cast downe to the ground the walles of the Citie and Seuerus afterwards to satisfie his crueltie spoiled the Citizens of all their rights franchises and liberties giuing moreouer the Land and possessions vnto the Perinthians And thus this most famous Citie remained in miserable calamitie vntill such time as Constantine the great Emperour remouing from Rome did réedifie the same But before I write any thing of the reedifyigns of Byzantium of Constantine the great giue mee leaue to shew you the cause wherefore Constantine remoued from Rome 2. Thessal 2. 7. S. Paul prophesying of the reuealing of Antichrist saith thus Yee know what withholdeth that he might be reuealed in his time c. Which hinderance was the Romane Emperous
which were first to depart from Rome and giue place to the Popes because both Emperours and Popes could not raigne together in one Citie And that hinderance was taken away long since when Constantine the great translated his imperiall Seat to Constantinople and indowed the Popes with the Citie of Rome and a great part of Italy lying about it The Emperours then being farre off and by reason of continuall warres with Saracens and enemies in the East notable to maintaine their own right in the West the Popes incroached vpon them too far and vsurped so much authoritie that they discarded them cleane in Italy and at their pleasure set vp other Emperours in the West but such as would take an oath to bée subiect to the Apostolike Sée of Rome and acknowledge the Popes to be vniuersall Bishops So the hinderance was taken away when Constantine remooued to Constantinople and Antichrist was manifestly disclosed not long after when Boniface the third obtained the title of Vniuersall Bishop which was 900. yéeres agoe for as Gregorie saith none but Antichrist would assume vnto him such a title But yet Constantine had no regard to any prophecie when hée remooued at first from Rome to Byzantium and there setled his Emperiall pallace but he respected onely a more commodious gouernement of those matters and kingdomes of his that lay Eastward which at that time were miserably disquieted by the Parthians and Persians For Constantinople did séem to be so situated whereas otherwise Constantine had once thought to haue setled elsewhere as that it was as you would say the nauel or middest vnto the whole Romane iurisdiction which as we know spread it selfe farre and néere and yet it could not possibly otherwise fall out because that so the Romane Empire might become double headed haue those two horns which God before had reuealed So the prouidence of God guided this whole enterprise of Constantine and so fulfilled what himselfe had decréed Hereby you may perceiue two causes wherefore Constantine remoued from Rome 1. The first more secret in the prouidence of God that the prophecie of the Apostle Paul 2. Thessal 2 7. might be fulfilled 2. The second more publike and better knowen to all viz. that Constantine the great Emperour of the Romanes séeking to resist the courses and robberies which the Parthes daily vsed towards the Romanes deliberated to transport the Empyre into the East parts and there to build a large Citie which first hee minded to haue builded in Sardique and afterwards in Troyada a countrey of high Pmygia néere vnto the cape Sigeâ— in the place where sometime stood the Citie of Troy which he began to reedifie and to repaire the foundations thereof But being by a Reuelation in the night inspired to change the place caused to be recommenced the workes of Calcedon where certaine Eagles as Zoâ—arus writeth being flowen thither tooke in their bils the masons lines and crossing the stréete let them fall neere vnto Byzantium whereof the Emperour being aduertised taking the same for a good signe and diuine instruction after hee had taken view of the place called backe the masters of his workes from Calcedon caused the City to be repaired and amplifyed which according to his name he called Constantinople notwithstanding that at the first he had called the same new Rome Whereupon it came to passe that both in generall Counsels and in the decrées of Emperours mention is made of two Romes one the olde which is the true Rome built by Romulus the other the new which is Constantinople which also began to hold vp the head by vertue of the priuiledges and prerogatiues of old Rome Constantinople was likewise called Ethuse and Antonie but by the Grecians Stimboli and of the Turks Stambolda which in their language signifieth a large City and so it is called by them at this day The Emperour now seeing his Citie builded and sufficiently peopled compassed the same with walles towers and ditches building therein many sumptuous Temples adorning it with many magnifique buildings and necessary works as well publik as priuate And afterwards for the more beautifying thereof caused to be brought from Rome diuers Antiquities worthy of memorie and amongst others the Palladium of ancient Troy that is the image of Pâ—llas in Troy which he caused to be set in the place of Placote the great columne of Porphyre which was set vp in the same place Neere vnto which he caused to be erected a Statue of brasse to the likenesse of Apollo of a maruailous bignesse in which place hee ordained his name to ve set vp But in the time of the Emperour Alâ—xis Comine this Statue through a great and impetuous tempest was cast down to the ground and broken all to pieces This Emperour liued there many yéeres most prosperously in happy estate as likewise did many of his successours but not altogether exempted from persecutions as well by wars fires pestilence earth-quakes as sundry other calamities vntill such time as God purposing to punish the people for their sins through negligence of Emperours stirred vp Mahomet the second of that name and the eighth Emperour vnto the Turkes who being mooued with an earnest desire to bring the Christians vnto decay and thereby to augment his Empire being beyond measure iealous to sée this noble City so florish before his eies went with a maruellous power both by sea and by land to giue a furious siege vnto the City The end and issue whereof was such that after a long siege battery and diuers assaults the Jnfidels hauing gotten the wals with a great hurlyburly and fury entred into the city where at the first entry they made a maruellou slaughter of the poore assieged Christians without sparing any age or degrée The Emperour Constantine they killed in the prease as he though to haue saued himselfe and after that they had cut off his head in derision and ignominy they carried the same vpon the point of a speare round about the Campe and City And afterwards Mahomet not contenting himselfe with the violating and deflouring of the Emperours wife daughters and other Ladies of honour by a sauage cruelty caused them in his presence to be dismembred and cut in péeces During the time of the sacking which continued thrée daies there was no kinde of fornication Sodometry sacrilege nor cruelty by them left vnexecuted They spoiled the incomparable Temple of S. Sophia which was built by the Emperour Iustinian of all ornaments and hallowed vessels and made thereof a stable and a brodell for buggerers and whores This lamentable losse of Constantinople being chiefe of the Orientall Empire and likewise of the City of Perah by the Turkes called Gallata being the seat of trade of the Geneuoises lying hard by Constantinople vpon the other side of the Chanell was in the yéere of our Sauiour 1453. March 29. some doe say of Aprill and others of May after it had remained vnder the dominion of the Christians
with letters Hieroglificke and néere to it is a great columne in the which are carued by histories the things memorable which haue béene done in this Hippodrome There is also another great columne néere vnto it of marble and one of brasse made by singular arte in forme of thrée serpents wroonge one within another And diuers other Antiquities which are dispersed in diuers places of the Cities as the Palace of Constantine the great her first restorer which ioyneth vnto the walles néere vnto the corner which is towards the West The Sepulcher of the same Constantine which is madeall of Porphyre being in a corner of a streete the most filthiest in all the Citie And going towards the gate of Seliuree is to be séene a great Columne of marble historied after the manner of those of Antonie and Adrian which are at Rome Moreouer there are Conduit pipes and diuers Cesternes vaulted supported some by vaults and other some by a great number of pillers and diuers other fragments of Antiquities There are also two places in Constantinople at this day like vnto the Exchange in London called the Bezestan distinguished by these names The old Bezestan and The new Bezestan wherein all sorts of commodities are to be bought as in the Royall Exchange in London and greater variety as veluets silkes and sattins and waste-coats ready made of all sorts of silke finely quilted and curiously wrought with curious handkerchiefes of exquisite worke and many other commodities which were too long to set downe But these Bezestans are not open all the day but at certaine houres vz. from nine of the clocke in the morning to three or foure in the afternoone and not euery day neither but on certaine daies in the wéeke There is also a vsual market in Constantinople wherein they sell men and women of all ages as ordinarily as we doe cattle in England which are for the most part Christians such as the Turkes take captiues in Hungarie or other places where they ouercome Their custome is to make slaues of all they can take aliue and at their returne to sell them in the open market If Christians be moued in compassion to buy them because they are Christians the Turkes will sell them excéeding deare to them but cheape to a Musslelman as they call themselues that is true beleeuers But if they cannot get their owne price for them they will enforce them to turne Turks and to serue them in all seruile labours as the Israelites did the Egyptians Vpon the corner of the Citie which stretcheth towards Gallâ—poly neere vnto the sea side there is a very strong Castle compassed with 7. great towers enuironed with high and strong walles well furnished with artillery which Castle is by the Turkes called Iadicule but commonly The seuen Towers For the kéeping whereof there is a Captaine called Disdaragla a man of great reuenewes and Authoritie which ordinarily hath vnder him 500. dead payes called Assarelies which haue all béen Ienesaries and haue euery one of them for their wages 5000. Aspers by the yeere And there the great Turke keepeth such Guard for that he and other Emperours Turkes his predecessours haue alwayes there kept the Treasures yet the Grand-Sigâ—ior commeth thither very seldome This Castle also with seuen Towers commonly called The seuen Towers is a Prison for great men like vnto the Tower of London There are also two other strong Castles which I haue séene towards the Blacke Sea called Mare Euxinum wherinto they put prisoners of whom they make great account and for whom they expect great ransome At the Blacke sea we saw Pompeis Piller of marble erected one a rocky Iland neere vnto the shoare whereon some of our company wrote their names viz. master Robert Yong Gentleman who also there wrote the name of our noble Prince HENRY Nathaniel Persiuall Iohn Milwarde Thomas Marson and others And on the shoare néere vnto the Blacke Sea there is a Lanthorne as high as stéeple and on the top thereof a great pan of liquor in darke nights continually burning to giue warning to ships how néere they approach vnto the shoare For it is a very dangerous shoare and it is therefore called the Blacke Sea not because the waters thereof are any whit blacker then others but from the dangerous euents because in blacke and darke nights many ships are cast away rushing either vpon rockes or sands as the Red Sea also in Egypt is not therefore called the Red Sea because the waters thereof are redder than others but as some thinke because the waters were turned into blood when Moses wrought miracles before Pharaoh But this reason I doe not so well approue because we doe not reade that the sea was turned into blood but the Riuers so that they could not drinke of the Riuers nor the Fish liue therein But I like better of their iudgement who say it is called the Red Sea because of the red grauell and red bull-rushes which still grow in great abundance by the shoare thereof The Blacke sea is not farre from Constantinople for we tooke boat from thence in the morning and were at the Blacke Sea before noone hauing séene Pompeis piller we went on shoare and tooke wine and other victuals with vs vp into the Lanthorn and there dined and returned to Constantinople by Supper time My brother Peter Biddulph in right humble manner saluteth you and that vertuous Gentle-woman your wife I vnderstand by a Letter which I lately receiued from him dated at Anchona that he had béene at Rome in the yéere of Iubile but at this present he is either in Venice or in some other principal City in Italy where hée cutteth Diamonds Rubies Saphiers Emrods and all other sorts of precious stones I wrote for him to come vnto me to Aleppo in Syria to bée factor for a worshipfull Merchant of our Company but he answered me that he had learned not to be another mans man so long as he could be his owne according to that versicle Alterius non sit qui suus esse potest that is Let not him a mans seruants be Who can liue well and may be free Whereby I perceiued that his purpose was to follow the trade of a Lapidarie and buying and selling precious stones which he buyeth rough and rouged and when he hath smoothed them and curiously wrought them then he selleth them againe Yet I expect his comming hither before many yéeres be expired for I vnderstand he hath a purpose to trauell to Spahan in Persia and to other of the chiefest Cities there to buy precious stones which are brought thither from India and other places And his direct way thither is to trauell thorow Siria and from thence to Babylon in Assyria wherefore I make account he will visit me in his iourney thither And I doubt not but hee will salute you with many letters before his departure out of Christendome for he writeth vnto mee that you by your
Grand-signiors Passe shewed for all the passengers in the ship and then their vsuall duties paied they may set saile and away Yet if the master of the ship pay extraordinarily they may more spéedily be dispatched and many giue very liberally when they haue a good winde rather than they will be staied many houres From thence we sailed betwéene Moeotis and Tenedos in the sea called Pontus For although sometime in the Poets euery sea be called Pontus as Ouid in his Booke De Tristibus speaketh Omnia Pontus erant deerant quoque littâ—ra Ponto That is All was sea on euery side And no firme land could be espide And againe Nil nisi Pontus aer I see nothing but the aire aboue and the sea beneath Yet in this place there is a proper sea called Pontus and a country also ioining to the same sea called Pontus mentioned Act. 2. 9. which country Pontus containeth these countries Câ—ppadocia Cholchis Armâ—nia with others and especially Cholchis whence lason with the Argonautes by the helpe of Medeas skil did fetch the golden fleece is most conspicuous on Asiâ— side to them that saile thorow the sea Pontus From thence wee came to Châ—os where we staied a few daies From Chios wée set saile with a very good winde which brought vs amongst the 53. Iâ—es in the Arches called Cyâ—lâ—des or Sporades And then by a contrary winde we weâ—e driuen to Samos which is an I le before Ionia ouer against Epheâ—us where we ancored vntill we had a good winde and then sailed by Andros an He one of the Cyclades and had a very good winde vntill wee came to Rhodos commonly called Rhodes which is an I le in the Carpathian sea néere Caria where wée were becalmed It is called the Carpathian sea of Carpathus an I le in the middest betwixt Rhodes and Creet From Rhodes we came to Cyprus a famous and fruitfull Iland in the sea Carpathium betwéene Cilicia and Syria which was once conquered by Richard the First King of England In this Ile Venus was greatly honoured There is still a Citie therein called Paphia built by Paphus who dedicated it to Venus But the chiefest Cities in Cyprus are Famogusta and Nicosia There is great store of cotten-woollgrowing in this Iland and exceeding good wine made héere and the best dimetey with other good commodities From hence a French Gentleman who came in our ship from Constantinople imbarked himselfe for Ioppa with a purpose to goe to Ierusalem Ioppa is not two daies sailing from Cyprus with a good winde and Ioppa is but thirty miles from Ierusalem by land Cyprus was vnder the gouernment of the Signiory of Venice but now it is inhabited by Greekes and gouerned by Turkes But our Ship from Cyprus went to Tripoly in Syria a City on the maine land of Syria néere vnto Mount Lybanus which is a mountaine of thrée daies iourney in length reaching from Tripoly néere to Damascus Whilest our ship staied in the rode at Tripoly I and some others rode vp to Mount Lybanus to sée the Cedartrées there and lodged the first night at the Bishops house of Eden who vsed vs very kindly It is but a little village and called by the Turkes Anchora but most vsually by the Christians there dwelling it is called Eden not the garden of Eden which place is vnknowen vnto this day but because it is a pleasant place resembling in some sort the garden of Eden as the simple inhabitants thereof suppose therefore it is called Eden This Bishop was borne in the same parish but brought vp at Rome his name was Franciscus Amyra by whom I vnderstood that the Pope of Rome many yéeres since sent vnto the Christians inhabiting Mount Lybanus to perswade them to embrace the Romish Religion and yéeld themselues to the Church of Rome making large promises vnto them if they would so doe whereof they deliberated long but in the end yéelded vpon condition they might haue liberty to vse their owne Liturgie and Ceremonies and Lents for they strictly obserue foure Lents in the yéere and other customes Euer since which time the Pope hath and doth maintaine some of their children at Rome These Christians which dwell vpon Mount Lybanus are called Maronites they are very simple and ignorant people yet ciuill kinde and curteous to strangers There are also many Turkes dwelling on the same mountaine and an Emeer or great Lord called Emeer Vseph who gouerneth all the rest both Christians and Turkes being himselfe a Mahometan yet one who holdeth the gouernment of Mount Lybanus in despight of the great Turke and hath done a long time From Eden we rode ten miles further vp the mountaine to sée certaine Cedar trees where we saw 24. tall Cedar trées growing together as bigge as the greatest oakes with diuers rowes of branches one ouer another stretching straight out as though they were kept by Art Although we read of great store of Cedars which haue growen on Mount Lybanus yet now there are very few for we saw none but these 24. neither heard of any other but in one place more At these Cedars many Nostranes met vs and led vs to their villages From these Cedars we returned towards Tripoly another way descending by the side of the Mount towards a village of the Maroniticall Christians called Hatcheeth where as we were descending downe the side of the Mountaine all the men women and children came out of their houses to behold vs And when we were yet farre off riding towards them they gaue a ioifull shout all together iointly to expresse their ioy for our comming And when we came néere their women with chaffingdishes of coales burnt incense in our way and their Casseeses that is their Churchmen with blew shashes about their heads made crosses with their fingers towards vs as their manner is in signe of welcome and blessed vs giuing God thankes that he had brought Christian Frankes that is freemen of such farre countries as they vnderstood we were of to come to visit them So soone as we were dismounted from our horses the chiefe Sheh with all the rest of their ancientest men came and brought vs to the chiefe house of the parish called the Townehouse or Church-house and there spread carpets and table-cloathes on the ground as their manner is and made vs all sit downe and euery one that was able brought flaskets of such good chéere as they had to welcome vs which was many bottles or ingesters of excéeding good wine with oliues sallets egges and such like things as on the sudden they had ready and set them before vs and both by the chéerefulnesse of their countenances gestures of their bodies and presents of such present things as they had expressed their gladnesse for our comming and would also haue prepared hens kids and other good chéere but we would not suffer them This was about 11. or 12. of the clocke They would haue had vs continue
where it was ouerwhelmed with water Secondly on the Marine néere vnto the sea where it was often sacked by Cursares And now thirdly a mile from the sea where it is annoyed with sande Our ship being not ready to set saile at our returne from the mount but staying partly to dispatch their businesse and partly for a good wind we trauailed by land two daies iourney to see Tyrus and Sidon hard by the sea And at Sidon wée saw the Tombe of Zabulon the sonne of Iacob held in great estimation and reuerent account at this present day Tyrus is now called by the Turkes Sur because there beginneth the land of Siria which they call Sur Tyrus is destroyed and no such Citie now standing onely the name of the place remaineth and the place is still knowen where it stood Eight miles from Tyrus towards the East is the Citie Sarepta of the Sidonians where the Prophet Elias raised the Widowes sonne from death to life We saw also Baruta where somtimes was a great trade for Merchants but from thence they remooued it to Damascus and from Damascus to Tripoly and of late from Tripoly to Sidon Ioppa is not farre from these parts oftentimes Barkes come from the one to the other At our returne wee went aboard and presently set saile for Scanderone as it is now called by Turks otherwise called Alexandretta by the Christians which is the very bottome and vtmost border of all the straights The ayre is very corrupt and infecteth the bodies and corrupteth the blood of such as continue there many daies partly by reason of the dregs of the sea which are driuen thither and partly by reason of two high mountaines which keepe a way the sunne from it a great part of the day And it is very dangerous for strangers to come on shoare before the sunne be two houres high and haue dried vp the vapors of the ground or to stay on shoare after sunne setting The waters also néere vnto the towne are very vnholsome comming from a moorish ground but at the fountaine a mile off there is excéeding good water to drinke It is far more healthfull to sléepe aboard then on the shoare Scanderone is in Cilicia and Cilicia is the countrie Caramonia as it is now called in the lesser Asia and is diuided into two parts viz. Trocher and Campestris It hath on the East the hill Amanus on the North Taurus on the West Pamphila on the South the Cilician sea Scanderone is the port for Aleppo where all our Merchants land their goods and send them vp to Aleppo vpon Cammels The Carauans vsually make thrée daies iourney betwixt Scanderone and Aleppo Whiles our Cammels were preparing we tooke boat and went to an ancient towne by the sea side called at this day Byas but of old Tarsus a Citie in Cilicia where S. Paul was borne mentioned Act. 22. 3. which towne is arched about as many of their Cities are to keepe away the heat of the sun which Arches they call Bazars At the gardens neere Tarsus and likewise at other gardens within three miles of Scanderone we saw great store of Silke-wormes which at the first bee but little graines like vnto Mustardseed but by the bearing of them in womens bosomes they doe gather an heat whereby they come vnto life and so proue wormes they kéepe them in tents made of réeds with one loft ouer another full of them and féed them with leaues of Mulbery trées these wormes by naturall instinct doe fast often as some report euery third day Heere we staied certaine dayes to auoid the infection of Scanderone The mountaines which obscure Scanderone and make it more vnhealthfull I take to be a part of Taurus which is a great and famous Mountaine beginning at the Indian Sea and rising into the North passeth by Asia vnto Moeotis bordering vpon many Countries and is called by many names Sometimes it is called Caucasus which is the highest hill in all Asia which parteth Jndia from Scythia and is part of the hill Taurus Sometimes it is called Amanus which hill parteth Syria from Cilicia And sometimes it is called by other names according vnto the sea coasts along which it extendeth About Scanderone there are many rauenous beasts about the bignesse of a For commonly called there Iackalles engendered as they say of a Fox and a Woolfe which in the night make a great crying and come to the graues and if there haue béene any corse buried the day before if the graue be not well filled with many great stones vpon it many of them together with their feet doe scrape vp the earth and pull vp the corps and eat it At our returne from Tharsus Edward Rose our Factor marine prouided vs horses to ride to Aleppo and a Ienesary called Parauan Bashaw with two Iimmoglans to guard vs with necessary victuals for our selues to spend by the way for there are no Innes nor victualing houses in that countrie but trauellers take victuals for themselues and prouender for their horses with them Our Merchants and passengers making haste to bee gone from this contagious and pestiferous place Scanderone which one very well called The bane of Franks left their goods with the Factor Marine to be sent after them because the Malims and Muckremen as they call the Carriers were not yet come down with their Cammels to carry them vp but we met them at the fountaine of fishes néere vnto Scanderone About eight miles from Scanderone we came to a towne called Bylan where there lieth buried an English Gentleman named Henry Morison who died there comming downe from Aleppo in companie with his brother master Phines Morison who left his Armes in that countrie with these verses vnder written To thee deare HENRY MORISON Thy brother PHINES here left alone Hath left this fading memorie For monuments and all must die From Bylan we came to the plaine of Antioch and went ouer the Riuer Orontes by boate which Riuer parteth Antiochia and Syria Antioch plaine is very long large at least 10. miles in length Wee lodged the first night at Antiochia in Pisidia an ancient towne about 25. miles from Scanderone mentioned Act. 11. 26. where the Disciples were first called Christians Héere we lodged in an house but on the bare ground hauing nothing to sléepe on or to couer vs but what we brought with vs viz. a pillow aâ—d a quilt at the most and that was lodging for a Lord. This Antioch hath beene as a famous so an excéeding strong Towne situated by the Sea and almost compassed at the least on both sides with excéeding high and strong rockes The Inhabitants at this day are Gréekes but vnder the gouernement of the Turke but for matters of Religion ordered and ruled by their Patriarchs for the Gréeks haue foure Patriarchs to this present day viz. The Patriarch of Antioch the Patriarch of Ierusalem the Patriarch of Alexandria the Patriarch of
only for doing my duty and following the order of our Church of England knowing that I had none of the Reuerend Fathers of our Church to defend me So would it be in England if we had not the Reuerend Fathers in God the Lord Bishops of our Church to protect vs. All other Nations both Heathen and Christian goe before vs héerein in reuerencing and prouiding for their Churchmen The Turkes honour their Muftie which is their chiefe Ruler in Ecclesiasticall matters next vnder the Grand Signior as an Angell The Nostranes Greekes Armenians Chelfalines and Christians of all other Nations performe double honour vnto them only in England where there is a more learned Ministery I speake by experience than in any Nation in the world they are least of all regarded Which maketh our Aduersaries the Papists say as I haue heard some of them speake in my hearing many thousand miles from England that if we our selues were perswaded of the truth of our Religion we would reuerence our Churchmen as they do and not scorne them and contemne them as we doe They also account fooles dumbe men and mad men Santones that is Saints And whatsoeuer such mad men say or do though they take any thing out of their house or stricke them and wound them yet they take it in good part and say that they shall haue good lucke after it And when such madde men die they Canonize them for Saints and erect stately Monuments ouer their graues as we haue héere many examples especially of one who being mad went alwaies naked whose name was Sheh Boubac at whose death they bestowed great cost on his funerall and erected an house ouer his graue where to this day there are Lampes burning night and day and many idle fellowes whom they call Daruises there maintained to looke vnto his sepulcher and to receiue the offerings of such as come to offer to Sheh Boubac which they take to themselues and there is no wéeke but many come out of the City of Aleppo and other places to offer For this sepulcher is built on an hill thrée miles from Aleppo betwéene the Kings garden and the fountaine of fishes If any be sicke or in danger they vow that if they recouer or escape they will offer so much money or this or that good thing to Sneh Boubac There is also such another Bedlam Saint in Aleppo yet liuing whom they call Sheh Mahammet a Santone who goeth alwaies naked with a spit on his shoulders and as hee goeth thorow the stréets the shop-kéepers will offer him their rings and if he thrust his spit thorow their rings they take it for a fauour and signe of good successe The like account they make if he take any thing from their shop boards or bor them or any of their house yea they are yet more mad vpon this mad man than so for both men and women will come vnto him and kisse his hand or any other part sometimes his thighs and aske him counsell for they hold that mad mens soules are in heauen talking with God and that he reuealeth secrets vnto them In regard whereof the Bashawes themselues oftentimes and chiefe Captaines will come vnto him with some present and kisse some part of his naked body and aske him whether they shall goe to battle or not and what successe they shall haue in warre And looke whatsoeuer he saith they hold it for an Oracle Not long since the Turkes had a victorie against the Christians and at their returne they reported that this naked Santone Sheh Mahammet of Aleppo was séene naked in the field fighting against their enemies and that by his helpe they ouercame them although he were not néere them by many thousand miles Whereby you may sée how the Deuil doth delude them still as he did their forefathers at the first by Mahomets Machiaucilian deuices Their Daruises also they haue in such reputation that often times great Bashawes when they are in dissáuour with the King and feare either losse of life or goods or both to auoid danger will turne Daruises and then they account themselues priuileged persons from the rigour of their Law The witnesse of a Daruise or of a Churchman will passe better than any mans witnesse besids yea better than Shereffes whom they account of Mahomets kindred and they are knowen from others by their greene Shashes which no man else may weare for greene they account Mahomets colour and if they seeany Christian wearing a garment of that colour they will cut it from his backe and beate him and aske him how he dare presume to weare Mahomets colour and whether he bee kine to God or not This I haue knowen put in practise vpon Christians not acquainted with the customes of the countrey since my comming one for hauing but greene shooestrings had his shooes taken away Another wearing greene breeches vnder his Gowne being espied had his breeches cut off and he reuiled and beaten Wee of more knowledge come far behind them in reuerencing the Preachers of the truth and providing for them and it is to be feared that they shall rise vp at the day of iudgement and condemne vs heerein The Turks haue no Printing amongst them but all their Law and their Religion is written in the Morisco tongue that is the Arabicke tongue And hee is accounted a learned man amongst them that can write and read And as for the Latin tonge he is a rare man amongst them that can speake it Some few amongst them haue the Italian tong and many especally in and about Constantinople speake the vulgar Greeke that is Romeica tongue For in Constantinople there are as many Grecians and Hebrues as Turks The poore amongst the Moores and Turks at Aleppo beg oftentimes in the streets in the name and for the sake of Syntana Fissa who was as they say a whore of charity and would prostitue her selfe to any man Bacshese as they say in the Arabicke tongue that is gratis freely The Diet of the Turks is not very sumptuous for the most common dish is Pilaw which is good sauory meat made of Rise and small morsels of Mutton boyled therein and sometimes rosted Buckones that is small bits or morsels of flesh Their more costly fare is Sambouses and Muclebites Sambouses are made of paste like a great round Pastie with varietie of hearbes and meates therein not minced but in Buckones A Muclebite is a dish made of Egs and hearbs Their smaller Sambouses are more common not so big as a mans hand like a square Pastie with minsed meat therein They haue also varietie of Helloway that is swéet meats compounded in such sort as are not to be séen elswhere The poorer sort féed on hearbs and fruites of the trées Their most common drinke is Coffa which is a blacke kind of drinke made of a kind of Pulse like Pease called Coaua which being grownd in the mill and boiled in water they drinke
it as hot as they can suffer it which they find to agrée very well with them against their crudities and féeding on hearbs and rawemeates Other compound drinkes they haue called Sherbet made of water and Sugar or hony with snow therein to make it coole for although the countrie bee hote yet they kéepe snow all the yeere long to coole their drinke It is accounted a great curtesie amongst them to giue vnto their frends when they come to visit them a Fin-ion or Scudella of Coffa which is more holesome than toothsome for it causeth good concoction and driueth away drowsinesse Some of them will also drinke Bersh or Opium which maketh them forget themselues and talke idly of Castles in the ayre as though they saw visions and heard Reuelations Their Coffa houses are more common than Ale-houses in England but they vse not so much to sit in the houses as on benches on both sides the stréets néere vnto a Coffa house euery man with his Fin-ion ful which being smoking hot they vse to put it to their noses eares and then sup it off by leasure being full of idle and Ale-house talke whiles they are amongst themselues drinking of it if there be any news it is talked of there They haue also excellent good fountaine waters in most places of that countrie which is a common drinke amongst them especially in Sommer time and in their trauels at all times of the yéere Some of our Merchants haue weighed their water and ours in England when they haue come home and haue found their water lighter then ours by foure ounces in the pound and the lighter the water is the more pleasant it is to drinke and goeth downe more delectably as if it were milke rather than water In great Cities where the fountaines are either farre off or not so plentifull there are certaine poore men which goe about the stréetes from morning to night with a Beares skinne full of water sowed vp and fastened about his stoulders like a Tinkers budget with a bole of brasse in his hand and offreth water freely to them that passe by except they giue them any thing in curtesie some seldom times The greatest part of them are very courteous people amongst themselues saluting one another at their méetingwith their hand on their brest for they neuer vncouer their head with these words Salam Alike Sultanum that is peace be vnto you Sir Whereunto the other replieth Alekem Salam that is Peace be to you also And sometime thus Elph Marhabba ianum Or in Turkish thus Hosh Geldanos Sophi Geldanos that is Welcome my déere friend And in the morning Subalkier Sultanum that is good morrow Sir and in the euening thus Misalker Sultanum that is good euen Sir And when friends and acquaintance meet who haue not séene one another many dayes before they salute one another in Turkish thus Neder halen that is how doe you In Arabick thus Ish halac Seedi that is How doe you Sir And Ish babtac that is how doth thy Gate meaning all within his gate And so procéed by particulers to aske how doth thy Child slaue horse cat dog asse c. and euery thing in the house except his wife for that is held a very vnkind question and not vsuall amongst them And if a man come to their houses and at the doore enquire of the children for their father they will answere him but if he enquire for the mother they will throw stones at him and reuile him Their women as hath béene shewed before haue little liberty to come abroad except it be on the Eue before their Sabbath which is Thursday to wéepe at the graues of the dead or to the Bannios or hot Bathes to wash themselues as the vse of the contry is And when they come abroad they are alwayes masked for it is accounted a shame for a woman to be séene bare-faced yea they are so iealous and suspitious ouer them that fathers wil not suffer their owne sonnes after they come to fouretéene yéeres of age to sée their mothers These be their common salutations one to another Their more speciall salutations to great personages are these When a man commeth to salute the great Turke or Grand Signior himselfe into whose presence few are admitted except Ambassadors and great Personages they are led betwéene two by the armes for feare of a stab by which meanes one of their Grand Signiors was once killed and when they returne they goe backwards for it is accounted a disgrace to turne their back-parts to a great man In like manner they salute their Bashawes and other great men but not led by the armes but with their hands on the brest bowing downe their heads to kisse the skirt of his garment pronouncing these words Ollah towal omrac Seedi That is God prolong your dayes Sir And so long as they talke with a Bashaw they stand with their hands on their brest maiden-like and bow low at their departure and goe backward They neuer vncouer their heads vnto any man no not to the King himselfe yea it is a word of reproach amongst them to say when they mislike a matter I had as liue thou shewedst me thy bare head They call one another diuersly and not alwaies by their names but sometimes by their fathers Calling trade or degrée as Eben Sultan that is The sonne of a King Eben Terzi The sonne of a Tailor And sometimes by their father qualities as Eben Sacran that is The sonne of a Drunkard And sometimes by their markes as Colac cis that is A man without eares Cowsi Sepher that is Sepher with the thinne beard And sometimes by their Stature as Tow-ill that is A tall man Sgire rugiall that is A little man And sometimes by their Offices as I-asgee that is A Secretarie Nibe that is A Clerke c. And sometimes by their humours as Chiplac that is A naked man Or One who was of a humour to weare no cloathes but breeches But their common word of curtesie either to strangers or such whose names they know not or whom they purpose to reuerence is Chillabee that is Gentleman And there is no man amongst them of any degrée will refuse to answer to any of these names But if nature haue marked them either with gogle eies bunch backes lame legs or any other infirmitie or deformitie as they are knowen by it so they are content to bée called by it But they that haue gone on pilgrimage to their holy Citie Mecha where their Prophet Mahomet was buried at their returne are called Hogies that is Pilgrimes as Hogie Tahar Hogie Mahammet c. which is counted a word of great grace and credit amongst them And the witnesse of an Hogie will be taken before any other Of the Arabians TThere are also many Arabians in Aleppo called vulgarly Arabs or Bedweens They cal themselues Saracens of Sara but they are rather Ishmalites of Ishmael Abrahams sonne by Hagar and therefore also called
Cohens preach in the Spanish tongue All matters of controuersie betwixt themselues are brought before their Cakam to decide who is their chiefe Churchman Cakam in Hebrue is as much as Sapiens in Latine that is a wise man and Cohen in Hebrue is as much as Sacerdos in Latine that is a Priest Most of the Iewes can read Hebrue but few of them speake it except it be in two places in Turkey and that is at Salonica formerly called Thessalonica a City in Macedonia by the gulfe Thermaicus and at Safetta in the Holy Land néere vnto the sea of Galile Which two places are as it were Vwersities or Schooles of learning amongst them and there honoris gratiâ— they speake Hebrue I haue sundry times had conference with many of them and some of them yea the greatest part of them are blasphemous wretches who when they are pressed with an argument which they cannot answer breake out into opprobrious spéeches and say Christ was a false Prophet and that his Disciples stole him out of his graue whiles the souldiers who watched him slept and that their forefathers did deseruedly crucifie him and that if he were now liuing they would vse him worse than euer then forefathers did Of Christians of sundry sorts soiourning in Aleppo Besides these Turkes Moores and Arabians which are all Mahometans and Iewes which are Talmudists there are also sundry sorts of Christians in this Countrey which are of two sorts either such as were borne brought vp and dwelled in the Country or such as were borne in Christendome and only soiourne héere for a time to exercise merchandises The first sort who were borne in this Heathen Countrey and dwell there are either Armenians Maronites Iacobites Georgians Chelfalines or Greekes which are all gouerned by their Patriarkes for Ecclesiasticall matters But for ciuill gouernment both they and their Patriarkes are subiect to Turkish Lawes yea they are all slaues vnto the great Turk whom they call their Grand Signior Of the Nostranes or Nazaritans Amongst all these sorts of Christians there is amongst the Mâ—ronites an ancient company of Christians called vulgarly Nostranes quasi Nazaritans of the Sect of the Nazarites more ciuill and harmlesse people than any of the rest Their Country is Mount Lybanus as I wrote vnto you héeretofore but many of them dwell at Aleppo whereof some of them are Cassises that is Churchmen some of them are Cookes and seruants vnto English Merchants and others some Artificers All of them liue somewhat poorely but they are more honest and true in their conuersation than any of the rest especially at their first comming from Mount Lybanus to dwell in Aleppo and many during their continuance there if they be not corrupted by other wicked Nations there dwelling in whom I obserued more by experience than I heard of them or noted in them when I was amongst them at Mount Lybanus And especially for the manner of their marriage and how they honour the same They buy their wiues of their fathers as others there dwelling doe but neuer sée them vntill they come to be married nor then neither vntill the mariage be solemnized betwixt them for there is a partition in the place where they méet to be married and the man and his friends stand on the one side and the yoong woman her friends on the other side where they may heare but not sée one another vntill the Cassies bid the yoong man put his hand thorow an hole in the wall and take his wife by the hand And whiles they haue hand in hand the mother of the maid commeth with some sharpe instrument made for the purpose and all to bepricketh the new married mans hand and maketh it bléed And if he let her hand goe when he féeleth his hand smart they hold it for a signe that he will not loue her But if he hold fast notwithstanding the smart and wring her hard by the hand vntill she cry rather than he will once shrinke then he is counted a louing man and her friends are glad that they haue bestowed her on him And how they honour marriage aboue others I obserued by the naming of their first manchilde For as amongst vs the women when they are married lose their Surnames and are surnamed by the husbands surname and children likewise so amongst them the father loseth his name and is called by the name of his eldest sonne in this manner I haue knowen a Nostrane whose name was Mou-se that is Moses who hauing a manchilde named him Vseph that is Ioseph and then was the father no more called Mouâ—e Moâ—es but Abou Vseph that is the father of Ioseph Another whose name was Vseph named his eldest sonne Pher-iolla after which he was no more called Vâ—eph but Abou Phâ—r-iolla the father of Pher-iolla Another man called Iubraell that is Gabriell his sonne at the time of Baptisme being named Mouse he alwaies after was called Abou Mouse that is the father of Moses such an honour doe they account it to be father of a manchilde These Nostranes reuerence their Cassises greatly and kisse their hand wheresoeuer they méet them yet are most of them altogether vnlearned hauing only the knowledge of the Syriac tongue wherein their Liturgie is read They kéepe their Feasts at the same time as we doe viz. Christmasse Easter and Whitsuntide and at Christmasse on the Twelfth day in the morning called Epiphanie their yoong men haue a custome betimes in the morning to leape naked into the water I could neuer heare any reason of their so doing but Vzansa de prease the Custome of their Countrey And though it be then very cold yet they perswade themselues and others that then it is hotter than at any other time and that the water then hath an extraordinarie vertue to wash away their sinnes On Munday in Easter wéeke and Whitsun wéeke these Nostranes goe with their Cassises to the graues of the dead and there knéele downe and burne incense and pray at euery graue Of the Chelfalines THe Chelfalines are Christians dwelling vpon the borders of Persia betwéene Mesopotamia and Persia at a place called Chelsa These bring silke to Aleppo to sell They are plaiâ—â— dealing people If a man pay them money and by ouer-reckoning himselfe giue them more than their due though there be but one peece ouer so soone as they perceiue it though it bée many daies after they will bring it backe againe and restore it and thinke they shall neuer returne safely into their Country if they should not make restitution thereof These people perswade themselues and report vnto others that they dwell in that place which was called Eden whereinto Adam was put to keepe it and dresse it But some hold that this pleasant garden Eden did extend ouer all the earth But by the second chapter of Genesis it appeareth manifestly that this garden wherein man was placed which we call Paradise was a certaine place on earth not spreading ouer all but only
own happinesse But as the prodigall sonne vntill he was pinched with penurie abroad neuer considered the plentie of his fathers house So many in England know not their own felicitie because they doe not know the miseries of others But if they were here in this heathen Countrie they would know what it is to liue in a Christian common wealth vnder the gouernement of a godly king who ruleth by Law and not by lust where there is plentie and peace and preaching of the Gospell and manie other godly blessings which others want And God long continue his mercies to our noble King Iames and his whole Realmes and giue vs grace as farre to excell other Nations in thankfulnesse as we doe in happinesse And thus for present I commend you to the most gracious protection of the Almightie IEHOVAH beséeching him if it be his will to send vs a ioyfull méeting both in this world and in the world to come Amen Tuus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 GVILIELMVS BIDDVLPHVS A LETTER SENT from Ierusalem into England wherein relation is made of the voyage of fiue Englishmen from Aleppo in Syria Comagena to Ierusalem and what famous Places and memorable Matters they saw in the way thither and at Ierusalem **** Salutem ex animo in Authore salutis c. WOrshipfull and my singular good friend I being now by the prouideÌ„ce of God at Ierusalem Captus amore tui raptus honore loci for the loue I beare to you and delight I conceiue in this famous place where our swéet Sauiour Christ vouchsafed once his blessed bodily presence I could not but remember you with some salutation from hence hauing such choice of messengers by reason of the great concourse of people vnto this place at this present from sundry places of Christendome to transport my Letters vnto you Nothing doubting but that as my former letters which I haue héeretofore written vnto you both from Aleppo and other places concerning my former voyages and such things as by diligent obseruation I noted in my trauels were acceptable vnto you so that this shall be much more acceptable both in regard of the Place from whence it came as also of the Matter subiect héerein contained being my voyage from Aleppo in Syria Comagena to Ierusalem vndertaken this present yéere 1600. not mooued as Pilgrimes with any superstitious deuotion to see Relikes or worship such places as they account holy but as Trauellers and Merchants occasioned by dearth and sicknesse pestilence and famine in the City where we soiourne which two are such followlike companions that the Graecians distinguish them but by one letter calling the pestilence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the famine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By reason whereof all trafficke was hindred and those Merchants whom they call Frankes or Freemen either remooued to other places or such as staied in the City caused their gates to be shut vp and came not abroad vntill Sol entered into Leo which is vsually the twelfth or thirtéenth day of Iuly at which time the plague still ceaseth in this place though it be neuer so great and all that are then sicke amend and such as then come abroad néed not feare any danger The Turkes Moores Arabians and other Mahometans neuer remooue for feare of any sicknesse nor refuse any mans company infected therewith for they say euery mans fortune is written in his forehead and that they shall not die before their time not knowing what it is to tempt God and to refuse ordinarie meanes But in this interim from the beginning of this sicknesse which was in March vntill the expected and vndoubted end when the Sunne entereth into Leo we whose names are subscribed for causes aboue mentioned tooke our voyage from Aleppo towards Ierusalem hauing letters of commendation from Clarissimo Imo the Venice Consul and sundry others of the chiefs Italian Merchants to their Padres at Ierusalem for our kinde vsage there with liberty of conscience Anno Dom. 1600. March 9. after dinner we set foorth guarded with Ienesaries and accompanied with sundry English Italian and French Merchants who in kindnesse rode with vs seuen or eight miles to bring vs on the way and then returned to Aleppo But most of our English Merchants brought vs to Cane Toman ten miles from Aleppo where wée made merry with such good chéere as we brought with vs. For there was nothing to be had for money but goats milke whereof we had as much as we would Heere we purposed to haue slept all night but hauing no other beds but the hard ground with Iacobs pillow a good hard stone vnder our heads vnaccustomed to such Downe beds we could not sléepe but spent the time in honest mirth vntill it was past midnight and then our friends tooke their leaue of vs and returned towards Aleppo and we procéeded in our iourney towards Ierusalem The night being darke and the way dangerous and théeuish our Ienesarie Byram Bashaw willed vs euery one to take a match lighted in our hands and to whirle it about that the fire might be séene the further to terrifie the théeues lest they should surprise vs on the sudden And when we came to suspicious places as caues rockes barnes or odde Cottages in the way our Ienesarie vsed to ride before and as fowlers beat vpon bushes for birds so he with his launce would strike and beat vpon such places lest wilde Arabs which lie lurking in such places should steale vpon vs on the sudden When the day appeared our way was pleasant and comfortable vnto vs vntill we came to a village called Saracoope whither we came about noone March 10. And because our Seisenars or sumptor horses which caried prouision for man and horse as the custome of the Countrie is were tyred and wee our selues also for want of sléepe the night past wearied and hungrie wee were constrained to lodge there all night on the hard ground by our horse héeles in an old Cane distant from Cane Toman 28. miles March 11. betimes in the morning we departed froÌ„ Saracoop and came betimes in the afternoone to a fine Village called Marrah where there is a very faire new Cane builded by Amrath commonly called Morat Chillabee sometimes Defterdare that is Treasurer of Aleppo and afterwards of Damascus who for the refuge of trauellers their protection against théeues built a stately strong Cane like vnto Leaden-Hall in London or rather the Exchance in London where there are faire vpper roomes for great men in their trauels and the nether roomes are for ordinary trauellers and their horses but in hot wether the best make choise to sleepe on the ground in lowe roomes rather then in their chambers The founder hereof also ordained that all Trauellers that way should haue their entertainement there of his cost He alloweth them Bread Pilaw and Mutton which our Ienesaries accepted off but we scorning reliefe from Tuâ—kes without money sent vnto the village where besides our
owne prouision which wee brought with vs wee had also other good things for money Marrah is distant from Saracoope 24. miles March 12. was a very rainy day yet we trauelled all the forenoone vntill wee came to a village called Lacmine which a farre off made shew of a very faire village but when we came thither we found it so ruinous that there was not one house able to shroude vs from the extremitie of the shower the inhabitants thereof hauing forsaken it and fled into the mountaines to dwell for feare of the Ienesaries of Damascus who trauelling that way vsed to take from them not onely victuals for themselues and prouender for their horses without money but whatsoeuer things els they found in their houses Onely there was a little Church or Chappel there in good preparation whereinto for a little money we obtained leaue to enter our selues with our horses and carriage and there we brought out our victuals and refreshed our selues and baited our horses and rested vntill it left raining After the shower while our horses were preparing we walked into the fields néere vnto the Church and saw many poore people gathering Mallas and thrée leafed grasse and asked them what they did with it and they answered that it was all their foode and that they boiled it and did eate it then we tooke pitie on them gaue them bread which they receiued very ioyfully and blessed God that there was bread in the world and said they had not séene any bread the space of many moneths We also gaue vnto them small pieces of siluer to relieue their necessitie which they receiued gratefully and wished that their Countrie were in the hands of Christians againe The shower ceasing we rode from this Chappell and village of Lacke money I should haue said Lacmin but might say lacke men and money too and rode forward vntill we came vnto a village or towne called Tyaba where because it was neere night we desired to lodge but could not be admitted into any house for any money whereupon our chiefe Ienesarie Byram Bâ—shaw went into an house and offred to pull man woman and childe out of the house that we might bring in our horses and lodge there our selues But when we saw what pitifull lamentation they made we intreated our Ienesarie either to perswade them for money or to let them alone And vnderstanding that there wâ—s a faire City in our way ten miles off we fiue with our Ienesarie being well horsed rode thither and left our carriage with the rest of our company at Tyaba to come to vs betimes in the morning This City is now commonly called Aman but of old it was called Hâ—matâ— 2. King 17. Heere we lodged in a faire Cane but on the cold ground and vpon the hard stones and thought our selues well prouided for that we had an house ouer our heads to keepe vs day Héere we met with victuals for money and prouender for our horses On the morrow the rest of our company came vnto vs from Tyaba and one of our horses being lame we staied there all that day to buy another and met there that day another swaggering Ienesarie of Damascus of our old acquaintance at Aleppo called Mahomet Bashaw who came from Ierusalem with Italian Merchants whom he had guarded thither These gaue vs good directions for our voyage and told vs what dangers they had escaped Hamath is from Marrah about fiue and thirty miles On the fourteenth of March we trauelled from Hamath a pleasant way and a short daies iourney to a fine towne called vulgarly Hemsâ— but formerly Hus distant from Hamath but twenty miles This is said to haue béene the City where Iob dwelt and is to this day called by the Christians 〈◊〉 biting in those borders Iobs City And there is a fruitfull valley neere vnto it called the vâ—lley of Hâ—s and a Câ—stle not fâ—rre off in the way to â—â—â—poly called Huâ— Castle to this day But I make some doubt whether Iob were euer at this place for Iob is said to haue dwelt amongst the Edomites or wicked Idumaeans and Idumaeâ— bordered vpon Arabia Foelix and not néere Syria where this City called Hus standeth whence the Sabaeans came which with violence tooke away Jobs Oxen and Asses And Iob is said to come of the posteritie of Esay And some thinke him to haue béene the sonne of Abram by Ketura Yet might this City now called Hemse or Hus be the Land of one called by name Hus for I doe finde in the Genealogies of the holy Scripture thrée men of that name Hus One was Arams sonne nephew to Noah Gen. 10. 23. A second was Nachors Abrams brothers sonne by Milchah Gen. 22. 21. The third was of the posterity and kindred of Esau as appeareth in his Genealogie Gen. 3â— 28. Whence some gather that Iob was an Idumaean of the posterity of Esau But others affirme him to haue béene the sonne of Abram by Ketura And not vnlikely that some one of these thrée might haue dwelt at this place in Syria called Hus which by corruption of time was called Hemse On the fiftéenth day of March we went from Hus towards Damascus which is foure daies iourney off and all the way vntill we came within ten miles of Damascus is a desart vninhabited and a théeuish way onely there are erected in the way certaine Canes to lodge in But if they bring not prouision with them both for man and horse and some quilt or pillow to sléepe on the hard stones must be their bed and the aire their supper for some of their Canes are nothing but stone wals to kéepe out théeues In Cities they haue very stately Canes but not for Trauellers but for themselues to dwell in for euerie rich man calleth his house a Cane But the Canes that stand in high waies are in charity erected by great men for the protection of Trauellers but most of them are very badly kept and are worse than stables Our first daies iourney from Hus was a very vncomfortable and dangerous desart we saw no house all the way vntill we came vnto a village called Hassia where we lodged in an old Castle distant from Hus 22. miles March 16. From Hassia we rode to an ancient Christian Towne called Charrah where our prouision being spent wée made supply thereof and bought bread and wine of the Christians there dwelling It is inhabited by Greekes and Turkes but gouerned by Turks only There is but one Church in the Towne which is dedicated to S. Nicolas by the Christians who first builded it But both Christians and Turkes pray therein the Christians on the one side or I le of the Church and the Turkes on the other But the Christians are ouer ruled by the Turkes and constrained to finde them oile to their lamps in the Church For the Turkes not only burne lamps in their Churches euery night but during the whole time of their Lent they
fine towne néere vnto Damascus about two or thrée miles distant on the side of an hill called Salhia from whence a man may behold the prospect of the Citie of Damascus most pleasantly with the gardens and pleasant places about it At Damascus we met many thousand Turkes going on Pilgrimage towards Mecha in Arabia to visit Mahomets sepulchre as they vsually doe euery yéere about their Byram time for they hold that whosoeuer once in his life time shall not goe on Pilgrimage to Mecha to sée the sepulcher of their Prophet shall neuer enter into Paradise And therefore some of them goe thither often in their life time partly for deuotion and partly to buy merchandise For there are brought thither at that time of the yéere great store of commodities from India Persia and other places and none may by or sell there but Mahomeâ—ans And it is forbidden to all Christians vpon paine of death to come néere Mecha within fiue miles partly lest they should marre their markets but chiefly lest they should see their folly or rather madnesse in worshipping an iron sepulcher after the sight whereof many of their old men which thinke neuer to come thither againe vse to pull out both their eyes after they haue seene so holy a sight as they accout it as their Prophets sepulcher and thinke thereby to inherit heauen Tantum relligio potuit suadere malorum that is In such shamefull sort themselues to deface Their Religion mooues them for want of grace And whosoeuer say they dieth in his pilgrimage thither or returning from thence is sure to goe to Heauen presently And they that haue béene there but once are alwaies after called Hogies that is Pilgrimes and are called by that name in this manner If his name before were Mahomet he is at his returne called Hogie Mahomet If before Mustapha he is alwaies after called Hogie Mustapha c. And they that haue béene often at Mecha and returne againe are called great Hogies And euery yéere when the Carauan of Pilgrimes returneth from Mecha he that hath béene there oftnest is called The great Hogie and is greatly honoured of them all for he rideth before them all in more stately apparell then they with flowers and garlands about his horse and when they come néere any great Citie the chiefest men in the citie ride foorth to méet him and bring him into the Citie with great solemnitie They falsly affirme that this their Temple at Mecha in Arabia was built by Abraham and they prepare themselues with greater care to goe to worship there then many Christians do when they come to the Lords Supper for they disburden their hearts of all hatred and malice and reconcile themselues one to another c. Otherwise they hold that all their labour is lost and that they shalbe neuer a whit the better for their Pilgrimage But if they forgiue one another and repent them for their former sinnes they thinke there to obtaine ful remission of all their sinnes and that at their returne they are pure and without spot March 21. We departed from the City of Damascus and about fiue or six miles from the City passed by a village called Daria néere vnto which we saw a great multitude of men women and children on their knees in the high way and by that tune they had ended their deuotion we drew so neere as to salute them and asking what they were it was told vs that they were all Christians of sundry Nations viz. Armenians Greeks Chelfalmes Nostranes and sundry others who went to Ierusalem to visit and worship the holy places there We asked further what they meant to fall on their knées in that place they answered vs that it was the place where Paul was conuerted and that it was their custome when they trauelled that way to fall on their knees and pray vnto God to conuert them They were in number at the least foure or fiue hundred people There was a Greeke Patriarke and an Armenian Bishop in their company Many of them knew vs hauing séene vs in Aleppâ— and saluted vs by our names We rode a while in company together and lodged all together that night at a Cane called Sassa distant from Damaâ—cus 26. miles March 22. We rode before the rest of the company Our way that we trauelled all this day was exceeding bad rocky watrish and barren called Arabia Petâ—ea where our horses often times stucke fast in the puddles and miry places and sometimes ready to breake their owne legs and their Riders necks among rocks and stones It was neither pleasant going on foot nor riding this way for there was no path nor euen ground but huge stones and rocks so néere together that our horses could goe but a foot pace and often times met with such marishes and quagmires that we were constrained to goe farre about before we could finde better waies to passe ouer It is also exceeding cold in this place alwaies in respect of other places in that Country for there are neither trées nor houses nor high hils to keepe away the violence and force of the winds The Carauans that trauel vsually that way betwixt Damascus and Egypt say that this daies iourney troubleth them more than all the rest and that they neuer passe by that way but they leaue two or three of their Cammels behinde them some misfortune or other befalling vnto them We saw also in sundrie places this way the carcases of many dead cammels which haue miscarried amongst the rocks It is also a very théeuish way full of wilde Arabs yet by the prouidence of God wee came safely that day to Conetra where we lodged in a good Cane distant from Sassa 28. miles After our tedious trauell to Conetra finding the place pleasant at our comming thither we walked about to solace our selues in beholding the gréene pastures and running riuers nere vnto it and in viewing the order of sundry Nations there assembled together from sundry places Some comming from Egypt and bound to Damascus pitched their tents without the Cane néere vnto the riuer Others comming from Damascus and bound to Ierusalem accommodated themselues in such sort as they could within the Cane But especially in a Bazar like vnto a cloister adioining to the Cane wee tooke pleasure to walke vp and downe some few turns which the Turks beholding wondred at vs for it is not their custome in those hot Countries to walke vp and downe as we doe in cold Countries but to sit still on the ground like brute beasts and one of them came vnto vs and asked vs what we meant to walke vp and downe in such sort and whether we were out of our way or out of our wits If your way said he lieth toward the vpper end of the cloister why come you downwards And if at the netherend why goe you backe againe We answered him For our pleasure He replied that it was greater pleasure to sit still
apparell also must be neat in Cities where they soiourne for their credit But when they trauell abroad it must be simple for their safety for the baser their apparell is the better shall they passe for if they weare good apparell their throats will be cut for their apparell and hope of much money for those that go braue they account rich And whereas in seruants it is commendable to haue asses eares in trauellers it is néedfull to haue asses backes also to beare all abuses in good part and rather to beare an hundreth abuses then to offer one Wherfore seruants and trauellers must alwaies remember this Distichon or couple of verses following Nobile vincendi genus est patientia vincit Qui patitur sivis vincere discepati that is A noble kind of conquering is patience to see and heare He which forbeareth conquereth If thou wilt conquer learne to beare But to leaue these matters and to procéede to my voiage At the foote of this mountaine there is an old Cane where vsually trauellers lodge but it béeing not yet noone we resolued to trauell 18 miles further to the Sea of Galile At the foote of this stony hill hard by this Cane there runneth a pleasant riuer which diuideth Siria from Galile And ouer this riuer there is a fair bridge the one end whereof is out of the holy land the other in it This riuer is called Iordane the head whereof commeth from Mount Libanus and maketh three Seas The first is the waters of Maron which wee left on our right hand about ten miles off The other on the left hand which lay in our waie as we should trauell The second is the sea of Galile or Tiberias or lake of Genezereth The third is the Sea of Sodome called Mare mortuum where the riuer Iordan endeth The bridge that crosseth this Riuer Iordan at the entrance into the holy land is called Iacobs bridge for two causes First it is said that there Iacob met his brother Esau Secondly that there Iacob wrestled with an Angel A description of the Holy Land THE whole Holy Land of old was called Chanaan and it was deuided into thrée parts viz. Galile Iudea Paleâ—tina Later writers haue called all by the name of Palestina The first part of Canaan called Galile beginneth at this bridge and to this day it is a very pleasant and fruitful Countrie After wee were entred into Galile about 2. miles from the bridge our Ienesarie asked vs whether we would go vp to a mountaine and so to Saphetta neere vnto mount Carmel which is a place of leaning for Iewes or keepe the lower way and goe by the sea of Galile which is the pleasanter way and thereof we made choise and tooke Saphetta in our way afterwards About seuen miles from Iacobs bridge our guide brought vs to a well adorned with marble pillers and couered with stone which he said to haue beene the pit whereinto Ioseph was put when his brethren sold him to the Ishmalites But it seemed to vs incredible first because that was a dry pit and this is ful of sweet water Againe Iacob dwelt at Hebron twelue miles beyond Ierusalem and his sonnes kept shéepe in Shechem And that dry pit whereinto they put Ioseph was at Dothan which we saw afterwards And this pit which they shewed vs with marble pillars was in Galile not néere Dothan nor Shechem where Iosephs brethren kept their fathers sheepe But by others of better iudgement wee vnderstood that this also was called Ioseps pit or well because it was built by one Iosph not Ioseph the sonne of Iacob but some other But the ignorant people which trauell that way are apt to beleeue any things that is told them About ten miles from this well we came to a Cane called by the Moores Minium but by the Turkes Missia hard by the sea of Galile where we lodged all night hauing trauelled that day by computation 36. miles The foure and twentieth of March we rode along by the Sea of Galile which Iohn 6. 1. is called by two mames viz. the Sea of Galile or Tiberias Galile because it is in Galile and Tiberias because the City Tiberias was built by it and Bethsaida an other ancient City of both which we saw some ruinous Wals. And it is said in that Chapter Iohn 6. 1. that Iesus went ouer the Sea of Galile and in an other place that he went beyond the Lake And Luke 9. 10. It is said that hée went into a slitary place neere vnto a Citie called Bethsaida which place of Iohn I learned to vnderstand better by seeing it then euer I could before by reading of it For séeing that Tiberias and Bethsaida were both Cities on the same side of the Sea and Christ went from Tiberias too or neere vnto Bethsaida I gather thereby that our Sauiour Christ went not ouer the length or breadth of that Sea but ouer some Arme bosome or reach thereof viz. so farre as Tiberias was distant from Bethsaida which is also confirmed in that it is said elswhere A great multitude followed him on foot thither which they could not haue done if he had gone quite ouer the Sea to the other side among the Gergelens which is out of the holy Land And therfore this Sea of Galile is also called the Lake of Genesereth because the Countrey of the Cergesens is on the other side the Lake from whence the Swine ran headlong into the Sea and were choaked therein and as that place was out of the holy Land so the people which then inhabited it were as far from holines when they requested our sauiour Christ to depart out of their Coasts And such like holy people inhabite there still viz. wild Arabs and Turks c. We sawe also neere vnto this Sea the place where that Towne mentioned Iohn 2. 1. called Cana of Galile stood where our Sauiour Christ at a mariage turned water into wine in place whereof there standeth now a poore village inhabited by Turks This sea of Galile is by computation in length 8. leagues and in breadth 5. leagues and euery league is thrée miles and then it encloseth it selfe into a narrowe compasse carrying but the breadth of an ordinarie riuer vntill it come to Sodome where it endeth which is called mare mortuum that is The dead Sea After we had rode about seuen miles by the sea of Galile we left it on our left hand and ascended vp a mountaine on the right hand This mountaine was not very stéepie but excéeding pleasant and fertile for being the springtime it was so beset with such varietie of flowers among the greene grasse that they séemed to flire in our faces and to laugh and sing as the Psalmist speaketh as we went Psal 65. 13. This is said to bee that mountaine mentioned John 6. 9. where our Sauiour Christ wrought a miracle in feeding 5000. men with fiue Barley loaues and two fishes When we came to the
death ready for battle Our Ienesaries kinsman Faâ—olla had his musket ready and being about to giue fire was staied by our Ienesarie who saw not only these Arabs present very desperat with their bowes and arrowes ready drawen but messengers also sent to raise vp all the whole rabblement thereabout vpon vs he told vs we were best giue them content or else we were all but dead men wherefore to auoid further danger we gaue them their owne desire vpon condition they would pursue vs no further nor suffer any of their company to molest vs the chiefest of them answered Stopherlo Stopherlo that is God forbid God forbid we should do you any harme if you pay vs what wee demaund which we did with all spéed and rode away from them being glad we were rid of them About ten miles from them we rode through a wood a very fit place to harbour theeues who had killed certaine men trauelling that way the day before and tooke away both a man and horse from the Carauan which followed after and a woman also riding on an asse with their cariage and as our guide tolde vs he neuer trauelled that way but he sawe some men killed and therefore bade vs all charge our pieces and shoot off when he bade vs though we saw no bodie lest the wild Arabs should set vpon vs on the suddain lying in ambush which wee also did in a place most dangerous to daunte the enemies before we saw each other But before we came vnto the most dangerous place there ouertooke vs many Turkes well armed who dwelt in Jerusalem and were glad of our company thither And shortly after we had discharged euery man his peece we saw a great company of Arabs on an high mountaine neere vnto our way yet out of the reach of our shot who perceiuing vs to be too strong for them durst not set vpon vs. And so by the prouidence of God we came that night to an ancient and famous City situated in a fruitfull valley betwixt two mountaines called Sychar a City in Samaria mentioned Iohn 4. Néere whereunto we saw Iacobs Well where our Sauiour Christ asked water of the woman of Samaria We came thither in good time for we were exceeding thirsty and drunke thereof liberally and freely The water thereof goeth downe very pleasantly like vnto milke From Iacobs Well we went into the City and lodged in a very ancient stately Cane but very badly kept It had béene better for vs to haue slept by Iacobs Well as others did for here we slept on the hard stones néere vnto a Chapel in the middle of the Cane vnder two or thrée great figge trees and mulberry trées where we were scarce safe from theeues for we had some things stollen from vs in the night whiles we slept vnder the trees on faire broad stones whereunto we ascended by a faire stone paire of staires six or seuen steps from the ground Sychar is distant from En-gannim 27. miles March 28. We staied at this City in Samaria called of old Sychar but at this day commonly Napolis for the Holy Land hauing beene often conquered hath had new names imposed vnto all the chiefe Cities and most other townes and villages also partly by Godâ—rey of Bullome who conquered that contrey in the yeere 1098. But chiefly by the Turkes who conquering the Holy Land and al the Countrie about it haue changed the names of places to roote out all memoriall of reuenge in the hearts of posteritie as they supposed Yet the chiefest Cities are still knowen by their ancient names though other names haue béene giuen thereunto As for example Damâ—sâ—â—s which was so called of old is still knowen by that name though the Tucks call it Shaâ— And Ieruâ—alem which they call Cuâ— or rather Kuds comming as I suppose of the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kadasch which signifieth to sanctifie or to be holy or of Kadosch which signifieth holy And as they themselues say the word Cuts or Kuds whereby they call it signifieth a holy City in their language The cause of our staying this day at Sychar was this it was told vs that 2. Emeers or great Lords in our way to Ierusalem were vp in armes one against an other and therefore it séemed good to our Ienesary that wee should stay for the Carauan that we might be the stronger and passe safer But when the Carauan came they pitched their tents by Iacobs well and purposed to stay there two or three daies at the least Wee were loath to stay so long being now but thirtie miles from Ierusalem and therefore resolued to procéed in our iourney without any longer expectation for companie which was vncertaine March 29. We departed from Samaria to Ierusalem and met many souldiers in seuerall companies by the way who knowing our Ienesary and other Turks in our company let vs passe by them quietly and gaue vs the salam alick that is peace be vnto you The first part of this daies iourney was somewhat pleasant but the néerer we came to Jerusalem the more barren and tedious our way was About ten of the clock wee came to a great forrest or wildernes full of trées and mountaines When wée were on the top of this mountaine wée saw the maine sea on our right hand and small Ships sayling towards Ioppa About thrée or foure of the clocke we came to a ruinous village called Beere but of old as it is reported Beersheba which in former times was a great Citie And it is said to be the place where Joseph and Mary comming from Jerusalem the feast being ended missed the child Iesus and sought him sorrowing and returning to Jerusalem found him in the Temple amidst the Doctors hearing them and posing them Our purpose was to lodge here all night being all of vs weary and hungry and all our prouision spent But finding nothing here to bee had for money either for man or horse and vnderstanding that Ierusalem was but ten miles off we went on in our way somewhat faintly fiue or sixe miles and then beholding the prospect of the Citie wee were somewhat cheered and reuiued and solaced our selues with singing of Psalmes vntill we came neere vnto the Citie Many Gréekes dwelling in Ierusalem seeing vs a farre off came to meet vs supposing their Patriarch had been in our companie who came two or thrée daies after vs. Wee dismounted from our horses at the west gate of the Citie called Ioppa gate or the Castle gate which is a very strong gate of iron with thirteen pieces of brasse ordinance planted on the wall about the gate Wee staied in the porch of this gate and might not be admitted into the Citie vntill we were searched by an officer as the maner is In the meane time there came to vs two Italian Friers viz. Padre Angelo and Padre Aurelâ—o and kissed our hands and bade vs welcome and told vs that two other Englishmen
Ierusalem or walked for our pleasure vp and downe All the rest of the daies of our continuance there wee had our guide with vs who had dwelt there fourteen yeeres and shewed vs all such places as are worthy viewing or visiting both in Ierusalem and many miles round about Ierusalem and we gaue him the hearing of all but did not beleeue all for they seemed to me to be of three sorts viz. 1 Either apparant Truths 2 Manifest Vntruths 3 Or things Doubtfull Those I account apparant Truths which I could either confirme by reading orieâ—son The châ—eâ—est whereof I wil briefly set downe for it were too tedicus to write â—ll referring the rest to me next letters or conference at our good méeting which I hope in good time God will grant vs. Apparant Truths And first of al it séemeth to me a manifest truth that Ierusalem that now it standeth in the same place where the old Ierusalem did not in euery respect for length b bredth but with some difference for whereas we read in the Gospell that they crucified our Sauiour Christ at Golgotha without the Citie néere whereunto there was a new Sepulcher wherein neuer man lay and therein they laid his blessed body Now both Mount Caluariâ— where Golgotha that is The place of dead mens skuls was and the Sepulcher at least wise the place where the Sepulcher was are all enclosed within the wals of the City which were built by Sultan Solyman or Sultan Selim. So that although some difference there be yet it is not so great but that a man may boldly affirme that part of this City is now in the same place where the old Ierusalem stood and a part thereof somewhat remooued Yet some who haue neuer béene there haue presumed to affirme that no man knoweth the place where old Jerusalem stood and that no signe of the City is to be séene But that the place is still the same it is manifest by the situation thereof which is described in the Scripture to haue beene néere vnto these mountaines Moriah Syon Caluarie Mount Oliuet Bethanâ—a and Beâ—â—p â—age and not farâ—e from Bethlâ—hem which Mountaines and places are there still to be séene and called still by the same names And whereas they say no signe of the City is to bée séene grounding their assertion upon a place of Scripture falsly applied and say that Christ promised to destroy Ierusalem and not to leaue one 〈◊〉 vpon another that should not be ouerthrowen If they read the place Luke 21. 6. they shall finde that spoken of the Temple which they apply vnto the City And I doe verily peâ—swade nay selfe that euen in Jerusalem that now is there are stones vpon stones yet leaft which weâ—e neuer ouerthrowen since the first building of the City for on the foundation of the wals in many places especially towards Mount Oliueâ— there are yet stones to be seene which both for quantity and quality may be thought to haue beene there euer since the beginning for they are of huge length and bredth and of a blacke colour like whereunto I neuer saw any in any other place of all my trauels And ouer these old stones the vpper part of the wals are a new building differing both in colour and quantity from the foundation stones But of the Temple it is true which our sauiour Christ spake Luk. 21. 6. For when as the Prophets denounced Gods iudgements vnto the Iewes vnlesse they repented they flattered themselues in their sinnes and cried Templum Domini Templum Domini The Temple of the Lord The Temple of thy Lord. But through their prophanation they made the Temple of the Lord a Denne of Théeues They cried Lord Lord but they did not his will on whom they cried For swéet grapes they yeelded sowre for hearty and sincere seruice hypocriticall and painted shewes of Religion Their glory was in the externall beauty of their materiall Temple They wondred at the stones and goodly buildings at the gorgeous furniture and pretious gifts wherewith it was both outwardly and inwardly adorned and enriched Whereupon our Sauiour to take away the cause of this vaine hope and foolish ioy tooke occasion thus to Prophecie of that glorious Temple Are these the things that you looke vpon The daies will come wherein there shall not be left a stone vpon a stone which shall not bee destroied This Prophecie was as euidently accomplished as it was made for thirty eight yéeres after they had crucified Christ their promised Messias the Lord of glory God raised vp the seruants of his wrâ—th Vespatian and Titus Emperours of Rome who beseeged conquered and razed their Ierusalem made hauocke of the people as of dogges murdered eleuen hundred thousand man woman and childe of that cursed Nation Then was fulfilled they cry of those crucifiers His blood be vpon our heads and vpon our children It hath béene and shall be for euer Yea the violence of the Romans procéeded further and pulled downe the Temple and laid it flat with the ground insomuch that according to the expresse words of our Sauiours Prophecie they left not one stone vpon another The Iewes sundry times hauing obtained leaue of Iulian the Apostata attempted to build it vp againe but it would not be for what their hand builded in the day the hand of the Lord most miraculously hurled downe and burnt with lightning by night the foundation thereof being shaken with earth-quakes And at this present day there is built in the place thereof a Muskia or Turkish Church whereunto no Christian may haue accesse It is not in the forme of Salomons Temple but after the manner of their Turkish buildings Not for the seruice of the true God but of the false Prophet Mahomet Vnto the truth also of sundry other particulars which they shewed vs doe I subscribe And first of all that at Beth-lehem sixe miles from Ierusalem is the very place where our Sauiour Christ was borne although now honoris gratia they haue made it more beautifull being built of marble at the cost of Queene Helena the mother of Constantine whome some report to haue béene an English woman borne at Colechester who hath there also erected a stately Church which to this day is very well kept They told vs also that S. Hierome dwelt there which cannot be denied From Beth-lehem we rode seuen miles further to the desart of Ziph or wildernesse of Iudah where Dauid hid himselfe when he was persecuted be Saul We went also to the hill Countrie of Iudea where the virgine Mary saluted Elizabeth the wife of Zacharias mother of Iohn Baptist being great with child and at her salutation the babe sprung in her belly From thence wee rode further to the wildernesse of Iudaea where Iohn Baptist preached and in the middle of the descending of a mountaine they shewed vs a chamber hewen out of a liuely rocke foure square with a dore and a window and a place for his bed and table
by which place there issueth a fine spring of water out of the rocke at which place we dranke of the water From thence returning to Ierusalem they shewed vs in the way to Gaza the water where Philip Baptized the Eunuch Act. 8. 38. At our returne to Ierusalem they brought vs to mount Oliuet from whence our Sauiour Christ ascended into Heauen being from Ierusalem a Sabboth daies iourney not two miles From the mount of Oliues we went to Bethania and Bethphage which are now ruinous villages There are many figge trées still growing about these two villages and many Oliue trées about the mount of Oliues wee cut off some of the branches and carried some sprigs with vs. Néerer Ierusalem they shewed vs mount Sion and the mount Moâ—â—â—h on which Abraham offered his sonne Isaac we saw also the valley of Iehosaphat and the valley of Iehinnom and the brooke Cedron which is now in the Sommer time a drie channell Some part of the tower of Sylo and the poole Syloam and the potters field bought with the thirtie pieces of siluer which Iudas had for betraying his master Christ called Acheldama which to this day is a place to bury strangers in Ascending vp Acheldama we entred into a porch and looked downe into a vault where wee saw many dead bodies couered onely with their winding sheet knit at the head and foot without any coffin and some of their shéets were so white that they séemed to vs to haue beene buried but few daies before we came The valley betwixt Acheldama and mount Syon is called the vale of Iehinnom The valley of Iehosaphat is thrée miles in length reaching from the vale of Iehâ—â—nom to a place without the Citie which they call the Sepulcher of the Kings Lastly they brought vs to mount Caluarie to the place where Christ was crucified ouer which there is now erected a stately building with many Iles Chancels or little Chapels in it for sundry Nations which were al there at that present time as we were and lodged there on Saterday at night before Palme Sunday We entred into this Temple to sée the Sepulcher on Saturday after dinner and came not foorth vntill Monday about eleuen of the clocke for there are lodgings adioining vnto it into which we entred through the highest Chancell or Chappell Before wee were admitted hereunto euery man paied nine Shekines to see the Sepulcher which money the Syniacke or chiefe Ruler of the citie hath who is a Turke Into the Sepulcher we went but one at a time with our guide the entrance thereinto is lowe and narrow The place it selfe is but the length of an ordinary Sepulcher it is now as high as an Altar or table of faire marble stone and there are lampes continually burning night and day That this Sepulcher standeth in the same place as the Sepulcher did wherein the bodie of our Sauiour Christ was laid wée made no doubt because it was agréeable to the circumstances of Scripture whereby the place is described But I asked our guide whether any part of the selfesame sepulcher wherein the blessed bodie of our Sauiour was laid were to be séene there Hee answered me that some part of it was at Rome and some other part of it lay inclosed vnder that Altar but not to be seene And further he told me that at the first after the resurrection of our Sauiour Christ all the whole Sepulcher was to bee seene for many yeeres space vntill strangers who came to visite it began to breake off péeces and to cary them away then it was inclosed with barres and to be séene through the barres but not to bée touched as some Sepulchers in Saint Pauls Church in London are Yet they saw inconueniences héerein in that many vsed to cast into it the first haire of their children and some candles and other things as an offering thereunto so that the place could not be kéep neate Wherefore Quéene Helena caused it to bée inclosed in such sort as it now is and couered it with Marble But whether any part of the selfe same Sepulcher were vnderneath the same or not it gaue me content that I had seene the selfe same place where the Sepulcher of our blessed Sauiour was as I in heart did then and do still perswade my selfe it is Many superstitious Papists exept on their knees to the Sepulcher mumbling vp their praiers vpon heads as they went according to the definition of Poperie which is rightly defined by Baptista Mantuanus to be a Religion Quae filo insertis numerat sua murmura baccis Poperie is a religion which vseth to patter Aue Marâ— vpon beads and the Pater noster Not far from thence is the Sepulcher of Godfroy of Bulâ—oynâ— and King Baldewyn who conquered that countrey in the yéere 1098. And both of them lie there buried with the whole proportion of their bodies in stone with these Epitaphs about them An â—nscription written about the Sepulcher of Godfroy of Bulloyne at Ierusalem Hic iacet inclytus Godfridus de Bul'ion qui totam hanc terram acquisiâ—it cultui diuino cuius anima requiescat in pace Amen That is Heere lieth famous GODâ—ROY of Bulloine who got all this Land to the worship of God whose soule resteth in peace Amen And néere vnto it about King Baldwines Tombe these verses are written Rex Baldewinus Iudas alter Machabaeus Spes patriae vigor Ecclesiae virtus vtriusque Quem formidabant cui dona tributa ferebant Caesar Aegypti Dan ac homicida Damascus Proh dolor in modico clauditur hoc Tumulo The same in English Another Iudas Machabaeus King Baldwyn heere doth rest His Countries hope the Churches strength The vertue both possest Whom murtherous Damascus fear'd Egyptian Caesar Dan Brought gifts and tribute yet alas This small Tombe holds this man This Godfrey of Bulloine was the first proclaimed Christian King of Ierusalem who refused to be crowned there saying that it was vnfit that the seruants head should there be crowned with gold where the Masters head had béene crowned with thornes Ierusalem is gouerned by Turkes but inhabited by Christians of sundry Nations whereof some come onely to visit and superstitiously to worship there and so returne into their countries Others come thither to dwell and exercise their manuall arts with a purpose there to die thinking that they shall sooner goe to heauen if they die there than in any other place There were at Ierusalem when we were there Christians of sundry Nations especially Armenians whereof some are called Georgians and some Iacobites Their Patriarke was not there but least sicke at Aleppo but in his place he sent an Armenian Bishop There were also many Greekes Chelâ—alines Nostranes oâ— Nazaritans Cofties and Abassens or Aethiopians of Prestar Iohns Country whereof some of them dwelt néere vnto Catadupa which is a place in Aethiopia where the fall of the riuer Nilus maketh such a noise that the people are made deafe therewith that dwell néere it Besides many
doth see and heare whereof a man may suspend his iudgement whether they be true or false vntill he either sée them or receiue further confirmation by reading than he can by the affirmation of some few superstitious persons Of which sorte are these following About a mile distant from the Citie they brought vs to a rockey place where there is a vault vnder the ground as it were a large porch from whence we entred into other intricate roomes as it were into a Laberinth by a great doore of stone hewen out of the same place hauing neither iron worke or timber worke about it but in the same place where it grew there it is squared and made to turne about by the skilful Arte of cunning Masons and it is of a huge thicknesse and greatnesse So soone as we had passed that dore we crept very lowe as it were into an Ouen mouth euery man with a Candle in his hand and so came into a darke roome foure square with Benches round about of stone hollow like vnto Mangers and therin they say some of the noble famely of the Kings and Quéenes of Israel and Iudah were buried From thence they brought vs into another roome of like sort and for like vse so from one to another that without a guide it was impossible to find the way out How many such roomes there are I know not but wee were in six or seuen and they offered to bring vs into more but being almost stifled for want of light and aire we desired to returne I make no qustion but they were places of buriall for in the hollow benches of stone wee sawe bones of men but whether they were the sepulchers of the kings of Israel and Judah or not is my doubt At the entrance in the Temple where the Sepulcher is to bee séene the first thing which they shew vnto strangers is a faire marble stone euen with the ground and there say they the bodie of our Sauiour Christ was laid when it was taken down from the Crosse whiles it was preparing to be laid in the Sepulcher And heere I saw many simple people both men and women knéeling round about that stone wringing their hands wéeping and crying as if they had séene the dead bodie of our Sauiour Christ there present before their eies And they all to be-kissed that stone Yea more then kissed it for some of them rubbed their lips vp and downe vpon that stone very often vntill they had rubbed off the skin and made their lips bléed And some of them rubbed their beads vpon it that some inherent holinesse might come out of that stone and rest vpon their beads I censure this superstition of theirs ouer fauourably in numbring this stone among doubtfull things which I might rather haue reckoned amongst manifest vntruts For if there had béen any such stone it would haue béen either caried away by pieces or remoued whole to Rome as other reliques haue béene But this stone is too new to be of any such Antiquitie At Bethania they brought vs into a Celler vnder the ground ouer which there was no house where Lazarus lay dead when Christ raised him vp to life And at Bethphage they shewed vs the ruines of Simon the Phariseis house where Christ sitting at dinner Mary Magdalene came and powred ointment on his head and washed his féete with her teares and dried them with the haire of her head For although no man denieth but that such things were done yet a man may make doubt whether those were the particular places where they were done In Ierusalem they shewed vs Porta aurea that is The golden gate or place where it stood called in former times The beautifull gate of the Temple which the Turkes haue walled vp with stones because of a prophecie viz. that the Citie was once wonne there and shall be againe wonne at the same place Walking betwixt the valley of Gehinnom and the walles of the Citie our guide shewed vs a darke Chappell vnder the ground without windowes wherein he told vs the idolatrous Iewes did offer sacrifice their children vnto a brasen Image called Moloch which being made hote they inclosed them in the hollownesse thereof and so slew them And lest their crying should moue any to compassion towards them they made a hideous noise with Tabrets and Drums Whereupon the place was called Tophet Iere. 7. 31. On the top of mount Oliuet they shewed vs thirtie miles off the lake of Sodom which vnto vs appeared to bee very neere And they told vs thereof many strange matters Not onely that which the wiseman Solomon reported of it in his daies Wisd 10. 7. that it smoaketh as if hell had there found a chinmey whereout to vent his smoake and that the trées beare fruit that neuer commeth to ripenesse but further that it neither bréedeth nor preserueth any liuing creature It is commonly called Mare mortuum that is The dead sea being so contagious as if a bird but flie ouer it she is presently dampt and falleth down dead into it And as S. Ierome saith If by the swelling of Iordan the fishes but flow ouer into it they die straight and flote aboue the waters Yea they further reported vnto vs of their owne knowledge hauing as shey said séene the same that it casteth out continual filthy vapours by whose stinches and breath the mountaines and valleys many miles about are as it were scorched blasted and made vtterly barren besides many vgly shapes and shewes of terrour in it besides apples of goodly colour growing by it which being touched turne all to smoake and ashes They also tolde vs that the piller of salt whereinto Lots wifâ— was turned is yet standing But of these and many other things which they shewed vs and told vs I make doubt either because I haue not séene them my selfe or hauing séene them doe not beléeue them When I shall with mine eyes behold them I will more boldly make report of them and of other matters which offer themselues vnto my sight in my returne but which way to returne we haue not yet determined And thus being loth to interrupt your serious domesticall affaires with forraigne and friuolous matters I humbly take my leaue and leaue you to him who neuer leaueth his From Ierusalem Anno Dom. 160â— April 7. Dominationiâ— tuae obseruantissimus GVILIâ—LMVS BIDDVLPHVS Witnesses hereof our companions in trauell William Biddulph Ieffrey Kirbie Edward Abbot Iohn Elkin Iasper Tyon LECTOR I. Miraris Lector doctus cùm dormit Homerus Conniâ—ere aliquo tempore Chaleographâ—s Quae sunt maiores naui mea penna notauit Ipse tua lima corrige quaeso leues To the Reader Doest thou maruell gentle Reader That some errors passe in printing When as sometimes learned Homer Slips and sleepes for all his learning My pen hath mended greatest faults Which heerein are neglected Good Reader let the lesser faults With thy pen be corrected Faults escaped in printing PAg. 6. lin 5. for we read were Pag. 14. lin 1. for Priamus read Priam's Pag. 38. lin 30. for Domineere read Dominier Pag. 39. lin 35. for These read They. Pag. 65. lin 20. for 〈◊〉 read rice Pag. 72. lin 27. for Tarrcia read Tartaria Pag. 84. lin 7. for offende read offended Pag. 103. lin 5. for leaning read learning Pag. 104. lin 13. for Cergesens read Gergesens Argier Rayse signifieth a Captaine Flying Fishes Sicilia Malta Renegadoes of denying the faith Bandidoes are banished men Zephalonia Zante Venice Milo Delos Chios Tenedos Troy Mayto Constantinople The time of the building and repairing of Coâ—stantinople Why the Me garians are called blind Calcedon was builded by the Megarians Byzantiâ—m ruined by Seuerus the Emperour The cause wherefore Constantine remooued from Rome Constantinople is called by the Turkes Stambolda The death of Constantine the Emperor The Temple of S. Sophia was made a stewes The policie of Mahomet Perah or Gallata The Sepulcher of Constantine of Porphyre Bezestan Markets of men Of the seuen Towers Ouid. Aeneas Queene Elizabeth was famous throghout the whole world her death bewaâ—led by heathen people That is good forbidden Pontus Rhode Cyprus Ioppa Tripoly in Syria Lybanus Cedars were plentifull in Solomans time but none very â—are Shch signifieth an ancient man That is Lord Ioseph But 4. Parishes in all the world which speake Syriac Drusies Turcomanny Ianisaries are souldiers A mountaine of sand Tyrus and Sidon Scanderon Tarsius in Cilicia Malims are chiefe Carriers Muckremen set horses to hire Bylan Orontes Antiochia in Pisidia Bartons Iland Coords Archillsâ—s Nehe. 4. 1. Hauadan Sambouses are little pasties Muclebite a dish made of egs and hearbs A description of Syria Mesopotamia Nineue Babylon is called Badgâ—t Pigions carrying letters A description of Syria Religion of the Turkes Mahomets birth and parentage How the Turks began 1. King 12. How the Turks increased Hatto William Matrin Anno Dom. 1603. Sept. 18. leames Sapers * Turks call that eating which we call oppression or extortion Mahomets paradise A note for trauellers Sheh Boubac Sheh Mahammet a naked Santone Daruises Syntana Fissa Diet of the Turkes Pilawe Coffa Salutations of the Turks Matth. 27. 25. Cane Toman Saracoope Marrah Lacmine Hemse Hâ—s Hassia Chaâ—rah Nebeck Cotifey Damascus Salhia Hogies Daria * Mucro furor Sauh liber est conueâ—sio Pauli Sassa Arabia Petrâ—a An admonition for Trauellers Iordan Iacobs bridge Galile I-nel Tyger Tabor Mount Tabor Conference betwixt a Iesuite and a Protestant Merit-mongers * An Italian word signifying graine wherewith they feede their Poultry sat * An Italian word signifying bits or morsels Mount Basan En-gannim En gannim Samaria Sychar Iacobs Well Napolis Beere Ierusalem Ioppa gate An admonition to such aâ— trauell to Ierusalem Resolution of a doubt concerning Peters warming himselfe in the high Priests hall 2. Reason Antiquitie of Ierusalem 〈…〉 Ziph. Iudea A method in 〈◊〉 Veronica Bethania Bethphage Porta aurea Sodome