of purpose by Mango the great Cham of Tartary a Christian also with a puissant army and a world of people to releeue the distressed Christians in Syria and so Haalon with Hayton king of Armenia scouring through the Countries of Persia Asiria and Mesopotamia in the end entred into Syria and in a few dayes tooke Aleppo sacking and razing it downe to the ground But it continued not so long for afterwards being repaired by the Christians it was againe taken by the Sultans of Aegypt who possessed it many yeares but in the yeare 1516. when Campson Ganrus raigned in Aegypt it was peaceably deliuered vp by Cayerbeius the Traitor into the hands of Selymus the first who fauourably tooke the Citizens into his protection and the more to winne their hearts graunted vnto them greater priuiledges then they had in former time inioyed And so euer since hath continued vnder the Turkish Gouernment hauing vnder the regiment thereof fiue and twenty thousand Timarriots that is to say Pensioners which are all horsemen so called of Timaro that is a stipend which they haue of the Grand Signeor viz. the possession of certaine Villages and Townes which they hold during their life and for which they stand bound For euery threescore Duckates of yearlie reuennew to maintaine one horseman either with bow and arrowes or else with Target and Lance and that as well in time of peace as in time of warre Hauing rested in Aleppo two Moneths and better Mr. Iohn Mildenab and my selfe tooke our leaue of the Consull and Merchants with a full intent and purpose to trauell vnto the great City Lahor in the great Mogors Countrey in the East Indies lodging all that night on a thinne Turkish Carpet in woods-caine where the Carauan was assembled to the end that we might bee with the foremost for delay in such trauell doth produce great and ineuitable danger From Aleppo we spent three daies iourney vnto the bankes of Euphrates passing by many villages not worth the naming and fertile plaines abounding with all sort of prouision necessary for mans life One of those Villages is a Village of note vnto this day called by the Countrey people Tedith where the Iewes keepe a monument in remembrance of the great Synagogue holden there in the yeare from the Creation 3498. For after the twelue Tribes were by Salmanazar King of the Assirians led captiue into a Country neuer inhabited by any before a yeare and halfe iourney so as men in this age trouble their wits to know where they remaine in the East or West Indies in Tartaria or Moscouia and new inhabitants in their place I say it so fell out that after the captiuity of Babylon an hundred and twenty men of the chiefest of the Iewes held a Synode at the aforesaid Village of which Esdras was the Scribe at which Synode as the Rabbins affirme were present Nehemias Mardocheus Zorababel Ioshua the high Priest Daniel Ananias Azarias Misael Haggeus Zacharias and Malachiah and placed the bookes of the old Testament in the same order as now they are and changed the hebrew characters the figure T excepted into the Assirian characters which is the square forme vsed at this day and changed the Hebrew tongue into the Armenian tongue but that was altered afterward and the right Hebrew tongue restored Neare vnto this Towne is the Valley of Salt memorable for that great ouerthrow which Dauid gaue the Aramits when he slew of them in one battell eighteene thousand men Here also Campson Gaurus the great Sultan of Aegypt fought that deadly and mortall battell with Selymus the first the great Turke where hee lost his life being troden without regard to death both by his owne Souldiers and pursuing enemies after he had with great Maiesty gouerned the Kingdome of Aegypt Iudea and Syria many yeares and together with the losse of his life and ouerthrow of his army he lost the great and populous Kingdome of Aegypt which he and his predecessours had gotten and kept by martiall prowesse aboue the space of three hundred yeares Being arriued on the bankes of Euphrates we found it as broade as the Thames at Lambith but in some places it is narrower in some broader running with a very swift streame and current almost as fast as the Riuer of Trent At this place doth this Riuer beginne to take his name being here all gathered into one channell whereas before it commeth downe from the lake Chieldor-Giol in Armenia in manifold armes and branches and therefore is called by the Countrey people by a name which signifieth a thousand heads Here it is that Merchants vse to passe downe by Barke vnto Babylon thereby to auoide and shunne the great charge and wearisomnesse of trauell through the desart of Arabia Which passage they make sometimes in fifteene dayes sometimes in twenty dayes and sometimes in thirty dayes answerable to the rising and falling of the Riuer and the best time to passe thither is either in Aprill or October when the Riuer doth swell with abundance of râ—ine The Boates are flat bottomed because the Riuer is shallow in many places so that when they trauell in the Moneths of Iuly August and September they finde the Riuer at so low an ebbe that they are faine to carry with them a spare Boate or two to lighten their owne if they should chance to fall on the shoales Euery night after Sunne-set they fasten these Boats to a stake the Merchants lying aboord and the Marriners vpon the shore as neare as they can vnto the same In this passage downe the Riuer you shall meete with diuers troupes of Arabians who will barter their prouision of dyet for they care not for money as Hennes Kids Lambe Butter and sowre milke for Glasses Combes Corall Amber Kniues Bread and Pomegranates Pilles wherewith they vse to tanne their Goates skinnes in which they Churne withall All of them as well Women Children and Men are very good swimmers who oftentimes will swimme to the Barke side with vessels full of milke vpon their heads These people are very theeuish and therefore in your passage downe good watch must be kept But to returne where we left wee were constrained by the deepnesse of the riuer to ferry ouer our whole Carauan which consisted of a thousand persons besides Camels Horses Mules and Asses by reason of which multitude we spent a whole day in transporting ouer the said Carauan The gaines of which transportation yeelded the ferriman a Shaughoe which is fiue pence English vpon a beast It was the manner of the Aegyptian Sultanes not to account themselues worthy of the name of Sultanes or great Generall before they had incamped their army vpon this side of the Riuer and in this place and there with solemne pompe had in the sight of the army forced their horses into the Riuer to drinke giuing to vnderstand by that ceremony the greatnesse of their Empire and that they were ready by force of armes to proue
for age is ready to goe downe to his graue They doe adore and worship the Diuell to the end he may not hurt them or their cattell and very cruell are they to all sorts of Christians in which regard the Country which they inhabite is at this day termed Terra Diaboli the land of the Diuell They participate much of the nature of the Arabians and are as infamous in their Ladrocinies and robberies as the Arabians themselues They liue vnder the commandement of the great Turke but with much freedome and liberty For Selymus the second hauing a great multitude of them in his army against the Persians they did him little seruice performing no more then what well pleased themselues This theeuish company did sundry times arrest our Carauan affirming that their Prince had sent for a Dollor on a summe of goods without the payment whereof being fiue seuerall times demanded wee should not passe through their Countrey One Village of note is there in this Country wholly inhabited by the Curdies being fiue dayes iourney from Caraemit and three dayes iourney from Bitclish called by the Countrey people Manuscute This Towne is seated in a most fertile and fruitfull valley betweene two mountaines abounding with pasture and cattell and about a mile from it is an Hospitall dedicated to St. Iohn the Baptist which is much visited as well by Turkes as Christians who superstitiously affirme that whosoeuer will bestow either a Sheepe Kidde or some peece of money to releeue the poore of that place shall not only prosper in his iourney but obtaine forgiuenâ—sse of all his sinnes To the Gouernour of this Village we paied for our custome a Shaughee on a summe of goods and so were dismissed The next day following wee passed ouer many craggy and steepe mountaines and at the last rested our selues and wearied beasts on the banke of Euphrates being the outmost bounds on this side of Mesopotamia and so entred the day following on the borders of Armenia the Great which is by some distinctly deuided into three parts the North part whereof being but little is called Georgia the middle part Turcomania and the third part by the proper name of Armenia The description of ARMENIA ARmenia was founded by Armenius one of the companions of Iason who wonne the golden Fleece at Colchos for after Iason was dead Armenius hauing gathered together a great multitude of people and wandering vp and downe the Countrey in the end hee founded the Towne of Armenia neere vnto the mountaines out of which the Riuer Tygris springeth constituting many good and wholsome lawes whereby from time to time the Countrey of Armenia was gouerned by Kings of their owne Nation vntill such time as the house of the Ottamans subdued the same It is now called Turcomania and was the first seate of the Turkes after their first comming out of Scythia who left their naturall seates in that cold and bare Countrey to seeke themselues others in more pleasant and temperate Countries more Southerly stirred vp no doubt by the handâ— of the Almighty who being the Authour of all Kingdomes vpon earth as well of those which hee hath appointed as scourges wherewith to punish the world as others more blessed This people thus stirred vp and by the Caspian ports passing through the Georgian Countrey then called Iberia neere vnto the Caspian Sea first ceased vpon this part of Armenia and that with so strong an hand that it is by their posterity yet holden at this day and of them called Turcomania of all other the most true progeny of the Turkes These Turcomanes of a long time vnder their diuers leaders in the manner of their liuing most resembling their ancestours did roame vp and downe with their families and heads of cattell after the manner of the Scythian Nomades their Countrey men without certaine places of aboade yet at great vnity amongst themselues as not hauing much to loose or wherefore to striue This people did not only notably defend this Countrey thus by them at the first possessed but still incroched farther and farther and gayning by other mens harmes became at length dreadfull vnto their neighbours and of some fame also farther off Whereunto the effeminate cowardise of those delicate people of Asia with whom they had to doe gaue no lesse furtherance then their owne valour being neuerthelesse an hardy rough people though not much skilfull or trained vp in the feates of warre But to leaue these Turcomanes for a while wee will returne where we left This Countrey of Armenia hath for it vtmost bounds northward Colchos Iberia and Albania all which are now called by the Tartars Comania Colchos was that famous Prouince so much spoken of by the Poets for the fable of Medea and Iason and the golden Fleece the inhabitants now are called Mengrellians a Nation most barbarous and sauage selling their Sonnes and Daughters to the Turkes for litle or nothing Iberia is now called Georgia and Albania Zuiria Westward it confronts vpon Euphrates and Armenia the lesse Southward on Mesopotamia with that which the Curdies inhabit and Eastward on the Riuer Araxis which watereth the South part of Armenia and almost diuideth from Georgia A dâ—scription of the people of Armenia as they are at this day AT our first entrance into this Countrey we trauelled through a goodly large and spacious plaine compassed about with a row of high mountaines where were many Villages wholly inhabited by Armenians a people very industrious in all kinde of labour their women very skilfull and actiue in shooting and managing any sort of weapon like the fierce Amazones in antique time and the women at this day which inhabit the mountaine Xatach in Persia. Their families are very great for both Sonnes Nephewes and Nieces doe dwell vnder one roofe hauing all their substance in common and when the father dyeth the eldest Sonne doth gouerne the rest all submitting themselues vnder his regiment But when the eldest Sonne dyeth thâ— gouernment doth not passe to his sonnes but to the eldest brother And if it chance to fall out that all the brethren doe die then the gouernment doth belong to the eldest Sonne of the eldest brother and so from one to another In their dyet and cloathing they are all fedde and cladde alike liuing in all peace and tranquility grounded on true loue and honest simplicity To discourse how populous this nation is at this day is needlesse since they inhabit both in Armenia the greater and Armenia the lesse as also in Cilicia Bithinia Syria Mesopotamia and Persia. Besides the principall Cities of the Turkish Empire be much appopulated with them as Brusia Angori Trabisonda Alexandria Grand-Caire Constantinople Cassa Aleppo Orpha Cara-â—mit Van and Iulpha Some of this nation affirmed vnto vs that the chiefest cause of their great liberty in the Ottoman Kingdome is for that certaine of their Kings bare great affection and loue vnto Mahomet their lewde Prophet in
army escaped the sword of the Persians There was three great Sanzaecks slaine one taken and the other sled eight hundred Iamzaries seeing themselues forâ—aken of their Captaineâ— laid downe their Harquebusiers and other weapons and yeelded themselues vpon Delymenthes his word It might then well haue beene said of the Turks which the Poet speaâ—eth of the night wherein Troy was â—ackâ— Quis cladem illius noctis qui funere fando Explicet The slaughter of that night was such as that it is of the Turkes vntill this day accounted amongst their greatest losses and the victory so welcome to the Persians that in memoriall thereof they still keepe that day which was the thirteenth of October as one of their solemne holidayes In Bithlis wee staied two dayes and at our departure paied vnto the Gouernour of the said City a Dollâ—r on a summe of goods and so set forwards towards the great City Van three dayes iourney farther In which trauell we had a very wearisome and painefull iourney ouer high mountaines and craggy rocks the way being exceeding narrow that a beast could hardly passe with his burden without much heauing and tumultuous shouldering The which narrow passages the Turks told vs was by the commandement of Amurat the third the great Turke cut through by the maine industry of laborers for his army to passe like that incredible worke which Hanibal with vineger wrought vpon the Alpes In this place our trauell was very dangerous by reason of a brackish lake or little Sea called the lake Arctamar which was vnder the Rocke ouer which wee passed and wee inforced to ride shoaling on the side of the said Rocke that had not our Mules beene sure of footing both theâ— and we had perished with an insupportable downefall iâ—â—hat Sea Two miles from this shore in the aforesaid lake are two Ilands called the Ecmenicke Ilands inhabited only by Armenians and some Georgians which two Ilands doe bring forth and yeeld such store of cattell and plenty of rice wheate and batly that as the Island of Scycilia was called in timeâ— past Horreum P. Romani so these Ilands are at this day the gatners and store houses for all the Countrey round abouâ— Being arriued at Van our Carauan rested in the subâ—â—bs of the said City not daring to presume to enter the City by reason that the Bassae was gone to fetch in a rebell that was risen vp in those parts in whose absence the City vnder the sub-Bassae was no better gouerned then it should be On the West side of this City lyeth a pleasant and delightfull plaine wherein the Ianizaries twise a weeke doe exercise themselues after their manner in the seats of warre On the North side runneth the lake Arctamar called in antique time the Moore or Marish Martiana or Margiana or Mantiana Strabo affirmeth that it is matchable in greatnesse with the lake Mâ—otidis in the Kingdome of Sermatia so much spoken of by the Poets Out of this lake is caught yearly an innumerable quantity of fish like our Herring which being dryed in the Sunne they disperse and sell them ouer all the Countrey thereabout The description of Van. THis City is double walled with hard quarry stone and is the strongest Towne in all these parts being fortified with great store of brasse Ordonance and a strong Castle mounted on an high Rocke to command and defend the City It was once vnder the gouernement of the Persian but Solyman the Magnificent in the yeare 1549. with a puissant army did besiege the same which after ten daies siege was yeelded vnto him by the Persian Gouernour vppon condition that the Persian Souldiers there in garrison might with life and liberty depart with their weapons as Souldiers which was by Solyman granted and so the City was surrendred vp into his handes from the Persian King who neuersince could get the same into his possessions It is gouerned now by a Bassae who hath vnder him twelue thousand Timariots At this City wee stayed fiue daies paying a Dollor on a summe of goods and passed from thence to a Turkish Village called Gnusher the houses standing in two seuerall places the one row fit for the Winter and the other for the Sommer season Here wee beganne the ascent of the high mountaines of Arraret and about noone-tide we beheld Bruz the very crest of the Periardi mountaines now called Cheilder Monte the hils of Periardo These mountains so called are very famous by the rising of many notable great riuers which doe so fructiferate the country therabouts that the barbarous people call it Leprus which is to say fruitfull viz. First the Riuer Araxis which running out of a certaine Marish with many armes doth wonderfully inrich that champaine and drie Countrey This Riuer springeth out of the hill Taurus in this part where Periardo is situate on the side of the hill Abo and so runneth by East euen to the confines of Seruan and windeth it selfe towards the West and by North where it is ioyned with the Riuer Cirus and then passeth to Artaxata now called Nassiuan a City of the Armenians right against Reiuan another City and so watereth Armenia and coursing along the plaine of Araxis dischargeth it selfe into the Caspian Sea on the one side by South leauing Armenia and on the other side by North leauing the Countrey Seruania whose chiefe City is Eris This Riuer is deep and large but yet at this present it containeth not those maruels that Herodotus reporteth of it as also it is very hard to vnderstand that which Q. Curtius writeth touching the course thereof and that which Natales Comes hath left written of it in his History The Riuer Cirus likewise springeth out of Taurus and so descending into the champaines and plaines of Georgia charging it selfe and being greatly increased with other Riuers it is ioyned with Araxis and so maketh his issue also into the Caspian Sea This Riuer the inhabitants of the Countrey at this day call by the name of Ser in their owne language but the Turkes call it Chiur Out of these mountaines also springeth the Riuer Canac which maketh as it were almost an Iland a little on this side the City Ere 's and afterwards vnite it selfe in the Channell with Araxis and so runneth into the Caspian Sea Two other mountaines are of great note in this place the one is Anti-Taurus now called Mons Niger the blacke mountaine which runneth vp into Media and the other Gordaeus the tops of which mountaiâ—es are couered continually with white and hoary snowes The mountaine Gordaeus is inuironed with many other petty mountaines called the Gordaean mountaines on the tops whereof as we passed we found many ruines and huge foundations of which noâ—re son can be rendred but that which Iosephus giues saying that they which escaped the flood were so astonished and amazed that they durst not descend into the plaines and low countries but kept on the tops of those
subiect and tributary to the Scepter of Persia and contrariwise both by nature and affection great enemies to the Turke This Towne was much indangered in the warres betwixt Amurat the great Turke and Mahomet Codibanda the Persian King ready to bee swallowed vp of both One while the Bassae of Reiuan on the great Turkes behalfe made an inrode vpon them with a thousand and fiue hundred Harquebusiers whom they were faine to pacifie with a very bountifull present excusing themselues that if they had beene backward in bringing vnto him their voluntary tributes it was done for feare least they should haue fallen into the displeasure of Mahomet Codibanda their King who no doubt if heâ— should haue vnderstood any such matter would haue been ready to destroy their Countrey and depriue them of their liberty and liues The Bassae was no sooner departed with this answere and their present but forth with Aliculi-cham was sent by the Persian King with three thousand Souldiers and with this direction that if the country were subdued by the Turks he should fight against it and if it had voluntarily yeelded it selfe vnto them hee should not only recouer it but also burne it and bring away all the chiefe men of the Countrey for prisoners and slaues To auoide which danger these poore Chiulfalini were glad to present the Persian Prince with greater and more liberal gifts then they did their enemy Bassae Thus these miserable people in the midst of armes and squadrons of the enemy were constrained what with presents and what with lies notably to preserue their liberties and their liues in safety Within a dayes iourney and halfe of this Towne is the Chalderan plaines memorable for the battell fought there on the seuenth day of August in the yeare 1514. betweene the two great Emperours Ismael King of Persia and Selymus the first Emperor of the Turkes In which battell Selymus lost aboue thirty thousand men amongst whom was Cassan-Bassae his great Lieutenant in Europe seauen Sanzacks with the two Malcozzian brethren who labouring the one to rescue the other were both together staine Besides his common foot-men of whom he made least reckoning he lost most part of his Illirian Macedonian Seruian Eâ—irot Thessalonian and Thracian horse-men the vndoubted flower and strength of his army which were in that mortall battell almost all slaine and grieuously wounded And certainly had it not beene for the Turkes great Artillery Ismael with his thirty thousand horse-men had ouerthrowne Selymus with his three hundred thousand Turks But Selymus reseruing all his great Ordonance at his last refuge caused it to bee discharged by violence whereof such slaughter was made as well of his owne men as of his enemies mingled together what for dust what for smoke and thundering of the Artillery hauing on both sides almost lost the vse of sight and hearing and â—â—eir horses being so terrified with the thundering report of the great Ordonance that they were not now to be managed the battell was broken off and the victory yet doubtfull In the end Hismael had the worst and was put to flight by reason that the Persian horses had neuer beene vsed to the noise and thundering of the artillery which they could not abide to heare The Turkish stories to expresse the terrour of this day number it amongst their dismall daies terming it the only day of doome The manner of this battel is painted in the Counsell chamber at Venice and is reported that Selymus the great Turke caused it so to bee done and sent it to the Senate there At Chiulfal we staied eight dayes and passed againe the Riuer Araxis leauing the noble Kingdome of Armenia â—alled now Turcomania because of the Turcomanes a people that came out of Scythia as before wee noted who liue as sheepheards in their tents but the natiue people giue themselues to husbandry and other manuall sciences as working of Carpets and fine Chamlets Wee were no sooner ouer but wee entred into Media which by some is deuided into Media Atropatia and Media the Great The description of MEDIA ATROPATIA MEdiae Atropatia is called by the Hebrewes Madian but now it is termed Sâ—ruan or Seruania The bounds of this Kingdome Northwards are the Albanians and a little beyond them some wandering and vagabond Tartars called Pericorschi betweene Caucasus and the Riuer Volga whereupon it may be that the Tartarians are comprehended vnder the name of Volcenses Eastward the lake as Polycletes terme it or rather as other call it the Sea of Corazan viz. the Caspian Sea Southward on Armenia and more towards the South and South-cast Media the great The whole countrey is very fruitfull and watered with the Riuer Araxiâ— and Cirus and other Riuers that are famous euen in antique Writers Diuers Cities are there in this Kingdome but my purpose is to speake only of those which we saw in these parts viz. Sumachia Derbent Sechi Ere 's and Aras Sumachia is the Metropoliticall City of Sirâ—an and lyeth betweene Derbent and Ere 's where the Kings of Siruan vsed to keepe their great and sumptuous Courts chiefly inhabited by Armenians and Georgians In this City our English Merchants did traffique much and had an house giuen them by Obdowlocan in the yeare 1566. as reuerend Mr. Hackluit doth relate who then raigned there vnder the Persian King In this City wee saw the ruines of a most cruell and barbarous spectacle that is to say a turret erected with free stone and flints in the midst of which flints were placed the heads of all the Nobility and Gentry of that Countrey which fell out on this occasion This Countrey of Siruan in time past was of great renowme hauing many Cities Townes and Castles in it the Kings thereof being of great power able to wage warre with the Kings of Persia but through their diuersity in religion the Persian made a conquest of them razing downe to the ground their Cities Townes and Castles that they should not rebell and also putting to death their Nobility and Gentry and for the greater terrour of the people placed their heads in the foresaid Turrer About a mile distant from this Towne is the ruines of an old Castle once esteemed to be one of the strongest Castles in the world and was besieged by Alexander the Great a long time before hee could winne it And a little further off was a Nunnery most sumptuously builded wherein was buried as they told vs the body of Ameleke Canna the Kings Daughter who slew her selfe with a knife for that her Father would haue forced her shee professing chastity to haue marryed with a Prince of Tartary vppon which occasion the Virgins of this Countrey doe resort thither once a yeare to lament her death This City is distant from the Caspian Sea with Camels seauen dayes iourney and from Derbent sixe dayes iourney It was in the yeare 1578. yeelded vp vnto Mustaffa the Generall of the Turkish army without resistance who presently
the beginning of another and that the Turkish Empire could neuer stay in one state and it were good that his highnesse should obserue not the Turkes words but his deeds and how the Othoman Emperors according to the opportunitie of the time haue vsed by turnes sometimes force sometimes fraude as best serued their purposes He wished also the king that at length this his deceit might manifest it selfe vnto the world and though in former times there were sometimes wanting will and sometimes occasion to vnite their forces yet now he hoped that by an imployment from his Maiestie to the Christian Princes that they would combine themselues for their common good against the common enemie and that it concerned no lesse his Highnes then the Christians to haue the power of the great Turke abated this taking vp of armes should be for the good of his Maiesty howsoeuer the warre should fall out if wel he should then recouer what his predecessors before had lost with much more that was the Turkes If otherwise yet by voluntarie entering into armes to countenance himselfe and to giue the Great Turke occasion to thinke that he feared him not which was as hee said the onely way to preserue the common safetie Many such speeches passed from Sir Anthony but most of the chiefe counsellours were obstinately bent against it at the first howbeit the King being stilâ— animated by his forcible perswasions and his Generall Oliuer-chan a Georgian Christian furthering the busines in the end with the rest of his Councell consented thereto and so Sir Anthony within three moneths after his first arriuall was dispatched to these seuerall Princes viz. to Queene Elizabeth of famous memorie to King Iames our dread Soueraigne to the French King to the Emperour the Pope the King of Spaine the Senate of Venice and the Duke of Florence with Letters of credence and very rich and bountifull presents to conclude a generall peace among themselues and betweene the Persian and our Christian world The chiefe things that the Persian requested of the Christians was that they would send him by the way of Syria men skilfull in the casting of great Ordinance an Engine once hated of the Persians who held it a sinne and shame to exercise so cruell a weapon against mankind yet nowe knowing by wofull experience of what moment it is in a set battell the King did specially require such men as were skilfull therein hauing matter enough within his Dominions whereof to cast them that they with an armie by land 〈…〉 Turke promising in the meane time himselfe to fill Asia the lesse with his armie and that if they would be in the field three moneths he would be sixe monethes if the Christian Princes would bring an hundred thousand fighting men into the field hee would bring two hundred thausand and so they should giue vnto themselues a faire occasion to recouer both by land sea all such places as they had before lost either in Hungaria or vpon coast of Peloponesus and Grecia But how well Sir Anthony behaued himselfe in so waighty a negotiatioÌ„ I leaue to the world to iudge of sure I am that for his fidelitie therein hee left his brother Master â—obert Sherley a worthy gentleman as a pledge for his returne out of Christendome accompanied with fiue English men viz. honest Captaine Powell Iohn Ward Iohn Parrot who afterwards died in Lahor being in Master Mildenals company one Brookes who is gone for the East Indies and an English gunner whose name I doe not well remember who was slaine by an Italian in the way to Corassan All these at the first were very kindly intreated by the King and receiued large allowance but after two yeares were fully expired and no newes of that great and important Ambassie and the King perceiued that Mahomet the great Turke beganne now to haue him in iealousie and that the whole warre was like to lie vppon his owne necke without any helpe from the Christians he began to frowne on the English notwithstanding Master Sherley through his good desert soone gained the Kings gracious fauour againe And as euident signes thereof obtained of the King freedome of conscience for all Christians throughout his Dominions allowing also his house to be the onely harbour and receite for all poore Christians that trauaile into those parts And farther the King to manifest his loue gaue him out of his Seraglion in Marriage a Cirassian Lady of great esteeme and regard But that hee should haue a child in Persia and that the King a professed enemie to the Name of our blessed Sauiour should bee the God-father this certainely is more fitte for a Stage for the common people to wonder at then for any mans priuate studies Notwithstanding if we do rightly consider on the one side the great power preparation that the Persian is able to make against the great Turke and on the other side the miserable captiuity of many thousands of poore Christians that are subiect vnto the Turkish tyranny we cannot denie but that both the Embasseies of Sir Anthony Sherley also of M. Robert his brother are of great importance that a combinatioÌ„ of so great forces together would soone haue deliuered many poore ChristiaÌ„s of their miseries the world of it ignominy mankind of that monster of Turkish tyranny that hath too long raigned laid the earth desolate As for the first the strength of the Persian consisteth now in three kinds of soldiers the first are the soldiers of his court to the number of nine thousand as we said before The second kinde are such who by custome and duty are bound to serue him in his wars these be his ancient gentlemen of hâ—s country who hold landâ— possessions desceÌ„ded vnto them from their ancestors or holden by the gift of the king these are sent for in time of wars are of duty bound to performe such like seruice as the gentry of Italy France Spain do vnto their Soueraigns these do amount since Abas came to the crowne very nigh to forty thousand most of them come well armed the rest content themselues with headpeeces Iacks and vse for their weapons either horsmen staues or bowes which they can most cunningly handle discharging their arrowes also very neere vnto that they ayme at either forward or backward The third sort are such as are sent vnto him from the Princes and neighbours his confederates and these are commonly sent from the Princes of Iberia Albania and the countries bordering vpon Media and Armenia who being halfe Christians beare a mortall hatred against the Turke Besides the King hath vnder his dominions these great famous couÌ„tries Seruania otherwise called Atropatia some part of Georgia these countries since the yeelding vp of Tauris haue voluntarily yeelded vp themselues vnder his protection Besides Media the great Gheilan or Gely Massandran or Hircania Parthia Aria Candâ—har Heri Corassâ—n Farsi
won this citie these countries again from the Turk in the yeare 1604 but that newes was not true for in Aprill last 1611 it was then vnder the Turkish gouernement Within two daies trauell of Bagdat lyeth Cafe a little village where the bodies of Aly whome the Persians honor and his two sons Hassan and Ossain lye entombed by whose sepulchers it is in great credit and is euery vere visited by the Persians in all respects after the same sort that the Turks do visit the sepulchers of the three first successors Abuchacher Ottaman and Omar yea the very Kings of Persia vsed to be crowned and giâ—t with the sword in this place where the Caliph was wont to keepe his residence as being the man that represented Aly and occupied the chiefe roome of their filthy abhominable priest-hood Hauing stayed 20. daies at Bagdat wee put our selues into the company of a Chiaus who was bound from the Bassa of Bagdat for Constantinople being in number sixeteen persons and no more to trauell through a great part of Chaldaea and the defart of Arabia So soon as we were out of this cittie we passed ouer the swift riuer Tigris on a great bridge made with boats chained together with two mighty chaines of Iron and so entred into a part of Bagdat on this side of the riuer like London and Southwarke where we stayed foure dayes The description of Chaldaea THis part of new Babylon standeth in Chaldaea which hath on the East Assyria on the West Syria and Palestina on the North Armenia and on the South the desart of Arabia It is called by some by the name of Mesopotamia because it lyeth in the middle of the two great riuers Euphrates and Tigris This country is famous for many things and among the rest for that it was the country wherein Abraham was borne For Eupolemon in his booke of the Iewes relateth that about the tenth generation from the â—loud Abraham was borne in Camerine a towne of Babylonia otherwise called Vr or Chaldeopole where he inuented Astronomie and was in such fauour with God that by his commaundement he remoued into Phoenicia and there taught the course of the Moone of the Sun and of the Planets to the great liking of the king of that country all which saith the same Author he had receiued by tradition from Enoch whom the Greeks call Atlas vnto whom the Angell had taught many things Besides here were the great Southsayers Enchanters and Wise-men as they call them the first Astrologians which are so described and derided in the Scripture and indeed from this country and Egypt is supposed to haue sprung â—e first knowledge of Astronomie Two places of great antiquity did we throughly view in the country the one was the ruines of the old tower of Babel as the inhabitants hold vnto this day buâ—lt by Nymrod the nephew of Cham Noahs sonne a man very valiant and couragious yet very prophane and irreligious insomâ—ch that he perswaded the nations about him that all their prosperitie and happie fortune came not from God but from their owne prowesse and industrie giuing them farther to vnderstand that if God should send any more flouds he would on their behalfe and his predecessours take reuenge on him by building a tower so high that the waters should not dare to touch the top thereof Hereupon they began to build and continued building as â—lycas saith forty yeares together raising the worke to such an height that it was beyond all expectation But God seeing their madnes did not punish them with a generall extermination because as yet they had made no vse of those fearefull examples which perished in the Floud but made them mutinous one against another by changing their language whereby they could not vnderstand one another Of which ouerthrow Sybilla thus prophecied At such time as men vsed one kind of language they builded a most high tower as if they would haue mounted vp into heauen but the Gods sent downe winds and ouerthrew the tower giuing euery one his distinct and seuerall language So that the Diuision of Languages was not a deuise of man as some wicked spirits that call that storie into question would haue it but a punishment cast by God vppon mankind For it was a common opinion by the verdict of Abidenus that men beeing bredde of the earth and trusting in their owne strength would needes in despight of the Gods go reare a toâ—er vp to the Sunne in the same place where Babylon now is and farther addeth That at that time beganne the diuersitïe of Languages whâ—rupon the Hebrewes called that place Babell And now at this day that which remayneth is called the remnant of the tower of Babel there standing as much as is a quarter of a mile in compasse and as high as the stone-worke of Paules steeple in London It was built of burnt bricke cimented and ioyned with bituminous mortar to the end that it should not receiue any cleft in the same The brickes are three quarters of a yard in length and a quarter in thicknesse and between euery course of brickes there lyeth a course of matâ— made of Canes and Palme-tree leaues so fresh as if they had beene layd within one yeare The other place remarkable is the ruines of old Babylon because it was the first citie which was built after the Floud For after Nimrod had drawn the people together he did not onely make lawes but began to build the great citie Babylon his son Belus amplifying it and at last Semiramis the wife of Ninus finished it in great glory shew as Herodotus and Solinus relate This city was built vpon the riuer Euphrates as we found by experience spending two dayes iourney and better oâ— the ruines therof It was so great that it contayned in compasse foure hundred and fourescore furlongs the walles were fiftie cubites in breadth and two hundred cubits high Aristotle reports that it was so huge and great that when part therof was taken by the enemie the other part heard not of it in three dayes together and the Inhabitants were so many in number that they durst giue battell vnto Cyrus the greatest Monarch for power that euer was in Persia. Amongst other stately buildings was the temple of Bel erected by Semiramis in the middle of this citie inuironed with a double wall carried foure-square of great heighth and beautie hauing on each square certaine brazen gates curiously engrauen In the vault of the square shee raysed a tower of a furlong high which is halfe a quarter of a mile and vppon it againe taking a Basis of a lesse circuit shee set a second tower and so eight in all one aboue another Vppon the toppe whereof the Chaldaeans Priests made their obseruation of the stars because the tower ouer-topped the ordinary clouds Some do thinke that the ruins of Nimrods tower is but the foundation of this temple of Bel
perfections to which though they haue ascended gradatim yet they haue forthwith fallen into a retrograde of declination till they haue beene brought to the lowest degree which misery can allot So true is that of Seneca Nulla sors longa dolor voluptas Inuicem cedunt breuior voluptas Ima permut at breuis hora summis Nemo confidat nimium secundis Nemo desperet meliora lapsis No chance is long for griefe and eke delight By course giue place pleasure hath shorter flight An houre but shorâ— that presently doth end Doth make the lowest things aloft ascâ—nd Let none too much trust in a prosperous state Let none despaire but hope for better fâ—te For in this small discourse wee shall see how vnauoidable destruction doth alwaies attend on the succession of greatnesse and aduancement on the posterity of misery as also the sacking of many Cities the depopulating of the greatest Countries the deposing of Princes and high descended families of their liues together with their Crownes and Kingdomes and that in so short a time as neuer the like was executed in the antique world Two reasons haue moued me to set downe this Iournall The one for that I haue not yet seene any that hath made a full description of these parts as they are at this day which I hope shall be performed by my selfe who spent much time in those Countries being familiarly conuersant to helpe my knowledge herein with many Sultanes and principall Commanders in the Kingdome of Persia as also diuers Ianizaries who serued in the warres betweene the great Turke and the Persian The other is for that I doe verily perswade my selfe that this discourse will breede much delight vnto any indifferent Reader when hee shall vnderstand how mighty the forces are of the Persian King a capitall enemy of the name of Christ as also in what termes he standeth at this day with the great Turke what Kingdomes he possesseth what Prouinces are subiect vnto him his worship his religion his kinde of gouernment their weapons their manner of fight their forme of battell the reuennues and expences of that Crowne and in a word whatsoeuer else is necessary to be knowen Finally you haue here described the seueral Nations Situations Cities Riuers Mountaines and Prouinces which I haue seene and passed by It is not my purpose to write any thing of the Ilands in the Mediterranean-Sea which we sailed by and are so much renowmed in old writers viz. Maiorica and Minorica Corsica Sicilia Malta Cephalonia Zant Candia Rhodes and Cyprus howsoeuer many excellent things might be spoken of them yet seeing they are so well knowen to most of our nation I omit to write binding my selfe to a true relation of what mine eyes haue seene in more remote parts of the world not respecting the iudgement of the vulgars but contenting my selfe with the conscience of truth beside which I protest I purpose to write nothing The beginning of the trauell ANd first I will beginne at Alexandretta Alexandretta now called Scanderone is a roade in the bottom of the Mediterranean-Sea on the coast of Cilicia where our Merchants land their goods to be sent to Aleppo within eight miles of this roade is Tharsus the chiefe Citty of Cilicia and the Countrey of St. Paul the place also where King Salomon sent for great store of gold and other prouision for the building of the Temple whither the Prophet Ionas also sledde when he should haue gone to Nineuie A little from this Towne did Alexander the Great giue the ouerthrow in person to Darius in ioyning of their first battell together Lying at an Anchor in the aforesaid roade the space of two houres our Ianizaries with a sufficient guard and horses for our selues were ready to conduct vs vp to Aleppo and safe-guard vs as well aâ— they might from the dangers and euils which many times in the way doth befall passengers In our passage vp no matter of importance happened many false rumours of Theeues were diuulged by the Countrey people to affright vs but we by the assistance of God arriued in safety at Aleppo being some sixe miles before our approch to the Citty encountred by many of our English Merchants to giue vs the welcome on the Turkish shore After mutuall courtesies ended they accompanied vs into the City vnto the Consull Pallace where hauing dismounted our selues we were well entertained by Mr. Richard Colethrust worthy Consull then to our worthy English nation At whose charge and expences I abode two moneths and better all which time I fell into consideration not so much of the City as of the Prouince in which it standeth offering hereby vnto my selfe two things worthy obseruation The description of SYRIA FIrst the greatnesse of the Kingdome of Syria which confronteth East-ward on Mesopotamia South-ward on Arabia North-ward on Cylicia and Asia the lesse and West-ward on Tyre and Sydon and the bottome of the Mediterranean-Sea The other the diuision of the said Kingdome which deuideth it selfe into fiue notable Prouinces viz. Palestina Foenitia Celestria Syria and Camogena The last of which fiue is that part which runneth vp to the Riuer Euphrates and to the confines of Armenia in which standeth the great and wealthy City of Aleppo This Kingdome of Syria hath diuers Cities of importance but my purpose is to speake but of those which my Iournall leadeth me vnto and which my eyes haue seene viz. Tripolis Hamath Antioch and Aleppo The description of Tripolis TRipolis is a Towne which standeth vnder a part of Mount Lybanus two English miles distant from a certaine Port which trendeth in the forme of an halfe Moone hauing on the one side thereof fiue block-houses or small Forts wherein is very good Artillery and â—ept by an hundred Ianizaries This City is as great as Bristow and walled about the walles being of no great force The chiefest strength is a Citadell which standeth on the South side within the walles and ouer-lookes the whole Towne and is strongly kept with two hundred Ianizaries and good Artillery Through the midst of this City passeth a Riuer wherewith they water their Gardens and Mulbery trees in such sort that there grow on them abundance of silke wormes where with the Inhabitants makes great store of very white silke which is the chiefest naturall commodity in and about this place Finally this roade of Tarapolos or Trapolos commonly called Tripolis was more frequented before Scanderone was found out with all sorts of Christian Merchants as Venetians Genouis Florentines Marsilians Sicilians Raguses and English men then any other Port of the great Turks Dominions Some say that the Scale is againe translated from Scanderone thither but how true it is I leaue to the Merchants to report One inconuenience this Towne is subiect vnto for right before it toward the Sea is a banke of mouing sand which gathereth and increaseth with the Westerne winds in such sort that according to an old prophesie amongst them this banke is like
did surprise the City intreating all the inhabitants in friendly manner without doing or suffering any outrage to be done vpon them but for this their infidelity in voluntary yeelding themselues to follow the religion of the Turkes when as they were not induced thereunto by any necessity Emirhamze eldest Sonne to Mahomet Codibanda King of Persia comming with his army into Seruan did with great cruelty punish the miserable and infortunate commons of this City making their houses euen with the ground destroying both the old and new wals thereof and bringing the whole land to nought that somtimes was so desired a â—eceit of the Turks Sixe dayes iourney from this City lyeth Derbent This city hath sundry names giuen vnto it by writers Somtimes it is called Derbent because it is in figure narrow and long and sometimes Demir-Capi because there were the yron-gates that were sometimes the entrance into Scythia and sometimes Alessandria because it was first erected by Alexander the Great when hee warred against the Medes and Persians at which time also he made a wall of a wonderfull height and thicknesse which extended it selfe from this City to a City in Armenia called Testis belonging to the Georgians And though it be now razed and decayed yet the foundation remaineth and it was made to this purpose that the inhabitants of that Countrey newly conquered by Alexander should not lightly flie nor their enemies easily inuade them This City is seated vpon an high hill and builded all of free stone much after our buildings being very high and thicke neuerthelesse it neuer grew great nor famous and euen in these dayes there is no reckoning made of it and the reason is because of the situation seruing for passage only out of Tartaria into Persia and out of Persia into Tartaria receiuing those that trauell too and fro not as Merchants and men of Commerce but as passengers and trauellers and to speake in a word it is seated in a very necessary place as the case standeth by reason that it is in the ports of the Caspian Sea but not profitable vnto it selfe much like as it is in the passages of the Alpes where though the Frenchmen Switzers Dutchmen and Italians continually doe passe by them yet was there neuer found a meane City much lesse any City of state and importance About foure daies iourney from Sumachia is Sechi which also at the same time as Sumachia offred themselues to Mustapha as vassals and subiects to the Turks who all were gladly intertained of him and some of the chiefe of them apparelled in silke and gold and honored with great magnificence and in the end had all protection promised vnto them Here also standeth the Citie Ere 's most fruitfully watered with the riuer Araxis and Cyrus and hath yeelded in times past great store of those fine white silkes commmonly tearmed by the marchants Mamodaean silkes whereof at this day there is not to be found no not a very small quantitie by reason of the monstrous ruines and ouerthrowes that hath happened in these countries partly by the Armies of the great Turke and partly by the Armie of the Persians which still hath succeeded one another in their cruell incursions and bloodie inuâ—sions For after the people of Sechi and Ere 's had yeelded themselues voluntarily without any resistance vnto Mustaffa great Amurats Generall Emirhamze the Persian Prince came vpon them with his armie as vpon rebels to inflict deserued punishment In effecting of which his purpose he spared neither sexe nor age nor any condition but though the persons were vnequall yet was the punishment equall to all carrying away with him the two hundred peeces of artilerie that were left in the sort by Mustapha and presently sent them to Casbin to his father There is also in this Kingdome another Citie that bordereth vpon the Georgians called Arasse being the most chiefe and opulent Citie in the trade of Merchandise partly by the aboundant grouth of silke there nourished partly by other good necessary commodities there growing and there brought as rough and smooth galles Cotten wooll Allome besides all kinds of spices and drugs and Diamonds and Rubies and other stones brought out of the East-Indies But the principall commoditie is raw silke of all sorts so that from hence hath beene and is carried yearly fiue hundred and sometimes a thousand mules laden of silke to Aleppo in Syria From this towne we spent sixe daies trauell to Tauris passing ouer the riuer Araxis leauing Media Atropatia and entring into Media the great The description of MEDIA the Great THis countrey hath for it bounds westward Armenia the great and Assiria Southward Persia Eastward Hircania and Parthia and Northwards the Caspian Sea The land is high and spacious most part mountainous full of hils woods rockes and ruines specially towards the North parts but Southwards it aboundeth with silkes fruits wilde beasts and falcons It receiued the name from Medus Iasons sonne who being an earnest follower of his fathers vertues in honour of his mother Medea after the death of his father Iason builded the Citie Medea and established the kingdome of the Medes calling it after his owne name which in continuance of time grew to that estate that all the East was in subiection to the Empire thereof I omit to write any thing of Astyages who raigned in this countrey or of his dreame how he saw springing out of his daughters belly a vine whose branches should ouershadow all Asia meaning Cyrus that was borne of her or how Cyrus was brought vp of an heard-man and miraculously preserued from death and lastly how Cyrus was banished into Persia and after being come to mans estate ouercame Astyages his Grandfather remouing the Empire from the Medes to the Persians being all matters of antiquitie and not so pertinent to our iournall The chiefe Citie of this country is Tauris which in times past was called Ecbatana as Ortelius and Minado do witnesse howsoeuer P. Ionius very vniustly would haue it Terua and Nigro the Italian Tigranoama It was first founded by Deiocis the first king of Media who no sooner gaue out his edict for the building thereof but forthwâ—th the inhabitants with one consent did make it the chiefe Citie aboue the rest and so euer since it hath remained one of the chiefest seats both of the Median and Persian kings Memorable also is this Citie for the resiance once of the Prophet Daniel who neere vnto the same builded a most magnificent and sumptuous Castell which many yeares remained a maruailous monument the beauty wherof was so liuely and perfect that continuance of time did little deface it being very fresh and flourishing in the time of Iosephus In this Castell were all the kings of Media Persia and Parthia for many yeares together intombed But now time hath worne it out it faring with buildings as with mens bodies they waxe old and are infeebled
condescend affirming that there was none but Iewes and Christians vnder his conduct and withall bestowed on him a bountifull present of two hundred and fiftie dollors which was leuied amongst vs. By this time we came to the full borders and outmost bounds then of the great Turkes dominion so farre as the Othoman Empire on this side doth extend and so entred into the territories of the Persian King both which are deuided by the high mountaine Duzâ—m and by a pretie riuer that runneth at the foote thâ—reof This night we rested at a Persian village called Darnah much ruinated but seated in a very delightfull place both for springs of water â—nd plentie of all things For heere we bought foure hens for fiue pence a kid for ten pence and thirtie egs for two pence From Darnah we spent three daies further to Soltania a very ancient Citie trauelling by many Persian villages and finding euery man at his labour and neighbour with neighbour going from one towne to another which bred much contentment and made vs wonder at the great peace tranquilitie which the commons of Persia liue in aboue the commons of Turkie The ruines of many faire Christian Churches we beheld but not without pitie built all with great arches and high towers lauorated with gold and other rich paintings to the beautifying of the same And verily I take them to be those Churches which Cosroâ— King of Persia destroyed who being in a battell discomfited fought betweene him and Heraclius the â—mperour reaked his teene and malice on the Christian Churches throughout his dominions The description of Soltania AT Soltania we safely arriued This Citie is called by Ptolome Heraclea but by others Tigranocerta because of the wonderfull ruine of the huge buildings and was in times past one of the royall seates of the Persian Kings but it was much ruinated by the Scythian Tamerlane when with a world of people he ouerran these countries it retaineth now no shew of the ancient majestie but onely in the Churches by him spared This desolate towne is on euery side enuironed with huge mountaines whose tops are to be seene a far off alwaies couered with deep snowes called in ancient time Nyphates Caspius Coathras Zagras taking their beginning no doubt of Cancasus the father of mountaines which ioyning one to another some one way some another doe deuide most large and wide countries Before this towne lieth a very great and spacious plaine memorable for that dreadful horrible tempest which fell on Solyman the Turkish Emperour and his whole armie in the yeare 1534. For whilest he lay incamped in these plaine fields with his Army there fell downe such an horrible and cruell tempest from the mountains as the like whereof the Persians had neuer seene before at that time of the yeare being in the beginning of September and that with abundance of rain which froze so eagerly as it fel that it seemed the depth of Winter had euen then of a sodaine beene come in for such was the rage of the blustering windes â—triuing with themselues as if it had beene for victory that they swept the snow from the toppe of those high mountaines and cast it downe into the plaines in such aboundance that the Turkes lay as men buried aliue in the deepe snow most part of their tents being ouerthrowne beaten downe to the ground with the violence of the tempest and weight of the snow wherein a wonderfull number of sicke souldiers and others of the baser sort which followed the campe perished and many other were so benummed some their hands some their feete that they lost the vse of them for euer most part of their beasts which they vsed for carriage but specially their camels were frozen to death Neither was there any remedie to be found for so great mischiefes by reason of the hellish darknesse of that tempestuous night most of their fires being put out by the extremitie of the storme which did not a little terrifie the superstitious Turkes as a thing accounted of them ominous Many of the Turkes vainely thought that this horrible tempest was brought vpon them by the charmes and inchantments of the Persian Magitians whereas it was vndoubtedly by the hand of God which bringeth the proud deuises of Princes to nought The description of Casbin FRom Soltania we spent foure daies trauell to Casbin passing by many villages where we paid a Shaughee a peece to the Beg or gouernour of the village not as a custome but as a free gratâ—ity and so entred into the territories of Casbin a Citie very wealthy by reason of the Kings Pallace the great concourse of merchants which resort thither It was in ancient time called Arsacia as in Strabo but now termed Casbin which in the Persian language signifieth chastisement or a place of punishment because the kings were wont to banish or confine such persons as for their offences and misdemeanours had deserued such chastisement This Citie is seated in a goodly fertile plaine of three or foure daies iourney in length furnished with two thousand villages to serue the necessary vses thereof but euill builded for the most part all of bricks not hardened with fire but onely dried in the Sunne as are most parts of the buildings of all Persia. It is now one of the seates of the Persian Kings Empire which was translated by King Tamas this kings Grandfather from Tauris who built one goodly Seraglio for himselfe and another for his women and hath beene euer since continued by his successors though the king that now raigneth make most of his abode in Hispaan fourteene daies iourney farther towards the East There are three places in the Citie most of note viz. the Kings Pallace the Bassars and the At-Maidan The gate of the kings Pallace is built with stone of diuers colours and verie curiously ennameled with gold on the seeling within is carued the warres of the Persian Kings and the sundrie battels sought by them against the Turks and Tartars the pauements of the roomes beneath and chambers aboue are spread with most fine carpets wouen and tessuted with silke and gold all ensignes and monuments of the Persian greatnesse There is likewise in this Citie sundrie Bassars where in some you may buy Shasses and Tulipants and Indian cloth of wonderfull finenesse in others silkes of all sorts as Veâ—uets Damasks cloth of Gold and Siluer in others infinite furres as Sables and Martine out of Muscouia and Agiam furres brought from Corassan In a word euery speech hath a seuerall science or trade wherein is sold whatsoeuer is fit and necessary for the vse of man The At-Maidan is the high speech or chiefe market place in this Citie and is foure-square containing in a circuit verie neere a mile and serues as a Bursse for all sorts of Merchants to meete on and also for all others to sell whatsoeuer commodities they possesse so that in one place is selling of
and oppression where little iustice is to bee found being so farre from Constantinople Whereas Batan standeth in such a Countrey as is full of peace and tranquilitie hauing a most iust and vpright Prince the onely true stay of traffike Lord of the same whose onely care and endeuour is to maintaine and vpholde the trade of Merchandize But to leaue these thinges to the Merchants wee come now to the Kingdome of Assiria The description of ASSIRIA FRom Siras hauing spent eight daies trauell and better we entered into the Prouince of Susiana now called Cuâ—estan but in old time Assiria The bounds of this Countrey Northwards is on the South part of Armenia Eastward on a part of Persia Westward on Mesopotamia and Southward on a part of the Persian Golfe which part is 〈◊〉 of fennes and marish bogges without either port or hauen The climate in that part is exceeding hote and very much infested with bituminous matter which both spoiles the growth of trees and corrupt the waters whereby it comes to passe that the people are not long liu'de And howsoeuer this countrey was that land wherein the first Monarchie was setled so that many excellent things might be spoken of it yet since it hath endured so many mutations and changes by the outrage of armies that it hath lost her ancient name I will be sparing to write thereof least I should write many things rather fabulous then true and therefore laying aside the danger of lying I will passe vnto those townes and ruines which I haue seene The description of Susa. TRauelling two daies farther from the entrance into this Kingdome wee rested at Valdac once the the great Citie Susa but now verie ruinous It was first built by Tythonus and his sonne Memnon but inlarged by Darius the sonne of Histaspis In the building whereof Memnon was so exceeding prodigall that as Cassiodorus writeth he ioyned the stones together with gold It was once one of the regal Cities of the Kings of Persia and was so rich that Aristagâ—ras did in this maner cheere vp the harts of his souldiers when they came to besiege it Hanc vos vrbem si animose ceperitis iam cum Ioue de diuitijs licet certetis If you can winne this Citie couragious souldiers you may striue with Iupiter himselfe for riches which Alexander had good experience of when he found fiftie thousand talents in wedges of gold besides siluer and great store of coyne Behold saith Q. Curtius that in an houre which many kings had heaped together for posteritie falleth now into the hands of a stranger In a word such was the beautie and delectablenesse thereof for situation that they called it Susa which then in the Persian tongue signifyeth a Lilly but now it is called Valdac of the pouertie of the place Close by this ruinous towne swimmeth the famous Riuer Choaspes which after many turnings and windings through the countrey of Susiana dischargeth it selfe in the Persian Golfe The water of this riuer is very delicate to the tast so that it is no meruaile though the Persian and ParthiaÌ„ kings in times past would by their good wils drink of no other water For which purpose they had vessels of gold and siluer to carry the same after them whensoeuer they eyther did ride in prograce or goe to the warres Xerxes as Varrâ— relateth being on a time exceeding thirstie caused proclamation to be made throughouâ— his campe that if any soldier had any water of Choaspes left he should be well rewarded And it so fell out that a small quantitie was found which though it was exceeding muddie by reason of carriage yet that mightie Prince dranke freely of it Of such account was â—his riuer in ancient time Hauing passed ouer this riuer we set forward towards Mosul a very antient towne in this countrey sixe dayes iourney from Valdas and so pitched on the bankes of the riuer Tigris Here in these plaines of Assiria and on the bankes of Tigris and in the region of Eden was Nineuie built by Nimrod but finished by Ninus It is agreed by all prophane writers and confirmed by the Scriptures that this citty exceeded all other citties in circuit and answerable magnificence For it seemes by the ruinous foundation which I throughly viewed that it was built with foure sides but not equall or square for the two longer sides had each of them as we geffe an hundreth and fifty furlongs the two shorter sides ninty furlongs which amounteth to foure hundred and eighty furlongs of ground which makes threescore miles accounting eight furlongs to an Italian mile The walles whereof were an hundreth foote vpright and had such a breadth as three Chariots might passe on the rampire in front these walles were garnished with a thousand and fiue hundrâ—th towers which gaue exceeding beauty to the rest and a strength no lesse admirable for the nature of those times Here it was that Ninus raigned who after he had maistred Bactria and subiected vnto his Empire al those regions betweene it and the Mediterranean sea and Hellespont Asia the lesse excepted finished the worke of Ninâ—uie he left the world iâ— the yeare thereof 2019. after he had reigned two and fifty yeares After him succeeded Semiramis his wife a Lady of great prowesse and vertue who in this citty buried him so honourably and in such a sumptuous tombe that it was the onely patterne which Artemesia the Queene of Caria made for her husband Mausolus and accounted for the rarenesse thereof one of the seauen wonders of the world Vpon the Pillars whereof was set this Epitaph Mihi patâ—r Belus Iupiter Auus Saturnus Babilonicus proauus Chus Saturnus Aethiops Abauus Saturnus Aegiptus Atauus Coelus Phoenix Ogyges repeating the pedegree of Ninus to be the son of Belus the sonne of Nimrod the sonne of Chus the son of Cham and the sonne of Noah Now as the Monarchie of the Assyrians began by Ninus which lasted for the space of a thousand and two hundred yeares and some adde fortie yeares more so it ended in Sardanapalus that beastly Epicure who finding his forces too weake to fight against the power of Arbaces and Belochus his two Lieutenantâ— the one in Media and the other in Babylon retired out of the field to his pallace in Niniuie and there caused an huge fire to be made into which hee cast himselfe and all his riches herein onely playing the man Such was the effeminate wantonnes of this King that he consumed whole daies in the nurcerie among his concubines sparing no time from incontinent exercises As appeares by the Epitaph which liuing he commanded to be written on his tomb Ede Bibe Lude Eate Drinke Play Which Epitaph Aristotle chancing to find stayed and read the first part thereof and smiling said A man wold thinke this writing fitter to be fixed to the graue of an oxe then written vpon the tombe of a Prince And hauing perused
the three verses concluded That Sardanapalus enioyed that being dead which liuing he neuer had but so long as he was in feeding his panch Intimating that all pleasures which are not reduced to necessity and honestie are very reprochfull Here also raigned and dyed Saneherib who at his returne from the beseeging of Ierusalem was slaine by his two sons Adramelech Sharezar as he was in the temple worshipping Nisroâ—h his god Herodotus relates that after his death an image was set vp vâ—to him with this inscription Learne by me to feare God for a memoriall of Gods iudgement against him Finally that this city was farre greater then Babilon being the Lady of the East the Queene of Nations and the riches of the world hauing more people within her wals then are now in some one kingdome but now it is destroyed as God foretold it should be by the Chaldaeans being nothing else then a sepulture of herself a litle towne of small trade where the Patriarch of the Nestorians keeps his seate at the deuotion of the Turkes Sundry times had we conference with this Patriarch and among many other speeches which past from him he wished vs that before we departed to see the Iland of Eden but twelue miles vp the riuer which he affirmed was vndoubtedly a part of Paradise The description of the Iland of Eden THis Iland lyes in the heart of the riuer Tigris and is as we could guesse in circuit ten English miles and was somtimes walled round about with a wall of strong defence as appeares by the ruinous foundation of bricke which there remaineth And howsoeuer the beautifull land of Eden is now forgotten in these partâ— with those flourishing countries of Mesopotamia Assyria Babylonia and Chaldâ—a being all swallowed vp into meere Barbarism yet this Iland stil retains the name of the I le of Eden Now whither this Iland were the very Eden of Paradise is not probable but certaine it is that that garden of Pleasure which God chose out to set Adam into was seated in the lower part of the Region of Eden afterward called Aram fluuiorum or Mesopotamia a country which Southwards stretcheth it self ouer the great riuer Euphrates toward Shinar nie Babylon and Northwards containeth that continent of Mesopotamia Assyria and Armenia which is watred with Tigris between mount Taurus and Seleucia That there was such a Paradise as the garden of Eden vpon earth is without all dispute because the Scriptures tell vs of it And the Lord God planted a Garden Eastward in Eden and there he put the man whom he had made gen 2.8 And it is said of Caine that he dwelt in the land of Noa towards the East side of Eden gen 4.16 The Prophets likewise doe often make mention of the land of Eden and the inhabitants thereof As in Esay 37.12 where after Gozan and Haran and Reseph the Prophet speaketh also of the children of Eden which were at Telasser And the Prophet Ezechiel in the. 27. chap. and 23. vers bewailing the desolation of Tyrus sheweth what Merchants resorted thither and among many other nations he reconeth the merchants of Eden Now as they make mention of the land of Eden so also of the garden it selfe How is this land wast which was like the garden of Eden Ezech. 36.35 And in the Prophet Ioel. 2.3 the land is as the garden of Eden before him By which places of scripture it is euident that the garden of Eden was a certaine place vpon the earth which God chose out aboue all other places of the world to set Adam into after he had created him And that the very Eden of Paradice was in this contrey is plaine by the relation of Moses who saith that it was eastward in Eden that is it lying eastward as this countrey doth from Indaea For so it is sayd that the Lord God planted a garden Eastward in Eden which quarter of the world is to be vnderstood eastward in respect of Iudâ—a Besides this countrey standeth in the most excellent temper of all other to wit fiue and thirty degrees from the Equinoctiall line and fiue and fifty from the North-pole in which climate the best wines the most delicate fruits the sweetest oyle and the purest graine of all sorts are this day found in great aboundance Againe the very riuers which course through this countrey doe make good that the very Eden of Paradice was here planted For Moses describeth that a riuer went out of Eden to water this garden and from thence deuided it selfe into fourâ— braunches and we find by experience that Tigris and Euphrates running through this country of Eden doe ioyne in one and afterward taking seuerall waies a part doe water both the land of Chus and Hauilah as Moses relateth the true seates of Chus and his sonnes beeing then in the valley of Shinar in which Nimrod built Babell and not in Ethyopia as some would haue it And as for the land of Hauilah that country ioyned to Persia eastward where Hismael and his Sonnes dwelt for they dwelt from Hauilah vnto Shur that is towards Aegipt as thou goest to Assiria Gen. 25.18 And therefore they that make the riuer Pison to bee Ganges doe contrary both Scripture experience and reason For how can the riuer Ganges which runneth through the great Mogors country in the East-Indies be a braunch of those riuers which watred Eden since the riuer Tigres though it rise in the same quarter of the world is distant from Ganges aboue foure thousand miles And as for them that would haue the riuer Gihon to bee Nilus doe dreame of an impossibility because the riuer Nilus is farther distant from Tigris and Euphrates then Ganges is being begotten in the mountaines of the Moone in Ethyopia almost as farrâ—e off as the cape of good hope which our East-Indian shippes doe double and falleth into the Mediterranean-Sea whereas Euphrates springeth as we haue said out of the Mountaines of Armenia and falleth into the golfe of Persia the one rising South which is Nilus and running North the other rising North which is Euphrates and coursing South threescore three degrees one from the other Finally this country aboundeth with all kind of fertility and happinesse though not in that exquisit manner as before the fall of Adam because it was accursed in special like as all the earth in generall yet thus much I find written of it Strabo maketh mention of the South-part of Armenia which is the North border of Eden or a part thereof to bee a region which aboundeth with most pleasant fruites and delightfull trees alwaies greene and florishing witnessing therby a perpetual spring not fouÌ„d elswhere but the Indies only And Q. Curtius writeth on this maner As you trauell on the left hand of Arabia famous for plenty of sweet odours there lieth a champain country placed between the two riuers Tigris and Euphrates and is so fruitful and fat a soile that
was sent from God to open his heart and to take out that lumpe of bloud which is the cause of sinne as though the cause thereof were not spirituall 7. The effect of his doctrine is periury as that they need not to keepe any oth made with a Christian who is an Infidell and also murder as the eldest brother so soone as hee commeth to weare the crowne to strangle all the rest For instance whereof Mahomeâ— the third this Kings father that now swaieth the Scepter at Constantinople did not onely murder his brethren but to rid himselfe of the feare of all competitours the greatest torment of the mighty at the very same time caused ten of his fathers wiues and concubines such as by whom any issue were to bee feared to bee all drowned in the sea And is it not now a wonder that the people of the Turks and Persians being both warlike and politicke magnificent and stately and to say in a word the very hammer of the world as it was said of Babylon should be thus ledde away with these vild inchantments of their wicked Prophet Mahomet I will say no more but since the darknes of Turkie and Persia is so great that it may be felt and that it is a wonder in our eyes to see such mists in those places then let vs in this land reioyce that are not onely endued with nature as they are but with a speciall inspiration from aboue besides hauing the celestiall doctrine of the euerlasting Sonne of God to guide vs vnto true happinesse For certainely the time will come when both the great Turke and his Bassaes and the Persian with his Chans shall bitterly rue the time and wish with the losse of both their eyes that they had but heard and seene as much as we haue done Let this then perswade my louing Countri-men that either shall hereafter serue in the warres of Hongary against the Turk or trade in those places vtterly to detest the Turkâ—sh Religion as the only way that treads to death and destruction We may conclude with Ludouicus Viues who compareth Heathenisme and Mahometisme to glasse Touch not glasse for though it be bright yet is it brittle it cannot endure the hammer and Christianisme to gold do you melt it or doe you rubbe it or do you beate it it shineth still more orient But to returne where wee left hauing spent three dayes and better from the ruines of old Babylon wee came vnto a towne called Ait inhabited onely with Arabians but very ruinous Neere vnto which towne is a valley of pitch very merueilous to behold and a thing almost incredible wherein are many springs throwing out aboundantly a kinde of blacke substance like vnto tarre and pitch which serueth all the countries thereabouts to make staunch their barkes and boates euery one of which springs maketh a noise like a Smiths forge in puffing and blowing out the matter which neuer ceaseth night nor day and the noyse is heard a mile off swallowing vp all weighty things that come vpon it The Moores call it the mouth of hell Heere wee entred on the Desart of Arabia wherein it pleased God after the deliuery of his people out of Egipts fornace to exercise them for their rebellion vnder the conduct of Moses for fortie yeeres together feeding them from heauen with Manna and giuing them drinke miraculously out of the drie rockes Three daies spent wee on this Desart and so arriued at Anna a town of three miles in length but very narrow inhabited altogether with Curdies a most theeuish people Here we staied two daies and could not bee suffered to passe without a present to the gouernor of this towne which came to a duckat a peece Close by this towne runneth the riuer Euphrates with a very swift current which doth merueilously fructiferate the country round about whereby we prouided our selues of all necessaries fit for trauaile through the rest of the Desart Fâ—om this towne wee proceeded and euery second night through the good descretion of our guid we pitched on the bancke of the riuer Euphrates which much refreshed our selues and wearied beasts beholding euery day great droues of wild beasts as wild Asses all white Gasells Wolues Leopards Foxes and Hares And now to winde vp all in passing from Babilon to Alepo they ordinarily with Camels spend forty daies trauelling through this sory barren Desart lying vnmanured because of the scarcity of moisture Neuerthelesse great is the mutuall commerce and trade through these sandy and barren places and that by the labour of Camels which carry wonderous burdens as a thousand weight a peece and that for forty daies and vpwards They drink in these sterill and sandy places but once euery fifth day and if extremity inforce they will indure the want of water tenne or twelue daies When their burdens are off a few thistles thornes or leaues of trees and a little round ball of paste made of barley meale wil suffice them There is no lyuing creature lesse chargeable and more laborious then the Camel how beit wee vsed not their seruice by reason of the speed which the Chiaus made for Constantinople so that the trauell with the Carauan is forty daies about wee passed in eighteene daies in much security and so in great safety by the mercy of God I arriued againe in Alepo FINIS ERRATA PAg. 6. l. 26. read corn and. p. 10. l. 32. read Mildenal p. 25. l. 26. r. Maidin on an house p. 25. l. 31. r. then for pa. 28. l. 26. r. funera p. 30. l. 26. r. Ararat p. 37. l. 5. r. as p. 38. li. 21. r. was p. 50. l. 22. r. street l. 25. r. street p. 63. l. 35. r. was p. 65. l. 5. r. inexorable p. 68. l. 25. d. one p. 73. l. 8. r. firre p. 75. li. 24. r. is this p. 84. l. 1. r. Siras l. 2. d city p. 85. l. 14. r. antique â—he causes 〈◊〉 moued 〈◊〉 Authour 〈◊〉 write this â—â—urnall Numb 13.22 1. Chro. 1.16 2. Sam. 8.9 The Riuer Orontes The Riuer Synga Cainâ—s are storehouses for forraigne Merchants * A Carauan is a great many of Camels ladeÌ„ not much vnlike our carriers here in England Tedith a Village of note for the Great Synode holden there by the chiefest Iewes for the reformation of the old TestameÌ„t The Valley of Salt 2. Sam. 8.13 Gen. 29.13.27 The Scriuano at the walles of Orpha 1603. Mahomet much troubled with the Scriuano Crassus and Surena ioyned battell together beâ—ore the walles of Orpha The pollicy of Aladeules to â—inne vnto â—imself despeâ—ate Villaines to execute his mischieuous practises A most cruell execution Euphrates One of the heads out of which Tygris floweth Gall trees Euphrates The Curdies worshippers of the Diuell Manuscuâ—e Eupâ—rateâ—â— The originall of the Armenians The Turkes first came out of Scythia and feated themselues in Armenia The Armenians are a populous nation The Armeniâ—â—s gouerned by two Patriarks *