two Trees comming at his command to shade him when in the fields in a hot day he had occasion to untruffe and infinite other of his contradictions and repugnances I might remember as that of King Alexanders Journey from the East to the West where he daily saw the Sun set in a hot Fountain which oppugneth Philosophy as the journey doth History c. But with these I have tired my self and I am sure the Reader much more Yet give me leave to remember one of his absurdities more though none of the least viz. That at doomes-day he shall turn himself into a great Ram and all Mussulmen into Fleas they shall hide themselves in his spacious fleeces and thus burthened shall he travell till hee comes where he can skip into Paradise there he assumes his proper glory and gives them new shapes new strength Wine brave women c. as you may read at large in the eighth note upon the Fourth Act and this absurd fooler is generally credited by his whole Sect so just with God iâ— it to give them up to believe lies and Doctrine of Devills foâ— that they accounted Christ crucified to be but foolishnesse Thiâ— Legend of lies they say was written upon the skin of thâ— Ram that Abraham sacrificed an absurd Tradition for neither could that skin hold it nor was that Ram flead or if hâ— had how could their Prophet so many years after have rodâ— upon him to Heaven and Hell c. It is held by the Mahumetans in no lesse veneration then the old Testament by the Jewes and the New by us Christians They never touch it with unwasht hands and a capitall crime it is in the reading thereof to mistake a letter or displace the accent They kisse it Embrace it and swear by it calling it the book of Glory and director unto Paradise It is written in Arabic Rhime without due proportion of Numbers and must neither be written nor read by them in any other Language It containeth according to Hozmans reformation four books the first Book has five Chapters the second twelve the third 19. and the fourth 175. in all 211. Mahomet the second is also said to have altered it much he and many others seeking to reconcile those repugnances wherewith it so abounds even in the Positive Doctrine which inclines me to Andreas Maurus his opinion that they were ignorant Persons that helped Mahomet to compose it Sergius had more knowledge then to have err'd so grossely whether it was that Sergius that was Patriarch of Constantinople and author of the Monothelites Heresie as some contend I determine not or whether hee was onely a banished Hereticall Monk from thence Anâ— yet the coherence betwixt Mahomet and the antient Heretiques of all whose puddle streams Sergius had drank deep and it s like the poor Cutlers were free leads me to think him his Tutor I will onely briefly give you a touch of the harmony betwixt their Discords and leave you to judge who composed the Lesson Mahomet denies the Trinity with Sabellius He said it was ridiculous to think that Christ was God and therefore with Arrius and Eunomius he calls him a Creature and with Carpocrates a holy Prophet He maintain'd with Cedron that it was impossible that God should have â— Son because he had no wife He denyed with the Manichees that Christ was crucified but saith he one was crucified in his place who was very like him with the Originists he will have the Devills to be saved at the end of the world with the Anthropomorphites he will have God to have the form and members of a man with Cerinthus he places the chiefest felicity of man in carnall pleasures with Ebion he doth admit of Circumcision In imitation of Menander he calls himselfe the Saviour of the world with Nicolas of Antioch he taught and practised Luxuâ—y Yet with the Eucratitae he forbids the use of wine c. yet like his predecessors he baited his hooks speciously enough in some places commanding upright dealing amity Reverence to Parents Charity to hate contention and Murder c. and speaks reverently of our Saviour and B. Lady and indeed of all in some â—laces excluding no Religions out of his Paradise hee is so kind Moses he saies shall bring the Jewes Christ the Christians and he his Mahumetans but the chief place glory must be theirs theirs the bâ—st Gold sweetest Rivers and most beatifull Damozels and good reason he should be master in his own house But I have swell'd this note to a rambling Treatise and have yet much adoe to take my pen off yet I will force my self to it and refer you that would know more of the Alcoran to Cardinall Nicolas de Cusa his examination of the Alcoran Lod. Vives l. 4. de veritat Relig. Christ. Ricoldus in his computation of the Lawes of Mahomet Barthol Hungarius Johannes de terra Cremata and Guil. Postells in their books against the Mahumetans Saracens c. Sandys Herbert D'Juigne Johannes Andreas Maurus his confutation of Mahomets sect and the Alcoran its self tâ—anslated out of the Arabic into Latin by Theod. Bibliander for the late published English Translation I cannot commend its faithfulnesse I had almost forgotten though quoted above Baudier his History de la Religion des Turcs c. 17 To make all Lands and Goods hereditary c. The Turks and Persians content themselves with very mean low buildings few above two stories high some of rough stone some of timber some of Sun-dryed brick the Marble being used onely about the Princes Palaces and the Mosques though the Countries in some places are plentifully stored with it especally about Persepolis the people rather choosing to hoard their wealth then by making a magnificent show to tempt their Princes to take it from them or at best from their Children when they die for no Possessions are hereditary but all at the wil of the Emperour so absolute is his Tyranny and the peoples slavery Sandys c. 18 Tomaynes A Toman is a Persian coine worth 3 l. 6 s. sterl Herbert 19 Balsora A Town where Tygris and Euphrates empty themselves into the gulph of Persia. This Town is famous for the birth of Elhesin-Ibnu-Abilhasen the greatest Doctor of Antiquity he taught the Persians and Arabs 80 years after Mahomets death Herbert 20 Bizantium A Maritime City of Thrace the seat of the Turkish Empire Eusebius saith it was built by Pausanias King of Sparta 663 years before the incarnation of our Saviour others will have Pausanias onely to re-edifie this City then called Bizantium of Biza the founder and taken by assault but a little before from the Persians since which it still increased in fame but by nothing more then by the two famous sieges she endured both times holding out three years once taken once not the last was in the time of her 31 Emperour Leo Isauricus about the year of our Lord 718 when Caliph Zulciman besieged her and after three years
they do to its particular inhabitants for Plutarch reports In vit Pomp. That Pompey going to invade Hyrcania as far as Mare Caspium he was compelled to turne back againe into Armenia the lesse for the infinite numbers of deadly venemous Serpents which he met with being come within three dayes Journey of it These Woods yet befriend them against winter colds and shade them from the parching sun both which in â—heir seasons are there extream and besides hurtfull creatures they are plentifully stored with Apes for European Merchandise and Antilopes and Red and fallow Deere for food The â—rime Cities of this Kingdom are Farrabant Asharaffe Perisâ—â—w Omoall Barsrushdea and Derbent most watered by the Rivers Araxis Connack Osbel Cyre Rha and Cheisell who from the deserts of Larr and together with the 70. mouthed Volga from Muscovia empty themselves into the Caspian Sea These Rivers abound with fish and are furnished with little Canoes or Boats made of one Tree capable to receive eight men in fair weather In the River of Farrabant which bears a stream of 40. paces over are some long deep prams sowed together with hemp and cord but unpitcht or calk't in these the Muscovian Merchants sail down Volga over the Caspian Sea to Farrabant to traffique for raw silkes which they transport to Mosco and through Russia These ships ordinarily come thither in March and return in July This Country being both pleasant and rich viz. a fine Plain abounding with Corn chiefly Rice Barley and Ric Wine Honey and â—ll sorts of fruits and being an usefull passage into Tartarie and Turcomania allured Abbas of Persia to attempt it who had the fortune to win it To hold it the better he oft afforded it his presence residing much at Farrabant where hee built a sumptuous Palace and Asharaff where Master Herbert tells you he was when he received Sir Dodmore Cotton Embassadour from our King Charles and in his absence there resides the Vice-roy The people speak the Language of Persia their apparell is like the Irish trooses their heads have a high woollen Cap furred with their owne sheeps skinns They are affable and delight in Noveltie being much civilized as say the Persians since they called Abbas their Conqueror and had the honour to afford him a Mother and a Wife which though not the least shall bee the last praise of Hyrcania which I will here remember that it produced the Grandmother and Mother of MIRZA 7 The Grand Signior The Great Turk so called in the same sense as we call the Great Mogor the Great Japan the Great Duke of Muscovie the Great Cham the Great Duke of Tuscany c. 8 The Gelden Duke King Abbas his Vice-roy for Hyrcania whom I call Elchee liking a Boy whose Father was poor and under his command against the boyes wiâ—â— his Parents knowledge and the Law of Nature made him Sodomite which crying sin though licensed by their Alcoraâ— yet force is not to be used and therefore are Ganymeds 〈◊〉 each great City tollerated The Father of this wronge Child prostrates himself before the King and acquaints hiâ— with that villany The King seeing sorâ—ow and truth in thâ— Peasants look demanded of the Duke who then was sittinâ— there how true it was his countenance bewrayed him Thâ— King having at that instant a knife in his hand gave it to thâ— poor Father and bad him Eunuchize him The Duke durâ— not startle or intercede the Law of the Persian never alters the poor man executed as was enjoyned him The King yeâ— continued to the Duke his jurisdiction His Seraglio onelâ— lost most by it Herbert p. 99. 9 There I 've disarm'd a Foe and the most potenâ— too in the whole Empire This foe of Ally-Beg's was the above mentioned Duke Emangoly the greatest subject in Persia hiâ— Father and Grand-father were Dukes before him a Genealogie of that Antiquity as many Sultans and Dukes in India and Persia cannot equall it they know so little that way Hee was one of the Kings four great Dukes each of which hath under him 12. Sultans each Sultan 5000. Gouzel-Bashaws no worse warriers then the Janizaries His Titles without ostentation were these Emangoly Chawn Lord of Persia which they call Farsee Great Duke of Shiras Sultan of Larr and the Mountains of Jaaroon Lord of Ormus Ruler of Carmania Mergiana Susiana Gedrozia Aria and Sigestan Prince of the Gulph of Arabia Great Beglerbegg or Lord of Lords Commander of twelve Sultans Flowre of Courtesie second in Glory Protector of Mussullmen Nutmeg oâ— Comfort and Rose of delight He was very martiall and fortunate he subdued all Larr Ormus and unto Jasques for his Soveraign of which in the 18. and 19. notes upon the 4th Act He got footing in Arabia for himself in this manner Two Arabian Princes contending for Soveraignty he that was vanquished demanded succour from this Duke who entertained him and with 20000. Horse fought and kill'd his Adversary and became Lord of both their Tertitories The relieved Prince thanks him and desires to return home Emangoly refused could he with any honesty leave him that had so succour'd him The Prince must stay and in fine becomes his Son in Law and Father at once for he wedded the Dukes Daughter and the Duke his Signiory and kept him Prisoner the usuall fruit of Auxiliary or mercenary forces When he hunts the Tygre Lion Bores and such like which he did once in four years hee set 20000. men to rouze them and when they were herded together on some Mountain he impaled it with a huge toil of wire cords and wood a toil and burden for 600. Camels and so commanded them Answerable to his State was his Estate his plate and Jewells were valued at 300000. pounds He had 300 women in his Seraglio called there Haram at Shira His Revenues according to the Merchants computation were 400000. Tomaynes a year a Toman is 3. l. 6. s. So Herbert which of our money comes to 1328000. l. a year a Revenue equall to some European Kings not superfluous here to be â—emembred because it shews the greatnesse of Subjects in those parts 10 MORATS Horse-tail standard The Turkes royall Standand born by the Janizaries is no other then a horse-tail tied to the end of the staff So Sandys which though seeming rude and answerable to their Originall doth smell much of Antiquities Coloured Horse-hairs being a most antient Ornament for Crests Homer sticketh the like in the Helmet of the gallantly aâ—med though not so spirited Paris being to fight the great deciding Combate with Menelaus for Helena 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then on his head his well wrought Helm he set Plum'd with Horse-tail that horribly did threat Hear how this passage sounds in French rendred by the great Poitique and much admired Abbot of Saint Cheron Salel Et puis couurit sa teste D'vn riche armet ayant vne grand ' oreste Faite du poil qu'on voit
murdered his Father Mahomet Codâ—band or purblind Herbert's Travells pag. 89.127 c. 2. And me viz. Emir-hamze-Mirza King Abbas his Elder Brother whom also he murdered as standing between him and the Crown A crime most usuall in these Eastern Princes especially in Persia in this line of Guzpan Acuculu or white sheep of whom few attended patiently the death of their Predecessours but by impious means laâ—oured their own untimely establishment Herb. p. 100. c. Of Emir-Hamz's bravery and prowesse See more in the 32. note upon the fourth Act. 3. mirza's Ghost irritating his Brother Abbas to revenge him upon himself bids him act those things upon his Son which his very enemies shall pitty not without the example of the matchless Johnson who in his Catiline which miraculous Poem I propose as my pattern makes Sylla's Ghost perswade Catiline to do what Hannibal could not wish of the Persians Enemies I set the Mogull in front against whom our Prince Mirza served in Person in his Fathers wars and gained much from him towards Candahor The great Mogul according to others Mogor or Emperour of East India boâ—ders upon the Persian by the River Oxus and is at continual enmity with him somtimes for Religion somtimes for Empire though it is no smal let to the accquests of the Mogul against him that the Frontiers of Persia are on every side hem'd in with those outstreatches branches of Caucasus which the Grecians call Paropamise more defensive then any artificiall rampire to Persia making it inaccessible to the Moguls horse wherein the chief sinewes of his force consist About the year 1300. as Barros writes the great Sanosardin King of Delos conquered much of these parts and attempted the Conquest of all Asia but died by the Persian Powers The present Mogul boasts himself of the race of Tamberlain which abridgeth his antiquity and saieâ— he is the tenth from him The probable opinion indeed is that they descended of the Tartar or from the antient Massagetae from whose coasts they came whose chief City is Shamascand from whence came Tamberlain A word of this Princes Puissance may not seem superfluous because it magnifies our conquering Mirza his bounds are one way divided from the Persian by the River Indus betwixt which and Ganges hee swaies far and wide a territory no lesse puissant then pleasant a temperate air over a fertile soyl abounding with all sorts of commodities rich and curious stately beasts as the best horses Elephants and Dromedaries precious stones especially Diamonds and Cornelians most delicious spices and fruits among which is most of note a Tree they call Moses whose fruit is so delicate as the Jewes and Mahometans which are the religions of those parts the last swaying the first believe to be the same that tempted Adam This Prince enjoyes 47. Kingdomes the chief are Mandao Citor Bengala Delly where he keeps his Court and to name no more Cambaia a Kingdom enjoying a City of the same name consisting of 130000 houses this one Province is also reported to have 60000. Burroughs a number great and admirable if we compare it to the best of our European Kingdomes to name but two Ptome saith there are in France excepting Burgundie and as I take it Normandie 27000. Burroughs having parish Churches though D' Juigne will have the number of Parishes 132000. Guiccardine recounts that in the Netherlands within the Territory of the 17. Provinces are 208 walled Townes and 150. Boroughs enjoing the priviledges of Cities and 6300. Villages having parish Churches In Bohemia are 780. Towns and 32000. Villages But because no absolute judgement can bee made of the power of any Province by the number of parishes see the forces of Cambaia Maffeus writes that Bandurius who about the year 1536 ruled in Cambaia by what right he dâ—termines not had under his standard 150000. horse wher of 35000. were barbed and 500000. foot among these only 15000. were forraigners some 80. Christians French and Portugals The force that this Prince can on a short warning bring into the field are reputed 300000. horse infinite foot proportionable ships and 50000. Elephants beasts which they yet find usefull in war so that in the year 1571. Idalcano had 60000. of them at the Siege of Goa Nor let any wonder that this Prince ingrosses not all the Orient for he has as potent neighbours as himself as the King of Barma the Persian and others besides he is so shut up with Rocks as he has no good egresse for his Armies nor have those vast multitudes of men so much true strength as they carry terror they sink with their own weight are long gathering together but not long held together the numberlesse Army Marhumedius led against Cambaia did not onely wast the regions where through it passed but by devouring all things that the earth yeilded bereaved its selfe of sustenance against such mighty impressions the way is to draw the warre out in length and onely to stand upon the defensive for such armies will soon waver either for want of provision scarcity of coin infection of the air or infirmities of their own bodies as the inundations of Attila into Italie and of Tamberlain into Asia were but as running marches in comparison of what the Romans Grecians Macedonians Carthaginians English Guales and Portugals have done with more nimble powerâ— 800. onely of which last named at Demain upon the Coast of Cambaia setled in spight of this mighty Mogor as another small number of them did at Diu at which two places they have built and do maintain two most invincible Citadells thâ—t shut up the whole gulf of the Cambaian Sea a greater detriment to him then the losse of an inland Kingdom for on one side he has no haven and on the other the Portugals are his jealous neighbours 4 And Turk He is another and the greatest of the Persians Enemies He enjoyes an Empire the greatest that is or perhaps that ever was from the beginning comprehending the better part of the antient threefold division of the Earth His government is like his Neighbours Tyrannycall his strength lies in his Janizaries as the Moguls do in his Nairs His Religion is Mahumetan of which sect he is the chiefe patron and more then slights the Persian for being lesse zealous then himselfe so that in ballancing the state of Christianity with Mahumetism I have heard these two Princes compared to the two Kings of France and Spain the French to the Persian the Spaniard to the Turk For the state of those differences and for the quality of the Ottoman Empire I refer the Reader to the most elaborate and accurate discourse of M. Sandys and M. Knolles his Turkish History c. See more of the Turk in the third note upon the second Act. 5 The Tartar or great Cham against whom also our Mirza had watâ—es and gain'd much from him east of the Hyrcanian Sea Herb. p. 9â— Of this Princes Empire larger then strong see Paul
Venetus who first broke the Ice in describing of those parts Monst l. 5. Cosmogr Ortelius Mercator c. 6 BAHAMAN A Prince that had reason to wish as ill to the Persian as any of the rest and deserves to live again in a Tragedy his story is briefly this About fifty years since King Meleck Bahaman raigned in Larry Joon a small and craggy territory in the straits of Mount Taurus his onely aâ—me tending to preserve his birth right and that his grey hairs might go in peace to an eternall dormitory but Abbas the victorious Persian set wholly upon conquest and now at leasure having subdued Hyrcania pretâ—nded that this mountainous Prince took opportunity to â—ansack his Caravans anticipate his progresse to the Caspian Sea c. Reasons though but conjecturall of foâ—ce enough to make Abbas send Methiculi with 30000 chosen men against him Bahaman hearing it plants Garrisons in places of defence leaves the rest being not able to take the field secures himself his Queen their two Sons and 10000 Souldiers in his Castle of Ryna before which inaccessible fortress when the Persian came despairing by reason of its incredible height and perpendicular ascent to expugne it he turns force to fraud desires a parley presents offertures of amity sâ—conds them with presents and strong invitations to the aged King to come down as well to banquet as strike a league with him engaging all the Gods he knew for his safety which strong allurements so wrought upon the old King as he broke through all the teares perswasions and prayer of his Queen Sonnes and Souldiers strongly carryed by his destiny to the Enemies Tent where indeed he was feasted all day but deteyned prisoner at night then summons the Persian the two young Princes to yeeld the Castle and descend or their Father should die they refuse the Persian assaults is forc'd to retreat with losse so sore to his Army that it mutined and vow'd to return home the Generall knowing his Masters severity considered that to return without victory were to run into the nooze first he releases Meleck Bahaman perswades him he used this discourtesie but to try him and gives him his choice of returning up to his Sonnes or perswading them to come down too and seal the easie Articles a Copy of which were with their Fathers doting Letters sent up to them the Souldiers disswade them from crediting the Persian but the Queen to enjoy her husband provoked them down where they are entertain'd with all the greatnesse and feign'd affection that so great an intended treachery could devise whilst they were here congratulating with their Father the Generall then in company at sight of a private token three Souldiers in an instant whipt off their heads with their Scimiters and ere it was divulg'd abroad by inviting the Queene and the rest by counterfeit seals and tokens to come down and partake of their joyes for the new contracted league they made them descend and yeeld the Castle some of which received destruction others mercy Herbert p. 110. c. 7 The Arabian the last of the Persians Enemies that I here recount though not the least against whom our Mirza expressed most heroick prowesse in distressing of their Bassora among other atchievements a Towne where Tygris and Euphrate empty themselves into the gulph of Persia. Herb. 8 Set equal with the Gods Plutarch writes that the Persians honour their King as the Image of the God of nature his words are these recounting that Themistocles desired Colonell Artabanus to help him to the presence of the King he makes him answer thus Amongst all the good Lawes and Customes we have we esteem this above the rest to reverence and honour our King as the image of the God of nature who keepeth all things in their perfect life and state wherefore if thou wilt fashion thy selfe after our manner to honour the King thou maist both see him and speak with him but if thou hast any òther mind then must thou use some third person as thy meane Plut. in vita Themist Justinus lib. 2. Ismenias being sent by the Thebans after their defeat of the Lacedaemonians at the battel of Leuctres into Persia to King Artaxerxes to desire his compliance being commanded to keel to the King he let fall his Ring at his feet and stooped to â—ake it up whereby it was thought of some that he did it to kneel to the King Pâ—utarch in vita Artaxerx 9 And as ador'd as is the Sunne our Brother That the Persians adored the Sun is as clear as the Sun if any doubts it to be informed he needs but open any Book that treats of that Kingdome but to point to one let him consult Justines first Book there where he treats of the fortunate choice of Darius Sonne of Hystaspis to the Monarchy his horse which beast they hallow to the sun seeming first to salute their rising God see more in the seventh Note upon the second Act. That the Kings of Persia yet took upon them so great state as to claim kindred to this adored Planet I find by their inscriptions and directions of Letters and Pattents Sapores Sonne to Mizdates Monarch of Persia in the yeaâ—e after our Saviour 315. wâ—ote thus to Constantius the Empeâ—our I Sapores King of Kings equal to the starres and Brother to the Sunne and Moon c. And Chozroes Father of Ormizda who ruled Persia Anno Dom. 542. Enstiles himselfe thus to the Emperour Mauritius I Chozroes great King of Kings Begler beg or Lord of Lords Ruler of Nations Prince of peace salvation of men among the Gods a man good and ever among men a God most glorious the great conquerour arising with the Sunne giving lustre to the night a Hero in discent c. As blustring and blasphemous Titles and Epithites gives the great Turk to himself as witnesseth M. Sandys Tra. l 1. p. 47. Nor do any of these Oriental Monarch go less everyone thinking himself greatest so good opinions have they of themselves for particulars see Herb. p. 129.130 10 Higher then that in Spawhawn Spawhawn though it stands in Parthia is the imperiall City of all the Persian Monarchy and the best built 't is by some called Spaan by others Spahan Jespaa and Hispahan as their severall Dialects concord in her infancy she was called Dura but whether that Dura wherein Nebuchadnezzar erected his golden Coloss I know not the ancient Greeks called it Hecatompiles from its hundred Gates as the Isle of Crete Hecatompolis as having so many Cities the Persians Hyperbolically term her for her greatnesse Half the world though her circuit is not now much above nine English miles and in that the better halfe is Gardens her form is near round like Paris the number of inhabitants 300000. at most In this City is a monument of our Abbas his mercilesse cruelty being a Pillar compact of severall heads of men Antilopes Bucks Goats Buffols Elephants and Camels 't is at the base about
by few good Authors therefore wave it Sandys Herbert c. No where are 16 Two Kings in safete but in Teneriff Teneriff is one of the Canary Ilands in the Atlantique Sea in former ages called Fortunate Plinie counts onely six of them others ten but the moderns reckon their number 7. viz. Grand Canaria La Palma Teneriffa Lancerota Hierro La Gomera and Forte ventura their commodities are Honey Wax Sugar and the best Sack They were unknown to Romes greatnesse being first discovered as Galvano writes by a French Gentleman called John de Betancour An. 1417. though some report it of another and in the year 1330. at which time the inhabitants were rather monsters then men they knew no God but Nature were ignorant of the use of fire they shaved their heads with flints their Children were given to Goats to suck they cultivated the earth with hornes of Goats and Oxen. In Gomera they had their wives in common they gave adoration to all Aetheriall Bodies Their Dead they washed exceeding clean then put the carkasse into a Cave standing upright with a staff in his hand and a pale of Milk and Wine placed by him good Coadjutors to his imaginarie Pilgrimage They were conquer'd by Don Henerico Infant of Spain Anno 1418. De' Juigne saies long before viz. in the year 1346. or thereabouts But my purpose was onely to speak of that one of them Teneriffa equall to the rest in circuit or if not exceeding them in height allowing it's immediate ascent from the Ocean the high peak is by most Geographers reputed 15. miles high happily the highest in the world by reason of its affinitie with the middle aerie Region seldom without snow it is seen by Seamen in a Serene skie 120. English miles and serves as an apt Sea-mark In this I le they had a Custome and I think among the Natives continued which occasioned this note to have ever two Kings one dead the other living keeping him that died last unburied all the reign of his Successour peâ—haps to be to him a memento of Mortality and so a Monitor to rule well Herb. p. 3. c. 17 Sworn by the Eight Refulgent Orbes This though a ranting one was one of King Abba's usuall oaths when hee was serious Herbert recounts more of this strein as by his Crown by the eleven hundred names of God and the honour of his Prophet Mahomet and by his Fathers soul which last I made use of 170. lines before To swear by the souls and ashes of the deceased was no lesse frequent among the Antients then Moderns to instance but in one example Ovid making Briseis avouch to Achilles her own chastity and Agamemnos civility towards her makes her take these imprecations Per tamen ossa viri subito mala tecta sepulcro Semper judicis ossa verenda meis Perque trium fortes animas mea numina fratrum Qui bene pro patria cum patriaque jacent Epist. 3. â—or by my Fathers bones too ill interr'd Bones by me ever to be honour'd By my three valiant Brothers souls my Pride That bravely for and with their Country dy'd 18 Sultan in our language as much as an Earle Herb. p. 171. 19 My Country Phoenix Mirzas wife who speaks this was according â—o Master Herbert an Arabian Princesse of which Country Plinie L. 6. c. 28. with the consent of all or most Authors makes the Phoenix nor could any land bring forth such a Princesse as we would have her seem but that which produces the Phaenix a bird Claudian calls Far Superis equall to the Gods but because his rare Epigram of this rare Bird is too long to be inserted here I will shut up these Annotations upon our first Act with what Ovid sings of this precious Fowl in as precious numbers Vna est quae reparet seque ipsa reseminet ales Assyrii Phoenica vocant nec fruge nec herbis Sed thuris lacrymis succo vivit amomi Haec ubi quinque suae complevit saecula vitae Ilicis in ramis tremulaeque cacumine palmae Vnguibus duro nidum sibi construit ore Quo simulac casias nardi lenis aristas Quassaque cum fulva substravit cinnama myrrha Se super imponit finitque in odoribus aevum Inde ferunt totidem qui vivere debeat annos Corpore de patrio parvum Phaenica renasci Cum dedit huic aetâ—s vires onâ—rique ferendo est Ponderibus nidi ramos levat arboris altae Fertque pius cunasque suas patriumque Sepulchrum Perque leves auras Hyperionis urbe potitus Ante fores sacras Hyperionis aede reponit Ovid. Met. l. 14. One Bird there is repairs and sowes agen Her self call'd Phoenix by th' Assyrian Frankincense tears her happy life not grain Or herbes and juyce of Amomum sustain On Oak or Palm when the fifth age is past She with horn'd beak and tallons builds a neast This strew'd with Cassia bruized Cinamon Delicious Nard and yellow Myrrh thereon She sitteth and her age in odors ends A little Phoenix thence 't is said ascends To live as long Grown strong and fit to bear So sweet a load her Parents Sepulcher And her own Cradle loosing from the Tree Upon her wings with devout Piety She to the City of the Sun conveighs And it in 's Fane before his Altar laies See the Tradition of the Phoenix excellently enquired into by Doctor Brown in his Pseudodoxia Epidemica l. b. 3. cap. 12. ANNOTATIONS UPON THE SECOND ACT. 1 NOr hope we better fruit since that the Persians Begun to follow the Lacedaemonians Bringing in a Persian taxing the Luxury of his Countrymen I make him bewail that that the Persians followed the Lacedaemonians when indeed nothing is truer then the contrary the Grecians being then exemplarily valiant and wise Martiall and Learned the Persians as Plutarch taxeth them wholy bent upon softnesse â—nd ease riches pomp and vanity curiosity and fair women Yet is the Antiphrasis antient and recorded by Plutarch the occasion this In the time of the reign of Artaxerxes over Persia the Lacedaemonians seeing the Persians lost in riot determined to deliver the Grecians that dwelt in Asia from the Persian bondage and to that end perswaded their King Agesilaus to undertake the expedition He invaded and at his first conflict overthrew Tisaphernes Artaxerxes his Lievtenant and made most of the Cities held by Grecians rebell against him Artaxerxes to divert the war sent into Greece Hermocrates a Rhodian of great credit with him with a marvellous summe of mony to bestow in raising a faction in Greece to invade Lacedaemon now their powers were abroad Hermocrates so wisely executed his commission as he raised the chief Cities of Greece against Lacedaemon so that all Peloponnesus being up in armes the Ephori or controllers of the Senate at Lacedaemon were forced to intreat Agesilaus home again so much sharper even in those daies was gold then steel and that Agesilaus sorrowfully leaving Asia said
the same having little copped Caps on the top of green or red velvet being onely worn by persons of rank and he is the greatest that wears the greatest the Mufties or Prelates excepted which over-sizes the Emperours yet is his bigge enough according to Mr. Sandys who reports that Sultan Achmet wore a Turbant in shape like to a pumpion but thrice as great And though many Orders have particular ornaments appointed for their heads yet wear they these promiscuously It is yet an especiall favour in the Turk to suffer the Christian tributary Princes and their chiefest Nobles to wear white heads in the City The Persians also wind about their heads great rolles of Calico but some of silk and gold somewhat higher but not so bulkie as the Turkish Tulipants a little fash of gold or fringe hangs down behind as do our skarfes which ornament they lately borrowed of the Arabian In Triumphs they wreath about their Turbants long chaines of pearles Rubies Turquoises and Emeralds of no small lustre and value The King wears the contrary side of his Tulipant forwards which is all the difference in habit 'twixt him and others These Turbants they keep on continually it being a shame with them to be seen bare-headed perhaps because generally they wear no haire on the head or chin but on the upper lippe they have very long whiskers and turned down-ward some onely reserve a lock of haire upon the top of the head as a certaine note that Mahomet at Doomes-day will distinguish them from Christians and by it lift them up to paradise so that Mr Herbert remembers as a singular favour the civility of this King Abbas to Sir Dodmore Cotton Embassadour from our late King Charles to him Sc. When the King drank to the Embassadour his royall Masters health seeing the Embassadour put off his Hat the King put off his Turbant and bare-headed took off his cup to the admiration of all the Court to see so unusuall a Grace from so haughty a Prince bestow'd upon a Christian Embassadour another of his favours to him was that whereas he thinks it honour enough to let the great Turkes Embassadour kiss the hem of his Garment onely and perhaps by especiall Grace his foot he gave the English Embassadour his hand and with it pull'd him downe and seated him next to himselfe crosse-legged after the Asian mode 7 MITHRA the same with the Suns or rather the Idol of the Sun anciently adored by the Persians nor have Mahometisme yet justled out that old superstition but only mixed with it so that Mr. Herbert affirms that in Spawhawne its selfe the Imperiall City of which before in the tenth Note upon the first Act at the appearing of every new Moon they go out to worship it and each day at Sun set in every ward of the City they beat their Kettle Drums till he arises with the Antipodes at that time and at his first looking into our Horizon a well voyced Boy from the Tarrass or top of their Temples sing Eulogies to Mahomet and Ally and then each layick Pagan falls to his devotion whatsoever hee is about Their prayers are in the Arabique their Negotiations in other Languages Of old in a Cave were the Rites of Mithra solemnized from whence they drew an Ox by the hornes which after the singing of certaine Paeans was sacrificed to the Sun Zorastes placeth him between Oremazes and Arimanius the good and bad Daemon for which he took that denomination His image had the countenance of a Lion with a Tiara on his head depressing an Ox by the hornes I find him mentioned by Grotius in his Tragedy of Christ's passion but more to our purpose by Statius Theb. l. 1. ANNOTATIONS UPON THE THIRD ACT. 1 CAucasus This is the highest mountain in Asia yet was it in the generall Deluge fifteen Cubits under water Gen. 7.20 It s of long extent and serves for limits to Scythia to separate it from India dilating it selfe almost through the whole North but under divers names that part which stretches from Maeotis in Scythia towards the Indian Sea where it arises Pliny will have called Taurus lib. 5. cap. 27. Some parts of it the Indians call Imaus other Paropamissus Circius Coatras Niphates Sarpedon Coragus c. These out-stretching branches of this Mountaine encoâ—pass some whole Kingdoms of some they â—unne by the sides to others are a defensive Rampire sometimes they wholly shut up passages sometimes make them inaccessible Difficulties more injurious to the Morgor then any other Prince rendring his Horse his chiefe strength of small service of this quality are the frontiers of Persia and the Kingdome of Saâ—lastan on every side hem'd in with that part which the Grecians call Paropamis as I said before in the third Note upon the first Act. Segestan is likewise so invironed that the River Ilâ—mento were it not for searching out infinite crooked windings through naturall vallies could hardly find passage to pay his tribute to the famous Ganges Notwithstanding all these excrescencies of this Mountaine all agree that the highest part of it is Caucasus so called quasi Caspius as being neer the Caspian Sea By reason of the height and and so snow perpetually on it it is uninhabited producing little but salvage Trees and poysonous herbs and is barren even to an expression so that Virgil making Dido exclaime against Aeneas for his unkind attempt to leave her could not put better words into her mouth then Nec tibi diva parens generis nec Dardanus auctor Perside sed duris genuit te cautibus â—orrens Caucasus Hyrcanaeque admorunt ubera Tigres Aeneid 4. Thou art not Venus Son nor Dardans seed But faithlesse thee dire Caucasus did breed On churlish cliffes and Hyrcan Tygers feed At the Hyrcanian Tygers I glance in the eighth Scene of the fourth Act Caucasus by reason of the stupendious height administers much ease and certainty to the observation of the stars which have given so great a reputation to the Scythians to bee good Astronomers this according to Lactantius and Cicero lib. 5. Tusc is the reason the Poets feigned Prometheus to be chained here and to feed an Eagle with his breast for stealing fire from Heaven not here to dilate any further upon the Mythology of that Fable meaning by him a studious man and Astrologer his name imports wisdome and fore-sight as Epimetheus the contrary hee passes for Son of Japetus and Father of Deucalion though some will have him begotten by Mercury of Reason upon Mount Caucasus because of the commodiousness of the place for the aspection of Stars But the occasion of this Note was what I find noted by Boetius in his Philosophicall comfort lib. 2. Out of Cicero his Scipio's Dream speaking of the narrowness of Fame viz. that in his time the name of the Roman Common-wealth had not sworn over the River Ganges of which in the next note nor reached over this hill Caucasus and yet it was then in the
prendre en la queuë D'vn grand cheval tant horrible à la veuë Qu' aussi souuent que sa teste il hausoit On eust pense que cela menacoit 11 Seraglio Those Palaces or Bawdy houses royalâ— are called Seraglio's in which the noble men and Princes in Persia Turkie and indeed all over Asia keep their Concubines every great Man has one commonly plentifully stored Emangoly as I have said had 300. women in his But that belonging to the Great Turk in Constantinople excells all in the world yet his Predecessours did not more exceed others then of late years Sultan Achmat did them in this point having his furnished with 1500. women whereof more then 500. of the choicest were Virgins all of them his slaves either taken in the Warrs or from their Parents Christian or others but the chosen Beauties of the Empire onely a free woman is not to be made a Concubine unlesse she consents and herein onely is the Grand Signiors power limited They were attended onely by women and Eunuchs nor were they presented to the Emperor untill certain months after their Entrance in which time they were purged and dieted according to the custom of the antient Persians when it was his pleasure to have one they stood rankt in a Gallery and she prepared for his bed to whom he gave his handkercher This custom is still continued and the Grand Signior sometimes bestowes some of his cast Concubines upon some of his Bassas and principall Favourites as rewards of prime services which is taken for a transcendent favour a certificate that they have pleased him being accounted a noble Dowry In so besotted a subjection are the minds as well as the bodies of those people to the Ottoman Tyrants For more of this subject I referre you Mr. Sandys his Relation and to a description of the Grand Signiors Seraglio in particular lately published c. 12 Persepolis was the head City of Persia according to Pliny and of the whole Orient according to Curtius so called from Perseus its founder say some and father of the Nation The Persians say Jamshet was the founder whose Image is frequently carved in most places hee ruled over Persia in nine descents from Noe and is by Historiographers supposed son of Ouchange fourth King of Persia. Others will have her built by Sosarinus who lived in the Median Dynasty and was the third Emperor from Arbaces who gave end to Sardanapalus and the Assyrian Monarchy which had continued from Belus Father of Ninus 1480. years in succession of 41 Monarchs Howbeit she was most beautified by Cambyses Son to Cyrus and second K. of the second Monarchy and continued the mightiest City in Asia from Cambysses to Darius Codomanus Son to Arsamus in the line of 13. Monarchs 230. years at which time it fell under the Macedonian Victor whose Historiographer Q. Curtius reports her built of Cedar Trees but improbably for the Country produces none if hee meant Cypresses 't is credible for they every where crown the bankes of the River Byndamir which waters this City Adjoyning are whole Mountains of black Marble of which the imperiall palace was extracted and cut out in which the Kings Throne was Gold and Orientall Gemms the Roof shined with Gold and Silver Amber and Ivory now a heap of ruines by the Inhabitants called Chil-manor or forty Towres their Ancestors may have seen so many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now there are but ninteen standing and one below to the East though the ruines of eighty more are yet extant The Hall was cut out of black shining Marble wherin were placed 100. white Marble Pillars each Pillar fifteen foot high and forty squares round each square three inches From hence is a Prospect of all the Plains thirty miles about The ascent to it is hewn out of the Marble Rock as if the structor presaged fire and defied it the stairs reserving their durance and beauty to this day are 95. So broad that 12. horsmen may ride up a breast The immediate ascent is 22. foot high at which is the Gate in breadth six paces in height 30. foot very elegantly hewn out of the Marble fixt and durable for ever engraven with a mighty Elephant on the one side and a Rhynoceros on the other A little further from the Entrance are two Towers or Pillars of like shape and bignesse to the former near which is another part of the Gate wherein is engraven a Pegasus these are the Portalls to that Apollo supported by 100. white Marble Pillars Adjoyning to this was another four-square Room each square 90. paces 360 round it had eight doors four of which are six paces broad the other half so much each door has still seven engraven Marble stones fixt one upon another each stone four yards long and five quarters high all which eight doors are exquisitly carved with Lions Tigers Griffins and Bulls of rarâ— sculpture and proportion on the top of each door is in stonâ— the Image of an Emperour in State holding in his hands â— staff and Scepter this was the Dyning room The next waâ— the Queens and her Ladies room 't is Quardrangular but noâ— equall in form 2 sides being 60 the other 70. paces The fourth Room not yet quite obscured was the Nursery two sides 20 the other 30. paces long the black Marble wals are rarely wrote with Images of huge stature and have been illustrated with Gold yet in some places visible the stones so well polished they equall in lustre a steel mirâ—our At the highest of thiâ— Palace is cut out of the pependicular Mountain the Image of a King perhaps Cambyses adoring three Deities the Fire the Sun and a Serpent So far Master Herbert of whose exact description I have used the more because none have so well done it as he as also for the worthinesse of the subject this having been saith Diodorus Siculus the richest which you may guesse at anon when you see what wealth Alexander found in it and the most lovely City under the Sun It had saith the Historian a high stately â—ower environed with a threefold wall the first wall was sixteen Cubits high bâ—autified with battlements the second was as high again and the third as much exceeded that to sixty Cubits composed of hard Marble polished like a looking-glasse and as bright fixt with brazen gates To the East of which was a Hill of four Acâ—es wherein were Entombed the Monarchs of the world Nor was the glorious Temple of Diana here of lesse credit being as Josephus writes covered with refined gold Arist. lib. de mundo averreth the admirable ingenuity of the Persian Magi such combined with the immense cost of those Emperours that by well disposing of pipes in a wall reaching to this City they could hear in one day of all affairs though that bulkie Empiâ—e even from the Hellespont unto India Magin in Geogr. makes this City still in circuit 28. miles and to contain 60000 Families notwithstanding all
thousand of years laid him a baking in the Sun untill he was pleased to breath life into him Then commanded he all the Angels to fall down and worship Adam which all did but Sathan then an Angel of light saying he was created of a more excellent nature fire and man of durt then God cursed and cast out Sathan who has ever since continued an Enemy to man How did the Angels fall for not reverencing of man when they were fallen before man was made and envying his standing tempted him to his fall and how could man lay a baking some thousand of yeares in the Sun when the Sun was made but two dayes before man Gen. 1. The Alcoran failes in point of History and Time l. 3. c. 1. where it mistakes Mary the Prophetesse for the B. Virgâ—n Mary making Mary the sister of Moses Mother of our Saviour when there were above 1500. years between them The reason of this mistake might be Mahomets ignorance in Antiquities and Chronology finding in Arabic Moses his Father called Hembram by which name Joachim our Ladies Father is also called But by what infallible Spirit was this Scripturist led that could admit to grosse a mistake Another errour in Time and Reason is l. 3. c. 3. Where he affirms that God sent the Alforcan which is the same with the Alcoran as Andreas Maurus proves unto Moses and Aaron for a light and admonition to the just and yet l. 1. c. 2. He sayes God inspired the Thora the Gospel and the Alforcan or Alcoran unto Mahomet how can this agree with the former or with what followes in the Book called Sunè or way of Mahomet viz. That David read all the Alcoran whilst they saddled his Mule unlesse Moses David and Mahomet had been contemporaâ—ies and yet again in above 300. places in his Alcoran he sayes that God gave the Athorata or five Books to Moses the Gospel to Jesus Christ the Azabor or Pâ—alter to David and the Alcoran to Mahomet He also faulters in the time wherein he was composing of his Alcoran in one place telling us he was twenty yeares about it in another place he sayes that it was revealed to him in one night in the City of Mecca by the Angel Gabriel so frequent aâ—e contradictions with him though neither of these assertions are absolutely true for he was 23 yeares composing of it ten yâ—ars at the City of Mecca eleven at Almedina and two in the cave of Mecca He dyed in the 63d year of his age and he began to call himself a Prophet and to compile his Alcoran in his fourtiteh year But how could David if the Alcoran had been made in his time have read it all over in the time that his Mule was saddled when as Andreas Maurus reports when the Caliph because of the multiplicity of papers that Mahomet left summoned all the Doctors to Damascus and out of them chose six to Epitomize all his Books of the Alcoran and Sune each of those six composed one Book and the rest of his writâ—ngs were thrown into the River even so many Books and bundles of Papers as loaded 200 Camels For Mahomet because he was illiterate and could not write kept a Secretary who wrote the Chapters of the Alcoran for him giving out that God sent them by the Angel as occasion required These he kept in a Chest and that he might alter expugne or add at pleasure what served his turn he would never have collected and reduced into Books as they were by his Son in law Hozman after his death King and Caliph who made the foresaid Epitome at which time the Papers being sought for many were found in his house having lain behind Chests so spoiled with damp and eaten with Mice as nothing could be made of them A goodly Scripture when the power that inspired it could not preserve it from Mice or if nothing Materiall was lost the Author was guilty of superfluity and so of vanity The Moores took scandall as well they might at those revocations and alterations of above 150 Verses of the Alcoran annulled by others called â—evocatory Verses If they were inspired by God it was unjust they should be abolished by a man That Mahomet made his Religion servâ— his occasion appears by this Baheira a King of the Jacobitâ— presented unto Mahomet one Marine a young beautifuâ— Jewesse with whom the old Leacher was taken in Adulter by two of his wives whom Andreas Maurus calls Axa anâ— Hafeza they reâ—uked him having done an Act unwoâ—thy 〈◊〉 a Prophet or holy man He promised to abandon her if the â— would passe by this one slip and keep his credit but beinâ— by them surprized the second time with her they went fâ—om him to their Fathers houses as repudiated wives upon the publishing of it the Moors murmured the Pagans jeered and Mahomet was disgraced and troubled his wives Fathers being potent men so he had no way but to have recourse to his old remedy for all sores the Alcoran wherein he razed out of thâ— 6. Ch. of the light in the 3d. Book that verse that commanded that married persons taken in Adultery should be stoned called the ver Lapidation composed a new Ch. the contentâ— wherof are that it is lawful for all Mussulmen or true believeâ—s to lie with their slaves that their wives ought not to repine at it and that Mahomet did not sin in his late Act knowing thiâ— Law would come but his wives sinned in publishing what he did in secret and that God warned them to return to him So he cleared himself repaired his credit pleased his sect by this Licentious liberty and got his wivâ—s again who returned well satisfied and very penitent and now might hee use his young slave by the Law Thâ—s Chapter is called the Chapteâ— of Prohibition l. 4. because his wives would have prohibited him his freedom Most insatiable he was in this point and made particular Laws for himself as that he might repudiate any of his wives at pleasure and none might marry them which kept them in obedience but he might take any ones repudiated wife or any that profered her self or admitted of his sollicitation and whereas others might marry two or three or four at most hee might have as many wives as hee pleased The Book Assamiel or the Book of the good customs of Mahomet praising him and speaking of his virile strength saith that in one hour he lay with all his wives which were 11. The Book Azar saith he married fifteen wives and had 11. together besides four who proffered themselves by Vertue of the foresaid Law Caelius reports hee had forty wives yet took he away his servant Zeideus his wife and whose else he pleased saying it was fit he should do so that the greater number of Prophets and holy men might issue from him A life worthy or such a Prophet and author of â—uch a Religion a good Religion sure when hee affirmes the Divells were
space and the losse of 300000 men desisted At this siege was that fire invented which we for the violence of it call wild fire and the Latines because the Greeks were the Authors of it Graecus ignis by which the Saracen ships were no lesse molested then the Romans were at the siege of Syracusa by Archimedes his engines or military burning-glasses the like stratagem was used at this Town of Constantinople about the the year 500. in the reign of the 14th Emperour Anastatius in whose time the City suffered much by the Scythians till Proclus a famous Mathematition with artificial Glasses fired 3000 of their Gallies The first siege was long before when she sided with Pescennius Niger against the Emperour Severus and held out three yeares against him and almost all the forces of the world During this time she endured such a famine that men meeting in the streets would as it were with joynt consent draw fight the victor stil eating the vanquished For want of Artillery to discharge on the assailants the Citizens flung at them whole statuas of brasse and the like curious Imagery Houses they plucked downe to get Timber for shipping the women cut off their hair to inch out their tacklings and having thus patched up a Navy of 500 sayle they lost it all in one Tempest When starved out they had yeelded the Conqueror having put to the sword the chiefe of the Nobles and given the rest as a spoile to the Souldiers dismantled the Towne and left it almost in Rubbish yet there appeared such signs of beauty and strength in the very ruines Vt mireris saith Herodian an eorum qui primi extruxerunt vel horum qui deinceps sunt demoliti vires sint praestantiores About 106 years after this she was rebeautified by the Christian Emperour Constantine the Great who called it after his own name Constantinople and removed the seat of his Empire hither He called it also New Rome enduing it with the priviledges of Rome the Citizens of one being free of the other and capable of the dignities of either But the chief cause of his remove was that by being near and drawing into those parts his principal forces the Empire towards the East might be the better defended then greatly annoyed by the Persian He intended first to have built at Chalcedon on the other side of the Thracian Bosphorus in view of this and a little below it whereof the Megarians were the builders called blind by the Oracle for that first arriving at that place they made choice of the worse and lesse profitable site It is reported that when the workmen began to lay the platform at Chalcedon certain Eagles conveyed their lines to the other side of the streight and let them fall right over the old Bizantium whereupon Constantine altered his determination and re-edified that City as if appointed so to do by the Deity finished it was on the 11th of May Anno 331. and consecrated to the blessed Virgin Rome he bereft of her Ornaments to adorne it fetching from thence in one yeare more Antiquities then twenty Emperours had brought thither before in 100. among others the Placation that huge obelisk of Theban marble the brazen statue of Dedalian work supposed the image of Apollo translated from Ilium the Trojan Palladium c. according to the Omen of the Eagles this City was by destiny appointed and by nature seated for soveraignty it was first the seat of the Roman Emperours then of the Greek now of the Turkish Built by Constantine the Sonne of Helena and lost by another Constantine the Sonne of a Helena also a Gregorie then Bishop whose first Bishop was a Gregory to Mahomet the second Anno 1453. 1121 years after Constantine the great had finished it and the succession of eighty Emperours and they have a Prophesie that a Mahomet shall lose it such fatal contrarieties in one and the same name may be observed So a Baldwin Anno 1200. was the first of the Latines Emperours in her and a Baldwin Anno 1260 the last So Philip the Father of Alexander laid the first foundation of the Macedonian Monarchy and Philip the Father of Perseus ruined it So Augustus was the first established Emperour of Rome and Augustulus the last Darius the Son of Histaspes the restorer and Darius the Son of Atsamis the overthrower of the Persian Monarchy Warner in his Albions England l. 8. cap. 44. observes the Letter H. to be ominous to this Iland producing much good or ill too long here to remember but to return to Constantinople Saint Andrew first preached here the Christian faith to whom succeeded 23. Bishops untill Saint Alexander who was her first Patriarch or Metâ—opolitan for hee alone presided over all the Greek Churches dispersed through the Orient his Diocesse grew ample enough to inable his successor John to contend for the Primacie with the Pope of Rome about the year 608. in the time of Boniface the third but by the Judgement of Phocas the Emperour the Church of Rome carried the Supremacie Blond l. 9. decaâ— 1. Plat. Onuphr In the time of Nicolas the first about the year 860. Photius the Patriarch separated himself from the Roman Church withall denying that the Holy Ghost proceeded from the Son at all but onely from God the Father drawing to his errouâ— the whole Greek Church in which it still persevereth Zonar Tom. 3. But since the invasion of the Turk his Patriarkship is much lessened by three Patriarchs more set up though under him one at Jerusalem one at Alexandria and one at Antioch Here have been held many of the Generall Councells as the second by Pope Damasus against Macedonius for the Divinity of the Holy Ghost An. 381. The fifth by Vigilius against the Origenists and Theodore An. 553. The sixth by Agathon against the Monothelites An. 680. The eighth by Adrian the second against Photius the iconiclast Many brave spirits has this City produced as Gennadius Cassian and that Golden Mine of Eloquence Saint John Chrysostom her Archbishop It stands on a Cape of Land near the Entrance of the Bosphorus In form triangular on the East side washed with the same on the North with the Haven adjoyning on the West to the Continent walled with brick and stone intermixed orderly having four and twenty Gates and Posterns wherof five do regard the Land and ninteen the water being about thirteen miles in circumference The noblest Structure was Saint Sophias Church once a Christian Temple twice burnt but happily in that so sumptuously reedified by the Emperour Justinian excceding not onely the pattern but all other fabricks in the world one of the Gates thereof is by the superstitious people thought to be made of the planks of Noahs Ark It is now a Mahometan Mosque It fronteth the Sultans Seraglio where formerly stood the antient Bizantium divided from the rest of the City by a lofty Wall three miles in circuit That Palace not to describe it but say
onely it wants nothing for Luxuriousnesse or State however enlarged by the Ottomans was first erected by Justinus and called Sophia of his Empresse so Agathius Next the Ottoman Mausoleas require regard built of white Marble The seven Towers called antiently Janicula now the Arsinal The Seraglioes The Hippodrom for exhibiting of Horseraces are remarkable of the antiquities the chif are the Emperour Valentinians Aquaeduct The Column of wreathed Brasse The ruinated Coâ—osse The Historicall Pillar in the Aurathasar or market of women far surpassing both Traians and that of Antoninus at Rome the workman having so proportioned the figure that the highest and lowest appear of onâ— bigness Constantines Pillar and the reliques of his Palace now made a stable of wild beasts The many others are perished so little regard the Greeks their own Antiquities nor can they satisfie the inquirer of the History of their own calamities So supinely negligent are they or perhaps so wise as of passed evils to endeavour a forgetfulness The Turkes now call this City Stambul The ordinary houses are low and mean of Sun-dryed brick as has been said the possessions being not hereditary they care not for sumptuousnesse as also being oft subject to fires whereof a most horrible one befell in the daies of Leo and another not long after in the reign of Basilicus when amongst other infinite losses that famous Library perished containing 120000 volumes where in the inward skin of a Dragon Homers Iliads and Odysses were written a losse beyond that of Pallas's Statue Another hapned on October 14. An. 1607. in whâ—ch 3000. houses were consumed Nor is it a wonder the Citizens not daring to quench the fire that burneth their own houses or pull down some to preserve the remainder an office that belongs to the Aga and his Janizaries who nothing quick in their assistance do often for spite or pillage beat down such houses as are farthest from danger So that the mischief is not onely wished for the booty but prolonged and not seldom they themselves begin it by setting the Jewes houses on fire So that the Citizens made wearie by the example build rather under then above ground for the safeguard of their goods furnishing themselves with arched Vaults which are not to be violated by the flame A great part of the City is taken up in Gardens and Orchards as Gaunt in Flanders so that it shews from the Sea or adjoyning Mountains like a City in a wood The streets are for the most part exceeding narrow and filled with dead walls belonging to great mâ—ns Seraglioes It hath been much infested with Earthquakes and though the air is pretty serene yet that boystrous Tramontan from the black Sea most violently rages here bringing often with it such stormes of snow that in September the Trees then flourishing are so overcharged therewith that their branches break accompanied with bitter frosts The plague for the most part miserably infecteth this City brought more by the concourse of strangers then the badnesse of the clime and encreased by the negligence of the Mahometans who slight and shun it not but putting their fingers to their foreheads say their destiny is written there so they boldly frequent infected Persons and converse with them promiscuously The populousnesse of this City we may guesse at by what Lipsius relates out of Benjamin a Iew his discourse of Europe viz. That the customes due to the Emperor out of the victualls and Merchandise sold at Constantinople onely did amount to 20000. Crowns a day this argues them either great eaters though I know it being a maritime Town much is exported or their number must be more then Botero accounts sc. 700000. soules Which though a multitude yet is no whit admirable considering its compasse when we know there are far more in Paris though that beautifull City is three miles lesse in circumference then Constantinople There were counted in Paris long since 500000. Citizens besides stranges and soldiers and those were no few that could maintain it against 100000. men led by the Dukes of Berry Burgundy and Bretagne but siâ—ce the number is much increased so that the Commentator upon Du Bartas will have the inhabitants to be divers millions Yet enjoyeth she health with her pleasure and prosperity seldom feeling pestilence never sâ—rcity so that in the better part of a years residence there I never heard of one person dead or sick of the plague a besom that sweeps Constantinople of her people To these adde a Scepter of a Mahometan Tyrant with the insolencie of slaves and then O new Rome how are thy thus balanced profits and delights to be valued saith our excellent Sandys to whose exquisite Relation I refer you for a more exact and ample description of Constantinople or Bizantium And though after him he is so copious authentique and transcendent in all he did I need name none other you may also see others that helped me in this and do faithfully describe Constantinople as Sir Walter Rawleigh Heylin D' Iuigne Eusebius Boterus Merc. Bellon Onuper Causin c. 21 Has cut an Asinego asunder c. This is the usuall triall of the Persian Shamsheers or Cemiters which are crooked like a crescent of so good mettall that they prefer them before any other and so sharp as any Rasor The hilts are without ward most have them of steel some of Gold the poor of wood The Scabbards in solemnities they beset with stones of value Herbert 22 Some Magus The Magi among the Persians were those Philosophers that held the place of Priests and sacrificers reputed so cunning as they attributed more then naturall knowledge unto them in expounding of dreams and presaging of good or evill events There were some of this order in all nations The Greeks called them onely Philosophers The Indians Brachmanes and Gymnosophists the Gauls and Britons amongst whom they had their chief seats in Anglesy in Wales Druids Bardes and Semnotheans The Aegyptian Priests The Italians Augurs and Aruspices The Jews Prophets and Cabalists from their Caballa or book of Doctrine and Traditions which the Rabbines say was together with the Law of Moses delivered to the Hebrews The Babylonians and Assyrians called their Southsayers Chaldeans as our vulgar do all they account cunning women Gypsies or Aegyptians not that they all were of that Country but because Beloâ—hus Frisc. 5. Monarch of Chaldea was the Author of divination by the flying of birds called Auspicium to these I might adde the Scottish weirds and many more But to leave the names of the Professors and say somthing of the art its self of Southsaying there were four kinds among the Romans Ovid alludes to them in this Distic Hoc mihi non ovium fibrae tonitrusve sinistri Linguave servata pennave dixit avis Trist l. 1. Eleg. 8. Nor left hand thunder taught me this nor sight Of a sheeps Entrailes nor Birds noise or slight 1. Auspicium the Auspices quasi Avispices ab aves aspiciendo foretold
things by obseâ—ving the flight of Birds either on the right or left hence is avis sinistra interpreted good luck because the givers right hand in bestowing a benefit â—s opposite to the receivers left hand So that in that place of Virgil Saepe sinistra cava praedixit ab ilice cornix Ecleg 1. Th' ill boading Crow croak'd this fâ—om th' hollow Elm the Epithet Sinistra is not to be applyed to the Crow as flying on the left hand for that had been lucky but as the word is in other things received so it presages evill for vice versa to the common acception in these preposterous rites of southsaying the left hand is taken for the best So Intonuit laevum is rendred it hath thundred luckily So Ovid speaking of Romulus his prayer for successe in building of Rome makes him receive this prosperous answer Ille precabatur tonitru dedit omnia laevo Jupiter laevo fulmina missa polo. Augurio laeti jacient fundamina cives Et novus exiguo tempore murus erat Fast. lib. 4. So pray'd he Jove with left hand Thunder sign'd And lightning flash'd from th' left of Heaven his mind All at the Omen joy'd foundations laid And the new wall in a short time was made Perhaps Sinistra avis is accounted lucky à sinendo because the gods thereby did suffer them to proceed in their purposes Therefore Tully saith lib. 1. de divinatione A sinistrâ cornice ratum firmum augurium fieri and in the Law of the twelve Tables it is said Ave sinistrâ populi magister esto The Grecians from hence in the judgement of Lipsius called the left hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying the best They also made great Judgement from the number of birds that appeared in the time of divination hence Romulus was promised the Empire before his brother Remus because hee had seen the double number Of this Ovid speaking of the contest between them which should build the City Nil opus est dixit certamine Romulus ullo Magna fides avium est experiamur aves Res placet alter init nemorosi saxa Palati Alter Aventinum mane cacumen init Sex Remus hic volucres his sex videt ordine pacto Statur arbitrium Romulus urbis habet Fast. l. 4. There neeâ—s quoth Romulus no strife at all Gâ—eat faith to Birds is given on Birds lets call Of Gâ—ovy Palatine this climbâ— the height And that of Aventine with springing light Remus saw six birds th' other twelve good stil The compact holds and Romulus builds at will Much was guessed from the nature of the birds that appeared whence the same Romulus seeing the Vultures was saith Florus cap. 1. plenus spet urbem bellatricem fore ita illi assuetae sangùini preâ—ae aves pollicebantur of which Stadius Florus his commentator Vultures ideo potissimum in auguriis observatos â—eâ—tatur Plutarchus quod rarissimè nisi fortuito conspiciantur quòd innoxij sint nec xerapto vivant sui generis cadavera non devorent Hence comes the Phrases bonis avibus auspiciis with good luck malis avibus with ill luck and because they would begin nothing inauspicatò id est without the counsell of the Augures hence auspicari rem hath been tâ—anslated to begin a matter Fr. Sylvius in orat pro Cluentio 2. Aruspicium The Aruspices did divine by beholding the Entrails of beasts sacrificed and were so called ab aras aspiciendo as also Extispices ab exta inspiciendo the Entralls of a beast being in old Latine called Exta They observed whether the beast to be sacrificed came unto the Altar willingly without plucking and haling whether he died without much strugling and loud bellowing at one blow or many whether any unlucky object was seen or heard by them whilst they were sacrificing When the beast was slain they observed whether the bowels were of an unnaturall colour whether they were not ulcerous exsiccate or impostumated or whether there was any part wanting or superfluous as at Julius Caesars last sacrifice the beast wanted a heart the worst of signes and was followed with as ill luck Augustus found two galls in his sacrifice whereupon the credusity of the City concluded a hope of peace with Antonius and the conjunction of persons in choler with each other Not that the one beast did live without a heart or that the other had two galls but the Devill to keep up this Tuscan superstition foreseeing or at least guessing at the fate of the Emperours stole away the heart from Julius Caesars breast and convey'd another gall into Augustus's Moreover they would divide the bowells into two parts in partem familiarem whence they foretold what should fall to themselves and their friends and in partem hostilem whence they gathered predictions touching their enamies Hence Manto in Seneca describing the entralls of the sacrifice saith Hostile valido robore insurgit latus Oedip. Act. 2. Scen. 2. The enemies side with swelling tumours rise meaning by Hostile latus Partem hostilem As the sacrifice was burning they considered whether the flame of the fire was smokie whether the smoak rolled and tumbled in the air whethâ—r it were of any continuance or no these were unfortunate tokens These last which observed the fire and smoak were called by a more peculiar name Capnomantes Smoak-Augurers from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fumus and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vates The Romans were taught this art by the Hetrusci Hetrurians or Tuscans They learnt it of one Tages a little Devill boy I should say who arising to certain Plowmen out of a furrow taught them this skill and vanished So Cicero de divinat and Ovid Met. l ult 3. Tripudium This kind of conjecturing is called Auspicium coactum quoniam necesse erat offa objectá cadere frustum ex pulli ore cùm pascitur Cic. de divinat l. 1. The word Tripudium is used by a Syncopation for Terripudium as much as Terripavium i. e. rebounding of any thing cast on the ground for pavire is the same with ferire Others say Tripudium quasi tritio pedum So Hubert in lib. 60. Ep. fam Cic. It was a Divining by the rebounding of crummes cast to Chickins in a Coop by the Pultarius or Bird-Prophet in the morning If the Chickens came slowly to them or not at all but walked up and down or set sullen neglecting the bread the enterprise inquired of was displeasing to the Gods but if they came hastily and eat greedily of the crummes so that some fell out of their mouths again the design should bee prosperous and this was called Tripudium Solistimum The Chickens were sullen the same day that Tiberius Gracchus was slain and again they had the pip in the first Punick war when Publius Claudius undeâ— went the same fate who as Valerius Maximus records so contemned the Tripudary Auguratiâ—ns as he commanded the holy Poultry to be cast into
it but to make him the better foyle to Bacon who shews there was no need of Italian help to the Brittish History One great Art of the Magi was the Exposition of Dreams amongst them believed of granâ— importance holding that though sleep be the Image of death Dreams are the portraiture of â—ife though Cassius reasoning with Brutus about the apparition to him in Sardis laboured according to his Epicurian sect to Father all upon deception and the strength of imagination Plut. in vit Brut. And though Dreams are more often Histories then presages grounded upon things that are in being and which we have seen for the imagâ—nation which is the Couch and Nursery of Dreams repâ—esenteth commonly what she hath received yet Dreams are not alwayes of nature but also of the inspiration of God as Jacob's Ladder Joseph's Sun and Moon and 11 Stars Pharoahs fat and leane â—ine c. So Richâ—ome Pilg. Loret and as D' Brown observes Rel. Med. There is surely a neerer apprehension of any thing that delights each of us in our Dreames then in our waked senses Paulò post The slumber of the body seems to be but the waking of our soules It is the ligation of our sense but the liberty of Reason With him seem to agree Galen and Aristotle in their singular Tracts of Sleep And M. Sandys in his Commentary upon Ovids Met. l. 11. Defines Dreams those Images which are formed in our sleeps by the various discursion of the spirits in the brain the spirits being the Chariot of the soul which follow concoction when the blood is least troubled and the phantasie uninteâ—rupted â—y ascending vapours These the Poet divides into three kinds the one imâ—tating the Rational the other the Animal and the third the Inanimate the first called Morpheus which signifies Form the second Icelos by the Gods which is similitude but Phobetor or fear by Mortals in regard of the terrors apprehended by beasts and Monsters and the last Phantasius of the Imagination And as the Cogitations of Princes far differ from those of the vuigar so their Dreams are unvulgar and different to this purpose M. Howel in his vocal Forrest Oftentimes the conceptions of Kings are as farre above the Vulgar as their condition is for being higher elevated and walking upon the battlements of soveraignty they sooner receive the inspirations of heaven As sleep was created to recreate the body and free the mind from care for a season so Dreams are sometimes sent to terrifie the guilty as those that the Usuâ—per Richard the third is reported to have had the night before the great deciding battel at Bosworth field Sometimes they are to confirm the good as those that the Earl of Richmond afterwards King Henry the seventh had on the aforesaid night and they are not seldom prophetical as they proved to those two Princes So Ovid it being the businesse of Poets in the contemplation of Nature to represent things that are not as if they were makes Morpheus present her dâ—owned Husband Ceyx to Alcyone in a Dream and â—aesars wife Calphurnia foresaw her Husbands Tragedy in heâ— sleep but examples are innumerable yet such divine Revelations wâ—re often imitated by Spirits of darknesse to beget a superstition which in the end so increased that Aristides compiled an Ephemerides of his own Dreams and Mithridates of those of his Concubines But the Romans finding the inconveniences thereof because all Dreames without distinction of Causes were drawn to Divination forbad the same by a publique decree though they more politiquely then wisely made their Religion and Auguries ever serve their occasions as Machiavel observes at large in his discourses upon Livie Much ado I have to take off my hand from describing their method in expounding of Dreams as to dream of the dead signified receiving of Money to dream of waters and green fields the dâ—ath of friends c. As also their manner in procuring of Dreams as wrapping themselves up in beasts skins and lying on their backs before the Tâ—mples with a branch of Misletoe in their hands or laying of an odd number of â—ay-leaves under their pillows which they held efficacious to produce tâ—ue Dâ—eams c. But such superstitions I had â—ather â—mit sâ—eing I need not tell them to the leaâ—ned nor am I willing to teach them to the ignorant whom I refer to the Text where they shall see borrowed of the incâ—mparable Sir Philip Sidney that Wisdom and virtue be The only Destinies set for man to follow c. 23 Larr Larr is a sandy Kingdom adjoyning upon Susiana almost wholly a Deseâ—t being for 400. miles together sterile full of loose sand and danger having high hills on each side without Grasse River or Herbage It hath for the seat of justice a City of the same name seated under the Latitude of 27 degrees and forty minutes North fourteen dayes jouâ—ney distant from Shiras This City is ancient and had about fifty years since 5000 houses in her of which 3000 were overturned by an Earth quake 'T is now famous onely for a strong Castle and handsome Buzzar the Castle is built at the Noâ—th end upon an high aspiring Mountaine well stored with Ordnance brought fâ—om Ormus the order and Scituation of this Fort and Fabrick equalizing if not preceding any other in Persia. Here is a Mosque or Temple framed in some part with Mosaique work and round in figure at the entrance hangs a Mirror or Looking glasse wherein Mahometans behold their defoâ—mities This Church lodges the gâ—eat long named long buried Pâ—ophet Emyr-ally-saddey-ameer whose sleep they say has been 1500 years long in that Sepulcher they expect his Resurrection shortly to wait upon Mahomet of whom he prophesied 500 years before his birth This Town affords Dates Orenges Aqua-vitae or Arack c but is very ill watered some Maps place it by a great River wherein they mistake so exceedingly that theâ—e is not any River within 100 miles of it Rain is also a great stranger here not a shower somtimes in five years when it falls it brings incredible joy and profit to the people and sun-burnt Country though sometimetimes no lesse detriment for not long since such a violent storm of Rain unburthened it self near to Techoa that caused such a suddain deluge and Cataract as a Caravan of 2000 Camels perished by it The people are black and needy amongst whom many miserable Jewes inhabit and have their Synagogues This City and Province were under the great Duke of Shiras of whose reducing of it to the Persian Crown see the 19th Note upon the Fourth Act. Herbert c. 24 BAIAZETS Cage see the 10th Note upon the Fourth Act. ANNOTATIONS UPON THE FOURTH ACT. 1 BIzantiums walls of fire The ancient walls of Bizantium or Constantinople were said to be of a just even height every stone so cemented together with brass Couplets that the whole wall seemed to be but one entire stone Some affirm the same of the outmost wall of
a more honourable attribute then this to ascribe to the Queen of Gods the Cow of all beasts having the fairest eye fullest of spirits and of their true colour too black which hue they ever preferr'd in womens eyes and hair Anaceron bids the Painâ—er draw his Mistresse so Ode 38. 39. with hair black and shining dark arched eye browes circular and almost meeting and Eyes black and sprightly And Ovid Loves chief Priest his judgement is Est etiam in fusco grata colore Venus Amor. l. 2. Eleg. 4. The Nut-brown beauties ever taking were And again Leda fuit nigra conspicienda coma ibid. Leda was lovely shaddow'd with black hair The Turkish and Persian Ladies dresse themselves still as after these patterns they put between the eye-lids and the Eye a certain black Powder with a fine long pensil made of a minerall brought from the Kingdom of Fez and called Alcohole which by the not disgracefully staining of the lids doth better set forth the whitenesse of the eye and though it troubles for a time yet it comforteth the sight and repelleth ill humours Into the same hue but likely they naturally are so do they die their eyebreis and eyebrowes the latter by Art made high half circular and to meet if naturallly they do not so do they the hair of their heads as a foyl that maketh the white seem whiter and more becoming their other perfections So Mr. Sandys Tra. l. 1. 10 An Iron Cage c. Bajazet fourth King of the Turkes having possessed himself of the greatest paâ—t of Thrace subdued much of Greece with the Country of Phocis and twice though in vain besieged Constantinople An. Dom. 1397. having an Army of 500000. men encountred with Tamberlanâ— whose force consisted of 800000. Tartarians or as some write more viz. 400000. horse and 600000. foot near unto Mount Stella in Bythinia a place destined for Conquest to strangers Pompey having there vanquished Mithridates Bajazet with the losse of 200000. of his People was overthrown and being brought before Tamberlane was by him asked what he would have done with him if it had been his fortune to have faln into his hands He answered he would have inclosed him in a Cage of Iron and so in Triumph have carried him up and down his Kingdom Tamberlane commanded the same to be done to him professing that he used not that rigour against him as a Prince but rather to punish him as a proud ambitious Tyrant polluted with the blood of his own Brother Jacup Bajazet late one of the greatest of Princes now the scorn of Fortune and a by-word to the world shackled in fetter and chains of gold and as some dangerous wild beast coop'd up in an Iron Cage made open like a grate that he might be seen on every side and so carried up and down through Asia to be of his own Subjects scorned and derided and to his further disgrace being upon festivall daies used by his gâ—eatest â—nâ—my as a footstool to tread upon when he mounted his Horse and at other times scornfully fed like a dog with câ—uâ—s fallen from his Table having for two years with gâ—eat impatience lingeâ—d out this most miserable thâ—aldom finding no better means to end his loathed life he did violently beat out his bâ—ains against the barrs of the Grate wherein he was inclosed An. 1399. Yet of his death are divers other reports some say that he dyed of an ague proceeding of sorrow and grief others that he poisoned hâ—mself The Turks affirm that he was set at Liberty by Tamberlane being by him beforehand poysoned whereof he dyed three daies after his inlaâ—gement but the fiâ—st is the most generally received opinion concerâ—ing his death His dead body at the request of his Son Mahomet was by Tamberlane sent to Asprapolis from whence it was afterwards conveyed to Prusa and there lieth buried in a Chappell near unto the great Mahometan Tâ—mple without the City Eastward by his beloved wife Despina and his eldest Son Erthogrul and haâ—d by in a little Chappell lieth his crime his brother Jacup whom he in the beginning of his reign murdered Turc Hist. c. 11 My treachery to the English it alledges That helpt me to take Oâ—mus c. Ormus is an I le within the Gulfe of Persia about twelve miles from the Continent in old time known by the name of Geru before that Ogiris some say from the famous Theban of that name It s circuit is but small about fifteen miles neither doth it procreate any thing note-worthy salt excepted of which the Rocks are participant and the silver shining sands promise sulphur but however barâ—en it s much famed for a safe haâ—bour and for that it standeth conveniently for the traffick of India Persia and Arabia so that the customes onely afford the King thereof who is a Mahometâ—n no lesse then 140000 Xeraffes yearly a Xeraffis is as much as a French Crown or 6. s. sterling Some will have appertaining to the Crown of it a part of Arabia foelix and all that part of Persia that is environed with the Rivers of Tabo Tissindo and Druto together with the Iland of Bolsaria not far fom it and divers other Iles in the Gulf. An. 1506. it became tributary to the Portugals still permitting the King but as their Liege-man who first fortified it and built a City of the name of the Iland about the bignesse of Exeter with some Monasteries and a fair Market-place though now little but the Castle retains that former beauty which gave occasion to that universall saying of the Arabians Si terrarum orbis quaqua patet annulus esset Illius Ormusium gemma decusque foret If quaint Art could into a Ring compile The world the Diamond should be Ormus I le Abbas King of Persia finding himself bearded by the Portugall commanded Emangoly Duke of Shiras to assault the I le who with 15000. men wan it sackt and depopulated the City but not without the help of some English Merchants ships commanded by the Captains serving the East India company Captain Weddal Blyth and Woodcock Their Articles with the Persian Duke were to have the lives of the Christans therein at their dispose some Cannons and half the spoil and accordingly when the City was enter'd after a brave and tedious resistance forced to yield by Plague Fluxes and Famine every house of quality Magazen and Monastery was sealed up with the signers of the Duke and Merchants By which good oâ—der the Company might have been enrichâ—d with 2000000. l. sterling though but their share had it not been prevented by a base Saylers covetousnesse who regardlesse of the danger of his life or the Christians credit stole into a sealed Monastery committed sacriledge upon the Silver Lampes Chalices Church-stuffe Crucifixes c. and came forth laden with so big a pack as discovered his theft whâ—ch being led to the Duke he confess'd and was right handsomly corrected but the greatest redounded hereby to the
Persia by his Fathers command joyned himself with 12000 Horse and prosecuted Cycala as in the Text. First chased him to the utmost confines of Armenia and there in a bloody battel slew 30000 of his Turks with the losse of 9000 Persians and Georgians and though Cycala himself hardly escaped by flight the Persian recompenced missing of him with the masâ—acres of the Turkish Garrisons regaining all that in the sad year 1537 King Tamas of Persia lost to Solyman the Magnificent 4th Emperour of the Turkes Cycala to redeem his honour if possible after his Apologie to the grand Signior the very next year invades the Persian again but the Prince hearing that the Bassa of Caramania had expresse Command to joyn with him to prevent their conjunction fell upon Cycala first with 30000. men His suddain charge and unexpected comming routed the whole body of the Turks of whom he slew 15000 and took all their great Ordnance and Baggage Cycala himself with but 300 Souldiers with much ado escaped to Adena to which City the brave Persian pursued him and sat down before it This news distressed Sultan Achmat beyond measure who vowed to Cycala his reward but first sent command to the Bassa of Trebezond with all speed to succour him The Bassa resolved to try all wayes of recovery with a vast but hastily gathered Army put himself upon his march towards the City Cycala having got notice of his approach the better to direct him caused himself with 10 of his Souldiers whom he best trusted secretly by night to be let down over the wall of the City having given order to the Governour that as soon as he perceived the battel to be joyned he should salley out upon the rear of the Persians so by holding them in a doubtful battel to further the Victory all which the valiant Persian doubting he divided his Army and leaving one body to maintain the siege led the other against the Succours wherein he used so incredible expedition as falling upon them before they could rank their battel he made of the Turks now confusedly and without all order fighting more for the safeguard of their lives then for any hope they had of victory such an exceeding great slaughter that few of them escaped his sword Cycala himself with only 2 or 3 more made hard shift by getting into a little Boat to change the danger of the Land for that of the Water The Persian returned to the Town which after many a sharp assault he had cast in to augment his honour Others write that this was not a surprise but a well fought Battel for 7 hours together victory doubtfully hovering between either Champion till by an ambush of the Georgians towards night she rested upon MIRZA's head However all agree that the Turks that survived this day bound themselves by oath never to follow more so unfortunate a Leader as Cycala and upon the rehearsal of his overthrow the great Turk was so transported with rage as he gave Cycalas Treasure to be rifled by the Janizaries Spaheis and to extirpate his memory bad them pull down his Palaces though to have been just he should have punished his Fortune for upon her lay the blame of his defeat and not upon the mans ill conduct or cowardize Turk Hist. Herbert c. 18 I that gave Ormus Scepter to his hand and brought her captive King c. The description of the Isle of Ormus with the taking thereof by Emangoly you have in the 11th Note upon this Act. It rests only to tell that he brought thence captive the King thereof then Tributary to the Portugize and the two Princes his Sons to all whom King Abbas allowed only 5 Marks sterling by the day for their maintenance Herb. 19 I that subdu'd Larrs Sandy Kingdom for him mauger her wall of Rock am now accus'd c. As to the description of the Kingdom of Larr enough hath been said in the 23. Note upon the 3d Act. It remains only to say that she was confined by a huge wall cut by incredible labour out of the solid Rock as a secure defence against the invading Persian notwithstanding Abbas to whose fortune all things were possible commanded Emangoly to subdue it which he did after all the sufferings and toyls imaginable in so difficult an enterprize He ruined one Castle and built another slew many of the Citizens Ransackt the Town and sent home to Shiras as much Treasure as burthened 700 Camels As for the poor King thereof though his life was granted him when he was forging of others matters an unexpected Scimiter to end his stratagems took off his head and by the extirpation of his progeny established the soveraignty unto the conquering Abbas Herbet 20 I that won the Realm of Larry Joon c. See the 6 Note upon the first Act. 21 What signified his wrong to the poor Christians About the yeâ—r 1609. Some envious person in spight to the Armenian and Georgian Christians feigned Letters as from their Patriarch to the Pope knowing well the hatred that King Abbas bore to the Sea of Rome that they were willing to become obedient to the Church of Rome and to acknowledge him head of the Catholick Church entreating him to write to the King of Persia in their behalf that they might freely enjoy their Consciencâ—s under him These Letters their Authors intercepted and presented to King Abbas who saying that if they would be obedient to the Pope he could expect no further service or obedience from them grew thereat so inraged that no lesse then the lives of 1000 some say 1200 of those innocent Christiaâ—s could slack his fury threatning to take further revenge if â—e could prove the Letters aâ—thentick as some still affirm they were but most believe them suppositions Turk Hist. Herb. c. 22 His murdering of his Embassadour to the Turk c. About the year 1612. after many conflicts between the Turke and Persian they were both so prest by neighbour Countries as they propounded Articles for peace to which end King Abbas sends his Embassadour to Constantinople who returning but with mean conditions his Master denyed the Turks Agent to confirm them and in a rage struck off the head of his ill-advised Embassadouâ— for consent in to them Herb. 23 His treachery to the Magicians c. Betwixt Chilmanor and Mogown in Persia is a high inaccessible Mountain on whose top stood a Castle so fortified by nature and industry as it was held impregnable a Rebellious Sultan weary of slavery man'd it against his Prince the victorious Abbas who in person came to reduce him but after six months fruitlesly spent could perceive no sign of Victory whereat inraged he proposed a considerable Reward to him that could by any means enter it an old covetous Magician undertakes it and wrought so by his Spels that the Sultan came down forced by the Devil who assured his pardon but for all that the block rewarded him for his Rebellion and