apparell also must be neat in Cities where they soiourne for their credit But when they trauell abroad it must be simple for their safety for the baser their apparell is the better shall they passe for if they weare good apparell their throats will be cut for their apparell and hope of much money for those that go braue they account rich And whereas in seruants it is commendable to haue asses eares in trauellers it is néedfull to haue asses backes also to beare all abuses in good part and rather to beare an hundreth abuses then to offer one Wherfore seruants and trauellers must alwaies remember this Distichon or couple of verses following Nobile vincendi genus est patientia vincit Qui patitur sivis vincere discepati that is A noble kind of conquering is patience to see and heare He which forbeareth conquereth If thou wilt conquer learne to beare But to leaue these matters and to procéede to my voiage At the foote of this mountaine there is an old Cane where vsually trauellers lodge but it béeing not yet noone we resolued to trauell 18 miles further to the Sea of Galile At the foote of this stony hill hard by this Cane there runneth a pleasant riuer which diuideth Siria from Galile And ouer this riuer there is a fair bridge the one end whereof is out of the holy land the other in it This riuer is called Iordane the head whereof commeth from Mount Libanus and maketh three Seas The first is the waters of Maron which wee left on our right hand about ten miles off The other on the left hand which lay in our waie as we should trauell The second is the sea of Galile or Tiberias or lake of Genezereth The third is the Sea of Sodome called Mare mortuum where the riuer Iordan endeth The bridge that crosseth this Riuer Iordan at the entrance into the holy land is called Iacobs bridge for two causes First it is said that there Iacob met his brother Esau Secondly that there Iacob wrestled with an Angel A description of the Holy Land THE whole Holy Land of old was called Chanaan and it was deuided into thrée parts viz. Galile Iudea Paleâ—tina Later writers haue called all by the name of Palestina The first part of Canaan called Galile beginneth at this bridge and to this day it is a very pleasant and fruitful Countrie After wee were entred into Galile about 2. miles from the bridge our Ienesarie asked vs whether we would go vp to a mountaine and so to Saphetta neere vnto mount Carmel which is a place of leaning for Iewes or keepe the lower way and goe by the sea of Galile which is the pleasanter way and thereof we made choise and tooke Saphetta in our way afterwards About seuen miles from Iacobs bridge our guide brought vs to a well adorned with marble pillers and couered with stone which he said to haue beene the pit whereinto Ioseph was put when his brethren sold him to the Ishmalites But it seemed to vs incredible first because that was a dry pit and this is ful of sweet water Againe Iacob dwelt at Hebron twelue miles beyond Ierusalem and his sonnes kept shéepe in Shechem And that dry pit whereinto they put Ioseph was at Dothan which we saw afterwards And this pit which they shewed vs with marble pillars was in Galile not néere Dothan nor Shechem where Iosephs brethren kept their fathers sheepe But by others of better iudgement wee vnderstood that this also was called Ioseps pit or well because it was built by one Iosph not Ioseph the sonne of Iacob but some other But the ignorant people which trauell that way are apt to beleeue any things that is told them About ten miles from this well we came to a Cane called by the Moores Minium but by the Turkes Missia hard by the sea of Galile where we lodged all night hauing trauelled that day by computation 36. miles The foure and twentieth of March we rode along by the Sea of Galile which Iohn 6. 1. is called by two mames viz. the Sea of Galile or Tiberias Galile because it is in Galile and Tiberias because the City Tiberias was built by it and Bethsaida an other ancient City of both which we saw some ruinous Wals. And it is said in that Chapter Iohn 6. 1. that Iesus went ouer the Sea of Galile and in an other place that he went beyond the Lake And Luke 9. 10. It is said that hée went into a slitary place neere vnto a Citie called Bethsaida which place of Iohn I learned to vnderstand better by seeing it then euer I could before by reading of it For séeing that Tiberias and Bethsaida were both Cities on the same side of the Sea and Christ went from Tiberias too or neere vnto Bethsaida I gather thereby that our Sauiour Christ went not ouer the length or breadth of that Sea but ouer some Arme bosome or reach thereof viz. so farre as Tiberias was distant from Bethsaida which is also confirmed in that it is said elswhere A great multitude followed him on foot thither which they could not haue done if he had gone quite ouer the Sea to the other side among the Gergelens which is out of the holy Land And therfore this Sea of Galile is also called the Lake of Genesereth because the Countrey of the Cergesens is on the other side the Lake from whence the Swine ran headlong into the Sea and were choaked therein and as that place was out of the holy Land so the people which then inhabited it were as far from holines when they requested our sauiour Christ to depart out of their Coasts And such like holy people inhabite there still viz. wild Arabs and Turks c. We sawe also neere vnto this Sea the place where that Towne mentioned Iohn 2. 1. called Cana of Galile stood where our Sauiour Christ at a mariage turned water into wine in place whereof there standeth now a poore village inhabited by Turks This sea of Galile is by computation in length 8. leagues and in breadth 5. leagues and euery league is thrée miles and then it encloseth it selfe into a narrowe compasse carrying but the breadth of an ordinarie riuer vntill it come to Sodome where it endeth which is called mare mortuum that is The dead Sea After we had rode about seuen miles by the sea of Galile we left it on our left hand and ascended vp a mountaine on the right hand This mountaine was not very stéepie but excéeding pleasant and fertile for being the springtime it was so beset with such varietie of flowers among the greene grasse that they séemed to flire in our faces and to laugh and sing as the Psalmist speaketh as we went Psal 65. 13. This is said to bee that mountaine mentioned John 6. 9. where our Sauiour Christ wrought a miracle in feeding 5000. men with fiue Barley loaues and two fishes When we came to the
if he be not louing dutifull and obedient vnto thée héere I giue thée a Canzhare that is a dagger to cut off his head And alwaies after those daughters or sisters of the King weare a broad and sharpe dagger and whensoeuer their husbands which are giuen vnto them by the King to be their slaues displease them they may and doe cut off their heads They exempt no calling from marriage but hold it a blessing from God to haue many children and the desire of many children maketh them take many wiues The Great Turke hath many hundred yea as I haue heard a thousand women only for his owne vse And yet as Augustus Caesar spake of Herod when he killed his owne two sonnes Alexander and Aristobulus with the infants of Bethlem rather than he would faile of his purpose in killing Christ It is better to bee Herods hogge than his sonne for his hogges liued but his sonnes died So it is better to be the Great Turkes hogge than his sonne for they being forbidden by their Law to eat swines flesh kill no hogges but all the sonnes of the Great Turke are strangled to death by their eldest brother after the death of their father to auoid treason A diuelish policie and like vnto that of Hatto a Bishop of Mentz or Magunce in Germanie who as the Cronicles mention 500. yéeres agoe in time of a great dearth called all the poore people in all the whole Country into a great barne pretending to make a great dole But hauing them sure enough he fired the barne and burnt them all vp saying These be the Rats and Mice which deuoure vp the corne This was his policie to make bread better cheape But for this vnmercifull mercie God made him an example for all vnmercifull men to the worlds end For a multitude of Rats came and deuoured him in such terrible sort that where his name was written in windowes walles or hangings they neuer ceased till it were razed out and droue him from house to house to saue his life And where he had a strong Tower in the middest of the great Riuer of Rhene which yet standeth there to be séene in the midst of the Riuer he thought himselfe sure if he could flie thither Notwithstanding the Rats swamme after him thither and there deuoured him And it is called the Rats tower to this day as Trauellers know and I my selfe haue séene this present yeere 1608. Iuly 7. It standeth on a little Jland in the midst of the Riuer of Ryne betwixt the Cities Mentz and Cullyn or Colonia néere vnto a Towne called Bingam on the one side of the Riuer and another Towne called Baccara on the other side the Riuer where is made the best Rhenish wine in all Almania Not far from Sanquer where there is a choller of iron fastened to a wall whereinto all fresh Trauellers are enforced by their company to put in their necks to make them frée and are enhansed at Bobar vsually or at Sanquer if they lodge there SVLTAN Mahomet this great Turkes father when he came to the Crowne put to death 19. of his brethren according to the custome of his predecessors as a wicked policie to preuent treason The Persians are yet somewhat better although too bad where the eldest sonne is king after the death of his father and all the rest of their brethren haue their eyes put out yet liue Other Turkes haue thrée wiues and haue as many women-slaues as they can kéepe whom they vse as wiues and esteeme them equall with their wiues The manner of their mariage is this First if a man like a yong woman he buyeth her of her father and giueth a great summne of money for her and then enrolleth her in the Cadies booke that hee hath bought her of her Father for his wife and then the friends feast and banket together and this is all they performe in mariage Onely the father of the yong woman giueth great store of houshold-stuffe with her and this is caried openly by particulars through the stréetes of the citie on horses or Cammels and sometime by men and women the parties newly maried going before with musicke playing before them Their eight Commandement is the same with our sixt 8. Thou shalt not kill In their Alcoran it is written that God hateth murther And they say that it is the second sinne which crept into the world after the creation being first committed by cursed Cain who killed his brother Abel And their beliefe is that this sinne of wilfull murther is impardonable But if it be by méere chance or in their owne defence or else in lawfull wars or in cases of iustice by the Maiestrate they hold it lawfull Often haue I heard Turkes brawle one with another and in words most vilely reuile one another but neuer did I sée or heare of two Turkes in their priuate quarrels strike one another neither dare they strike one another for if they do they are presently brought before the Maiestrate and seuerely punished Yea if one doe but lift vp his hand to strike another hée is cast into prison and kept in irons vntill he haue payed some great fine or receiued some other punishment But they will strike Iewes and Christians oftentimes who dare not strike them againe If a man in secret be killed and found dead either openly in the stréete or priuately in an house the master of the house or the parish where hee dwelleth must find out the murtherer otherwise hee himselfe shall be accused of murther and both he and the whole Contrado where hee dwelleth must pay vnto the Subbashaw so many hundred Dollers as shall be required at their hands And therefore the Subbashaws oftentimes being wicked men doe hire some desperate person to kill a man in the night that thereby he may take occasion to eat of the whole Contrado We had an English man not long since who sléeping on the Tarras that is on the top of the house in the night as the custome of the contrie is in the heate of Sommer who had his throat cut being asléepe in bed by two or thrée wicked men who came from the stréete by a ladder to the top of the house and after they had committed this murther being discried by the barking of a dog and séene also by the master of the house through his chamber windowwhere he slept but not plainely discerned being somewhat darke they made haste downe againe and were neuer knowen But on the morrow after the master of the house an English man also was in trouble himselfe because he could not find out the murtherers and it cost him an hundreth Dollers at the least before hee could bee fréed and the whole Contrado or Parish was also fined In like sort if an house be robbed he who is robbed must either finde out the thiefe or els he himselfe shall be troubled for it and put to a great fine If an house be but endangered
Cohens preach in the Spanish tongue All matters of controuersie betwixt themselues are brought before their Cakam to decide who is their chiefe Churchman Cakam in Hebrue is as much as Sapiens in Latine that is a wise man and Cohen in Hebrue is as much as Sacerdos in Latine that is a Priest Most of the Iewes can read Hebrue but few of them speake it except it be in two places in Turkey and that is at Salonica formerly called Thessalonica a City in Macedonia by the gulfe Thermaicus and at Safetta in the Holy Land néere vnto the sea of Galile Which two places are as it were Vwersities or Schooles of learning amongst them and there honoris gratiâ— they speake Hebrue I haue sundry times had conference with many of them and some of them yea the greatest part of them are blasphemous wretches who when they are pressed with an argument which they cannot answer breake out into opprobrious spéeches and say Christ was a false Prophet and that his Disciples stole him out of his graue whiles the souldiers who watched him slept and that their forefathers did deseruedly crucifie him and that if he were now liuing they would vse him worse than euer then forefathers did Of Christians of sundry sorts soiourning in Aleppo Besides these Turkes Moores and Arabians which are all Mahometans and Iewes which are Talmudists there are also sundry sorts of Christians in this Countrey which are of two sorts either such as were borne brought vp and dwelled in the Country or such as were borne in Christendome and only soiourne héere for a time to exercise merchandises The first sort who were borne in this Heathen Countrey and dwell there are either Armenians Maronites Iacobites Georgians Chelfalines or Greekes which are all gouerned by their Patriarkes for Ecclesiasticall matters But for ciuill gouernment both they and their Patriarkes are subiect to Turkish Lawes yea they are all slaues vnto the great Turk whom they call their Grand Signior Of the Nostranes or Nazaritans Amongst all these sorts of Christians there is amongst the Mâ—ronites an ancient company of Christians called vulgarly Nostranes quasi Nazaritans of the Sect of the Nazarites more ciuill and harmlesse people than any of the rest Their Country is Mount Lybanus as I wrote vnto you héeretofore but many of them dwell at Aleppo whereof some of them are Cassises that is Churchmen some of them are Cookes and seruants vnto English Merchants and others some Artificers All of them liue somewhat poorely but they are more honest and true in their conuersation than any of the rest especially at their first comming from Mount Lybanus to dwell in Aleppo and many during their continuance there if they be not corrupted by other wicked Nations there dwelling in whom I obserued more by experience than I heard of them or noted in them when I was amongst them at Mount Lybanus And especially for the manner of their marriage and how they honour the same They buy their wiues of their fathers as others there dwelling doe but neuer sée them vntill they come to be married nor then neither vntill the mariage be solemnized betwixt them for there is a partition in the place where they méet to be married and the man and his friends stand on the one side and the yoong woman her friends on the other side where they may heare but not sée one another vntill the Cassies bid the yoong man put his hand thorow an hole in the wall and take his wife by the hand And whiles they haue hand in hand the mother of the maid commeth with some sharpe instrument made for the purpose and all to bepricketh the new married mans hand and maketh it bléed And if he let her hand goe when he féeleth his hand smart they hold it for a signe that he will not loue her But if he hold fast notwithstanding the smart and wring her hard by the hand vntill she cry rather than he will once shrinke then he is counted a louing man and her friends are glad that they haue bestowed her on him And how they honour marriage aboue others I obserued by the naming of their first manchilde For as amongst vs the women when they are married lose their Surnames and are surnamed by the husbands surname and children likewise so amongst them the father loseth his name and is called by the name of his eldest sonne in this manner I haue knowen a Nostrane whose name was Mou-se that is Moses who hauing a manchilde named him Vseph that is Ioseph and then was the father no more called Mouâ—e Moâ—es but Abou Vseph that is the father of Ioseph Another whose name was Vseph named his eldest sonne Pher-iolla after which he was no more called Vâ—eph but Abou Phâ—r-iolla the father of Pher-iolla Another man called Iubraell that is Gabriell his sonne at the time of Baptisme being named Mouse he alwaies after was called Abou Mouse that is the father of Moses such an honour doe they account it to be father of a manchilde These Nostranes reuerence their Cassises greatly and kisse their hand wheresoeuer they méet them yet are most of them altogether vnlearned hauing only the knowledge of the Syriac tongue wherein their Liturgie is read They kéepe their Feasts at the same time as we doe viz. Christmasse Easter and Whitsuntide and at Christmasse on the Twelfth day in the morning called Epiphanie their yoong men haue a custome betimes in the morning to leape naked into the water I could neuer heare any reason of their so doing but Vzansa de prease the Custome of their Countrey And though it be then very cold yet they perswade themselues and others that then it is hotter than at any other time and that the water then hath an extraordinarie vertue to wash away their sinnes On Munday in Easter wéeke and Whitsun wéeke these Nostranes goe with their Cassises to the graues of the dead and there knéele downe and burne incense and pray at euery graue Of the Chelfalines THe Chelfalines are Christians dwelling vpon the borders of Persia betwéene Mesopotamia and Persia at a place called Chelsa These bring silke to Aleppo to sell They are plaiâ—â— dealing people If a man pay them money and by ouer-reckoning himselfe giue them more than their due though there be but one peece ouer so soone as they perceiue it though it bée many daies after they will bring it backe againe and restore it and thinke they shall neuer returne safely into their Country if they should not make restitution thereof These people perswade themselues and report vnto others that they dwell in that place which was called Eden whereinto Adam was put to keepe it and dresse it But some hold that this pleasant garden Eden did extend ouer all the earth But by the second chapter of Genesis it appeareth manifestly that this garden wherein man was placed which we call Paradise was a certaine place on earth not spreading ouer all but only
please God to call him and is at this day the greatest traueller of a man of his calling that I know in all England both by sea and land By land he hath trauelled further then Iacob and the same way that Iacob did from Hebron to Padan Aram and hath had as hard lodging in his trauell as Iacob had viz. the ground to his bed a stone for his pillow the skie for his couering and sometimes the aire for his supper By Sea farther then S. Paul then Aeneas or Vlysses haue done and all the whole way that they all haue trauelled and further Wherefore gentle Reader if thou take in good part these his trauels and my paines and labour in collecting them together it may perhaps encourage him to enlarge them and me to procure them and to adde thereunto his conference and disputations with Iewes Iesuits and sundry other nations which I vnderstand hee hath had with them and such arguments as haue beene vsed on both sides letters in sundry languages which haue beene written on both sides from one to another In the meane time I leaue him with his foure fellow trauellers soiourning at the earthly Ierusalem and thee gentle Reader trauelling towards the heauenly Ierusalem where God grant at length we may all ariue IESVS CHRIST being our Pilot and Ienisary to conduct vs thereunto AMEN Thine euer in the Lord THEOPHILVS LAVENDER The Trauels of certaine English-men into Heathen Countries set foorth by their Letters the Contents whereof are heere set downe as followeth * ⎠* THe first Letter was written from Constantinople the Primate and Metropolitan Citie in all Thracia wherein the Author certâ—fiâ—th his friend of his voyage from England thither and of such famous places and memorable matters as he saw and obserued in the way thither pag. 1. II. The second was seat from the same renowned Citie wherein he describeth Constantinople from the beginning hitherto shewing the first building destruction reedifying and gouernment of the same vnto this present day and what Antiquities are to be seene therein pag. 17. III. The third was written from Aleppo in Syria Comagena wherein the Author most iudiciously and learnedly discourseth of his voyage from Constantinople thither and describeth both generally the whole Country of Syria and particularly the City of Aleppo the chiefest City for trafficke therein and sheweth that Aleppo is inhabited by people of sundry Countries with the Religion Gouernment Manners and Customes of euery Nation there dwelling or soiourning which is of all the rest most pleasant to read for the varietie of matters therein contained pag. 31. IIII. The fourth and last letter was written from Ierusalem wherein he maketh relation of his trauell by Land together with foure other Englishmen from the City of Aleppo in Syria Comagena to Ierusalem by the Sea of Galile or Tyberias and Lake of Genezareth and so thorow the whole Land of Canaan which way was neuer trauelled by any Englishman before neither possibly can be trauelled againe at this day in regard of the turbulent and troublesome estate of those Countries which is like euery day to grow worse rather than better And this iourney may be called Iacobs iourney because all the whole way which they trauelled thither is the way which Iacob trauelled from Bethel or Beershebah to his vncle Labans house at Padan Aram in Mesopotamia pag. 86. And this may serue partly for a Confirmation of M. Henry Tymberley his voyage from Grand Cayro in Egypt formerly called Memphis to Ierusalem performed the selfe same yeere and at the selfe same time for all of them met together at Ierusalem And partly it may serue for a correction of some false things therein contained wâ—erein being printed without his consent they haue done him wrong as in the Preface to the Reader you may see plainly But chiefly it may serue for a direction to others who are minded heereafter to trauell into those Orientall Countries or East parts of the world either to further them by the good directions heerein contained or to hinder them in regard of the imminent dangers A LETTER SENT from Constantinople to a learned Gentleman in England wherein the Author discourseth of his voiage from England thither and of such famous places and memorable matters as hee saw in the way thither WOrshipfull and my worthy good friend in most kind and curteous manner I salute you wishing vnto you all ioyes internall externall and Eternall Being now by the prouidence of God after long and tedious trauell arriued in safety at Constantinople and calling to mind your continuall kindnesse towards me since our first acquaintance and your earnest request vnto me at my departure out of England which was to acquaint you with such occurrences as in my voyage should offer themselues vnto my viewe I could not without some note of ingratitude which I would not willingly incur refuse to impart vnto you what memorable matters and famous places I haue seene and obserued in my voyage May it please you therefore to vnderstand that after our departure from the coast of England wee saw no land vntill wee came neere vnto the coast of Spaine and then appeared first of all in sight vnto vs a towne in Spaine called Territh or Tenerith which was discerned first by a red sandy path on a mountaine neere vnto it And shortly after wee saw lubraltore on Europe side and Abshiâ— commonly called Ape hill on Affrica side betwixt which 2. places we entred in at the straights mouth with a swift currant and a good wind commonly called the straights of leubraltore betwixt which place and Porungal wee saw many Whales in the bay or Gâ—lph of Portingal And in three dayes sailing from the straights we arriued at Argier in Barbary where we staied three daies and were kindly intreated both by Ally Bashaw king of Argier and also by Amurath Rayse commonly called Morat Rayse This citie is in forme like vnto a top-saile broad below and narrow aboue It is situated on the side of an hill walled about and a strong Castle neere vnto the water side It was first called Mesgana secondly Iol the royall seate of IVBA the noble king of Mauritania who in the time of the ciuil warre betwixt Caesar and Pompey valiantly defended Pompeyes part By the Moores and Turkes at this day it is called Iezaier but by the Spaniards it is called Algier The people of this place and the Spaniards are bitter enemies and annoy one another oftentimes About 300. leagues from Argier wee saw Teddel a citie in Affrica and cape Bonne which was formerly called Hyppo where S. Augustine was Bishop and Tunis neere whereunto the ancient citie Carthage stood built by Queene Dido whereof some rumes are yet to bee seene Tunis is in Libia and Morocus and Fesse in Numidia About these parts we saw flying fishes as big an Hearing with two great sinnes like vnto wings before and two lesse behind who being chased by Dolphines
is not to giue present Pratticke vnto any strangers vnlesse they bring a letter of health from the place whence they come which we had not And therefore some of our companie who had businesse there we sent to the Lazaretta which is a place like vnto the pest house in More-fields where though they be in health yet there they must stay so long as it pleaseth the Signiors of health which is sometime twenty and sometimes forty dayes and in the meane time if any of their companie fall sicke though it be at the end of fortie daies yet must they stay forty daies longer So long as they are kept without Pratticke they haue a Guardian set to watch them that they come into no companie neither any man into theirs yet may their friends come to visit them and standing farre off may speake with them but if they come too neere them the Guardian will cry out vnto them Alargo alargo that is Stand backe And whosoeuer coÌ„meth so néere them as to touch them looseth his owne Pratticke and must kéepe them companie during their continuance there If they bring any letters for any Merchants in the Citie the GuardiaÌ„ wil open them aire them at the fice before he wil deliuer them But if the letter be sowed or if there bee any thread about them they must not be deliuered vntill they that brought them haue Prattick And this they doe vnder pretence of auoiding sicknesse but they haue a further meaning therein viz. partly to get money and bribes and partly to bee acquainted with the businesse of all commers and what commodities they bring And whosoeuer presumeth to come on shoare without Pratticke is in danger of hanging or hauing the strappado And though they haue a certificate that there is health in the place from whence they came yet must they not come on shoare before they haue shewed their Fede or Neate patent vnto three officers called Signiors of health Zante is very much subiect vnto earthquakes There is no yeere passeth without many earthquakes especially in the moneths of September and October in which moneths I haue knowen two or three earthquakes in one weeke In regard whereof they build houses very lowe lest they should bee ouerthrowen by earthquakes And when they feele the earthquakes beginne whether it be by day or by night the Greekes vse presently to ring their bels to stir vp the people unto Praier In Zante there is a very strong Castle standing on an high hill it is also very large halfe as big as the Citie of Zante and therein dwelleth the Prouidatore who gouerneth the Iland and many other and there is the place of iudgement where all causes both Criminall and Iudiciall are decided by the Prouidatore his Counselliers ouer which place these two Lattin verses are written on the walle in letters of gold Hic locus odit amat punit conseruat honorat Nequitiam pacem crimina iura probos which may be Englished thus This place doeth hate vnthrifâ—ines Loue peace and punish wickednes Maintaineth right and equity And honoureth good men worthily Ouer against Zante is the maine land of Graecia called now Morea but of old Peloponnesus almost enuironed with the sea hauing on the West and South the sea Adriaticum on the east the sea of Creete And in the middle of Peloponnesus is a Country called Arcadia so called of Arcas sonne to Jupiter by Calistho who raigned there Arcadia is famous for shepheards There are great store of shéepe continually feeding and good pasture for them In the narrow strait going into Peloponnesus was Corinth that famous City in Achaia situated but now vtterly destroied From Zante wée set saile towards Venice and touched by the way at many places and first of all at a Port néere vnto Corphu called Madonnâ— de Gazopo where there is a Church dedicated vnto the Virgin Mary whereunto there is great resort of such as haue escaped dangers by sea or sicknesse or other dangers by land to offer something to Madonna de Gazopo for their deliuerance And amongst many others it was told vs by our consort the master of a Venice ship in our company that an Italian ship being in great distresse by extremity of wether in the gulfe of Venice when all hope of helpe by worldly meanes was past euery man fell to praier like the Mariners in Ionas ship and euery man called vpon his god some to Neptune some to S. Nicolas some to one Saint some to another But the master of the ship praied to Madonna de Gazopo in this manner O blessed Virgin deliuer me out of this danger and J will offer vnto thee if I come safely to Gazopo a candle as bigge as the maine maste of my ship One of his mates hearing him plucked him by the shoulders and said O master what doe you meane to dally with our blessed Lady in this extremitie For it is impossible you should performe it Whereunto he replied Hold thy peace foole it concerneth vs to speake faire now we are in danger and to make large promises but if she deliuer vs I will make her content with a candle of seuen or eight in the pound Not much vnlike vnto another desperate Mariner whom I haue heard of who in a dangerous storme séeing euery man fall to his praiers and prepare themselues to die he fell on his knées and praied in this manner O Lord I am no common begger I doe not trouble thee euery day for I neuer praied to thee before and if it please thee to deliuer me this once I will neuer pray to thee againe as long as I liue So true is that old saying Qui nescit orare discat nauigare that is He that knoweth not how to pray let him goe downe to sea For great dangers by sea do driue them to praier who neuer praied before though none pray effectually but the faithfull who pray feruently From Madonna de Gazopo we sailed along by Albania and were driuen with a crosse winde to Ottronto in Calabria at the entrance into the gulfe of Venice where we staied two daies And then we had a good winde which brought vs to Ragouza an ancient City in Dalmatia which is a part of Jllyrium or Illyricum as others call it bordering vpon Liburnia Eastward But at this day that which of old was called Illyris or Illyricum is now called Sclauonia or Wendenlande hauing on the North Pannonia on the West Jstria on the East Mysia superior on the South the Adriaticke Sea It was so called of Illyrius son to Polyphemus From thence we sailed along the Illyrian shoare in the gulph of Venice and came to an hauen towne in Istria called Rauina ouer against Rauenna on the coast of Calabria which Rauenna is an ancient Citie in Italy by the Adriâ—tticke Sea At Rauina we tooke in a Pilot to direct vs to Venice Istria is a part of Italy ioyning to Illyricum and is now called Sclauonia From Rauina in one
dayes sayling we arriued at Leo néere vnto Venice which is a most famous Citie so well knowen vnto all men by report that I néed not to spend any time in describing it lest I should rather obscure it then any way by my barren stile illustrate the same onely this I note that there is both a countrey called Venetia and a Citie called also by the same name The countrey of Venice ioyneth to the Adriaticke Sea on the one side and hath the Alpes on the other side Therein are these Cities Verona Vincentia Patauium and Venice the head citie of the rest Patauium is the Citie and Vniuersitie of Padua by Padus This Padus is the riuer Po in Italy which riseth out of Vesulus the highest hill of the Alpes and runneth by the marches of Liguria into the Adriaticke Sea One arme of Padus called Padusa stretcheth to Rauenna The Citie Venice standeth in the Adriatticke sea not far from the countrey of Venice We stayed in Venice 17. daies and hauing ended our businesse there wee returned to Zante where after we had staied thrée daies we set saile for Constantinople The chiefest places of note which we saw betwixt Zante and Constantinople are these First not farre from Zante wée passed by two Iles on the West side of Peloponnesus in the sea Jonium called of old Strophades or Plotae but vulgarly at this day Striuales whereof one of them is vninhabited the other inhabited only by certaine of their religious men whom they call Coloires about thirty in number who weare long haire and neuer eat flesh and very seldome fish but at certaine seasons of the yéere but liue of hearbes oliues oile and wine and such like things They neuer come out of that I le neither euer vpon any occasion admit any women to come amongst them for they may not marry but liue single and solitary al the daies of their life A Coloire hath his etymologie of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 calos hiereus that is bonus Sacerdos a good Priest From thence wée sailed along in sight of the maine land of Graecia which amongst all other Countries in Europe hath béene accounted the most noble and most famous It was first called Helles of one of the sonnes of Deucalion and Pyrrha And afterwards it was called Graecia of a King whose name was Graecus Peloponnesus is a Prouince in Greece now called Morea Macedonia is also a large Country in Europe or Prouince in Graecia now called Romnelli It hath on the East the Sea Aegaeum on the West the Sea Ionium on the South Epirus on the North Dalmatia It was first called Emathia of Emathias who was King thereof Afterwards Macedonia of Macedon the sonne of Deucalion The Macedonians descended of Sethim sonne of Iaon The Prouinces of Macedonia are these first Thessalia secondly Hellade thirdly Myrmidone By reason whereof Homer gaue thrée sundry names vnto the Thessalians vz. Myrmadons Helenes and Achees But at the last it was called Thessalia of Thessale which possessed that Kingdome The principal Citie in Macedonia is Thessalonica which at this day is called Salonica by corruption In this part of Graecia is Parnassus a mountaine hauing two tops whereon the nine Muses did dwell Athens is still inhabited it is situated betwéene Macedonia and Achaia on the sea coast first built by Cecrops and called Cecropia lastly called Athens of Minerua who in Greece was called Athene This City was the mother and nurce of all liberall Arts and Sciences but now there is nothing but Atheisme and Barbarisme there for it is gouerned by Turkes and inhabited by ignorant Greekes Some ruines of ancient buildings are there yet to be séene Thebes was a famous Citie in Macedonia but now a small Castle of little account After we came as high as the Iland Creta which is now called Candie we left the way towards Egypt and entred into the Arches called Archipellago betwixt Cerigo and Cerigotta Cerigo is an Iland at the entrance into the Arches subiect to the Venetians but inhabited by Greekes This Ile was first called Scothera and after as Aristotle saith Porpheris for the beautifull marbles which are there Plinie and diuers others doe call it Citherea by the name of Cithere the sonne of Phaenis and is now called Cerigo where Venus made her first habitation and therein is a Temple erected for her The ruines of that Temple of Venus are to bee séene there to this day A little below this Temple of Venus vpon the same mountaine was the Castle of Menalaus husband to Helene who was king of Sparta and Lord of this I le Departing from Cerigo we came amongst the Cyclades which are 53. Iles in the sea Aegaeum called also by some Sporades but vulgerly the Arches or Archipelago But more properly Câ—clade and not vnfitly Sparades althogh Sporades are taken especially for certaine scattered Ilands in the Carpathian Sea about Creete or Candia which is not farre from the Cyclades or Iles in the Arches Onely this is the difference that all the Ilands betwixt Cicâ—â—â— and Candia are in the Ionian sea But Cerigo and all the Ilands in Archipellago are in the Aegean sea On a cléere day a man may sée twenty Ilands at one time in these Arches It is a dangerous place for shipping in a storme by reason that the Ilands are so néere together whereof some are inhabited and some not About twenty leagues from Cerigo we touched at an Iland called at this day Milo but of old Miletum mentioned in S. Pauls voyage Act. 20. 15. This I le is inhabited by Greekes and yéeldeth great store of milstones and dymmety which are there both good and good cheape Whiles our ship staied at Milo we tooke boat to saile to sée another Iland not farre from Milo called of old Delos where sometimes was the famous Temple aud Oracle of Apollo But at this day it is called Sdiles and is a very small and poore Iland About twenty miles from Delos there is another I le called of old Seriphus by an inhabitant whereof Themistocles was vpbraided that the commendation and fame he gat was for his Countries sake because hée was borne an Atheman But Themistocles answered the Seriphian that neither had himselfe béene worse if hée had beene borne in Seirphus nor the other better if he had béene borne at Athens But this Iland commonly is called Serigo But the most famous and fruitfull Iland in all the Arches at this day is Chios as it was formerly called Act. 20. 15. so called because it resembleth the Gréeke letter Chi in forme and fashion As also Delta an I le by Nilus not farre from Alexandria is so called because it representeth the figure of the letter Delta But Chios is now called commonly Syo Chios is an Iland in the sea Aegeum betwixt Lesbos and Samos It is distant from Delos an hundred miles it is in circuit nine hundred furlongs It was first called
Ethalie by Ephodore But by Methrodorus Chio of the Nymph Chione and as others say Macrine or Pythiosa but at this day called Syo This Iland is inhabited chiefly by Gréekes but gouerned by Turkes It is full of gardens oringes lemmons citrons figs peares apples pruans apricocks dates and oliues and likewise of all sorts of hearbes swéet flowers good and holesome waters There is also great store of mastick in this Iland which is gathered of certaine trées like vnto Lentiscos trées in this manner About the beginning of the moneths of Iuly and August the husbandmen with a sharpe pointed iron doe rent and cut the barke of the trées in diuers places and out of these incisions and cuts procéedeth the masticke by drops as it were gumme which they gather in the moneth of September following In this Iland are also great store of Partriges which both in colour and quality doe much differ from ours Their colour is somewhat red and they are as tame as though they were chickens or hens In certaine villages of this Iland the country people doe féed them by great flocks driuing them in the day time to grase in the mountaines and towards night the boyes or girles which doe kéepe them doe call them together by a whistle or song And these Partriges being accustomed to such calls presently euery flocke which sometimes are two or thrée hundred gather to their conducter which bringeth them home to their village and dwelling as though they were hens or tame géese They goe also a feeding by small flocks in the stréets of the City This Iland is one of the seuen which contended for Homers birth And they say that Homer was buried in this Iland and that his sepulcher is to be séene to this day vpon the Mount Helias within an old Castle in this Iland but I haue not séene it The maine land of Asia is in sight ouer against Chios and therein Smyrna Ephesus and Thyatira called now Tyria with the rest of the seuen Churches of Asia to whom S. Iohn wrote which are mentioned Reuel 1. 11. And Pathmos the Ile where Iohn was put into a hot tunne of oile Reuel 1. 9. After we had staied ten daies in Chios which as I haue said is now vulgarly called Sio or Scio we sailed towards Constantinople by Mitilene an Iland in the Aegean sea It was first called Lesbos secondly Issa thirdly Pelasgie fourthly Mitilene and Mytais and lastly Metelyn of Milet the sonne of Phoebus which builded the City and named it Mytelene Of this City was Pythagoras Alceus the Poet and his brother Antimenides Theophrastus and Phanius and Arion that skilfull plaier on the harpe and Tersander that famous Musitian Sapho a woman well learned in Poetry was also a Lesbian being called the tenth Muse She inuented the verses which after her name were called Saphicke Verses This Mytilenes was formerly called Bythinia which is a Country in Asia opposite to Thracia néere Troy It was first called Bebricia after Mygdonia and then Bythinia but at this day it is called Lesbos néere vnto Lemnos from whence commeth the terra sigillata otherwise called terra Lemnia which is said to be a remedy against poison the bloody flixe and the plague From Mittelyn we sailed by Tenedos an I le betwixt Lesbos and Hellespont néere Troy whereof Virgill speaketh Aeneid 2. Est in conspectu Tenedos notissima fama Insula c. There is an I le in sight of Troy And Tenedos it hight A wealthy land while Priamus state And kingdome stood vpright The best and most excellent wines in all Graecia are made at Chios and Tenedos There is also a City in the same I le called Tenedos built by Tenes In this Iland was the Temple of Neptune Ouer against Tenedos is Troy which is also called Troas or Troada whereof I can speake no more but this that hath béene long since written Iam seges est vbi Troia fuit That is Waste lie the wals that were so good And corne now growes where Troy towne stood And againe as Virgill speaketh fuit Ilium ingens Gloria Teucrorum That is The City of Troy called Ilium of Ilus who enlarged the same did florish and the glory of the Troians was great And finally O iam periere ruinae The very ruines of it are come to ruine The Sea betwéene Moeotis and Tenedos is called Pontus A little beyond Troy we entered the strait of Hellespont which is a narrow sea called Hellespontus of Helle. It lieth betwéene the Aegean Sea and Propontis and parteth Europe from Asia It is not now called by the name of Hellespont but it is called now The Castles for there are still two Castles which were of old called Sestos and Abydos one on the one side of the Helispont the other on the other side erected in memory of the loue of Leander and Hera ouer which narrow sea he often swomme vnto her and was in the end drowned The riuer Scamander runneth by the Castles Mayto is still a towne ouer against Abydos but on the same side as Seste There is made great store of good wine which is red in colour in taste like claret wine and sugar and yet they put no sugar into it for it is pleasant of it selfe Héere our Merchants ships vsually take in wine for their prouision There are very many wind milles there hauing ten wings a piece The strength of Constantinople consistet chiefly in these two Castles for these Castles are well fortified with munition and are to examine all shippes that passe by from whence they came and whither they would and there they are to pay a tribute to the King If any Ships refuse to stay from the Castles they will shoote them through But if these Castles were battered down Constantinople and all the countrey thereabouts might be easily wonne Notwithstanding these Castles a small flight to kéepe the narrow seas betwixt Chios and the Castles might in short time famish all that countrey for the greatest part of their prouision for Rice and other Corne commeth from Alexandria and those parts with the Gazenda of the great Turk but I leaue this to martiall men and marriners Gallipolis is a great ancient Citie 20. miles distant from the Castles which are at this day called the Castles of Gallipoly in the way to Constantinople situated vpon Cherenes of Thracia at the point which looketh towards Propontis which is all the sea from the straites of Hellespont to Bosphorus Thraicus Some hold opinion that it was built by Caius Caligula And others say that it was in times past inhabited by French men for that this word Gallipoly signifieth the Citie of the Gaules or Frenchmen and for that the French men do dwell in Gaule as Nicopolis and Phillipopolis signifie the City of Nicolas and Philip. Not far from Gallipoly was that famous City Nice where the Generall Councell was held in Bythinia And néere vnto Constantinople is Câ—alcedon or
Chalcedonia ouer against Byzantium which was a famous City in Bythinia where another Generall Councell was held But it is now no City but onely a plaine field hauing héere and there an house yet standing At the point of Chalcedon we first beheld the prospect of Constanâ—inople which is most pleasant to behold being like vnto a City in a wood or a wood in a City hauing firre trées Cyprus trées and other pleasant trées in gardens adioining to their houses It is also adorned with many stately Towers Churches and high Stéeples The forme of the City is like vnto a Triangle whereof two squares are by the water side the other adioineth to the Land After our Ship had saluted the Port we went ouer to the other side and anchored at Fundacâ—ee and went on shore at Gallata to salute the honourable Sir Henrie Lello Lord Ambassadour for Quéene Elizabeth of famous memorie and to visit our English Merchants resident there Our ship hauing discharged her goods at Fundacle remoued from thence and anchored further from shoare betwixt Tapanau and Bezetash expecting a good winde to depart Constantiople is on the other side the water in Thracia which is also called the countrey Romania in Europe hauing on the west Macedonia on the North Isther on the East Pontus on the South the Sea Aegeum As yet I haue not beene farre in Constantinople wherefore I forbeare to write any thing thereof at this time purposing hereafter when I haue thorowly viewed it to describe it vnto you at large In this Interim I humbly take my leaue and leaue you to him who neuer leaueth his Your Worships euer in the Lord wholly to bee commanded WILLIAM BIDDVLPH A description of the famous Citie of Constantinople as it is now vnder SVLTAN ACHOMET the 15. Grand-Chan of the line of OTTOMAN Salutem in Authore salutis c. SInce the writing of my former letters I hauing often beene at Constantinople and thorowly viewed the same according to promise I haue thought good to write somthing vnto you thereof May it please you therefore to vnderstand that Constantinopolis is a Citie in Thracia so called of Constantine the Emperour because hee enlarged the same It was before called Byzantium Strabo entituled it Illustre and Plinie Iustine called it most Noble being one of the most fertile in all Europe It is situted in Thracia vpon the gulph Ponthus which separateth Asia from Europe The forme thereof is thrée square whereof the two sides are washed by the sea the third ioyneth vnto the firme land The soile thereof is very delectable bringing foorth all kindes of good fruites necessarie for sustenance of humane life The situation thereof is so well deuised and ordered that no Ship can enter nor goe foorth but with leaue from the head Vizeir for the Turke is master of the Sea Pontike which hauing 2. mouths the one comming from Propontidis and the other from the Sea Euxinum which is the Blacke sea is by Ouid called the Port of two Seas for the distance from Constantinople to Calcedon is but 14. furlongs And the place which by the ancients is called Phane situated in Asia whereas Jason returning from Calchos sacrificed vnto the 12. gods hath in breadth but 10. furlongs But for as much as many great riuers of Asia many more of Europe doe fall into the Euxine sea commonly called the blacke sea it commeth to passe that being full shee gusheth out through the mouth of her with great violence into the sea Pontique and from thence through the straight of Hellespont being not much broader then thrée furlongs into the Aegean Sea This citie according to the saying of many ancient Authors was first builded by the Lacedemonians vnder the conduct of their Captaine Pausanias which was about the yeere of the world 3292. and before the birth of Iesus Christ 663. yeeres which after they had consulted with Apollo where they should plant and settle their abode and dwelling place they were by an oracle answered that they should doe it euen hard by the blind which were the Megarians for that after they were sailed into Thracia leauing the good and fruitfull coast where since Byzantium was builded vnaduisedly went and planted themselues either for yâ— opposition in the most fruitful ground of Asia or for the vain hope they had for the fishing they builded there a Citie which was called Calcedon But they found themselues greatly deceiued For the fishes being caried by the violence of the floud and tide of the Euxine Sea into Propontis approaching néere vnto the Banks of Calcedon being afraid through the whitenesse of the rockes doe retire straight waies to the side of Bizantium which gaue occasion vnto the valiant Paulanias to fortifie the Citie with good walles rampiers changing the first name thereof which as Plinie saith was Ligos and called the same Bizantium Notwithstanding Diodorus Polybius doe contrarily say that it was called Byzantium by the name of a Captaine which was the first founder thereof Pausanias as Zonoras writeth possessed the same seuen yéeres during which time Fortune shewing her selfe an enemie vnto his magnificence stuffed the hearts of the Athenians with such an insatiable ambition that they hauing brought thither their forces after a long siege and diuers assaults did beare away the victorie which the Lacede monians seeing could not abide but with their whole puissance tooke their weapons in hand with such pertinacy that the aduenture thereof on the one side and on the other was very dangereous and variable And being sometimes taken againe by her first founders and afterwards by her aggressors became in the end a pray vnto both the armies And after that Seuerus succeeding in the Râ—mane Empire the tyrant Pissininus her mortal enemie being in possession Byzantium suborned the Emperour to lay siege vnto the same who not hauing sufficient power to ouercome the same by assaults kept them besieged the space of three whole yéeres in the end through extreame famine constained them to yéeld themselues vnto the mercy of the Romanes which was such that after they had put to the sword all the men of warre that were within it and killed the Maiestrates thereof ruined and cast downe to the ground the walles of the Citie and Seuerus afterwards to satisfie his crueltie spoiled the Citizens of all their rights franchises and liberties giuing moreouer the Land and possessions vnto the Perinthians And thus this most famous Citie remained in miserable calamitie vntill such time as Constantine the great Emperour remouing from Rome did réedifie the same But before I write any thing of the reedifyigns of Byzantium of Constantine the great giue mee leaue to shew you the cause wherefore Constantine remoued from Rome 2. Thessal 2. 7. S. Paul prophesying of the reuealing of Antichrist saith thus Yee know what withholdeth that he might be reuealed in his time c. Which hinderance was the Romane Emperous
Grand-signiors Passe shewed for all the passengers in the ship and then their vsuall duties paied they may set saile and away Yet if the master of the ship pay extraordinarily they may more spéedily be dispatched and many giue very liberally when they haue a good winde rather than they will be staied many houres From thence we sailed betwéene Moeotis and Tenedos in the sea called Pontus For although sometime in the Poets euery sea be called Pontus as Ouid in his Booke De Tristibus speaketh Omnia Pontus erant deerant quoque littâ—ra Ponto That is All was sea on euery side And no firme land could be espide And againe Nil nisi Pontus aer I see nothing but the aire aboue and the sea beneath Yet in this place there is a proper sea called Pontus and a country also ioining to the same sea called Pontus mentioned Act. 2. 9. which country Pontus containeth these countries Câ—ppadocia Cholchis Armâ—nia with others and especially Cholchis whence lason with the Argonautes by the helpe of Medeas skil did fetch the golden fleece is most conspicuous on Asiâ— side to them that saile thorow the sea Pontus From thence wee came to Châ—os where we staied a few daies From Chios wée set saile with a very good winde which brought vs amongst the 53. Iâ—es in the Arches called Cyâ—lâ—des or Sporades And then by a contrary winde we weâ—e driuen to Samos which is an I le before Ionia ouer against Epheâ—us where we ancored vntill we had a good winde and then sailed by Andros an He one of the Cyclades and had a very good winde vntill wee came to Rhodos commonly called Rhodes which is an I le in the Carpathian sea néere Caria where wée were becalmed It is called the Carpathian sea of Carpathus an I le in the middest betwixt Rhodes and Creet From Rhodes we came to Cyprus a famous and fruitfull Iland in the sea Carpathium betwéene Cilicia and Syria which was once conquered by Richard the First King of England In this Ile Venus was greatly honoured There is still a Citie therein called Paphia built by Paphus who dedicated it to Venus But the chiefest Cities in Cyprus are Famogusta and Nicosia There is great store of cotten-woollgrowing in this Iland and exceeding good wine made héere and the best dimetey with other good commodities From hence a French Gentleman who came in our ship from Constantinople imbarked himselfe for Ioppa with a purpose to goe to Ierusalem Ioppa is not two daies sailing from Cyprus with a good winde and Ioppa is but thirty miles from Ierusalem by land Cyprus was vnder the gouernment of the Signiory of Venice but now it is inhabited by Greekes and gouerned by Turkes But our Ship from Cyprus went to Tripoly in Syria a City on the maine land of Syria néere vnto Mount Lybanus which is a mountaine of thrée daies iourney in length reaching from Tripoly néere to Damascus Whilest our ship staied in the rode at Tripoly I and some others rode vp to Mount Lybanus to sée the Cedartrées there and lodged the first night at the Bishops house of Eden who vsed vs very kindly It is but a little village and called by the Turkes Anchora but most vsually by the Christians there dwelling it is called Eden not the garden of Eden which place is vnknowen vnto this day but because it is a pleasant place resembling in some sort the garden of Eden as the simple inhabitants thereof suppose therefore it is called Eden This Bishop was borne in the same parish but brought vp at Rome his name was Franciscus Amyra by whom I vnderstood that the Pope of Rome many yéeres since sent vnto the Christians inhabiting Mount Lybanus to perswade them to embrace the Romish Religion and yéeld themselues to the Church of Rome making large promises vnto them if they would so doe whereof they deliberated long but in the end yéelded vpon condition they might haue liberty to vse their owne Liturgie and Ceremonies and Lents for they strictly obserue foure Lents in the yéere and other customes Euer since which time the Pope hath and doth maintaine some of their children at Rome These Christians which dwell vpon Mount Lybanus are called Maronites they are very simple and ignorant people yet ciuill kinde and curteous to strangers There are also many Turkes dwelling on the same mountaine and an Emeer or great Lord called Emeer Vseph who gouerneth all the rest both Christians and Turkes being himselfe a Mahometan yet one who holdeth the gouernment of Mount Lybanus in despight of the great Turke and hath done a long time From Eden we rode ten miles further vp the mountaine to sée certaine Cedar trees where we saw 24. tall Cedar trées growing together as bigge as the greatest oakes with diuers rowes of branches one ouer another stretching straight out as though they were kept by Art Although we read of great store of Cedars which haue growen on Mount Lybanus yet now there are very few for we saw none but these 24. neither heard of any other but in one place more At these Cedars many Nostranes met vs and led vs to their villages From these Cedars we returned towards Tripoly another way descending by the side of the Mount towards a village of the Maroniticall Christians called Hatcheeth where as we were descending downe the side of the Mountaine all the men women and children came out of their houses to behold vs And when we were yet farre off riding towards them they gaue a ioifull shout all together iointly to expresse their ioy for our comming And when we came néere their women with chaffingdishes of coales burnt incense in our way and their Casseeses that is their Churchmen with blew shashes about their heads made crosses with their fingers towards vs as their manner is in signe of welcome and blessed vs giuing God thankes that he had brought Christian Frankes that is freemen of such farre countries as they vnderstood we were of to come to visit them So soone as we were dismounted from our horses the chiefe Sheh with all the rest of their ancientest men came and brought vs to the chiefe house of the parish called the Townehouse or Church-house and there spread carpets and table-cloathes on the ground as their manner is and made vs all sit downe and euery one that was able brought flaskets of such good chéere as they had to welcome vs which was many bottles or ingesters of excéeding good wine with oliues sallets egges and such like things as on the sudden they had ready and set them before vs and both by the chéerefulnesse of their countenances gestures of their bodies and presents of such present things as they had expressed their gladnesse for our comming and would also haue prepared hens kids and other good chéere but we would not suffer them This was about 11. or 12. of the clocke They would haue had vs continue
with them all night and with great importunity craued it but we vnderstanding that the Patriarch was but thrée miles off at a village called Sharry we went to salute him who hearing of our comming albeit he were at a feast amongst all his neighbours came to méet vs and saluted vs and brought vs all in amongst his neighbours into a roome fouresquare and round about beset with carpets and table-cloathes on the ground and such chéere as the season of the yéere did affoord set thereon and made vs all sit downe and conferred with vs of our countrey and many other matters sauing matters of Religion for the poore man had no Latine and little learning in any other Language only he had the Syriac which was his naturall language with the Turkish and Arabian tâ—ngue After wée had spent one houre with him we left him with his neighbours at Sharry where wée found him for hée could not conueniently come from them for their manner is when they feast to sit from midday vntill midnight and sometimes all night neuer all together rising from their good chéere but now and then one by intercourses as occasion requireth returning againe spéedily Yet he sent with vs three men to bring vs to his own house neere vnto a village foure miles distant from Sharry called Boloza but vulgaâ—ly Blouza from whence we descended downe the side of another part of the mountaine and in the middle of the descending of this mountaine was the Patriarkes house called Kanobeen kadischa Mir-iam in the Syriaâ— tongue but in Latine Coenobium sanctae Mariae that is The Monasterie of Saint Mary Ouer against the Patriarkes house is an high stéepy mountaine from whence the water runneth downe into a déepe valley betwixt the Patriarkes house and the hill and in the fall the water maketh an excéeding great noise like vnto that Catadupa in Aethiopia where the fall of Nilus maketh such a noise that the people are made deafe therewith that dwell neere it This place is somewhat like vnto it in fall but not in effect for this water being not so great as Nilus maketh not the like noise neither worketh the like effect There is also an extraordinary Eccho thereabout One side of the Patriarkes house is a naturall rocke the other of hewen stones and squared timber a very strong house but not very large nor spetious to behold So are also many of their houses in most of their villages built against a rocke as a wall vnto one side of it especially Emeer Vseph his house the greatest part thereof being hewed out of the liuely rocke and the passage or descending vnto it so narrow and dangerous that it is counted inuincible which maketh him to hold out against the Turke and to dominéere in this mountaine will he nill he It is a most intricate mountaine with hilles and valleyes woods and riuers and fruitfull pastures oliues vines and figtrees goates shéepe and other cattle It is also excéeding high hauing snow on the top all the yéere long At this Monastery of S. Mary which is the Patriarches house we lodged all night and both on Saterday at Euening Praier and on Sunday of morning Praier we both heard and sawe the manner of their Seruice in the Syriac tongue both read and sung very reuerently with Confessions Praiers Thankesgiuings the Psalmes of Dauid sung and Chapters both out of the old Testament and the new distinctly read It reioyced me greatly to see their order and I obserued in these ancient Christians called Nazarites the antiquitie of vsing set formes of Praiers in Churches and also the necessitie thereof that the people might haue something to say Amen vnto being read in their mother tongue that they may learne to pray priuately by those Praiers which they daily heare read publikely This is too much neglected in England God grant reformation thereof There is no place in all the world but foure parishes or villages on this mountaine where they speake the Syriac tongue naturally at this day And these are these foure villages which I named before at all which places we had kind entertainement viz. 1. Eden called by the Turkes Anchora 2. Hatcheeth 3 Sharry 4. Boloza called vulgerly Blouza And these people are called Nostranes quasi Nazaritans as it were Nazarites and none but they But more generally they are called Maronites but this name is common to them with others There are dwelling on one side of mount Lybanus towards the foote of the mountaine and in some other places in that Contrie a kind of Christians called Drusies who came into the contrie with king Baldwyne and Godfrey of Bullin when they conquered that countrey whose predecessors or ancestors are thought to haue béene Frenchmen and afterwards when the Sarac nâ— recouered it againe these men whome they now call Drusies fled into the mountaines to saue themselues and there dwelling long in the end their posteritie forgat all Christianity yet vsed still Baptisme and retained still the names of Christians whom the Tâ—â—rcomen call Rafties that is Infidels because they eate swines fleâ—h which is forbidden by the Turkâ—s lawe These 〈◊〉 are kind and simple people dwelling alwas 〈◊〉 in the fields following thei◠〈◊〉 borne and brought vp liuing and dying 〈◊〉 feats and 〈◊〉 there â—â—ocks and heards remooue then all their men women and children remooue with their houshold-stuffe and houses too which are but tents made to remoue after the manner of the ancient Israelites and where they finde good pasture there they pitch their tents the men following their flocks of sheepe and heards of Cattle the women keepe their tents and spend their time in spinning or carding or knitting or some houshold huswifery not spending their time in gossipping and gadding abroade from place to place and from house to house from ale-house to wine tauerne as many idle huswies in England doe Yet sometimes are these simple soules abused by Ianisaries who in trauailing by them take from them perforce victuals for themselues and for their horses and giue them nothing but sore stripes if they but murmure against them But when Christian Merchants passe by them they will of their owne accord kindly present them We returned from mount Lybanus to Tripoly by such an intricate way that if we had not had a guide with vs we should haue lost our selues Néere vnto Tripoly there is a plaine at least one mile in length full of Oliue trées and Figge trées At the foote of this mountaine néere vnto Tripoly there is a sandy mount which hath arisen in the memorie of some old men there yet liuing where there was none before and it groweth still bigger and bigger and there is a prophecy of it that in time it shall ouerwhelme the towne Tripoly hath the Etimologie as some say of two Gréeke wordes viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because the Citie hath béene thrise built First on a rocky Iland
where it was ouerwhelmed with water Secondly on the Marine néere vnto the sea where it was often sacked by Cursares And now thirdly a mile from the sea where it is annoyed with sande Our ship being not ready to set saile at our returne from the mount but staying partly to dispatch their businesse and partly for a good wind we trauailed by land two daies iourney to see Tyrus and Sidon hard by the sea And at Sidon wée saw the Tombe of Zabulon the sonne of Iacob held in great estimation and reuerent account at this present day Tyrus is now called by the Turkes Sur because there beginneth the land of Siria which they call Sur Tyrus is destroyed and no such Citie now standing onely the name of the place remaineth and the place is still knowen where it stood Eight miles from Tyrus towards the East is the Citie Sarepta of the Sidonians where the Prophet Elias raised the Widowes sonne from death to life We saw also Baruta where somtimes was a great trade for Merchants but from thence they remooued it to Damascus and from Damascus to Tripoly and of late from Tripoly to Sidon Ioppa is not farre from these parts oftentimes Barkes come from the one to the other At our returne wee went aboard and presently set saile for Scanderone as it is now called by Turks otherwise called Alexandretta by the Christians which is the very bottome and vtmost border of all the straights The ayre is very corrupt and infecteth the bodies and corrupteth the blood of such as continue there many daies partly by reason of the dregs of the sea which are driuen thither and partly by reason of two high mountaines which keepe a way the sunne from it a great part of the day And it is very dangerous for strangers to come on shoare before the sunne be two houres high and haue dried vp the vapors of the ground or to stay on shoare after sunne setting The waters also néere vnto the towne are very vnholsome comming from a moorish ground but at the fountaine a mile off there is excéeding good water to drinke It is far more healthfull to sléepe aboard then on the shoare Scanderone is in Cilicia and Cilicia is the countrie Caramonia as it is now called in the lesser Asia and is diuided into two parts viz. Trocher and Campestris It hath on the East the hill Amanus on the North Taurus on the West Pamphila on the South the Cilician sea Scanderone is the port for Aleppo where all our Merchants land their goods and send them vp to Aleppo vpon Cammels The Carauans vsually make thrée daies iourney betwixt Scanderone and Aleppo Whiles our Cammels were preparing we tooke boat and went to an ancient towne by the sea side called at this day Byas but of old Tarsus a Citie in Cilicia where S. Paul was borne mentioned Act. 22. 3. which towne is arched about as many of their Cities are to keepe away the heat of the sun which Arches they call Bazars At the gardens neere Tarsus and likewise at other gardens within three miles of Scanderone we saw great store of Silke-wormes which at the first bee but little graines like vnto Mustardseed but by the bearing of them in womens bosomes they doe gather an heat whereby they come vnto life and so proue wormes they kéepe them in tents made of réeds with one loft ouer another full of them and féed them with leaues of Mulbery trées these wormes by naturall instinct doe fast often as some report euery third day Heere we staied certaine dayes to auoid the infection of Scanderone The mountaines which obscure Scanderone and make it more vnhealthfull I take to be a part of Taurus which is a great and famous Mountaine beginning at the Indian Sea and rising into the North passeth by Asia vnto Moeotis bordering vpon many Countries and is called by many names Sometimes it is called Caucasus which is the highest hill in all Asia which parteth Jndia from Scythia and is part of the hill Taurus Sometimes it is called Amanus which hill parteth Syria from Cilicia And sometimes it is called by other names according vnto the sea coasts along which it extendeth About Scanderone there are many rauenous beasts about the bignesse of a For commonly called there Iackalles engendered as they say of a Fox and a Woolfe which in the night make a great crying and come to the graues and if there haue béene any corse buried the day before if the graue be not well filled with many great stones vpon it many of them together with their feet doe scrape vp the earth and pull vp the corps and eat it At our returne from Tharsus Edward Rose our Factor marine prouided vs horses to ride to Aleppo and a Ienesary called Parauan Bashaw with two Iimmoglans to guard vs with necessary victuals for our selues to spend by the way for there are no Innes nor victualing houses in that countrie but trauellers take victuals for themselues and prouender for their horses with them Our Merchants and passengers making haste to bee gone from this contagious and pestiferous place Scanderone which one very well called The bane of Franks left their goods with the Factor Marine to be sent after them because the Malims and Muckremen as they call the Carriers were not yet come down with their Cammels to carry them vp but we met them at the fountaine of fishes néere vnto Scanderone About eight miles from Scanderone we came to a towne called Bylan where there lieth buried an English Gentleman named Henry Morison who died there comming downe from Aleppo in companie with his brother master Phines Morison who left his Armes in that countrie with these verses vnder written To thee deare HENRY MORISON Thy brother PHINES here left alone Hath left this fading memorie For monuments and all must die From Bylan we came to the plaine of Antioch and went ouer the Riuer Orontes by boate which Riuer parteth Antiochia and Syria Antioch plaine is very long large at least 10. miles in length Wee lodged the first night at Antiochia in Pisidia an ancient towne about 25. miles from Scanderone mentioned Act. 11. 26. where the Disciples were first called Christians Héere we lodged in an house but on the bare ground hauing nothing to sléepe on or to couer vs but what we brought with vs viz. a pillow aâ—d a quilt at the most and that was lodging for a Lord. This Antioch hath beene as a famous so an excéeding strong Towne situated by the Sea and almost compassed at the least on both sides with excéeding high and strong rockes The Inhabitants at this day are Gréekes but vnder the gouernement of the Turke but for matters of Religion ordered and ruled by their Patriarchs for the Gréeks haue foure Patriarchs to this present day viz. The Patriarch of Antioch the Patriarch of Ierusalem the Patriarch of Alexandria the Patriarch of
it as hot as they can suffer it which they find to agrée very well with them against their crudities and féeding on hearbs and rawemeates Other compound drinkes they haue called Sherbet made of water and Sugar or hony with snow therein to make it coole for although the countrie bee hote yet they kéepe snow all the yeere long to coole their drinke It is accounted a great curtesie amongst them to giue vnto their frends when they come to visit them a Fin-ion or Scudella of Coffa which is more holesome than toothsome for it causeth good concoction and driueth away drowsinesse Some of them will also drinke Bersh or Opium which maketh them forget themselues and talke idly of Castles in the ayre as though they saw visions and heard Reuelations Their Coffa houses are more common than Ale-houses in England but they vse not so much to sit in the houses as on benches on both sides the stréets néere vnto a Coffa house euery man with his Fin-ion ful which being smoking hot they vse to put it to their noses eares and then sup it off by leasure being full of idle and Ale-house talke whiles they are amongst themselues drinking of it if there be any news it is talked of there They haue also excellent good fountaine waters in most places of that countrie which is a common drinke amongst them especially in Sommer time and in their trauels at all times of the yéere Some of our Merchants haue weighed their water and ours in England when they haue come home and haue found their water lighter then ours by foure ounces in the pound and the lighter the water is the more pleasant it is to drinke and goeth downe more delectably as if it were milke rather than water In great Cities where the fountaines are either farre off or not so plentifull there are certaine poore men which goe about the stréetes from morning to night with a Beares skinne full of water sowed vp and fastened about his stoulders like a Tinkers budget with a bole of brasse in his hand and offreth water freely to them that passe by except they giue them any thing in curtesie some seldom times The greatest part of them are very courteous people amongst themselues saluting one another at their méetingwith their hand on their brest for they neuer vncouer their head with these words Salam Alike Sultanum that is peace be vnto you Sir Whereunto the other replieth Alekem Salam that is Peace be to you also And sometime thus Elph Marhabba ianum Or in Turkish thus Hosh Geldanos Sophi Geldanos that is Welcome my déere friend And in the morning Subalkier Sultanum that is good morrow Sir and in the euening thus Misalker Sultanum that is good euen Sir And when friends and acquaintance meet who haue not séene one another many dayes before they salute one another in Turkish thus Neder halen that is how doe you In Arabick thus Ish halac Seedi that is How doe you Sir And Ish babtac that is how doth thy Gate meaning all within his gate And so procéed by particulers to aske how doth thy Child slaue horse cat dog asse c. and euery thing in the house except his wife for that is held a very vnkind question and not vsuall amongst them And if a man come to their houses and at the doore enquire of the children for their father they will answere him but if he enquire for the mother they will throw stones at him and reuile him Their women as hath béene shewed before haue little liberty to come abroad except it be on the Eue before their Sabbath which is Thursday to wéepe at the graues of the dead or to the Bannios or hot Bathes to wash themselues as the vse of the contry is And when they come abroad they are alwayes masked for it is accounted a shame for a woman to be séene bare-faced yea they are so iealous and suspitious ouer them that fathers wil not suffer their owne sonnes after they come to fouretéene yéeres of age to sée their mothers These be their common salutations one to another Their more speciall salutations to great personages are these When a man commeth to salute the great Turke or Grand Signior himselfe into whose presence few are admitted except Ambassadors and great Personages they are led betwéene two by the armes for feare of a stab by which meanes one of their Grand Signiors was once killed and when they returne they goe backwards for it is accounted a disgrace to turne their back-parts to a great man In like manner they salute their Bashawes and other great men but not led by the armes but with their hands on the brest bowing downe their heads to kisse the skirt of his garment pronouncing these words Ollah towal omrac Seedi That is God prolong your dayes Sir And so long as they talke with a Bashaw they stand with their hands on their brest maiden-like and bow low at their departure and goe backward They neuer vncouer their heads vnto any man no not to the King himselfe yea it is a word of reproach amongst them to say when they mislike a matter I had as liue thou shewedst me thy bare head They call one another diuersly and not alwaies by their names but sometimes by their fathers Calling trade or degrée as Eben Sultan that is The sonne of a King Eben Terzi The sonne of a Tailor And sometimes by their father qualities as Eben Sacran that is The sonne of a Drunkard And sometimes by their markes as Colac cis that is A man without eares Cowsi Sepher that is Sepher with the thinne beard And sometimes by their Stature as Tow-ill that is A tall man Sgire rugiall that is A little man And sometimes by their Offices as I-asgee that is A Secretarie Nibe that is A Clerke c. And sometimes by their humours as Chiplac that is A naked man Or One who was of a humour to weare no cloathes but breeches But their common word of curtesie either to strangers or such whose names they know not or whom they purpose to reuerence is Chillabee that is Gentleman And there is no man amongst them of any degrée will refuse to answer to any of these names But if nature haue marked them either with gogle eies bunch backes lame legs or any other infirmitie or deformitie as they are knowen by it so they are content to bée called by it But they that haue gone on pilgrimage to their holy Citie Mecha where their Prophet Mahomet was buried at their returne are called Hogies that is Pilgrimes as Hogie Tahar Hogie Mahammet c. which is counted a word of great grace and credit amongst them And the witnesse of an Hogie will be taken before any other Of the Arabians TThere are also many Arabians in Aleppo called vulgarly Arabs or Bedweens They cal themselues Saracens of Sara but they are rather Ishmalites of Ishmael Abrahams sonne by Hagar and therefore also called
Hagarens But some take them to be of the race of the Sabaeans which were wilde and sauage people of Sabaea a Country in the middle of Arabia towards the East enuironed with great Rocks where is great store of Cynnomon and Casia Frankincense and Myrrh which people came of Sheba nephew to Ketura and Abraham Their natiue Country was Arabia a Country in Asia betwéene Iudaea and Egypt so called of Arabus the sonne of Apollo It is diuided into thrée Regions which are these Arabia Petrea Arabia Deserta and Arabia Foelix But at this day they haue no certaine Country or place of abode but wander vp and downe thorowout all Syria Assyria Gallely Iudaea Palestina and Egypt And as in Iobs tune they liued by theft and robberie and spoile of men so doe they also to this present day They haue two Kings at this day viz. Dandan and Aborisha the one their lawfull King the other an Vsurper and some follow the one and some the other and are bitter enemies one to another yet haue I seldome heard of any great wars betwixt them for they seldome méet They neuer come into any walled Townes or Cities for feare of treason but liue in tents and are héere to day and many hundred miles off within few daies after They are a base beggerly and rogish people wandering vp and downe and liuing by spoile which they account no sinne because they are Mahomets Countrimen and he allowed them liberty to liue by theft Yet their Kings doe no great harme but take toule or tribute of the Carauans as they passe by which if they pay willingly they passe quietly and are not robbed but a little exacted vpon One of their Kings hath often times pitched his tents néere vnto the City of Aleppo and many Merchants being desirous to see them and their order tooke occasion to present him with some small present or other which he tooke very kindly and admitted them to his table and gaue them a tent to lodge in all night on the morrow for breakfast one of them made him a minsed pie and set it before him hot as it came out of the ouen But as Diogines accustomed to féed on roots hauing a péece of a tart giuen him to eat and as he was eating it being asked what it was answered that it was bread and when he was laughed at for his answer he said again Either it is bread of a very good making or bread very wel handled in the baking So this Synicall or Diogenicall King accustomed to féed grosly hauing neuer séene a pie or pastie before maruelled what it was And when he saw it cut vp and opened and perceiued smoke to comè out of it shrunke backe fearing it had béene some engine to destroy him and that the fire would follow after the smoke But when he perceiued no fire followed the smoke he was content to taste of it and highly commended it as the daintiest dish that euer he tasted of in his life These Arabian Kings neuer kéepe any money in their purses but spend it as fast as they finde it and when they want with their sword they séeke a new purchase Some are souldiers fighting faithfully on any side that will giue them pay Some of this rogish Arabian race follow neither of their Kings but wander from place to place in caues and rocks and liue by their sword not only robbing but killing such as they can ouercome Others of them of a better minde soiourne in Cities of trade and trafficke and make themselues seruants to any Nation that will set them on worke and well reward them Some of them are horse-kéepers some Bastages that is Porters and some vnder-cookes in kitchins and are very seruiceable But for the most part their lodgings are on some dunghill or other or odde corner of the City with some silly tent ouer their heads Their wiues weare rings in their noses either of siluer or brasse fastned to the middle gristle of their nose and colour their lips blew with Indico and goe alwaies bare legged and 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 or rings of brasse aboe their ancles and bracelets of brasse abouâ— their hands They are people which can and doe 〈◊〉 goe at 〈◊〉 and miserie both for diet and lodging Their women are skilfull in mourning and crying by art and therefore they are hired to cry at the funerals of Turkes and Moores oftentimes tearing their haire and making all their face blew with Indico The chiefest thing that I haue obserued in them worth praise is this that they retaine the vse of speaking their naturall tongue to this day speaking the Arabicke naturally which is a farre more learned language than the Turkish for as the Turkes Religion is a mixed Religion compounded of many Religions so is their language also a medly language or as I may iustly call it a linke wolfie Religion and language compounded of many other languages wherein nothing is written But the Arabian tongue is a learned language wherein Auiâ—en and many learned Physitians haue written much and to this day the Turkes Alcoran and all their Law and Religion is written in the Arabicke tongue which is one of those Orientall Languages which depend on the Hebrue tongue wherin because you haue some knowledge and are studious in the tongues according to your request in your last letters I will à cquaint you what languages are héere spoken and which languages are most common and commendable to trauellers to goe furthest withall There are héere spoken so many seuerall languages as there are seuerall Nations héere dwelling or soiourning euery Nation amongst themselues speaking their owne language And héere are of most Nations in the world some who either come with their Merchandise to sell or by commodities or soiourne héere as strangers or else haue accesse and recesse to this City as trauellers But of all Christian languages the Italian tongue is most vsed and therewithall a man may trauell furthest But of all the Orientoll tongues these foure are most spoken in these parts Arabicke Turkish Armenian and Persian or Agimesco Of euerie one of which languages that you may sée how they differ I will shew you how they number from one to twenty to satisfie your expectation The manner of numbring in foure Orientall tongues Arabicke or Morisco 1 Wheheed One And so they proceede from twentie to a thousand as for example thus  2 Tenteene Two   3 Telate Three   4 Arbah Foure   5 Camse Fiue   6 Site Sixe   7 Sebbah Seuen Whehed Ashrine 21 8 Temene Eight Telatine 30 9 Tissa Nine   10 Ashera Tenne Arbine 40 11 Edash Eleuen Camseen 50 12 Tentash Twelue Seâ—teen 60 13 Telatash Thirteene Sebbain 70 14 Arbatash Fourteene   15 Camsetash Fifteene Temenin 80 16 Sittash Sixteene Tissaine 90 17 Sebbatash Seuenteene Mee 100 18 Tementash Eighteene Mee teene 200 19 Tissatash Nineteene   20 Ashreen Twentie Elph. 1000  Turkish
  Armenian 1 Beer One 1 Mecke 2 Echee Two 2 Ergucke 3 Euch. Three 3 Ericke 4 Durt Foure 4 Chouers 5 Besch Fiue 5 Hincke 6 Altee Sixe 6 Vites 7 Yeadee Seuen 7 Yeota 8 Sechees Eight 8 Outa 9 Dochees Nine 9 Vina 10 Ontemaunt Tenne 10 Danomecke 11 Onbeer Eleuen 11 Dastegucke 12 Onechee Twelue 12 Daswericke 13 Onuch Thirteene 13 Dasnochouers 14 Ondurt Fourteene 14 Daswincke 15 Onbesh Fifteene 15 Dasnoâ—uites 16 Onaltee Sixteene 16 Dasnuota 17 Onedee Seuenteene 17 Dasnouta 18 Onsechees Eighteene 18 Dasuonine 19 Ondocouz Nineteene 19 Exan 20 Egreme Twentie 20 Exsan on mecke Persian or Agimescâ— 1 Euck. 12 Couandesdak 2 Du. 13 Sisdah 3 See 14 Choucdah 4 Chohac 15 Pounsdah 5 Panche 16 Shemisdah 6 Shâ—ch 17 Hesktah 7 Haste 18 Hâ—shtittah 8 Hastit 19 Noados 9 Nou. 20 Bist 10 Dah 21 Bist Euck. c. 11 Yeandesdah   Of the Jewes BEsides all these Mahometans which I haue already named there are many Iewes in Constantinople Aleppo Damascus Babylon Grand Cayro and euery great Citie and place of Marchandise throughout all the Turkes dominions who are knowne by their hatts for they were accustomed to weare red hatts without brâ—â—mes at my first comming But lately the head Vizier being their enemy they are constrained to weare hatts of blewe cloth because red was accounted too stately and princelike a colour for them to weare They are called by three names which were giuen to them of old First they are called Hebrewes as some suppose of Heber the fourth from Noah in whom the hebrew tongue remained at the confusion of tongues whence he had his name But S. Augustine and other fathers affirme that they were first called Hebreweof Abraham with the alteration of a fewe letters Hebraei quasi Abrahaei that is Hebrewes as it were Abrahites Secondly they were called Israelites from Jacob surnamed Israel whose grandfathers Abraham was Thirdly they were called Iewes after that Juda and Beniamin which for the vnity of minds were as it were one Tribe following Rehoboam the sonne of Solomon of the tribe of Iuda made the kingdome of Iuda The other ten betaking them to Ieroboam of the tribe of Ephraim set vp the kingdome of the Ephramites or Israel And what became of those ten tribes the Iewes acknowledge themselues to be ignorant Only some of their Rabbies thinke them to bee in Tarracia the onely reason which I haue heard them alledge for their opinion is this because they often vnderstand by Tartarians who came from thence to vse marchandise in Aleppo and else where that there are many amongst them called by Hebrew names to this day Of these thrée names whereby they are knowne the most common name whereby they are called at this day is the name of Iewes One and the same people thrice changed their names often the place of their abode And to this day they haue no king nor country proper to themselues but are dispersed throughout the whole world and in euery place where they come they are contemptible and of base account according to the cry of those crucifiers His blood bee vpon vs and our children which is fulfilled this day in our eares and eies They are of more vile account in the sight of Turkes then Christians in so much that if a Iewe would turne Turke he must first turne Christian before they will admit him to be a Turke Yea it is a word of reproach amongst the Turkes a vsuall protestation amongst them when they are falsly accused of any crime to cleare themselues they vse to protest in this manner If this be true then God graunt I may die a Iewe And the Iewes in like cases vse to say If this be not a false accusation then God graunt I may dye a Christian praying better for themselues then they belieue and as all of them must be that shall bee saued And the poore Christians soiourning and dwelling in these partes doe hate them very vncharitably and irreligiously in that we read Rom. 11. many arguments prouing that they shall bee conuerted againe for on good fryday in many places especially at Zante they throw stones at them insomuch that they dare not come out of their houses all that day and yet are scarse in safety in their houses for they vse to throw stones at their windowes and dores and on the roofe of their houses On thrusday about noone the Iewes begin to kéepe within dores and continue there with their dores shut vntil saturday about noone for if they come forth before that time they are sure to be stoned but after noone on Easter eue if they come abroad they may passe as quietly as euer they did These in their blinde zeale thinke to be reuenged on them for whom Christ prayed saying Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe And some ignorant Christians refuse to eat of their meat or bread their reason is because the Iewes refuse to eat or drinke with Christians to this day or to eat any meat that Christians kill But it is not vnusuall amongst Christians of better knowledge to eat of the Jewes meat which ordinarily they buy of them for the Iewes to this day eat not of the hinderpart of any beast but only of the former parts and sell the hinder quarters of their béefe mutton kids goats c. to Christians They obserue still all their old Ceremonies and feasts Sacrifices only excepted which the Turkes will not suffer them to doe for they were wont amongst them to sacrifice children but dare not now for feare of the Turkes Yet some of them haue confessed that their Physitians kill some Christian patient or other whom they haue vnder their hands at that time in stead of a sacrifice If a man die without children the next brother taketh his wife and raiseth vp séed vnto his brother and they still marry in their owne kindred Many of them are rich Merchants some of them Drogomen and some Brokers Most of them are very crafty and deceitfull people They haue no beggers amongst them but many théeues and some who steale for necessity because they dare not begge They are also very great Vsurers and therein the Turkes ecell them for although there be Vsurers amongst them yet they allow it not for if a Christian or any man borrow money of a Turke though he promise him interest yet if he pay the principall he dares not molest him for interest nor complaine of him being against their law The Iewes Sabboth is on Saturday which they obserue so strictly that they will not trauell vpon any occasion on that day nor receiue money nor handle a pen to write as I haue knowen by experience in a Doctor of Physicke but on the morrow he would take double fées of his Patient They read their law in the Hebrue tongue written in Phylacteries or long roles of parchment And the Old Testament is also read in the Hebrue But their Cakams and
a part thereof containing a conuenient portion of the Countrey called Eden bounding vpon the Riuer Euphrates which Riuer is deuided into foure streames and runneth or at leastwise did then flow in manner as it is described Gen. 2. 10. c. And Eden is the name of a Country so called for the pleasantnesse of it For Hadan in Hebrue is in English to delight From hence also the Greekes call pleasure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And howsoeuer it besomewhat probable that these Chelphalines dwell now in that Country which was called Eden yet Plato and Aristoâ—le and Lactantius and others doe constantly affirme as they haue receiued of ancient monuments that Mountaines and Riuers and Ilands and Countries haue receiued much alteration in this kinde Sicilia is said to haue beene diuided from Italy Cyprus from Syria England from France by the violence of the Sea whereas before they were ioined as Peloâ—onneâ—us is to the rest of Grecia or as the towne of Rye at an high water séemeth to be to the rest of England So that no certainty can be giuen either by reading or trauelling of the place where Eden was because these Riuers run in other streames forasmuch as Cyrus at the taking of Babylon is affirmed to haue restrained the maine chanell of this very riuer Euphrates vnto an vnwonted course and to haue deuided the riuer Gindes which is next vnto it in greatnesse into 360. streames Besides the Country of Mesopotamia by which these riuers passe being partly dry and sandy and seldome watered with the showers of heauen and on the other part excéeding fruitfull by the nature of the soile is by the industry of the inhabitants so nourished with waters by cutting out chanels and ditches out of the maine streames as the same is amended where it is barren of the same vnfruitfulnesse and corrected againe of his ouerrich increase where it is ouer fertile No maruell therefore if these riuers are not fully agreed vpon by Writers hauing lost perhaps their ancient streames together with their names as Paradise and the whole earth besides hash lost her ancient fruitfulnesse And these Chelphalines are ignorant people and haue no reason to prooue that they now dwell in the place which was called Eden whereinto Adam was put to kéepe it and to dresse it but that the riuer Euphrates and other riuers mentioned Gen. 2. 10. 11. 12. run by their Country Others of them say that they haue receiued it by Tradition from their Elders from time to time But that which God hath concealed I will not search out But notwithstanding all that I haue read heard or séene in my trauels I resolue my selfe that no man liuing can demonstrate the place which God for the sinnes of Adam accursed and euer since the place is vnknowen Of the Greekes THe Greekes are a very superstitious subtle and deceitfull people insomuch that it is growen to a prouerbe amongst the Italians Chi fida in Grego sara intrego That is He that trusteth to a Greeke Shall be intâ—eaged and still to seeke They hate the Papists and yet in many things agrée with them as in Auricular Confession Transubstantiation and some other opinions But their Liturgie is read in the vulgar Tongue The Greeke in Aleppo are very poore for they are there for the most pâ—rt but Brokers or Bastages that is Porters and many of their women as light as water maintaining their husbands themselues and their families by prostituting their bodies to others And their owne husbands are often times their Pandars or procurers to bring them Custâ—mers But the Greekes that liue at Constantinople are many of them great Merchants and very rich but excéeding proud and sumptuous in apparell euen the basest of them and especially their women who though they be but Coblers wiues or poore Artificers wiues yet they goe in gownes of sattin and taffery yea of cloth of siluer and gold adorned with precious stones and many gemmes and iewels about their necks and hands They care not how they pinch their bellies so that they may haue fine apparell on their backs And at the time of their marriage the women condition with their husbands to finde them decent apparell and conâ—enient diet and bring them before their Patriarke of Constantinople to confirme it which if it be not performed accordingly if they complaine to their Patriarke they are diuorced presently and shee taketh an other man to her husband better able to maintaine her and he may marry an other woman if he please One onely instance hereof will I giue you in a matter notoriously knowen to all nations soiourning or dwelling in or about Constantinople In Pera or Gallata on the other fide the water there is a most famous or rather infamous Gréeke whore called Charatza Sophia that is Mistresse Sophia the daughter of a poore Gréeke widow who liueth by laundry who being maried vâ—to a Géeke because he kept her not fine enough she complaned of him to the Patriarke and was diuorced from him and presently thereupon tooke another man who was a Christian in name but no Gréeke but one who was as is reported of him borne in no land in the world but by sea and brought vp in Polonia vntill he were thirtéene or fourtéene néeres of age and then came to Constantinople and serued many masters there at the first in the basest seruices both in the stable and in the kitchin and afterwards in better seruices than he deserued being both vnlearned and irreligious This man had many children by this infamous woman Sophia yet after many yeeâ—es arising to higher fortunes turned her away and married another woman And to dawbe vp the matter somwhat smoothly procured a Greeke Taylor to marry with this Sophia and gaue many hundred Dolers with her to her marriage But this Charatza could not content her selfe long with this Gréeke Taylor but admitted dayly other men into her companie whereupon the poore Taylor ran away with his money and left this light huswife to the mercie of her former louers hauing thrée husbands liuing yet shee her selfe liuing with none of them This is common in euery mans mouth thereabouts and talked of many thousand miles off to the disgrace of his Countrie and slander of Christianitie And both at Constantinople Aleppo and other places of Turkey where there is traffiking and trading of Merchants it is no rare matter for popish Christians of sundry other Countries to Cut Cabine as they call it that is to take any woman of that contrie where they soiourne Turkish women onely excepted for it is death for a Christian to meddle with them and when they haue bought them and enroled them in the Cadies booke to vse them as wiues so long as they soiourne in that countrie and maintaine them gallantly to the consuming of their wealth diminishing of their health and endangering of their owne soules And when they depart out of that Country they shake off these their swéet-hearts leaue them
own happinesse But as the prodigall sonne vntill he was pinched with penurie abroad neuer considered the plentie of his fathers house So many in England know not their own felicitie because they doe not know the miseries of others But if they were here in this heathen Countrie they would know what it is to liue in a Christian common wealth vnder the gouernement of a godly king who ruleth by Law and not by lust where there is plentie and peace and preaching of the Gospell and manie other godly blessings which others want And God long continue his mercies to our noble King Iames and his whole Realmes and giue vs grace as farre to excell other Nations in thankfulnesse as we doe in happinesse And thus for present I commend you to the most gracious protection of the Almightie IEHOVAH beséeching him if it be his will to send vs a ioyfull méeting both in this world and in the world to come Amen Tuus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 GVILIELMVS BIDDVLPHVS A LETTER SENT from Ierusalem into England wherein relation is made of the voyage of fiue Englishmen from Aleppo in Syria Comagena to Ierusalem and what famous Places and memorable Matters they saw in the way thither and at Ierusalem **** Salutem ex animo in Authore salutis c. WOrshipfull and my singular good friend I being now by the prouideÌ„ce of God at Ierusalem Captus amore tui raptus honore loci for the loue I beare to you and delight I conceiue in this famous place where our swéet Sauiour Christ vouchsafed once his blessed bodily presence I could not but remember you with some salutation from hence hauing such choice of messengers by reason of the great concourse of people vnto this place at this present from sundry places of Christendome to transport my Letters vnto you Nothing doubting but that as my former letters which I haue héeretofore written vnto you both from Aleppo and other places concerning my former voyages and such things as by diligent obseruation I noted in my trauels were acceptable vnto you so that this shall be much more acceptable both in regard of the Place from whence it came as also of the Matter subiect héerein contained being my voyage from Aleppo in Syria Comagena to Ierusalem vndertaken this present yéere 1600. not mooued as Pilgrimes with any superstitious deuotion to see Relikes or worship such places as they account holy but as Trauellers and Merchants occasioned by dearth and sicknesse pestilence and famine in the City where we soiourne which two are such followlike companions that the Graecians distinguish them but by one letter calling the pestilence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the famine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By reason whereof all trafficke was hindred and those Merchants whom they call Frankes or Freemen either remooued to other places or such as staied in the City caused their gates to be shut vp and came not abroad vntill Sol entered into Leo which is vsually the twelfth or thirtéenth day of Iuly at which time the plague still ceaseth in this place though it be neuer so great and all that are then sicke amend and such as then come abroad néed not feare any danger The Turkes Moores Arabians and other Mahometans neuer remooue for feare of any sicknesse nor refuse any mans company infected therewith for they say euery mans fortune is written in his forehead and that they shall not die before their time not knowing what it is to tempt God and to refuse ordinarie meanes But in this interim from the beginning of this sicknesse which was in March vntill the expected and vndoubted end when the Sunne entereth into Leo we whose names are subscribed for causes aboue mentioned tooke our voyage from Aleppo towards Ierusalem hauing letters of commendation from Clarissimo Imo the Venice Consul and sundry others of the chiefs Italian Merchants to their Padres at Ierusalem for our kinde vsage there with liberty of conscience Anno Dom. 1600. March 9. after dinner we set foorth guarded with Ienesaries and accompanied with sundry English Italian and French Merchants who in kindnesse rode with vs seuen or eight miles to bring vs on the way and then returned to Aleppo But most of our English Merchants brought vs to Cane Toman ten miles from Aleppo where wée made merry with such good chéere as we brought with vs. For there was nothing to be had for money but goats milke whereof we had as much as we would Heere we purposed to haue slept all night but hauing no other beds but the hard ground with Iacobs pillow a good hard stone vnder our heads vnaccustomed to such Downe beds we could not sléepe but spent the time in honest mirth vntill it was past midnight and then our friends tooke their leaue of vs and returned towards Aleppo and we procéeded in our iourney towards Ierusalem The night being darke and the way dangerous and théeuish our Ienesarie Byram Bashaw willed vs euery one to take a match lighted in our hands and to whirle it about that the fire might be séene the further to terrifie the théeues lest they should surprise vs on the sudden And when we came to suspicious places as caues rockes barnes or odde Cottages in the way our Ienesarie vsed to ride before and as fowlers beat vpon bushes for birds so he with his launce would strike and beat vpon such places lest wilde Arabs which lie lurking in such places should steale vpon vs on the sudden When the day appeared our way was pleasant and comfortable vnto vs vntill we came to a village called Saracoope whither we came about noone March 10. And because our Seisenars or sumptor horses which caried prouision for man and horse as the custome of the Countrie is were tyred and wee our selues also for want of sléepe the night past wearied and hungrie wee were constrained to lodge there all night on the hard ground by our horse héeles in an old Cane distant from Cane Toman 28. miles March 11. betimes in the morning we departed froÌ„ Saracoop and came betimes in the afternoone to a fine Village called Marrah where there is a very faire new Cane builded by Amrath commonly called Morat Chillabee sometimes Defterdare that is Treasurer of Aleppo and afterwards of Damascus who for the refuge of trauellers their protection against théeues built a stately strong Cane like vnto Leaden-Hall in London or rather the Exchance in London where there are faire vpper roomes for great men in their trauels and the nether roomes are for ordinary trauellers and their horses but in hot wether the best make choise to sleepe on the ground in lowe roomes rather then in their chambers The founder hereof also ordained that all Trauellers that way should haue their entertainement there of his cost He alloweth them Bread Pilaw and Mutton which our Ienesaries accepted off but we scorning reliefe from Tuâ—kes without money sent vnto the village where besides our
death ready for battle Our Ienesaries kinsman Faâ—olla had his musket ready and being about to giue fire was staied by our Ienesarie who saw not only these Arabs present very desperat with their bowes and arrowes ready drawen but messengers also sent to raise vp all the whole rabblement thereabout vpon vs he told vs we were best giue them content or else we were all but dead men wherefore to auoid further danger we gaue them their owne desire vpon condition they would pursue vs no further nor suffer any of their company to molest vs the chiefest of them answered Stopherlo Stopherlo that is God forbid God forbid we should do you any harme if you pay vs what wee demaund which we did with all spéed and rode away from them being glad we were rid of them About ten miles from them we rode through a wood a very fit place to harbour theeues who had killed certaine men trauelling that way the day before and tooke away both a man and horse from the Carauan which followed after and a woman also riding on an asse with their cariage and as our guide tolde vs he neuer trauelled that way but he sawe some men killed and therefore bade vs all charge our pieces and shoot off when he bade vs though we saw no bodie lest the wild Arabs should set vpon vs on the suddain lying in ambush which wee also did in a place most dangerous to daunte the enemies before we saw each other But before we came vnto the most dangerous place there ouertooke vs many Turkes well armed who dwelt in Jerusalem and were glad of our company thither And shortly after we had discharged euery man his peece we saw a great company of Arabs on an high mountaine neere vnto our way yet out of the reach of our shot who perceiuing vs to be too strong for them durst not set vpon vs. And so by the prouidence of God we came that night to an ancient and famous City situated in a fruitfull valley betwixt two mountaines called Sychar a City in Samaria mentioned Iohn 4. Néere whereunto we saw Iacobs Well where our Sauiour Christ asked water of the woman of Samaria We came thither in good time for we were exceeding thirsty and drunke thereof liberally and freely The water thereof goeth downe very pleasantly like vnto milke From Iacobs Well we went into the City and lodged in a very ancient stately Cane but very badly kept It had béene better for vs to haue slept by Iacobs Well as others did for here we slept on the hard stones néere vnto a Chapel in the middle of the Cane vnder two or thrée great figge trees and mulberry trées where we were scarce safe from theeues for we had some things stollen from vs in the night whiles we slept vnder the trees on faire broad stones whereunto we ascended by a faire stone paire of staires six or seuen steps from the ground Sychar is distant from En-gannim 27. miles March 28. We staied at this City in Samaria called of old Sychar but at this day commonly Napolis for the Holy Land hauing beene often conquered hath had new names imposed vnto all the chiefe Cities and most other townes and villages also partly by Godâ—rey of Bullome who conquered that contrey in the yeere 1098. But chiefly by the Turkes who conquering the Holy Land and al the Countrie about it haue changed the names of places to roote out all memoriall of reuenge in the hearts of posteritie as they supposed Yet the chiefest Cities are still knowen by their ancient names though other names haue béene giuen thereunto As for example Damâ—sâ—â—s which was so called of old is still knowen by that name though the Tucks call it Shaâ— And Ieruâ—alem which they call Cuâ— or rather Kuds comming as I suppose of the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kadasch which signifieth to sanctifie or to be holy or of Kadosch which signifieth holy And as they themselues say the word Cuts or Kuds whereby they call it signifieth a holy City in their language The cause of our staying this day at Sychar was this it was told vs that 2. Emeers or great Lords in our way to Ierusalem were vp in armes one against an other and therefore it séemed good to our Ienesary that wee should stay for the Carauan that we might be the stronger and passe safer But when the Carauan came they pitched their tents by Iacobs well and purposed to stay there two or three daies at the least Wee were loath to stay so long being now but thirtie miles from Ierusalem and therefore resolued to procéed in our iourney without any longer expectation for companie which was vncertaine March 29. We departed from Samaria to Ierusalem and met many souldiers in seuerall companies by the way who knowing our Ienesary and other Turks in our company let vs passe by them quietly and gaue vs the salam alick that is peace be vnto you The first part of this daies iourney was somewhat pleasant but the néerer we came to Jerusalem the more barren and tedious our way was About ten of the clock wee came to a great forrest or wildernes full of trées and mountaines When wée were on the top of this mountaine wée saw the maine sea on our right hand and small Ships sayling towards Ioppa About thrée or foure of the clocke we came to a ruinous village called Beere but of old as it is reported Beersheba which in former times was a great Citie And it is said to be the place where Joseph and Mary comming from Jerusalem the feast being ended missed the child Iesus and sought him sorrowing and returning to Jerusalem found him in the Temple amidst the Doctors hearing them and posing them Our purpose was to lodge here all night being all of vs weary and hungry and all our prouision spent But finding nothing here to bee had for money either for man or horse and vnderstanding that Ierusalem was but ten miles off we went on in our way somewhat faintly fiue or sixe miles and then beholding the prospect of the Citie wee were somewhat cheered and reuiued and solaced our selues with singing of Psalmes vntill we came neere vnto the Citie Many Gréekes dwelling in Ierusalem seeing vs a farre off came to meet vs supposing their Patriarch had been in our companie who came two or thrée daies after vs. Wee dismounted from our horses at the west gate of the Citie called Ioppa gate or the Castle gate which is a very strong gate of iron with thirteen pieces of brasse ordinance planted on the wall about the gate Wee staied in the porch of this gate and might not be admitted into the Citie vntill we were searched by an officer as the maner is In the meane time there came to vs two Italian Friers viz. Padre Angelo and Padre Aurelâ—o and kissed our hands and bade vs welcome and told vs that two other Englishmen
by which place there issueth a fine spring of water out of the rocke at which place we dranke of the water From thence returning to Ierusalem they shewed vs in the way to Gaza the water where Philip Baptized the Eunuch Act. 8. 38. At our returne to Ierusalem they brought vs to mount Oliuet from whence our Sauiour Christ ascended into Heauen being from Ierusalem a Sabboth daies iourney not two miles From the mount of Oliues we went to Bethania and Bethphage which are now ruinous villages There are many figge trées still growing about these two villages and many Oliue trées about the mount of Oliues wee cut off some of the branches and carried some sprigs with vs. Néerer Ierusalem they shewed vs mount Sion and the mount Moâ—â—â—h on which Abraham offered his sonne Isaac we saw also the valley of Iehosaphat and the valley of Iehinnom and the brooke Cedron which is now in the Sommer time a drie channell Some part of the tower of Sylo and the poole Syloam and the potters field bought with the thirtie pieces of siluer which Iudas had for betraying his master Christ called Acheldama which to this day is a place to bury strangers in Ascending vp Acheldama we entred into a porch and looked downe into a vault where wee saw many dead bodies couered onely with their winding sheet knit at the head and foot without any coffin and some of their shéets were so white that they séemed to vs to haue beene buried but few daies before we came The valley betwixt Acheldama and mount Syon is called the vale of Iehinnom The valley of Iehosaphat is thrée miles in length reaching from the vale of Iehâ—â—nom to a place without the Citie which they call the Sepulcher of the Kings Lastly they brought vs to mount Caluarie to the place where Christ was crucified ouer which there is now erected a stately building with many Iles Chancels or little Chapels in it for sundry Nations which were al there at that present time as we were and lodged there on Saterday at night before Palme Sunday We entred into this Temple to sée the Sepulcher on Saturday after dinner and came not foorth vntill Monday about eleuen of the clocke for there are lodgings adioining vnto it into which we entred through the highest Chancell or Chappell Before wee were admitted hereunto euery man paied nine Shekines to see the Sepulcher which money the Syniacke or chiefe Ruler of the citie hath who is a Turke Into the Sepulcher we went but one at a time with our guide the entrance thereinto is lowe and narrow The place it selfe is but the length of an ordinary Sepulcher it is now as high as an Altar or table of faire marble stone and there are lampes continually burning night and day That this Sepulcher standeth in the same place as the Sepulcher did wherein the bodie of our Sauiour Christ was laid wée made no doubt because it was agréeable to the circumstances of Scripture whereby the place is described But I asked our guide whether any part of the selfesame sepulcher wherein the blessed bodie of our Sauiour was laid were to be séene there Hee answered me that some part of it was at Rome and some other part of it lay inclosed vnder that Altar but not to be seene And further he told me that at the first after the resurrection of our Sauiour Christ all the whole Sepulcher was to bee seene for many yeeres space vntill strangers who came to visite it began to breake off péeces and to cary them away then it was inclosed with barres and to be séene through the barres but not to bée touched as some Sepulchers in Saint Pauls Church in London are Yet they saw inconueniences héerein in that many vsed to cast into it the first haire of their children and some candles and other things as an offering thereunto so that the place could not be kéep neate Wherefore Quéene Helena caused it to bée inclosed in such sort as it now is and couered it with Marble But whether any part of the selfe same Sepulcher were vnderneath the same or not it gaue me content that I had seene the selfe same place where the Sepulcher of our blessed Sauiour was as I in heart did then and do still perswade my selfe it is Many superstitious Papists exept on their knees to the Sepulcher mumbling vp their praiers vpon heads as they went according to the definition of Poperie which is rightly defined by Baptista Mantuanus to be a Religion Quae filo insertis numerat sua murmura baccis Poperie is a religion which vseth to patter Aue Marâ— vpon beads and the Pater noster Not far from thence is the Sepulcher of Godfroy of Bulâ—oynâ— and King Baldewyn who conquered that countrey in the yéere 1098. And both of them lie there buried with the whole proportion of their bodies in stone with these Epitaphs about them An â—nscription written about the Sepulcher of Godfroy of Bulloyne at Ierusalem Hic iacet inclytus Godfridus de Bul'ion qui totam hanc terram acquisiâ—it cultui diuino cuius anima requiescat in pace Amen That is Heere lieth famous GODâ—ROY of Bulloine who got all this Land to the worship of God whose soule resteth in peace Amen And néere vnto it about King Baldwines Tombe these verses are written Rex Baldewinus Iudas alter Machabaeus Spes patriae vigor Ecclesiae virtus vtriusque Quem formidabant cui dona tributa ferebant Caesar Aegypti Dan ac homicida Damascus Proh dolor in modico clauditur hoc Tumulo The same in English Another Iudas Machabaeus King Baldwyn heere doth rest His Countries hope the Churches strength The vertue both possest Whom murtherous Damascus fear'd Egyptian Caesar Dan Brought gifts and tribute yet alas This small Tombe holds this man This Godfrey of Bulloine was the first proclaimed Christian King of Ierusalem who refused to be crowned there saying that it was vnfit that the seruants head should there be crowned with gold where the Masters head had béene crowned with thornes Ierusalem is gouerned by Turkes but inhabited by Christians of sundry Nations whereof some come onely to visit and superstitiously to worship there and so returne into their countries Others come thither to dwell and exercise their manuall arts with a purpose there to die thinking that they shall sooner goe to heauen if they die there than in any other place There were at Ierusalem when we were there Christians of sundry Nations especially Armenians whereof some are called Georgians and some Iacobites Their Patriarke was not there but least sicke at Aleppo but in his place he sent an Armenian Bishop There were also many Greekes Chelâ—alines Nostranes oâ— Nazaritans Cofties and Abassens or Aethiopians of Prestar Iohns Country whereof some of them dwelt néere vnto Catadupa which is a place in Aethiopia where the fall of the riuer Nilus maketh such a noise that the people are made deafe therewith that dwell néere it Besides many