by faith and not by sight This that Moses telleth of the fall of Man Experience doth in manner proclaime through the World in the manifold effects thereof which we daily see For whereas the World was made for Man as before is shewed who alone in regard of his bodily and spirituall nature can need and vse it no creature in the world is in his kind so imperfect as man Hee that was before as an earthly God is now become an incarnate Deuill and for aspiring to be like his Lord was made a seruant of his seruants the noblest part in him becomming a base Officer to degrade him Reason it selfe deiected at the feet of Sense to be a slaue and a very Bawd to sensuall pleasures a very Broker for dung-hill profits And what is this but to metamorphose man into a beast vnlesse that some in a lower degree liuing onely to liue suffocated with eating drinking sleeping are degenerated into plants And if he descend not lower to become torpide and liuelesse yet doth he participate the imperfections of those things and that without their perfections as if with an imperfect retrograde hee would returne into his first elements or in a perfected imperfection to his first nothing What stone so hard as mans heart is relentlesse remorselesse to his best good What dust more subiect to the wind or water more flexible then hee to temptation and sinne But those things remaine in their nature or naturall place Man is a fuming smoke a passing shadow And yet if wee could stay at our Elements it were somewhat better but wee are seruants and drudges beneath all names of basenesse vnbowelling the Earth and our selues in the earth for a little hardened earth that neuer had the dignitie to see no not to be seen of the Sunne We seeme to rule the Skie Winds and Seas indeed we aduenture our liues to their mercy and not three fingers thicknesse doth separate vs from death that we may bring home an idle discourse or somewhat almost lesse then nothing that we call a Iewell Once we inuert Nature subuert others peruert our selues for those things which sometimes kill the body and alway except a power with whom all things are possible preuent the Soule And yet Thou Foole this night may they fetch away thy Soule and whose then shall these things bee And whose then and where then shalt thou be Thou gainest faire to loose thy selfe to be taken with thy taking to bee thus bad to others that thou mayest be worse to thy selfe and when-as like an Asse thou hast been laden all the dayes of thy life with those things which euen in hauing thou wantedst now to be more intollerably burthened now to be in Hell which will neuer bee satisfied in thee whose Character was before engrauen in thy vnsatiable heart Tell me not then of the reasonable power of our soules whereby we resemble GOD seeing that reason may tell thee and me that by abusing it we are like and are of our Father the Deuill That erected countenance to be still groueling in and poring on the Earth that immortall soule to mind onely such things as haue not the imperfect priuiledge to be mortall those high excellencies to bee abused to mischiefe blaspheming denying forswearing GOD and all for the basest of the basest creatures Well might this deluge of corruption mooue that Cynick in a throng of men to make search for a Man this Man which is now left vs beeing but the ruines the carkasse of himselfe Well might the Greekes call this body of ours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sepulchre of the soule the Latines Corpus where by reason of mans fall from his first estate the first syllable is falne off Cor the heart is gone we are Vecordes Socordes onely pus remaines corruption and filthinesse and doe not wee call it body because both die the soule also hereby infected and that both deaths internall and externall The Spirit the better part of man is spirit indeed a puffe and vaine blast of emptinesse animus is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a winde that passeth that passeth the wind in vanitie But what needes all this Why are we fallen into so long and tedious discourse of our fall Euen because some are fallen further beyond all sense and feeling of their fall and beleeued not that man was euer any other creature then now they see that if their goodnesse cannot yet their wickednesse might teach them that so perfect a World should not haue beene framed for so imperfect a wretch now onely perfect in imperfection Our fall must teach vs to rise our straying to returne our degeneration a regeneration And therefore was not that Image of GOD wholly done out but some remainder continued to the Posteritie to conuince them of miserie in themselues that so denying themselues they might take vp their Crosse and follow the second Adam vnto a durable happinesse But how may some aske as the Pelagian did came this misery to vs Non peccat ille qui genuit non peccat ille qui condidit per quas igitur rimas inter tot praesidia innocentiae fingis peccatum ingressum Doth it agree with diuine Iustice that if the Fathers haue eaten sowre Grapes the Children-teeth should be set on edge I answere We are Heires of our Father we need not seeke some secret cranie we see an open gate by one man sinne entred into the World and death by sinne A little leaue let vs borrow to cleere this difficultie Sinne is a transgression of the Law or a defect of conformitie to the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and cannot properly be said to haue an efficient but a deficient cause being in it owne nature and subsistence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Schoole-men say in sinne are two things to bee considered the substance and the qualitie essence and priuation the act and defect whereof that they call the Materiall this the Formall part of sinne beeing nothing else but a deformitie irregularitie and vnlawfulnesse in our naturall condition and conditions as easily to be distinguished though not to be diuided from the action as lamenesse from the working hand or iarring in an Instrument both from the Instrument and sound The Sinner is termed nequam as nequicquam naught as not ought Not that sinne is simply norhing Non negatiue sed priuatiuè Nihil nor is it a meere and pure priuation but to bee considered with that subiect wherein and whereof it is such a distortion and destruction the want of this consideration draue the Manichees to their Hereticall opinion of two beings and beginnings Sinne was first seene in the Deuill who voluntarily strayed from the right way and as hee abode not in the Truth himselfe so hee beguiled our first Parents from whom by the Conduit of Nature it is conueyed to vs I speake of Originall sinne which is
in the yeere from the Creation 1656. The Septuagint and the Fathers that followed them reckon farre otherwise which errour of theirs differing from the Hebrew verity Agustine ascribes to the first Coppiers of that Translation others to their own set purpose that they might contend with other Nations in the challenge of Antiquitie for that cause and least the often halfing of ages should trouble the faithlesse saith Master Broughton they faine Cainan betwixt Arphaxad and Selah in which account if Luke in his Genealogie had followed them it is to be ascribed to them which would correct Luke by their corrupt translation of the Septuagint for some Copies of the Gospel haue wanted it The place is commonly thought to be Armenia The Sybilline Oracles if at least we may so call those eight bookes in Greeke verse translated into Latine by Castalion doe place Ararat in Phrygia and say it is the Hill whence the Riuer Marsyas issueth But Scaliger censureth our Sybils to be counterfeit inuented with zeale to vp-hold the Truth by falshood in which our later Legendaries haue followed them Goropius after his wont paradoxicall holdeth it to be the Hill Paropanisus or Paropamisus a part of the Hill Taurus vnproperly ascribed to Caucasus which riseth betweene the Euxine and Hircan Sea supposed the highest part of the Earth called now Naugracot Hee imagined that the place first inhabited after the Floud was Margiana whence those Colonies passed that with Nimrod built Babylon His reason is because they went from the East to the Plaine of Shinar whereas Armenia beareth somewhat Westward from thence As though that iourney had been presently after the Floud which was an hundred yeares after in which space it is likely they followed the Mountainous Countries Eastward a long time and from Assyria Adiabena turned backe into that fertile Plaine where pride fulnesse of bread and abundance of idlenesse set them on worke against God I hold it not meet that a fewe coniectures should counterpoize the generall consent of all Ages Iosephus saith the place in Armenia was called Apobaterion of this their going forth of the Arke and alleadgeth Berosus testimonie that a part of this Arke was then said to remaine in the Cordyaean or Gordyaean Hils the pitch whereof some scraping away wore the same for Amulets And out of Nich. Damascenus lib. 96. There is saith he aboue the Region of the Minyae a great Hil in Armenia by name Baris wherein they say many saued themselues in the time of the Floud and one brought in an Arke there stayed the remnants of the wood thereof continuing there long time after which happily was he that Moses the Iewish Law-giuer writ of This mountaine or mountainous Region the Caldean Paraphrast calleth Kardu Curtius Cordaei montes Ptolomaeus Gordiaei the people are called Cardyaei or Gordyaei In this Tract saith Epiphan there is one high Mountaine called Lubar which signifieth the descending place Lubar in the Armenian and Egyptian language signifying the same that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before mentioned and the word Baris before cited out of Damascenus seemeth to be corruptly written for Lubaris The Armenians through all ages haue as it seemeth reserued the memorie hereof and euen in our daies there standeth an Abbey of Saint Gregories Monkes neere to this Hill which was able to receiue Shaugh Thamas and a great part of his Armie These Monkes if any list to beleeue them say that there remaineth yet some part of the Arke kept by Angels which if any seeke to ascend carrie them backe as farre in the night as they haue climed in the day Cartwright an eye-witnesse saith that this Hill is alwaies couered with snow at the foote thereof issue a thousand Springs there are adioyning three hundred Villages of the Armenians He saith also that there are seene many ruinous foundations supposed to be the workes of this first people that a long time durst not aduenture into the lower Countryes for feare of an other floud Abidenus saith that the Ship or Arke was still in Armenia in his time and that the people vsed the wood thereof against many diseases with maruellous effect After that Noah had obtained his deliuerance and was now gone out of the Arke his first care was Religion and therefore he hee built an Altar to the Lord and tooke of euery cleane beast and of euery cleane fowle and offered burnt offerings vpon the Altar And the Lord smelled a sauour of rest and renued the auncient blessings and promises to Noah and his posteritie The liuing creatures were also permitted to their food and submitted to their rule by whom they had in the Arke escaped drowning Onely the bloud was prohibited to them as a ceremoniall obseruation to instruct them in lenitie and hatred of crueltie the politicall Ordinance being annexed touching the bloud of man against man or beast that should shead the same This difference being alleadged of the life of Man and Beast that the life of the Beast is his bloud the life of Man is in his bloud Not that the bloud which we see shed is the life of the beast for that is properly Cruor not Sanguis that is the matter whose forme was the life or vitall spirit which being separated from the body is seuered also from the forme or life And the life of Beasts hath no other forme but that which is vnited with the bloud as the life of trees is the sappe of trees their bloud being as it were their soule But the life of man is in his bloud hauing his seate therein liuing when it is by death separated from the bloud meane while the Spirits being the purest part of the bloud as conduits conueying life to the bodily members and as firme bands of a middle nature between the body and soule vniting them together which bands and carriages being broken by effusion of bloud the soule subsisteth a spirituall substance without the body not subiect to substantiall corruption or mortalitie God did also make a couenant for Man with the beasts of the field infusing into the Nature of all things a dread and feare of man whereby they feare the power the snares and sleights of man and therefore flee or else submit themselues not by that willing instinct as to Adam in innocencie but rather with a seruile feare And although by hunger or prouocation or feare of their owne danger they sometimes rebell yet otherwise there remaines some impression of this naturall decree in them as experience in all places hath shewed Euen the Lyon King of Forrests and sauage Creatures doth not easily giue on-set but on such occasions yea the Moores meeting with this Beast doe rate and brawle at him this magnanimous beast passing by with a leering countenance expressing a mixt passion of dread and disdaine fearing the voice of one that feareth not the weapons of many and which himselfe by the terrour of
the Sacrifices of Aaron Gedeon Manoah Dauid Salomon Elias or by some other meanes both comfortable to Abel and enuied of Caine who therefore slew him thus in this member bruising the heele of that blessed seed as a type of that which the Head himselfe should after sustaine Here is the first Apostasie after that first Euangelicall promise and the first diuision of Religion Caine beeing the first builder of the Earthly Citie not that which hee called after the name of his Sonne Henoch but of that spirituall City of the Wicked the seed of the Serpent which he founded in his Brothers bloud euen as that later Compendium thereof which called her selfe Caput mundi the head of the World and indeed the World is vsually in Scripture applyed to that seed of the Serpent as it is opposite to the seed of the Woman was by Romulus her first Founder by like example of Fratricide in the murther of Remus dedicated as it were to the future mysterie of iniquitie the seat of the Beast and of the Whore by whose authoritie Christ himselfe was slaine drunken after with the blood of his Saints and still breathing blood and slaughter to euery Abel that will not communicate in her spirituall whooredomes that will not with her offer the fruits of the ground the Sacrifice of Caine which neither came from heauen nor can guide to Heauen being earthly sensuall deuillish Caine was for this his fact conuented by that All-seeing Iustice who both by open sentence and inward terrors accused and accursed him continuing his life euen for the same cause that other Murtherers loose it that he might liue an example which then in that vnpeopled world by his death he could not haue been to the future generation branded also by the Lord with some sensible marke to exempt him and terrifie others from that bloudy crueltie this mercy being mixed with this iudgement a longer time of repentance GOD before cursed the earth for Adam he now cursed CAINE from the earth to be a runnagate and wanderer thereon For how could he that had so forsaken God but be forsaken of the Earth and of himselfe the stable and mercifull earth which before had opened her mouth to receiue his Brothers bloud shrinking and as it were grudging to support such wicked feet and by denying him her strength forcing him to his manifold shifts and shiftlesse remoouing Wretched man alwayes bleeding his brothers bloud not daring to looke vp to Heauen fearing to looke downe to Hell the World without him threatning a miserable life his Body branded to contempt and shame till his death his soule become a stage of Anguish Feare Horrour and other Furies the Harbingers of Hell not able to suffer which yet he cannot but suffer the guilt of passed wickednesse gnawing him the waight of present misery pressing him the dread of a death and a death attending him restlesse in himselfe hated of the World despairing of reliefe from God a liuely Map of the deadly and damnable state of sinne and sinners without Christ dead whiles they liue moouing sepulchres the Deuils captiues hels heires exiled from heauen and vagabonds on the earth euen on that which they call their owne land Caine more vexed with the punishment then at the fault of his sinne departed from the presence of the Lord which is meant either of his iudiciall conuenting him or in regard of the visible societie of the Church cradled yet in his Fathers houshold where God did especially shew his present prouidence protection and grace who otherwise filleth the Heauen and Earth of whom in whom they are from hence as Adam before out of Paradise so Cain was as it were excommunicated expelled out-lawed and dwelt in the Land of Nod which some take to be appellatiuely spoken as if his miserie had giuen name of Moouing vnto the place where he dwelled or roamed rather Iosephus saith hee built Naida applying it to a proper place which was either Eastward from Eden or Eastward towards Eden from Canaan where Adam is supposed to haue dwelt and after with his Wife to haue beene buried at Hebron Afterward his posteritie beeing multiplied his Wife Epiphanius out of Leptogenesis calleth Shaue Comestor calleth her Chalmana Philo Themech he built a Citie which he called by the name of his sonne Henoch to crosse that curse of his wandering to and fro on the earth or to arme him against others which his guilty conscience caused him to feare or to be a receptacle and store-house of those spoyles which Iosephus saith hee robbed from others by violence when as the earth was barren to him Philo if we may so entitle that Author which hath written of the Antiquities of the Bible ascribeth vnto him other Cities Mauli Leed Tehe Iesca Celet Iebbat adding that hee liued 730. yeeres These things may bee probable although that Author be otherwise fabulous considering that men did ordinarily liue many hundred yeeres in those times and were also exceeding fruitfull especially after that Polygamy was embraced of that Family And if that in Abrahams posterity the seed of Iacob in lesse then three hundred yeares was multiplyed to so great a people it is like that the Cainites were no lesse populous liuing in more freedome Hee first saith Iosephus found out weights and measures and assigned proprieties in possessions of Land before common as the ayre and light and was Author to lewd persons of a lewd and vngodly life Probable it is that the Citie was called Henoch because the Curse suffered not the father to stay in a place but to leaue a hasty inheritance to his Son to finish and rule it Iabal and Iubal and Tubalcain were inuenters of Arts the first to dwell in Tents and keepe Cattell the second of Musicall instruments the third of working in Mettals and making of Armour which some thinke to be Vulcan by the neerenesse of name and occupation His Sister Naamah is accounted by some Rabbines the first inuenter of making Linnen and Woollen and of vocall Musique yea they make her the wife of Noah also Thus let vs leaue this Family multiplying in numbers in Sciences in wickednesse sauouring nothing diuine or at least nothing but humane in their Diuinitie therefore called the sonnes of men and let vs looke backe to Adam who in this wicked fruit of his body might read continual Lectures of repentance for the sinne of his soule Adam begat a child in his own likenesse that is not in that likenesse of God wherein he was created but like vnto himselfe both in humane nature natural corruption his name he called Seth of whose posteritie the whole world was by Noah re-peopled Vnto Seth was born Enosh Then began men saith MOSES to call vpon the name of the Lord This some interpret of the beginning of Idolatry that men began to profane the name of the Lord
some to call the name of the Lord that is after Rabbi Salomo to apply the name of God to Images Stars and Men But the more likely opinion is that when Adam had obtained a more holy posteritie which was now multiplyed in diuers families Religion which before had been a priuate In-mate in Adams houshold was now brought into publike exercise whereof Prayer hath alwaies been accounted a principall part and God himselfe in both Testaments calleth his house a house of Prayer the calues of the lips and the ejaculations of the heart being the body and soule of Diuine worship whereof Sacrifices were in a manner but the apparel fashioned to that infancy of the Church Of the names of the posteritie of Adam and his hundred yeeres mourning for Abel of Seth his remoouing after Adams death to a mountaine neere Paradise and such other things more sauouring of fabulous vanity in the false-named Methodius Philo and others that follow them I list not to write And wel might Genebrard haue spared his paines in searching for the antiquitie of Popery in this first Age of the World Easily may we grant a Church then truely Catholike in the Posteritie of Seth instructed partly by Reuelations partly by Traditions concerning the Creation the fall the good and euill Angels the promised Seed the Vnitie and Trinitie punishments and repentance for sinne publike and priuate Deuotions and other like Articles gathered out of Moses but for the Rabble of Rabbinicall Dreames which hee addeth herevnto we had need of the implicite faith of some simple credulous Catholike to receiue them as namely Purgatory resembled in the fiery Sword at the entrance of Paradise Free-will grounded on that which GOD speaketh to CAINE Thou shalt rule ouer him the prerogatiue of the elder Brother ouer the yonger falsly applyed to the rule of the minde ouer sinfull lusts the choice of meates in the first Fathers abstinence from flesh fish and wine as hee saith which had not beene permitted to them as it is to vs Traditions when as yet they had no Scripture Superstitious Obsequies to the dead because the Iewes in their office for the dead call vpon the Fathers which lye buried at Hebron namely Adam Eue and the rest to open the gates of Paradise Deuotion to Saints because the Cherubins were set betweene Paradise and Sinners as if their Saints were honoured to keepe them out of Heauen and not the bloudie Sacrifices onely in Abels offering but that vnbloudie Sacrifice so they stile their Masse in the offering of Caine wee enuie them not their Founder yea he finds their Sacrifice of Orders in Gods executing the Priestly function of Matrimony in Adam and Eue of Baptisme in the Breeches which they ware of Penance because GOD said Thou art dust and to dust thou shalt returne of Confirmation in those words Shee shall breake thy head the Truth will breake their heads for so reading it of Vnction in that Seth went to the Cherub which kept Paradise and receiued of him three graines of the Tree of Life whereof we reade in the Apocalyps the leaues shall heale the Nations with those graines was an Oyle made wherewith Adam was anoyed and the stones put into his mouth whence sprang the Tree whereof the Crosse of our Lord was made hidden by Salomon in the Temple and after in the Poole of Bethesda Spectatum admissi risum teneatis amici Did not Genebrard deserue an Archbishopicke or if the obseruation be his did not Petrus Victor Palma which set him forth with such Comments deserue the Palme and Victory for Peters pretended Successors which could find such antiquitie for proofe of their Catholicisme Much good may it doe their Catholike mawes with such Dainties Iust art thou O Lord and iust are thy iudgements which because they will not beleeue thy Truth giuest them ouer to such strong delusions to beleeue so grosse and palpable Lyes CHAP. VII Of the cause and comming of the Floud THus wee haue seene in part the fulfilling of the Prophesie of the Seed of the Woman and of that other of the Serpent in the Posteritie of Caine and Seth. The Family of Caine is first reckoned and their forwardnesse in humane Arts as the children of this World are wiser in their generation in the things of this life which they almost onely attend then the children of light As for the Iewish Dreames that Lamech was blind and by the direction of Tubalcaine his sonne guiding his hand slew Caine supposing it had beene a wilde beast which when he knew so inraged him that he killed his sonne also they that list may follow Moses reckoneth the Generations according to the first-borne in the Posteritie of Seth as enioying the Principalitie and Priest-hood that so the promised Seed of the Woman after such a World of yeares comming into the World might iustifie the stablenesse of GODS promises his Lineall Descent from Adam with a due Chronologie beeing declared After Seth Enosh Kenan Mehalaleel Iared was Henoch the seuenth from ADAM who walked with God whom God tooke away that he should not see death This before the Law and Helias in the Law are Witnesses of the Resurrection being miraculously taken from the Earth into Heauen not by death but by supernaturall changing of their bodies That hee should bee still in an Earthly Paradise and that hee and Elias should come and preach against Antichrist and of him be slaine is a Popish Dreame the Scripture saying that HENOCH was taken away that he should not see death of Elias that he is alreadie come in the person of Iohn Baptist the Spirit and power or spirituall power of walking with GOD reforming Religion and conuerting soules beeing communicated to many of those Ministers which haue lien slaine in the streets of that great Citie This his Assumption is supposed to be visibly done Hee was a Prophet and Iude doth in his Epistle cite a testimonie of his which eyther by Tradition went from hand to hand as it seemeth the whole Word of GOD was deliuered before the dayes of Moses GOD by Visions and Dreames appearing vnto the Patriarkes or else it was written and since is lost Some hold it was penned by some Iew vnder the name of Enoch Augustine thinketh that the Booke entituled Enoch was forged in his name as other Writings vnder the names of Prophets and Apostles and therefore calleth it Apocrypha as Hierome doth also Chrysostome and Theophilact account Moses the first Pen-man of Holy Scripture Although it seemes that Letters were in vse before the floud if Iosephus his testimonie be true who affirmeth that Adam hauing prohpecied two vniuersall destructions one by fire another by water his Posteritie erected two Pillars one of bricke another of stone in both which they writ their inuentions of Astronomie that of stone was reported to remaine in his time Some ascribe this to Seth as
lockes of light the keyes of pietie Aboue the heauens are the sea of life aboue that the cloudie sea then the arie sea the stony sea the darke sea the sea of solace the Moone the Sun the Name of GOD Supplication Gabriel the parchment rased the parchment full written all these in order one ouer another Then aboue all these the threescore and ten spaces of light then threescore and ten thousand hils with threescore and ten thousand spaces betweene and threescore and ten thousand troupes of Angels on them in euery troupe fiue thousand Angels alway praising the Lord of the world aboue these the limits or bounds of Angelical dignitie and aboue the same the banner of glory and then spaces of pearles and in their orders one aboue another the spaces of Grace of Power of Diuinitie of Dispensation the Foot-stoole the Throne the house of the Vniuerse Ab. Are the Sunne and Moone faithfull or not Mah. They are faithfull and obey euery command of GOD. Ab. Why then are they not of equall light Mah. GOD created them equall but by this it came to passe that the vicissitude or intercourse of day and night was vncertaine till Gabriel flying by the Moone darkened her with the touch of his wing Ab. How many orders are there of the Starres Mah. Three the first of those which hang by chaines from the Throne of GOD giuing light to the seuenth Throne the second chase away the deuils when they would enter into heauen the third in the sight of the Angels There are seuen seas betweene vs and heauen There are three windes the first barren the second tempestuous which shall blow the fire in the day of Iudgement the third ministreth to the earth and sea Ab. Where is the Sunne Mah. In a hot fountaine this in a Serpent which is a great space in the mount Kaf and this Kaf is in the hand of the Angell which holdeth the world till the day of Iudgement Abd. What is the manner of them which beare vp the Seat of GOD Mah. Their heads are vnder the Seat of GOD their feet vnder the seuen Thrones their neckes are so large that a bird in a thousand yeeres continuall flight should not reach from the one eare to another They haue hornes and their meate and drinke is the praise and glory of GOD. Abd. How farre is it to heauen Mahom. Fiue hundred yeeres iourney to the lowest and so from each to other Abd. What birds are betweene vs and heauen Mahom. Some which touch neither heauen nor earth hauing manes like horses haire like women wings like birds and lay their Egges and hatch them on their tailes till the day of Iudgement Ab. What was the forbidden tree Mah. Of wheat which had seuen eares whereof Adam plucked one wherein were fiue graines of which two hee eat two hee gaue to Eue and one hee carried away This graine was bigger then an Egge and being bruised brought forth all kindes of seed Ab. Where was Adam receiued after his expulsion from Paradise Mah. Adam in India Eue in Nubia Adam was recouered with three leaues of Paradise Eue with her haire They met together in Arafe Further as concerning Eue she was made of a rib of the left side for otherwise she had beene as strong as the man Ab. Who dwelt in the earth before Mah. First the Deuils seuen thousand yeeres after them the Angels lastly Adam a thousand yeeres after the Angels Ab. Who beganne the Pilgrimage Mah. Adam Gabriel shaued his head and hee circumcised himselfe and after him Abraham Ab. To what land spake GOD at any time Mah. To Mount Sinai that it should lift vp Moses to heauen Abitabil and Moses are the two men whose sepulchers are knowne Moses by chance found a sepulcher which while hee measured with his bodie the Angell of Death drew from him his soule out of his nostrils by the smell of an Apple of Paradise Ab. Where is the middle of the earth Mah. In Ierusalem Ab. Who made the first ship Mah. Noe hee receiued the keyes thereof of Gabriel and going forth of Arabia compassed Mecca seuen times and likewise Ierusalem In the meane while Mecca was receiued vp into heauen and the Mount Abikobez preserued Ierusalem in her belly Ab. What shall become of the children of the Infidels Mah. They shall come in at the day of Iudgement and GOD shall say vnto them Would yee doe that thing which shall be commanded you And he shall command to flow forth one of the riuers of hell and bid them leape into the same They which obey shall goe into Paradise This shall bee the triall of the children of the faithfull also which are borne deafe blinde c. Abd. What resteth vnder these seuen earths Mah. An Oxe whose feet are on a white stone his head in the East his taile in the West he hath fortie hornes and as many teeth it is a thousand yeeres iourney from one horne to another Vnder that stone is Zohot a mountaine of hell of a thousand yeeres iourney All the Infidels shall ascend vpon the same and from the top shall fall into Hell Vnder that Mount is the land Werelea vnder that the Sea Alkasem the Land Aliolen the sea Zere the land Neama the sea Zegir the land Theris the land Agiba white as Milke sweet as Muske soft as Saffron bright as the Moone the sea Alknitar the fish Albehbut with his head in the East his taile in the West all these in order one after another And beneath all these in like infernall order the Winde the Mountaine the Thunder the Lightning the bloudie Sea Hell closed the fierie Sea the darke Sea the Sea Po the cloudie Sea Prayses Glorification the Throne the Booke the Pen the greater Name of GOD. Ab. What hath come out of Paradise into the World Mah. Mecca Iesrab Ierusalem as on the contrarie out of Hell Vastat in Egypt Antiochia in Syria Ebheran in Armenia and Elmeden of Chaldaea Ab. What say you of Paradise Mah. The ground of Paradise is of gold enameled with Emeralds and Hiacinths planted with euery fruitfull Tree watered with streames of Milke Hony and Wine the day is of a thousand yeeres continuance and the yeere of fortie thousand yeeres The people shall haue whatsoeuer can be desired they shall be clothed in all colours except black which is the proper colour of Mahomet they all shall bee of the stature of Adam in resemblance like Christ neuer encreasing or diminishing As soone as they are entered shall bee set before them the Liuer of the Fish Albehbut and whatsoeuer dainties they can desire They shall not need going to stoole any more then the childe in the wombe but they shall sweat out all superfluities of sent like Muske They shall eat but for delight not for hunger Vnlawfull meates as Swines flesh they shall refraine And if you list to know why this beast is vnclean vnderstand that Iesus on a time called forth Iaphet to
Christians more vnnatural against his brother but most most vnnatural and monstrous against his sonne Selym. His conquests were in Cilicia Caramania and Peloponnesus Selym not content to haue thrust his father out of the Throne aspired to a further effect of aspiring ambition depriuing him of life from whom himselfe had receiued it To this end he corrupted a Iew Baiazets Physician whom Knolles calleth Hamon but Menauino an eye-witnesse nameth him Vstarabi who with the powder of beaten Diamonds poysoned him and for reward when hee claymed Selyms promise had his head stricken off in the Tyrants presence So much did he hate the Traytor whose treason he so much loued The body of Baiazet was embalmed and interred at Constantinople in a beautifull Sepulchre neere to the Meschit which himselfe had built and Priests were appointed which should euery day pray for his soule Two of his Pages did Selym put to death for wearing blacke and mourning apparell for their Masters death and three others whereof Menauino was one hardly by intreatie of Selyms daughters and some Bassaes escaped This Viper that spared not his father proceeded with bloudie hands to make an end of the rest of his Ottoman-kindred beginning with fiue sonnes of his brethren and adding the remnant as hee could bring them into his power And hauing thus founded his Throne in bloudie cruelties of his owne at home no maruell if abroad his proceedings were no lesse cruell and bloudie towards his enemies Of whom the first which offered himselfe after his domesticall warres appeased was Ismael the Sophie who with thirtie thousand Persian Horse-men gaue battell to Selym notwithstanding his three hundred thousand Turks where was fought in Armenia neere Coy a terrible and mortall battell betwixt them the Turkes at last very hardly preuailing by helpe of their great Ordnance but so little cause had they to reioyce of their victorie that this is reckoned among the dismall and disastrous dayes termed by the Turkes The onely day of Doome The next yeere he entred againe into the Persian Confines and there tooke Ciamassum ouerthrew Aladeules the Mountaine King who raigned in Taurus and Antitaurus and slew him But his most fortunate attempts were against Campson Gaurus the Egyptian Soldan and his forces of Mamalukes whom by his multitudes notwithstanding their fame and valour not inferiour to any Souldiors of the world hee ouercame the Soldan himselfe being left dead in the place August 7. 1516. Neither had Tomumbeius his Successor any better successe but succeeded as wel in his fortune as to his Scepter who by treason of his owne and power of his enemy lost both his life and Kingdome all Egypt and Syria therby accrewing to the Ottoman Selym from thenceforth purposing to turne his forces from the Sunne-rising against the Christians in the West came to his owne Sunne-set the period of his raigne and life a miserable disease as an angrie Pursuiuant exacting and redemanding his bloudie cruell spirit an implacable officer of that implacable Tyrant to Tyrants and Prince of Princes Death who at last conquered this Conquerour or rather if his Epitaph written on his Tombe say true conueied him hence to seeke new Conquests His disease was a Canker in the backe eating out a passage for his viperous soule which made him rot while he liued and become a stinking burthen to himselfe and others He died in September 1520. hauing before bequeathed bloudshed and desolation to the Christians and ordained Solyman his sonne and heire executour of that his hellish Testament And further to excite him thereunto had left him the liuely counterfeit of himselfe with sundrie bloudie Precepts annexed His title therein written was Sultan Selym Othoman King of Kings Lord of all Lords Prince of all Princes Sonne and Nephew of God Wee may adde Heire apparant to the Deuill that breathed his last in bloud resembling him that was a Murtherer from the beginning CHAP. IX A Continuation of the Turkish Warres and Affaires together with the succession of the Great Turkes till this present yeere 1616. §. I. Of SOLYMAN the Magnificent SOLYMAN sir-named the Magnificent succeeded his Father Selym in place and surmounted him exceedingly in exploits Belgrade which ominous name did presage happinesse vnto him in his Warres and proceedings was the beginning of his Conquests wonne by the Turkes August 29. 1521. Rhodes receiueth him on Christmasse day 1522. but withall exileth both Cheere Christmasse and Christians Hee inuadeth Hungarie and in the field discomfiteth and killeth Lewes and slayeth or captiueth two hundred thousand Hungarians in that expedition 1526. Hee entereth Hungarie the second time 1529. and after some butcheries therein marcheth to Vienna in Austria where he lost fourescore thousand of his Turkes and then with shame anger returned In the yeere 1532. he returneth with an Armie of fiue hundred thousand men to whom Charles the fifth opposed himselfe and the Christian forces in greater numbers then hath in many ages been seene mustering in his Armie at Vienna two hundred and threescore thousand men whereof fourescore and ten thousand Foot-men and thirtie thousand Horse-men were old Souldiers to whom Solyman did not nor durst not bid battell Poore Hungarie rues in meane while whether he getteth or loseth in Austria being made his thorow-fare as he went and came After this he trieth his successe against the Persian where hee taketh Tauris and Babylon with the Countries of Assyria and Media Anno 1534. each of which had sometimes beene Ladie of the World At incredible costs he prepared a Fleet in the Red Sea 1537. and taking Aden and Zibyth two petie Kingdomes in Arabia by his forces besieged Dium a Castle of the Portugals in the East-Indies but without his wished successe For the Portugals still retaine their Indian-Seas and Traffique and not onely freed that their Castle from Turkish bondage but had meanes to fortifie it better by the Ordnance which the Turkes in their hastie flight had left behinde A more dangerous plot did Solyman meane while contriue against Christendome preparing his forces to inuade Italy and to that end was come to Aulona an Hauen in Macedonia with two hundred thousand Souldiers where Barbarussa and Lutzis Bassa his great Admirall met him with his Fleet to transport his Armie But Solyman first employed these Sea-forces on the coast of Italy and tooke Castrum his Horse-men which he had sent ouer in great Palendars carried away the people cattell and substance betwixt Brundusium and Tarentum fortie miles space all the countrey of Otranto terrified with feare of a greater tempest But the Venetians turned it from the rest of Italy vpon themselues notwithstanding their league by vnseasonable exacting of that Sea-courtesie the vayling of the bonnets or top sayles of some Turkish Gallies vnto them as Lords of that Sea for which neglect some of them were sunke Auria also the Emperours Admirall had surprised some of the Turkes stragling Fleet and
out of Berosus and Nicolaus Damascenus of old and Cartwrights later trauels what may be thought thereof Armenia as Strabo affirmeth receiued the name of one of Iasons companions which followed him in his Nauigation out of Harmenia a Citie of Thessaly betweene Pherae and Larissa The wealth of this Region appeared when Ptolomey appointing Tigranes to bring in to the Romans sixe thousand Talents of Siluer he added voluntarily beyond that summe to euery Souldier in the Campe fiftie drammes of Siluer to euery Centurion a thousand to euery Deputie of a Countrey and Chiliarch a Talent Their Religion must at first be that which Noah and his Family professed after by time corrupted Here saith our Berosus Noah instructed his posteritie in Diuine an Humane Sciences and committed many naturall secrets vnto writing which the Scythian Armenians commend to their Priests onely none else being suffered to see or reade or teach them He left also Rituall Bookes or Ceremoniall of the which hee was termed Saga that is Priest or Bishop Hee taught them also Astronomy and the distinction of yeeres and moneths For which they esteemed him partaker of Diuine Nature and surnamed him Olybama and Arsa that is the Heauen and the Sunne and dedicated to him many Cities some saith he remaining at this day which beare these names And when hee went from thence to gouerne Cytim which now as bee affirmeth they call Italy the Armenians were much affected to him and after his death accounted him the Soule of the heauenly bodies and bestowed on him Diuine Honors Thus Armenia where hee began and Italy where he ended doe worship him and ascribe to him Names Heauen Sunne Chaos the Seed of the World the Father of the greater and lesse Gods the Soule of the World mouing Heauen and the Creatures and Man the GOD of Peace Iustice Holinesse putting away hurtfull things and preseruing good And for this cause both Nations signifie him in their writings with the course of the Sunne and motion of the Moone and a Scepter of Dominion persecuting and chasing away the wicked from among the societie of men and with the chastitie of the bodie and sanctimony of the minde the two keyes of Religion and Happinesse They called also Tidea the mother of all after her death Aretia that is the Earth and Esta that is the Fire because shee had beene Queene of the Holy Rites and had taught maidens to keepe the holy euerlasting fire from euer going out Noah before he went out of Armenia had taught men Husbandry more ayming at Religion and Manners then Wealth and Dainties which prouoke to vnlawfull things and had lately procured the wrath of GOD. And first of all men he found out and planted Vines and was therefore called Ianus which to the Aramaeans soundeth as much as The Author of Wine Thus farre Berosus lib. 3. and in the fourth Booke hee addeth that Nymbrot the first Saturne of Babylon with his sonne Iupiter Belus stole away those Rituall or Ceremoniall bookes of Iupiter Sagus and came with his people into the land Sennaar where he appointed a Citie and laid the foundation of a great Tower a hundred thirtie and one yeeres after the Floud but neither finished this nor founded the other Old Ianus when hee went hence left Scytha with his mother Araxa and some inhabitants to people Armenia being the first King thereof Sabatius Saga being consecrated High Priest from Armenia vnto the Bactrians all which space saith he in our Age is called Scythia Saga In his fifth booke hee reporteth That Iupiter Belus possessed with ambition of subduing the whole world closely endeuoured to make or take away Sabatius Saga who being not able otherwise to escape his treachetie fled away secretly But Ninus the sonne of Belus pursued his fathers intent against Sabatius who substituted his sonne Barzanes in his place and fled into Sarmatia and after from thence into Italy to his father Ianus Barzanes was subdued by Ninus But to come to an Author of better credite Strabo saith The Armenians and Medes haue in veneration all the Temples of the Persians but the Armenians especially esteeme the Temples of Tanais as erecting them in other places so in Acilesina They dedicate vnto them men-seruants and women-seruants the most noble of that Nation there dedicating shall I say or prostituting their daughters where after long prostitution with their Goddesse they are giuen in marriage none refusing such matches How much can the shadow how little can the substance of Religion perswade men to The Image of Tanais or Anaitis was set vp in her Temple all of solid gold and when as Antonius warred against the Parthians this Temple was robbed The same went That hee which first had layed sacrilegious hands on the spoyles was smitten blind and so diseased that he died thereof But when Augustus being entertained of an ancient warriour at Bononia asked him of the truth of this report he answered Thou now O Emperour drinkest that bloud for I am the man and whatsoeuer I haue came by that bootie This Goddesse is supposed to be the same with Diana A Region of Armenia bare the same name Anaitis How bloudy Rites the Armenians sometimes vsed appeareth by the Historie of the Riuer Araxes before called Halmus borrowing this later name of a King there raigning to whom in warres betwixt him and the Persians the Oracle prescribed the sacrifice of his two faire daughters Pietie forbade what pietie commanded and whiles the King would be an Vmpire between Nature and the Oracle which is the vsuall euent in arbitrements he satisfied neither That the Oracle might bee fulfilled he sacrificed two of noble birth of notable beautie that Nature might not be wronged hee wronged Iustice the true touch-stone of true pietie hee spared his owne and offered the daughters of Miesalcus but so hee lost both his daughters by Miesalcus reuenging sword and himselfe in this Riuer by himselfe drowned Bacchus loued Alphoesibaea an Armenian Damsell and while Tygris then if you beleeue the Story called Sollax was too coole a Mediatour betweene the two hot louers hee swam ouer on a Tygers backe Hence the Fable of his Metamorphosis into a Tygre hence that name left to the Riuer Armenia was subdued to the Persians by Cyrus one part thereof payed to the Persians twentie thousand Colts for yeerely tribute Sariaster sonne to Tigranes the Armenian King conspired against his father the Conspirators sealed their bloudie faith with a bloudie ceremonie they let themselues bloud in the right hands and then dranke it Wonder that in such a treachery as immediately before the same Author affirmeth of Mithridates his sonne that any man would helpe or that hee durst importune the Gods no wonder that so bloudie a seale was annexed to such euidence The Temple of Baris mentioned by Strabo may happily be some Monument of Noahs descent by corruption of the word Lubar as before said Iosephus out of
whether she had not yet experience of the Nature of the Creatures or did admire so strange an accident and would satisfie her curious mind in the further tryall entertained discourse and was presently snared For though she held her to the Commandement yet the threatning annexed she did somewhat mince and extenuate What she seemed to lessen he feared not to annihilate and wholly disanull propounding not onely impunity but aduantage That they should be as Gods in the enriching of their minds with further knowledge This hee perswadeth by the equivocating in the name of the Tree the first equiuocation we read of otherwhere plainely tearmed a lye charging GOD with falshood and malignitie Thus he that abode not in the Truth himselfe but was a Man-slayer from the beginning and the Father of Lying which he no where else borrowed but had of his owne perswaded her by his great subtiltie first to doubt of GODS Truth in his Word the first particular sinne that euer mans heart entertained for the other were but occasions and inducements disobedience and vnthankefulnesse are more generall after that she vnlawfully lusted after this new knowledge bewitched with the pleasantnesse of the fruit to the taste and sight shee tooke and did eate and gaue to her husband likewise The highest power of the soule is first entrapped the lusting and sensible faculties follow after iustly plagued by a correspondent inward rebellion that the sense now ruleth the appetite and this the reason in our corrupt estate which hence proceeded Thus vnbeleefe brought forth vnthankefulnesse vnthankefulnesse pride from thence ambition and all that rabble of contempt of Gods Truth beleeuing the Deuils lies abuse of the Creatures to wanton lust Sacrilegious vsurping that which GOD had reserued scandalous prouocation of her husband with the murther bodily and ghostly of him her selfe and their whole posteritie for euer and whereas yet they had done so little seruice to GOD they offered almost their first fruits to the Deuill hauing Free-will to haue resisted if they would No maruell then if such a combination of so many sinnes in one wrung from the iustice of GOD such a multitude of iudgements on them and theirs in the defacing that goodly and glorious Image of GOD subiecting in stead thereof the Bodie to Sickenesse Colde Heate Nakednesse Hunger Thirst Stripes Wounds Death the Minde to Ignorance Doubtings Vanitie Phancies Phrenzies the Will to Vnstaiednesse Passion Perturbations the Whole Man is made a slaue to Sinne within him to the Deuill without whence he must expect Wages sutable to his Worke Death Spirituall Naturall and Eternall an infinite punishment for offending an infinite Maiesty Thus had they put out their light to obscure darkenesse and if they were not presently cast into vtter darkenesse it was GODS mercy not their merit which suspended the first and naturall death to preuent that second and eternal But spiritually the were euen already dead in sinnes as appeared by the accusations of their conscience whereof Moses saith The eyes of them both were opened and they knew that they were naked Conscience before Vertues keeper was now become Hels Harbenger then flashing lightnings in the face of their minds to shew that their nakednesse did now appeare filthy in GODS sight Lightnings indeed which could only lighten to terrifie not enlighten with instruction and comfort which sparke remaineth after the fire of Gods Image extinct by the mercifull prouidence of GOD in some to bee a bridle of Nature least they should runne into all excesse of vilanie and not leaue a face of the world in the world and to be to others by disposition and working of a higher and supernaturall Light a preparatiue to and a preseruatiue in that light of Life So much the greater is their sinne that seeke to flash out these flashings and whereas they cannot reade the booke of Scripture and will not reade the booke of the Creature labour to extinguish also this Light of Nature that with seared consciences they may more freely in darkenesse commit the workes of darkenesse And euen this did Adam seeke if GOD had not brought him out of his Owles neast For what could a Fig-leafe hide from GOD and did they thinke the innocent Trees would conspire with them to conceale Traytors Was there any darkenesse which was not Light to him Or could Breeches and Trees couer their Soules which receiued the first and worst nakednesse till which Nakednesse to the body was a Clothing of Beauty a Liuery of Bounty an Ensigne of Maiesty Such broken pits seeke they that forsake the Fountaine of liuing Waters And yet when GOD commeth into Iudgement and makes the winds to vsher him vnto his priuate Sessions in Paradise to those shiftlesse shifts they added worse impiously accusing GOD vncharitably charging one another to put from themselues that blame which thus claue faster to them A medicine worse then the disease or a disease in stead of a medicine is hypocrisie that will not see her owne sickenesse and seekes rather to couer then to cure to couer by charging others then recouer by discharging and discouering it selfe as if equitie pretended were not iniquitie doubled GOD proceedeth to sentence a sentence worthy of GOD shewing at once his infinite iustice in the punishment of sinne and no lesse infinite mercie to prouide an infinite price to redeeme vs by his infinite power bringing good out of euill and by his manifold Wisedome taking that wise one in his craftinesse who in the destruction of Man had sought GODS dishonour So good is it that euill should be when this Soueraigne goodnesse purposeth to effect his good will by wicked instruments out of their darkenesse producing his owne maruellous light as appeared in this worke of Sathan an aduersary intended to his despite in and by the promised Seede disposed to his glory The Serpent hath a bodily curse in his future bodily difficulties which still continue for his instrumentall and bodily imployment The old Serpent and spirituall Enemie hath a spirituall and eternall curse the breaking of his head by that Seede of the Woman that should once lead Captiuitie captiue Our Parents are cursed yet so as their curse is turned into a blessing all things working to the best In sorrow shal be the Womans conceptions but recompenced with the ioy which followeth and is as it were the Mid-wife in their trauell because of fruit borne into the World and more then recompenced in that they are saued by bearing of children if they continue in the faith and liue in holinesse with modestie Adam is set to labour not as before with delight but with paine and difficultie the Earth also being cursed for his sake yet by this narrow way by this crosse-way he is guided to Heauen the hope whereof was giuen him before Paradise was taken from him So true is it that in iudgement he remembreth mercy if we can learne to liue
our inheritance for actuall sinnes are our owne purchase and improuement and yet bought with that stocke which our Parents left vs Our first Parents are to bee considered not as singular persons onely whereby they defiled themselues but as the roote of Mankind which had receiued Originall Righteousnesse to keepe or to lose to them and theirs as a perpetuall inheritance As in the Bodie Politike the Act of the Prince is reputed the Act of the whole the consent of a Burgesse in Parliament bindeth the whole Citie which he representeth and as in the naturall Bodie the whole bodie is lyable to the guilt of that fact which the head or hand hath committed as a root to his branches a Fountaine to his streames doth conuey the goodnesse or badnesse which it selfe hath receiued So stands it betwixt vs and Adam our naturall Prince the Burgesse of the World the Head of this humane Bodie and Generation the Root and Fountaine of our Humanitie When hee sinned hee lost to himselfe and vs that Image of GOD or that part of the Image of GOD which he had receiued for himselfe and vs not the substance nor the faculties of bodie or soule but the conformitie in that substance and faculties to the will of GOD in righteousnesse and holinesse of truth Not so much therefore are wee here to consider the ordinary course of Nature wherein the soule that sinneth it shall dye as the Ordinance of GOD who appointed the first Adam the Wel-spring of Nature which he receiued incorrupted the second of Grace that as men we all by Generation are of the first and with the first one old man in whom we all sinned of and with the second Adam we are all one new man in the Lord euen one bodie one Spirit one Seed one Christ in whom and with whom wee as members of that Head obeyed the Precepts and suffered the curse of the Law Other sinnes of Adam are not our naturall but his personall because he could be no longer a publike person then while he had somewhat to saue or lose for vs all being alreadie forfeited in this first sinne The Authour then of Originall Sinne is the Propagator of our Nature his actuall sinne is originally ours the Guilt being deriued by imputation the Corruption by naturall generation First that Person corrupted Nature after Nature infected our Persons The matter of this Originall corruption in regard of the subiect is All and euery man and All and euery part of all and euery man subiect to all sinne that if all be not as bad as any and the best as the worst it must be ascribed to GODS restrayning or renewing not vnto vnequall degrees in this originall staine In regard of the Obiect the matter of it is the want of originall Righteousnesse and a contrary inclination to Euill The imaginations of our hearts being onely euill continually No Grapes can grow on these Thornes The forme of this corruption is the deformitie of our corrupted Nature not by infusion or imitation but by default of that first instrument by which this Nature descendeth It is the roote of actuall sinnes and whereas they as fruits are transient this still remayneth vntill Christ by his death destroyeth this death in vs But here ariseth another difficulty How this sinne can bee deriued by Generation seeing it is truely beleeued that God is Father of Spirits the For men of our Soules which doth by infusion create and by Creation infuse theme corruptible Elements beeing vnable to procreate an incorruptible substance or generation to produce in corruption Neither standeth it with reason that he which communicateth not the substance should communicate the accidents or with Iustice that an innocent Soule should necessarily be stayned by inuoluntary infusion into a polluted bodie I answere hereunto That although the Soule be not traducted as they terme it and by Generation conferred yet is it coupled to the body in that manner and order which GOD had appointed for the coniunction thereof though man had not sinned Neither was it the Soule alone in Adam or the body alone but the Person consisting of both which sinned Neither can we be partakers of Natures sinne till we be partakers of humane Nature which is not till the Soule and Body bee vnited Wee are not so much therefore to looke to the concupiscence and lust of the Parents in generation as Lumbard teacheth vs but to the Person which Scotus saith is filia Adae debitrix iustitiae originalis And although the Soule be not in the seed yet it is communicated to the Body saith Aquinas by a dispositiue preparatiue power of the Seed which disposeth and prepareth the Body to the receiuing of the Soule where it is receiued after the generall rule according to the measure and nature of that which receiueth The Father is then a perfect Father not because he begetteth the Soule but because he begetteth the Person or at least all whatsoeuer in the Person is begotten and though he doth not beget the substance thereof yet as it is such a subsistence he may be said to procreate it because his generation worketh towards the Vnion of the Soule and Body which Vnion is made by the Spirits Animall and Vitall And these Spirits are procreated by the Seed and consist of a middle nature as it were betwixt bodily and spirituall so that the production of the Soule and incorporating thereof may be counted in the middle way betweene Creation and Generation And therefore this originall corruption did not reach to Christ Iesus although hee were true Man because hee was the Seed of the Woman and did not descend of Adam by generation per seminatem rationem tanquam à principio actiuo saith Aquinas but was miraculously framed in the wombe and of the substance of the Virgin by the power of the Holy Ghost Thus haue I presumed to offer my crude and rude Meditations to the wiser World about the deriuation of Originall sinne which it selfe is the cause why we can no better see it as darkenesse hideth it selfe But the whole Citie of Mankind being here with set on fire it behoueth euery one to be more carefull to quench it then ouer-curiously to enquire how it came It is sufficient that nothing descended hereby to vs by corruption or was made ours by imputation which is not fully cured by Christ who is made vnto vs both by imputation of his actiue and passiue obedience and by reall infusion of his Spirit Wisdome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption if wee haue faith to receiue it and Charitie to expresse it an absolute renewer and perfecter of the Image of God beyond what wee had in our first Parents lost CHAP. VI. Of the Reliques of the Diuine Image after the Fall whereby naturally men addict themselues vnto some Religion and what was the Religion of the World before the Floud THis sinne of our first
diuersly expressed Yea euen the most lasciuious cruell beastly and Deuillish obseruations were grounded vpon this one principle That GOD must bee serued which seruice they measured by their owne crooked Rules euery where disagreeing and yet meeting in one Center The necessitie of Religion As for Policie although it is before answered yet this may be added That whereas men with all threatnings promises punishments rewards can scarce establish their politicall Ordinances Religion insinuateth and establisheth it selfe yea taketh naturally such rooting that all politicall Lawes and tortures cannot plucke it vp How many Martyrs hath Religion yea superstition yeelded but who will lay downe his life to seale some Politicians authority And so farre is it that Religion should be grounded on Policie that Policie borroweth helpe of Religion Thus did Numa father his Romane Lawes on Aegeria and other Law-giuers on other supposed Deities which had been a foolish argument and vnreasonable manner of reasoning to perswade one obscurity by a greater had not Nature before taught them religious awe to God of which they made vse to this ciuill obedience of their lawes supposed to spring from a Diuine Fountaine Yea the falshoods and varietie of religions are euidences of this Truth seeing men will rather worship a Beast Stocke or the basest Creature then professe no Religion at all The Philosophers also that are accused of Atheisme for the most part did not deny Religion simply but that irreligious Religion of the Greekes in idolatrous superstition Socrates rather swearing by a Dog or an Oke then acknowledging such gods It is manifest then that the Image of GOD was by the Fall depraued but not vtterly extinct among other sparkes this also being raked vp in the ruines of our decayed Nature some science of the God-head some conscience of Religion although the true Religion can bee but one and that which GOD himselfe teacheth as the onely true way to himselfe all other Religions being but strayings from him whereby men wander in the darke and in labyrinths of error like men drowning that get hold on euery twig or the foolish fish that leapeth out of the frying-pan into the fire Thus GOD left a sparke of that light couered vnder the ashes of it selfe which himselfe vouchsafed to kindle into a flame neuer since neuer after to be extinguished And although that rule of Diuine Iustice had denounced morte morieris to die and againe to die a first and second death yet vnasked yea by cauilling excuses further prouoked hee by the promised seed erected him to the hope of a first and second resurrection a life of Grace first and after of Glory The Sonne of God is promised to be made the seede of the Woman the substantiall Image of the inuisible GOD to be made after the Image and similitude of a Man to reforme and transforme him againe into the former Image and similitude of GOD and whereas GOD had made man before after his owne Image and lost him he now promiseth to make himselfe after Mans Image to recouer him euen that he which in the forme of GOD thought it not robbery for it was Nature to bee equall with GOD should bee made nothing to make vs something should not spare himselfe that hee might spare vs should become partaker of our Nature flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone that hee might make vs partakers of the Diuine Nature flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone This was that Seede of the Woman that hath broken the Serpents head which by death hath ouercome death and him that had the power of Death the Deuill who submitted himselfe to a death in it selfe bitter before men shamefull and of GOD accursed that hee might bring vs to a life peaceable glorious and blessed beyond what eye hath seene or heart can conceiue This promise of this Seed slaine from the beginning of the World was the seed of all true Religion the soule of Faith the life of Hope the well-spring of Charitie True it is that all receiued not this promise alike for a seed of the Serpent was fore-signified also which should bruise the heele of the Womans seede And this in the first seed and generation of Man soon appeared Caine and Abel were hereof liuely examples It appeareth that GOD had taught Adam how hee would bee worshipped as it were ordering and ordaining him the first Priest of the World which function he fulfilled both in instructing his Wife and Children in prayer with and for them and in the rites of Sacrificing His children accordingly in processe of time brought and offered their Sacrifices As concerning Sacrifices some hold opinion according to their owne practice that Nature might teach Adam this way of seruing GOD as if Nature were as well able to finde the way as to know that she is out of the way and were as well seene in the particular maner as in the generall necessitie of Religion We cannot see the Sunne without the Sunne nor come to GOD but by GOD to whom Obedience is better then Sacrifice and to hearken better then the fat of Rams ABEL saith the Scripture offered by faith without which faith it is impossible to please GOD but faith hath necessary relation to the Word of GOD who otherwise will be weary of our solemnities and asketh Who hath required them at our hands These sacrifices also besides that they were acknowledgements of their thankefulnesse and reall confessions of their sinne and death due to them therefore did lead them by the hand to Christ that Lambe of GOD that should take away the sinnes of the World figured by these slaine beasts confirming their faith in the promise and their hope of the accomplishment of which Nature could not once haue dreamed which hath rather the impression of some confused notions that wee haue lost the way and ought to seeke it then either light to discerne it or wisedome to guide vs in it Of sacrificing there were from the Beginning two kinds one called Gifts or Oblations of things without life the other Victims so our Rhemists haue taught vs to English the word Victimae slaine Sacrifices of Birds and Beasts Againe they were propitiatory consecratorie Eucharisticall and so forth whose kinds and rites Moses hath in his Bookes especially in Leuiticus so plainely declared that I should but powre water into the Sea or light a candle to the Sunne to dilate much of them these beeing the same in signification with the Leuiticall and little if little differing in the manner of doing Caine brought his offering being an Husbandman of the fruit of the ground Abel a Shepheard of the fattest of his Sheepe God respected ABEL and his offering the tree first and then the fruit the worker and then the worke which he signified either by voice or by fire from Heauen according to Theodotians translation as in
they after obtained Eusebius in the first booke of his Chronicle attributeth the originall of Idolatry to Serug the Father of Nahor Beda saith In the daies of Phaleg Temples were built and the Princes of Nations adored for gods The same hath Isidore Epiphanius referreth it to Serug and addeth That they had not grauen Images of Wood or Metall but pictures of men and Thara the Father of Abraham was the first Author of Images The like hath Suidas Hugo de S. Victore saith Nimrod brought men to idolatrie and caused them to worship the fire because of the fiery nature and operation of the Sun which errour the Chaldaeans afterwards followed These times till Abram they called Scythismus The reason of their Idolatrie Eusebius alleageth That they thus kept remembrance of their Warriours Rulers and such as had atchieued noblest enterprises and worthiest exploits in their life time Their posteritie ignorant of that their scope which was to obserue their memorials which had been Authors of good things and because they were their forefathers worshipped them as heauenly Deities and sacrificed to them Of their God-making or Canonization this was the manner In their sacred Bookes or Kallenders they ordained That their names should bee written after their death and a Feast should be solemnized according to the same time saying That their soules were gone to the Isles of the blessed and that they were no longer condemned or burned with fire These things lasted to the dayes of Thara who saith Suidas was an Image-maker and propounded his Images made of diuers matter as gods to be worshipped but Abram broke his Fathers Images From Saruch the Author and this Practice Idolatry passed to other Nations Suidas addeth specially into Greece for they worshipped Hellen a Gyant of the posterity of Iapheth a partner in the building of the Tower Not vnlike to this we reade the causes of Idolatry in the booke of Wisdome supposed to be written by Philo but because the substance is Salomons professing and bearing his name which of all the Apochrypha-Scripture sustaineth least exception attaineth highest commendation When a Father mourned grieuously for his sonne that was taken away suddenly he made an Image for him that was once dead whom now he worshippeth as a God and ordained to his seruants Ceremonies and Sacrifices A second cause hee alleageth viz. The tyrannie of men whose Images they made and honoured that they might by all meanes flatter him that was absent as though hee had beene present A third reason followeth The ambitious skill of the workeman that through the beauty of the worke the multitude beeing allured tooke him for a God which a little before was honoured but as a man The like affirmeth Hierome Cyprian and Polydore de inuentoribus LACTANTIVS as before is shewed maketh that the Etymologie of the word Superstitio Quia superstitem memoriam defunctorum colebant aut quia parentibus suis superstites celebrabant imagines eorum domi tanquam deos penates either because they honoured with such worship the suruiuing memory of their dead Ancestors or because suruiuing and out-liuing their Ancestors they celebrated their Images in their houses as houshold gods Such Authors of new Rites and Deifiers of dead men they called Superstitious but those which followed the publikely-receiued and ancient Deities were called Religious according to that Verse of Virgil. Vana superstitio veterumque ignara deorum But by this rule saith Lactantius wee shall find all Superstitious which worship false gods and them only religious which worship the one and true GGD The same Lactantius faith That Noah cast off his sonne Cham for his wickednesse and expelled him Hee abode in that part of the Earth which now is called Arabia called saith he of his name Canaan and his Posteritie Canaanites This was the first people which was ignorant of GOD because their Founder and Prince receiued not of his Father the worship of GOD. But first of all other the Egyptians began to behold and adore the heauenly bodies and because they were not couered with houses for the temperature of the Ayre and that Region is not subiect to clouds they obserued the Motions and Ecclipses of the Starres and whiles they often viewed them more curiously fel to worship them After that they inuented the monstrous shapes of beasts which they worshipped Other men scattered through the World admiring the Elements the Heauen Sunne Land Sea without any Images and Temples worshipped them and sacrificed to them sub dio til in processe of time they erected Temples and Images to their most puissant Kings ordained vnto them Sacrifices Incense so wandering from the knowledge of the true GOD they became Gentiles Thus farre Lactantius And it is not vnlike that they performed this to their Kings eyther in flatterie or feare of their power or because of the benefits which they receiued from them this beeing saith Plinie the most ancient kinde of thankefulnesse to reckon their Benefactours among the gods To which accordeth Cicero in the Examples of Hercules Castor Pollux Aesculapius Liber Romulus And thus the Moores deified their Kings and the Romanes their deceased Emperours The first that is named to haue set vp Images and worship to the dead was Ninus who when his Father Belus was dead made an Image to him and gaue priuiledge of Sanctuary to all Offenders that resorted to this Image whereupon mooued with a gracelesse gratefulnesse they performed thereunto diuine honours And this example was practised after by others And thus of Bel or Belus beganne this Imagerie and for this cause saith Lyra they called their Idols Bel Baal Beel-zebub according to the diuersitie of Languages Cyrillus calleth him Arbelus and saith that before the Floud was no Idolatrie amongst men but it had beginning after in Babylon in which Arbelus next after whom raigned Ninus was worshipped Tertullian out of the Booke of Enoch before mentioned is of opinion That Idolatrie was before the Floud Thus to continue the memorie of mortall men and in admiration of the immortall heauenly Lights together with the tyrannie of Princes and policies of the Priests beganne this worshipping of the creature with the contempt of the Creator which how they increased by the Mysteries of their Philosophers the fabling of their Poets the ambition of Potentates the Superstition of the vulgar the gainfull collusion of their Priests the cunning of Artificers and aboue all the malice of the Deuils worshipped in those Idols there giuing answeres and Oracles and receiuing Sacrifices the Histories of all Nations are ample Witnesses And this Romane Babylon now Tyrant of the West is the heire of elder Babylon sometimes Ladie of the East in these deuotions that then and still Babylon might bee the mother of Whoredomes and all Abominations To which aptly agree the Parallels of Babylon and Rome in Orosius the Empire of the one ceasing when
translated into Greeke This Philo in the beginning of his worke sayth That his Author Sachoniatho as he was generally learned so especially he searched out those things which Taantus called of the Aegyptians Thoyth of the Greekes Mercurie the first Inuenter of letters had written hee also blamed those that by Allegories and Tropologies peruert and obscure the Historie of their gods affirming plainely That the ancient Phoenicians Aegyptians and others adored those men for gods that had beene the Authors of good things to men applying to them also the names of those Naturall gods the Sunne Moone c. so making some gods mortall some immortall According to this Taautus therefore the first beginnings of all things were a darke disordered Chaos and the spirit of the darke ayre Hence proceeded Moth which we may interprete Mire from whence issued the seedes and generation of all creatures in the Earth and Heauen the plants first and from them the reasonable Creatures called Thophasunin that is the beholders of Heauen formed in the shape of an Eggs From Moth also came the Sunne Moone and Starres The Sunne by his heate separating these new-formed Creatures their conflict in the ayre produced Thunder which noyse awaked and caused to leape out of their earth this slimie generation after of the Winde Colpia and Baau which signifieth Night were borne men named Age and First-borne Age taught men to liue of the fruites of trees of these came Kind and Generation who being troubled with heate lifted vp their hands to the Sunne which they tooke for a god calling him Beelsamen which signifieth the Lord of Heauen whom the Greekes cal Iupiter Kind begate Light Flame Fire S This last by rubbing of stickes together found out fire From these descended in succeeding generations those Giants that left their names to the hils where they dwelt Cassius and Libanus that contended against their brother Vson who first aduentured the sea in the bodies of trees burned in which manner the Indians euen yet make their canoas or boats and he erected two Statues to the Wind and the Fire whom hee adored with the bloud of beasts These first men after their death had Statues consecrated to them by posteritie and yeerly solemnities To these succeeded others Hunter and Fisher which had two Sonnes one of which was named Chusor a great Magician From these descended Amynus and Magus Authors of Sheepe-cotes and flockes or heards of Cattell These were the Titans Inuenters of Arts hunting fishing building yron-works tents and such like To Misor one of these was borne Taautus first Author of Letters At that time was borne Elius and Beruth his wife which dwelt in Biblos the Parents of Caelus and Terra his wife and sister who deified with rites and ceremonies their father Elius being torne of wilde beasts To these were borne Saturne Baetilus Dagon and Atlas But Calus taking other wiues there arose a great quarrell betwixt him and his former ayded herein by her sonnes of whom Saturne the eldest created Mercurie his Scribe by whose Magicall Arts and by those weapons first by him and Minerua the daughter of Saturne deuised Caelus was ouerthrowne who after two and thirty yeeres warre betwixt them was taken by his sonne and depriued of his genitories Saturne had issue besides his daughters Minerua and Proserpina Amor Cupido Saturne Iupiter Belus and Apollo of his Sisters Astarte Rhaea Dione Then also were borne Typho Nereus Pontus the Father of Neptune Saturne suspecting his brother Atlas buried him in the ground and cast vp an high hill ouer him where not long after was a Temple erected to him Dagon was inuenter of Tillage and therefore called Iupiter of the Plough But Saturne becomming a great Conquerour bestowed Egypt on Taautus or Mercurie who first made a mysterie of their Theologie as the Sonne of one Thalon the Phoenician Priest first did among the Phoenicians applying allegoricall interpretations thereof to Nature and instituting Rites to posterity This allegoricall Theologie of Taantus was interpreted by Surmobolus and Thurro It followeth in the History That it was then a custome in great calamities for the Prince to appease the angry Daemon with his best beloued sonne and thus in the time of a perillous warre was Leüd the Sonne of Saturne by a Nymph named Anobreth cloathed in royall apparrell offered on an Altar erected for that purpose This was practised long after by the King of Moab who being besieged by three Kings of Israel Iuda and Idumaea sacrificed his eldest sonne which yet some interprete of the eldest sonne of the King of Idumaea Taautus ascribed Diuinitie to the Serpent as being of a most fierie and spirituall nature mouing it selfe swiftly and in many formes without helpe of feet and a creature which renueth her age The Phoenicians and Aegyptians followed him herein they calling it a happy Spirit of God these Eneth and framed thereto the head of a Hawke of which in his place wee haue spoken And thus farre haue wee beene indebted to Eusebius In the time of those warres betwixt Saturne and Caelus was borne Hercules to whom was a Temple of great Antiquity at Tyre To Hercules were also celebrated games at Tyrus euery fiue yeeres to which Iason sent three hundred drams for a sacrifice m Hiram in Solomons time pulled downe the old Temples of Hercules and Astarte and built new He first erected a statue to Hercules and in the temple of Iupiter consecrated a golden Pillar The Sydonians also worshipped Astarte in a stately and ancient Temple to her builded whom some interprete Luna some Venus and one of her Priests to Lucian Europa She was worshipped of the Punickes a Phoenician colony by that name of Iuno But Philo Bybliensis saith it was Venus which may bee all one for Herodotus saith Vrania which was also Iuno was Venus and Luna also after Lucian And so it appeareth by her hornie head wherewith Philo saith shee was painted the Arabians called her Alilat the Chaldaeans Militta The same is called also Beltis or Baaltis and Belisama in an old Inscription that is Iuno Olympia or Queene of Heauen Shee ware on her head in stead of a Crowne a Bulles-head whereby what else could be meant but the Moone Queene of the night as the Sunne Baalsamen is King of Heauen or Lord of the day But the manifold names giuen to the same Deities brought in confusion and a numberlesse Polytheisme nor can wee well distinguish betwixt Minerua Iuno Venus Luna and other names of their mystie mysteries Shee is called also Astroarche Iuno Lucina Ilithyia which hath her mid-wife-mysteries borrowed together with the name from the Iewish Lilith of which we shall after speake as the name Alilat also is The Syrian goddesse before related and the Persian Mithra which some deriue of Mader that is in the Persian also a mother is no other but this Astarte Vrania or as Tertullian cals her Coelestis or what other
as if he had touched a stranger They liue long feare not death not by any tortures of the Romans could be compelled to transgresse their lawes but derided their tormentors rather beleeuing to receiue their soules againe presently holding the bodies to be corruptible and the prisons of the immortall soules which if they haue been good haue a pleasant place assigned them beyond the Ocean but the euill to be in tempestuous stormie places of punishments Some of these Essens also foretell things to come And another sort is of them which allow of marriage but make a three yeeres tryall first of the woman and if by a constant purgation they appeare fit for child-bearing they wed them not for pleasure but procreation and therefore after conception do not accompanie with them These women when they wash haue their sacred linnen garments also as the men Thus far Iosephus who in his Antiq. addeth to these their opinions of Gods prouidence ruling all things and that they thinke their Ceremonies more holy then those of the Temple and therefore send thither their gifts but do not there sacrifice but by themselues following the same course of life which the Plisti do amongst the Dacians Some of these Essees liued solitarie like to Hermites as is said before Happily that Baenus was of this sort to whom Iosephus resorted for imitation He liued in the wildernesse cloathing and feeding himselfe with such things as the trees and plants of their owne accord yeelded him and with often cold washings in the night and day cooling the heate of lust with him Iosephus abode three yeeres §. VI. Of the Scribes THE Gaulonites or Galilaans had their beginning of Iudas elsewhere hee calleth him Simon a Galilaean whose doctrine was That Only GOD was to be accounted their Lord and Prince In other things they agreed with the Pharises but for their libertie they would rather endure any the most exquisite tortures together with their kindred and friends then call any mortall man their Lord Theudas happily mentioned Act. 5. and that Egyptian Act. 21. were of this rebellious and trayterous Sect and those Sicarij which wore short weapons vnder their garments therewith murthering men in assemblies That Egyptian Iosephus cals a false Prophet who vnder pretence of Religion and name of a Prophet assembled almost thirtie thousand men to Mount Oliuet hee was defeated by Foelix the Gouernour Such were their Zelotae in the siege of Ierusalem vnder the mantle of Religion all of them harbouring and cloaking Treason and villanie The Scribes are not a Sect but a function of which were two sorts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the one expounders of the Law the other publike Notaries or Actuaries Recorders Secretarie Epiphanius maketh difference betwixt the Scribes that were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Teachers of the Law and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Lawyers which prescribed formes of Law Law-cases and taught Ciuill actions But these are often taken one for the other Ezra is called a Scribe whose Pulpit is mentioned Nehem. 8. and Moses Chaire was the Seate of the Scribes that is they taught the Law of Moses which they vsed to do sitting as Christ also did Math. 5.2 Their expositions Epiphanius saith were of foure sorts one in the name of Moses the second in the name of their Rabbine Akiba he is said to haue liued a hundred and twentie yeeres and to be standard-bearer to Barchozba the third in Andan or Annan the fourth after the Assamonai But little is to bee said of these Scribes more then what is before said of the Pharises this being not a differing Sect but an Office or Ministerie wherof the Pharises also were capable and are for false teaching blamed by our Sauiour together with the Scribes The Scribes are said in their expositions to haue beene more textuall the Pharises more in their Glosses and Traditions The Scribes had chiefe reputation for learning the Pharises for holinesse taking more paines saith our English Iosephus to goe to hell The Scribes professed both disputation and obseruation of many things saith Arias Montanus but not so exact as the Pharises For the Pharises though not so learned as the other thought themselues more holy then them because they obserued not onely those things which in the common opinion were thought meete but those things which were least which the people obserued not which others had added This they were ambitious of as of some great perfection for there was a threefold state of men The Doctors Pharises and people of the Land The Prouerbe was The people of the Land are the foote-stoole of the Pharises And this The people of the Land is not holy and they discerne not the Law nor wisedome yea saith the booke Musar hee shall not take the daughter of the people of the Land because they are abomination and their wiues are abomination and of their daughters it is said Cursed be hee that lyeth with a beast Thus did these proud Doctors and Pharises treade the way to the Popish Clergie in contemning the Laytie as vnworthie of the Law and Scripture which in an vnknowne tongue was sealed from them and feasted them at high Feasts with an halfe Sacrament and in their ordinarie priuate Masse with none at all Were not these faire reasons The Laytie might if they had a whole Communion touch the Cup and some of them haue beards and some haue the palsie and their dignitie is inferior to the Priestly c. The Booke Aboth sheweth how the people of the Lord required this supercilious generation talking of them and scoffing at them for their obseruations When I was of the people of the Land R. Aquiba there saith I said Who will giue me a Disciple of the wise I would bite him as an Asse for that insolence and because they would not suffer themselues to be touched of them The people were tyed to obserue the precepts mentioned or by necessitie of consequence drawne out of the Bible The Pharises as is said added their Traditions The Scribes manner of teaching was colde and weake consisting in certaine arguments which rather afflicted then affected the mindes of the hearers in certaine niceties and scrupulous questions and sometimes inextricable And therefore the people heard Christ as speaking with authoritie and not as the Scribes But to let passe these Schoole-men and those Canonists let vs come to their other Sects and sorts of professions §. VII Of many other Iewish Sects and Heresies THe Hemerobaptists are numbred by Epiphanius among the Iewish heresies which saith hee in other things differ not from the Scribes and Pharisies but in their doctrine of the resurrection and in infidelitie are like to the Sadduces And euerie day in all times of the yeere they are baptized or washed whence they haue their name But this custome of daily washing saith Scaliger was common
And of great goodnesse 7. And Truth 8. Which keepest Mercy for thousands 9. Which takest away the Iniquitie 10. Transgressions 11. And sinnes 12. Which absoluest not 13. But rendrest the Iniquitie of the Fathers vpon the Children to the third and fourth Generation then follow those thirteene Articles in forme of an Hymne with the Exposition of R. Moses which also you may reade in the Treatise of Philip Ferdinand a Polonian Christned Iew. And hee which thus beleeueth sayth Ferdinand is a Iew and as a Brother to bee loued and though hee commit all the sinnes of the World howsoeuer hee shall bee punished for his sinne yet shall he haue part in the Kingdome of Heauen though he be reckoned among the Sinners of Israel But he which shall ouerturne one of these Precepts shall bee blotted out of the number of the Saints and be reckoned an Heretike Apostata Epicure worthy to bee hated of all This is the Iewish Faith in which with much vexation doubting and lamentation they liue and dye vpon which their Religion hath beene alway founded but it was first put in writing and brought into this Order by R. Mosche bar Maimon who dyed in the yeere after their reckoning 4964. Anno Dom. 1104. and straite charge was giuen That the Iewes thenceforth for euer confessing it in this Order should according to the same liue and dye This their Creed howsoeuer Charity may construe much of it to a better sense yet according to their vnderstanding doth it principally ayme at the subuersion of Christian Religion as appeareth in a more strait Examination after their sense of the 2 3 4 and 5 the 7 8 9 10 11 12. Articles All which make against the person or the Office of the Sonne of GOD as they vnderstand them denying his God-head and disanulling his Office affirming as a Iew shamed not to professe and vtter vnto M. Buxdorfius That it needed not that any should satisfie for them for euery Fox must yeeld his owne skinne and haires to the flayer And the Iewish Faith saith R. Ioseph Albu is founded vpon three foundations vpon the vnitie of the Diuine Essence vpon the Law of Moses and vpon the eternall reward of good workes and punishment of euill contemning the Passion of Christ by whose stripes we are healed and on whom GOD hath laid the iniquities of vs all It is written also in their Talmud that all the Israelites haue their portion in the World to come not all alike but he shall haue a greater part that hath done more good workes and the wicked and Impenitent shall be punished twelue moneths in Hell or Purgatorie after which time they also and some sooner if they haue beene lesse sinners shall haue their part but a lesse then the former but to them which deny GOD which become Christians their fore-skinne groweth againe and as vncircumcised eternally are punished in Hell And the Sonne of a deceased Iew is bound to say for the space of one yeere a Prayer called Kiddisch thereby to redeeme him from Purgatorie in which respect the Father dyeth with ioy A good woman may doe the like for her Husband But R. Bechai who excludeth all other Nations from their part in the Resurrection preferring the Iewes in a foure-fold Priuiledge viz. the Land of Canaan the Law the Prophets and the Resurrection reciteth out of the great Talmud That three sorts of men shall rise againe at the Day of Iudgement one of the best Israelites a second sort of the wicked and worst the third of a meane who haue done as much good as euill The good shall presently goe into life eternall the wicked shall be cast into Hell as in the twelfth of Daniel and shall be for euer in torments of bodie and soule The third and meaner sort of sinners shall bee tormented for twelue moneths space for their sinnes in Hell at the end of which time their bodies shall be consumed and the wind shall scatter their ashes vnder the soles of the feet of the Iust c. and as worthily doe they proue it out of the Prophet And in that day two parts shall be cut off and dye and the third shall be left therein and I will bring that third part thorow the fire and will fine them as siluer is fined and will try them as Gold is tryed And in another place The Lord killeth and maketh aliue bringeth downe to Hell and raiseth vp Iust as fitly applyed as 1. Cor. 3. and such like places by our Purgatory Spirits R. Dauid Kimchi vpon the first Psalme and Esay 26. commenteth That the wicked shall not rise but in the day of death their soule shall dye together with their bodie And Aben Ezra in his Exposition of Dan. 12. writeth out of R. Higgaon That many shall rise and many not rise but suffer euerlasting reproch and expoundeth it thus That the good Iewes which dye in Exile shall rise againe when the Messias shall come and shall liue as long as the Patriarkes before the Floud and then they shall make merrie with the great Fish Leuiathan and the great Bird Ziz and the great Oxe Behemoth of which we shall speake after When this is done they shall dye and at the last Day shall be raysed vp againe and shall possesse eternall Life where shall bee no eating nor drinking but glory c. Iacob desired to be buried in Canaan not in Egypt for three causes saith R. Salomon Iarchi because he foresaw That of the Dust of Egypt shall bee made Lice Secondly because the Israelites which dye out of Canaan shall not rise againe without much paine of their rolling thorow the deepe and hidden Vaults of the Earth Thirdly left the Egyptians should make an Idoll of him For the better vnderstanding hereof let vs heare what is said out of the Booke Tanchum an Exposition of the Pentateuch concerning this subiect The Patriarkes sayth he desired to be buried in Canaan because they which are there buried shall first rise in the time of the Messias And R. Hananiah sayth That they which dye out of Canaan must endure two deaths and the same appeareth Ier. 20. where it is said Pashur should go into Babel and should there dye and there be buried What quoth R. Simon shall then all the Iust perish which dye out of Canaan No but God will make them Mechillos that is deepe Clifts and Caues vnder the Earth by which they may passe into the Land of Promise whither when they are come GOD shall inspire into them the breath of life that they may rise againe as it is written I will open your Graues and cause you to come out of your Sepulchres c. The like is written in their Targum or Chaldaean Interpretation of the Canticles When the dead shall rise Mount Oliuet shall cleaue asunder and the Israelites which haue beene dead shall come out of the same and they which haue dyed in
hurle after him a broken sherd signifying that with him all heauinesse should bee expelled and broken When they are come to the place of buriall they say Blessed be GOD which hath formed you with iudgement and iustice hath created fed sustained and at last hath depriued you of life speaking to the dead Hee knoweth the number of you all and will quicken you againe in his time Blessed be God which doth to die and maketh aliue Let the dead liue with my carkasse let them rise againe Awake and reioyce yee that lie in dust because thy dew is the dew of light and the earth shall cast foorth her dead This the Minister sayth alone then he goeth on with a long prayer of three and twenty sentences which the people say after him going about the sepulchre They call this prayer Tzidduck haddin the subiect whereof is the iustice of GOD calling for pardon in the name of Abraham Isaac and Iacob acknowledging that by three things the foundations of the world are founded the Law worship and piety to the dead calling for deliuerance for the bloud of his seruants shed in the 856. yeere for the confession of his holy Name and for the merit of the onely-begotten which was seuen and thirty yeeres old in whose place a Ramme was taken concluding with mention of their Captaines slaine in the 136. yeere Heere they take downe the corps and then the Minister singeth the people following This is the way of the world let him sleepe in peace c. Yee Fathers of the world which sleepe in Hebron open vnto him the gates of the garden of Eden and say His comming be in peace Yee euerlasting hills of the double caue open vnto him the gates of the garden of Eden and bid him welcome Yee Angels of peace go forth to meete him vnlocke to him the gates of Paradise Yee keepers of the treasures of the garden of Eden open the gates and let N. enter enioy the fruites of Paradise good things bee at his right hand pleasant things at his left Heare this O Lord and let his comming be in peace Then lay they him into the ground and his neerest kinsmen cast in the first earth after which they turne to the East with diuers other blessings When they returne they blow themselues backwards three times and throw grasse ouer their heads signifying their hope of the resurrection according to that Es 66.14 and your bones shall bud as the grasse saying also Dust thou art and to Dust thou shalt returne Then doth euery one mutter a Prayer to himselfe as he goeth out of the buriall place In the porch of the Synagogue God shall destroy death for euer say they and wipe away all teares from their eyes and will take away their reproach from all the earth for the Lord hath spoken it Then enter they into the Synagogue and leape vp and downe and change their Seates seuen times and there say ouer their Purgatorie-prayer Kaddisch The Mourners goe bare-foote seuen dayes and eate not Flesh nor drinke Wine except on the Sabbaths and Festiuals They bathe not in three and thirty dayes after cut not their nayles worke not make a pittifull howling c. The first night the Mourner eateth nothing of his owne but meate sent him from his friendes The childe mourneth for his Father a yeere The sonne eleuen moneths saith ouer his Kaddisch for meane sinners are freed sooner but the wicked stay the whole twelue moneths and therefore to persist the twelfth moueth in his prayer should be to acknowledge his father a wicked man And for the effect hereof Rabbi Akibha met once in the way a man with an Asse-like burthen of stickes which vpon examination confessed That hee was a Purgatorie-ghost carrying to burne himselfe such bundles euery day Rabbi Akibha enquired if hee had a Sonne or Wife and where and finding out his sonne taught him this prayer which was so effectuall that in a dreame this Ghost returned to the Rabbi with thankes for his deliuerance and sayd hee was now in Gan Eden or Paradise Rabbi Akibha signified this to the Iewish Synagogues with iniunction to teach their Children this prayer But to returne to our Funerals when they are come backe to the mourning house they wash their hands but obserue not the Mosaicall Rites because the Temple is not standing Then doe they powre out a long blessing ouer a cup of Wine and another ouer their Meate exceeding much longer Their Purgatorie-Prayer or as Genebrard calleth it their Requiem vel libera is this It is better to go into the house of mourning then into the house of feasting in which is the end of all men which let the liuing remember Let vs heare the end Feare GOD and keepe his Commandements this is the dutie of euery man A sure rest in the high habitation vnder the wings of GOD in the degree of the Saints shining as the brightnesse of the skie The change of bonds pardon of sinnes grant of saluation indulgence and mercie from the sight of him which dwels in Heauen and a portion in the life to come there let the portion be and the dwelling of the soule of the wise Master N. The Spirit of the Lord make him to rest in Gan Eden and giue him peace as it is written in Esay Let peace come and let him rest in beds walking before it he and all the deceased of Israel through his mercie Amen They write also on the Tombe Let his soule bee in the Garden of Eden Amen Or Let his soule bee bound in the bundle of life And sometimes Thou art the Tombe of N. which departed into Eden such a day of such a moneth and yeere Thus poore Purgatorie with Iewes and Romists is preached by walking Ghosts They haue a light burning for the dead seuen dayes They powre the water out of the doores because the Angell of Death washed his sword lately vsed in water and enuenometh it This his sword he holdeth in his hand at the beds head hauing on the end thereof three drops of gall The sicke man spying this Deadly Angell openeth his mouth with feare then those drops fall in of which one killeth him the second maketh him pale the third rotteth and putrifieth Elias Leuita addeth that after a man is dead the Angell of Death commeth and sitteth on his Graue and presently the soule entreth into his body and hee maketh him stand on his feet hauing to that purpose in his hand a chayne halfe of yron and halfe of fire wherewith hee striketh him At the first blow his members are dissolued at the second his bones are scattered then come the Angels and gather them at the third hee is brought to dust and ashes and returneth into his Graue And this sayth R. Meir is more grieuous then the iudgement of Hell for the iust and the sonnes of the Princes and abortiues are iudged therewith except they which dye on the Eeuen
them both because they had sent him no Embassage and for that they worshipped onely these two Deities Heauen for that it containeth the Sun and Stars and Dionysius because he had inuaded the Indians and therefore equalling this his owne expedition to that of Dionysius hee would also for robbing of men bee reckoned a god Strabo saith that in respect of the wealthinesse of this Countrey he had thought had not death preuented him to haue made Arabia the Imperiall seat Hee affirmeth also that Sesostris the Egyptian King passing through Arabia in that his renowmed expedition erected there in diuers places Egyptian Temples and superstitions that the Troglodytae which dwelt in Caues and bordering on the Egyptians by some reputed Arabians were circumcised as the Arabians and Egyptians were The Arabians by testimony both of old and late Writers are accounted no warlike people Virgil sings of them Molles sua thura Sabaei In elder and later times they were gouerned by their Phylarchi or heads of the Tribe or Linage They take Tributes and Customes accordingly rather by a robbing force then ciuill forme making their will their law On the one side of Euphrates they acknowledge some obedience to the Turkes such as it is On the other side not so much as appeares by the passage downe Euphrates recorded by Gasparo Balbi William Parry and others in some places paying a Custome in others like to bee robbed of all The ancient Arabians which dwelt in the Cities are said to haue in each Citie a Prince faire houses and Temples after the Egyptian manner and then Strabo saith Arabia Foelix was diuided into fiue Kingdomes The Nabbathaeans worship the Sunne burning Frankincense on an Altar vnto him They neglect the bodies of the Dead burying euen their Kings in a dung-hill Of the other Arabians hee reporteth that they vsed incestuous copulation with Sister and Mother Adultery with them is death but that onely is Adultery which is out of the same Kindred otherwise all of the same bloud to vse the same woman is their incestuous honestie When fifteen brothers Kings Sons had by their continuall company tyred their owne and only sister she deuised a meanes to rid her selfe or at least to ease her somewhat of that trouble And therfore whereas the custome was that he which went in left his staffe at the doore to prohibite others entrance shee got like staues and alway hauing one at the doore was disburthened of their importunitie euery one that came thinking some other had beene there before them But they being once altogether one of them stole from his fellowes and finding this staffe at the doore accused his sister to his father of adultery whereof by discouery of the Truth shee was cleered Linschoten telleth of the like practice obserued by the Nairos in Cochin leauing their Armes at the doore when they enter to their Nairo-Kinswomen which they vse likewise in common being neuer married Their Circumcision they obserued as some write at the thirteenth yeere of their age imitating Ismael herein Euery one abideth in his Fathers profession The possessions and wealth are common to the whole kindred Alexander ab Alexandro nameth Dyasares an Arabian Deitie Their Priests hee saith were attired in linnen garments with Mitres and Sandals Solinus affirmeth that they abstaine from Swines flesh neither will that sweet aire of Arabia breathe life to that sordid and stinking creature This is the Happie Arabia where happinesse maketh them vnhappy their sweets breeding bitter effects in diseasing their bodies which they are forced to cure with the sents of Brimstone and Goats beards burnt That which others admire and almost adore for rarenesse and excellencie is here there common fuell for their fire Vulcans deuouring iawes being fed with hearbs shrubs trees gummes spices for humane and diuine vses most esteemed Frankincense saith Plinie groweth onely in Arabia but not in euery place thereof About the midst of the Countrey is Sabota the chiefe Citie of the Sabaeans in a hie Mountaine eight Mansions from thence is the Region of Frankincense which is called Sabba that is a mystery looking toward the East euery way guarded and made vnpassable with Rockes The soyle is Reddish inclining to white The length of the Frankincense-wood is twentie schoeni the bredth halfe as much a scoenus in this account is fiue miles Other Arabians besides these and the Minaei see not this tree nor all of these but onely some three hundred Families vnto whom the right of these Rites deuolueth by succession Therefore they are called Sacri Holy neither may they in the time when they cut them bee polluted with knowledge of Women or with Funerals What manner of tree it is Plinie saith he knew not nor any Roman to his knowledge They gathered it in the Spring and Autumne they cut the trees from whence it sweateth There needes no watch to keepe them but the innocencie of the Inhabitants When Alexander in his youth bestowed large store of Frankincense in his deuotions Leonides his Master told him hee should so doe when he had conquered the Countrey where it grew Hee after enioyning some part of Arabia sent him a ship laden with Frankincense and bade him serue the gods plentifully The Frankincense when it is gathered is carried on Camels to Sabota by one way out of which to goe were capitall There they pay the tythes to a god which they call Sabis The Priests take it by measure not by weight Certaine portions are allowed to them and to the Kings Scribes Plautus therefore calls it Frankincense Odor Arabicus Virgil calls it Panchaan and Sabaean Frankincense The manifold Rites which the Heathens vsed in their holy things with this drug Stuckius sheweth at large Here also grew the Myrrhe in the same woods and among the Trogloditae But this and Cinamon and other things which grew elsewhere as well as here need not much discourse They vsed yet some Religion in gathering of their Cinamon as some obserue sacrificing before they began and after diuiding what they had gathered with a sacred speare assigning a portion to the Sunne if the diuision be iustly made the Sun sealeth his consent by fire with his beames consuming the same Thus much of their Spices and holy drugs Of their other riches I meane not to speake saue of their sheepe with great tayles some of which weigh fortie pound These kinde of sheepe are common through Africa euen to the Cape of Good Hope neere to which at Soldania our men haue bought many for little pieces of old iron Leo saith he saw one at Cairo whose tayle supported by a Cart with wheeles for else she could not haue carried it weighed fourescore pound and heard of such as weighed a hundred and thirtie pound Paul presently after his conuersion preached the Gospel in Arabia Panchaea and another Iland called Sacra are adioyned by Diodorus to Arabia both fertile as
seuen gates thereof c. where as in the place fittest for him wee will leaue him The booke of the vertues of Mahomet saith That in glorying of his strength hee would boast that hee had knowne his eleuen wiues successiuely in one houre One of their Chronicles telleth of his Martiall affaires This Chronicle reckoneth from Adam to Noe one thousand two hundred fortie and two yeeres From thence to Abraham one thousand and fourescore Hence to Moses fiue hundred and fifteene After him to Dauid fiue hundred threescore and nine and from this time to Christ one thousand three hundred and fiftie from whence to Mahomet is numbred six hundred and twentie in all fiue thousand three hundred threescore and sixteene from Adam to Mahomet All the Prophets were in number an hundred and twentie thousand and the Messengers of GOD three hundred and fifteene whereof Adam Seth Esdrik Noe Abraham were Hebrewes Huth Schale Ishmael Schaib Mahomet were Arabians If this Historie of Mahomets life be long and tedious I thought good out of an Arabian Chronicle to adde this Epitome thereof His Mother dyed in a iourney to Mecca when he was fourescore yeeres old and his Nurse restored him to his Grand-father Abdalmutalif with whom hee liued eight yeeres The Seraphim preserued him but was neuer seene After that Gabriel was his Guardian of whom hee receiued the Law which he kept close three yeeres communicating it onely to some of his owne opinion by whose helpe hee became Priest and Prince of the Arabians and Saracens and about eighteene moneths after was carried into Heauen and being returned into the Earth he tooke Eubocara Ali and Zaid to be his companions in this enterprise He went to Zaif or Atharf and preached publikely and thence to Mecca ten yeeres going from place to place And of his Conuerts he chose some for guard of his Person who sware the obseruance of his Law to the number of fortie who now with Word now with the Sword set forward this Doctrine After ten yeeres Mecca was peopled onely with beleeuers and all Arabia was conuerted without difficultie Then hee sent to the neighbouring Kings to become of his Religion to the King of Persia to the Roman Emperour to King Cinna to the Lord of the two Seas to the King of Aethiopia c. After he returned to Ietrib and on Tuesday the twelfth of Rab in the eleuenth yeere dyed His Sepulture was appointed by GOD in the house of Aisca his Wife in the chamber where hee was wont to sleepe where at this day is a Temple of bricke His bodie was wrapped in three white clothes without any pompe His seale was a siluer Ring with this inscription Mahomet the Messenger of God He went twise on Pilgrimage and nineteene times conducted an Armie The place of his buriall is at Medina surnamed of him Talnabi that is of the Prophet not as some write at Mecca Neither doth his corps hang in the ayre by force of Load-stones drawing vp his yron Coffin or Chest but lieth buried in the ground if any where as Ludouicus Verttomannus by his owne view hath obserued Of this place and of Mecha we shall speake more in relating the Rites of the Pilgrims that visit them Some relate otherwise of the death of Mahomet as that hee dyed at fortie yeeres of age being poysoned by one of his disciples called Albunor to make triall of his boasting Prophesie that he would rise againe within three daies after his death This Albunor after comming to see him found his bodie torne in pieces and deuoured of dogs whereupon gathering together the bones that remained into a Coffin hee caused them to bee buried Which in my minde is not so probable as the former report The day of his death Scaliger accounteth the tenth yeere of the Hogira on Munday the twelfth of Rabie 1. or rather the euening before that is the sixteenth of Iune in the yeere of our Lord 631. and was borne the fifth of May An. Dom. 570. on the same day and moneth sixtie three Arabike yeeres before Vnto this which hath been spoken I haue thought good to adde out of Arabike Authors collected by Gabriel and Iohn the Maronites this which followeth Mahomed was borne at Mecca and in the fortieth yeere of his age and as Ben-Casem hath in the 933. of Alexander the Great began to vtter his doctrine first priuily after that publikely whereupon hee was banished the Citie in the fiftie two of his life or according to Abdillatif Ben-Iusof the fiftie three and fled to Iathreb from which flight which they call Hegeraton or Hegera which hapned A. B. 622. or thereabouts And although this yeere 1623. bee to them 1032. Yet because they reckon according to the yeeres of the Moone which they say consist of three hundred fiftie foure dayes the Moones course hath in this space exceeded that of the Sunne some moneths aboue thirtie one yeeres Whereupon their moneths are vncertaine In this Citie by subtile hypocrisies Mahomed became Politicall and Ecclesiasticall Prince and beganne to procure the friendship of many and to promulgate his lawes by degrees In the second yeere of his flight he enacted his lawes of Fasting in the third forbade wine and swines-flesh and so proceeded with the rest that within eight yeeres hee brought into subiection Mecca whence he had beene expulsed and Muna and went forward with his law and conquest As concerning his wiues Ben-Casem saith he had foure hee is also reported to haue many harlots and concubines and in this Chapiter Surato-lbaqra or de vacea hee bids them marrie one two three or foure wiues a man and to take as many concubines as they are able to keepe Ben-Sidi Ali saith That he gloried that he had the power of ten Prophets in copulation giuen him by God yea he ascribed all his villanies to God by ministerie of the Angell Gabriel His first wife was named Chodaige by whom he had two sonnes and foure daughters Zainab Fatema whom Ali married Om Kalihum the third and Rakia the fourth both which Abu-beer married His second wife was Aifee daughter of Aba-Becr the first Chalifa which was but six yeeres old Ben-Casem is our Author when Mohamed tooke her to wife the Moslemans call her The Mother of the faithfull who besides the knowledge of tongues perused diligently the Arabike histories loued exceedingly and alway praised Mohamed The third was named Mary which brought forth to Mohamed Ebrahim sirnamed Casem whence Mohamed is often called Abulcasem though Ben-Abdilatif will haue Ebrahim to be one and Casem another but Ben-Casem saith he had but three sons of which Ebrahim Casem dyed at eighteene moneths and Taiheb and Taher his sonnes by Codaigre dyed both in their cradles Mohameds last wife was Zainab whom also they call the Mother of the faithfull before the wife of Zaid Ben-Harteh Mohameds Master who diuorced her whereupon Mohamed gladly tooke her to wife He had foure Councellors or
beautifull as the Hyacinth and Pearles neuer deflowred of men or Deuils neuer menstruous sitting in pleasant shades with their eyes fixed on their husbands their eyes large with the white of them exceeding white and the blacke very blacke lying on the shining greene Faire young men shall serue them with Vials and other Vessels full of the most excellent liquor which shall neither cause head-ach nor drunkennesse and shall bring them the choisest fruits and flesh of fowles They shall there heare no filthy or displeasing word and Az. 86. In Paradise shall be administred to them in well-wrought vessells of glasse and siluer drink as the sauourie Ginger out of the fountaine Zelzebil they shall haue garments of silke and gold chaines of siluer blessed Wine Maidens likewise with pretty brests there shall be tall trees of colour betweene yellow and greene They shall haue in Paradise all pleasures and shall enioy women with eyes faire and as great as Egges sweet smelling Riuers of Milke and Honie and fruits of all sorts Az. 6. He saith Paradise is of as great capacitie as Heauen and Earth OF HELL hee fableth that it hath seuen gates that it shall make the wicked like to fleas that they shall be fed with the tree Ezecum which shall burne in their bellies like fire that they shall drinke fire and being holden in chaines of seuentie cubits shall be kept sure the fire shall cast forth embers like Towers or Camels They which contradict shall bee punished with the fire of hell they which feare shall goe into Paradise and as it were in a MIDDLE SPACE betwixt the one and the other there shall stand some other with hope and expectation of Paradise We haue set Angels ouer hell and haue appointed their members 84. 98. There shall be fountaines of scalding waters and they shall eate vpon a reede but shall not satisfie their hunger they shall be bound in chaines 121. He sometimes excuseth his owne basenesse as Azo 17. where he saith he could nor write nor read adding that his name and mention is in the Testament and Gospel and 36. The vnbeleeuers saith he murmure that he is followed onely of Weauers and the raskall-rour And 53. That the Alcoran was not committed to a man of great possessions and they say that it is Art-magike and that I haue fained it And in 64. The Moone was diuided and they say it is Sorcerie The tale is told by Frier Richard thus Mahomet pointed to the Moone with his thumbe and middle finger and it was diuided the two pieces falling on the Hils of Mecha which entring into Mahomets coat was made whole againe Hee sometimes extolleth himselfe blasphemously inducing Christ thus saying to the Israelites O yee Israelites I being sent a Messenger vnto you from GOD affirme by the Testament which I haue in my hand that a Messenger shall come after me whose name is Mahomet of whom they shall say he is a Magitian 71. His beastly prerogatiue he boasteth 43. saying he is the seale last of the Prophets To Thee O Prophet we make it lawfull to lie with all women which are giuen thee or which thou buyest and thy Aunts thy Kindred and all good women which freely desire thy company if thou be willing and this is permitted to thee alone Diuorce these couple thy selfe to those at thy pleasure And being by some other of his wiues found in bed with Marie the wife of a Iacobite Christian hee sware that he would neuer after vse her company but after being impotent in his lusts hee ordaines a Law to himselfe Az. 76. Why doest thou O Prophet make that lawfull for the loue of thy woman which GOD hath made vnlawfull GOD full of pittie and giuer of pardon hath commanded thee to blot out or cancell thine oathes Of his iourney to Heauen to receiue the Law he speaketh Az. 63. and 82. mingling iniunctions of deuotion 83. Thou O Prophet rising in the night spend halfe the night or a little more or lesse in watching and continually and deuoutly reade ouer the Alcoran bee thou iust patient and refuse not to wash thy garments O thou man cloathed in woollen 43. Let none enter into the house of the Prophet before hee call but let him stand without the gate let none doe dishonestie within his house let none hurt the Prophet in any thing or haue his wife after him Some Prophets hee mentioneth not named in Scripture and of those there named hee telleth many fables Ismael was a true Prophet and found a good man before GOD. Ioseph nine yeeres imprisoned for the Queene Abraham ouerthrew his Fathers Idols and should haue beene burned for the same but the fire lost his force The Mountaines and Birds that praise GOD were subiect to Dauid Salomon learned Magick of Arot and Marot Diuels so called hee knew the language of Birds and when hee was in the middest of his Armie consisting of Deuils Men and Birds the Lapwing brought him newes of the Queene of Saba's comming to whom by this Lapwing hee sent a Letter c. Of this Armie the Ants of Pismires being afraide one Ant perswaded her fellowes to get them into their holes lest they should bee troden on Moses married Pharaohs Daughter 37. One Ascemel made the golden Calfe in the Desart against Aarons will Pharaoh requested Homen to build a Tower whereon to climbe to heauen to the GOD of Moses 50. In the time of Noe they worshipped Idols whom hee nameth Huden Schuan Iaguta Iannea Nacem The Prophet Huth was sent to the Nation Haath to teach them the worship of one GOD and Schale to Themuth and Schaibe to Madian and Abraham and Lot to the Sodomites on whom because they were incredulous it rained yellow and sharpe stones Az. 21. Moses was sent to Pharaoh c. His scope of these Narrations is that hee is sent likewise a Prophet and therefore iudgement will pursue them which refuse him as it did those incredulous Nations These fauour of a Iewish helpe Hee telleth also of Alexander Mag. that hee had all knowledge he found the Sunne where it lay resting in a yellow fountaine and the mountaines in which it riseth And finding men without vse of speech hee diuided them from other men c. Az. 28. He proueth substantially that there shall be a RESVRRECTION by the History of the seuen Sleepers which slept in a Caue 360. yeeres 28. Az. and 49. Hee saith that at the time of death GOD taketh away the soule at an houre knowne restoring it to some to some neuer at the first sound of the Trumpet all shall die except those which shall bee protected by the will of GOD at the second sound all things shall reuiue and be iudged and 66. The earth shall tremble the mountaines shall be brought to dust and the whole company shall bee diuided into three parts some before others on the right hand both which sorts shall be blessed
vnlawfull but they say vsurie is as Merchandize Ye which are good feare GOD and forsake Vsurie lest the anger of GOD and of the Prophet assaile you Take onely the principall and if he cannot pay you stay still he can and giue him almes for this shall be better for you And Az. 6. Euery one which feareth GOD must very much beware of this vice fearing the fire prepared for vnbeleeuers And Az. 11. ascribeth the miseries of the Iewes to their wickednes and vsuries Az. 4. 15. He which repenteth him and leaueth his sinne obtaineth pardon and the cancelling of that which is past but returning againe thereto hee shall suffer eternall fire In the 5. Vnto bad men is denied humane and diuine mercie except they repent GOD careth little for the conuersion of them which after that of Infidels they are made beleeuers become worse Such shall suffer without any remission intolerable punishment 10. GOD pardoneth lesse faults but not criminall Az. 5. Let no man reckon him a good friend which is an vnbeleeuer except it be for feare If betwixt you there grow discord laying aside all stomacke doe the will of GOD and become Brethren together imitating GOD who hath deliuered you from the fire and from dangers 6. GOD would not that any should doe euill to those of his owne Nation and those which consent to your Law but rather their profit and commoditie Az. 6. Thinke not that euer Paradise shall be open vnto you if you be not first valiant and couragious in battaile and before you enter into battaile prepare your selues for death and after the death of the Prophet Mahomet defend the orders by him giuen with Armes No man can die but when GOD will that is when his time is come Those which flee out of the warre are prouoked of the Deuill but GOD pardoneth them which repent They which die in the way of GOD are not truely called dead They liue with GOD. Let none feare them which are gouerned of the Deuill 7. Be patient and you shall haue eternall life 10. Accompanie not with vnbeleeuers neither in friendship nor other businesse They which goe on warfare for GOD and the Prophet shall receiue abundance in the Earth and after death the mercie of GOD. They which refuse except they be sicke or children shall be cast into Hell Neglect not prayers in your expeditions Some may pray whiles other stand in Armes Pray not for them which hurt their owne soules 18. Looke to your selues that there be no discord amongst you His last Azoara is this In the Name of the mercifull and pittifull GOD sanctifie thy selfe and pray continually and humbly vnto him which is Lord of all Nations Lord of all GOD of all that he will defend and deliuer thee from the Deuill which entreth into the hearts of men and from deuillish and peruerse men From Mahomet himselfe and from his diuellish and peruerse Law AMEN §. III. The Saracens opinion of their ALCORAN THus haue I endeuoured to bring some order out of confusion and haue framed these heads out of that Alcorau-Chaos where is scarce either head or taile this tale they haue and beleeue for what will not What shall not they beleeue which refuse to beleeue the Truth that he which readeth this Booke a thousand times in his life shall haue a woman in Paradise whose eye-browes shall be as large as the Raine-bow But amongst the more studious and iudicious the manifold contradictions therein hath bred no scruple as in their ordinary discourses in speech and writing may appeare For as many Marchants and such as haue liued with them report it is a common thing to heare from themselues obiections and doubts touching their Law in their Bookes also and Tractates are contained many Morall sentences and exhortations to vertue and holinesse of life and those things called in question which the Alcoran hath seemed to determine Of these their Bookes Master Bedwel hath lately translated and published one a Dialogue written some six hundred yeeres since in which many scruples are propounded and left vndecided many things found contradictory yea and the Bookes of the Old and New Testament commended and approued and the Doctrine of the Trinitie explained the exceptions also made by the other Mahumetans to the Gospell answered In that booke it is affirmed that there were written by Mahomet a hundred and twentie thousand sayings of which onely three thousand are good the residue false that the descent of the Moone into Mahomets sleeue is impossible that shedding of blood is too slippery an argument for proofe of Doctrine that the Sunne his beames and heat doe represent the Trinitie and Vnitie that the state of Paradise is like to that of Angels without meate drinke women and therefore that voluptuous Paradise is one of Mahomets fictions for himselfe saith hee did write some things in iest that it seemeth absurd and against reason and faith to follow a Law which it selfe saith none can vnderstand but GOD that the Alcoran in the Assora Ionas sends men to the Iewes and Christians for the right vnderstanding thereof that wheras it sayes Christ is the word of GOD it followes hee is the Sonne of GOD as reason and speech the Sunne and his layes are one Essence and the Vnderstanding Will Memory in one Man that the Chrstians could not as the Mahumetans obiect blot the name of their prophet out of their Scriptures seeing the Iewes and Christians and Heretiques and Christians haue alway beene watchfull aduersaries to each other and they are more ancient sixe hundred yeeres then Mahomet that the storie of the speaking Ant and other things are triuiall and impertinent that Moses Law was giuen with open miracles and the Gospell approued with diuers languages and martyrdomes that these nor any Law of GOD hath therein any contraritie that virginitie is a chiefe and bodily good and their prophet writes of himselfe polygamy adulteries and the like with many libidinous precepts and practises that these things seeme contrarie that the Deuills shall be saued the Iewes also and Christians which yet he counselleth to slay with other the like contradictions that their prophet onely vnderstood the Arabike and by an Interpreter heard that which is contained in the Bookes of Iewes and Christians which easily appeares in his falsifying the Histories of the Bible that hee hath no Testimony but his owne that there are many absurd things in their law not confirmed by Miracle and others excuse them by Metaphors c. These things are there religiously discoursed with shew of reuerence to their Law but exceeding magnifying of Christ and his Gospell which is so generall with the more learned sort that some also haue hazarded their liues in this quarrell And Auicen that learned Physician saith against their Paradise that wise Diuines more respect the minde the coniunction whereof with truth is a felicitie beyond those sensuall pleasures of the bodie And
and besides them come in no company of men nor doe they speake with a man or in any part of their body are seene of any man because they thinke sight especially where beautie or comlinesse is cannot bee without sinne Onely the brother may bee permitted to see the sister but not the husbands brother Yea their sonnes when they come to growth are separated from them For this cause that sexe is not suffered to buy and sell but is closely mewed saue that their law alloweth them to frequent the publike Baths The wife and Concubine differ in the right to a dowrie which the later wanteth but the wife must cause the other to bee her husbands bed-fellow when hee commandeth without gaine-saying except on their Sabbath or Friday night which is the wiues peculiar Yet are the Turkes giuen in both Sexes to vnnaturall lust in these times euen the women in publike Baths sometimes are so enflamed in that filthinesse as is intollerable Busbequius tells of one woman which falling in loue with a young maide and no way else preuailing clothed her selfe in mans apparell and hyring a house neere procured the fathers good will to haue that his daughter in marriage which being solemnized betweene them and the truth discouered which the blacke mantle of night could not couer from Hymaeneus complaint was made and the Gouernour quenched the hot flames of this new Bridegroome causing her to bee drowned for that offence If the man abuse the wife to vnnaturall lust shee may haue her remedie by diuorce if shee accuse her husband which modestie forbiddeth to bee done in words and therefore shee puts off her shooe and by inuerting the same accuseth her to her husbands peruersenesse One Master Simons which liued amongst them told me that there are some which keepe boyes gallantly arraied to serue for the worse then beastly lust of such as will hyre them He affirmed also That they haue this lothsome punishment for that lothsome sinne of whoredome to take the panch of a beast new killed and cutting a hole thorow to thrust the adulterers head in this dung-wallet and so carrie him in pompe thorow the streets It is death either to the bodie by iudiciall sentence or the soule by turning Turke for a Christian to haue carnall dealing with any of their women A Iew which had dealing with a Turkes wife with her husbands consent could not escape hanging therefore this indeed was a fauour for hee should haue beene burned notwithstanding his rich countrey-men offered 2000. Duckets to saue him Her husband was hanged for his wittoldly permission and she her selfe drowned George Dousa reporteth the like danger which an Armenian hardly escaped but for talking with a Turkish woman both of them being therefore imprisoned and thence deliuered at a deere rate Hee telleth of their Paederastie that they buy boyes at an hundred or two hundred Duckets and mew them vp for their filthy lust till they proue bearded they will also steale boyes for that villanie as hee instanceth of one which came with the Polonian Embassadour so stolne and neuer could after bee heard of Murther prohibited in their eight Commandement they hold vnpardonable if it bee done wilfully Often will the Turkes braule but neuer in priuate quarrels strike one another for feare of this Law and the seueritie of the Magistrate And if one bee found dead in street or house the Master of the house or the Parish must finde out the murtherer otherwise hee himselfe shall be accused of it and the whole Contado shall be fined and likewise in case of robberie During the time that I remained amongst them you heare Mr. Sandys it being aboue three quarters of a yeere I neuer saw Mahometan offer violence to a Mahometan nor breake into ill language If any giue a blow hee hath many gashes made in his flesh and is led about for a terrour but the man-slayer is deliuered to the friends of the slaine to bee by them tortured to death For publike punishments to mention that heere they haue impaling on stakes thrust in at their fundament ganching on hookes on which they are cast from some high place there to hang till famine if some more gentle crueltie haue not made a suddenner dispatch consumed them they also haue another inuention to twitch the offender about the waste with a towell enforcing him by often prickings to draw vp his breath till they haue drawne him within the compasse of a spanne then tying it hard they cut him off in the middle and setting the bodie on a hot plate of copper which seareth the veynes vp-propping him during their cruell pleasure who not onely retaineth sense but discourse also till hee be taken downe and then departeth in an instant Little faults are chastised by blowes on the soles of their feet by hundreths at a time Parents correct their children by stripes on their bellies §. II. Of other their Opinions and Practices in Religion MEnaninus reckoneth seuen mortall sinnes Pride Auarice Lecherie Wrath Enuie Sloth and Gluttonie The first they say cast Lucifer out of heauen The second is the root of many other sinnes The third is most rise amongst them and that in the most filthy and vnnaturall kinde of Sodomie their Law to the contrarie notwithstanding Their fourth maketh a man a beast The fifth shutteth men out of Paradise and so forth of the rest Wine is also forbidden them but yet they will bee drunke with it if they can get their fill of it And Mahomet the third Anno 1601. imputing diuers insolencies of the Ianizaries to their excessiue drinking of Wine by the Musties perswasion commanded on paine of death all such in Constantinople and Pera as had Wine to bring it out and staue it except Embassadours onely so that the streets ranne therewith One drinking Wine with Busbequius made great clamors being asked the cause hee said hee did it to warne his soule to flee into some corner of the bodie or else be quite gone lest it should bee polluted with that sinne Yet in their Fast or Lent they abstaine very religiously If it be proued against a Priest that he hath drunke wine but once hee shall neuer be beleeued as a witnesse after it Swines flesh is prohibited too in abstaining from which they are more obedient it being vtterly abhorred The Turkes generally hate saith Septemcastrensis that lightnesse in apparell speech gesture c. vsed of the Christians whom for this cause they call Apes and Goates Likewise they are not sumptuous in their priuate buildings They go to the warre as it were to a wedding esteeming them blessed which are therein slaine The wiues and women-sernants agree in one house without iealousie and grudging they are in their habite and behauiour modest and where himselfe dwelt the Father-in-law had not seene the face of his Daughter-in-law liuing in the same house with him in twentie yeeres space so religiously doe they veyle themselues
And this they doe foure or fiue times according to the order of their seruice After this they all kneele and prostrate themselues on the ground the Meizin obseruing a long Ceremonie in which with a loud voyce hee prayeth GOD to inspire the Christians Iewes Greekes and generally all Infidels to turne to their Law This being said euery man lifteth his hand to heauen crying aloud Amin Amin and then they touch their eyes to wipe them with their hands which is as crossing among the Papists a blessing of themselues bringing their hands ouer their face and so they depart In the English Treatise of the Turkish Policie these things are related with some other Ceremonies as that they say together with the Priest the first Azoara or Chapter of the Alcoran c. Bartholomaeus Georgiouitz saith that onely the chiefe sort are bound to assemble to the daily deuotions which they obserue fiue times a day others which cannot spare the times are not tyed On their Sabbaths it is otherwise §. IIII. Of their Sabbaths and of their Lent and Easter THE women enter not their Mesquitas but on Fridayes at nine a clocke or at Easter and then they are in a Gallery or Terasse apart where they may see and not bee seene and this is not common to all but the wiues and mothers of the chiefe of the place And as we haue said of the Priest so it is to be vnderstood that all the men and women there doe the same without failing in any point They suffer not a Christian to enter therein and yet will they enter into the Churches of the Christians to heare the Church-musicke The women abide in their Churches from nine of the clocke to midnight continually praying with certaine motions and strange cries continuing so long in this act that they fall vpon the ground as in a swoune through wearinesse and if any feele her selfe at that time to bee with childe the Turkes hold that they are conceiued by the holy Ghost and presently vow that childe to God and call such Nefecs Ogli that is sonnes of the holy Ghost And on Friday at nine or ten of the clocke the Priest vseth to preach to the people and these their discourses last aboue two houres That which is said is not verie manifest yet they say that he preacheth the miracles of Mahomet sometime exalting their faith sometime commending obedience and sometime rehearsing fabulous tales to terrifie the bad as that such mens soules are carried of certaine Camels there being some sixe thousand flying about in the ayre for this purpose into the Sepulchres of wicked Christians and that the good Christians are put in their emptie Sepulchres inueighing against the blasphemers of Mahomet Christ and the Saints exhorting to Almes rehearsing their commandements of the law And if they preach scandalous doctrine the Mufti and the Cadlilescher depriue them and correct them as Heretikes yea some of them for preferring Christ before Mahomet are put to death of which one Ibraim Schec a Priest of Constantinople reported to haue wrought miracles amongst the Turkes in the dayes of Soliman was stoned to death his head cut off and his bodie burned of his Disciples some were beheaded others thrust into the Gallies for preferring Christ and denying Mahomet And were it not for the terrour of the sword there would be more innouations of religion and some haue perswaded the Grand Signior not to suffer the Alcoran to bee so common to be read and interpreted of euerie one guiltie of the absurdities therein contained But to returne After this preaching ended two young Clerkes goe vp to him and sing certaine prayers which ended the Priest againe beginneth to sing with the people in a base voyce with wrigling euery way for the space of halfe an houre saying nothing but Lailla illellah that is there is but one God And these Ceremonies are done onely on their Lenten Fridayes Their Lent is one Moone or Moneth in the yeere which if this yeere it be Iuly the next it shall bee August and so in order that in twelue yeeres they haue fasted all times of the yeere making no other difference of meates then at other times but eating onely in the night They prepare themselues by diminishing their fare not as the Christians at Shrouetide that they may the better endure it for on the day in which they fast they will not so much as taste a cup of water or wash their mouthes therewith till the Starres appeare And eight or ten dayes after it beginneth some Officers ride about the towne crying Such a day beginneth the Fast prepare yee prepare yee and when it is begun the Cadi and Subassi if they finde any shops open or any body eating in the day set him on an Asse backwards with the tayle in his hand as Adulterers are punished and to drinke wine at this time is death Neither will they suffer Iewes or Christians to scandalize their Turkes this way And when their Lent is neere the end they goe all to the Baths and plucke off all their haires but of the head and beard with an oyntment for that purpose they colour their nayles red with an enduring colour called Chua with which they dye also the tayles and feet of their horses and the women their hands feet and priuie parts This they doe in honour of their solemnitie which lasteth three daies with great feasting in which nothing else but meates and drinkes may be sold They goe to the Sepulchres of the dead there to eate full of gladnesse and salute each other saying Baaram glutiotzong that is God giue you a good Feast and if they meete with a Iew or a Christian woe vnto them On the first day of their Bairam the Sultan rideth to S. Sophia with all pompe and then did we see saith Master Sandys a sight full of horror many mourne with age yet dead before death and reuolting from their Christianitie therefore throwing away their bonets and lifting vp their fore fingers to which the Tyrant bowed himselfe as glorying in such conuersions The Turks keepe another Easter especially in Mecca more solemne to the Tartars Moores and Arabians then to the Turkes except the Pilgrims which resort thither §. V. Of the Turkish Circumcision THE Turkes say they are circumcised because they are the sonnes of Ismael and because they may be cleane when they goe to their Temples no filth lying hid vnder the skinne At seuen or eight yeeres of age or later this Ceremonie is performed The first thing they doe is to inuite many thither both Turkes Iewes and Christians besides the friends and kindred to make the greater gaine euery one giuing somewhat according to his abilitie When the day is come they which are inuited mount on horse-backe for else it is no solemnitie and goe to the house of the childe who being mounted on a faire horse richly clothed with a great Tulipant on his head
the people and haue a certaine stipend allowed them by the Emperour which yet is so small that many of them are driuen to vse either writing of Bookes or Handicrafts and Trades for their liuing and are clothed like Lay-men They haue no great learning it is sufficient if they can read the Alcoran which being written in Arabike they are as loth to haue translated into the vulgar as the Papists are to haue the Scripture Hee which can interprete and make some Exposition of the Text is of profund learning Yet are they reuerenced and if a Turke doe strike or offer outrage to them he loseth his hand and if he be a Christian his life being sure to be burned Some say that now of late some of them are more studious of Astronomie and other Arts As for those superiour rankes no doubt may be made of their high account The Chadilescher is clothed in Chamlet Satten Silke Damaske or Veluet of seemely colour as Russet or Tawny and in Purple-coloured cloth with long sleeues Their Tulipan on their head is of maruellous greatnesse sharpe in the middest of Purple Russet colour deeper and thicker then others their beards great They ride on Geldings with Purple foot-cloths fringed and when they goe on foot they goe slowly representing a stately and sacred grauitie There is another order of sacred persons which yet are neither regular nor secular by any vow or ordination but had in that account for their birth being supposed to descend of the line of Mahumet The Turkes and Tartarians call them Seiti or Sithi the Moores Seriffi These we are greene Tulipans which colour none else may weare and that onely on their head Some Christians ignorant hereof haue had their apparell cut from their backes for wearing somewhat greene about them These they call Hemir They enioy many priuiledges especially in giuing testimony wherein one of these is as much as two other which they abuse to iniury and wrong The most of them are Moores which goe ten or fifteene in a company with a banner on a staffe hauing a Moone on the top and that which is giuen for Gods sake they sit and eate in the street where also they make their praiers and are poorly clad Like to these in priuiledge and prauiledge are the Chagi or Fagi which liue on almes like Fryers They attend on the publike prayers on the holy Reliques on the Corpses and Funerals of the dead and to prey on the liuing by false oathes A digression touching the Hierarchie and Miseries of Christians vnder the Turke c. ANd thus we haue taken a leisurely view of the Turkish Hierarchy from the poore Softi to the courtly Cadilescher and pontificall Mufti flourishing and triumphing together with that Monarchy which is exalted and hath exalted them with the power not of the Word of GOD but of the Sword of Man But with what words meane whiles shall wee deplore the lamentable and miserable estate of that Christian Hierarchy and Ecclesiasticall Politie which sometimes flourished there with no fewer nor lesse titles of dignitie and eminence Where are now those Reuerend Names of Bishops Archbishops Metropolitans Patriarkes and the swelling stile of Oecumenicall Nay where are the things the life and liuing for the stile names titles still continue continue indeed but as Epitaphs and Inscriptions on the Monuments of their deceased and buried power as the ghosts and wandring shadowes of those sometimes quicke and quickning bodies of rule and gouernment Great Citie of great CONSTANTINE seated in the Throne of the World the fittest situation to command both Sea and Land through Europe Asia and Africa at thy first Natiuitie honored with a double Diadem of Christianitie Soueraigntie to which the Sea prostrateth it selfe with innumerable multitudes of Fish the Land payeth continuall tribute of rare fertilitie for which old Rome disrobed her selfe to decke this her New-Rome Daughter and Imperiall heire with her choisest Iewels and Monuments a Compendium of the World Eye of Cities Heart of the habitable earth Academie of learning Senate of gouernement Mother of Churches Nurse of Religion and to speake in the language of thine owne A new Eden an earthly Heauen modell of Paradise shining with the varietie of thy sacred and magnificent buildings as the Firmament with the Sunne Moone and Starres This was thy ancient greatnesse great now onely in miserie and mischiefe which as chiefe seat of Turkish Greatnesse is hence inflicted on the Christian Name And thou the Soule of this Bodie the goodliest Iewell in this Ring of Perfection which so many wonders of Nature conspired to make the Miracle of Art the TEMPLE of that WISDOME of GOD which is GOD called by him which saw thee both Christian and Mahumetan A terrestriall Heauen a Cherubicall Chariot another Firmament beyond all names of elegance which I thinke saith another the very Seraphins doe admire with veneration and which hath here moued thy mention high Seat and Throne of that Patriarchiall and Oecumenicall Highnesse which hence swayed all the East and contended with Westerne Rome for Soueraigntie now excludest rule rites yea persons Christian wholly hallowed to the damnable holies of ridiculous and blasphemous Mahometisme the multitudes of other Churches as silly captiued Damsels attending and following thee into this Mechiticall slauerie O CITIE which hast beene woe worth that word that hastie hast-beene which hast been but who can say what thou hast beene let one word the sum of all earthly excellence expresse what flouds of words and seas of Rhetorick cannot expresse which hast beene CONSTANTINOPLE which art that one name may declare thy bottomlesse hellish downefall indeed though not in name Mahometople the Seat of Mahomets power the settling of Mahumetan dregs What words can serue to preach thy funerall Sermon and ring thy knell to succeeding ages Sometimes the Theatre of worldly pompe but then on that dismal day of thy captiuitie the stage of earthly and hellish Furies the sinke of bloud and slaughter-house of Death What sense would not become senselesse to see the breaches of the walls filled vp with the slaine the gate by death shutting out death closed vp to the arch with confused bodies of Turks and Christians the shouts of men fighting the cries grones gaspes of men dying the manifold spectacles and varietie of death and yet the worse estate and more multiplied deaths of the liuing women rauished maidens forced persons vowed to sanctitie deuoted to lust slaughter slauerie reuerend age no whit reuerenced greene youth perishing in the bloome and rotten before it had time to ripen the father seeing the hopes of his yeeres deare pledges of Nature slaine or sold before his face the children beholding the parents passe into another captiuitie all taking an euerlasting fare well of all wel-fare as well as of each other Well may we in compassion weepe for those miseries the bitter passion whereof like a violent whirlewinde did to them drie
Nannacus which was exceeding old Many antiquities are told of their gods whose Theologie thus is recited by Eusebius The Phrygians tell that Meon was the most ancient King of Phrygia the Father of Cybele who inuented the pipe called Syrinx and was named the Mountaine mother beloued of Marsyas But when as Attis had raised her belly her father slaying him and his fellowes shee enraged with madnesse ranne vp and downe the countrey Marsyas roamed with her who after being ouercome in a Musicall contention of Apollo was slayed quicke After these things did Apollo loue Cybele with whom she wandred to the Hyperboreans and by his command the bodie of Attis was buried and Cybele obtained diuine Honours Hence it is that euen to this day the Phrygians bewayle the young mans death In Pessinus a City of Phrygia after reckoned to Galatia they erected a Temple to Attis and Cybele After the death of Hyperion the children of Coelus parted the Kingdome amongst them the most famous of which were Atlas and Saturne to the first of which befell the parts adioyning to the Ocean He had great skill in Astronomy Of his seuen daughters were procreated many of the Gods and Heroes and of Maia the eldest and Iupiter was Mercury begotten Saturne the sonne of Atlas being couetous and wicked married Cybele his sister and had by her Iupiter They tell of another Iupiter brother of Coelus and King of Crete but there and here they are so intangled with Fables that the least inquirie hath most ease and no lesse certaintie This Cretan held the Empire of the World and had ten Sonnes whom they call Curetes his Sepulchre they shew to this day Saturne the Brother of Atlas reigned in Italy and Sicilia till Iupiter his Sonne dispossessed him who proued a seuere Prince to the wicked and bountifull to the good Thus much Eusebius of the Phrygian Diuinitie out of their owne Legends the Mysteries whereof he after vnfoldeth Other Tales they had as that Minerua killed there a fire breathing beast of Philemon and Baucis and such like mentioned by the Poets Meander making Warres with the Pessinuntians vowed for Sacrifice whatsoeuer he first met after hee returned with Conquest which he performed on Archelaus his Sonne ouercomming saith one Pietie with Pietie Impious is that Pietie which destroyeth Humanitie and Deuillish crueltie both in the Idoll and Idolater as appeared also in the euent if our Story bee true the father rewarding such Pietie with greater Impietie on himselfe and casting himselfe into the riuer left his name therunto The like is told of the Riuers Sagaris and Scamander Hercules when he went with the Argonautes to Colchos came on shoare on Phrygia to amend his Oare and being thirstie sent his sweeting Hylas to the riuer for water who falling therein was drowned whereupon he leauing his cōpanions wandred in the woods bemoning his Hylas About these times Tantalus liued in these parts a man besides other vices exceedingly couetous not sparing the Temples of the Gods Hence arose the Fable that he was punished in Hell with perpetuall hunger and thirst whiles pleasant waters and dainty fruits did offer themselues to his mouth but when he would haue tasted them fled from him So indeed doth Mammon torment his followers making them to want as well that which they haue as that which they haue not the Medicine being the increaser of the Disease as when fire is quenched with Oile like Gardners Asses laden with good herbs a burthen to them food for others themselues glad to feed on Thistles And how many Tantali do we daily see enduring a hunger and thirst in the midst of their abundance a monstrous and vnnaturall sicknesse to hunger after that which they haue yet cannot yet will not feed on a Dropsie-thirst saue that they dare not drinke that which they haue and thirst Vnworthy of that life which he sacrificeth to that which neuer had the dignitie to be mortall vnworthy that body which he pineth with plenty or that soule which he damneth for a fancie of hauing or that nature of man which he confineth to the Gallies to the Mynes in the seruice of a piece of earth vnworthy of the name of Christian whose Christ was to one of his Fore-fathers worth thirty pence but now this will sell him for three halfe pence for a piece of bread yea like Aesops Dog for the shadow of a piece of Bread vnworthy of any thing saue that his couetise to be his Tempter his Tormentor his Fury his Deuill Once pitty it is that hee prizeth a Halter so deare else would he rid the World of a burthen and himselfe of his worthlesse life But whither hath Tantalus carried me Take heed Reader he doe not carry thee further or thou him beyond words They say he would haue sacrificed his Sonne Pephilops had not Diuine power releeued him thou art like to find him Tantalus still What the Poets tell of Ganymedes euery one knowes of Niobe famous for her sonnes daughters which she lost all in one day of Midas another Tantalus whose couetousnesse became a new Alchymie to turne all into Gold And how doth this two-fold Alchymie gull the world the one making with vaine hopes a rich estate become poore the other with ful haps making all Gold but the Man onely the Romane Alchymist is Master of that Art which the former professe that turnes so easily a little Lead into so much good Gold onely the wiseman wise in the latter to be Master of himselfe his wealth not a slaue to passion or pelfe And yet Midas in a publike calamity hapning by an Earthquake which swallowed vp Houses warned by an Oracle to cast into those gaping jawes of the earth that which was most precious hurled therein much treasure what could hee thinke more precious and how much more easily would many a Mydas haue hurled in himselfe But the Earth not yet satisfied would not close vp her mouth till his sonne Anchurus esteeming man to be most precious leaped in and the reconciled Element receiued an Altar in witnesse of his haughty courage There were many Phrygian Kings named Midas The Phrygians sacrificed to the riuers Meander and Marsius they placed their Priests after death vpon a stone ten cubits high They did not sweare or force others to an oath they were much addicted to diuination by Birds Macrobius applyeth their Tales of Cybele and Atis to the Sunne Silenus is reckoned among the Phrygian Deities whom Goropius fercheth out of Scythia and maketh him Midas his Master in Geography and Philosophy The diligent attendance of the Scholer was occasion to that Fable of his long eares the learning of the Master gaue him diuine Honours In Phrygia on the riuer Sangarius stood Gordie or as Arrianus calleth it Gordion of which he reporteth that when Alexander came thither he had a great desire to see the Tower in which was the palace of Gordius Midas
Nicolaus Damascenus calling it Baris with losse of the first syllable Iuuenal accuseth the Armenians of Sooth-saying and Fortune-telling by viewing the inwards of Pigeons Whelpes and Children His words are in Sat. 6. Spondet Amatorem tenerum vel diuitis orbi Testamentum ingens calidae pulmone columbae Tractato Armenius vel Commagenus Aruspex Pectora pulmonum rimabitur exta catelli Interdum pueri That is A tender Louer or rich Legacie Of child-lesse Rich man for your destinie Th' Armenian Wizard in hot Lungs doth spie Of Pigeons Or of Whelpes the inwards handling Or sometimes bloudie search of Children mangling The Mountaines of Armenia pay tribute vnto many Seas by Phasis and Lycus vnto the Pontike Sea Cyrus and Araxes vnto the Caspian Euphrates and Tygris vnto the Red or Persian Sea these two last are famous for their yeerely ouerflowings the former of them arising amidst three other Seas yet by the incroaching violence of the beetle-browed Hils enforced to a farre longer more intricate and tedious way before hee can repose his wearied waues the other for his swiftnesse bearing the name of Tygris which with the Medes signifieth an Arrow Solinus cap. 40. saith That it passeth through the Lake Arethusa neither mingling waters nor fishes quite of another colour from the Lake it diueth vnder Taurus and bringeth with it much drosse on the other side of the Mountaine and is againe hidden and againe restored and at last carrieth Euphrates into the Sea The Armenians besides their naturall Lords haue been subiect to the Persians after that to the Macedonians and againe to the Persian after to Antiochus Captaines then to the Romans and Parthians tossed betwixt the Grecians and Saracens subdued after successiuely to the Tartarians Persians and Turkes Of these present Armenians Master Cartwright reporteth That they are a people very industrious in all kinde of labour their women very skilfull and actiue in shooting and managing any sort of weapon like the ancient Amazons Their Families are great the father and all his posteritie dwelling together vnder one roofe hauing their substance in common and when the father dieth the eldest sonne doth gouerne the rest all submitting themselues vnder his Regiment after his death not his sonne but the next brother succeedeth and so after all the brethren are dead to the eldest sonne In diet and clothing they are all alike of their two Patriarches and their Christian profession wee are to speake in fitter place The Turcomanians later inhabitants are as other the Scythians or Tartarians from whence they are deriued theeuish wandring vp and downe in Tents without certaine habitations like as the Curds also their Southerly neighbours their cattell and their robberies being their greatest wealth Of their Religion except of such as after their manner bee Christians which wee must deferre till a fitter time wee can finde little to say more then is said alreadie in our Turkish Historie This wee may here deplore of the vnhappy sight of Armenia which though it repeopled the world yet is it least beholding to her viperous off-spring a Map of the worlds miseries through so many ages For being hemmed alway with mightie neighbours on both sides it selfe is made the bloudie Lists of their ambitious encounters alway losing whosoeuer wonne alway the Gauntlet of the Challenger the Crowne of the Conquerour This to let passe elder times the Romans and Parthians Greeke Emperours and Saracens Turkes and Tartarians Turkes and Mamulukes Turkes and Persians doe more then enough proue §. II. Of IBERIA PTOLOMBY placeth to the North of Armenia Colchis washed by the Pontike Sea Albania by the Caspian and betwixt these two Iberia now together with some part of Armenia called Georgia either for the honour of their Patron Saint George or haply because they descended of those Georgi which Plinie nameth among the Caspian Inhabitants Strabo recordeth foure kindes of people in this Iberia of the first sort are chosen two Kings the one precedent in age and nobilitie the others Leader in Warre and Law-giuer in Peace the second sort are the Priests the third Husbandmen and Souldiers the fourth the vulgar seruile people These haue all things common by Families but hee is Ruler with his eldest a thing obserued of the Armenian Christians as before is said euen at this day Constantinus Porphyrogenitus the Emperour writeth That the Iberians boast and glorie of their descent from the wife of Vriah which Dauid defiled and of the children gotten betweene them Thus would they seeme to bee of kin to Dauid and the Virgin Mary and for that cause they marry in their owne kindred They came say they from Ierusalem being warned by Vision to depart thence and seated themselues in these parts There departed from Ierusalem Dauid and his brother Spandiates who obtained say they such a fauour from GOD that no member of his could bee wounded in warre except his heart which hee therefore diligently armed whereby he became dreadfull to the Persians whom hee subdued and placed the Iberians in these their habitations In the time of Heraclius they ayded him against the Persians which after that became an easie prey to the Saracens Of the Roman conquests and exploits in Armenia Colchis Iberia Albania I lift not here to relate §. III. Of ALBANIA ALBANIA now Zuiria lyeth North and East betwixt Iberia and the Sea of which Strabo affirmeth that they need not the Sea who make no better vse of the Land for they bestow not the least labour in husbandrie and yet the earth voluntarily and liberally yeeldeth her store and where it is once sowen it may twice or thrice be reaped The men were so simple that they neither had vse of money nor did they number aboue an hundred ignorant of weights measures warre ciuilitie husbandrie there were in vse among them sixe and twentie languages They had Spiders which would procure death vpon men smiling and some also which did men to die weeping They worshipped the Sunne Iupiter and the Moone whose Temple was neere to Iberia The Priest which ruled it was next in honour to the King hee performeth the Holy Rites ruleth the Holy Region which is large and full of people of the sacred Seruants many being inspired doe Diuine or Prophecie Hee which is most rauished with the spirit wandreth alone through the Woods him the Priest taketh and bindeth with a sacred Chaine allowing him sumptuous nourishment the space of a yeere and after bringeth him to bee slaine with other sacrifices to the Goddesse The Rites are thus One which is skilfull of this businesse holding the sacred Speare wherewith they vse to slay the man stepping forth thrusteth it into his heart in his falling they obserue certaine tokens of diuination then doe they bring out the bodie into some place where they all goe ouer it The Albanians honoured olde-age in all men death in none accounting it vnlawfull to mention a dead man with whom they
successor Hee also in a conspiracie was killed and Vonon substituted whom the Parthians not long enduring forced to seeke helpe of the Romans where he was perfidiously slaine Artabanus obtained the Empire from whence hee was after chased by Vitellius who placed Tiridates in the Throne which hee had scarce warmed when Artabanus recouered it and after left it to his sonne Bardanes the Arsacian stocke being now dispossessed This Bardanes whiles hee minded warres against the Romans is killed of his owne Gotarzes his brother succeeded to the Scepter which he held notwithstanding the decree of the Roman Senate for Meherdates the sonne of Vonon whom hee tooke and cut off his eares Vonones was his successor a little while and presently after Vologaeses his sonne The next was Artabanus and after him Pacorus and in the next place Cosdroes his brother against whom Traian warred with good successe who extended the Roman Empire to the Indians But Adrian renewed league with the Parthian Parthanaspates succeeded and soon after Vologaeses who left heire his sonne of the same name depriued by his brother Artabanus He being vniustly dealt with by the Romans trecherie draue them to sue for peace which after that Antonius the author of the breach was dead was easily obtained by Macrinus his successour But Artaxares a Persian preuailed better in a third battell ouerthrowing him and reducing the Kingdome after such a world of yeeres to the Persian name Some reckon this 472. yeeres from Arsaces and 228. after Christ Scaliger reckoneth the time of the Parthian Dynastie 479. yeeres The number of their Kings after this computation is nine and twentie They which list to see further of their warres with the Romans may reade the Roman Authors which haue written the same the summe whereof is here presented to your view Cornelius Tacitus tells a merry tale for I thinke these Tragedies haue wearied you and pertinent to our purpose of a good-fellow-like Hercules whom the Parthians worshipped This kind-hearted god warneth his Priests in a dreame that neere to his Temple they should set his horses readie furnished for hunting which they doe lading them with quiuers full of Arrowes These after much running vp and downe the Forrest returne home at night blowing and breathlesse their quiuers being emptied And Hercules no niggard of his venison acquainteth the Priests at night by another vision with all his disport what woods hee hath ranged and the places of his game They searching the places finde the slaine beasts Better fellowship certaine had their Hercules then their Kings when they inuited any to their Feasts For the King had his table alone and loftie the guests sit below on the ground and like dogs feed on that which the King casteth to them And many times vpon occasion of the Kings displeasure they are haled thence and scourged and yet they then prostrate on the ground adore their striker They worshipped the Sunne at his rising Bardesanes in Eusebius saith of them that to kill his wife or sonne or daughter or brother or sister yet vnmarried was not prohibited by the Law to any Parthian nor any way subiect to punishment The Parthian Ensigne was a Dragon the Royall Ensigne a Bow their stile was King of Kings they ware a double Crowne They had an ointment made of a certaine composition which no priuate man might vse Nor might any else drinke of the waters of Choaspes and Eulaeus None might come to the King without a present The Magi were in great authoritie with them Their Rites were mixt of the Persian and Scythian Nothing was more seuerely punished then adulterie A seruant might not bee made free nor might be suffered except in the warres to ride or a free-man to goe on foot Their fight was more dangerous in flying then in standing or giuing the onset Terga conuersi metuenda Parthi The Parthians flight doth most affright They account them the most happy which are slaine in battell They which die a naturall death are vpbraided with cowardise Their fight Lucan describeth Pugna leuis bellumque fugax turmaeque fugaces Et melior cessisse loco quà m pellere miles Illita terra dolis nec Martem cominùs vnquam Ausa pati virtus sed longè tendere neruos That is Light skirmish fleeing warre and scattered bands And better Souldiers when they runne away Then to beare off an enemy that stands Their craftie caltrops on the grond they lay Nor dares their courage come to right-downe blowes But fighteth further off most trusting to their Bowes Many Cities amongst them and two thousand Villages are said to haue been ouerwhelmed with Earthquakes They are said to bee of spare diet to eate no flesh but that which they take in hunting to feed with their swords girt to them to eate Locusts to be false lyers and perfidious to haue store of wiues and strumpets Their Countrey is now called Arach in it is made great quantitie of Silkes Isidorus Characenus hath set downe the seuerall Countries with their dimensions how many Schaeni each of them containeth with their chiefe Cities and their wayes and distances which giueth great light to Geography and the knowledge of the Parthian greatnesse Schaenus is accounted threescore furlongs §. II. Of the Hircanians Tappyri and Caspians HYrcania now called Straua or Diargument hath on the West Media on the East Margiana on the South Parthia on the North the Sea which hereof is called the Hyrcane otherwise Caspian Famous it hath beene and is for store of woods and Tygers There are also other wilde beasts Here in the Citie Nabarca was an Oracle which gaue answeres by dreames Some Riuers in this Countrey haue so steepe a fall into the Sea that vnder the waters the people resort to sacrifice or banquet the streame shooting violently ouer their heads without wetting them Iouius writeth That the ayre is vnwholsome by reason of the Fennes Straua the chiefe Citie aboundeth in trafficke for Silke The Ilands before it in the Sea were no lesse refuge to the Inhabitants in the Tamberlaine-tempest then to the Italians in the time of Attila whose places where now Venice standeth Their Religion as the State both in times past and present hath followed the Persian of whom we are next to speake It is reported of Tappyri inhabiting neere to Hyrcania that their custome was to bestow their wiues on other men when they had borne them two or three children so did Cato his wife Martia on Hortensius and such saith Vertomannus is the custome at this day of the Indians in Calechut to exchange wiues in token of friendship They had wine in such estimation that they anointed their bodies therewith The Caspij shut vp their parents after they are come to age of seuentie yeeres and there in respect of pietie what more could the impious doe starue them to death Some say That after that age they place them
from them As for Metasthenes of Annius wee haue before shewed him to be counterfeit and the rest of his brethren to bee either the bastards of Annius or Changelings which hee hath nursed and would father vpon those Authors whose names they beare Viues calls them Portentosa vel solo auditu horrenda monstrous reports dregs friuolous pamphlets of vncertaine Authors which if any bee in loue with hee may enioy without him his corriuall Goropius bestowes much paines in the vncasing of them and learned men doe now generall distaste them Iosephus cites Megasthenes in quarto Indicorum the fourth Booke of his Indian Historie from whence Petrus Comestor alledgeth the same testimonie with deprauing the word Indicorum and making it Iudiciorum Annius addes not onely the corrupting of the name Metasthenes for Megasthenes but a Historie vnder his name de Iudicio Temporum Annalium Persicorum wherein no maruell if hee proceed in the Storie as he began in the Title Beroaldus in the Persian Chronologie faineth diuers names to the Persian Kings as Assuerus Artaxerxes Darius Assyrius Artaxerxes Pius Liuely and other moderne Writers out of the Greeke Olympiads and Histories haue giuen truer account of the Persian Times and Gouernment beginning with the fiue and fiftieth Olympiad and continuing the same to the third yeere of the hundred and twelfth Scaliger and Caluisius as you haue seene before doe a little differ from this account of Master Liuely which he liuely proueth by conference of other Histories both Humane and Ecclesiasticall Clemens Eusebius Herodotus Diodorus Polybius Xenophon Thucydides Dionysius Halicarnassaeus Liuie and others As much adoe is made about the beginning and ending of Daniels weekes and the time of the building and finishing the second Temple both which are much illustrated by the right knowledge of the Persian Chronologie Iunius Liuely and some others begin the account of the threescore and ten weekes and reckon the building of the second Temple in the second yeere of Darius Nothus to whose reasons I referre the Reader and returne to our Persian affaires How this Persian Empire agreed to the dreame of Nabuchodonosor and the visions of Daniel Broughton Reusnerus and others haue written it were too tedious here to relate Artaxerxes others call him perhaps more truely Artaxares recouered the Persian Name and Empire fiue hundred thirtie eight yeeres as Bizarus Lib. 4. reckoneth after Alexander the Great had extinguished them and in the yeere of our Lord 230. Others say it was in the yeere of Christ 233. and in the yeere of the World 4182. and 563. after Alexanders Conquest others otherwise The Catalogue of the Persian Kings in that their second Dynastie you may reade before Lib. 1. c. 13. But for better satisfaction of the Reader we will here present a short view of their Historie §. V. Of the second Persian Dynastie ARTAXARES being a man of hautie spirit fought three battells with Artabanus the Parthian and at the third time depriued him of life and Scepter together Hee proceeded to subdue the neighbouring Barbarians and passing ouer Tygris disturbed the Romane Prouince of Mesopotamia deuouring in hope and threatning in termes all those Asian Prouinces sometimes subiect to the Persians before the Macedonian deluge Alexander Seuerus sonne of Mammea the Emperour writ to him to stay his course But Pikes not Pens were like to preuaile with Artaxares who brought into the field seuen hundred Elephants and eighteene hundred Chariots and many thousands of Horse-men but with much bloud-shed was forced to leaue the honor of the day to the Romanes Herodianus seemeth to write harder fortunes of the Romans in this warre But Lampridius Eutropius Orosius and Zosimus write That Seuerus obtained the victory and tooke Ctesiphon and Babylon and subdued also Arabia Agathias affirmeth That Artaxares was called Magus Valerianus was ouer-throwne by Sapores the successor of Artaxares in Mesopotamia and there taken was made a foot-stoole for Sapores on whose necke he vsed to tread when he tooke horse and at last was flayed aliue and sprinkled with salt Zosimus saith That he was treacherously taken at a meeting for conference and Trebellius Pollio ascribeth it to the treason of his guide This cruell Tyrant afflicted the Roman Prouinces to Cilicia and Cappadocia filling with dead bodies the broken spaces betweene the Hils feeding as it were those deformed gaping iawes with cruell banquets of mans flesh Odenatus Palmirinus brought some light to the Romans in this darkened and dreadfull Eclipse of their Sun and recouered the Roman Territories His wife Zenobia after his death like another Semiramis proued a fortunate Generall Warrior against the Persians and also against the Romans from whom she withheld Syria til Valerius Aurelianus carried her to Rome being by vnexpected accident surprised As for Valerianus it was the iust iudgement of God for his cruell persecution of the Christians whom he had at first fauoured till one of the Egyptian Priests had perswaded him to this and other wickednesse as humane sacrifices and such like Euseb l. 7. c. 9. He was taken of Sapores An. Dom. 260. after Caluisius computation Buntingus hath two yeeres lesse In the time of Probus the Persians sued for peace and obtained it he procuring such peace in the East saith Vopiscus that a rebellious Mouse was not heard to peepe Carus his successor warred against the Persians and hauing entred their Country as farre as Ctesiphon was slain with a Thunder-bolt no Roman Emperour by I know not what secret destinie from the time of Crassus passing those parts without vnfortunate successe This was An. Dom. 283. Diocletian sent Galerius against Narses the Persian sonne to Varranes or Varaaranes the second for after Sapores Hormisda his sonne had reigned a yeere Varranes the first three yeeres Varranes the second sixteene and a third of that name onely foure moneths as Agathias reckoneth But not farre from Carrhae fatall to the Romans Galerius Caesar lost almost all his Armie and therefore found homely welcome at his returne Diocletian suffering him to lacquey in his purple Robes some miles after his Chariot Indignation supplying his former defects he recouered his credit with the ouer-throw of the Persians Narses fled leauing his wiues sisters and children to the Conqueror A league was made with returne of Armenia Mesopotamia and Assyria to the Romans Misdates the Persian began his reigne An. Dom. 301. To him An. 309. succeeded his sonne Sapores and reigned which I think was neuer read of any longer then he liued in view of the World beginning his reigne before his birth which he continued threescore and ten yeeres For Misdates dying without issue male and leauing his wife great with child the Princes consulted with the Magi whether this future birth would bee male which they affirmed obseruing their predictions by a Mare then ready to foale and the Princes set on the Crowne or
but liueth with the women that if hee die before his father should thence conceiue no griefe From that time till hee bee twentie hee learneth three things to ride to shoot to speake truth For to lie is with them the most shamefull thing the second to be in debt For one fault onely no man ought to bee punished Whatsoeuer is not meet to be done ought not to be spoken A Leprous person if hee bee a Citizen may not enter into the Citie nor haue any societie with men for this disease is sent say they for some offence against the Sunne if hee bee a forrenner they banish him out of their Region and for the same cause carry into that Region white Pigeons In a Riuer they neither spit nor make water nor wash but haue them in very religious veneration They might not cast any carkasse or pollution therein These things saith Herodotus I affirme of the Persians out of mine owne knowledge that which followeth I doe not so well know that they burie not their dead bodies before they bee torne of some Fowle or Dogge but I well know that their Magi doe wrap them vp in Waxe and then bury them These Magi differ both from other men and from the Egyptian Priests in this that these pollute themselues with the death of nothing but their sacrifices but the Magi with their owne hands kill any thing except a man and a dogge yea they esteeme it some great exploit if they haue killed very many Ants or Serpents or other things which creepe or flye Thus farre Herodotus §. II. Of the same and other Rites out of STRABO STRABO nameth Anaitis Amanus and Anandatus Gods of the Persians When the Persian Emperors had ouerthrowne the Sacae they encompassed with a wall a certaine rocke situate in a field and erecting a Temple of the aforesaid Gods there instituted yeerely solemnities named Sacae which of the inhabitants of Zela are yet celebrated so they call the place That Towne in great part belongs to them which are called Sacred Seruants to which Pompey added a great Country Some report that Cyrus hauing ouercome the Sacae attributing this victory to diuine power consecrated that day to his Country-Goddesse naming it Sacaa and wheresoeuer the Temple of that Goddesse is there also are celebrated those Sacaean feasts in manner of the Bacchanals day and night the men and women drinking themselues drunken Strabo in the end of the same eleuenth Booke mentioneth their Temples and amongst others the Temples of Tanais which before in Herodotus is denied to be the vse of the Persians Cicero blameth the Magi for procuring Xerxes to burne all the Temples of Greece because they included their Gods in walls and to whom the whole world was a Temple and house Their deuotion to the Sun and Moon made them spare Delus sacred to Apollo or the Sun and the Temple of Diana or the Moone at Ephesus as an Interpreter of Aristophanes hath glossed Some hold that Xerxes burnt the Graecian Temples for reuenge of the burning of Sardis and the Temple of Cybele by the Athenians and not for hatred of all Temples The Greekes would not permit the Temples so burned to bee re-edified that those ruinous places might be places of argument for reuenge to all posteritie The Ionians as Isocrates testifieth cursed them which should repaire them Strabo thus also reporteth of the Persians They haue neither Images nor Altars they sacrifice in an high place they thinke heauen to be Iupiter they worship the Sunne whom they call Mithra the Moone also and Venus and the Fire and the Earth and the Windes and the water they sacrifice in a cleane place and present their sacrifice crowned and when as the Magas ruler of this businesse hath diuided the flesh in pieces to euery one they goe their wayes leauing no part thereof to the Gods who say they are satisfied with the soule of their sacrifice Some as it is reported lay a part of the Numbles on the fire They sacrifice especially to the Fire and to the Water laying on the fire drie stickes the barkes pulled off and laying thereon fat Tallow and powring on the same Oyle they kindle the same not blowing with their breath but fanning or otherwise enforcing the winde thereto If any bloweth the fire or cast any dead thing or durt therein he is punished with death They performe their Water-ceremonies in this sort Comming to a Lake Riuer or Fountaine they make a Ditch and there slay a sacrifice with great heed that none of the next water be touched with the bloud after laying the flesh on Myrtle and Lawrell the Magi burne the same with small twigs and making certaine prayers sprinkle oyle mixed with milke and honey not in the fire or water but on the earth They are a long while muttering their prayers holding a bundle of small Tameriske-twigs That which in one place Strabo saith they worshipped Mars onely is a fault of the negligent Writers as Casaubon hath obserued in his Notes In Cappadocia where is very great store of the Magi which of the Fire are called Pyrethi and many Temples of the Persian gods they slay not the sacrifice with a knife but a club or mallet wherewith they beat it The Pyreitheia are great inclosed places in the midst whereof there is an Altar thereon the Magi keepe much ashes and a fire continually burning whither they euery day resort and make their prayers about an houres space holding a bundle of twigges before the fire hauing their heads couered with a kind of labelled Mitre hanging downe on both sides that the strings couer their lips These things are done in the Temples of Anaitis and Amanus For there are their Temples and their Image of Amanus is carried in procession These things we haue seene It seemeth that whereas Herodotus reporteth they had no Temples Altars nor Images and Strabo so often mentioneth their Temples and here the Altar and Image of Amanus that in Herodotus dayes they had none which grew afterwards in vse as a forraine rite brought in among the Persians after the Macedonians had conquered them or else that there were differing Sects among their Magi some as these in Cappadocia embracing Altars Images and Temples some refusing some or all these For otherwise Strabo disagreth not onely from Herodotus but from himselfe before denying them the vse of Altars and Images and here affirming it of the Cappadocian Magi in other things of the Persian Religion Perhaps the burning of the Graecian Temples purchased to them that conceit with the vulgar we know they honoured the Temple and Altar at Ierusalem And lesse matters set on the Friers lasts make seely Papists beleeue now that Protestants haue no Churches not Religion nor scarcely the shape of men Iulius Firmicus in his Treatise of the mysteries and errors of prophane Religions to Constantine and Constans Emperours speaketh of the Assyrians and Persians that the Assyrians ascribed the
Ismael was Sultan in Tauris the Sultan in Bagadet Murat Can son of Iacob with an army of 30000. marched against him and in a plaine meeting with Ismael was there ouerthrown not seuentie persons escaping to Bagadet with Murat Can the place bearing witnes of the slaughter buried vnder many new hils of bones All these things were done An. 1499. And while I was in Tauris many came from Natolia Caramania and Turkie to serue him of whom they were graciously entertained An. 1507. our Author being then in Malacia saw with his eyes the Sultan Alumut conueyed prisoner by Amirbec who with foure thousand men going from Mosull neere to the sometime-Niniue to Amit where the Sultan kept with promise and profession of his succour being admitted the Citie tooke him and cast a chaine about his necke whose head Ismael smote off with his owne hands He was presented to him by Amirbec in the Country of Aladuli against whom Ismael was now warring where taking the Citie Cartibirt he cut off the head of Becarbec sonne of Aladuli Lord thereof with his owne hands From thence returning to Tauris hee had almost done as much to his two brethren whom hee had left Gouernours in his absence for transgressing their Commission but with much intreatie of his Lords spared their liues yet confined them to Ardouill not to depart from thence The next yeere hee pursued Murat Can who was come to Syras a Citie not inferiour to Cairo in Egypt with thirtie sixe thousand men but male-content and therefore many of them flying vnto Ismael Whereupon Murat Can sent two Embassadours with fiue hundred followers with offer of Vassallage vnto him Ismael cut them all in pieces saying That if Murat Can would be his Vassall hee should come in person not by Embassage Murat Can had closely sent Spies to obserue the sequell of his businesse and being hereof by them aduertised fled For many of his Nobles had alreadie put on the red Turbant of whom he feared to bee taken as Alumut had beene and therefore with three thousand of his most faithful he fled vnto Aleppo but the Soldan of Cairo not admitting him he went to Aladuli who entertained him honourably and gaue him his daughter to wife Ismael after great slaughter in Siras and Bagadet was forced to returne to Spaan with his Armie For Ieselbas the Tartar had taken all the Countrie of Corasan and the great Citie of Eri which is in compasse betwixt fortie and fiftie miles well peopled and full of Merchandize He had taken also Straua Amixandaran and Sari on the Caspian shoare and with intent to beguile Ismael desired leaue to passe thorow his Countrey to Mecca on Pilgrimage Ismael with deniall and other sharpe words repelled his suit and abode a yeere in Spaan to withstand his enterprises After he returned to Tauris where were great triumphs solemnized in his honour This Sophi is so loued and feared saith this Merchant that they hold him as a God especially his Souldiers of which some goe into the warres without Armour holding it sufficient that Ismael will succour them others because they content themselues to die for Ismael goe into battaile with naked breast crying Schiak Schiak that is God God And they forget the name of God alway naming Ismael they hold That hee shall not die but liue euer And where other Mosulmans say La ylla yllala Mahamet resullalla the Persians say La ylla yllala Ismael vellilalla reputing him a God and a Prophet I haue learned that Ismael is not contented to be called or worshipped as god Their custome is to weare red Bonnets with a certaine thing like a girdle large below and straighter vpwards made with twelue folds a finger thick signifying the twelue Sacraments of their sect or those twelue brethren nephewes of Ali. Ismael was of faire countenance of reasonable stature thicke and large in the shoulders shauen all but the mustachees left-handed stronger then any of his Nobles but giuen to Sodomie At his second comming to Tauris hee caused to take twelue of the fairest boyes in the City to serue his lust and after gaue to each of his Nobles one for the like purpose before tooke ten of the best mens sonnes for the same intent Thus farre haue wee had commerce with this namelesse Persian Merchant in Ramusius his shop who sometime attended on his Court and Campe Others adde hereutto that he sent Embassadours to all the Mahumetan Princes of the East to receiue that Red-hat Ensigne together with his Sect as did his sonne Tammas after him when Nizzamulucco onely accepted thereof But it is the common opinion that the greatest part of the Mahumetans in Soria and of Asia Minor are secretly of that Sect Ismael after this warred and wonne vpon the Zagatai Tartars and other adiacent Nations that hee left vnto his successours a verie great estate reaching from the Caspian Sea to the Persian and betweene the Lake Iocco and Tygris the Riuer Abbiam and the Kingdome of Cambaya more then twentie Degrees from East to West and eighteene from North to South Hee ordained a new Lyturgie and forme of Praier differing from the ancient Such was his authoritie that they would sweare By the Head of Ismael and blesse his name saying Ismael grant thee thy desire Vpon his Coyne on the one side was written La illahe illalahu Muhamedun resulalallahe And on the other Ismaill halife lullahe that is Ismael the Vicar of GOD. The Iewes at the first had this Ismael in such admiration that they foolishly reckoned Ismael to be their promised Messias gratulating themselues in this conceit thorowout the most part of Europe celebrating festiuall Solemnities with mutuall Presents in testimonie of their ioy which yet was soone dashed none hating the Iewes more then Ismael He lieth buried at Ardouil in a faire Meskit with a sumptuous Sepulchre made by himselfe in his life time where is a faire Stone Hospitall erected by him for strangers allowing to all trauellers three daies reliefe for horse and man freely Ardouil is in latitude thirtie eight degrees The life of Ismael had beene answerable to the bloudie presages in his ominous birth for he came forth of his mothers wombe with both his hands shut and full of bloud for which cause his father would not haue brought him vp but commanded him to be slaine but they which carried him away moued with compassion secretly nourished him three yeeres and after presented him to his father who then acknowledged and receiued him with loue and kindnesse for this his bloudie and warre-like spirit dwelt in a louely and amiable bodie adorned with all the Ensignes of beautie Hee died Anno 1524. HONGIVS his Map of PERSIA PERSICUM REGNUM §. IIII. Of SHAVGH TAMAS the Persian troubles after his death SCHIACH THECMES or Shaugh Tamas succeeded and reigned aboue fiftie yeeres Hee liued deuoutly and yet for their Law reconcileth both verie voluptuously
oath cleared himselfe of this odious imputation And yet hee is no lesse suspected of a more monstrous and vnnaturall treacherie against his owne father who is thought to bee poysoned by his meanes that by these bloudie steps hee might ascend to that Throne which now he enioyeth But all this notwithstanding he hath since so subtilly handled the matter that hee is both beloued of his owne and feared of his enemie his subiects sweare and blesse in his name He hath recouered from the Turke both Tauris and other Regions of Seruania and Georgia which the Turke had before taken from the Persians Hee was reported also to haue taken Bagdat but it seemeth not truly Iansonius in his Newes 1610. reporteth of diuers victories obtained by him against the Turke which caused publike Fasts and supplications to be appointed at Constantinople and of the Persian Embassage with rich Presents and holy Reliques to the Emperour at Prage Gotardus Arthus likewise in his Gallobelgicus relateth of Abas his Embassage to Constantinople about a Peace but when his Embassadour returned with Articles whereby the Persian was bound vnder shew of gifts to pay an annuall tribute to the Sultan he therefore put him to death putting out the eyes also and cutting off the hands of the Turkish Embassador which was sent with him Of Bagdat and old Babylon wee haue spoken elsewhere let this be here added out of Balbi that trauelling from Felugia to Bagdat which hee reckoneth a dayes iourney and a halfe one whole dayes iourney thereof was by one side of the ruines of Babylon which hee left on the left hand As for Tauris in the yeere 1514. Selim tooke it as some say on composition which hee brake and carried thence three thousand of the best Artificers to Constantinople Anno 1535. Solymar gaue it for a prey to his souldiers Anno 1515. Osman spoiled it with vncouth and inhumane cruelties whatsoeuer the insulting Conqueror in the vtmost extent of lawlesse lust could inflict or the afflicted condition of the conquered could in the most deiected state of miserie sustaine was there executed Abas in recouerie hereof vsed the Canon an Instrument which before they had to their owne losse scorned The Prince is saith our Author excellent both of composition of bodie and disposition of minde of indifferent stature sterne countenance piercing eyes swart colour his mustachees on the vpper lip long his beard cut close to the chin Hee delights in Hunting and Hawking Running Leaping and trying of Masteries He is an excellent Horse-man and Archer In the morning he vseth to visit his stables of great Horses and hauing there spent most of the forenoone he returnes to his Palace About three of the clocke in the after-noone he goeth to the At-Maiden which is the high street of Hispaan the Citie of his residence round about which are scaffolds for the people to sit and behold the King and his Nobles at their Exercises of Shooting Running Playing at Tennis c. all on horse-backe In this place very often in his owne person he heareth causes and pronounceth sentence executing Iustice seuerely Now that we may mention some of the chiefe Cities of Persia vnder which name I here comprehend as vsually in this Historie their Dominion not as it is measured by the Pens of Geographers but by the Swords of their Princes In Sumachia Master Cartwright saith They saw the ruines of a cruell spectacle which was a Turret erected with Free-stone and Flints in the midst whereof were placed the heads of all the Nobilitie and Gentrie of the Countrie A mile from this Towne was a Nunnerie wherein was buried the bodie of Amaleke Canna the Kings daughter who slew her selfe with a knife for that her father would haue forced her to marrie a Tartarian Prince the Virgins of the Countrey resort hither once a yeere to lament her death Sechi is foure dayes iourney thence not farre from which is Ere 's which because they yeelded to the Turke were by Emir-Hamze vtterly destroyed man woman and child Arasse is the chiefe Citie of Merchandize in all Seruania especially for raw Silks Tauris hath out-liued many deaths and is very rich by reason of continuall Trade nourishing almost two hundred thousand people within her compasse for wals it hath not This was sometime the Seat-Royall and after that Casbin which is situate in a fertile Plaine foure dayes iourney in length wherein are two thousand Villages The buildings are of Bricke dried in the Sunne as in Persia is most vsuall The At-Maidan or chiefe street is foure square almost a mile in circuit Neere to it is Ardouil of chiefe note for beginning of the Sophian Superstition Geilan is foure dayes iourney from Casbin and stands neere to the Caspian Sea Neere to Bachu is a Fountaine of black oyle which serueth all the Countrey to burne in their houses Cassan is well seated and rich in Marchandize but subiect to heat more then other parts of Persia No person is there permitted to be idle Hispaan is thought by some to be Hecatompolis the walls are a dayes iourney about on horsebacke before the greatest now the Royall Citie of the Persians It hath a strong Fort two Seraglio's the walls whereof glister with red Marble and Parget of diuers colours paued all with Mosaique worke all things else combining Maiestie and Louelinesse Magnificence and Beautie The inhabitants as did the ancient Parthians whose chiefe Citie it sometime hath beene buy sell talke and performe all their publike and priuate affaires on horse-backe the Gentlemen neuer goe on foot Sciras is thought to bee Persepolis it is rich of Trade and there is the best Armour made in all the East of Iron and steele cunningly tempered with the iuyce of certaine herbes The Gouernement of this State in Warre and Peace I leaue to others §. VI. An Appendix touching the present Persian King out of Sir ANTHONY SHERLEY HAuing thus followed the currant of Authors in these Relations of Persia there hath since the first Edition been published the Trauels of Sir Anthony Sherley into these parts with Sir Robert Sherley his brother penned by himselfe with some extracts whereof to furnish this Chapter alreadie tedious as with a second seruice after a full stomacke will I hope renue appetite with the varietie so farre fetched and so deare bought howsoeuer before cloyed with fulnes To let passe therefore those worthy Brethren Worthies indeed in this kinde beyond the reach worth of my blurring praise and eclipsing commendations and to come to their Trauell and obseruation Hauing passed not without manifold dangers to Aleppo and thence to Birr and so downe Euphrates by the way they aduentured to see the Campe of Aborisci King of the Arabs inhabiting the desarts of Mesopotamia a poore King with ten or twelue thousand beggerly subiects liuing in tents of blacke haire-cloth well gouerned They came to Bagdat which is wholly on the other side of Tygris
and Peloponnesus for feare of a second returne of Techellis The remainder of Techellis his power as they fled into Persia robbed a Carauan of Merchants for which outrage comming to Tauris their Captaines were by Ismaels command executed and Techellis himselfe burnt aliue but yet is this Sect closely fauoured in Asia §. III. Of their Rites Persons Places and Opinions Religious WE haue now seene the Proceedings of this Sophian Sect both in Persia and Turkie both here kept downe and there established by force To weare red on the lower parts of their body were to these Red-heads scarsely piacular Touching Hali they haue diuers dreames as that when they doubted of Mahomets successor a little Lizard came into a Councell assembled to decide the controuersie and declared that it was Mahomets pleasure that Mortus Ali or Morts Ali should be the man He had a sword wherewith hee killed as many as he stroke At his death he told them that a white Camell would come for his body which accordingly came and carried his dead body and the sword and was therewith taken vp into heauen for whose returne they haue long looked in Persia For this cause the King kept a horse ready sadled and kept for him also a daughter of his to be his wife but she died in the yeere 1573. And they say further that if he come not shortly they shall be of our beleefe They haue few bookes and lesse learning There is often great contention and mutinie in great Townes which of Mortus Ali his sonnes was greatest sometime two or three thousand people being together by the eares about the same as I haue seene sayth Master Ducket in Shamaky and Ardouill and Tauris where I haue seene a man comming from fighting and in a brauery bringing in his hand foure or fiue mens heads carrying them by the hayre of the crowne For although they shaue their heads commonly twice a weeke yet leaue they a tuft of hayre vpon their heads about two foot long whereof when I enquired the cause They answered that thereby they may bee the easier carried vp into heauen when they are dead In praying they turne to the South because Mecca lyeth that way from them When they be on trauell in the way many of them will as soone as the Sunne riseth light from their horses turning themselues to the South and will lay their gownes before them with their swords and beads and so standing vpright doe their holy things many times in their prayers kneeling downe and kissing their beades or somewhat else that lieth before them When they earnestly affirme a matter they sweare by God Mahomet and Mortus Ali and sometime by all at once saying Olla Mahumet Ali and sometime Shaugham bosshe that is by the Shaughes head Abas the young Prince of Persia charged with imputation of treason after other Purgatorie speeches sware by the Creator that spread out the ayre that founded the earth vpon the deepes that adorned the heauen with Starres that powred abroad the water that made the fire and briefly of nothing brought forth all things by the head of Ali and by the Religion of their Prophet Mahomet that hee was cleare If any Christian will become a Bosarman or one of their superstition they giue him many gifts the Gouernor of the Towne appointeth him a horse and one to ride before him on another horse bearing a sword in his hand and the Bosarman bearing an arrow in his hand rideth in the City cursing his father and mother The sword signifieth death if hee reuolt againe Before the Shaugh seemed to fauour our Nation the people abused them very much and so hated them that they would not touch them reuiling them by the names of Cafars and Gawars that is Infidels or Mis-beleeuers Afterwards they would kisse their hands and vse them gently and reuerently Drunkards and riotous persons they hate for which cause Richard Iohnson caused the English by his vicious liuing to be worse accounted of then the Russes Their opinions and rites most-what agree with the Turkish and Saracenicall Their Priests are apparelled like other men they vse euery morning and afternoone to goe vp to the toppes of their Churches and tell there a great tale of Mahomet and Mortus Ali. They haue also among them certaine holy-men called Setes accounted therefore holy because they or some of their ancestors haue beene on pilgrimage at Mecca these must be beleeued for this Saint-ship although they lie neuer so shamefully These Setes vse to shaue their heâ—ds all ouer sauing on the sides a little aboue the Temples which they leaue vnshauen and vse to braide the same as women doe their hayre and weare it as long as it will grow Iosafa Barbaro at Sammachi lodged in an Hospitall wherein was a graue vnder a vault of stone and neere vnto that a man with his beard and hayre long naked sauing that a little before and behind he was couered with a skinne sitting on a peece of a matte on the ground I sayth hee saluted him and demanded what hee did he told mee hee watched his father I asked who was his father He quoth he that doth good to his neighbour with this man in this Sepulchre I haue liued thirty yeeres and will now accompany him after death and being dead be buried with him I haue seene of the world sufficient and now haue determined to abide thus till death Another I found at Tauris on all-Soules day in the which they also vsed a commemoration of Soules departed neere to the Sepulchre in a Church-yard hauing about him many birds especially Rauens and Crowes I thought it had beene a dead corpse but was told it was a liuing Saint at whose call the birds resorted to him and he gaue them meat Another I saw when Assambei was in Armenia marching into Persia against Signior Iausa Lord of Persia and Zagatai vnto the City of Herem who drew his staffe in the dishes wherein they are and sayd certaine words and brake them all the Sultan demanded what he had sayd they which heard him answered that he said hee should be victorious and breake his enemies forces as hee had done those dishes whereupon he commanded him to be kept till his returne and finding the euent according he vsed him honourably When the Sultan rode thorow the fields he was set on a Mule and his hands bound before him because he was sometime accustomed to doe some dangerous folly at his feet there attended on him many of their religious persons called Daruise These mad trickes he vsed according to the course of the Moone sometimes in two or three dayes not eating any thing busied in such fooleries that they were faine to bind him Hee had great allowance for his expences One of those holy men there was which went naked like to the beasts preaching their faith and hauing obtained great reputation hee caused himselfe to bee immured in a wall forty
storie is not yet because I haue done thus in other Nations and haue so worthy a patterne in this as the Worthy of our Age Iosephus Scaliger pardon mee to trouble thee with this Chronicle of their Kings The first was Vitey a Gyant-like man a great Astrologer and Inuenter of Sciences hee reigned an hundred yeeres They name after him an hundred and sixteene Kings whose names our Author omitteth all which reigned two thousand two hundred fiftie and seuen yeeres all these were of his linage and so was Tzintzon the maker of that huge wall of China which killed many of the Chinois of whom hee tooke euery third man to this worke For which cause they slue him when he had reigned fortie yeeres with his sonne Aguizi They ordained King in his stead Auchosau who reigned twelue yeeres his sonne Futey succeeded and reigned seuen yeeres his wife eighteene his sonne three and twentie then followed Guntey foure and fiftie Guntey the second thirteene Ochantey fiue and twentie Coantey thirteene Tzentzey sixe and twentie and foure moneths Anthoy sixe Pintatcy fiue Tzintzumey three and seuen moneths Huy Hannon sixe Cuoum two and thirtie Bemthey eighteene Vnthey thirteene Othey seuenteene Yanthey eight moneths Antey nineteene yeeres Tantey three moneths Chitey one yeere Linthey two and twentie yeeres Yanthey one and thirtie yeeres Laupy one and fortie yeeres Cuythey fiue and twntie yeeres Fontey seuenteene yeeres Fifteene other Kings reigned in all one hundred seuentie and sixe yeeres The last of which was Quioutey whom Tzobu deposed who with seuen of his linage reigned threescore and two yeeres Cotey foure and twentie yeeres Dian sixe and fiftie yeeres Tym one and thirtie yeeres Tzuyn seuen and thirtie yeeres Tauco with his linage which were one and twentie reigned two hundred ninetie and foure yeres Bausa a Nunne wife of the last of them whom she slue one and fortie yeeres Tautzon slue her and reigned with his posteritie which were seuen Kings one hundred and thirtie yeeres Dian eighteene yeeres Outon fifteene yeeres Outzim nine yeeres and three moneths Tozon foure yeeres Auchin ten yeeres Zaytzon and seuenteene of his race three hundred and twentie yeeres Tepyna the last was dispossessed by Vzon the Tartar vnder whom and eight of his Tartarian successours China endured subiection ninetie and three yeeres Gombu or Hum-vu expelled Tzintzoum the last of them He with thirteene successours haue reigned about two hundred and fortie yeeres There computation of times is more prodigious then that of the Chaldaeans after which this present yeere of our Lord 1614. is in their account from the Creation 884793. CHAP. XIX Of the Religion vsed in China §. I. Of their Gods and Idols in former times HOw much the greater things are reported of this so large a Countrey and mightie a Kingdome so much the more compassion may it prouoke in Christian hearts that amongst so many people there is scarce a Christian who amongst so ample reuenues which that King possesseth payeth either heart or name vnto the King of Heauen till that in so huge a Vintage the Iesuites of late haue gleaned a few handfulls to this profession Before wee come to the Narration of their gods I thinke it fit to deliuer what our ancienter Authors haue obserued of their Religion and then to come to the Moderne They were before the Tartarian Conquest giuen to Astrologie and obserued Natiuities and gaue directions in all matters of weight These Astrologers or Magicians told Farfur the King of China or Mangi that his Kingdome should neuer be taken from him but by one which had a hundred eyes And such in name was Chinsanbaian the Tartarian Captaine which dispossessed him of his state and conquered it to the great Can about 1269. This Farfur liued in great delicacie nor did euer feare to meet with such an Argus He brought vp yeerely two hundred thousand Infants which their Parents could not prouide for and euery yeere on certaine of his Idoll-holy-dayes feasted his principall Magistrates and all the wealthiest Citizens of Quinsay ten thousand persons at once ten or twelue dayes together There were then some few Nestorian Christians one Church at Quinsay two at Cinghianfu and a few others They had many Idoll-Monasteries They burned their dead the kinsmen of the dead accompanied the corps clothed in Canuas with Musicke and Hymnes to their Idols and when they came to the fire they cast therein many papers wherein they had painted Slaues Horses Camels c. as of the Cathayans is before reported to serue him in the next world They returne after their Funerall Rites are finished with like harmony of Instruments and Voyces in honor of their Idols which haue receiued the soule of the deceased They had many Hospitals for the poore where idle persons were compelled to worke and poore impotents relieued Odoricus affirmeth that at Kaitan or Zaiton hee found two Couents of Minorite-Fryers and many Monasteries of Idolaters in one whereof hee was in which as it was told him were three thousand Votaries and eleuen thousand Idols One of those Idols lesse then some others was as big as the Popish Christopher These Idols they feed euery day with the smoake of hot meates set before them but the meate they eate themselues At Quinsay a Chinian conuert led him into a certaine Monastery where hee called to a Religious person and said This Raban Francus that is this Religious French-man commeth from the Sunne-setting and is now going to Cambaleth to pray for the life of the great Can and therefore you must shew him some strange sight Then the said Religious person tooke two great baskets full of broken reliques and led mee into a little walled Parke and vnlocked the doore We entred into a faire greene wherein was a Mount in forme of a steeple replenished with Hearbs and Trees Then did hee ring with a Bell at the sound whereof many Creatures like Apes Cats and Monkeyes came downe the Mount and some had faces like men to the number of some thousand and two hundred putting themselues in good order before whom he set a platter and gaue them those fragments Which when they had eaten he rung the second time and they all returned to their former places I wondred at the sight and demanded what creatures they were They are quoth he the soules of Noble-men which we here feed for the loue of GOD who gouerneth the World And as a man was honourable in his life so his soule entereth after death into the body of some excellent beast but the soules of simple and rusticall people possesse the bodies of more vile and brutish creatures Neither could I disswade him from the opinion or perswade him that any soule might remaine without a body Nic. di Conti saith that when they rise in the morning they turne their faces to the East and with their hands ioyned say God in Trinitie keepe vs in his Law §. II. Of their present Gods and Idols THeir Religion
in pompous Processions through the streets which the chiefe Inhabitants at certaine times obserue at the common cost of the Neighbours all about This Sect hath a Prelate called Ciam which dignitie these thousand yeeres together hath descended by inheritance and seemes to haue receiued originall from a Southsayer which liued in a Caue in the Prouince of Quiamsi where his posteritie still continue and with them his iuggling sorceries This their Prelate liue for the most part at Paquin in estimation with the King being admitted into the Palace for hallowings and chasing away ill spirits Hee is carryed through the Citie in a chayre otherwise accomplished as the chiefe Magistrates and receiues a large salarie of the King I haue heard that in these times the Prelates are so ignorant that they know not their owne Deuillish charmes and rites This Prelate hath no iurisdiction ouer any but those of his profession Many of these doe worke by Alchimy to obtaine the Precepts of longer liuing of both which their Saints they say left certaine rules There are the three Sects of the Chinois which are since by their vaine Sectaries so diuersifyed that they may seeme rather three hundred Hum-vu that raised his now raigning Family to the Scepter was himselfe professed Religious in one of these Sects and authorised all three Sects admitting onely the first to the Gouernment Hence it is that One seekes not the ruine of the Other Sect and the Kings themselues foster all as they see occasion building and repairing their Temples The Queenes are more prone to the Idoll Sects and bestow much almes on the Priests maintaining whole Monasteries to be helped by their prayers The multitude of Idols is seene not onely in the Temples but in priuate houses in a place appointed after the fashion of the Countrey in the Market-place in Streets Ships publike Palaces and yet it is certaine that few beleeue their Legends but thinke if these things do them no good they yet will doe them no harme The wisest in these times thinke that all these three Sects may concurre and bee all obserued together and esteeme varietie most acceptable From this hotchpotch vniting and separating perhaps haue risen those confused and various reports of these confusions and varieties of rites wherin if any haue like pleasure in varietie and be wearie of hearing Ricius and Trigautius the latest spectators I will not defraud them of those things which out of former Authors I had more confusedly before gathered They haue if Mendoza be not mendar many Monasteries of foure differing orders of Religion distinguished by the seuerall colours of their habit black yellow white and russet These foure Orders are said to haue their Generalls whom they call Tricon which reside in Paquin These ordaine Prouincials who againe haue subordinated to them the Priors of seuerall Houses or Colledges in those their houses acknowledged chiefe The Generall is clothed with silke in his owne colour and is carryed on mens shoulders in an Iuorie chaire by foure or six men of his habit They liue partly of reuenues giuen them by the King partly by begging which when they do they carry in their hands a certaine thing wherein are prayers written whereon the almes are laid and the giuer thereby cleered of his money I should haue said of his sinne They are shauen vse beades eate together and haue their Cells assist at burialls arise two houres before day to pray vnto the Heauen and Sinquian who they say was the inuenter of that their manner of life and became a Saint in which their deuotion they continue vntill breake of day singing and ringing of bells They may not marry in the time of their Monkish deuotion but they may acquainting the Generalls therewith at there pleasure relinquish their vow The eldest sonnes may not enter into Religion because they are bound to sustaine their aged Parents At the admittance of any is a great feast made by their friends At the lanching of any ship they dedicate the same to the Moone or some Idoll and besides there resort thither these Monkes to make sacrifices in the poope and reuerence the Deuill whom they paint in the fore-castle that he may doe them no harme Else would shee make an vnfortunate voyage The people weare long haire in combing whereof they are womanishly curious these hoping by their locks to be carryed into Heauen the other professing a state of greater perfection refuse any such helpe There be of their religious more austere which liue in desarts and solitary places the liues of Hermites with great abstinence and austeritie of life Nancan is a Citie at the foot of Mount Liu on which are many Anchorets which haue each a house by himselfe and there exercise themselues in voluntary chastisements There are said to be as many of those houses on this Hill as are dayes in the yeere they obserue it as a prodigie that when it is elsewhere cleere sun-shine there it is cloudie and mystie alway so that the Hill cannot be seene from a Lake neere it which Lake also deserues mention being great and as farre as the eye can discerne crowned with innumerable Townes Castles and Habitations They haue Hils consecrated to Idols whither they resort in heapes on pilgrimage hoping hereby to merit pardon of their sinnes and that after their death they shall be borne againe more noble and wealthy Some of these will not kill any liuing creatures especially such as are tame in regard of this their Pythagorean opinion of the transanimation or passage of soules into beasts The Iesuites conuerted one man neere vnto Nanquin which had thirtie yeeres together obserued a fast not strange among the Chinois neuer eating flesh or fish and on other things feeding temperately Vsurers are punished in China with the losse of that money so imployed Their fast is not a totall abstinence but from flesh and fish Of their Priests is before shewed that they haue both secular and regular the one weareth long hayre and black clothes and hath priuate habitation the other liue in Couents and are shauen Neither may marrie though both doe and not here alone farre worse They much commend in their bookes the consideration and examination of a mans selfe and therefore doe esteeme highly of them which sequester themselues from humane societie to diuine contemplation that as they say they may restore themselues to themselues and to that pristine state wherein the Heauen created them And therefore haue not onely Colledges of learned men who leauing the affaires of state and secular distractions doe in priuate Villages liue together obseruing these contemplations with mutuall conferences but euen women also haue their Nunneries liue a Monastical life vnder their Abbesses after their manner although euen such as are marryed liue closely enough their feet to this end so straitly swadled in their infancie that they grow but little and to haue little feet is with them great
home also are more dreadfull to all daring Attempters where to the Nauie Royall such Succenturiatae Copiae are adioyned the Ships of the Societie continually encreasing and being able to furnish a puissant Armada of themselues which but few if a few forraine of Ships Royall can equall I adde that in the present estate of Things Necessitie may bee alledged for a Vertue For doe wee not see want of Trade The Merchant wanting Traffique and consequently the Mariner employment whiles Barbarie is many yeeres together trodden vnder foot by barbarous Ciuill vnciuill Warres the Straits brought into straits by loosenesse and abundance of Turkish Robbers and Christian vnchristian Rouers the Spaniard and Portugall forbid Trade to both the Indies the Russian Warres bereaue vs of Russian Wares should I adde Diuisions of our Merchants at home Or should I not rather fixe mine eyes on Others neere our home which can preoccupate our Mariner by cheaper Seruice haue followed our Trade into Turkie and other places by vs frequented take more libertie in remote Seas making prize and spoyle of Portugalls and others by their Trade into the Indies haue weakened our Turkie and wakened this Indie Trading selling their Spices at cheaper rates then the Turkie Merchant could affoord yea haue haunted vs euen into Greene-land and followed English Examples round about the World Let none traduce me as a deprauer of their Actions whose Noble Attempts I honour but I speake in defence of the Indian Traffique without which our needie Mariner must haue sued to serue them at Sea no lesse then our needie voluntary Souldior hath done on Land which without the profits now reaped would haue procured the inconueniences so much quarrelled §. III. Answer to obiections made against the Indian Trade and Societie with other Arguments for it FOr must not our Mariner either die at Wapping or other dismall place of Iustice for Iniustice Or else liue to the Death or losse of Honest men thriuing in vnthriftinesse and Pyracies Or else most of them want employment Or bee forced to serue Forreiners Better a death at Bantam then in other places more infamously fatall and better this bad Aduenture there for Englands Wealth then Forreiners And yet with due sobrietie and temperance not wracking themselues on their Rack a very Rock or on their Quick-sands filthie diseased Women extreamely both deare and vile how many of those dying many might escape Better that our Men should carrie forreine Siluer into Those parts to bring Money and Wares for the publike benefit then all this Money to be intercepted by strangers for it growes not in England Europe no lesse disfurnished and we to buy those Wares with more expence of Money at a worse hand Non est laus ista hominis sed temporum said Tully of Attilius Regulus his returning vpon Oath to the Punike Tortures Non est fraus ista hominum sed temporum I may answere touching these losses of Men and Money which in Dutch or other Employments and Transporting would happen though England held no Commerce with India And yet if our Mynts lacke worke let vs examine our store of Plate encreasing with our Pride our Clothes of Siluer Gold Tissue and rich-metalld Stuffes our Laces and Embroideries from the Hatband to the Shoo-strings exhausting so much Siluer and Gold in the Materials that I speake not of the communicating it to Others now happily vnited vnto Vs which all cannot but diuert worke from the Mint especially finde our Men of Warre haue had so little out of American spoyles And for Men how prosperously hath Captain Newport made two Returnes from the Indies If Mariners are lost are not Mariners made and bred in this Employment Must wee not disarme our selues of shipping and leaue our Ilands waterie Walls destitute of their Mouing Bulwarkes if our Sea-Trade faile which without Gaine and Glorie Honos alit Artes must faile and fall too SAVL and IONATHAN onely may bee armed the Kings Royall Nauie royally furnished but for Merchants ships wonted Assistance not a Sword nor a Speare found in the hands of any of the people they might sharpen their Mattockes Weeding Hookes and Axes amongst the Philistinis But a SMITH in Israel doth far far better that can fit vs with Weapons of Warre that wee shall not need borrow of strangers And long so and not on other Conditions but Israels flourishing may our SMITH flourish in our Israel If any thinke these feares fantasticall let him but looke on the face of Things before this Trade was well settled how many in little space of the best Merchant-ships were alienated into Spaine and Italy the Alceder the Beuis the Royall Merchant the May-Flower the Prosperous the Susan Parnell the Gold Noble the Consent the Concord I know not with what Concent nay Discord rather to our Sea-Concent and Harmonie If Fluxes and Diseases pursue vs in the Indies haue they not so done I name not Kentish and Essex Marishes and other vnwholesome English Habitations in Ireland O Ireland the Land of ire indeed in the death of so many Commanders and Souldiers by Warre and Diseases in the late Rebellion yea euen still neither salo solo doelo gente nor mente like our owne Homes which yet how many are glad to leaue there to crie their fortunes There Where not prodigall of their best bloud in Dutch Danish Sweden Poland Russian Warres For small stipends voluntarily aduenturing more certaine Deaths then in this Indian Aduenture no lesse perhaps more then some of the former iustifiable to a scrupulous conscience What should I speak of the highest Worke of Conscience in propagating Christian Religion and warring vpon the Regions and Legions of Infernall Powers captiuating silly soules in Ethnicke darkenesse And O that our Merchants would mind this Merchandise the gaine of soules settling learned Ministers in their Factories to bee Factors for Christ then might we looke for a Blessing Yea now wee haue great Hopes that Iapan may yeeld siluer and if men proue better in soule their bodies may lesse miscarry How euer my prayers shall be to GOD ALMIGHTIE for His Blessing vpon their Endeuours For my selfe I haue beene bold to say this in their Defence as a most indifferent looker on lesse then others more able more interested haue or can and not more then Reason and Religion may admit which I would haue interpreted with the same Equitie with which for which it is written not imputed to itching busie fingers sicke of the Scribling disease nor to base insinuating Flattery of Ours nor to malicious Intimations and barking against Forreiners whose worthy Exploits I honour but let Themselues the prouoking Portugall and not-prouoked Flemming be Iudges that I call not the Admiring Ethnike to honour the English Worth if our Trade hath not beene the farthest from first offering from suspition of iniurie and therefore neerest to Innocence and Iustice the true cause of that which they
World to bee a Tallipoy In few dayes after he is carried vpon a Thing like an Horse-litter which they call a Serion vpon ten or twelue mens shoulders in apparrell of a Tallipoy with Pipes and Drums and many Tallipoys with him and all his friends which accompany him to his House standing without the Towne and there leaue him Euery one of them hath his House which is very little set vpon sixe or eight Posts to which they ascend on a Ladder of twelue or fourteene steps These Houses are commonly by the High-wayes side and among the Trees and in the Woods They goe strangely apparrelled with one Camboline or thin Cloth next to their bodie of a browne colour another of yellow doubled many times vpon their shoulders These two bee girded to them with a broad Girdle and they haue a Skin of Leather hanging on a string about their neckes whereon they sit bare-headed and bare-footed with their right armes bare and a broad Sombrero or shadow in their hands to defend them in Summer from the Sunne and in Winter from the raine They are shauen on their heads beards and all their bodies They obserue perpetuall Chastitie and are modest in their going When one of them dies his body is kept many dayes with Feasts and after is set on a high Scaffold many Tallapoys feasting about it Thus it is carried to the place of burning by a great number of people where it is consumed with sweet Woods to the bones these buried neere their Houses and the ashes cast into the water Balby resembles them in Habite and Ceremonies to their Friers They goe with a great Pot made of Wood or fine Earth and couered tyed with a broad Girdle vpon their shoulders which commeth vnder their arme wherewith they goe to beg their Victuals which they eate which is Rice Fish and Hearbs They demand nothing but come to the doore and the people presently doe giue them one thing or other which they put together in their Pot. They keepe their Feasts by the Moone and at a new Moone is their most solemne Feast and then the people send Rice and other things to that Kiack or Church of which they be and there all the Tallipoys of that Church meet and ate that which is sent them They Preach against all abuses and many resort vnto them When they enter into their Kiack at the doore their is a great Iarre of Water with a Cocke or a Ladle in it and there they wash their feet and then enter in lifting vp their hands to their heads first to their Preacher then to the Sun and so sit downe When the Tallipoys preach many of the people carry them gifts vnto the Pulpit where they sit and preach And there is one that sitteth by them to take that which the people bring which is diuided among them They haue none other Ceremonies nor Seruice that I could see but onely Preaching Bomferrus a Franciscan and after him Boterus say That they hold an innumerable multitude of Worlds from all eternitie succeeding one after another and also an innumerable number of Gods but not all at once They imagine that fiue haue gouerned this present World whereof foure are passed aboue 2090. yeeres agoe Now they are without a God and expect the fifth many Ages hereafter after whose death they conceiue that the World shall perish by fire and then another World shall follow and others Gods to rule it They recken likewise in the number of their Gods certaine Men which yet haue first passed into Fishes Beasts and Birds of all sorts After death they beleeue three Places one of Pleasure Scuum like the Mahumetane Paradise another of Torment Naxac the third of Annihilation which they call Niba The Soules after their phantasie abide in the two former places whence they returne so often into this life till at last they be holden worthy that Niba Hee addeth that they haue Couents or Colledges of Priests which liue three hundred together or more in one place haue no vse of Women are harbourers of Strangers and liue some of Almes some of Rents They haue like Nunneries also for the Women There is supposed to be in one Idol-Sanctuary whereof they haue many 120000. Idols They fast thirtie dayes in the yeere in which they eat nothing till night They are of opinion That he which in this world robbeth another man shall in the next world bee his seruant for recompence They hold it a sin also to kill a liuing creature although this be not strictly obserued amongst them Some Iewes are of opinion That this people descended of those Israelites which Salomon sent to Ophir which they place in this Kingdome But the Peguans themselues ascribe their Religion to a Dog and a China woman which escaped shipwracke The Deuill is highly worshipped of these Pegusians to whom they erect a stately Altar and adorne it with varietie of Flowers and Meates of all sorts so to fee and feede him that hee should not hurt them This is principally done when they are sicke for then they make Vowes and build Altars which they couer with Clothes and Flowers They entertaine him also with diuersitie of Musicke and appoint him a Priest whom they call the Deuils Father which procureth his Rites and Musicke Some as soone as they rise from their beds bring a basket of Rice and meates and a burning Torch in their hands running vp and downe in the streets openly professing to feede the Deuill to preuent harme from them that day And if Dogs follow them they hold them to be sent of the Deuill to deuoure those meates in his name Some will not eate till they haue first cast something behinde their backes to the Deuill And in the Country Villages some of the richer inhabitants leaue their houses furnished with store of food three moneths space to bee inhabited of him keeping meane while in the fields that so the other nine moneths they may bee out of his danger And howsoeuer the Tallipoys preach against this deuillish deuotion yet they cannot reclaim the people The Tallipoys euery Munday arise early and by the ringing of a Bason call together the people to their Sermons which are of Iustice to man but nothing of Religion to God They wash themselues once a yeere and the water wherewith they are washed the people account holy and reserue it for their drinke as a holy potion They hold that all which doe well of whatsoeuer Religion shall be saued and therefore care not as Balby affirmeth if any of their Nation turne Christian They haue many Feasts very solemnly obserued One Feast called Sapan Giachie is kept twelue leagues from the Citie whither the King rides in a triumphall Chariot with his Queene in exceeding pompe so adorned with Iewels that the eye cannot endure their shining his Nobles attending Another is kept in Pegu against which day all the Courtiers prouide them certaine Pillars or Images
and returned to Lahor losing many Elephants and Horses in the way both by Famine then oppressing the Countrey and the difficultie of the Passages the Elephants sometimes in the ascent of Hils helping themselues with their Trunkes leaning and staying themselues being burthened thereon as on a staffe The Prince which is now King was assaulted by a fierce Lionesse as he rode on a Female Elephant which yet hee wounded first with a Dart then with a Shot and lastly smote her with the hand-Gun it selfe wherewith being ouerthrowne a Souldier came in and slew her but with losse of his owne life The next yeere 1598. Echebar went to Agra chiefe Citie of a Kingdome which hee had also conquered a hundred leagues from Lahor towards the South passing that way to Decan Hee had eight hundred Elephants and seuen thousand Camels to carrie his Tents and Prouisions yea his Secretarie had at the same time seuen hundred Camels and seuentie Elephants for his owne furniture and therefore it is lesse maruaile of the Kings The King conducted in this Expedition aboue a thousand Elephants instructed to fight and a hundred thousand Soldiers Hee passed the Mountaines of Gate by almost impassable Passages spending sometimes a whole day in passing the space of a Musket-shot One of his Captaines went before with fiftie thousand who tooke one of the Decans strongest Holds and made easie way to the Conquest of the rest of Melics Dominions which hee left in the Gouernment of his sonne Brampore fell into his hands being destitute of defence This was Anno 1600. Miram the King thereof had forsaken it and betaken himselfe to Syra a strong Hold both by Nature and Art It was seated on the top of a Hill which reacheth fiue leagues enuironed with a triple Wall so built that one might bee defended from the next Within was a Well of running Water and all necessarie Prouisions for threescore thousand persons for many yeeres It had three thousand great Peeces of Ordnance In this Castle according to the Countrey custome the next of the Bloud Royall were kept with their Families nor might depart except the Throne emptie the next Heire was hence deliuered much after that which is written of Amara in the Abassens Countrey and it seemes borrowed from thence so many slaues of those parts being here entertained and some in the highest Employments At this time besides King Miram there were seuen of these Princes The Gouernour was an Abassine with seuen other Vnder-Commanders all renegado Mahumetanes The Mogoll layde siege thereto with almost two hundred thousand men but more preuailed as before in Melics Countrey with Bribes and Promises then Force Thus inuiting Miram to a Conference swearing By the Kings head accounted an inuiolable Oath as is that By their Fathers head that hee should bee permitted safe returne Some of his Councellours perswaded him to goe hee went with a kinde of Stole on his necke hanging to his knees in token of subiection And comming before the Mogoll bowed himselfe but was cast to the ground by some of his Captaines and forceably detained The Abassine Gouernour sent his sonne to demand performance of Achebar his promise who being questioned of his Father the Abassen and the hopes to obtaine the Castle freely answered for his Fathers fidelitie and that if Miram were not restored they should not want a Successour with which libertie he prouoked the Mogol to cause him to be slaine which his Father hearing strangled himselfe And the wals were soone after battered at least entred and a breach made through the open gates by golden shot none of these seuen for feare of treason daring to take the Royall Soueraigntie These with the King were dispersed into diuers parts of his Kingdome and maintenance allowed them Thus remained Echebar Lord of these parts and longed to adde the rest of India whatsoeuer is betwixt Indus and Ganges euen to the Cape Comori to his Dominion He writ a Letter about this time to the Vice-Roy of Goa beginning thus I mention it to shew you his Titles which he arrogated The Great and Mightie Lord of the Law of MAHOMET The Renowmed and Great King Vanquisher of the Kings his Enemies Obserued and Honoured of Great Men Exalted aboue other Kings in ample Honour and Dignitie The onely Man for Gouernment amongst all the Princes of the World His Ambassage to ARIAS DE SALDAGNA c. The ninth day of Frauard the first moneth of the yeere beginning at the Aequinoctiall Vernall in the fortie sixe yeere viz. of His Reigne At this time dyed the Gouernour or Vice-Roy of Lahor which left to the King who is Heire Generall and Successour of euery mans wealth three millions of Gold coyned besides other Gold Siluer Iewels Horses Elephants furniture and goods almost inualuable This also for a taste of the meanes accrewing to this Kings Treasure Echebar returning to Agra gaue libertie to the Iesuites to conuert as many as would to Christianitie The King of Candacar or Candahar not able to defend himselfe against Abduxa King of the Vsbechs surrendred himselfe and his Kingdome to Echebar The particulars of his other Conquests I cannot relate His last victory I know not whether to impute to his happinesse or not It was against his Sonne in which the griefe to haue such an enemy could not but be more then the glory of the exploit This happened Anno 1602. Echebar being forced to giue ouer his Decan Conquest by his Sonnes vntimely challenge of the Scepter who weary of his Fathers long life stiled himselfe King and his Father the Great King Armies were gathered on both sides on both sides were sent Letters and Messengers The Mother of Echebar being nintie yeeres old laboured a peace but not preuailing fell sicke which caused him to returne from this expedition against his Sonne But her body not able to ouercome the disease yeelded to death Her Sonne shaued his head beard and eye-browes and mourned after the Country fashion in blue his Nobles doing the like three dayes Her huge Treasure which shee had bequeathed to her children and Nephewes the King seized on The Prince was perswaded to come to his Father without an Army which he did and after some rebuke was reconciled and remained content with the Kingdome of Cambaia or Guzzerat He seemed much addicted to the Iesuites and obtained his Fathers Licence for a Temple at Agra to the building whereof hee gaue a thousand pieces of Gold On the twentie seuen of October Anno 1605. Echebar dyed in the Climactericall yeere 63. of his age and fiftie of his reigne In his sicknesse Selim the Prince whom some suspected of dealing as the Turkish Selim had done with his Father Baiazet came not into the Presence and much consultation was amongst the Great ones to conferre the Succession vpon Cussero his sonne But the issue was that vpon his Oath to maintaine the Law of Mahomet and of full pardon to his Sonne
which hee might heare as hee passed and once also saw them the Eunuch purposely putting on a thinner cloth ouer his head there being of them some hundreds His wife had more accesse at Chan Channas Court whose daughter sometimes wife to the elder brother of this Mogol and liuing still a widdow had a desire to see the English-woman and Chan-Channa intreated her husband to permit it Shee was fetched in a close Chariot drawne by white Oxen attended by Eunuchs and was first brought into an open Court in midst of which was a Tanke or Well of Water where sate many women slaues to Chan-Channas daughter of diuers Nations and complexions some blacke exceeding louely and comely of person notwithstanding whose haire before did stand vp with right tufts as if it had growne vpward nor would ruffling disorder them some browne of Indian complexion others very white but pale and not ruddy many of them seemed goodly and louely all sitting in their slight but rich garments on the floore couered with carpets The Lady came forth in meaner attire whereat they all arose and did her reuerence with their faces to the ground Mistresse Steele made her three courtsies after the English fashion being also in English attire and deliuered her a Present without which there is no visitation of great persons and the Lady caused her to sit by her and after discourse entertained her with a Banket and began familiaritie with her continued and increased with often visitations and rewarded with many gifts as of womens vestments of of those parts some of which I saw the vpper garment like a smocke of thin Calico vnder which they weare a paire of breeches close aboue the neather parts very long and slender loosely ruffling about their legs of thin stuffe also the mans garment differing from the womans by the fastning on the side vnder the arme whereas the womans is fastened before both tyed with ribbands Chan Channa caused his Taylor to take view of Master Steele and without other measure hee made him a cloake of cloth of gold after the English fashion very comely which I also saw §. VI. Of the Rasboots and other people subiect to the Mogol and of their Countries Religion and Rites THus haue we delineated this huge Giantly Body of the Mogol Empire The Soule or Religion thereof is more inuisible What lurking places and labyrinths the breasts of the Kings haue had in their vnknowne curious vncertaine Faith yee haue heard and may there by guesse at the rest As the people are manifold so are their Rites some of which about Ganges and in other parts haue alreadie beene touched and some hereafter as the People and their Rites are diffused and dispersed in diuers Tracts of India we shall elsewhere mention Besides Christian Forreiners the principall Religion is Ethnike though that of the Prince be Mahumetan The Reisbuti Rasbootes or Rasbooches the ancient Inhabitants of the Countrey of Sinda are Gentiles How strong one of them is you haue heard Captaine Hawkins report His name as I haue since learned of Mr. Rogers Mr. Clarke and Mr. Withington is Ranna some of them affirming That hee is lately come in and hath sent his sonne a pledge to the Mogols Court who for this cause and his sake hath beene so long resident at Azmere But Mr. Clarke employed in these wars saith That it is not a subiection but voluntarie friendship and neighbourhood with acknowledgement of himselfe the Inferior A Rebell or Outlaw he cannot be called because hee was neuer subiect accounting the Mogoll Superior in power but not his Lord There are of these many Casts or Tribes each of which haue supreame and independent Lords Nature building them with little helpe of Art impregnable Fortresses or inaccessable Hils One of which called Dewras is said to haue very many populations able on the Hill tops to gather sufficient prouisions for themselues and the neighbour-Markets impossible without corruption to be conquered When any of these Casts or Tribes disagree the Mogoll interposeth himselfe professing to take part with the right Their Countrey lies in the direct way from Surat to Agra the wayes by Amadauar or by Brampore both much about yet frequented by Merchants for feare of them The Countrey people are rude naked from the waste vpwards with Turbants differing from the Mogol fashion Their Armes are Sword Buckler and Launce Their Buckler is great in fashion of a Bee-hiue in which they will giue their Camels drinke and Horses prouender Their Horses are good swift and strong which they ride vnshod and back at a yeere old A resolute people which the Mogoll saith knowes as well to die as any in the world They eate no Beefe nor Buffolo but haue them in superstitious respect The Rasbutche husband dying the wife is burned The manner is this The wise accompanies the dead bodie of her husband in her best array pompously attended with her friends and kindred and with Musick The fire being made she compasseth the same twice or thrice first bewayling her husbands death and then reioycing that she shall now liue with him againe and then embracing her friends sits downe on the top of the pyle taking her husbands head in her lap and bids them kindle the fire This done her friends throw Oyle and other sweet Perfumes on her shee enduring the fire with admirable patience loose and not bound I haue seene many it is M. Withingtons report the first at Surat the woman being but ten yeeres old and not yet a woman hauing not knowne her husband who was slaine in the wars and his clothes brought home Yet would she needs burne with his clothes and the Gouernour not permitting because shee was a Virgin her friends intreated and bribed him thereto shee seeming impatient of that delay and saying her husband was a great way before her with much blind ioy entring into endlesse sorrowes The kindred of the deceased husband doe not force this vnkind kindnesse but the wiues owne kindred holding it a disgrace to their family if shee refuse which she hath power to doe but few will and then shee must shaue her haire and breake her iewels and is not suffered to eate drinke sleepe or company with any bodie till her death If after purpose to burne impatient of the flame she leapes out her father and mother will bind and burne her perforce But such weaknesse seldome happens In some places they obserue it with Rites a little differing carrying the woman in great pompe on a Pageant and binding her to a stake all her kindred kneeling round about her and praying to the Sun and their other Idols Shee hath betwixt her legs and vnder each arme a bag of Gun-powder the fire made all of sweet Woods Wee shall mention other Rites in other places The Hendownes possesse the Countrey North from Asmere toward the Multans degenerate Gentiles and refusing no manner of Flesh or Fish They pray naked dresse and eat
superstition They marry but one wife and admit no second succeeding marriage The Bramenes must descend of the Bramene Tribe and others cannot aspire to that Priesthood but some are of higher account then other For some serue for messengers which in time of warre and among theeues may passe safely and are called Fathers They will not put a Bramene to death for any crime Heurnius reporteth that they haue bookes and Prophets which they alledge for confirmation of their opinions that they thinke God to be of blacke colour that they worship the herbe Amaracus or Marioram with many superstitious Ceremonies that they haue in their writings the Decalogue with the explanation thereof that they adjure all of their Society vnto silence touching their mysteries that they haue a peculiar language as Latine in these parts wherein they teach the same in their Schooles that their Doctors hallow the Sundayes in diuine worship adoring the God which created heauen and earth often repeating the sentence I adore thee O God with thy grace and aide for euer to take food from the hands of a Christian they account as sacrilege When they are seuen yeeres old they put about their necke a string two fingers broad made of the skinne of a beast called Cressuamengan like a wilde Asse together with the haire which he weareth till he is fourteene yeeres old all which time he may not eate Betelle That time expired the said string is taken away and another of three threeds put on in signe that hee is become a Bramene which hee weareth all his life They haue a Principall amongst them which is their Bishop which correcteth them if they doe amisse They marrie but once as is said and that not all but onely the eldest of the brethen to continue the Succession who is also heire of the fathers substance and keepeth his wife straitly killing her if he finde her adulterous with poison The yonger brethren lie with other mens wiues which account the same as a singular honour done vnto them hauing libertie as Balby affirmeth to enter into any mans house yea of the Kings no lesse then of the Subjects of that Religion the husbands leauing the wiues and the brethren their sisters vnto their pleasures and therefore departing out of the house when they come in And hence it is that no mans sonne inheriteth his fathers goods and I knowe not whether they may inherite that name of father or sonne but the sisters sonne succeedeth as being most certaine of the bloud They eate but once a day and wash before and after meate as also when they make water and goe to stoole They haue great cournuâ—s belonging to their Churches besides offerings and at set houres of the day resort thither to sing and doe other their holy Rites Twice in the day and as often in the night their Pagode is taken out of the Altar and set on the Bramenes head looking backward and is carried in Procession three times about the Church the Bramenes wiues carrying lights burning euery time they come to the principall doore of the Church which is on the West side thereof some Churches haue two doores on a side they set it downe on their offering-stone and worship it Twice a day they bring it to eate of their sod Rice as often it seemeth as the Bramene is hungry When they wash them which is often they lay a little ashes on their heads foreheads and breasts saying that they shall returne into ashes When the Bramenes wife is with childe as soone as he knoweth it he cleanseth his teeth and abstaineth from Betelle and obserueth fasting till shee bee deliuered The Kings of Malabar will scarce eate meate but of their dressing They are of such estimation that if Merchants trauell among theeues and robbers one Bramene in the companie secureth them all which Bramene will eate nothing of another mans dressing and would not become a Moore for a Kingdome Nic. di Conti saith he saw a Bramene three hundred yeeres old hee addeth that they are studious in Astrologie Geomancie and Philosophie To be short they are the Masters of Ceremonies and the Indian Religion in whose precepts the Kings are trained vp The Bramenes haue it seemeth much familiaritie with the Deuill so strangely doe they foretell things to come though they bee contingent They also interpret Prodigies Lots Auguries and thereby growe into great credit the people depending on them and the Kings becomming of their Order They perswade the people that their Pagodes doe often feast together and therefore would haue such dainties offered which they and theirs deuoure threatning if they be sparing and niggardly plenty of Plagues and diuine wrath Besides these Secular There are other Religious or Monasticall Bramenes which are called Iogues anciently called by the Greekes Gymnosophists because they went naked and so they still doe professing much austeritie of life at least for a time with long Pilgrimages and much bodily exercise little profiting the soule possessing nothing but want and beggarie seeking thereby to winne credite to themselues and their Sect The Verteas I take to bee another Sect the religious Votaries of the Banians or Pythagoreans Both those and these are kindes of Ethnike Monkes which professe by strict penance and regular obseruations to expiate their sinnes and procure saluation to their soules There are also some that liue as Heremites in Desarts some in Colledges some wander from place to place begging some an vnlearned kind are called Sanasses some contrary to the rest nothing esteeme Idols obserue chastitie twenty or fiue and twenty yeeres and feed daily on the pith of a fruit called Caruza to preserue in them that cold humour neither doe they abstaine from flesh fish or wine and when they passe along the way one goeth before them crying Poo Poo that is way way that women especially may auoid for their vow will not permit the sight of a woman These weare not the three threads which the other Bramenes weare neither are their bodies burned after death as of the rest yea the King himselfe honoreth them and not they the King some liue inclosed in iron Cages all filthie with ashes which they strew on their heads and garments some burne some part of their body voluntarily All are vain-glorious and seeke rather the shell then the kernell the shew then the substance of holinesse Xauerius once in conference with the Bramens demanding of them what their God commanded to those that would come to Heauen was answered Two precepts one to abstaine from killing of Kine in whose shape the Gods were worshipped and the other to obserue the Bramenes the Ministers of their Gods But they haue more mysticall learning which one of them secretly disclosed to the Iesuite This was of a famous Schoole College or Vniuersity of those Bramenes all the Students whereof at their first Admission he said were sworne by solemne Oath vnto
Men departed doe most of all enter into these beasts They haue many bookes of their superstition neere the Augurall discipline of the Hetrurians and fond fables of the Graecians and diligently conceale the same from vulgar knowledge except some Bramene Proselyte doe detect those mysteries They beleeue one God maker of Heauen and Earth but adde that he could haue no pleasure in so weighty a charge of gouerning the world and therefore hath delegated the same to the Deuill to reward euery man according to his workes Him they call Deumo they name GOD Tamerani The King hath in his Palace the Chappell of Deumo carued full of Deuils and in the middest sitteth this Image of metall in a Throne of the same matter with a triple Crowne like the Popes and foure hornes with teeth eyes and mouth wide and terrible hooked hands and feet like a Cocke In each corner of this square Chappell is a Deuill set in a fiery Throne wherein are many Soules the Deuill putting one with his right hand into his mouth and taking another from vnder him with his left hand This Idoll is washed by the Bramenes with sweet water incensed and worshipped euery morning Somtime in the weeke they sacrifice on this manner They haue an Altar strewed with flowers on which they put the bloud of a Cocke and coales of fire in a siluer Chafing-dish with much perfumes incensing about the Altar and often ringing with a little Bell of siluer They hold in their hands a siluer Knife with which the Cocke was killed which they dip in the bloud and put into the fire with many Apish gestures All the bloud is thus burned many Waxe-candles burning meane-while The Priest hath on his wrists and legs as it were Morrice-bels which make a great noise a certaine Table hanging at his necke and when he hath ended his Sacrifice he taketh his hands full of Wheat goeth backward from the Altar on which hee alwaies fixeth his eies to a certaine Tree and then hurleth the Corne vp ouer his head as high as he can after which he returneth and vnfurnisheth the Altar The King of Calicut eateth no meate before foure principall Bramenes haue first offered thereof to the Deuill which they do lifting both their hands ouer their heads and shutting their fists draw back the same with their thumbe presenting of that meate to the Idoll and then carrie it to the King on a great Leafe in a Treene Platter The King sitteth on the ground at his meate without any thing vnder him attended with Bramenes standing foure paces off with their hands before their mouthes in great reuerence And after the King hath eaten those Priests carry the Relikes into the Court where they clap thrice with their hands whereat presently certaine Crowes resort thither to eate the Kings leauings which Crowes are hereunto accustomed and may not bee hurt of any When the King marrieth a wife one of the principall Bramenes hath the first nights lodging with hee for which he hath assigned him by the King foure hundred or fiue hundred Ducats The King and his Gentlemen or Nayros eate not flesh without license of the Bramenes The King committeth the custodie of his Wife to the Bramenes when he trauelleth any whither and taketh in too honest part their dishonest familiaritie But for this cause the Kings Sonne succeedeth not in the Crowne but his sisters Sonne as being certainly of his blood These sisters of the King choose what Gentleman they please on whom to bestow their Virginitie and if they proue not in a certaine time to be with child they betake them go these Bramene-stallions The Gentlemen and Merchants haue a custome to exchange Wiues in token of great friendship Some women amongst them haue sixe or seuen Husbands fathering her children on which of them shee best pleaseth The Men when they marry get others to vse them if they bee Virgins fifteene or twentie dayes before they themselues will bed them This Author affirmeth that there were a thousand Families of Christians in Calicut at the time of his being there a hundred and twentie yeeres since If a Debtor breake day with his Creditor and often disapoint him hee goeth to the principall of the Bramenes and receiueth of him a Rod with which he approcheth to the Debter and making a Circle about him chargeth him in the name of the King and the said Bramene not to depart thence till he hath satisfied the Debt which if he do not he must starue in the place for if he depart the King will cause him to be executed The new King for one yeeres space eateth neither Fish nor Flesh nor cutteth his Haire or Nailes vseth certaine Prayers daily eateth but one meale and that after he hath washed neither may hee looke on any man till he hath ended his repast At the yeeres end hee maketh a great Feast to which resort aboue ten thousand persons to confirme the Prince and his Officers and then much Almes is giuen Hee entertaineth tenne thousand Women in diuers Offices in his Palace These make to the King after his fasting yeere is out a Candlemasse Feast each of them carrying diuers lights from the Temple where they first obserue many Idoll idle Ceremonies vnto the Palace with great Musicke and other iollitie §. II. Of the King of Calicut OF the election and erection of the Zamoryn we haue spoken in the beginning of the Chapter let vs here adde out of Castaneda concerning his deuotion Hee saith that this King of Calicut is a Bramene as his Predecessors also And for that it is a custome that all the Kings die in one Pagode or Idoll Temple hee is elected for that cause For alwaies there is and must be in that House a King to serue those Idols and when hee that serueth there dieth then must the King that then raigneth leaue his Empire and goe serue in that place as the other did another being elected to succeed him in the Kingdome And if any refuseth to forsake his Court for the Pagode they enforce him thereunto The Kings of Malabar be browne men and goe naked from the girdle vpward and from thence downward they are couered with cloth of Silke and of Cotton adorned with Iewels For their Children the Sonnes inherit not but the Brother or if there bee none the Sisters Sonne When their Daughers are ten yeeres old they send out of the Kingdome for a Nayro and presenting him with gifts request him to take her Virginitie which hauing done hee tieth a Iewell about her necke which she weareth during her life as a token that from thenceforth she hath free power of her bodie to doe what she will which before she might not After their death these Kings are carried forth into a plaine Field and their burned with sweet wood very costly their kindred and all the Nobilitie of the Countrey being present which done and the ashes buried they shaue themselues without leauing
by an Officer with a gilded staffe or dagger To his Palace they passe through seuen Gates one after another guarded with Women expert at their Weapon and vsing both Peeces and Swords He hath none other Guard for his person In saluting the King they lay their hands folded on their head which in other salutations they lay on the forhead Sultan Aladin the King was as Cornelius Houtman reporteth first a Fisher-man and growing famous for his exploits by Sea was preferred to the marriage of the Kings kinswoman and the Office of Admirall Afterwards he became Protector of the young King the former being dead but proued his murtherer and sent a thousand of the chiefe men to follow him into the other world ennobling base fellowes of his Conspiracie and vsurped the State to himselfe He was supposed an hundred yeeres old so old that his eldest Son whom he kept at home with him hauing made his younger King of Pedir imprisoned him alledging that he was too old for Gouernment warred on his Brother Our English first had Trade here in the last times of Queene Elizabeth whose name was then famous in those parts for her Exploits against the Spaniards The Queenes Letters directed to this King were receiued with great State First he entertained the Messenger with a Banquet gaue him a Robe and a piece of Calico wrought with gold and offered Pledges for the Generals safetie for whom he sent six Elephants with Drums Trumpets Streamers and much people The greatest Elephant being thirteene or foureteene foot high and a small Castle like a Coach couered with Veluet on his backe in the midst whereof was a great Bason of Gold with a rich Couering of Silke wherein the Letter was put The Generall was mounted on another Elephant but was staid at the Court-gate till the Kings pleasure and license was againe sent The King made him a Feast the dishes were of Gold or Tambayck which is mixed of Gold and Brasse their Wine is of Rice in which the King dranke to the Generall out of his Gallery a fathom higher then where they sate it is as strong as Aqua vita After the Feast the Kings Damosels made Musick and Dances which was a great fauour for they are not commonly seene The chiefe Prelate was appointed one of the Commissioners for Articles of League which were concluded They tooke a Prize of 9. hundred Tuns and were like to be taken themselues by a strange Spout as they call it which fell not farre from them as in one whole drop enough to haue sunke any ship and sometimes continueth a quarter of an houre together as powred out of a vessell the Sea boyling therewith The King sent a Letter and a Present to the Queene and at their departure asked if they had the Psalmes of Dauid and caused them to sing one which he and his Nobles seconded with a Psalme as he said for their prosperitie The Court hath three Guards betweene each of which is a great Greene The King may see all that come himselfe vnseene The walls of his house are hanged sometimes with Cloth of Gold Veluet or Damaske He sits crosse-legged with foure Crisses two before and two behind very rich Fortie Women attend him with Fannes Cloathes Singing and other Offices Hee eateth and drinketh all day or chewing Betele and Arecca talking of Venerie and Cock-fighting When they would doe reuerence which we vse to performe by vncouering the head they put off their hose and shooes holding the palmes of the hands together and lifting them aboue the head with bending of the body and saying Doulat They vse not to put malefactors to death but cut off their hands and feet and banish them to the I le Polowey and if they execute them it is by Elephants tearing them or thrusting a stake in their fundament This King had an hundred Gallies of which some will carry foure hundred men open without decke their Oares like shouels foure foot long rowed with one hand A woman was Admirall he not daring through selfe-guiltinesse to trust men They had many differing Dignities and Degrees for their Clergie vsed to pray with Beads had Schooles they had one Prophet disguised in his apparell whom they much honoured They bury their Dead in the fields with their head towards Mecca laying a free stone at the head and another at the feet with signification what the deceased had beene The Kings haue them not of Stone but of Gold and this King had two made for him each weighing a thousand pound enriched with Stones They haue a tradition that Achen is Ophir Once euery yeere they obserue a solemne ceremonie of going to Church to see if Mahomet bee come Then are there fortie Elephants richly couered and on them the Nobles one spare for the Prophet and another whereon the King rideth with much pompe When they haue looked into the Moskee and not seene their Mahomet the King returnes on that spare Elephant Pider Manaucabo and Aru are tributaries to Achen Anno 1613. Aprill twelfth Captayne Best anchored in the Rode of Achin and was kindly entertayned The King sent an Arancaia riding in a Tent on an Elephants backe attended with two or three of the Kings boyes for Hee is attended by Boyes abroad and by Women within to receiue His Majesties Letter which was thus carried in a Bason of Gold the Generall following with fortie or fiftie Men. After this Letter and a Present deliuered the King told them they should see some of his pastime which was first Cock-fighting next that the fight of Rammes then his tame Elephants after them his Buffoloes all as they succeeded exceeding the former in fiercenesse lastly the Antilopes which the Generall had giuen Him All this while did the King take Tobacco in a Siluer pipe giuen him by his Women standing in a close roome behind This done Supper was serued in by young Boyes of foureteene or fifteene yeeres old in Swaffe which is a mettall halfe Copper halfe Gold and continued from seuen of the clocke till almost twelue in which were serued in foure hundred Dishes besides Hot drinkes The next day the King sent the Generall an Elephant to ride on otherwise none might doe it and appointed One of his chiefe Arancaias alway to attend Him free accesse was likewise granted at all times which none else may doe without the Kings Creese or Dagger there vsed as a Scepter and the Articles agreed on betweene Sir Iames Lancaster and his predecessour were promised to be ratified On the second of May all Strangers were inuited to a Feast kept at the Spring of the Riuer in the water sixe miles from the Citie Two Elephants were sent for the Generall The dishes were serued in by Boyes swimming with one hand and holding the Dish or strong drinke in the other Of all these drinkes they must taste and then throw the rest into the water This continued from one till fiue they
gouerned at the same time in seuerall parts of Egypt as in so small a Region as Canaan Ioshua destroyed 31. Kings This Scaliger coniectureth Lydiat affirmeth Neither yet is Scaliger to be blamed for acquainting the World with these fragments of Manetho considering that the middle part therof holdeth not onely likelihood in it selfe but in great part correspondence with the Scriptures If the Egyptians deuised otherwise to Herodotus and Diodorus it was easie for them to deceiue strangers or bee deceiued themselues The like History of prodigious Antiquities Augustine relateth of an Egyptian Priest that told Alexander of the continuance of the Macedonian Kingdome eight thousand yeeres whereas the Grecians accounted but foure hundred and fourescore Yea the Scriptures themselues haue not escaped that mis-reckoning of Times almost all Antiquitie being carried downe the streame of the seuenty Interpreters which adde many hundred yeeres to the Hebrew Text either of purpose as some suppose or as Augustine thinketh by errour of him that first copied the Scriptures out of Ptolemeys Library Sir Walter Raleigh in that his laborious and learned Worke called The History of the World supposeth That Egypt first tooke that name at such time as Aegyptus or Ramesses chased thence his brother Danaus into Peloponnesus which some reckon 877. yeeres after the Floud some more As for the prodigious Antiquities which they challenge hauing refuted Mercator and Pererius he enclineth to this opinion touching their ancient Dynasties that they are not altogether fabulous but that Egypt being peopled before the Floud two hundred yeeres after Adam there might remayne to the sonnes of Mizraim some Monuments in Pillars or Altars of stone or metall of their former Kings or Gouernours which the Egyptians hauing added to the List and Roll of their King after the Floud in succeeding time out of the vanitie of glory or by some corruption in their Priests something beyond the truth might be inserted Petrus Alexandrinus lately set forth in Greeke and Latine by Raderus writes That Mizraim hauing giuen beginning to the Egyptian Nation did after goe into the East to the Persians and Bactrians and is the same that was called Zoroastres by the Greekes Inuenter of Iudiciall Astrologie and Magicke He hauing giuen order for the keeping of the ashes of his burned body as the pledge of the Empire so long to continue with them called vpon Orion which he saith was Nimrod by the Persian Superstition beleeued thus honoured after his death and was consumed with Lightning the Persians reseruing his ashes to this day the cause saith the Note on that place why the Persians worship the fire . Yet the Author mentions another cause from Perseus which kindled fire by Lightning and preseruing the same built a Temple to it Hee saith also That Picus or Iupitar his father taught Perseus to diuine by a Cup like to that which is mentioned of Ioseph in Egypt and the same Picus was father to Hermes or Mercurie King of Egypt with other Legends too long for this place This Mercurie he maketh the same with Faunus the first finder he saith of Gold and that in a golden Vesture he foretold diuers things and that the Egyptians worshipped him hauing before made him their King which place he held thirty nine yeeres After him reigned Vulcan 1680. dayes for at that time the Egyptians knew not to number by yeeres He first made a Law against Adulterie and that the Egyptian women should haue but one husband He was Inuentor of Iron and Armour Stones and Clubs being before that time the only Weapons His sonne Sol succeeded a great Philosopher after him Sosis and next Osiris then Orus Thules Conqueror of Africa and after that Sesostris of the race of Cham the same as he supposeth with Trismegistus Thus much I haue thought here to adde out of him where the Reader may further satisfie himselfe if that can satisfie any which can nothing certifie or make certaine in these Antiquities wherein we may find many opinions scarcly any truth but in the Word of Truth the Scriptures That which we read of the Dynasties of Shepherds Scaliger interpreteth of that baser seruile sort which Moses saith were abominable to the Egyptians and seeme to haue beene strangers that inhabited some fenny places which Nature had fortified if we beleeue Heliodorus and thence made forrages into the Countrey the custome of Borderers and were called therefore Robbers These it seemeth driuen to their shifts by the hard and tyrannous vsage of the Egyptians procured as wee reade of the Tartars their owne Freedome and thraldome of their Lords The Romanes in their times were forced to mayntaine a Garrison against them therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Ierome mentioneth the Bucolia where no Christians dwelled but onely a fierce Nation Iosephus and Eusebius thinke them to bee the Israelites which is vnlikely because they liued in seruitude and neuer raigned there Lydiat supposeth the Philistims vnder Abimelech and Phicol to be the men Nothing is more obscure in the Egyptian Chronologie then the time of the departure of Israelites thence vnder Moses whom Iustin Martyr affirmeth out of Diodorus to haue bin the first that wrote the Egyptian Lawes Tatianus Assyrus who after became an Heretike saith and alledgeth Ptolemey Mendesius a Priest for his Author That this departure was in the dayes of Amasis King of Egypt who liued in the time of Inachus Theophilus and Iosephus out of Manetho in the Reigne of Tethmoses Eusebius in the reigne of Cenchres Cedrenus saith Petisonius Others otherwise according to the diuers interpretation of Manetho The Scripture sheweth it was foure hundred and thirty yeeres from the promise first made to Abraham as all that I know both elder and later Greeke and Latine Chronographers except Genebrard and Adriehomius reckon it Lydiat thinketh That the drowning of the Egyptian Pharo was the cause of those tumults in Egypt about Succession which are ascribed to Egyptus and Danaus Orosius reporteth That the prints of the Chariot-wheeles of the Egyptians then pursuing the Israelites through the Sea did yet in his time remayne in the Sands on the shore and vnder-water which no curiositie or casualtie can so disorder but that Diuine Prouidence doth re-imprint them in their wonted forme Hard it is to apply the yeeres of the Egyptian Chronologie to the true account of the Worlds generation by reason of the disagreement of Authors touching the Egyptian Kings vntill Sesacs time which after Lydiat was in the yeere of the World 3029. although euen from hence we haue but slippery footing Augustus after the same Author made Egypt a Prouince in the yeere 3975. Vnder which Roman gouernment it continued vntill the Saracens conquered it in the time of Omar the third Chalipha who began his reigne after Scaligers computation in his Catalogue of the Chaliphaes in the yeere of Christ 643. The names of the Caesars
the mountaines which happily they atchieued Yea the Portugals wearied with the warres which they were forced to maintayne in defence of those places they held in Africa the expences so much surmounting the reuenue abandoned them to the Seriffs And now the want of enemies procured enmitie betwixt the Brethren who trying that valour against each other which before they had exercised ioyntly against their enemies the issue was that the younger in two battels hauing ouercome the elder and at the second which was Anno 1544. hauing taken him prisoner confined him to Tafilete Hee now sole Monarch of Marocco conuerts his forces against the King of Fez to try if he could bee his Master in the field as hee sometimes had beene in the Schoole and failed not of his attempt but hauing once taken and freed him the second time because he had broken promise he depriued him and his sonnes of estate and life He also by meanes of his sonnes took Tremizen which soone after was recouered from them by Sal Araes Vice-roy of Algier and Fez also added by an ouerthrow of the Seriff to the Turkes conquest who gaue the gouernment of Fez to Buasson Prince of Veles But he in an vnfortunate battell with the Seriff lost his life and state Mahomet going after to Taradant was by the way slaine in his Pauilion by the Treason of some Turkes suborned thereunto by the King of Algier of whom all but fiue in their returne were slaine by the people Anno 1559. Mulley Abdala the Seriffs sonne was proclaymed King Some write that by occasion of a Rebellion in Sus hee sent to the bordering Turkes for aide who first helped after murthered him and hauing sacked Taradant and ouer-runne the Countrey two moneths together were in their returne by the Mountainers cut off Mully Abdala hauing raigned fifteene yeeres dyed leauing behind him thirteene sonnes the eldest Abdala commanded the rest to be killed but Abdelmelech the second brother escaped into Turkie and Muley Hamet the third brother esteemed of a simple and quiet spirit not any way dangerous to the state was spared The other tenne were put to death in one day at Taradant where they had beene brought vp This Abdela dying left behind him three sonnes Muley Mahomet Muley Sheck Muley Nassar the two younger escaped into Spaine where Sheck is yet liuing and turned Christian Nassar returned in the foureteenth yeere of Muley Hamets Raigne and had almost driuen Muley Sheck then Gouernour of Fez vnder his Father to his heeles had not superstition more preuayled with Nassars followers then Allegeance For when Lent came his Souldiers would needs home to keepe their Easter at their owne houses for feare whereof Nassar hastily giuing battest was there slaine Abdelmelech before fled into Turkie now came backe with Turkish forces and got the Kingdome from Mahomet who fleeing or as others write sending for succour to Sebastian King of Portugall obtained it In the yeere 1578. Fiue thousand Germans were entertayned in the Portugall pay for the expedition and great forces were leuyed the Pope sending Stukely that English Traytor falsely termed Marquesse of Ireland with fixe hundred Italians to Sebastian who the foure and twentieth of Iune tooke Sea and the next day with a Fleet of one thousand and three hundred sayle or as Doglioni hath it setting in order his Armada of fiue hundred sayle and blessing his Royall Standard with thirtie sixe thousand Footmen and foure thousand Horse set forth towards Africa Where Abdelmelech being sickly had assembled an Armie of fifteene thousand Footmen and foure and fortie thousand Horse men On the fourth day of August they joyned battell and the Duke of Auero with his Portugals made a great impression into the Moores host which Abdelmelich labouring beyond his naturall force to withstand saued his people but lost his life not by the Sword of the enemy but by the weakenesse of his body deliuered vp to death His brother Hamet ruled the Armie as yet ignorant of what had befalne and made such slaughter of the Portugals that the Duke of Auero the King of Portugall and other great Personages there fell and Mahomet himselfe was drowned in fleeing ouer a Riuer Thus remayned Hamet victorious and at one time had the dead corpes of three Kings in his Tent Such is the furie of Waire the force of death trampling vnder foot the meanest and triumphing ouer the greatest Stukely among the rest receiued due wages for his treacherie and disloyaltie to his Countrey slaine out of his Countrey by the barbarous Barbarian To Abadelmelech was Master Edmund Hogan employed in Embassage by the Maiestie of our late Soueraigne Anno one thousand fiue hundred seuentie seuen and with all good Offices entertayned To Hament his Successour was from the same Sacred Maiestie sent Ambassadour Master Henry Roberts Anno one thousand fiue hundred eightie fiue who was there Lieger three yeeres This Muley Hamet in a Letter to the Earle of Leicester thus begins In the name of the mercifull and pitifull God The blessing of God light vpon our Lord and Prophet Mahomet and those that are obedient vnto him The seruant of God both mightie in warre and mightily exalted by the grace of God Myra Momanyn the sonne of Myra Momanyn the Iarif the Hozeni whose Kingdomes God maintayne Vnto the right famous c. In an Edict published in behalfe of the English hee stileth himselfe The seruant of the Supreame God the Conquerour in his cause the successor aduanced by God c. He flayed off the skin from the carkasse of Mahomet drowned in the battell as is said and filled it full of Straw and sent it through all Prouinces of his Kingdome for a spectacle He raigned seuen and twentie yeeres He sent an Embassage into England Anno a thousand sixe hundred and one performed by Abdala Waecad Anowne His people did so feare him that Abdala Creme his Customer hauing one onely Sonne who in an idle businesse and busie idlenesse would needs feed his curious eyes with the light of the Palace where the Kings Concubines were caused him to bee strangled before his face He gouerned the Alarbes which are supposed to bee of Arabian Race and said to vse the Arabike Language Inhabitants of the plaine and Champaine Countries of Marocco Fez and Sus in peace and subiection receiuing their tents duly paid The Brebers or Mountainers are the Natiues and ancient Inhabitants chased by the former into strong Cities and the Naturall Forts of Hils as our Progenitors serued the Britaines forcing them to the Mountaines of Wales and Cornwall a people of another Language called Tamaset and disposition whom hee could not so easily tame and therefore in policie hee drew them into forreine Expeditions especially against the Negros thereby extending his Empire so farre that way as by Camell it was sixe moneths iourney from Marocco to the extremest bounds Likewise he vsed them to goe with the Carauans
they take not the Tunie at all the Sword-fish they take but eate not till his sword bee cut off which is dryed and holden in great veneration The Mountaines would bend their sullen browes if they should not haue some redde letters in their Kalender to which their toppes aspire threatning to scale Heauen or ouer-whelme the Earth if the Fetissan portion did not pacifie their angry moode by daily presents of meate and drinke set thereon Neither can Nature alone vsurpe this Prauilege but Art in other things her emulous corriuall and farre vnequall competitor in this matter of God-making commonly gets the vpper hand And therefore they with their ceremonious Art can make them Fetissos ' or Gods at pleasure Principally in their Funerals they obserue it for when one is dead they make a new Fetisso or Ring of Straw and pray it to beare the dead partie companie and protect him in his journey into the other World They lay the dead body on a Matte on the ground wind it in a Wollen cloath set a stoole vnder the head which is couered with a Goates skinne the body is strawed ouer with ashes his armes layd by his sides his eyes open and so continueth halfe a day his best-beloued wife sitting by as the Husband doth also at the death of his wife crying Aury and wiping her face with a wispe of straw Women goe round about the house singing and beating on Basons and about the corpse likewise and then againe about the house The eldest Morimi or Gentlemen goe about from house to house with a Bason wherein each puts the value of twelue-pence in Gold with which they buy a Cow with whose bloud the Fetissero appeaseth the Fetisso The friends and kinsfolkes assembling prepare a Henne and then setting themselues in a corner of the dead mans house they place all his Fetisso's on a row the greatest in the middest adorning the same with Garlands of Pease and Beanes like to the Popish praying-Beads Then they sprinkle the same with the bloud of the Henne and hang a chaine or Garland of herbes about their neckes After this the women set the Hen now sodden in the middest of the Fetisso's and the Fetissera takes water in his mouth which amidst his Exorcismes and Charmes he spoutes on those Fetisso's and taking two or three herbes from his necke he rols the same in forme of a ball which after certaine ceremonies he layeth downe and so doth till all his Herb-garland bee spent and then makes them all into one great ball and therewith besmeareth his face and thus is it made a Fetisso and the partie deceased is now at rest In the meane time the dearest of his Wiues filleth all the house with mourning the neighbours and friends with Songs and Musicke such as they haue and Dances And at last they take vp the Corps and carrie it to the Graue which is foure foot deepe and couer it with stakes that nothing may fall therein The Women creeping about the Sepulchre expostulate with him Why hee would leaue them Then doe they hurle on earth so that none can get in to the Corpes for hee hath with him his Houshold Armour and whatsoeuer he vsed in his life time Wine also if before he loued it to drinke in the other World Lastly they couer the Sepulchre with a Roofe to defend all from Raine If the King dies not onely greater solemnitie is vsed but the Nobles thinking it necessarie for so great a Personage to haue attendents offer vnto him one a Seruant another a Wife a third his Sonne or Daughter till there be many of both Sexes in that other life to attend him All which are suddenly slaine at vnawares and their bloudie carkasses buried together with the King Yea the Kings wiues which loued him best refuse not this last and euerlasting seruice as they suppose but yeeld themselues to die that they may liue with him The heads of all these thus slaine are set vpon poles round about the Sepulchre Meate Drinke Rayment Armes and other Vtensils are added for their vse and buried with them After the buriall they goe to the Sea or Riuer and there obserue other Rites some washing while others play on Basons and Instruments The Widow or Widower is layd backward on the water with diuers wordes of complaint At last they cloath them returne to the dead-mans house make great cheere and drinke themselues drunke They in vncertaintie of criminall accusations as of Adulterie Murther and such like haue a certaine water offered them to drinke by the Fetissero made of those Herbes whereof their Bal Fetisso is made and in effect like the cursed water Numb 5. none daring to drinke for feare of sudden death thereby if hee be guilty They dare not come out of their houses in Thunder for then they say many of them are carried away by the Deuill and throwne dead on the ground When they pray for Raine they wash themselues and cast Water ouer their heads with diuers words and spitting in the water Their Kings are Electiue and must be liberall or else are expelled Once a yeere he makes a great feast for the common people buying to that end all the Palme-wine and many Kine the heads of which are painted and hanged in the Kings chamber in testimonie of his bounty Hee inuiteth also his neighbour-Kings Captaines and Gentlemen and then prayeth and sacrificeth to his Fetisso which is the highest Tree in the Towne The men with Fencing Drumming Singing Leaping the Women with Dances honour this feast Euery King holdeth his feast apart one soone after another in the Summer-time The King comes little abroad In the Morning and Euening his Slaues blow or sound certaine Trumpets made of Elephants teeth his Wiues doe then wash and anoynt his body He hath also his Guard Hee sits in state on a stoole holding in his hands the tayle of a Horse or Elephant to driue away Flies gallantly adorned with Rings of Gold on his Armes and legges and necke with corall Beads also wherwith likewise he maketh diuers knots on his beard His Children if they will haue any thing when they are of age must get it the common people would not like that he should maintaine them idle Onely he bestowes on them their marriage gift and a Slaue They chuse by most voyces a successour in another kindred who inheriteth the treasure of the dead King and not his owne Children Controuersies are tried by the Fetisseros Pot as is said if it be for Murther hee may redeeme his life with money one moity to the King the other to the Courtiers if he cannot the Executioner bindes his hands behind him couers his face leades him to a place alone and causing him to kneele downe thrusts him through and then for before they thinke him not dead cuts off his head and quartering the body leaues it to the Fowles ond Beasts His head is boyled by his
longer then the wings are wet nor swimme fast hauing exchanged finnes for wings So haue I seene men thrice worse that haue two Trades than such as haue been skilfull and thriftie in one Lerius addeth the like wonder of certaine Birds so tame that they would light vpon the hatches and suffer themselues to bee taken These are the same Birds which pursue those flying fishes wiser to hunt them then to saue themselues as bigge as Crowes in feathers in flesh little bigger than a Sparrow and farre lesse then the fish which they take and deuoure These Seas are also subiect to great and tedious calmes which not onely hinder the Voyages but end the liues of many Giouanni da Empoli saith in his returne out of India they were heere detained foure and fifty dayes in which they scarce sailed aboue sixe leagues and in thirty fiue dayes they cast ouer-boord threescore and sixteene of their company very few suruiuing in their ship which likewise happened to other ships their Consorts so that they had vtterly despaired had not God sent a Portugall ship that way bound to relieue them And would God the like examples many might not be produced amongst our own Betweene 17. and 32 degrees of Northerly Latitude men are subiect to gripings and haue need to keepe themselues warme To returne to our discouerie from Iago where we left where the Negro's were wont to bring slaues to sell to the Portugals for Beads and other trifles and Cottons with other base commodities and them not such alone as they tooke in warre but their fathers and mothers thinking they did them a benefit to cause them thus to be conueyed into better countries they brought them naked The Iles of Arguin are sixe or seuen inhabited by the Azanhagi where the King of Spaine hath a Fortresse concerning the trade whereof you may reade the letter of Melchior Petonoy §. II. Of the Canaries Madera and Port-Santo FVrther into the Sea are the Canaries which are commonly reckoned seuen Canaria Teneriff Palma Gomera Hierro Lansarrotte and Fuerte Ventura : Thauet addes three others more Lobos Roca Gratiosa S. Clara Alegrança and Infierno The Inhabitants were so grosse before they were discouered that they knew not the vse of fire They beleeued in one Creator of the World who punisheth the euill and rewarded the good herein they all consented in other things disagreed their weapons were stones and staues They shaued their heads with sharpe stones like flints Iron they had not Gold they respected not The women nursed not their children but commonly committed that office to their Goats They as much delighted in dancing as the birds which beare their name in singing They were vnknowne from the times of the Romane Empire at which time they were called Fortunatae till either an English or French ship by mis-fortune lighted on them An 1405. Io. Bentacor conquered them and after him Anno 1444. Henry the Infanta of Portugal that Day-starre which by his industry made way to the present Sun-shine of Discoueries whereby the World in her last dayes hath fullest view of her selfe Galuano calleth that Frenchmen Io. Betancourt and saith hee was sent by Iohn the second of Castile An. 1417. who being slaine in the action his sonne sold them to Peter Barba a Spaniard and hee to Don Henry Hee saith the people were Idolaters and did eate their flesh raw for want of fire They tilled their ground with Oxe and Goats-horns They had many wiues but deliuered them to their Superiours to haue the first vse of them before they lay with them Don Henry conquered the rest which Betancourt had not possessed Their former gouernment was by an hundred and ninety persons which ruled also in matters of Religion prescribing to the people their faith and worship They had in highest name of authoritie a King and a Duke To slay a beast was esteemed the basest office in the world and therefore committed to their prisoners they which did this liued separate from the people Thus was it in the Gran Canaria In Gomera they vsed for hospitality to let their friends lye with their wiues and receiuing theirs in like courtesie and therefore as in India the Sisters Sonne inherited In Tenarife they had two Kings one dead another aliue when a new King was crowned some man to honour his entrance offered himselfe to voluntary death when the King was buried the noblest men caried him on their shoulders and putting him into the graue said depart in peace O blessed soule Theuet affirmeth that the Canaries are so called of the Canes and Reeds that grow there that they worshipped the Sun Moone and Planets Of these Ilands Thomas Nichols an Englishman hath composed a Treatise extant in Mr Hakluyts Voyages Tom. 2. Part. 2. He saith they dwelt in Caues supposed to descend of such as the Romans in Africa had exiled and out their tongues out for blasphemie against thiir gods The Pike or high Hill of Tenarife is after Theuets measure foure and fifty miles Tho. Byam a friend of mine told me that he had seene it eight and forty leagues into the Sea in cleere weather One of our Nation hath written a Tractate of his obseruations of these Ilands Heere before the conquest were seuen Kings which with their people dwelt in Caues Their buriall was to be set vpon their feet naked in a Caue propped against the wall and if hee were a man of authoritie he had a staffe in his hand and a vessell of milke standing by him I haue seene saith Nichols three hundred of these corpses together the flesh dryed vp the body light as parchment I my selfe saw two of those bodies in London Canaria Tenerife and Palma haue one Bishop who hath twelue thousand Ducats Reuenue which place was not long since possessed by Melchior Canus a great Writer in defence of the falling Babylon They pay to tht King fiftie thousand Ducats Hierro or the Iland of Iron is by a multitude of Authours affirmed to haue it in no fresh water but what falleth from the leaues of a certaine Tree which is alwayes greene and couered with clouds and vnderneath the same is a Cisterne to receiue the water for the vse both of men beasts throughout that Iland A whole wood of such Trees wee mentioned in Saint Thomas Iland which yeeld from their dropping leaues Rilles of water downe all sides of the Hill where they grow In this Iland heere is but one and that very ancient differing in this if we beleeue Sanutus from those of St Thomas they alwayes this onely afternoone being couered with that cloud which continueth till two houres before day and then the bodie boughs and leaues of the tree sweat out that liquor till two houres after Sun-rising it is in 27. degrees Lewis Iackson saith that he saw this tree being in this Iland Anno 1618. that it is as bigge as an Oake
that it was an inuiolable law amongst them that if their Souldiers did in any place publicke or priuate offer any licentious or iniurious behauiour to a woman he was assuredly put to death The people of this countrie were of a goodly stature well formed and of a good complexion There were among them Giants of an incredible greatnesse the skull of one of them is remaining in which there are eightie teeth and his bodie which was found buried in the Sepulchre of the Kings of Guymur of which race he was measured fifteene foot The people that dwell on the South-side of the Iland were of the colour of an Oliue but those that dwelt on the North-side were faire especially their women hauing bright and smooth haire Their common apparell was a certaine garment made of Lambes skins like a short coate without pleate or collor or sleeues fastned together with straps of the same leather The ordinarie garment for men and women of the common sort was called Tomarco onely the women for modesties sake had another couering vnder their Tomarco which was a side coate downe to the knees made of skins which reached downe to the ground for they held it an vnseemely thing in a woman to haue her breasts or her feete vncouered In this garment they liued and in this they dyed and in this they were commonly buried For their dyet they sowed Barly and Beanes Wheate was vtterly vnknowne to them They toasted their Barly by the fire then did grinde it in certaine hand mils such as are now in Spaine The floure so made they called Giffio wetting it with water milk or butter It serued instead of bread also and was their greatest and most Generall sustenance They eat the flesh of Sheepe of Goats and Pork but not commonly for they haue certaine assemblies like our festiuall Wake-dayes in England at which times the King in person with his owne hands did giue to euery twentie of them three Goates and a proportion of their Giffio After which Feast euery companie came before the King shewing their agilitie in leaping running wrastling darting dancing and other sports They haue a certaine kind of hony out of a fruit called Mozan of the greatnesse and bignesse of a pease Before they are ripe they are very greene when they beginne to ripe they are red and when they are ripe are blacke nothing vnlike our blackberries saue in their taste which is exceeding pleasant They eat no more but the iuyce of them which they call Yoya and the Hony which they make of them they call Chacerquem They gather these Mozans very ripe and do put them into the Sun for a weeke then they breake them in pieces and put them into water to bee boyled vntil they come to a sirrope and this is their Physick for the fluxe and the grieuings in the backe and for both these diseases they did also let bloud in the armes head and forehead with a flintstone At their time of sowing the King hauing appointed to euery man his portion of ground that was to bee sowne they digged vp the earth with Goats hornes and with certaine words threw their seed into the ground All other works appertained vnto and were performed by their women The King did make his habitation in naturall caues or hollow rocks of which there are infinite store remayning to this day When there was any Feast made in any Kingdome their Feasts had the priuiledge that men might with immunity passe to and fro through the enemies Countrey yea many times the enemies would feast one with another In their Marriages the men vsed to aske the consent of the Widdowes or Maids parents if there were any which being granted they were married with little or no ceremony that I could learne And the marriage was not so soone made but it might be as quickly broken for if the husband or wife were disposed to be separated they might be so and both of them marry again with others at their pleasures Notwithstanding all the children of the separated begotten afterwards were esteemed as bastards the King only for successions sake exempted from this custome to whom for that respect it was lawfull to marry with his own sister For many yeeres this Iland was subiect to one only King whom they called Adexe who being growne old his Sons which were nine in number conspiring against him parted the Iland into nine seuerall Kingdomes All their war was to steale cattle one from another and especially the spotted Goats which amongst them are in great and religious estimation there is very little difference betwixt the body colour and smothnesse of our English fallow Deere and their Goat The ancient Guanches of this Iland had an appointed Officer or Embalmer answerable to the sex man or woman who washing the dead corps did put into its body certaine Confections made of Goats Butter melted the powder of Furzes and of a kind of ruffe stones the rindes of Pine-trees and other herbs and did stuffe the body with this euery day for 15. dayes together putting the body against the Sun now on the one side now on the other vntill it were stiffe and dry All this space their friends bewayled their death At the end of 15. dayes they wrapped their body in Goats skins so cunningly sowed together that it was maruellous and so they carried the body to a deepe caue where none might haue accesse There are of these bodies remayning yet which haue been buried these 1000. yeeres The neerest port towne to the City called Cidade de Laguna is Santa Cruz from thence you ascend vp the steepe Mountaynes to the City which you shall finde to bee most miraculously seated in the midst of a flat of ten miles in compasse as if nature had prepared that place for man to build a City vpon being walled about with hils of wonderful height on al sides sauing to the Northwest from whence there being a leuel tract of land euen to the Seaside which is seuen leagues distant there doth continually arise from the Sea a vapour which being circulated among so many and intricate Mountaines groweth to be a wind and taketh his passage through those channels of Mountaynes to the City to its great refreshing and in this great Plaine like Enuy for want of opposition dieth And let the wind blow full Southeast at Sea yet shall you alwayes haue the wind full Northwest at the City like a true friend when you must need him from twelue a clocke in the day vntill night The extreame dew which falleth doth sufficiently coole the night Their buildings are all of an open rough stone nothing faire they are very plaine in their buildings two or three stories high and no more and commonly but one story high in the remoter parts of the City It is not walled they haue no chimneyes no not so much as in their kitchins They make only a
bigger and white which bite like Dogs they termed Margaulx Although it be 14. leagues from the Mayne yet Beares swim thither to feast with these Birds One they saw as great as a Kow saith Cartier and as white as a Swan which they did kill and eate and the flesh was as good as of a two yeere old Calfe About the Port of Brest they found so many Ilets as they were impossible to bee numbred continuing a great space The Iland of Assumption by the Sauages called Natiscotec standeth in 49. degrees The Sauages dwell in houses made of Fir-trees bound together in the top and set round like a Doue-house This as before is said is at the entry of the Riuer into the Gulfe of Saint Lawrence The bankes of this Riuer are inhabited of people that worship the Deuill and sometimes sacrifice to him their owne bloud Francis the first King of France sent thither Iames Breton and Henry his Sonne Nicolas Villaegagnon but the greatest riches they found were the Diamonds of Canada and those of small value for their brittlenesse Thus Boterus Iaques Cartier made three Voyages into these parts First in the yeere 1534. Then was hee gladly welcommed of the Sauages singing dancing and expressing other signes of ioy as rubbing his armes with their hands and then lifting him vp to Heauen giuing all to their naked skin though all were worse then nothing for the trifles hee gaue them They went naked sauing their priuities which were couered with a skin and certaine old skinnes they cast vpon them Some they saw whose heads were altogether shauen except one bush of haire which they suffer to grow vpon the top of their crowne as long as a Horse-tayle and tyed vp with leather strings in a knot They haue no dwelling but their Boats which they turne vpside downe and vnder them lay themselues along on the bare ground They eate their flesh and fish almost raw only a little heated on the coales The next yeere Captaine Cartier returned and carried backe two Sauages which hee before had carried into France to learne the language He then passed vp to Hochelaga They found Rats which liued in the water as bigge as Conies and were very good meate Hochelaga is a Citie round compassed about with timber with three course of Rampiers one within another framed sharpe about two rods high It hath but one gate which is shut with piles and barres There are in it about fifty great houses and in the midst of euery one a Court in the middle whereof they make their fire Before they came there they were forced to leaue their boats behind because of certaine fals and heard that there were three more higher vp the streame towards Sanguenay which in his third Voyage were discouered Concerning the Religion in these parts of Canada euen amongst the Sauages wee finde some tracts and foot-prints thereof which neither the dreadfull Winters haue quite frozen to death nor these great and deepe waters haue wholly drowned but that some shadow thereof appeareth in these shadowes of Men howsoeuer wild and sauage like to them which giue her entertainment This people beleeueth saith Iaques Cartier in one which they call Cudruaigni who say they often speakes to them and tels them what weather will follow whether good or bad Moreouer when hee is angry with them hee casts dust into their eyes They beleeue that when they die they goe into the Stars and thence by little and little descend downe into the Horizon euen as the Starres doe after which they goe into certaine greene fields full of goodly faire and precious trees flowres and fruits The Frenchmen told them Cudruaigni was a Deuill and acquainted them with some mysteries of the Christian Religion whereupon they condescended and desired Baptisme the French excused and promised after to bring Priests for that purpose They liue in common together and of such commodities as their Countrey yeeldeth they are well stored They wed two or three wiues a man which their husbands being dead neuer marrie againe but for their widowes liuery weare a blacke wood all the dayes of their life besmearing their faces with coale-dust and grease mingled together as thicke as the backe of a Knife They haue a filthy and detestable vse in marrying their Maydens first putting them being once of lawfull age to marry in a common place as Harlots free for euery man that will haue to doe with them vntill such time as they find a match I haue seene houses as full of such Prostitutes as the Schooles in France are full of children They there vse much misrule riot and wantonnesse They dig their ground with certaine pieces of wood as big as halfe a Sword where they sow their Maiz The men also doe much vse Tobacco The women labour more then the men in fishing and husbandry They are more hardy then the beasts and would come to our ships starke naked going vpon Snow and Ice in which season they take great store of beasts Stags Beares Marternes Hares and Foxes whose flesh they eate raw hauing first dryed it in the Sun or smoke and so they doe their fish They haue also Otters Weasils Beauers Badgers Conies Fowle and Fish great varietie and one fish called Adhothuis whose bodie and head is like to a Greyhound white as Snow Their greatest Iewel is Chains of Esurgnie which are shel-fishes exceeding white which they take on this manner When a captiue or other man is condemned to death they kill him and then cut slashes in his most fleshie parts and hurle him into the Riuer Cornibots whence after twelue houres they draw him finding in those cuts these Esurgnie whereof they make Beads and Chaines They are excellent for stanching of bloud Thus much out of Cartier In the yeere 1542. Monsieur Roberual was sent to inhabit those parts He saith that he built a Fort faire and strong the people haue no certayne dwelling place but goe from place to place as they may find best food carrying all their goods with them It is more cold in that then in other places of like height as Iohn Alphonse of Xanctoigne affirmeth because of the greatnesse of the Riuer which is fresh water and because the Land is vntilled and full of Woods We may adde the cold vapours which the Sunne exhaleth in that long passage ouer the Ocean the abundance of Ice that commeth out of the North-seas and the winds which blow from them and from the cold snowie hils in the way §. III. Late Plantations of New-France and Relations of the Natiues SAmuel Champlain made a Voyage to Canada 1603. and encountred with a banke of Ice eight leagues long in 45. degrees two third parts with infinite smaller The Streits mouth from Cape Ray to the Cape of Saint Laurence within the Gulfe of Canada is eighteene leagues He obserued a Feast made by Anadabijon the great Sagamo in his Cabin in which eight or ten
vsed the like with all his seruants and ornaments they gaue him for the other world and lastly buried the ashes with great solemnitie The obsequies continued ten dayes with mournefull songs and the Priests carried away the dead with innumerable ceremonies To the Noble-men they gaue their honourable Ensignes Armes and particular Blazons which they carried before the body to the place of burning marching as in a Procession where the Priests and Officers of the Temple went with diuers furniture and ornaments some casting incense others singing and some making the Drums and Flutes to sound the mournfullest accents of sorrow The Priest who did the Office was decked with the markes of the Idoll which the Noble-men had represented for all Noble-men did represent Idols and carrie the name of some One The Mexicans honoured the best souldiers with a kinde of Knighthood of which were three Orders one ware a red ribband which was the chiefe the second was the Lyon or Tyger-knight the Grey-Knight was the meanest they had great priuiledges Their Knighthood had these funerall solemnities They brought the corps to the place appointed and enuironing it and all the baggage with Pine-trees set fire thereon maintaining the same with gummie wood till all were consumed Then came forth a Priest attired like a diuell hauing mouthes vpon euery ioynt of him and many eyes of Glasse holding a great staffe with which he mingled all the ashes with terrible and fearfull gestures When the King of Mexico sickened they vsed forthwith to put a Visor on the face of Tezcatlipuca or Vitzilivitzli or some other Idoll which was not taken away till hee mended or ended If he died word was presently sent into all his Dominions for publike lamentations and Noble-men were summoned to the funerals The body was laid on a Mat and watched foure nights then washed and a locke of haire out off for a relike for therein said they remained the remembrance of his soule After this an Emerald was put in his mouth and his body shrowded in 17. rich mantles costly and curiously wrought Vpon the vpper mantle was set the Deuice or Armes of some Idoll whereunto he had been most deuout in in his life time and in his Temple should the body be buried Vpon his face they put a Visor painted with foule and deuillish gestures beset with jewels then they killed the slaue whose office was to light the Lamps and make fire to the gods of his Palace This done they carried the body to the Temple some carrying Targets Arrows Maces and Ensignes so hurle into the funerall fire The High Priest and his crue receiue him at the Temple gate with a sorrowfull Song and after he hath said certaine words the body is cast into the fire there prepared for that purpose together with jewels also a Dog newly strangled to guide his way In the meane-while two hundred persons were sacrificed by the Priests or more to serue him as is said The fourth day after fifteene slaues were sacrificed for his soule and vpon the twentieth day fiue on the sixtieth three c. The ashes with the locke of haire was put in a Chest painted on the in-side with deuillish shapes together with another locke of haire which had been reserued since the time of his birth On this Chest was set the Image of the King the kinred offered great gifts before the same The King of Mechuacan obserued the like bloudy Rites many Gentlewomen were by the new King appointed their Offices in their seruice to the deceased and while his body was burning were malled with clubs and buried foure and foure in a graue Many Women slaues and free Maidens were slaine to attend on these Gentlewomen But I would not bury my Reader in these direfull graues of men cruell in like and death Let vs seeke some Festiuall argument if that may be more delightfull CHAP XIII Of the supputation of Times Festiuall Solemnities Colledges Schooles Letters Opinions and other remarkeable things in New Spaine §. I. Their Kalender and Conceits of Time and some of their Feasts THe Mexicans diuided the yeere into eighteene moneths ascribing to each twentie dayes so that the fiue odde dayes were excluded These fiue they reckoned apart and called them the dayes of nothing during the which the people did nothing neither went to their Temples but spent the time in visiting each other the Sacrificers likewise ceased their Sacrifices These fiue dayes being past the first moneth began about the twentie sixe of February Gomara sets downe their moneths names in order The Indians described them by peculiar Pictures commonly taken of the principall Feast therein They accounted their weeks by thirteene dayes they had also a weeke of yeeres which was likewise thirteene They reckoned by a certaine Wheele which contayned foure weekes that is two and fiftie yeeres In the midst of this Wheele was painted the Sunne from which went foure beames of lines in a Crosse of distinct colours Greene Blue Red and Yellow and so the lines betwixt these on which they noted by some Picture the accident that befell any yeere as the Spaniards comming marked by a man clad in Red The last night when this Wheele was run about they brake all their vessels and stuffe put out their fire and all the lights saying that the World should end at the finishing of one of these Wheeles and it might be at that time and then what should such things need Vpon this conceit they passed the night in great feare but when they saw the day begin to breake they presently beat many Drums with much other mirth and Musicke saying that God did prolong the time with another Age of two and fifty yeeres And then began another Wheele the first day whereof they tooke new fire for which they went to the Priest who fetched it out of a Mountaine and made a solemne Sacrifice and Thanksgiuing The twenty dayes of each moneth were called by seuerall names the first Cipactli which signifieth a Spade and so the rest a House a Dogge a Snake an Eagle a Temple and the like By this Kalendar they keepe things in memory aboue nine hundred yeeres since The Indians of Culhua did beleeue that the Gods had made the World they knew not how and that since the Creation foure Sunnes were past and that the fift and last is the Sunne which now giueth light vnto the World The first Sunne forsooth perished by water and all liuing creatures therewith the second fell from Heauen and with the fall slue all liuing creatures and then were many Giants in the Country the third Sunne was consumed by fire and the fourth by Tempest of ayre and wind and then Mankind perished not but was turned into Apes yet when that fourth Sunne perished all was turned into darknesse and so continued fiue and twenty yeeres and at the fifteenth yeere God did forme one man and woman who brought forth children and at the end of other ten yeeres
all Aduersities were the effects of sinne for remedie whereof they vsed Sacrifices Moreouer they confessed themselues verbally almost in all Prouinces and had Confessors appointed by their Superiours to that end with some reseruation of Cases for the Superiours They receiued Penance and that sometimes very sharply when they had nothing to giue the Confessor This office of Confessor was likewise exercised by women The manner of the Ychuyri was most generall in the Prouinces of Collasuio They discouered by lots or by the view of some beasts if any thing were concealed and punished them with many blowes of a stone vpon the shoulders vntill they had reuealed all after that they enioyned them Penance and did sacrifice They likwise vsed Confession when their Children Wiues Husbands or Caciques were sicke or in any great exploit When the Ingua was sicke all the Prouinces confessed themselues chiefly those of Collao The Confessors were bound to hold their Confessions secret but in certaine cases limited The sinnes which they chiefly confessed were killing one another out of warre stealing to take another mans Wife to giue poyson or Sorcery to doe any harme to be forgetfull in the reuerence of their Guacas not to obserue Feasts to speake ill of or to disobey the Ingua They accused not themselues of secret sinnes The Ingua confessed himselfe to no man but to the Sunne that hee might tell them to Viracocha of him to obtayne forgiuenesse which done hee made a certaine Bath to clense himselfe in a running Riuer saying I haue told my sinnes to the Sunne receiue them then Riuer and carrie them to the Sea where they may neuer appeare more Other that confessed vsed likewise those Baths When any mans children dyed hee was holden for a grieuous Sinner saying that it was for their sinnes that the Sonne dyed before the Father Such therefore after they were confessed were bathed in the said Bath and then came a deformed person to whip them with certaine Nettles If the Sorcerers or Inchanters by their lots or diuinations affirmed that any sick bodie should dye the sicke man makes no difficultie to kill his owne Sonne though he had no other hoping by that meanes to escape death saying that in his place he offered his Sonne in Sacrifice The Penances enioyned them in Confessions were to fast to giue apparell Gold or Siluer to remayne in the Mountaynes and to receiue many stripes vpon the shoulders §. III. Of their Sacrifices THe Sacrifices of the Indians may be reduced into three kinds of insensible things of Beasts of Men. Of the first sort were their Sacrifices of Coca an Herbe of much esteeme of Mayz Feathers Gold and Siluer in figures of little Beasts or in the forme of that which hee sought for also of sweet Wood and diuers other things whereby their Temples became so rich They made these Offrings to obtayne a good winde health faire weather and the like Of the second sort of Sacrifices were their Cuyes which are like Rabbets and for rich men in matters of importance Pacos the great Camel-fashioned sheepe with curious obseruation of the numbers colours and times The manner of killing their Sacrifices is the same which the Moores now vse hanging the beast by the right fore-legge turning his eyes toward the Sunne speaking certayne words according to the qualitie of the Sacrifice For if it were coloured they directed their words to the Thunder that they might want no water if white to the Sunne that he might shine on them if gray to Viracocha In Cusco they did euery yeere kill and sacrifice with this solemnitie a shorne sheepe to the Sunne and did burne it clad in a red Wastecoate casting small baskets of Coca into the fire They sacrificed also small Birds on this manner they kindled a fire of Thornes and cast the small Birds in certaine Officers going about with round stones wherein were carued or painted Snakes Lions Toads Tigres and saying Vsachum that is Let the victory bee giuen vs with other words They drew forth certaine blacke sheepe called Vrca which had beene kept certaine dayes without meate and therefore vsed these words So let the hearts of our Enemies bee weakened as these Beasts And if they found that a certaine piece of flesh behind the heart were not consumed by fasting they tooke it for a bad signe They sacrificed also blacke Dogges which they slue and cast into a Plaine with certayne Ceremonies causing some kind of men to eate the flesh which they did lest the Ingua should bee hurt with Poyson And for this cause they fasted from morning till the Starres were vp and then glutted themselues This was fitting to withstand their Enemies Gods They offered shels of the Sea to the Fountaines saying that the shels were the Daughters of the Sea the Mother of all waters These shels they vsed in manner in all Sacrifices They offered Sacrifice of whatsoeuer they did sowe or rayse vp There were Indians appointed to doe these Sacrifices to the Fountaynes Springs and Riuers which passed through their Townes or by their Farmes that they might not cease running but alwayes water their grounds Gomara saith that their Priests married not went little abroad fasted much although no fast lasted aboue eight dayes and that was in their Seed-time and in Haruest and in gathering of Gold and making Warre and talking with the Deuill yea some of them I thinke for feare because they are blind-folded when they speake with him put out their eyes they enter into the Temples weeping and lamenting which the word Guaca signifieth They touch not their Idols with their hands without cleane and white Linnen they bury in the Temples the Offerings of Gold and Siluer in their Sacrifices they cry aloud and were neuer quiet all that day nor night they anointed with bloud the faces of their Idols and doores of their Temples they sprinkle also their Sepulchres The Sorcerers did coniure to know what time the Sacrifices should be made which being ended they did gather of the contribution of the people what should be sacrificed and deliuered them to such as had charge of the Sacrifices In the beginning of Winter at such time as the waters increased by the moysture of the weather they were diligent in sacrificing to the Fountaynes and Riuers which ranne by their Cities and Farmes They did not sacrifice to the Fountaines and Springs of the Desarts And euen to this day continueth this their respect to these Springs and Riuers They haue a speciall care to the meeting of two Riuers and there they wash themselues for their health first anointing themselues with the flowre of Mayz or some other things adding thereto diuers Ceremonies which they doe likewise in their Baths Their third kind of Sacrifices was the most vnkind and vnnaturall namely of Men. Wee haue shewed before of their Butcheries at the Burials of their great Lord Besides this they vsed in Peru to sacrifice yong Children from
Ytu This had no time prefixed but by Necessitie or Distresse And then the people prepared themselues thereto by fasting two dayes during which they did neyther company with their wiues nor eat any meate with Salt or Garlicke nor drinke any Chica All did assemble together in one place where no Stranger nor any beast might be admitted they had Garments and Ornaments which serued onely for this Feast They marched very quietly in Procession their heads couered with their veiles sounding of Drummes without speaking one to another This continued a day and a night The day following they danced and made good cheere for two dayes and two nights together saying that their Prayer was accepted Euen still they vsed one which is somewhat like this called Ayma with Garments onely seruing to that end and make Procession with their Dummes hauing fasted before concluding with good cheere And although the Indians forbear Sacrifices because of the Spaniards yet they vse many Ceremonies still which had their beginning from their ancient Superstitions §. II. Of the Funerals in Peru and the places adioyning and somewhat of the present estate of those parts THe Indians of Peru beleeued commonly that the Soule liued after this life and that the good were in glory and the bad in paine They vsed a wonderfull care to preserue the bodies which they honoured after death their Successors gaue them garments and made Sacrifices to them especially of the Inguas of whom wee haue spoken before In their bloudie Funerals the Women he loued best were slaine and multitudes of other Attendants of all sorts for his new Family in the other World and that after many Songs and drunkennesse They sacrificed to them many things especially young children and with the bloud they made a stroke on the dead mans face from one eare to another This crueltie is common through a great part of the East and West Indies as in their places this History doth shew you wittily auoyded once by a Portugall who was a Captiue and to be slaine at the Funerals of his Lord and hauing but one eye saw better to saue his life then if hee had both For he told them that such a deformed and maymed fellow would be a disgrace to his Master in the other life and so perswaded the Executors or Executioners if you will to seeke a new choice The Indians haue another Ceremony more generall which is to set meate and drinke vpon the graue of the dead imagining they did feed thereon At this day many Indian Infidels doe secretly draw their dead out of the Church-yard and bury them on Hils or vpon passages of Mountaynes or else in their owne houses They haue also vsed to put Gold and Siluer in their mouth hands and bosome and to apparell them with new garments durable and well lined They beleeue that the soules of the dead wander vp and downe induring cold thirst hunger and trauell and for this cause they vse their Anniuersaries carrying them clothes meate and drinke Pedro de Cieza reporteth that in Cenu in the Prouince of Cartagena which we here mention for proximitie of Rites rather then of place neere to a Temple built in honour of the Deuill there was taken forth an innumerable quantitie of Sepulchres more then a Million of them old and new Himselfe was there present Much treasure was found in the Graues Iuan de la Torre tooke forth of one Sepulchre more then fiue hundred thousand Pezoes The Great Men adorned their Sepulchres with Vaults and Towres and had with them interred their Women Seruants Meate Chicha Armes and Ornaments He addeth that the Deuill in the shape of some principall person deceased would sometimes appeare and shew them newes out of that other World how he liued and fared there And hence it seemes came that spoyle of so much wealth and so many persons for their Funerals But take heed Reader that you doe not beleeue it was the Deuill that was wont to appeare in some habit of afflicted soules and demanded Dirges and Masses for their manumission out of Purgatory Alas the Deuill was confined to the Indies and would neuer haue beene so good a Purueyor for the Popes Kitchin And certes if our Christian Ancesters had not their wiues and goods buried in their graues with Food Rayment and Ornaments yet these things were also buried with them whiles the feares of Purgatory made them willing to endow the Priests and Monasteries and bestow on Lights and other Rites that which should haue maintayned their Houses their Wiues and Children But how come we from Peru to Rome Nay how comes Rome if not from Peru as more lately discouered yet with Peru and with and from other Heathen Nations in the World in her manifold Ceremonies and Superstitious Rites as this Relation of Peru for their Confessions Processions and many other Rites will shew And one day I hope more fully to acquaint the World when wee come in our Pilgrimage to visit Christian-Antichristian Rome Worse Sepulchres then the former to returne to our American Historie were those which Herera mentions within fifty leagues of Popayan where the Husband hath bin seene to eate the Wife Father and Son Brother and Sister haue renewed a neerer proximitie and butcherly incorporation where Captiues are fatted and brought forth with Songs his members by piece-meale cut off and eaten whiles himselfe liueth and seeth it Since the inhabiting of Saint Iames of Arma they haue eaten more then eight thousand Indians and some Spaniards This our Author testifieth let vs a little view the present state of Peru that Los Reyes in twelue degrees consisteth of three thousand housholds it is one of the best Climates in the World not subiect to plagues hunger raine thunder but alwayes cleere It is the Seat of the Viceroy and Royall Councell and Inquisition Iohn Ellis which was partaker of Sir Richard Hawkins his Aduentre s saith that Lima is neere as big as London within the Wals the Houses are of Lome there are nigh an hundred thousand Negros it raineth not there but it doth within twelue leagues There are maintayned a hundred Horsemen and an hundred Carbines At Paricauo it is as cold as in England in Winter They passed to Cusco in those wayes before mentioned made by Guainacapa Cusco is now without a Wall as large as Bristoll At Potossi there worke neere an hundred thousand Indians brought in courses thither to the Mynes by the Casiques Betweene Cusco and Potossi is continuall Trade the Lords by the way will entertaine men with abundance of Plate and Guard if they like them with three or foure hundred Indians Imperiall Village of Potosi is in nineteene degrees it hath fiue hundred housholds of Spaniards and about fifty thousand Indians going and comming Alexandro Vrsiuo who sayth he liued in Peru thirty and foure yeeres and had trauelled thorow all the Kingdome hath written that in Potosi and Porto are
August September and October the raines are predominant which with their frequent violent and long cnntinuing showres cooles the Earth and reuiues the partcht Roots of the Sun burnt Plants of the Earth sometimes rayning so long together and with such fiercenesse that Houses loose their foundations in their currants and fall to the ground from whence also followes great Land-flouds to this Countrey no lesse commodious then the inundation of Nilus to the Egyptians by receiuing the Flouds into their Rice grounds and there retayning it vntill the Earth drinking it in becomes the better enabled to endure an eighth moneths abstinence for in eight moneths it neuer rayneth Nouember December Ianuary and February they account their cooler times and are so indeed compared to the former yet as hote as it is here in England in May. From which constant heate all Trees are heere continually greene and their Fruites ripe in their seuerall Seasons The Earth in some places affoords two Croppes of Rice in a yeere rarely three Croppes and in most places but one yet there with very great increase they so we other sorts of Pulse different from ours and farre vp into the Country they haue good Wheate but not much for it is little eaten of the Gentiles Rootes they haue of most sorts which we haue heere and good store of Potatoes yet but few Hearbs or Flowres which defect they supply in their Betele whose frequent vse amongst them many haue already discoursed In briefe it is a very fruitfull Countrey and occasioned by many of the Inhabitants abstinence from any thing that hath life all kind of victuall are very cheape and plentifull as eight Hens for twelue pence a Goate or Sheepe for ten pence and for eighteene pence or two shillings a very good Hogge the like of fish and all other prouisions in the Towne but in the Countrey much better cheape This Kingdome as most others in India receiueth its denomination from the chiefe City or Residence of the King called by the Natiues Golchonda by the Moores and Persians Hidraband distant from Musulipatnam eight and twentie Gentiue leagues euery such league contayning nine English miles and in the common course of trauel ten dayes iourney A Citie that for sweetnesse of ayre conueniencie of water and fertility of soyle is accounted the best situated in India not to speake of the Kings Palace which for bignesse and sumptuousnesse in the iudgement of such as haue trauelled India exceedeth all belonging to the Mogull or any other Prince it being twelue miles in circumference built all of stone and within the most eminent places garnished with massie Gold in such things as we commonly vse Iron as in barres of Windowes bolts and such like and in all other points fitted to the Maiesty of so great a King who in Elephants and Iewels is accounted one of the richest Princes of India He is by Religion a Mahumetan discended from Persian Ancestors and retayneth their opinions which differing in many points from the Turkes are distinguished in their Sects by tearmes of Seaw and Sunnes and hath beene at large and truly to my knowledge particularized in your Pilgrimage whereunto I onely adde in confirmation of their mutuall hatred what in conference I receiued from a Meene one of Mahomets owne Tribe if wee may beleeue his owne Heraldry who openly professed hee could not finde in his heart to pray for a Sunnee for in his Opinion a Christian might as easily bee saued a Charitie well befitting his Religion that would not pray for those hee might not pray with This King as all other his Predecessors retaines the title of Cotubsha the original whereof I remember to haue read in Linschoten He maried during my being in his Country the daugter of Adelsha King of Viziapore and hath besides her three other Wiues and at least 1000. Concubines a singular honour and state amongst them to haue many women and one of the strangest things to them I could relate and in their opinions lamentable that his excellent Maiesty our Gracious Souereigne should haue three Kingdomes and but one Wife The Cotubsha Adelsha and Negaim Sha oppose the Mogull in a perpetuall league of mutuall defence yet so as their yeerely Presents proue their best weapons chusing rather to buy peace then to hazard the euent of war against so mighty an Enemy His Reuenewes are reported to bee fiue and twenty Lackes of Pagodes a Lacke beeing an 100000. and a Pagoda equall in weight and alloy to a French Crowne and worth there seuen shillinge six pence sterling which huge Treasure ariseth from the large extent of his Dominions 〈◊〉 Subiects being all his Tenants and at a rackt Rent for this King as all others in India is the onely Free-holder of the whole Countrey which being deuided into great gouernments as our Shires those againe into lesser ones as our Hundreds and those into Villages the Gouernment is farmed immediately from the King by some eminent man who to other inferiours farmeth out the lesser ones and they againe to the Countrey people at such excessiue rates that it is most lamentable to consider what toyle and miserie the wretched soules endure For if they fall short of any part of their Rent what their Estates cannot satisfie their bodies must so it somtimes happens they are beaten to death or absenting themselues their Wiues Children Fathers Brothers and all their Kindred are engaged in the debt and must satisfie or suffer And sometimes it happeneth that the Principall fayling with the King receiues from him the like punishment as it befell to one Bashell Raw Gouernour at Musulipatnam since the English Traded thither who for defect of full payment was beaten with Canes vpon the backe feet and belly vntill hee dyed Yet hold they not these their Gouernments by Lease for yeerely in Iuly all are exposed in sale vnto him that bids most◠from whence it happeneth that euery Gouernour during his time exacts by Tolles taken in the way and other Oppressions whatsoeuer they can possibly extort from the poorer Inhabitants vsing what violence within their gouernments they shall thinke fit for in them during their time they reigne as petty Kings not much vnlike the Bashawes and ◠the Turkish Monarchy There are in the Confines and heart of this Kingdome sixtie six seuerall Forts or Castles all of them commanded by Naicks and guarded by Gentiles Souldiers of the Countrey vnto which Souldiery these is allowed but foure shillings the moneth and that also ill payd they are for the most part situated vpon very high Rockes or Hils vnaccessible but by one onely way three of which I haue seene viz. Cundapoly Cundauera and Bellum Cunda Cunda in that Language signifying a Hill and in the Towne of Cundapoley hauing occasion to visit the Gouernour it was so curious as to require the sight of the Castle who replyed that euen himselfe although the Gouernour of