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
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
Hee appointed Alamin his Successor and gaue him Irac and Syria appointed Abdalla to succeed him and gaue him all from Hamadan to the vtmost East to Casim Mesopotamia Tsugour and Awasim An. 187. Giafor Sonne of Iahia was slaine and his father cast into Prison where he dyed hauing this scroll in his bosom The Defendant goeth before being called into the Law the Plaintiffe followeth and the Iudge shall need no witnesse which when Haron read â—ead hee wept and sware it was true The same yeere hee went as farre as Heraclea spoyling and firing all things and Nicephorus the Emperour offered him yeerely tribute which he accepted but vpon occasion of the cold and snow he performed not couenants whereupon hee returned notwithstanding and forced performance An. 188. he againe inuaded the Romans and in a great battell with Nicephorus the Muslims preuayled and slue forty thousand and Nicephorus receiued three wounds An. 190. he inuaded the Romans with a hundred thirty fiue thousand besides voluntaries and tooke and burned Heraclea Sacaliba Risia and Saffaf with Colonia Hee carried away sixteene thousand captiues of Heraclea Nicephorus bought his P ace with Tribute Hee sent by Sea also and wasted Cyprus and carried away many captiues Hee dyed An. 193. when hee had reigned three and twenty yeeres one moneth and nineteene dayes He was exceedingly delighted with good Verses and was bountifull to Poets Hee made eight or nine Pilgrimages in his Chaliphate and prayed a hundred kneelings or prostrations euery day A hundred learned men accompanied him in his Pilgrimages And when he went not himselfe he set forth three hundred men on Pilgrimage with sufficient expenses and cleane garments Nor was the Court of any Chalifa so furnished with Counsellours Iudges Poets and learned men His Seale was inscribed Greatnesse and Power are Gods Hee gaue his Physician a Christian a hundred thousand Staters a yeere stipend for sauing his life by bloud-letting the same pay which his Keeper had saying One keepes my body the other my soule A. 193. Abuna Marke was made Patriarch which receiued those of the Sect of Sienufa two of their Bishops desiring admission and vpon their humility he entertained them in his house till two Bishops dyed in whose places he set them Abu-Abdalla Alamin called also Muhammed Abu-Musa Sonne of Haron Rasijd was the next and sixth Abasian Chalif created on the day of his Fathers death But Rasijd had renewed the league to his Son Almamon after Alamin who behaued himselfe so well whiles Alamin gaue himselfe to play and drinking that the chiefe men fauoured him Yet Alamin burned the Couenants of his Father and assumed his own Sonne Musa partner of the league Almamon hereupon forbade his brothers name to be stamped in money or cloth and all Chorasan yeelded to him and he named himselfe a Prince and prayed in the Pulpits of Chorasan An. 195. a great battell was fought and the followers of Almamon preuayled whereupon he was saluted Chalifa An. 196. Alamin was deposed and imprisoned with his Mother Zebeida but soone after by popular commotion restored But Taher the Generall of Almamons forces taking Ahwaz Wasijt Madaijn and causing men to sweare to Almamon Egypt Syria Higiaza and Aliaman called him to the Empire An. 197. Bagdad was besieged and most of the houses ruined A. 198. Alamin was forsaken by most of his Souldiers and as he fled his Boate was ouerturned and the men with him drowned but he escaping swamme into a certaine Garden and was there slaine by Tahers Seruant The Ring of the Chalifate the Rolls and the Scepter were sent to Almamon which fell downe and gaue God great thankes for the victory and gaue a Million of Staters to the messenger Alamin reigned foure yeeres eight moneths and eighteene dayes He was liberall bloudy inconsiderate cowardly He neyther left his Angling nor Chesse-play vpon the heauiest tydings or occasions and was a drinker of wine Abulabbas Almamon called also Abugiafar Abdalla was the seuenth Abasian Chalif inaugurated An. 198. An. 199. The Talibites made commotion in diuers places and at Cufa arose Muhammed Sonne of Ibrahim Sonne of Ismael Sonne of Ibrahim Sonne of Hasen Sonne of Husein Sonne of Ali Sonne of Abutalib inuiting the people to respect the stock of Muhammed and to obserue the Booke and the Law Abusaraia warring in his name And the Chawarisians came forth Many battels followed but Abusaraia preuayled which went to Basra and tooke it but in the yeere 200. was slaine and Muhammed was dead and another Muhammed of the Pogenie of Ali inaugurated in his place which was taken and sent to Almamon At Mecca also Muhammed Sonne of Giafar and in Aliaman Ibrahim made insurrection which succeeded not An. 201. Almamon assumed Ali Sonne of Musa Sonne of Giafar Sonne of Muhammed Sonne of Husein Sonne of Ali into partnership of the league and to the succession of the Chalifate and called him Arrad of Muhammeds stocke and commanded the Souldiers to weare greene and cast away their blackes and writ to Hasen to procure his inauguration at Bagdad but they refused to transferre the succession from the Abasian stock to that of Ali and thereupon the Hasiemides and Captaines determined to depose Almamon and to make his Vncle Ibrahim Chalifa This they did An. 202. and named him Mubaric who ascending the Pulpit made a speech to the people and promised them bounty he enioyed Bagdad and Cafa with their Villages Almamon hearing of these commotions in Irac went towardes Bagdad and considering that Fadlus his swaying all things occasioned this distaste he caused him to be closely slain in a Bath then killed the murtherer fayning that he had no hand in it This Fadlus first added surnames in Letters for before the inscriptions of Epistles were only from N. Son of N. to N. Son of N. An. 203. Almamon came to Tus where Ali Sonne of Musa after the eating of a Grape suddenly died poysoned as was suspected yet Almamon seemed to take his death heauily This Ali was very abstinent and religious At Bagdad the Souldiers rebelled against Ibrahim who hid himselfe An. 204. Almamon came to Bagdad clothed in greene as also his Souldiers but after a weeke he ware blacke and commanded the People so to doe An. 206. Hakem Sonne of Hisiam Sonne of Abdurrahman King of Spaine dyed and his Sonne Abdurrahman succeeded Hee had reigned sixe and twenty yeeres An. 207. Taher dyed a wise valiant and liberall Commander and a good Poet. For three Verses made to adorne him he gaue three hundred thousand pieces of Gold and more said he would I haue giuen if thou hadst giuen more An. 210. Almamon got his Vncle Ibrahim into his hands who comming to him is sayd My sinne is great but thou then it art greater My deeds were bad let thine be seene farre better Almamon answered Others haue counselled me to kill thee O Emperour of the faithfull said he Counsellors counsell that which is
Togrulbec who returned An. 432. and chasing away Masud enioyed all Chorasan killing innumerable numbers of men An. 433. Muazzuddaulas the Mardasite possessed Haleb where Nasr Sonne of Salih Sonne of Maidas had ruled eight yeeres who was slaine by Busekin the Dariraan in battell who after came to Haleb and tooke it This Dariraan was a captiue Turke which comming with Merchants into Syria was bought by Darir the Dailamite and giuen to the King of Egypt where by degrees he was promoted to be Commander of the Army Masud King of Chorasan India and Mauranahar was slaine and Muhammed his brother succeeded but was slaine by Maudud his brothers Sonne An. 435. foure Captaines Gazians with a thousand sixe hundred and fifty horsemen ouercame Diarbecr Mesopotamia and Mausil destroying and spoyling Fir Abutaher died and his Sonne Abumansor Melecaziz succeeded at Bagdad But An. 440. Abunasr Sonne of Abucalanghar which reigned in higher Irac came and tooke Bagdad and was crowned by the Chalifa This was the last King of the Boijtes An. 447. the Salghucides began to rule at Bagdad by this meanes A certaine Turke Ruslan Abulharith Mutaffir called the Basasaraean grew great in Irac and they prayed in Pulpits in his name neither remayned any thing but title to the Boijte Whereupon Caijm writ to Togrulbec for aide exhorting him to come thither which he did The Basasaraean writ to Mustansir Billa Lord of Egypt and prayed in his name at Rahab he helped him with money Togrulbec tooke the Boijte Melecrahim and his Prayer ceassed with that Empire which had continued one hundred and twenty seuen yeeres Prayse be to him whose Empire passeth not away Anno 448. Togrulbec went with an Army to Mausil At Cufa Wasit and Ainattamr Prayer was made in the name of Mustansir Lord of Egypt An. 449. Caijm crowned Togrulbec so that in both Iracs and Chorasan none stood against him Haleb was deliuered to the Lord of Egypt by Muazzudaulas because he was not able to hold it An. 450. Caijm was deposed vpon this occasion Togrulbec going to Mausil and Nasibin and his brother Ibrahim with him to whom the Basasaraean sent and procured him to rebell vpon promise of the Empire The Basasaraean entred Bagdad with Egyptian banners inscribed Prince Maabad Abutanim Mustansir Billa Emperour of the faithfull On Friday after the thirteenth of Dulkiada Prayer was made in the Cathedrall Temple in name of Mustansir They made a bridge ouer to the East part of the Citie and did the like at Rusaf He tooke Caijms Counsellour and clothed him with a woollen Cowle and long narrow red Hood set him on a Camell with skins hanged about his necke and so carried him thorow Bagdad one following and beating him after which they put him in a new flayed Buls hide setting the hornes on his head and hanged on hookes there beaten till he died Caijm fled and his Palace was rifled On the fourth Friday in Dulhiggia was no Prayer in the Temple of the Chalifa In other Temples they prayed in the name of Mustansir Caijm was carried to Haijth and there imprisoned An. 451. the Basasaraean tooke Oathes of the Supreme Iudge and Chiefe men to Mustansir Lord of Egypt That yeere Togrulbec ouerthrew and tooke his brother Ibrahim and strangled him with a Bow string slue many Turkemens his partakers went to Bagdad against the Basasaraean and carried backe the Chalifa Togrulbec holding the bridle of his Mule when he entred Bagdad from which hee had beene a yeere absent The Basasaraean was gone to Wasit against whom Togrulbec sent forces which slue him and sent his head to Bagdad An. 453. Togrulbec desired the Chalifas daughter in marriage which he refused yet after consented An. 455. Togrulbec dyed Muhammed Olbarsalan Adaduddaulas Sonne to his btother Dauid succeeded him An. 460. Hasen Abuali rebelled in Egypt besieged Mustansir in his Tower and spoyled his goods An. 462. Mahmud Lord of Haleb prayed in the name of Caijm Biamrilla and Prince Azzuddaulas which forced him to it hauing before acknowledged Mustansir An. 463. Prince Azzuddaulas went against the Romans with forty thousand horse tooke Patricius their Generall and cut off his nose and after on a Friday slue innumerable and tooke the Emperour himselfe whom hee freed on condition to pay 1500000. pieces of Gold c. An. 464. hee was slaine hauing passed out of Bagdad with 200000. Souldiers and commanding to execute a certaine factious Captaine named Ioseph and to set his quarters on foure posts he reuiled him and ranne suddenly within him and wounded him with a Knife whereof he dyed Hee was a Prince fearing God much in Prayer and Almes and a defender of Religion When he was wounded he said I neuer else contended but first begged ayde of God Yesterday also the earth trembled vnder me and I said I am King of the World neythcr is any able to warre with me and neuer thought of Gods power whereof I aske him forgiuenesse His Sonne Ghelaluddaulas succeeded called Melicsiah Anno 467. Caijm dyed hauing beene Chalifa foure and forty yeeres seuen moneths and twentie daies Abdalla Abulcasim Muctadi Billa Sonne of Muhammed Sonne of Caijm Billa was the seuen and twentieth Abasian and eight and fortieth Chalifa created on the day of his Grandfathers death An. 467. Hee prayed for his Grandfather and buried him Bagdad in his time flourished and they prayed in his name in Iaman Syria and Ierusalem In his time also the Muslims recouered from the Romans Raha and Antiochia Nasr succeeded to Azzuddaulas in Haleb who was slaine by his Souldiers Turkes after he had reigned a yeere He was a man liberall to Poets who no lesse chanted his prayses His brother Sabac succeeded and was the last of the Mardasian Kings For Siarfuddaulas Lord of Mausil subdued Haleb An. 472. hauing obtayned leaue of Gielaluddaulas Melicsiah on condition to pay him 300000. peeces of Gold rent out of it Anno 469. Isarus surnamed Afiijs hauing subdued Emissa and Damascus with their Territories went into Egypt and when Mustansir Billa was ready to flee by night in a battell the Egyptians ouerthrew him Hee returned full of indignation killing whom hee could three thousand at Ierusalem and was forced to compound with Gielaluddaulas who had thought to haue taken Syria from him Yet An. 472. Tagiuddaulas brother to Gielaluddaulas slue him and possessed Damascus the Inhabitants whereof returned from the places of their dispersions caused by Isarus his tyrannies But he rebelling An. 477. against Gielaluddaulas takin Murwa drinking Wine in the Temple in Ramadan was besieged taken and cast into Prison Who after Anno 478. got Haleb and Syria in possession An. 483. Batijna inuaded certaine Castles of the Barbarians and Arabs and tooke them Many adioyned themselues to his Sect and hee in the name of the people was inaugurated and grew potent King Gielaluddaulas exacted obedience of him by his Embassadour with threatnings He called some of his followers in presence of the
possessed the Throne which Almahadi in a great battell recouered Anno 404. but lost it soone after with his life and Isen was restored Alhameri was made Alhagiber Viceroy The Countrey was spoyled and neere Corduba almost dispeopled by Barbarians Zuleman also and Almahadis Sonne in diuers parts doing much harme against whem Isen hired Earle Sarcius restoring six Castles to him which Almanzor had taken Zuleman wan Corduba and Isen fled into Africa Now was all in combustion Ali Alcazin Hyahye Cazim Mahomet Abderramen Mahomet Hyahya Iris Isen successiuely starting in and out of the Throne so that the Kingdome of Corduba failed and euery man made himselfe Master of his charge and vsurped what he could The Ommian Race fayling the Almorauides of Africa An. 484. possessed the Kingdome Ioseph Sonne of Tessephin being called to helpe one against the other and taking all into his owne dominion He made Morocco his Seat Royall Ali his Sonne succeeded and Tessephim his Sonne was deposed An. 539. The Almoades extinguished the Almorauides After many changes and chances the Realme of Granado was erected which continued aboue two hundred and fifty yeeres vnder these Kings successiuely Mahomet Alen Alhamar Mir Almus Aben Azar Aben Leuin Ismael Mahumet Ioseph Lagus Mahumet Mah. Guadix Ioseph Balua Ioseph Aben Azar Mah. the little Ioseph M. Aben Ozmen Ismael Muley Alboracen Mah. Boabdelin Muley Boabdelin expelled by Ferdinand and Isabella A. 1492. A Relation of the Kings of Barbary after the ending of the Egyptian Chalifas to the present Xeriffian Family taken out of a Spanish Booke of that argument ABtilhac was the first King Merin in Fez He had Sonnes A Bucar and Iacob Bucar the which Iacob was Lord of Ramatto and Abtilhac left his Kingdome in his life time to his Sonne Bucar Bucar had for Sonne Yahia This Bucar ouercame King Abtolcader and dyed in the battell and he said Yahia was King vnder protection of his Vncle Iacob which was Lord of Ramatto Yahia dyed a child without issue and the said Iacob Bucar his Vncle remayned King which afterward caused himselfe to be called Muley Xeh which signifieth old King This King built new Fez which is called the white Citie hee ouercame Budebuz King of Marweccos and sometimes was Lord of Tremesen Tumbe and Sojumenza and in the yeere of our Lord 1264. he entred Spaine being called by the King of Granado Hee had three Sonnes Abuçait Aben Iacob and Aben Iucef Abuçait Abuçayt after that his father had gained Tremezen was left for King there he had one Son a child whose name is not knowne and Abuhamo begotten vpon a Christian woman Abuçait reigning in Tremezen his father Iacob Aben Iucef dyed and his younger Son Aben Iacob reigned in his steed in Marweccos Sojumenza and Algarue and besieged Tremezen against his brother Abuçait and the said Aben Iacob left two Sonnes Abucale and Aliborregira which afterward was drowned by Aborabec Abucalec the eldest Sonne of Aben Iacob had a Sonne called Abuhumer who dyed and was neuer King himselfe But left two Sons Botheyd and Aborabec both which were Kings Abuçait dying at the end of foure yeeres left as I said before two Sonnes the eldest for vnderstanding we call the Old who reigned a yeere and a halfe after the death of his father and dyed without issue and Abuhamo which afterward was King in his steed The foresaid child being dead his brother Abuhamo reigned in his steed who afterward was called Abuhertab and his Vncle Aben Iacob besieged him in Tremezen seuen yeeres after whose death the siege was raysed and the said Abuhamo afterward with the ayde of D. Iayme of Aragon gained Ceuet in the yeere of our Lord 1310. After that Aben Iacob was dead his Sonne Abucalee tooke possession of the new Citie but his Vncle for hatred that he bore him caused them to receiue for King Botheyd who was Sonne vnto Abuhamer that dyed and neuer had beene King himselfe and the said Botheyd pursued Abucalee and slue him and reigned after him Botheyd after that his Vncle had saluted him for King dyed without issue After that Botheyd was dead the Christians raysed his brother Aborabe for King Then the Moores would haue had Ali Berregira King younger Sonne to Aben Iacob which was the sixt King and so after much warres betweene them at length Aborabee ouercame him and commanded him to bee drowned And after Aborabee had reigned two yeeres he dyed without issue After Aborabee dyed his great Vncle Aben Iucef Abuçayt was made King in Fez hee had two Sonnes Abohali and Abuhaçen This Aben Iucef Abuçait gained many Cities in Spaine in the yeere of our Lord 1318. and 1322. Albohali wounded his father in the warres and made himselfe to bee called King of Fez and his father being sicke besieged him and they came to agreement that his father should giue him Sojumensa and the halfe of the treasure of Fez and his father should remayne with Marweccos Algarue and Fez The said Albohali had two Sonnes Buzayn and Bahamon Albuhazen was receiued for King in the life of his father for his brother Albohali was disinherited for wounding his father This Albuhaçen had three Sonnes Abtulmalic Abtolrahmin and Abuhenan he was King of Fez Marueccos Algarue Sojumenza Tremezen and Tunes Abtulmalic was King of Algezira he past into Spaine in the yeere of our Lord 1340. and was ouercome by the Christians which they call La victoria del salido and in the warres of Xeres hee dyed Abtolramin his other brother rose with the Citie Mequines and his Father cut off his head Abuhenan rose with the Kingdome of Fez and fought against his father Albuhaçen ouercame him he made in Fez the Colledge which is called The Colledge of Abuhenan He had three Sonnes Muley Buçayt and Muley Zaet and Iacob Abuçayt sent his brother Zaet to succour Gibraltar who was taken Prisoner by the Kings of Granada and Abuçayt was killed by his owne subiects leauing one Sonne called Abtilhac Zaet vnderstanding the death of his brother got liberty and ayde of the King of Grada and recouered Fez After the death of Zaet Abtilhac Sonne of Abuçayt was King who was slaine by treason by one of his owne subiects who thought to vsurpe the Kingdome but Zaet Benimerine next heire vnto Abtilhac recouered it againe by force of armes within few moneths and put to death the Vsurper Zaet left for heires two Sonnes Muley Mahamet and Muley Nacer Muley Mahamet succeeded his father in the Kingdome and had two Sonnes to wit Muley Ahmat and Muley Naçant Muley Ahmat succeeded his father and had one Daughter called Lalalu which was forced to marry with the Xarife and dyed without issue for griefe of the death of her father and three Sonnes Muley Bucar which dyed in the warre when King Buhason recouered Fez and Muley Muhamet and Muley Alcasery which was King vpon conditions in the absence of his
appointment of the day But why is this day now called the Lords day I answer euen therefore because it is the Lords day not changed by the Churches Constitution Meere as some seeme to hold except by the Churches authority they meane Christ and his Apostles nor descended to vs by Tradition as the Papists maintaine seeing the Scriptures Act. 20.7 1. Cor. 16.21 Apoc. 1.10 mention the name and celebration by the constant practise of the Apostles yea Christ himselfe as he rose on that day so did he vsually appeare on that day to his Apostles before his Ascension Christ therefore and his Apostles are our Authors of this change And the Church euer since hath constantly obserued it The Fathers teach yea the Papists themselues acknowledge this truth So Bellarmine de Cultu Sanct. l. 3. c. 11. saith Ius diuinum requirebat vt vnus dies Hebdomade dicaretur cultus diuino non autem conueniebat vt seruaretur Sabbathum itaque ab Apostolis in diem Dominicum versum est It was in the Primitiue Church called the Lords day the day of Bread and of Light because of the Sacraments of the Supper and Baptisme therein administred called Bread and Light And how it may be ascribed to Tradition Bellarmine the great Patron of Traditions sheweth out of Iustin Martyr who saith Christus haec illis Apostolis Discipulis tradidit Iustin in fine 2. Apolog He there also reporteth That they had their Ecclesiasticall Assemblies euery Lords day The Rhemists which ascribe it to Tradition in Annot. Matth. 15. acknowledge the institution thereof in Annot. 1. Cor. 16.2 Ignatius may be allowed Arbiter in this question of the Sabbath who thus writeth to the Magnesians Non Sabbatisemus Let vs not obserue the Sabbath after the Iewish manner as delighting in ease For he that worketh not let him not eate but let euery one of vs keepe the Sabbath spiritually not eating meat dressed the day before and walking set paces c. But let euery Christian celebrate the Lords day consecrated to the Lords resurrection as the Queene and Princesse of all dayes Now for the particular Commandement which was giuen him as an especiall proofe of his obedience in a thing otherwise not vnlawfull it was the forbidding him to eate of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge For in the middest of the Garden GOD had planted two Trees which some call Sacraments and were by GODS Ordinance signes vnto him one of life if he obeyed the other of death by disobedience Not as the Iewes thought and Iulian scoffed That the Tree had power to giue sharpenesse of wit And although some thinke signes needlesse to so excellent a creature yet beeing mutable subiect to temptation and each way flexible to vertue or vice according as he vsed his naturall power of free-will I see not why they should deny GOD that libertie to impose or man that necessitie to need such monitories and as it were Sacramentall instructions For what might these Trees haue furthered him in carefulnesse if he had considered life and death not so much in these Trees as in his free-wil and obeying or disobeying his Creator These Trees in regard of their signification and euent are called the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of good and euill which was not euill or hurtfull in it selfe but was a visible rule whereby good and euill should be knowne and that by reason of the Commandement annexed which he might by this Precept see to be grounded in obeying or disobeying the authority of the Law-giuer An easie rule and yet too easily broken For when as God did hereby challenge his own Soueraignty by imposing so easie a fine which might haue forbidden all but one as contrariwise he allowed and fore-signified the danger that he might continue his goodnesse to man continuing in obedience yet did man herein shew his contempt in reiecting so easie a yoake and so light a burthen I will not reason whether these two Trees may properly be called Sacraments of which say some the one was but for the bodily life and better neuer to haue touched the other this we know that in eating of this he lost both bodily and spirituall life which the name and institution thereof forewarned and should haue preuented otherwise in eating of the other immortalitie had been sealed both in soule and body to him and his for euer Srange it seemeth that he should need no monitorie signes to preuent that which euen with these helps added he did not eschew CHAP. V. Of the Fall of Man and of Originall Sinne HItherto we haue beheld the Creation of the World and of our first Parents the liuely Images of the Creator and the Creature whom we haue somewhat leisurely viewed in a naked Maiesty delighting themselues in the enamelled walkes of their delightfull Garden The Riuers whereof ranne to present their best offices to their new Lords from which they were forced by the backer streames greedy of the sight and place which they could not hold The Trees stouped to behold them offering their shady mantle and varietie of fruits as their naturall tribute each creature in a silent gladnesse reioyced in them and they enioyed all mutuall comforts in the Creator the Creatures and in themselues A blessed Payre who enioyed all they desired whiles their desire was worth the enioying Lords of all and of more then all Content which might in all they saw see their Makers bounty and beyond all they could see might see themselues comprehended where they could not comprehend of that infinite Greatnesse and goodnesse which they could not but loue reuerence admire and adore This was then their Religion to acknowledge with thankefulnesse to be thankefull in obedience to obey with cherefulnesse the Author of all this good to the performance whereof they found no outward no inward impediment Sickenesse Perturbation and Death the deformed issue of Sinne not yet being entered into the World In this plight did Satan that old Serpent see disdaine and enuy them It was not enough for him and the deuillish crue of his damned associates for their late rebellion to be banished Heauen but the inferiour world must be filled with his venome working that malice on the Creatures here which he could not there so easily wrecke on their Creator And because Man was here GODS Deputy and Lieutenant as a petty God on the Earth hee chooseth him as the fittest subiect in whose ruine to despite his Maker To this end he vseth not a Lion-like force which then had been bootlesse but a Serpentine sleight vsing that subtill creature as the meetest instrument to his Labyrinthian proiects Whereas by inward temptation he could not so easily preuaile by insinuating himselfe into their minds he windes himselfe into this winding Beast disposing the Serpents tongue to speake to the Woman the weaker Vessell singled from her husband and by questioning doth first vndermine her The Woman
about and leapeth from one place to another Then doth the chiefe of the Priests make supplication and request for all things which if it misliketh it goeth backwards if it approueth it carrieth them forwards and without these Oracles they enterprise nothing neither priuate nor sacred and Lucian saith he saw it leauing the Priests the supporters and mouing it selfe aboue in the ayre Here are also the statues of Atlas Mercurie and Lucina and without a great brazen Altar and many brazen Images of Kings and Priests and many others recorded in Poets and Histories Among others standeth the Image of Semiramis pointing to the Temple with her finger which they say is the signe of her repentance who hauing giuen commandement to the Syrians to worship no other god but her selfe was by plagues sent from heauen driuen to reuoke that former Edict and thus seemeth to acknowledge and point out another Deitie There were also places inclosed wherein were kept and fed sacred Oxen Horses Eagles Beares Lyons The Priests were in number aboue three hundred some for killing Sacrifices some for offerings some ministring fire to others at the Altar their garment all white their head couered and euery yeere was chosen a new High-Priest which alone was clothed with purple and a golden head-tire A great multitude there was besides of Musicians Galli and Propheticall women they sacrificed twice a day whereat they all assembled To Iupiter they vse neyther song nor instrument in sacrifice as they doe to Iuno Not farre hence was a Lake of two hundreth fadome depth wherein were preserued sacred Fishes and in the middest thereof an Altar of stone crowned alwaies with Garlands and burning with odours They haue a great feast which they call the going downe to the Lake when all their Idols descend thither Their greatest and most solemne Feast was obserued in the Spring which they called the fire they solemnized it in this sort They felled great trees and laide them in the Church-yard as you may terme it and bringeth thither the Goates Sheepe and other beasts they hanged them on these trees together with them fowles and garments and workes of gold and siluer which being set in due order they carrie the Images of the gods about the trees and then fet all on fire They resort to this Feast out of Syria and the coasts adioyning and bring hither their Idols with them and great multitudes resorting to the sacrifices the Galli and those other sacred wights beate and wound each other Others play on instruments and others rauished by diuine furie prophesie and then doe the Galli enter into their orders for the furie rauisheth many of the beholders Whatsoeuer young man commeth prepared to this purpose hurling off his garments with a great voyce he goeth into the middest and drawing his sword geldeth himselfe and runneth thorow the Citie carrying in his hands that which he would no longer carry on his body And into whatsoeuer house he casteth the same he receiueth from thence his womanish habite and attire When any of them die his fellowes carrying him in to the uburbes couer him and his horse with stones and may not enter into the Temple in seuen dayes after nor after the sight of any other carkasse in one day but none of that family where one hath died in thirty dayes and then also with a shauen head Swine they hold for vncleane beasts And the Doue they esteeme so sacred that if one touch one against his will hee is that day vncleane This causeth Doues in those parts to multiply exceedingly neyther doe they touch Fishes This because of Derceto halfe a woman halfe a fish that for Semiramis which was metamorphosed into a Doue Iulius Hyginus hath this fable that an egge of maruellous greatnesse fell out of heauen into Euphrates which the fishes rolled to land on the same did Doues sit and hatched thereout Venus who was after called the Syrian goddesse at whose request Iupiter granted the Fishes their heauenly constellation and the Syrians for that cause eate not their Fish nor Doues but number them amongst their gods Their superstition concerning Herrings and Daces was ridiculous esteeming that the Syrian goddesse did fill the bodies of such as had eaten them with biles an vlcers causing also the fore-part of the leg and the liuer to consume Many are the ceremonies also to be performed of the religious Pilgrims or Votaries that visit this holy City for before hee setteth forth hee cutteth off the hayre of his head and browes he sacrificeth a sheepe and spreading the fleece on the ground hee kneeleth downe on it and layeth vpon his head the head and feet of the beast and prayeth to bee accepted the rest hee spendeth in the banquet Then doth he crowne himselfe and his fellow Pilgrims and after sets forward on his pilgrimage vsing for his drinke and washing cold water and sleepeth alwayes on the ground till his returne home In this Citie were appointed publike Hostes for diuers Cities diuers called Doctors because they expounded these mysteries They haue also one manner of sacrificing to hurle downe the beasts destined herevnto from the top of the porch which die of the fall They haue a like rite to put their children in a Sacke and carrie them downe branded first on the necke or palme of the hand and hence it was that all the Assyrians were branded The young men also consecrated their haire from their Natiuitie which being cut in the Temple was there preserued in some boxe of gold or siluer with the inscription of the owners name thereon And this did I saith Lucian in my youth and my hayre and name remaine in the Temple still Of Atergatis see more in the Chapter of Phoenicea Suetonius tels of Nero that hee contemned all Religions but this of the Syrian goddesse of which also he grew weary and defiled her with Vrine After which hee obserued a little Needle supposed to haue a power of fore-signifying danger and because soone after he had it he found out a conspiracie intended against him he sacrificed thereto three times a day Plutarch calleth the Syrians an effeminate Nation prone to teares and saith that some of them after the death of their friends haue hidden themselues in Caues from the sight of the Sunne many dayes Rimmon the Idoll of the Syrians and his Temple is mentioned 2. King 5.18 Bur I haue litle certainetie to say of him Some reckon among the Syrian Deities Fortune conceyuing the mention thereof Gen. 30.11 by Leah at Zilpa's trauel the word bagad which shee vseth is vsually in our translations and Tremellius a troupe commeth but in the vulgar Latine foeliciter in Vatablus auspicato in Pagnine Montanus venit prosperitas The Ebrew and Greeke Interpreters vnderstand it of an ominous and well-wishing presage yea some Comments I know not whether Planet-like expresse the Planet Iupiter called Mazal tob whose influence helpeth in the opinion of Astrologers
first-borne themselues and therefore in right of the former challenge of the first-borne were the Lords already And if it seeme as much wonder which Authors obserue not that of two and twentie thousand were but three hundred first-borne That their exploite of executing their kindred for Idolatrie before mentioned in which sinne the first borne as Priests were likeliest to haue followed Aaron a chiefe man of their Tribe might answere for me And that cruell Edict of Pharaoh and their miraculous fruitfulnesse may mae it lesse strange that both in these Leuites there were so few first-borne and in the other Israelites also with whom amongst 603550. men from twentie yeeres olde vpwards there were though reckoning but from a moneth olde as is said but two and twentie thousand two hundred seuentie three which is little more then one of seuen and twentie besides that inequalitie of the persons numbred Likewise as Phil. Ferdinand hath obserued out of Abraham ben Dauid if a woman first brought forth a female neither that nor the sonne if shee had any after were of these sanctified first-borne This excursion vpon this occasion wherein I haue found diuers Interpreters mute will I hope find pardon with the Reader who happily himselfe may finde some better resolution To returne to our Historie God had before appointed Aaron to be high Priest and his Sonnes to be Priests to whom the Leuites were assigned after as we haue said as assistants in inferiour offices of the Tabernacle Aaron from whom is reckoned the succession of the high Priests in the same office had appointed to him eight holy garments a Brest-plate an Ephod a Robe a broidered coate a Miter a Girdle a Plate of gold and linnen breeches Also his sonnes had appointed to them Coates and Bonets and Girdles and Breeches Which their attire is described at large Exodus 28. Iosephus writeth of the stones there mentioned That that on the Priests right shoulder shined forth very bright when GOD was pleased with their Sacrifices as did also those twelue in the brest-plate when in the time of Warre GOD would assist them Which ceased miraculously to shine two hundred yeeres before his time or as the Talmudists say from the building of the second Temple The consecration of the Priests and Rites thereof are mentioned Exodus 29. The conditions required in the high Priest as that hee should not haue the bodily defects of blindnesse lamenesse maymednesse c. nor should vncouer his head and many other such like are expressed Leuit. 21. His office was daily to light the Lights at the euening and to burne incense at Morning and Euening and once euerie Sabbath to set the Shew-bread before the Lord to Sacrifice and once a yeere to make reconciliation in the holy-place c. This office they executed till the captiuitie after which they ruled also in the Common-wealth and the familie of the Maccabees obtayned temporall and spirituall iurisdiction being both Priests and Kings But the state being vsurped by others they also appointed high Priests at their pleasures and thus were Annas and Caiphas high Priests although Caiphas alone administred the office which was abrogated to Annas the name only remayning and thus Iosephus saith that Annas was most happie who had himselfe beene high Priest and seene all his sonnes in that office whereas in the institution and before the Captiuitie this office continued ordinarily with their liues which after they enioyed longer or shorter at pleasure of the Conqueror Next vnto the high Priest were the Priests lineally descended from Eleazar and Ithamar the sonnes of Aaron as in number many so in their Priestly rayments Consecration Condition and Office much differing from the former as appeareth for their Garments Leuit. 28. their Consecration 29. their Conditions required in them Leuit. 10. and 21. and their Office in some things as Preaching Praying Sacrificing not much vnlike to the former but in degree sometime assisting him in these things sometime alone and in some things nothing participating as in Moses plainely may be seene These Priestly families being of the house of Eleazar sixteene and of Ithamar eight which Dauid by Lot distributed into foure and twentie orders according to the number of the heads of families those foure and twentie men chiefe of those orders being to the high Priest as Aarons sonnes were vnto him in their ministerie 1. Chron. 24. and tooke turnes by course in performing of the same as Luke sheweth in the example of Zacharie Iosephus testifieth the same and affirmeth That in each of these rankes were more then fiue thousand men in his time And in the Historie of his life saith that himselfe was of the first of these orders betwixt which was no small difference and the heads of these were also called Chiefe Priests in the old and new Testament It was by their Lawe forbidden on paine of death to any Priest or Leuite to intermeddle in anothers Function But at the three solemne Feasts any of the Priests which would were permitted to Minister and to participate with those whose course it then was Onely they might not offer the Vowes or Free-will or ordinarie Offerings The Leuites had the next place in the Legall Ministerie all that descended of Leui except the familie of Aaron being thus called And Num. 3. according to the descent of the three sons of Leui had their offices assigned them which so continued till the daies of Dauid He distributed them according to their families vnto their seuerall functions twentie foure thousand to the seruice of the Temple six thousand to be Iudges and Rulers foure thousand Porters and foure thousand which praysed the Lord vpon Instruments These were diuided vnder their Heads or Principals according to their families The Leuiticall Musicians with their Offices and Orders are reckoned 1. Chron. 25. and 2. Chron. 7. These in stead of the silken stole which they ware obtained in the daies of Agrippa to weare a linnen one like the Priests The Porters are in the 26. of 1. Chron. described according to their families orders and offices They kept in their courses the doores and treasures of the Temple to keepe the same cleane and to keepe that which was vncleane out of the same and these all are ministred in their offices 2. Chron. 35. The Gibeonites called after Nethanims were at hand vnto the Leuites in the meanest Offices about the Tabernacle and Temple Ios. 9.21 and 1. Chron. 9. assigned hereunto first by Ioshua after by Dauid and the Princes for the seruice of the Leuites to cut wood and draw water for the house of God Ezra 8. Besides these Ecclesiasticall persons in the ordinarie Ministerie of the Temple were other which may no lesse be counted holy either in regard of Vow as the Nazarites for a time Sampson is an especiall example hereof and Iames the Iust brother of our Lord or else they were Prophets by extraordinarie calling as Samuel
the Babylonian dispersion The Asian Iewes were most of this Babylonian sort to these Saint Peter wrote from Babylon which therefore he nameth not in the inscription The Hellenists were so called of hellenizing or vsing the Greeke tongue in their Synagogues in which they had the Scriptures translated in Aegypt Greece and Italie By reason of this translation the Hebrews and Hellenists often disagreed for the Hebrewes called it a backward reading because it is read from the left hand to the right which sometime brake forth into open violence R. Eleazar assaulted the Synagogue of the Alexandrians at Ierusalem and committed therein much outrage And Christian Charitie could scarce combine them as Luke mentioneth Act. 6.1 This Greeke translation was vsed by them throughout Europe they had it in Hebrew Letters as Tertullian testifieth in the Serapium at Alexandria Thus Philo and other of these learned Hellenists were ignorant of the Hebrew Likewise of those Hebrewes there was small reckoning had of the Galilaeans by their supercilious and superstitious brethren of Iudaea as the Gospell hath taught vs §. II. Of the Karraim and Babbinists and of the Hasidai THE opinions of the Iewes may be reduced into these two generall heads the one were such as contented themselues with the Law of God and were called Karraim or Koraim of which sort there are diuers at this day in Constantinople and other where The other Rabbinists Supererogatorie as Doctor Hall calls them and Popish Iewes called Hasidim professing a more strict holinesse then the Law required Yet at first these both pleased themselues and did not by opposition of Science displease each other and disagreeing in opinion they yet in affection agreed But when these voluntarie seruices beganne to bee drawne in Canons and of arbitrarie became necessarie they were rent into sundrie Sects Of these and their originall let vs heare Scaliger speake There were saith he before the times of Hasmonaei two kinds of Dogmatists men holding differing opinions among the Iewes the one onely accepting the written Law the other Tradition or the addition to the Law Of the former kinde arose the Karraim of whom came the Sadduces of the latter the Pharises These Pharises were the issue of the Hasidees The Hasidees were a Corporation Guild or Fraternitie which voluntarily addicted themselues to the Offices of the Law 1. Macchabees chap. 2. verse 42. Their originall was from the times of Ezrah or Esdras Haggai and Zacharie the Prophets being Authors of this Order These in regard of their institution were called Holy Hasidin and in regard of their Combination Hasidaei And besides that which the Law enioyned which is iust debt they supererogated and of their owne free accord disbursed vpon the Temple and Sacrifices They professed not onely to liue according to the prescript of the Law but if any thing could by interpretations and consequences be drawne thence they held themselues bound to satisfie it and when they had done all to seeme to haue done nothing but accounted themselues vnprofitable seruants notwithstanding Euery one paid a tribute to the reparations of the Temple from the times of Esdras and Nehemias The Hasidaeans added further of their owne free-will to the Sanctuarie Walles and Porches neuer almost going from the Temple which they seemed to hold peculiar to themselues and by which they vsed to sweare By this Habitacle or By this house Which the Pharises their posteritie also did as likewise they learned of them to build the Sepulchres of the Prophets They were therefore called Hasidim either because their Colledge was instituted of the Prophets or of their holy and religious workes and the sacred buildings by them eyther repaired or reared from the foundations And therefore when wicked Alcimus had killed threescore men of this Corporation or Guild the people thought their death was prophesied in the Psalme such reputation was there of their holinesse These Hasidaei were not in proper sense a Sect but a Fraternitie which euery day assembled in the Temple and offered in daily Sacrifice a Lambe which was called the sin offering of the Hasidim One day was excepted the eleuenth of Tisri in which that Sacrifice was omitted They offered not themselues for they were not Priests but the Priests in their name Abraham Zacuth saith That Baba the son of Buta daily of his owne accord offered a Ram for a sin-offering except one day which was the day after the Expiation And this was called the Sacrifice of the Saints for Sin And he sware By this Habitacle that is the Temple Of this kinde or much like thereto Scaliger thinketh the Rechabites were which Ieremia mentioneth whose immediate father he accounteth Ionadab not him which liued in the daies of Iehu but another of that name and that their austere order began but a little before it ended namely in the same Prophets time quickly ending because of the captiuitie After the Captiuitie these sonnes of Ionadab renuing their former obseruations were called Hasidaei which went not from the Temple and obserued the orders aboue mentioned so Scaliger interpreteth Ieremies Prophesie that Ionadab should not want one to stand before the Lord that is to minister attend holy duties in the temple like to Anna the Prophetes This saith he is the true beginning of the Hasidaei which abstained from wine as did also the Priests as long as they ministred in the temple Thus much Scaliger As for that which Serarius hath writtē against Scaliger and Drusius in this argument both in his Trihaeresium and his Mineruall or elsewhere I refer the Reader to himselfe choosing rather to expresse what I thinke probable then entertainmen with long vnnecessarie disputes Drusius proueth that diuers of the Pharises and Essees also were of these Hasidaei wherby it appeareth that it was rather a Brotherhood as Scal. calleth it then a Sect He sheweth their Rites and Discipline out of Iuchasin They spent 9. houres of the day in praier They beleeued that a man might sin in thought therfore they had care thereof their will was not without the will of Heauen that is of God Ten things were peculiar to them Not to lift vp their eyes aboue ten cubits 2. Not to goe bare-headed 3. To establish three refections 4. To dispose their hearts to Prayer 5. Not to looke on eyther side sixtly To goe about that they might not bee troublesome to any companie Seuenthly Not to eate at the Tables of great men eightly If they had angred any man quickly to appease him ninthly To haue a pleasant voyce and to descend to the interpretation of the Law tenthly to accustome themselues to their Threads and Phylacteries Rab one of his Fraternitie did not lift vp his eyes aboue foure cubits Tenne or twentie daies before their death they were diseased with the Collicke and so all cleare and cleane they departed into the other life To returne vnto Scaliger touching the originall
Ierusalem was entred on the twelfth of Iuly 1099. being Friday and after much bloud and slaughter in the Citie they set vpon those which had betaken themselues to Salomons Temple so was that called which Homar built where saith Robertus Monachus was so much bloud shed that the slaine bodies were rolled by the force thereof and armes or dismembred hands swamme vpon the bloud and were ioyned to strange bodies the killing souldiers were scarce able to endure the hot vapours of the bloud of the slaine Guibertus Abbas saith the bloud reached to the ancles Baldricus to the calfe of the legge Raimond de Agiles that they rode in bloud vp to the knees and to the brydles of the Horses and Fulcherius that there were slaine in this Temple about ten thousand and many of them were ripped vp by the Frankes to finde gold which they had swallowed and the bodies after burned in heaps to finde the mettall in the ashes Albertus Aquensis addeth that the third day after the victorie for feare of the remained captiued Saracens lest they might ioyne with the enemie against them and in furious zeale they made a fresh massacre slaying those which for pittie or couetousnesse of ransome they had in hotter bloud spared not the honour of Noble Matrons not the delicacie of tender Maydens not the children yet in the wombes of their pregnant mothers not the Infants now sucking at the brest not the hopes of innocent yonglings playing or crying by the mothers hands not sighes teares promises prayers lamentable cryes twyning embraces of the legges bodyes hands of the bloudie Souldier could stay the hand euen then giuing the fatall blow but Ierusalem was now againe filled with slaine carkasses Generally it is agreed that they found much wealth in the Citie to pay them for their paines Soone after they encountred an Armie of three hundred thousand Saracens which they ouerthrew being but twentie thousand Christians where Robert Duke or Earle for I finde both Titles often giuen him but in ancient Stories of those times both hee and King William his father are oftenest called Earles of Normandie tooke with his owne hand the chiefe standerd of the Enemie being a long speare couered with siluer with a golden Globe or Apple on the top hauing slaine the bearer and thereby terrifying the enemie and putting them to rout which was long after reserued as a monument in the Temple of the Sepulchre Many other victories being obtained the Saracens were either expelled Palestina or subiected to the Franks and the Christians which were poorer few recouered freedom Yet as few as they were in the Cities Raimond tells of threescore thousand Surians or Christians of that Countrey which in this long Saracenicall night continued their habitations in the Mountaines of Libanus But of this is no maruell for euen till these dayes notwithstanding the manifold changes and chances of those Regions and peoples there haue in the Mountaines and Desarts of Palestina and Syria liued some Nations neither acknowledging the Saracenicall Law nor Empire §. IIII. Of the Azopart and Assysine SVch were the Azopart which liued in Caues in the Desarts of Ascalon which King Baldwin the successour of Godfrey sought to smoake and fire out of their dens and by cunning Stratagems destroyed as many as hee could and iustly For these being blacke in hue blacker in conditions vsed to rob and slay such as they could lay hold on Such were the Assysines which liued in the Prouince of Tyre as Tyrius reports of them not farre from Antaradus which had ten strong holds with the Countrey adiacent and were thought to bee in number sixtie thousand Their gouernment went not by inheritance but by Election the chiefe or Grand Master of them being called The Old Man who was obeyed in whatsoeuer hee commanded were the attempt neuer so dangerous If he gaue to one or more of them a weapon and enioyned the killing of such an Enemie Prince or priuate man they gladly vndertooke it with the death of that partie or themselues in attempt Both Saracens and Christians called them the reason of the name vnknowne Assysines For the space of foure hundred yeeres they were zealous followers in a preciser course of the Mahumetan Sect But about the time when our Author the Archbishop of Tyre wrote this their OLD MAN grew into distaste of his Religion and by reading the Scriptures became desirous of Christianitie Hee perswaded his Subiects also to forsake Mahumetisme prohibiting their Fasts demolishing their Moschees allowing Swines flesh He sent also to Almaricus King of Ierusalem offering to turne Christian if hee might hue peaceably and bee released of two thousand Byzantines which he yeerely payd for quietnesse to the Knights Templers who had certaine Castles bordering on him The King was content to pay this money himselfe but by the treacherie of the Templers the Legat was slaine and foule scandall inflicted on the Christian name the Assysines neuer after returning to their old Mahometrie or turning anew to Christianitie Mathew Paris relateth that these Assysines thus closely and treacherously murthered Raimund Earle of Tripolis Anno Dom. 1150. Paulus Aemylius affirmeth that these Assysines came out of Persia that they were taught from their child-hood diuers Languages and to conceiue it meritorious of heauenly reward to kill the enemies of their Faith that their OLD MAN was called also Arsacida Two of them saith hee slew Raimund two of them after slew Conrad Ferratensis walking in the Market-place of Tyre which Citie hee had defended against the enemies who being executed therefore seemed very cheerefull And Saint Lewis himselfe hardly escaped the like treacherie Marcus Paulus reporteth of one in the North-East parts of Persia called The Old Man of the Mountaine by proper name Aloadin which had built a strong Castle and therein an imaginarie Paradise who vsed that Assasine mysterie promising to reward these murtherers with the pleasures of Paradise a taste of which in all fleshly delights he had before giuen them In the Tartarian conquest sayth Odoricus he had so slaine diuers Tartars which therefore besieged his Castle and after three yeeres siege forced it for want of victuall So Paulus but Haithonus hath seuen and twentie yeeres and that then it was yeelded for want of cloathes and not of meates hee calls this Castle Tigado and the inhabitants by the former names of Assasines This was done by Haalon the Tartar Anno 1262. About a hundred yeeres since they tell of the ike Paradise of Aladeules in those parts destroyed by Selym the Turke but I thinke it was rather the memorie of Aloadin then any truth of Aladeules It is most remarkeable that Marcus Paulus testifieth of two Deputies or Lieutenants vnder him the one in Curdistan where the like generation of irreligious and robbing Curdi do yet remaine the other neere to Damasco of whom we haue spoken The place where this OLD MAN liued was called Mulchet that
or Lord Ioseph which in the Mountaines holds out against the Turke he tells also of one Asan Bashaw which ruleth like a King in an ancient Citie called Achilles paying duties to the Turke successiuely from his predecessours of the house as it is sayd of Sanballat and is called Eben Sumboloc and his Kindred call one another Amiogli for they account themselues Ammonites This Bashaw is old and referreth matters of gouernement to his kinsman Vseph Beg. It should seeme they are some relickes of the Cutheans or Samaritans which perhaps ioyne with the Drusians in many things There are also in these parts of Palaestina many Arabians which it seemes haue pestered those places euer since the inuasion of Homar if not before and these still vse to prey vpon the Pilgrims that trauell to Ierusalem notwithstanding the conduct of Ianizaries Of these Arabians one Sect is called Beduines which imagining the day of euery mans death fatally destined neuer goe armed to battell vsing onely Speares and Swords disdaining Bowes and Arrowes as tokens of cowardise These are false alike to Christians and Saracens easily betraying either alway addicting themselues to the strongest dwell in Tents goe cloathed with skinnes wander vp and downe in Tribes still seeking fresh pastures feed on Milke and commit the care of all businesses to their wiues Some of the Easterne people worship to the East which they say they learned of their fathers that were Christians themselues being Mahumetans yet account other Saracens hereticall and some esteeme the Sunne to bee the chiefe God Thus Vitriacus §. VI. Of the vnchristian Christians SVch are and haue beene the vnholy Inhabitants of the Holy Land since the Iewes expulsion neither can wee say much better of their conquerours the Persians Arabians Turkes Tartars Mamalukes and after these the Turkes in the Ottoman Dynastie no nor can wee commend the Christians for much Christianitie whether the natiue Surians some of which haue passed through all these changes without any great change either to the Saracenicall or Westerne Rites from their Greekish or their inuaders and conquerours For these soone degenerated into an vnchristian Christianitie and were called Pulam successors of the places not the conditions of those which passed thither with Duke Godfrey They gaue themselues to effeminate delicacies to excesse in dyet and apparell full of intestine discords and ciuill contentions coozners and false addicted to Witch-crafts and Diuinations contumeliously abusing Pilgrims whom deuotion had brought from farre Countries thither or which came to helpe them against the Saracens calling them in scorne the sonnes of Hernaud The Maronite Christians were in times past sixtie thousand but now are few neither is this a fit place for discourse of that and other Sects of Christians liuing in or frequenting these holy places Nestorians Iacobites Abassens Armenians Georgians Greekes and others But the conditions of the Inhabitants at that time wee mention as the cause of the losse of that Countrey to the Saracens the Clergie minding more as a Clergie man of their owne expresseth the Churches goods then her good to fleece then to feed their flockes the Regulars enriched with possessions religion brought foorth wealth and the daughter ate vp the mother The Natiue Laytie melted in lusts and pleasures grew more fearefull then women except they were assisted with the Frankes English or other Westerne people strengthning themselues in the strength of their contentions against their Christian brethren with Saracenicall assistance Their wiues they mewed vp very close from the sight almost of brethren and neerest kindred scarce suffering them to visit the Church once in a yeere some of the greater ones erecting Altars in their wiues bed-chambers whereon some sillie Priest might mumble his Parrot mumsimus They the more enraged vsed all meanes with womens wiles and deuillish wils by Sorceries or any other meanes to effect their filthy purposes It was also made a refuge and receptacle of the most disordered persons in these Westerne parts Theeues Robbers Periured Adulterers Traytors Murtherers Parricides Pyrats Apostate Monks and Nunnes which became common harlots and other monsters in shapes of men and women passing the Sea to this Land entituled Holy wher 's Coelum non animum changing soyle not soule they practised the like villanies with lesse shame being further from their friends And easily might they escape after greatest mischiefes either running as Rennegadoes to the Saracens or escaping by ship to some neere Iland or to such priuiledged Sanctuaries as euery Religious house afforded to the preiudice of iustice and Religion Some also which in Europe had beene condemned for some crimes by mediation of friends obtained this exchange of punishment to bee sent hither where they became harbourers of Whores Gamers Murtherers and for further impunitie were at a yeerely fee with the great ones Neither could the feare of humane Iustice or diuine Iudgements reclaime them many terrible Earthquakes happening amongst them by one of which Tyrus was almost vtterly together with the Inhabitants destroyed shake their earthie hardned hearts or mooue them to relent No maruell if the Land could no longer brooke such Inhabitants but exposed them to the sword of the Saracens and then againe for so the father when hee hath chastened his children casts the rod into the fire to the Tartars and from one to another till the Turke now Lords it amongst them in sort as you haue heard And euen still the wickednesse of the people in vnnaturall lusts and namelesse filthinesse is such that I abhorre further to write of it so is this paradise of the world both in bodily and spirituall pleasures and fruitfulnesse now become a desolate wildernesse for the one and disconsolate in the other whiles one is loath to sow for another to reape Iustus es Domine Iusta sunt iudicia tua OF THE ARABIANS SARACENS TVRKES AND OF THE ANCIENT INHABITANTS OF ASIA MINOR AND OF THEIR RELIGIONS The Second Booke CHAP. I. Of Arabia and of the ancient Religions Rites and Customes thereof ARABIA is a very large Region lying betweene two Bayes or Gulfes of the Sea the Persian on the East and that which hereof is called the Arabian on the West On the South is the Ocean on the North is Syria and Euphrates Plinie sets downe the Northerne Limits the Hill Amanus ouer against Cilicia and Commagena many Colonies of them being there planted by Tigranes the Great it thence sayth hee declineth to our Sea and the Aegyptian shore and to the heart of Syria to Mount Libanus By a certaine workemanship of Nature it much resembleth the forme and site of Italy Arabia signifieth Holy as Solinus affirmeth But in the Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Harabi signifieth both a robber by the way and an Arabian So Ier. 3.2 In the wayes thou hast sate for them as the Arabian in the Wildernesse in the vulgar Latine is translated Expectans eos quasi latro insidians in solitudine Saint
Kings and Princes who before in that Countrey vsed no Physicians He published neere an hundred bookes manie of Physicke some of Philosophie a Dictionarie of Herbes and Stones Verses of the Soule c. He liued eight and fiftie yeeres and dyed in Hamadan He had runne thorow all Arts at eighteene Thus Ben-Casem But others affirme that a certaine Physician flourishing of great note vpon whom no praying nor paying could fasten a Disciple lest the secrets of his Art should bee made common the mother of Auicenna offers her sonne to doe him seruice in decoctions and other meaner offices which hee could not doe himselfe nor was there feare of danger from him whom nature had made deafe and therefore dumbe Hee made tryals and found Auicenna deafe as he thought and entertayned him who watched his times and transcribed his bookes and notes sending them closely to his Mother which after his mothers death hee published in his owne name Damascus is called of the Arabians Sciam and Demasc of the Syrians Darmsuc It is luxurious in Fruits of all kinds rich in Oliues and Yron of excellent temper by nature and so bettered by Art that no Helme or Shield can withstand it It is seated in a large Plaine at the roots of Libanas there called Hermon sixe miles in compasse double walled with a strong square Tower in the midst built by a Florintine beautified with Springs Market-places publike Buildings Meskits Bathes Canes and all sorts of like weauing and in all ancient times with Learning and learned men Here flourished Saint Damascen and heere Almotannabbi excelled in Arts and Armes emulous of Mahomet but not with like successe Hee was called Nabion that is The Prophet this Motannabbi that is Prophecying hee wrote the Alcoran elegantly and eloquently this excelled in Prose and Verse both had Followers but this mans Disciples after his death were disperst which hapned A. H. 354. Ben-Casem also relates that Mohamed Abi Abdillah professed Philosophie in this Citie and to dispute with all commers and wrote a huge Booke De vnitate existendi principiorum He dyed there A.H. 638. Aleppo is called of the Inhabitants Haleb the chiefe Mart of all the East frequented by Persians Indians Armenians and all Europians The Port is Scanderoone called by the Inhabitants Escanderuneh The soyle is very fertile and nourisheth abundance of Silke-wormes A.H. 922. Sultan Selim tooke it and found therein infinit wealth Sciarfeddin which wrote the Victories of the Othomans in two Tomes saith that it had of Gold and Siluer coyned 1150000. a mightie masse vncoyned Vests of cloath of Gold tissued or wrought with gold silk and scarlet aboue 300000. besides abundance of Gems Pearls And besides other wealth innumerable it had eight Armories well furnished It now flourisheth in the next place to Constantinople and Caito and may be called Queene of the East Here are store of Gems Amber Bengeoin Lignum Aloes and Muske which is taken from a little reddish beast beaten with many blowes on one place that the bloud may all come thither Then is the skin so swolne and full of bloud bound straight that the bloud may not issue and put into one or more bladders is dryed on a beasts backe till the bladder fall off of it selfe and that bloud after a moneth becomes excellent Muske At Aleppo was borne that great Grammarian Othaman Abu Homar surnamed Ben-ellhhageb which wrote Cafia and Sciafia of Grammer and dyed A. H. 672. CHAP. III. The Life of Mahumet Mahammed or Muhammed the Saracen Law-giuer §. I. Mahumets Life after the Histories of Christians THe life of Mahomet is at large described by diuers Authors but I finde it no where so fully as before the Alcaron in the Italian Edition the sum whereof and of the other reports touching the same is this Ismael was the first according to that Italian Author others ascribe it to Abraham that built the Temple at Mecca and hauing to wife an Egyptian Idolatresse had by her twelue sonnes which as he saith being dispersed in Arabia Persia Armenia sowed so many sorts of Religion and Chedar his second sonne placed in the Temple of his father vpon an high Tower called Alquibla an Idoll named Allech and Alleze instituting certaine cremonies and amongst the rest the sacrificing of a Ram in remembrance of that Ram which was presented to his grand-father Abram at the offering of Isaac Of Chedar descended Thebic and so in order Caab Numhib Almucaien Ahlucen Acaha Amubasca Amir Celif Nisca Abhimaistae Aadirem Scaad Mudhar Ilges Mudicita Hudhaifa Chinene Anascere Melich Phasce Paliff Lunai Cabnai Morta Chelef Facien Abdamanef Abdalmutalif Abdalla the supposed father of Mahomet his mothers name was Hennina or Hemina a Iewish as some write his father was an Ethnicke or Pagan Idolater His base condition and obscuritie was such that the Turkes themselues doubt whether he were an Arabian or Persian notwithstanding that genealogicall rabble Richerius reporteth that he was a Cyreuean by birth and that in the time of his minoritie or child-hood he was by some Plagiarie stolne away from his friends and sold to the Ismaelit-Marchants Others say that hee was abandoned both of father and mother and according to the cruell custome of that barbarous people sold to strangers From so base a beginning did this cunning Impostor and Seducer of the world arise to be the scourge of Princes and disturber of the world He was somewhat comely of person and of sharp wit and therefore was made ouer-seer of the businesse of Abdalmutalif his Master or as some say his Grand-father and traded for him in Soria Egypt and Persia and after his death inherited his goods continuing his trade of Marchandize with a great man of Corozan he succeeded him in his bed wealth by the marriage of his widdow Gadisa whom others call Adega the daughter of Hulert and that as some suspect not vnprobably by the helpe of Sorceries and Incantations With this widdow after shee was become his wife he liued in his wonted course of life thirteene yeeres and had by her one sonne and three daughters And by this meanes growne great he aspired higher assembling to himselfe a company of theeues vnthrifts and out-lawes which with him became voluntaries and aduenturers in the warres of the Emperour Heraclius against the Persians in which he valourously behaued himselfe and was wounded in the visage and Cosdroes the Persian King was ouercome After this Mahomet deuising further how to satisfie his ambitious desire of Soueraigntie met with occasion fitting those his aspiring designes The Arabians being denied their pay as is said raised a mutinie and rebellion these chose Mahomet to be their Captaine who vsed them as his instruments of robbery and violence about the countries of Mecca But the Nobles opposing themselues against him hee perceiuing that their power and authoritie would be a perilous rub in his way thought it his safest course to
the memorie of his owne designes occasioned so by the sword and fire it may be rooted out of the world againe The first Surat or Chapiter which is the Pater noster or daily prayer of the Muhamedans I will transcribe out of Erpenius called by them Opening as before is said and the Mother of the booke foundation treasure and perfection In the name of God the shower of mercie mercifull Praise to God the Lord of the Creatures the shewer of mercie mercifull the King of the day of Iudgement Wee worship thee and we call vpon thee Direct vs into the right way the way of them who are gracious towards them without anger against them and not them which erring not Amen The Copies of the Alcaron were diuers and after Mahomets death made if it could be worse at least otherwise then he left them For Hali had one Copie left him by Mahomet which the Iewes corrupted adding racing changing at their pleasure and promised him their assistance if hee would professe himselfe a Prophet But Ozimen commanded all the Bookes to be brought and deliuered into the hands of Zeidi and Abdalla to bring all into one booke and where they dissented to reade after the Copie of Corais and to burne all the rest They thus composed the Alcoran whereof they left foure Copies which after were lost And yet Hali Abitalib and Ibenmuzod then refused to deliuer their Bookes Whereupon arose diuers Readings and afterward diuers Schismes which to compound others often endeuoured by like labours after but could not throughly perfect the same Neither doth that which we haue translated agree with those things which Frier Richard and others cite out of it in their confutations thereof The truth thereof is such in his deuisings of new and seeking and altering the old that it is not probable in Viues opinion that euer hee read the Old and New Testament For saith he though I thinke of him exceeding badly yet thinke I him not so mad to change and wrest the Scripture there especially where it made nothing against him but he had partly heard of such things partly was so perswaded by his fellowes Apostata-Iewes and Christians This riming harsh confused packing worke disagreeing each Copie from other and all from truth and honestie hath beene translated into Latine once by an English man Robertus Retinensis and after by Ioannes Segobiensis a Spaniard at the Councell of Constance and after out of Arabian into Italian published by Andraea Ariuabene The first and last of these that of Robert of Reading and the Italian translations are here by vs followed For the Arabike I vnderstand not nor can warrant this when so great a man as Scaliger findeth great fault with it He that vndertooke to mend the Latine stile marred the sense and the Italian beguileth the world in professing to haue translated out of the Arabike Thus Scaliger who mentioneth another translation then in hand which we are almost out of hope to see In the meane while such as we haue we giue to you It containeth Chapters or Azoara's 124. euery of them beginning In the name of the mercifull and pittifull God Euthymius Zigabenus mentioneth but 113. Mr. Bedwel saith that all the Arabike copies which euer hee saw whether written in the East or West amongst the Moores in Barbarie doe constantly with one consent reckon 114. The reason of this difference is this some Interpreters doe not account the first for any Chapiter but make it a kinde of Preface Robert of Reading of the second Chapter maketh foure of the third three of the fourth foure of the fifth two of the sixth three The first of these are the words of Mahomet and is called the Mother of the Booke and is as it were their Creede the rest are all deliuered as the words of GOD hee being induced as speaker The first is in this sense In the name of the mercifull and pittifull God Thankes bee vnto God the Lord of the World mercifull pittifull Iudge of the day of Iudgement Wee pray vnto thee wee trust in thee Lead vs into the right way the way of them whom thou hast chosen not of them with whom thou art angrie and of the Infidels Postellus thus translateth it In the name of God mercifull pittifull Praise bee to God King of the World mercifull and pittifull King of the day of Iudgement O let vs serue him and wee shall bee helped Direct vs in the right point the point of them with whom thou art well pleased without anger against them and they shall not erre This prayer is saith hee as common to them as the Lords Prayer to vs and is so ouer and ouer with battologies by some of them repeated that they will say ouer the same word or two or three words an hundred times saying Alhamdu lillah hamdu lillah hamdu lillah and so on with these and the other words in like manner And thus doth the Priest in their publike prayers which they say supplieth the defects of such as are negligent in praying some will say and repeat it in the fields till with wearinesse they fall downe Others with wheeling about their bodies till they be besides themselues and then in imitation of Mahomet vtter some ridiculous obscure phantasticall speeches They diuide it into seuen periods which they cal miracles as they are here by the points That which is before them In the name c. Mahomet vsed to vtter alwayes when hee arose from his sicknesse or traunce and therefore is prefixed to all the Chapters and by deuout Authors also in the beginning of their Philosophicall workes By these words the point and the right point they vnderstand the Alcoran Now let vs see the Doctrine contained in this booke which with much labour I haue thus reduced into Theologicall heads reducing that which therein is confusedly heaped and handled in diuers places to this Method naming the Chapter or Azoara where the Reader may finde each sentence §. II. The Doctrine of the ALCORAN brought into common Places OF GOD he writeth that he is One necessary to all incorporeall which neither hath begotten nor is begotten nor hath any like him the Creator long-suffering searcher of the heart true That he will confound inchantments that without his gift none can beleeue this his Alcoran that hee hath no sonne for hee needeth nothing and he which setteth a second in the place of GOD shall goe into hell Az. 31. and he hath no partaker 32. yet in Azoar 67. hee induceth God speaking thus To Christ the sonne of Marie wee haue giuen the Gospell that by him men may obtaine the loue and fauour of GOD and that the beleeuers amongst them Christians shall receiue a great reward as also in Az. 2. he saith Euery one whosoeuer liueth rightly be he Iew or Christian or if he leaueth his owne Law and embrace another if hee worship GOD and doe good shall vndoubtedly
Law that Mahomet would not permit Iewes to turne to his Law without baptizing them first vnto Christianitie that the Saracens worship the New-Moone that the women spend all their time and care to adorne themselues for their husbands lust and because they respect fatnesse in their wiues these therefore with idlenesse sleepe and diet according doe fat themselues like Swine that a Mahumetan may attaine to that perfection that he may satisfie for sinne past and after liue without sin especially by Fastings and Pilgrimages that the blessed Virgin shal as they dreame in the other life bee married to that cursed monster Mahomet that women shall rise againe in the male sex and shall also haue women for their lust which shall bee produced out of certaine trees with diuers other things scarcely obiected to them by others Thomas à Iesu another Spaniard hath written prolixly of this Argument but I may not heere now follow him Let me yet be bold out of certaine Arabikes of the best note to adde the Creed the Commandements Mescuites with other Mahumetan Rites and Custome collected by Gabriel and Iohn two Maronites and first touching the Easterne Languages and Authors THere are in the East eight principall Languages the Arabike Persian Turkish Hebrew Chaldee Syriake which little differs from Chaldees Greeke and Armenian The Arabike is most noble and vsuall and is extended as far as Mohameds name as their sacred Language know to all Moslemans of better fashion In this is their Alcoran and their publike Prayers and most of their Lawes Yea saith Zaheri the blessed in Paradise vse it In this also are writ en their Bookes of Physicke Astrologie Rhetorike The Persian hath little but Poets and Historians the Turkish almost nothing the Chaldee and Syriake are nigh lost as the Greeke But Auerroes Algazeles Abu-Becer Alfarabius called of the Moslemans the second Philosopher Mohamed Ben-Isaac and Mohamed Ben-Abdillab adorned the Arabike besides very many Astrologers Mathematicians Physicians and Historians Ben-Sidi Aali reckons one hundred and fiftie which haue written on their Law Ben-Casem innumerable Grammarians and Rhetoricians Now for the Moslemans Religion Ben-Sidi Aali expresseth it to consist herein that they beleeue all the speeches made by Gabriel the Angell to our Prophet when hee questioned him of the things to bee beleeued and done which are these to beleeue in one God to whom none is equall this against Christians and that the Angels are the Seruants of God to beleeue in the Scripture sent to the Apostles diuided in their opinion into one hundred and foure Bookes of which tenne were sent to Adam fiftie to Seth thirtie to Enoc called Edris ten to Abraham the Law to Moses the Psalmes to Dauid the Gospel to Isa or Iesus Christ lastly the Alcoran to Mohamed That they hold these sent for mens good and beleeue in the Resurrection after death and that some are predestinate to fire some to Paradise according to the will of God for it is said in the Alcoran there is none of you which hath not his place in Paradise and a place determined in Hell that they beleeue also the reward of the good and punishment of the bad and the intercession of the Saints Also this is of the things to bee holden that they firmely beleeue in the Diuine Pen which was created by the finger of God This Pen was made of Pearles of that length and space that a swift Horse could scarcely passe in fiue hundred yeeres It performeth that office that it writes all things past present and to come the Inke with which it writes is of light the Tongue by which it writes none vnderstandeth but the Archangel Seraphael That they beleeue also the punishment of the Sepulchres for the Dead are vsed often to be punished in their Graues as happened in a certaine Sepulcher betwixt Mecca and Medina The Precepts of the Moslemans are first Circumcision not on the eight day as to the Iewes but at the eight ninth tenth eleuenth twelfth yeere that they may know what they doe and may professe their Faith with vnderstanding And although most hold women free therefrom yet in Egypt they circumcise women at thirteen fourteene or fifteene yeeres old many of them till then goe starke naked and Sidi-Ben Aali saith that it was commanded to men but is vsed to women for honour The second Commandement is Prayers hourely which in the Church at home or abroad they are bound to performe fiue times in the day and night first at breake of day the second about noone the third in the afternoone the fourth after Sun-set when the Starres begin to appeare the last in the first watch or before mid-night for after it is vnlawfull saith Ben-Sidi Aali neither may any transgresse these houres without sin yea saith he if one were cast into the Sea and knew the houre of Prayer if he be able he ought to doe it as also women in trauell must hide the Infants head as they can and doe it Trauellers when they perceiue that houre is come goe out of the way and wash or if they haue no water lightly dig the Earth and make shew of washing and go not thence till they haue finished their Deuotion Thirdly Almes is also commanded and they which are so poore that they cannot giue to Orphans and the poore must helpe in Hospitals and High-waies by such seruice to satisfie God Fourthly Ramahdan Fast of thirtie dayes is commanded from morning to Sun-set and the Stars appearing for then after euening Prayer they eate any food except Wine with Bacchanall cheere and tumults Fifthly Pilgrimage once in their liues to Mecca and Medina is also commended and sixthly to fight against the enemies of their Faith is no lesse commanded not to preach by the Word and Meekenesse as Christ but by the Sword and Warre to inuade and reuenge And if by their persons and blood they cannot they must saith our Author by their purse and goods helpe the Prince herein And if they die in Wat the sensuall pleasures of Paradise Riuers of Milke and Honey beautifull women and the like are their present purchase Therefore do they giue to Apostataes which become Moslemans an Arrow borne vp by their fore-finger the Arrow signifying Warre and that one Finger the Vnitie of the Deitie Their last Commandement is washing with water which is three-fold one before Prayers handled in three Chapiters by Ben-Sidi Aali thus performed the armes stripped naked to the elbow they wash the right hand and arme then the left after the Nose Eares Face Necke Crowne Feet to the ioynts if they bee bare or else their shooe-tops lastly their Priuities meane-while mumbling their Deuotions These washings they thinke to wash away their Veniall and lighter sinnes for their greater they vse Bathes and say all the bodie must be washed to wash away Crimes The third washing is of their secrets by themselues or their Seruants after the Offices of Nature
policie after but this many-headed serpent which could not in the shel be killed much lesse in his riper growth could be reformed Those foure Doctors aforesaid emulous of each other intending their owne priuate ends sowed the seeds then which fructifie in their venemous multiplication till this day Hali or Halli was Author of the Sect Imemia which was embraced of the Persians Indians and of many Arabians and the Gelbines of Africa Ozimen or Odmen began the Sect Baanesia or Xefaia and hath in diuers Countries his followers Homar founded the Anesia followed of the Turkes Syrians and in Zahara in Afrike Ebocar otherwise called Ebuber or Abubequer taught the Sect Melchia generally possessing Arabia and Africa These are holden as Saints in the Saracene Kalender as Scaliger testifieth who had one in Semiarabike and Persian wherein ouer against the 27. of December was written the death of Phetima she was the daughter of Muhamed God haue mercy on her Against the 10. of Ianuary the death of Abu-Boker God haue mercy on him and so of the rest Against the 16. of Nouember the beginning of the fast Caphar so they call the Christians on the 25. of December the birth of Iesus On the 17. of Ianuary the birth of Moses Which I mention to shew what honor they ascribe to them or rather that dishonor which in this cōfusion of light with darknes the Prince of darknes in the form of an Angel of light doth vnto them Frō these 4. in proces of time arose other 68. Sects of name besides other pedling factions of smaller reckoning Amongst the rest the Morabites haue bin famous liuing for the most part as Heremites and professing a morall Philosophie with principles different from the Alcoran One of these not many yeers since shewing the name of Mahomet in his brest there imprinted with Aqua fortis or some such like matter raised by a great number of Arabians in Afrike laid siege to Tripolis where being betraied by one of his Captaines his skin was sent for a present to the grand Signior These Morobites affirm that when Hali fought he killed a 100000. Christiās with one stroke of his sword which was a 100. cubits in length The Cobtini are a sect ridiculous One of them shewed himselfe riding in the Country of Algier on a Reed reyned and bridled as a horse much honoured for that on this Horse this Asse had as he said rid an 100. leagues in one night R. Moses Aegyptius writeth of two Sects of Moores the one called Seperatists the other Intelligents or Vnderstanders both followed in their opinions by many Iewes These later were of opinion that nothing in the world commeth to passe by chance or accident neither in generall nor particular but all are disposed by the will and intent of God as well the fall of a leafe as the death of a man The Seperatists in a contrary extreme allow to man and beast a freedome and that God rewardeth all creatures according to their merits or demerits his prouidence extending it selfe to the fall of the leaues to the way of the Ants if one be borne defectiue it is better for him then if he had bin perfect and so if any aduersitie befall him for his reward shal be the greater in the world to com yea the beast which is slaughtered the Ants Flea or Louse shall not lose his reward from the Creator the Mouse also which hath not sinned is killed of the Cat shall there be recompenced Now beasts pray for their soules and Fleas and Lice prey vpon their bodies which hatched this beastly lousie Diuinitie The Intelligent beleeueth that it is conuenient that men be punished in this life and for euer in hell because the Creator would the Seperatist thinketh that vniust and that whatsoeuer is punished in this life shall be rewarded in the next because such is the Creators wisdome Neither may we beleeue the Rabbine who reciting 5. differing opinions concerning the prouidence of God first of the Epicures which exclude it wholly secondly of Aristotle that it descended not beneath the Moon thirdly of the Intelligents fourthly of the Seperatists fiftly his own which he attributeth to the law of Moses that euery man hath free-wil and all good befals him in reward al euil for punishmēt what measure any man meteth shal be measured to him again but for other creatures beasts plants and their operations as of a spider catching a fly the like he attributeth with Aristotle vnto chance not to diuine prouidence which he appropriateth in things below vnto man These opinions he ascribeth that of Aristotle to Iob that of the Seperatists to Bildad that of Sophar to the Intelligents that of Eliphaz is the same with his own then let him with Eliphaz sacrifice to exipiate it I. Leo. l. 3. writeth that one Elefacin had written at large of the Mahumetan sects of which he reckoneth 72. principall which agreeth with our former number euery one accounting his owne to be good and true in which a man may attaine saluation And yet Leo there addeth that in this age there are not found aboue two One is that of Leshari which in all Turkie Arabia and Africa is embraced the other Imamia currant in Persia and Corosan of which in his proper place more So that by Leo's iudgement all which follow the rule Leshari or Hashari are Catholike Mahumetans although of these the same Author affirmes that in Cairo and all Egypt are foure Religions different from each other in Spirituall or Ecclesiastical Ceremonies and also concerning their Ciuill and Canon Law all founded on the Mahumetan Scripture in times past by foure learned men diuersly construing the generall rules to such particulars as seemed to them fitter for their followers who disagreeing in opinion agree in affection and conuerse together without hatred or vpbraiding each other As for those other Sects it seemeth that they are for the most part long since vanished and those differences which remaine consist rather in diuersitie of rule and order of profession then in differing Sects and Heresies of Religion except in some few which yet remaine of which Leo thus reporteth Fourescore yeeres after Mahumet one Elhesenibu Ahilhasen gaue certaine rules to his Disciples contrarie to the Alcoran principles but writ nothing About a hundred yeeres after Elharit Ibnu Esed of Bagaded writ a booke vnto his Disciples condemned by the Calipha and Canonists But about fourescore yeeres after that another great Clerke reuiued the same doctrine and had many followers yet hee and they were therefore condemned to death But obtaining to haue triall of his opinions by disputation he ouerthrew his Aduersaries the Mahometane Lawyers and the Califa fauoured the said Sect and erected Monasteries for them Their Sect continued till Malicsah of the Nation of the Turkes persecuted the same But twenty yeeres after it was againe renewed and one Elgazzuli a learned man
writ seuen bookes reconciling these Sect ries and the Lawyers together which reconciliation continued till the comming of the Tartars and Asia and Afrike was full of these Reformers of their Law In old time none but learned men might be admitted Professors hereof but within these last hundred yeeres euery ignorant Idiot professeth it saying That learning is not necessary but the holy Spirit doth reueale to them which haue cleane hearts the knowledge of the truth These contrary to the Alcoran sing loue-songs and dances with some phantasticall extasies affirming themselues to be rauished of diuine loue These are great gluttons they may not marry but are reputed Sodomites The same our Author writeth of some which teach that by good workes fasting and abstinence a man may attaine a Nature Angelicall hauing his minde so purified that he cannot sinne although he would But he must first passe through fifty degrees of Discipline And although he sinne before hee be past these fifty degrees yet GOD doth not impute it to him These obserue strange and inestimable Fasts at the first after they liue in all pleasures of the world Their rule was written in foure volumes by a learned and eloquent man Esschrauar and by Ibnul-farid another Author in exact and most learned Verse That the Spheres Elements Planets and Starres are one God and that no Faith nor Law can be erroneous because that all men in their mindes intend to worship that which is to bee worshipped And they beleeue that the knowledge of GOD is contained in one man who is called Elcorb elected and partaker of GOD and in knowledge as GOD. There are other forty men amongst them called Elauted that is Dunces because of their lesse knowledge When the Elcorb or Elcoth dyeth his Successour is chosen out of these and into that vacant place of the fortie they chuse one out of another number of seuentie They haue a third inferiour number of a hundred threescore and fiue their Title I remember not out of which they chuse when any of the threescore and tenne die Their Law or Rule enioyneth them to wander through the World in manner of Fooles or of great Sinners or of the vilest amongst men And vnder this cloke many are most wicked men going naked without hiding their shame and haue to deale with women in the open and common streets like beasts Of this base sort are many in Tunis and farre more in Egypt and most of all in Cairo I my selfe saith our Author in Cairo in the street called Bain Elcasraim saw one of them with mine eyes take a beautifull Dame comming out of the Bath and laid her downe in the middest of the street and carnally knew her and presently when hee had left the woman all the people ranne to touch her clothes because a holy man had touched them And they said that this Saint seemed to doe a sinne but that hee did it not Her husband knowing of it reckoned it a rare fauour and blessing of GOD and made solemne feasting and gaue almes for that cause But the Iudges which would haue punished him for the same were like to bee slaine of the rude multitude who haue them in great reputation of sanctitie and euery day giue them gifts and presents There are another sort that may be termed Caballists which fast strangely not doe they eate the flesh of any creature but haue certaine meates ordained and appointed for euery houre of the day and night and certain particular praiers according to the dayes and months numbring their said Prayers and vse to carry vpon them some square things painted with Characters and Numbers They affirme that the good Spirits appeare and acquaint them with the affayres of the world An excellent Doctor named Boni framed their rule and prayers and how to make their squares and it seemeth to me who haue seene the worke to be more Magicall then Cabalasticall One booke sheweth their prayers and fastings the second their square the third the vertue of the fourescore and ninteene names of GOD which I saw in the hand of a Venetian Iew at Rome There is another rule in these Sects called Suuach of certaine Hermites which liue in Woods and solitary places feeding on nothing but hearbs and wilde fruites and none can particularly know their life because of this solitarinesse Thus farre Leo. Beniamin Tudelensis telleth of a Nation neere to Mount Libanus which hee calleth Hhassissin which varied from the ordinary sort of Ismalites and followed a peculiar Prophet of their owne whose word they obeyed whether for life or for death They called him Hheich al Hhassissin his abode was at Karmos They were a terror to all about them sawing asunder euen the Kings if they tooke any They warred with the Frankes the Christians which then held Ierusalem and the King of Tripolis Their dominion extended eight dayes iourney Zachuth mentioneth one Baba which about the 630. yeere of the Hegira fained himselfe a Prophet sent of God vnder which colour hee gathered together a great Armie wherewith he filled all Asia with slaughter and spoile slaying Christians and Ismaelits without difference till Giatheddin King of Gunia ouerthrew and destroyed him and his Host Besides the former they haue other Heremites of another sort one is mentioned by Leo who had fiue hundred Horse a hundred thousand Sheepe two hundred Beeues and of offerings and almes betwixt foure and fiue thousand Duckets his fame great in Asia and Afrike his Disciples many and fiue hundred people dwelling with him at his charges to whom he enioyneth not penance nor any thing but giueth them certaine names of God and biddeth them with the same to pray vnto him so many times a day When they haue learned this they returne home he hath a hundred Tents for strangers his Cattell and Family hee hath foure wiues besides slaues and by them many children sumptuously apparrelled His fame is such that the King of Telensin is afraide of him and he payeth nothing to any such veneration haue they towards him reputing him a Saint Leo saith hee spake with him and that this Heremite shewed him Magick-bookes and he thought that this his great estimation did come by false working of the true science so the Heremite termed Magicke But these Heremites we cannot so well reckon a Sect as a Religious Order of which sort there are diuers in these Mahumetane Nations as in our ensuing discourse shall appeare To returne therefore to the consideration of the meanes vsed to preuent the varietie of Sects among them The Caliphs sought to remedie these inconueniences by their best policie Moaui about the yeere of our Lord 770. assembled a generall Councell of their learned men to consult about an Vniformity but they disagreeing among themselues hee chose six men of the most learned and shut them vp in a house together with their Scriptures commanding them that out of those Copies disagreeing as you haue heard they should
where in the beginning of these tumults hee had beene put who first feared death and the next thing was hee begged water whom they presently proclaimed Emperour Osman consulted with Huzein Bassa late Vizier in the Polish warre and the Aga of the Ianizaries both faithfull to him sent to haue strangled Mustapha in the Seraglio but a new vproare happened and hee was remoued and guarded The next day the King with the Mufti went to them where after much intreatie their hearts somewhat relenting yet with new furie possessed they slew Huzein Bassa and the Aga the Mufti was conueyed away secretly and Osman led to Mustapha pleads for his life and at last is cast into the Seuen Towers prisoner Daout Bassa the new Vizier enquires and findes that Osman had two brothers liuing one about twelue the other seuen yeeres old and thereupon goes to the prison with a packe of executioners which finde him new falne asleepe and by their intrusion awaked and discontent At first they are amazed and hee made shew to defend himselfe till a strong knaue strooke him on the head with a battle axe and the rest leaping on him strangled him with much adoe And soone after they mourned for their dead King as freshly as they had raged vnseasonably this being the first Emperour they had betrayed and hauing set vp one which in all likelihood they must change for disabilitie The first of Iune following the Capiaga had receiued secret order to strangle Osmans brethren which going to doe they cry out and he by the Pages was slaine The Ianizaries mutinie afresh and will haue account of this treason whereof the King denies knowledge so did Daout who was suspected but to please them is degraded and Huzein Bassa late Gouernour of Cairo put in his place There is later report of the said Daout to bee strangled in the same place where hee had caused Osman to die Neither can wee expect otherwise then monstrous and portentuous births after such viperean conceptions CHAP. X. Of the Opinions holden by the Turkes in their Religion and of their Manners and Customes HOw the Turkes from so small beginnings haue aspired to this their present greatnesse you haue seene bought indeed at a deare price with their temporall Dominions accepting of a spirituall bondage becomming the Lords of many Countries and withall made subiect to those many Mahumetan superstitions The occasion and chiefe cause of Sects in the Saracenicall deuotions yee haue heard in the fourth and seuenth Chapters to which wee may adde here out of Bellonius He saith that besides the Alcoran they haue another booke called Zuna that is the Way or Law or Councell of Mahomet written after his death by his disciples but the readings thereof being diuers and corrupt the Caliph assembled a generall Councell of their Alphachi or learned men at Damasco wherein six Commissioners were appointed namely Muszlin Bochari Buborayra Annecey Atermindi and Dent to view and examine these bookes each of which composed a booke and those six bookes were called Zuna the other copies being two hundred Camels-lading were drowned in the Riuer those six onely made authenticall esteemed of equall authoritie among the Turkes with the Alcoran and after by one of their Diuines contracted into an Epitome which booke was called the Booke of Flowers But this Zuna being not Vna one as the Truth is but full of contrarietie hence haue risen Sects amongst them the Turkes differing from other Mahumetan Nations and diuided also amongst themselues §. I. Of their Eight Commandements ANTHONY MENAVINVS who liued a long time in the Turkish Court saith that the Booke of their Law is called Musaph or Curaam which Georgiouitz reckoneth another booke not the Alcoran it is in Arabike and they hold vnlawfull to translate it into the vulgar If any like not of Georgiouitz his opinion but thinke it to be the Alcoran for al is but the Article and the name little differs as before is shewed I could thinke it likely that this containeth some Extracts and Glosses thereof or is to their Alcaron as our Seruice booke to our Bible hauing some sons and proper methodes but grounded on the other Some things I finde cited out of the Curaam that are not in the Alcoran as that of the Angels mortalitie which perhaps may bee the mistaking of the Interpreter The ignorance of the Arabike hath caused much mis-calling of words and names They haue it in such reuerence that they will not touch it except they be washed from top to toe and it is read in their Churches by one with a loud voyce the people giuing deuout attendance without any noyse nor may the Reader hold it beneath his girdlested and after he hath read it he kisseth it and toucheth his eyes with it and with great solemnitie it is carried into the due place Out of this booke are deriued eight principall Commandements of their Law The first is GOD is a great God and one onely God and MAHOMET is the Prophet of God this Article of the Vnitie they thinke maketh against vs who beleeue a Trinitie of Persons in detestation whereof they often reiterate these words Hu hu hu that is He he he is onely GOD who is worthy to be praised for their limbes health c. and for that he hath prouided sustenance for euery one fortie yeeres before his birth The second Commandement is Obey thy Parents and doe nothing to displease them in word or deed they much feare the curses of their parents 3. Doe vnto others as thou wouldest bee done vnto 4. That they repaire to the Meschit or Church at the times appointed of which after 5. To fast one moneth of the yeere called Romezan or Ramadan 6. That they giue almes to the poore liberally and freely 7. To marry at conuenient age that they may multiply the sect of Mahomet 8. Not to kill Of these Commandements is handled at large in Menauino and in the booke of the Policie of the Turkish Empire and in others Their times of prayer according to the fourth precept are in the morning called Salanamazzi before Sun-rising the second at noone called Vlenamazzi The third about three houres before Sun-set called Inchindinamazzi The fourth at Sun-set Ascannamazzi The fifth two houres within night before they goe to sleepe Master Sandys nameth seuen times of prayer enioyned daily the first Tingilnamas two houres before day not mentioned by Septemcastrensis and another Giumanamas at ten in the morning duely obserued on the Fridayes by all at other times by the more religious When the Priest calls to prayer they will spread their garments on the earth though they bee in the fields and fall to their deuotions Moreouer I haue seene them conioyntly pray in the corners of the streets before the opening of their shops in the morning They spend but a part of Friday their Sabbath in deuotion and the rest in recreations but that so rigorously that a Turke
Caesar remoued him placing in his roome Diteutus the sonne of Adiatorix whom with his wife and children hee had led in triumph purposing to slay his elder sonne together with him But when the younger perswaded the Souldiers that he was the elder and both contended which should die Diteutus was of his parents counselled to yeeld to the younger and to remaine aliue to bee a stay to their family Which pietie Caesar hearing of grieuing for the death of the other hee thus rewarded At the Feasts aforesaid is great recourse of men and women hither Many Pilgrims resort to discharge their vowes Great store of women is there which for the most part are deuoted this Citie being as little Corinth For many went to Corinth in respect of the multitude of Harlots prostituted or consecrated to Venus Zela another Citie hath in it the Temple of Anias much reuerenced of the Armenians wherein the Rites are solemnized with greatest Sanctimony and Oathes taken of greatest consequence The sacred Seruants and Priestly Honours are as the former The Kings did sometime esteeme Zela not as a Citie but as a Temple of the Persian Gods and the Priest had supreme power ouer all things who with a great multitude of those sacred Seruants inhabited the same The Romans encreased their Reuenues In Cappadocia the Persian Religion was much vsed but of the Persian Rites see more in our Tractat of Persia The lewdnesse of the Cappadocians grew into a Prouerbe if any were enormiously wicked he was therefore called a Cappadocian GALATIA or GALLOGRAECIA so called of the Galli which vnder the conduct of Brennus saith Suidas assembled an Army of three hundred thousand and seeking aduentures in forraine parts diuided themselues some inuading Greece others Thrace and Asia where they setled themselues betweene Bithynia and Cappadocia On the South it is confined with Pamphilia and on the North is washed with the Euxine Sea the space of two hundred and fiftie miles Sinope the mother and nursing Citie of Mithridates is heere seated one of the last Cities of Asia that subiected it selfe to Turkish bondage in the dayes of Mahomet the second Of the Galatae were three Tribes Trogini Tolistobogi and Tectosages all which Goropius deriueth from the Cimmerij At Tavium which was inhabited with the Trogini was a brazen Statue of Iupiter and his Temple was a priuiledged Sanctuarie The Tolistobogi had for their chiefe Mart Pisinus wherein was a great Temple of the Mother of the Gods whom they called Andigista had in great veneration whose Priests had sometime beene mightie This Temple was magnificently builded of the Attalian Kings with the Porches also of white stone And the Romans by depriuing the same of the Goddesses Statue which they sent for to Rome as they did that of Aesculapius out of Epidaurus added much reputation of Religion thereunto The Hill Dindyma ouer-looketh the Citie of which shee was named Dindymena as of Cybelus which Orletius supposeth to bee the same Cybele Of the Galatians Deiotarus was King but more fame hath befallen them by Paules Epistle to them Plutarch tells of a Historie of a Galatian woman named Camma worthy our recitall Shee was faire and noble the daughter of Dianaes Priest and richly married to Sinatus the Tetrarch But Sinorix a man richer and mightier then hee became his vniust corriuall and because he durst not attempt violence to her her husband liuing he slew him Camma solaced her selfe as she could cloystering her selfe in Dianaes Temple and admitting none of her mightie suiters But when Sinorix had also moued that suit she seemed not vnwilling and when he came to desire her marriage she went forth to meet him and with gentle entertainment brought him into the Temple vnto the Altar where shee dranke to him a cup of poysoned liquor and hauing taken off almost halfe she reached him the rest which after shee saw he had drunke she called vpon her husbands name aloud saying Hitherto haue I liued sorrowfull without thee wayting this day now welcome me vnto thee for I haue reuenged thy slaughter on the most wicked amongst men and haue beene companion and partner with thee in life with him in death And thus dyed they both The like manly woman-hood if a Christian might commend that which none but a Christian can discommend Valerius Maximus sheweth of Chiomara her country-woman wife of Ortyagon a great man amongst the Tectosages who in the warres of Manilius the Consul being taken prisoner was committed to the custodie of a Tribune who forc't her to his pleasure After that agreement was made for her ransome and the money brought to the place appointed whiles the Tribune was busie about the receit thereof shee caused her Gallo-graecians to cut off his head which she carryed to her husband in satisfaction of her wrong At the Funeralls of the Galatians they obserued this custome to write letters and hurle them into that latest and fatall fire supposing that their deceased friends should read them in the other world At their sacrifices they vsed not an Aruspex or Diuinor which gazed in the entrailes but a Philosopher without whom they thought no Sacrifice acceptable to their gods The Deuill certaine was the god to whom their humane Sacrifices were acceptable which in deuillish inhumanitie they offered at their bloudie Altars when they diuined of things to come which they did by his falling by the dismembring and flowing forth of his bloud Athenaeus out of Philarchus telleth of one Ariannes a rich Galatian which feasted the whole Nation a whole yeere together with Sacrifices of Bulls Swine Sheepe and other prouision made ready in great Caldrons prouided of purpose for this entertainment that he made them in spacious Boothes which he had therefore built Pausanius saith That the Pesinuntian Galatians abstained from Swines flesh The Legend of Agdistis and Atte which he there addeth is too filthy to relate Betweene the mouth of Pontus the Thracian Bosphorus and part of Propontis on the West and Galatia on the East part of the Euxine Sea on the North and Asia properly so called on the South is situate the Prouince called by the double name of PONTVS and BITHYNIA There were sometimes two Prouinces diuided by the Riuer Sangarius now they are called Bursia by Giraua by Castaldus Becsangial The most famous Cities therein are or rather haue beene NICE famous sometimes for Neptunes Temple but more for the first Generall Councell therein celebrated against Arrius in defence of the Trinitie and Christs Diuinitie Nicomedia sometimes the Seat of Emperours now ruinous Apamia and Prusa or Bursa nigh to the Mount Olympus where the first Ottomans had their seat Royall and all of that race except the Great Turkes themselues are still buried Chalcedon built seuenteene yeeres before Byzantium and therefore the builders accounted blinde which neglected that better Seat Here was a famous Councell of six hundred and thirtie Bishops against the
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
together of rosted Almons they made bread and wine of the roots of herbs This and venison was there food In one plaine of Media were pastured fiftie thousand Mares belonging to the King the herbe whereon they principally fed is stil called Medica The race of Horses called Nisaei were here bred and hence dispersed allouer the East Among the Medes none might be King by the Law of the Countrey except hee were in stature and strength eminent All the Medes saith Bardesanes a famous Chaldaean nourish Dogs with great care to which they cast men readie to die whiles they are yet breathing to be deuoured of them The Medes worshipped the fire with barbarous honours done thereto Their Kings held such Maiestie that none might laugh or spit before them They were seldome seene of their people They had alway Musitians attending them Their wiues and children accompanied them in their battells The name of the Medes remained famous after the Persian Conquest as appeareth by the stile which the Scripture giueth them The Law of the Medes and Persians which was vnchangeable the King himselfe not hauing power to reuoke his sentence As for the Catalogue of the Kings which succeeded Arbaces vntill the time of Astyages and the times of their raigne wee haue before shewed it out of Scaliger in our first Booke Chap. 13. True it is that all agree not in that account Reinerus Reineccius leaueth out diuers of them and numbreth the yeeres of the Median Dynastie but 261. whereas our former account hath 322. But I had rather referre the Reader to that Catalogue then trouble him with new out of this or other Authors Media hath beene diuided into Media Maior and Atropatia the former containeth Tauris supposed by Ortelius to be the forenamed Ecbatana yet now wanting walls altogether containing in circuit sixteene miles and of people two hundred thousand subdued to the Turke 1585. and before by Selim and Soliman but since recouered by the Persian Sultania famous for the fairest Moschee in the East Casbin to which the Persian hath remoued the Royall Seat from Tauris The Lake of Van three hundred miles long and an hundred and fiftie broad after Strabo Manlianus Lacus of salt-water the greatest next to Meotis Gyllius affirmeth that eight great Riuers runne into it without any apparant issue to the Sea Atropatia is now called Seruan the chiefe Citie is Sumachia or Shamaki in which the Sophi not long since built a Turret of flint and free-stone and in a ranke of flints therein did set the heads of the Nobilitie and Gentrie of the Countrey for a terrour to the rest the quarrell was pretended for Religion intended for Soueraigntie Their ancient Religion differed not much from the Persian and such also is it still Their Kings had many wiues which custome extended after to the Villages and Mountaines in so much that they might not haue lesse then seuen The women also esteemed it a credit to haue many husbands and a miserable calamitie to haue lesse then fiue Cyrus subdued them to the Persians Alexander to the Macedons What should wee speake of the Parthians who made Ecbatana their Seat Royall in the Summer time and of the Saracens Tartars Persians and Turkes who haue successiuely vexed these Countries Not farre from Shamaki saith Master Ienkinson was an olde Castle called Gullistone now beaten downe by the Sophi and not farre from thence a Nunrie of sumptuous building wherein was buried a Kings daughter named Ameleck Channa who slew her selfe with a knife for that her Father would haue forced her shee professing chastitie to haue married a Tartar King vpon which occasion the Maidens euerie yeere resort thither to bewaile her death There is also a high Hill called Quiquifs vpon the top whereof they say dwelt a Gyant named Arneoste hauing on his head two great Hornes and Eares and Eyes like a Horse and a tayle like a Cow who kept a passage thereby till one Haucoir Hamshe a holy man bound him with his woman Lamisache and his sonne After who is therefore had in Saint-like reputation Obdolowcan King of this Country vnder the Sophi besides gracious entertainment granted vnto Mr. Anthony Ienkinson for our English Merchants great priuiledges Anno 1563. Gilan also anciently Gelae is reckoned to Media Into these Cities of Media the Israelites were transported together with their Religion by Salmanesar the Assyrian GOD in his manifold wisdome so punishing their sinnes and withall dispersing some sparks of diuine truth CHAP. III. Of the Parthians and Hyrcanians §. I. Of Parthia PArthia is placed by Plinie in the rootes of the Hills hauing on the East the Arians on the West the Medes on the South Carmania on the North Hyrcania rounded with desarts Hee affirmeth that the Kingdomes of the Parthians were eighteene Eleuen of them neere to the Caspian Sea and the other seuen neer the Red Sea The word Parthian signifieth with the Scythians an exile Their chiefe Citie was Hecatompylos now as some affirme Hispaham for the excellencie thereof called of the Persians Halfe the world These Scythian exiles in the times of the Assyrians Medes Persians and Macedonians were an obscure people the prey of euery Conquerour which after seemed to diuide the world with the Romans Their speech was mixt of the Median and Scythian their Armies consisted most part of seruants which they held in great respect instructing them in feats of Armes In an Armie of fiftie thousand wherewith they encoutred Antonie there were onely eight hundred freemen The Parthians had no vse of gold or siluer but in their armour They had many wiues whereof they were so iealous that they forbad them the sight of other men They performed all businesse priuate and publike on horse-backe this being the distinction of free-men from seruants Their buriall was in the bellies of birds or dogs Their naked bones were after couered with earth they were exceedingly superstitious in the worship of their gods a stout vnquiet seditious vnfaithfull people Arsaces first a famous thiefe after the Founder of that Kingdome left no lesse memorie of himselfe amonst the Parthians then Cyrus among the Persians or Alexander among the Macedonians The day wherein hee ouerthrew Seleucus was solemnly obserued euery yeere amongst them as the beginning of their libertie Of him they called all their Kings Arsaces as the Roman Emperors are named Caesars They called themselues the brethren of the Sunne and Moone which are in those places worshipped This Arsaces was worshipped after his death They were no lesse bloudie to their brethren when they came to the Crowne then the Ottomans are at this day Phrahartes slew thirtie of his brethren and before them his father and after his sonne rather then he would endure a possibilitie of a Competitor About 224. yeeres after Christ Artabanus the last Persian King being slaine by Artaxeres or Artaxares the
Kings ordinarie guard night and day guarded the Palace the most of them Persians another band of 10000. choice horse-men were wholly Persian and were called Immortall one thousand of the best of them called Doryphori and Melophori were chosen into the Kings guard They receiue no money but allowance of victuall for their wages Curtius mentioneth a guard next to the Kings person called the Kings kinsemen which were 15000. But it were too tedious to recite the Homotimi Megistanes and other his court-officers and attendants the Surena which was the chiefe Magistrate and others whereof Brissonius hath written As their liues were burthened with voluptuousnesse so they prepared for their deaths that they might descend suddenly into the graue as Iob saith of the prosperitie of some wicked without any bands to vse Dauids phrase of a lingring death certaine poysons tempered of the excrements of the Dircaerus an Indian bird which in short time without sense of griefe depriued them of life After the Kings death they extinguished the SACRED FIRE which rite Alexander obserued in Hephaestions funerall In Persepolis were erected vnto them stately Monuments with Titles and Epitaphs inscribed The Monuments of the Kings there with other Antiquities haue conquered Time and Alexanders Fires yet remaining so fresh as if they were new made many still shining like glasse Among which a Iasper Table is remarkable inscribed with letters which none can reade all of a Pyramide or Delta forme in diuersifyed postures Twentie such Pillars remaine of admirable greatnesse beautie and likenesse of a lasting Marble with Images in long habits like the Venetian Senators with wide sleeues and long beards others sitting as in high arched seats with footstooles in great Maiestie There are also huge Colossean horses with giantly riders of Marble And although a goodly fertile Countrey doth inuite habitation of ten leagues extent euery way yet is there now but one poore village of foure hundred housholders called Margatean in this plaine of Persepolis Our Author acknowledgeth Diodorus his relations iustly agreeing with his eyes and esteemeth these Monuments farre beyond all other the worlds miraculous Artifices I might here terrifie the delicate and already-wearied Reader with representation of their Martiall marching discipline numbers armors and the like of which Brisson hath written a whole booke Yet because wee haue thus farre waded in matters of the Persian Magnificence let vs take a little view of the Heyre and Successour to that Greatnesse Great Alexander in state entring Babylon thus by Curtius related Many came forth to meet him the wayes were all strowed with flowers and garlands on both sides were erected siluer Altars laden with Frankincense and all kinde of odors There followed him for presents droues of Horses and Cattell Lions and Leopards in grates were carried before him The Magi after their manner of Procession singing had the next place after them the Chaldaeans and the Babylonians both Diuiners and Artificers with musicall Instruments Then the Horsemen furnished beyond magnificence in excesse of prodigalitie The King with his Armie followed and last of all the Towns-men Hee that will compare with these relations that which in the bookes of the Romane Ceremonies is written of the Popes strait Tiara enuironed with a triple Crowne the veneration performed to him by all euen Emperours kissing his feet holding his bridle and stirrop putting their shoulders vnder his Chaire when hee lists to ride on mens shoulders holding water to his hands and bearing the first dish to his Table the change of his name at his election his Palfrayes alwayes white like the Nisaean led before him one of which carryeth his God vnder a Canopie his Scala Processions and other Rites shall see some hence borrowed most exceeding the Persian Excesse Once all Religion with them seemeth turned into State and Ceremonie the soule being fled and this bodily exercise bodie of exercise in exercise of the body onely left CHAP. VI. Of the Persian Magi. THe name of Magi is sometimes applied say some to all the Persians or else to a particular Nation amongst them sometime it signifieth the most excellent in Philosophie and knowledge of nature or in sanctitie and holinesse of life Thus Suidas calls the Persian Magi Philosophi and Philothei studious of knowledge of nature and of God Sometimes it signified such as wee now call Magicians practisers of wicked Arts Among the Persians this name was ancient and honourable saith Peucerus applyed onely to the Priests which liued in high reputation for dignitie and authoritie being also Philosophers as the Chaldaeans were To these were committed the custodie of Religion of ancient Monuments of later Histories of publike records and the explanation of the Persian wisdome whose account appeareth in that after Cambyses death one of them is reported to succeed in the Throne Now whereas the Ethnicks had a tradition of two Genij which attend euery man one good the other euill proceeding in likelihood from Diuine Truth concerning good and euill Angels which are either ministring Spirits for mans good or tempters vnto euill curious men hence tooke occasion to deuise new Arts which were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the one calling vpon the good Daemon or Genius by the other on the euill which euill One could easily turne himselfe into an Angel of light to delude blind people being indeed as in our White and Blacke witches at this day worse when an Angel then when a Deuill Hereof were diuers kindes Necromancie which inuocated the spirits of the dead of which smoaky Soot the Heathens Diuine Poets and our Poeticall Diuines in the tales of Hell and Purgatory striue who shall haue the blackest tincture They had also their Lecanomanciae which was obserued in a Bason of water wherein certaine plate of gold and siluer were put with Iewels marked with their iugling Charactars and thence after pronuntiation of their words were answeres whispered Gastromancie procured answere by pictures or representations in glasse-vessels of water after the due Rites Catoptromancie receiued those resemblances in cleere glasses Chrystallomancie in Crystall Dactyliomancie was a diuination with Rings which perhaps Gyges vsed consecrated by certaine position of the heauens and diuellish Inchantments Onymancie with Oyle and Soote daubed on the Nayle of an vndefiled Childe and held vp against the Sunne Hydromancie with water Aeromancie with ayre But what should I adde the many more names of this Artlesse Art vnworthy the naming Tibi nomina mille Mille nocendi artes Infinitely diuersified are these blind by wayes of darknesse and mischiefe Delrio hath other diuisions of Magicke which from the efficient hee diuideth into Naturall Artificiall and Diabollicall from the end into Good and Bad and this bad which is by explicite or implicite compact with Deuills into Magia specialis Diuinatio Maleficium Nugatoria Zoroaster is supposed Author both of the good and bad vnto
succeeded him who made himselfe a Mahumetan and called himselfe Hamed After whose short raigne Argonkhon Geniotukhon Badukhan Gazun he made Casbin his Imperiall Citie Alyaptu succeeded in order This last made himselfe Mahumetan kept his Court at Tauris and first brought in the custome of tribute children which he tooke from their parents Christians and Iewes to frame to his seruice Hee built Sultania His sonne and successour Abuzayd spend his summer at Sultania and his winter at Bagadet after whose death which happened A. H. 736. the Tartarians were diuided into Persia euery one making himselfe King of that which he held which continued till the time of Tamerlane Thus haue I out of Mirkond related these Tartar-Persian affaires But if I adde some what out of Haithon which liued in the middest of these times let it not seeme tedious first of a Paradise destroyed by the Tartar Haalon and then of the successors till his time nor mentioning some which ruled but a little while in Persia In the North-East parts of Persia which of this new Heresie they called Mulchet there was an old man named Aloadin a Mahumetan as all those parts then were which had inclosed a goodly Valley situate betweene two Hills and furnished it with all variety which Nature and Art could yeeld as Fruits Pictures rills of Milke Wine Honny Water Palaces and beautifull Damosells richly attyred and called it Paradise to which was no passage but by an impregnable Castell And daily preaching the pleasures of this Paradise to the youths which he kept in his Court sometimes he would minister a sleepie drinke to some of them and then conueigh them thither where being entertained with these pleasures foure or fiue dayes they supposed themselues rapt into Paradise And then being againe cast into a trance by the said drinke hee caused them to be carryed forth and after would examine them of what they had seene and by this delusion would make them resolute for any enterprise which he should appoint them as to murther any Prince his enemie For they feared not death in hope of their Mahumeticall Paradise But this Haolon or Vlan after three yeeres siege destroyed him and this his Fooles Paradise Some tell this of Aladeules in the time of Zelim the first Abaga succeded him in the gouernement of these parts Anno 1264. but not in the Christian Religion Tangodor the next became a Saracen and called himselfe Mahomet and at Tauris and other places destroyed the Churches of the Christians as Haolon had done of the Saracens he banished the Christians and peruerted as many Tartars as he could to Mahumetisme But Argonus the sonne of Abaga rebelled and taking him cut him asunder in the middle succeeding in his place Anno 1285. After him Regayto whom the Tartars slew placing in his stead Baydo a Christian who forbad the preaching of Mahumetisme among the Tartars and reedified the Churches of the Christians Casan succeeded in his Dominion and Deuotion and after his death Carbaganda who in his childhood had beene baptized and named Nicholas but when his Christian Mother was dead he became a Saracen Thus farre out of Haithonus in which History appeareth the vicissitude of diuers Religions sometime Tartarian sometime Christian sometime Mahumetan as in the Princes who gouerned these Countries vnder the great Cham or Can of the Tartars so also no doubt in a great part of the Countries themselues which vsually are of the Kings Religion This Carbaganda reigning about 1305. is the last Tartar Prince which ruled in the parts of Syria and in Persia the state was soone after diuided into many Soueraignties For as their Religion so also their Empire fayled the Egyptian Soldans preuayling in Syria the Ottoman Tukes in Asia and Gempsas in Persia This Gempsas was Soldan of the Parthians and about the yeere 1350. restored that Persian Kingdome to the Parthians Thus our Christian Historiographers Mirkond mentions him not Likely it is when all fell to sharing he got his part Of Tamerlan Mirkond relates that when Chingius sent Occoda into Maurenahar Carachar Nuyon was made his first Visier in which dignity hee and his posterity continued there till Teymur or Tamurlan the fifth from him with other great gouernments Teymur being Visier and Captayne Generall to Sciorgat Meckhom which raigned in Chagaty and dyed A. 1370. was proclaymed King in his steed He by his prosperous armes subdued Maurenahar Turquestan Koarrazm Karason Sistom Industan Hyerakhen Parc Kermon Mazandaron Aderbaion and Kusistam Bagadet Alep Damasco defeated Sultan Farache King of Egypt and after tooke Baiazet the great Turke prisoner He dyed Anno 1405. His victories are by others enlarged to Russia and China and the great Chams state settled on him Mirzab Charok his fourth sonne succeeded him in the Empire and after him Anno 1447. his sonne Mirzah Oleghbek but as after Alexander so after Tamerlan their hastie gotten Empire was much distracted among the great Souldiers his followers which held great shares to themselues making warre on their Masters sonnes And one of the descendants of them Abtelatife slew Oleghbek in the field Anno 1450. and was slaine of his Souldiers sixe moneths after Sultan Abusayd grand-child to Miromcha the third sonne of Tamerlan succeeded slaying Abdula the brother of Abdelatife But he also was slaine by Mirzah Yadigar Mahamed one of Acembec or Vsuncassans partakers who had before slaine Iooncha Contarini and Barbaro which were in Persia with Vsuncasan call him Iausa others I know not why Malaonchres others Demir after whose death Abusayd was called to the gouernment of Kermon Hierak and Aderbaion and being sollicited for peace by Asembelus Acembec or Vsuncassan aforesaid reiected it and so lost himselfe and left those parts of the Persian Empire to the Conqueror But in Maurenahar Sultan Hamed his sonne succeeded 28. yeeres and after him his nephew Babor the last of Tumberlans bloud there raigning Ichaybekan comming from Vsbek Anno 1500. and dispossessing him Yet did Babor possesse Gaznehen and some part of India till his death 1532. where his sonne Homayon succeeded him and to him his sonne Geluladin Akbar commonly called Melabdim Echbar the Great Mogol Father of him which now raigneth of whom in the next booke Yadigar that slew Abusayd was also of Tamerlans race the sonne of Mahamed sonne of Baysangor sonne of Mirzah Charok He by Acembecs helpe chased Ocem another of Tamerlans posterity by Hamar Cheque his third sonne King in Katason and Strabat out of those parts into Faryab and Mayman neere Balk whence hee suddenly returning with a small force by aduantage of Yadigar or Hiadigar his negligence slew him and recouered his Realme He dyed Anno 1506. Two of his sonnes succeeded him Bahady and Musafar whom Chaybec Vsbek chased out of their Kingdome Bahady fled to Ismael Sophy who gaue him the lands of Chambe Gazon in Tauris and tenne Scrafs of gold by the day thence he was
except one Suburb in the Peninsula to which men passe by a bridge of boats euery night dissolued for feare of the Arabs or stormes whence through the bountie of an Italian Merchant Sir Victorio Speciero they escaped for they were not vnsuspected with a Carauan of Persian Pilgrims wich came from Mecca Thirtie dayes they were on the way to the Confines and fifteene from thence to Casbin where they staied a moneth attending the Kings arriuall being in the meane time well vsed vpon conceit that the King would like well of their comming the people otherwise are ill in themselues and onely good by example of their King and strict obedience to him For of the ancient Persians there are few these being the posteritie of those which haue been here seated by the transplantations of Tamerlane and Ismael not to mention any more ancient out of other Countries The King himselfe by our Authors Relation in his vertues and gouernment is as if some Philosopher should discourse of what should be rather then an Historian declare what is as did Xenophon sometimes in his Cyrus Of those imputations of Paricide and ambition not a word His order of attaining the Crowne is thus reported The Persian custome being that onely the elder brother ruleth the rest are made blinde by burning basons hauing otherwise all contentments fit for Princes children when Xa-Tamas was dead without issue his brother so hee calleth him contrary to our former relations and to that of Mirkond the Persian which I more maruell at Xa-Codabent was called Blind to the Kingdome He had issue Sultan Hamzire Mirza the eldest who succeeded him and this present King called Abas The eldest in his fathers life time administred all things which blindnesse made the other vnfit for but Abas at twelue yeeres of age vnder the gouernment of Tutors held the Prouince of Yasde where the loue of the people made him suspected to his Father who secretly resolued his death Abas by his friends hearing it fled to Corasan a Tartar people on the East of Persia both by their religion and dependance Turkish and of themselues otherwise vnquiet and addicted to spoyle This King honoured Abas as his sonne His father soone after dying Sultan Hamzire succeeded who was forced to renew his truce with the Turk by reason of the rebellion of the Turcomans whom by force he subdued beheaded their Princes for his securitie slew twentie thousand of the ablest amongst them for the wars And then wholly bending his thoughts against the Turk was by treason slaine by his Barber His Princes Authors of this fact shared his State amongst them euery one making himselfe Lord of that Prouince which he gouerned vniting their resolutions against Abas whom also the Turke which had his hand in the businesse had vndertaken should bee kept still in Corazan Abas neuerthelesse so wrought that the King of Corazan dismissed him with three thousand horsemen to winne possession of that State which since hath deuoured the Tartars and is growne terrible to the Turke being no lesse in Extent then the Turke hath in Asia and better both peopled gouerned and deuoted to their Soueraigne But it was not easily atchieued In Sistane one of the neerest Prouinces hee was encountred with twenty thousand his troupes cut in pieces himselfe forced to flee to the mountaines where he liued three moneths vnknowen amongst the heardmen flitting vp and downe with tenne or twelue followers Wearie of this life hee determined to shew himselfe in Yasd his quondam Prouince which so well succeeded that numbers come flocking to him and Ferrat Can also a great Prince discontent with the present State no part of which had falne to him hauing at that time no Prouince in his gouernement when the King was slaine resorted to him with his brother and tenne thousand followers They were welcome but hee much more as a great Souldier and a wise Prince With these forces hee ouerthrew his neerest enemies which caused those of Shyras Asphaan Cassan assisted by the Kings of Gheylan and Mazandran to gather mighty forces In the meane time the Turkes armed at Tauris and the Prince of Hamadan hauing called in a strength of the Courdines was marching towards Casbin Thus beset with Armies hee leaueth Ferrat Can with Zulpher his brother and fiue thousand men in Casbin himselfe with the rest of his power marched towards the Can of Hamadan Now did Ferrat Can according to former agreement betweene the King and him professe himselfe altered from the Kings part and writeth to the Rebells offering to ioyne his strength with theirs and to mutinie the Kings Armie also which was lodged in the Mountaynes in shew to keepe the straits indeede to expect the euent Thus the Cans assembled at Casbin and after long deliberation concluded that it was needelesse and not safe to call in the Turkes forces and dispatched a messenger and present to the Bassa of Tauris to reserue his fauour till a time more needfull Hereof Ferrat sent word closely to the King and of a banquet which should bee at his house a few nights after where the Principalls of the Army should meet Hither Abas bid himselfe a guest posting thither with fiue thousand of his best horse which he disposed in the mountaine couered with Ferrats troupe expecting the appointed signe which being giuen late in the night when the whole company was heauie with wine and sleepe the King was receiued into the house with three hundred men where without any vprore he slew seuentie And at the breake of the day the Kings people made as great shouts noyse as if all the Army had bin there whereat the Alarme being giuen all betooke them to their armes repairing to Ferrats lodging to their Princes whose heads laced vpon a string were there presented to them out of a Tarras vpon which the King presently shewed himselfe with Ferrat Can Zulpher hauing his fiue thousand men ready in a troupe in the great place All these things together so amazed them that they thought the Kings pardon a high preferment which he freely granted both them and the succours sent thither by the Kings of Cheylan and Mazandran The reports hereof made Hamadans Armie to vanish and the King tooke order presently by new Cans for the gouernment of those parts Hee led his souldiers to Hisphaan giuing out that the treasures of the Kingdome were there layd vp by the Rebels a good policie to winne it which with as much pretended indignation he rased for fayling of his seeming hopes To satisfie his Souldiers better he led them against the Kings of Gheylan and Mazandran where the entrances by Nature difficult thorow the vnpassable woods and hilles were made easie by the reuolt of those to whom the charge of keeping the Straits was giuen whose liues Abas had before spared at Casbin The successe was the two Kings were slaine and the souldiers enriched with the spoyle of a Countrey exceeding fertile thus subdued
made them distastfull and this also which the Learned often obiect to these Sectaries that the King and Princes which first gaue way hereto died violently and miserably and fell into publike calamities Yet hath it euen to these times in diuers vicissitudes encreased and decreased and many Bookes haue beene thereof written which contayne many difficulties inextricable to themselues Their Temples are many and sumptuous in which huge monstrous Idols of Brasse Marble Wood and Earth are to be seene with Steeples adioyning of stone or timber and therein exceeding great Bells and other ornaments of great price Their Priests are called Osciami They continually shaue their heads and beards contrary to the Countrey custome Some of them goe on Pilgrimages others liue an austere life on Hills or in Caues and the most of them which amount to two or three millions liue in Cloysters of their reuenues and almes and somewhat also of their owne industrie These Priests are accounted the most vile and vicious in the Kingdome being of the baser raskalitie sold when they are children by their parents to the elder Priests of slaues made Disciples and succeeding their Masters in Sect and Stipend few voluntarily adioyning themselues to these Cloysterers Neither doe they affect more liberall learning nor abstayne but perforce from disauowed Luxurie Their Monasteries are diuided into diuers Stations according to their greatnesse in euery Station is one perpetuall Administrator with his slaue-Disciples which succeed him therein Superiour in the Monasterie they acknowledge none but euery one builds as many Cells or Chambers as he is able which they let out to strangers for great gaine that their Monasteries may be esteemed publike Innes wherein men may quietly lodge or follow their businesse without any explication of their Sects They are hired also by many to Funerall Solemnities and to other Rites in which wilde Beasts Birds or Fishes are made free and let loose the seuerer Sectaries buying them to this meritorious purpose In our times this Sect much flourisheth and hath many Temples erected and repaired many Eunuches women and of the rude vulgar embracing the same There are some Professors called Ciaicum that is Fasters which liue in their owne houses all their life abstayning from Fish and Flesh and with certaine set prayers worship a multitude of Idols at home but not hard to be hired to these deuotions at other mens houses In these Monasteries women also doe liue separated from men which shaue their heads and reiect Marriage These Nunnes are there called Nicu. But these are but few in comparison of the men One of the learned Sect famous in the Court relinquished his place in the Colledge and shaued his haire wrote many Bookes against the Confutians but being complayned of the King commanded hee should be punished which hee punished further on himselfe with cutting his owne throat Whereupon a Libell or Petition was put vp to the King against the Magistrates which relinquished Confutius and became of this Sect the King notwithstanding all the Queenes Eunuches and his Kindred are of this Sect made answere That such should goe into the Desarts and might bee ashamed of their Robes Hence followed orders That whosoeuer in his Writings mentioned an Idoll except by way of Confutation should be vncapable of degrees in Learning which caused much alteration in Religion for many of this Sect had preuayled much in Court and elsewhere Amongst the rest one Thacon was so honoured of the chiefe Queene that shee worshipped daily his garment because it was not lawfull for himselfe to enter the Palace but dealt by Eunuches One libelled to the King against him but had no answere which is the Kings fashion when he denies or disallowes it which made him more insolent But being suspected for a Libell made against the King and some writings in zeale of his Idols against the King being found he was beaten to death howling in his torments which before had vanted a Stoicall Apathie The other Sect-masters were banished the Court §. V. Of the third Sect Lauzu THeir third Sect is named Lauzu of a certaine Philosopher which liued in the same age with Confutius They fable that he was fourescore yeeres in his mothers wombe before his birth and therefore call him Lauzu that is old Philosopher He left no booke written of his Sect nor seemes to haue intended any such institution But his Sectaries called him after his death Tausa and haue fathered on him their opinions whereof they haue written many elegant bookes These also liue single in their Monasteries buying Disciples liuing as vile and vicious as the former They shaue not their haire but weare it like the Lay-men sauing that they haue a Hat or Cap of wood There are others married which at their owne houses professe greater austeritie and recite ouer set prayers They affirme That amongst other Idols they also worship the God of Heauen but corporeall and to whom their Legends tell that many indignities haue happened The King of Heauen which now raigneth they call Ciam he which raigned before was Leu who on a time came riding to the Earth on a white Dragon Him did Ciam who was a Diuinor giue entertainment and whiles Leu was at his good cheere mounted vp his Dragon which carried him to heauen there seized on the heauenly Royaltie and shut out Leu who yet at last was admitted to the Lordship of a certaine Mountaine in that Kingdom Thus they professe their god to bee a coozener and vsurper Besides this King of Heauen they faine another threefold Deitie one of which they say was the head of their Lauzu sect They promise to theirs Paradise which they shall enioy both in bodie and soule and in their Temples haue pictures of such as haue the Images of such Saints To obtaine this they prescribe certaine exercises which consist in diuers postures of sitting certaine prayers and medicines by which they promise to the obseruers through their gods fauour an immortall life in Heauen at least a longer mortall in the bodie The Priests of this Sect haue a peculiar Office of casting out Deuils which they do by two meanes one is to paint horrible shapes of Deuill in yellow paper with inke to be fastned on the walls and then fill the house with such sauage clamors that themselues might be thought to be Deuils the other is by certaine prayers or coniurations They professe also a power of faire weather and soule and other priuate and publike misfortunes : and some of them seeme to be Witches These Priests reside in the Kings Temples of Heauen and Earth and assist at the Kings sacrifices whether by himselfe performed or his Deputie Magistrates and thereby acquire great authoritie At these sacrifices they make musicke of all sorts which China yeeldeth harshed Europaean eares They are called likewise to Funeralls to which they come in precious Vestments playing on Musical Instruments They assist also at the consecrations of new Churches and
foure Gunners with great Peeces and goe not before the Armie lest they should hinder their sight or being hurt disturbe the rankes and therefore are set in the Rere a Sword bound to their trunke and Daggers fastened to their great teeth King Echebar was borne in the Prouince of Chaquata which hath Indostan on the South Persia on the West the Tartars East Their Language is Turkish but the Courtiers to this day speake Persian Baburxa his grand-father chased the Parthians vnto Bengala before possessors of the Region of the Mogors after whose death the Parthians or as they are now called Pataneans of Patanau before mentioned recouered themselues and warred on his sonne Their descent is from Tamerlan whose third sonne was Miromcha grandfather to Abusayd who slue Abdula successor to Abdelatife which had slaine Oleghbek the sonne and successor of Mirzah Charrok the fourth sonne and first successor of Tamerlan Sultan Hamed sonne of Abusayd obtayned Maurenahar and after him Babor his sonne which in the yeere 1500. was dispossessed by the Vsbechs yet still possessed Gaznehen and some parts of India succeeded by his sonne Homayen the father of this Achabar Thus Mirkand The Iesuites say they are Parthians descended of Cingis therefore rather to be called Tartars Achabars grandfather they call Baburxa which by his sword entred Industan and chased those Tartars into Bengala But they againe preuailed after his death insomuch that Achabars father Emmaupaxda as the Iesuites report being driuen to great straights by the Parthians Tartars or Pataneans was driuen to aske aide of the Sophi or Persian King which he obtained with condition of submitting himselfe to the Persian Religion The Mogors speake the Turkish language The Empire of this Mogor is exceeding great contayning the Countries of Bengala Cambaya Mendao and others comprehended by some vnder the name of Industan This Mendao is said to be ten leagues in circuit and that it cost the Mogor twelue yeeres siege Agra and Fatipore are two Cities in his Dominion great and full of people much exceeding London and the whole space betweene is as a continuall populous Market Many Kings he hath conquered and many haue submitted themselues and their States voluntarily to his subiection Twentie Gentile Kings are numbred in his Court which attend him equalling the King of Calecut in power Many others pay him tribute In his Countries are many Spices Pepper Ginger Cassia and others many precious Stones Pearles Metals of all sorts Silkes Cotton Horse and other Commodities which yeeld him many millions yeerely beyond his expences About the yeere 1582. the Iesuites first entred there after whose report his Dominions were then as followeth since much more enlarged Eleuen great Riuers run through his Dominions Taphi Haruada Chambel Iamena Ganges the other sixe are Indus or Schind as they call it and Catamul Cebcha Ray Chenao Rebeth tributaries to Indus The whole Monarchie enuironeth nine hundred leagues King Echebar hath many Lords each of which is to maintayne eight ten twelue or fourteene thousand Horse in readinesse for the warre besides Elephants of which in the whole Kingdome are said to bee fiftie thousand Himselfe can further bring of his owne into the Field fiftie thousand Horse and Foot-men innumerable To those Lordes hee alloweth certaine Prouinces for such Militarie seruice for hee is Lord of all nor hath any else possession of any thing but at the will of the King Once a yeere they appeare before the King where they present a view of those their enioyned Forces Many millions of Reuenue doe besides accrew vnto his Coffers yet his Port and Magnificence is not so great as of many other Princes eyther for Apparell Diet or the Maiestie of his Court-seruice Hee cannot write or reade but heareth often the Disputations of others and Histories read before him being of deepe iudgement piercing wit and wise fore-cast In execution of Iustice hee is very diligent insomuch that in the Citie where hee resideth he heareth all Causes himselfe neither is any malefactor punished without his knowledge himselfe giuing publike Audience twice euery day For which purpose he hath two wide Halls or rather open Courts and in them Royall Thrones where hee is attended with eight Councellors besides Notaries Yet doth hee stand and not sit and at other times sit on Carpets after the Turkish manner notwithstanding his Chayre of Estate standing by He hath twelue Learned men alway about him which ordinarily reason and dispute in his presence or relate Histories Hee is a curious discourser of all Sects Hee is both Affable and Maiesticall Mercifull and Seuere delights himselfe in diuers Games as fights of Buffals Cockes Harts Rammes Elephants Wrestlers Fencers Dances Comedies and in the Dances of Elephants and Camels thereto instructed In the midst of these Spectacles he dispatcheth serious affaires He delights in Hunting vsing the Panther to take wild Beasts Hunting Dogs hee had none They vse tame Harts to take the wild with Nets fastened to their hornes wherewith they intangle the other When hee goes to warre hee will cause a whole Wood to bee round beset with men hand in hand sending others in which raise the Beasts and driue them into the others armes which if they let them goe are punished to make sport that way He was skilfull in diuers Mechanicall Trades as making of Gunnes casting of Ordnance hauing his Worke-house in the Palace for that purpose But we haue obserued that this is common to all Mahumetan Priests and Princes the Great Turke yea the Great Challfa himselfe as Tudelensis writes of his Times practising some Mechanicall Mysterie Theeues and Pyrates He punished with losse of the hand Murtherers Adulterers Robbers by the high way with empaling hanging or other doaths not executed till the Sentence had beene thrice pronounced Loued and feared of his Owne Terrible to his Enemies Affable to the Vulgar seeming to grace them and their Presents with more respectiue Ceremonies then the Grandes of sparing Dyet scarce eating Flesh aboue foure times in the yeere but feeding by Rice Whit-meats and Electuaries sleeping but three houres in the night curiously industrious This King detesteth the Mahumetan Sect which as you heard his Father embraced for his aduantage and therefore hath ouerthrowne their Moschees in his Kingdome razing the Steeples and conuerting the rest to Stables and more trusteth and employeth the Gentiles in his affaires then the Moores whereupon many of them rebelled against him and stirred vp the Prince of Quabul his Brother to take Armes against whom Echebar opposed himselfe as is said and caused him to retire into his owne Countrey It is vncertaine what Religion hee is of some affirming him to bee a Moore some a Gentile some a Christian some of a fourth Sect and of none of the former Indeed it appeareth that he wauereth vncertaine which way of many to take able to see the absurdities of the Arabian and Gentile professions and not able to beleeue the high mysteries of the
Christian Faith especially the Trinitie and Incarnation Hee hath addmitted the Iesuites there to preach and would haue had them by miracle to haue proued those things to him which they elswhere so much boasting of Miracles wisely refused For hee demanded that the Mulla's or Priests of the Mogores and they should by passing thorow the fire make tryall of their Faith Hee hath many Bookes and Images which the Christians there doe vse and seemeth to haue great liking to them vsing the same with great reuerence But his Religion is the same it seemeth with that of Tamerlane his predecessor to acknowledge One God whom varietie of Sects and Worshippings should best content Hee caused thirtie Infants to bee kept like that which is said of Psammetichus King of Egypt setting certaine to watch and obserue that neither their Nurses nor any else should speake vnto them purposing to addict himselfe to that Religion which they should embrace whose Language these Infants should speake which accordingly came to passe For as they spake no certaine Languge so is not hee setled in any certaine Religion Hee hath diuers Idols sometime brought before him among which is one of the Sunne which early euery morning and three other times a day at noone euening and in the night he worshippeth He worshipped also the Image of CHRIST and our LADY which hee set on the crowne of his head and wore Relikes about him He is addicted to a new Sect as is said wherein he hath his followers which hold him for a Prophet The profit which they haue by his gold addicteth them to this new Prophet Hee professeth to worke Miracles by the water of his feet curing diseases Many Women make Vowes vnto him either to obtaine children or to recouer the health of their children which if they attaine they bring him their vowed Deuotions willingly of him receiued yea euery morning as he worshipped the Sunne so he delighted to be worshipped himselfe of the people to whom hee made shew of himselfe at a window and they kneeling performed like Ceremonie to him as to their Idols and he was thought to entertaine men skilfull in diuers Sects and Religions that of euery one he might take somewhat to the constitution of a new one He hath three sonnes Sciec the eldest which is honoured with the title Gio and called Sciecigio that is the Soule or Person of Sciec he much fauoureth the Iesuites the second Pahari Dan or Daniel is the youngest Some call them by other names His Presents are exceeding besides his Tributes and Customes Hee mentions One which in their presence offered his Vassalage and withall a Present valued at two hundred thousand crownes and more a Horse with furniture of Gold and Iewels two Swords and the Girdles of like worke Camels Carpets c. taking himselfe dignified in the acceptation of his Present Himselfe after often bowings and touching the ground with his head comming neerer was searched whether hee had any weapons and then was admitted to touch his foot Echebar laying his hand on his necke and allowing him to stand with his other Nobles The Kings sonne Sultan Morad at the same time offered a Present of fiftie Elephants worth a hundred and fiftie thousand Duckats one Chariot of Gold another of Siluer others of Mother of Pearle with other things of great value The Vice-Roy or Gouernour of Bengala followed with another Present esteemed worth eight hundred thousand Duckats viz. three hundred Elephants Almost dayly hee receiueth such Presents especially at a certaine Feast called Nerosa in which one Great Man was thought to present him with neere the worth of one Million of Gold §. II. Of the Conquests and death of ECHEBAR and of his Sonne and Successour SELIM now reigning OVr Relations of Echebar or Achebar his Rites Humane and Diuine as also of his Possessions and Greatnesse wee haue alreadie seemed long yet cannot be so satisfied without further satisfaction to the Reader if he be such as he of whom wee write curious and desirous to know remote Affaires and farre distant Occurrences Great Echebar added vnto that Greatnesse which his Father left him the Kingdome of Caxemir of Sinda of Guzzarat of Xischandadan and a great part of Decan with all the Tract of Bengala Such was his felicitie that it grew into a Prouerbe As happie as ECHEBAR seldome attempting any thing without prosperous successe I speake of worldly happinesse Euen in Natures treasures hee was rich both Wit and Memorie this so happie that of many thousands of Elephants which hee had hee knew the names yea of his Horses to each of which hee gaue names of his wilde Beasts and Harts that hee kept in a place appointed and euen of his Pigeons which hee kept for sport Yet was not this happinesse so perpetuall but that he had some especially domesticke Crosses His second sonne Sultan Morad being sent into Guzzarat against Melic King of Decan sometime Lord of Chaul was slaine with many other Commanders which newes was then brought to Echebar when hee was celebrating their New-yeeres Festiuall the day that the Sunne enters into Aries whereupon hee sent thither another of his sonnes Another time when hee was solemnizing the Sunnes Festiuall on Easter day 1597. about which time the King of China sustained the like Casualtie Fire fell from Heauen vpon his Tent richly adorned with Gold and Iewels and consumed it to ashes with all the Tents adioyning together with his Throne of solide Gold valued at 100000. Duckats consumed or melted from whence it proceeded to the Palace which being of Timber was for the most part brought into ashes Some millions of Treasure there reserued could not bee there preserued from this flame which made a Streame of Gold and Siluer mixed with other Metalls runne alongst the streets For this cause hee forsooke Lahor where hee had built the Iesuites a Church and where hee kept his Court as hee did before at Fatepore and sometimes at Agra and went to Caximir or Cascimir a Kingdome which a little before he had subdued This yeelds not to any Indian Region in goodlinesse and wholesomenesse being encompassed with very high Mountaines couered most part of the yeere with Snow the rest a delicate Playne diuersified with Pastures Fields Woods Gardens Parkes Springs Riuers euen to admiration It is coole and more temperate then the Kingdome of Rebat which adioyneth to it on the East Three leagues from Caximir is a Lake deepe and beset round with Trees in the midst thereof an Iland and thereon hee built a Palace The Countrey hath store of Rice Wheat and Vines which they plant at the foot of the Mulburie the same Tree seeming to beare two Fruits Had they not beene at Contentions amongst themselues hee could neuer haue conquered so strong a Kingdome In times past they were all Gentiles but three hundred yeeres before this the most of them became Mahumetane This Countrey he left when Summer was past
them after that by helpe of Fresh-men sent in the Pinace they were got cleere of them certaine it is that all three driuing away vpon the ebbe the English had entered before and killed all they found fell on fire and running on the Sands there offered vp themselues at once to all the Elements the Sayles still standing embracing the Ayre the Keele kissing her Mother Earth till their more churlish brethren the Fire and Water put them out of possession and shared all betwixt them One of the Gallies lost her Nose with a shot and was content after that with their Other to looke on The Gallions rode beyond the Sands The Frigates could not but participate in their fellowes disaduentures many of them saith Leman were sunke and torne in pieces Masham another of the Hopes Company numbreth fiue and twentie thus perishing The Hope lost three men and had fourteene wounded the Hector lost two One shot of stone which the Hope receiued was measured seuen and twentie Inches about but the hurt was by fire in her tops by one of her owne men there slain whiles he sought to fire the Enemy The Portugals losse is vncertaine three hundred and fiftie men were said to be carried to Daman to be buried besides all that the Sea and Fire had shared betwixt them which were thought to make vp fiue hundred some report of eight hundred and yet themselues gaue out not aboue fortie or fiftie whereas the tide cast vp at one place eighteene drowned carkasses After this they tried experiments First by poyson and this was the Iesuites Iesuitisme I cannot call it Christianitie who sent to the Muccadan of Swally to entice him to poyson the Water of the Well whence the English fetched for their vse but the Ethnike had more honestie and put in quicke Tortoises that it might appeare by their death if any venemous hand had beene there But when Virtus virus wanted vires Dolus is added and the Vice-Roy hauing two ships sent him for supply two Iunkes eight or ten Boates these or the most of them were employed with great secrecie and subtiltie to fire our ships by night two full of fiery entrailes on the ninth of February the next night two others chained together and towed with Frigates and after that in the same night foure other chained together one of which being fired with an English shot burnt her selfe and her fellowes they put fire to all the rest which deuoured them all without harme to the English They tooke some of these Fire-workers one of which being examined confessed after M. Prings Relation thus The Admirall called Todos los Santos a ship of eight hundred tuns had sixe hundred men eight and twentie Peeces most brasse The Saint Benito Vice-Admirall of seuen hundred Tuns three hundred and threescore men twentie Peeces Saint Lorenzo a Ship of sixe hundred Tuns three hundred men twentie Peeces The Saint Christopher likewise The Saint Ieronimo of fiue hundred Tuns three hundred men and twentie three Peeces Saint Antonio foure hundred two hundred men and fifteene Peeces Saint Pedro two hundred a hundred and twentie men and eight Peeces Saint Paulo as many A Fly-boat of a hundred and fiftie Tuns fourescore men and foure Peeces The two Gallies had fiue and twentie Oares on a side and in both a hundred Souldiers Threescore Frigates with eighteene and twentie Oares on a side in each fifteene Souldiers So great their forces and blessed be God so little their force The Vice-Royes name was Don Ieronimo de Sanecko sometimes Captaine of Mosambike after that of Zeilan eighteene yeeres and now Vice-Roy by the Kings strait command and others importunitie drawne into this action Euery day was hee braued with the English Ordnance but neuer aduentured any other triall by fight the English riding neere his great Fleet and dispatching all their other affaires of Merchandise and mending the Hope which they sent home with this Newes when they departed from thence they seemed to stay for them in the way yet let them passe without any blowes This won them much glory among the countrey people Mocrob Chan giuing stately entertainment to the Generall in his Tents on shoare which one saith were a quarter of a mile about in the midst his owne of Crimson Sattin richly embroidered with Gold and Pearle and couered with Cloth of Gold he had many Elephants he gaue the Generall his Sword made said hee in his owne house the Hilts of massie Gold this is their custome to deseruing Captaines and He gaue him his Girdle Sword and Dagger and Hangers of as faire show but lesse worth Because I haue mentioned the Iesuites Arts in these parts let this also be added that Master Canning chiefe Merchant and Agent for the Company writ to Surat for some others to assist him being in great feare of poysoning by the Iesuites at the Court and before any could bee sent hee was dead May the nine and twentieth 1613. One English-man dying a little before was buried in their Church-yard whom they tooke vp and buried in the high-way but were compelled by the King to lay him in his former place threatning to turne them out of his countrey and their buried bodies out of that Church-yard But this later warres brought them into further miseries being denied their stipend and therefore forsaken of their new Conuerts who bringing them their Beades did vpbraid them the want of their pay one of the best Arguments though no great miracle wherewith they had perswaded them to their Religion A French Iesuit at Amadabar begged reliefe of the English wanting necessary sustenance Before the King allowed the Superior seuen Rupias a day and the rest three But now this and their faire Church also is denied them and they say their holies in their chamber Iohn Mildnall an English Papist had learned it is reported the Art of poysoning by which he made away three other English-men in Persia to make himselfe Master of the whole stock but I know not by what meanes himselfe tasted of the same cup and was exceedingly swelled but continued his life many moneths with Antidotes which yet here left him at Agra where hee left the value of twentie thousand Dolars after through the Kings Iustice recouered by the English Many other Sea-fights haue since happened in diuers parts of the Indies betwixt Our men and the Portugals as that by Captaine Ben. Ioseph in which he was slaine and Captaine Pepwel succeeded in the place and quarrell with Manuel de Meneses whose Carrack was consumed with fire by themselues as was thought rather then so great Treasures should be made English spoyles also in the Persian Gulfe by Captaine Shilling slaine therein Captaine Blithe and others which chaced the assayling Portugals Ruy Frere de Andrada their Commander called the Pride of Portugall getting a fall and since that Ormus it selfe taken by the Persians diuers other Portugall prizes and that especially of the
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
his head They made the people beleeue he was conceiued of Lightning He had a Chappell assigned to him and called by his name Hee was kept in a place enclosed before which was a Hall and in that another enclosed Roome for the Dame or Mother of Apis. Into this Hall they brought him when they would present him to strangers Psammetichus was the founder of this building borne vp with Collosses or huge statues of twelue Cubits in stead of Pillars and grauen full of figures Once a yeere he had sight of a Female chosen by especiall markes and slaine the same day On a set day which he might not out-liue according to their rituall Bookes they drowned him in the bottome of a sacred Fountayne and then buried him as aforesaid with much mourning After this solemnity it was lawfull for them to enter into the Temple of Serapis Darius to curry fauour with the Egyptians offered an hundred Talents to him that could find out a succeeding Apis Of this Apis thus writeth Saint Augustine Apis was the King of the Argiues who sayling into Egypt and there dying was worshipped by the name of Serapis their greatest God This name Serapis was giuen him sayth Varro of his Funerall Chest called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and from thence Serapis as if one should say Sorosapis after Serapis It was enacted that whosoeuer should affirme that he had beene a man should be done to death Hence it is that in the Egyptian Temples Harpocrates an Image holding his finger on his mouth is ioyned a companion to Isis and Serapis in token of concealing their former humanitie Suidas sayth that Alexander built vnto him a magnificent Temple of which and of this Serapis wee shall largely declare in the next Chapter Viues out of Nymphodorus sayth that this carkasse in that Chest whereof the name Serapis was deriued was of a Bull not of a Man Eusebius nameth two Kings called by this name Apis one a Sicyonian the other of Argos the first more ancient the other the Sonne of Iupiter and Niobe called after Serapis But Apollodorus affirmeth him the Sonne of Phoroneus and Brother of Niobe And therefore the Sicyonian King is more likely to be the Egyptian Apis Builder of Memphis for the other dyed in Peloponnesus which of him was called Apia Caelius Calcaguinus affirmeth that their Apis was but the symbole of the soule of Osiris and that Serapis is an Egyptian word and signifieth ioy and mirth But who can find truth in falsehood or certainty in Superstitious errors The markes of the next Apis were these All his body was blacke with a white starre in his fore-head after Heredotus or in his right side sayth Pliny like vnto a horned Moone For he was sacred to the Moone sayth Marcellinus On his backe hee had the shape of an Eagle a knot on his tongue like a Beetle If such an one might seeme impossible to be found as no doubt it was rare and therefore costly Augustine attributeth it to the Deuils working presenting to the Cow in her conception such a phantasticall apparition the power of which imagination appeareth in Iacobs example But what a beastly stirre haue we here me thinkes I heare some whining Reader say about Beasts and Buls I answere That it deserueth the more full relation both for the multitude of Authors which mention something of this History for the Antiquitie and especially for the practice of the same Superstition in Aarons and Ieroboams Calues after their returne from Egypt the Schoole of this Idolatry Besides this Apis of Memphis they in other places obserued others as Mneuis a blacke Bull consecrated to the Sunne as Apis was to the Moone with his haires growing forward worshipped at Heliopolis Bacis another that was fayned to change colour euery houre at Hermunthus besides Onuphis and Menuphis other-where Thus by Sinne Beasts became Gods Men became Beasts if this be not a baser degree of basenesse to worship Beasts and in them Deuils to content themselues with meane houses and neuer to be contented with the magnificence and sumptuousnesse of their Temples to Beasts Splendida fana cum lucis Templa cum vestibulis porticibus admirandis introgressus autem vide bis adorari felem c. that is They haue glorious Chappels with Groues and stately Temples with goodly Gate-wayes and Porches but when you are within once you shall see nothing but a Cat or some such Carrion worshipped c. And euen at this day in Cayro and other places of Egypt they account it according to their Mahumetane Superstition no small point of charitie to bee bountifull and liberall to Birds which they will redeeme to libertie and to Dogges Cats and other Beasts setting them meate and good prouision at appointed times As for the Camell that hath carried the Alcoran at Mecca in their Pilgrimage yee haue heard alreadie how religious they esteeme the touch thereof Dousa saw the like at Constantinople some plucking off his haires as holy relikes some kissing him some wiping off his sweat therewith to rub their faces and eyes all entertayning him with frequent concourse and at last eating his flesh distributed into small parts for that purpose We are further to know that although Egypt worshipped beasts yet not all the same these onely were vniuersally receiued three beasts a Dogge a Cat a Bull two Fowles the Hawke and the Ibis two fishes Lepidotus and Oxyrinchus Other beasts haue their Sects of Worshippers as sheepe among the Thebans and Saits the fish called Latus among the Latopolitans a Cynocephalus at Hermopolis which is a kind of great Ape or Monkie naturally circumcised and abhorring from fish a Wolfe at Lycopolis The Babylonians neere to Memphis worshipped a beast called Cepus resembling in the face a Satyre in other parts partly a Dogge partly a Beare Likewise other Cities other beasts which caused great dissention whereof Iuuenal Ardet adhuc Combos Tentyra summus vtrinque Inde furor vulgo quod numina vicinorum Odit vterque locus Combos and Tentyra doe both yet burne With mutuall hate because they both doe spurne At one anothers Gods c. Strabo saw in the Nomus or Shire of Arsinoe diuine honour giuen to a Crocodile kept tame in a certaine Lake by the Priests and named Suchus nourished with Bread Wine and Flesh which the Pilgrims that came to visit him offered Now the Tentyrites and those of Elephantina killed Crocodiles And in the Citie of Hercules they worshipped an Ichneumon a beast that destroyeth Crocodiles and Aspes and therefore euen at this day of much estimation as Bellonius obserueth where you may see his description These imagined that Typhon was transformed into a Crocodile At Hermopolis they worshipped a Goat and Goats had carnall mixture with Women The Ombites more beastly esteemed themselues fauoured of their Crocodile God
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
ruines testifieth her sometime proud buildings Hospitals Innes and Temples In Thagia is visited the Sepulchre of a holy Man which liued in the time of Habdul Mumen the Calif or Patriarch who wrought great miracles against the Lyons wherwith the Towne is much molested Ettedle a Mahumetane Doctor wrote a Legend of his miracles which Leo saith hee had read and supposed that they were done either by Naturall or Diuellish Magicke The Fessans after their Easter yeerely resort to his Tombe with such numbers of Men Women and Children and their Tents that they seeme an Armie It standeth from Fez an hundred and twentie miles so that their going and returning in this Pilgrimage lasteth fifteene dayes My Father carried mee yeerely thither when I was a Childe and since I haue beene there many times by reason of many vowes which I made being in danger of Lyons Where Zarfa stood the Arabians now sow Corne The Territorie of Fez hath on the West the Riuer Buragard the East Inaven on the North Subu and Atlas on the South Sella was built by the Romans sacked by the Gothes subiect since to Fez The buildings are of Mosaike worke supported with Marble Pillars euen the Shops are vnder faire and large Porches and there are arches to part Occupations All the Temples are beautifull In this Towne the Genowaies English Flemings and Venetians vsed to trade The Spaniards tooke it in the 670 of the Hegira but lost it againe within ten dayes Fanzara was destroyed by Sahid who with certaine Arabians besieged Fez seuen yeeres together and destroyed all the Villages in the Countrey about Mahmora was made famous by the slaughter of the Portugals whose bloud dyed the Sea three dayes together blushing to see the barbarous Barbarian spill so much Christian bloud Leo was there present and numbreth the slaine Christians at ten thousand besides the losse of their Ships and Ordnance whereof the Moores tooke vp foure hundred great Brasse Peeces out of the Sea in the yeere of the Heg. 921. HONDIVS his Map of the Kingdome of Fez FESSAE REGNUM §. II. Of the Citie of Fez as it was in LEO's dayes and the Customes of the Inhabitants THe Citie Fez or Fesse was built in the time of Aron the Caliph in the 185. yeere of the Hegira or Mahumeticall computation It had this golden Title because on the first day of the Foundation there was found some quantitie of Gold Gasper Varerius and Aldrete are of opinion That the Riuer Phut so called of the sonne of Cham before mentioned is this Riuer of Fez by the Arabians thus altered and that this Riuer gaue Name to the Region and the Citie which opinion is also recited by Leo. The Founder was named Idris Arons neere kinsman to whom the Caliphaship was more due For he was nephew of Hali Mahumets cousin who married Falerna daughter of Mahumet and therefore both by Father and Mother of that kindred whereas Aron was but in the halfe-blood being nephew to Habbus the vncle of Mahumet Howbeit both these Families were depriued of the Caliphate and Aron by deceit vsurped For Arons Grandfather fained himselfe willing to transferre that dignitie to Hali and caused the house of Vmene to lose it and Habdulla Seffec became the first Caliph who persecuted the House of Hals openly chasing some into Asia and some into India But one of them remayned in Elmadina of whom because hee was old and religious he had no great feare His two Sonnes grew in such fauour with the people that they were forced to flee and one being taken and strangled the other which was this Idris escaped into Mauritania where hee grew in such reputation that in short time he got both Swords into his hand and dwelt in the Hill Zaron thirtie miles from Fez and all Mauritania payed him tribute Hee dyed without issue onely hee left his slaue with Child she was a Goth become Mahumetan and had a sonne which after his father was called Idris Hee succeeded in the Principalitie and was brought vp vnder the discipline of a valiant Captaine named Rasid and began to shew great prowesse at fifteen yeeres He afterwards encreasing in power built on the East side of the Riuer a small Citie of three thousand Families After his death one of his sonnes built another Citie on the West side both which Cities so encreased that there was small distance betweene them And a hundred and eighty yeeres after there arose ciuill Warres betwixt those two Cities which continued a hundred yeeres And as Aesops Kite serued the Mouse and Frog so Ioseph of the Luntune Family apprehending this aduantage tooke both their Lords and slew them and thirty thousand of the Citizens He brake downe the walls which parted the two Cities and caused many Bridges to be made and brought them both to be one Citie which he diuided into twelue Wards The Citie is now or at least in Leos time was both great and strong It seemes that Nature and Art haue played the Wantons and haue brought forth this Citie the fruit of their dalliance Or else they seeme Corriuals both by all kind Offices seeking to winne her loue So doth the Earth seeme to dance in little Hillocks and pretie Vallies diuersifying the Soyle so doth the Riuer disperse it selfe into manifold Chanels no sooner entring the Citie but it is diuided into two Armes wherewith it embraceth this louely Nymph and these subdiuided as it were into many Fingers in variety of Water-courses insinuating it selfe vnto euery Street and Member thereof and not contented thus in publike to testifie affection findes meanes of secret intelligence with his Loue by Conduit-pipes closely visiting euery Temple Colledge Inne Hospitall the speciall Chambers of his Spouse Yea and almost euery priuate house from whence with an officious seruice he carrieth the filth that might offend either sight or sent of his Bride which still enjoying he wooeth and euer wooing enjoyeth Only in hot Seasons he hath a cold suit for the Riuer is dry but then he hath six hundred Fountaynes to speake for him in his absence Neither is Art behind in his proffered courtesies but still presents her with Mosaike workes as Chaynes and Iewels to adorne her with fine Brickes and stones framed into most artificiall Fabricks both louely for delight and stately for admiration The roofes of their houses are adorned with Gold Azure and other excellent colours which are made flat for the Inhabitants vse and pleasure whose Houses are richly furnished euery Chamber with a Presse curiously paynted and varnished And who can tell the exquisitenesse of the Portals Pillars Cisternes and other parts of this Cities furniture Which if they be not now so excellent as when Leo liued here yet it is worth the sight to looke vpon it with his eyes as then it flourished before the Court was remoued thence to Marocco or the deuouring bellies of Time and Warre had impaired her Beauties Once let the Temples therein a
friends and the broath eaten and then they hang it by the Fetisso They make solemne oathes and promises on this manner they wipe their faces shoulder brests and all their bodies on the soles of your feet thrice saying Iau Iau Iau stamping kissing the Fetissos on their armes and legs The land is all the Kings and therefore they first till his land and then by composition for themselues They begin on a Tuesday and when the Kings worke is done haue a feast in honour of their Fetisso to prosper their Husbandrie §. V. Obseruations of the Coast and In-land Countries out of BARRERIV'S and LEO and of the cause of the Negros Blacknesse ANno 1604. certaine Iesuites were sent into these parts the chiefe of which was Balthasar Barrerius who conuerted some of those Negro's to the Romish Christian profession One of which was the King at Sierra Liona Christened with the name Philip his Father a man of an hundred and thirtie yeeres about the faine time finishing his life A Letter of this Philip vnto King Philip of Spaine is published by Iarrie in which hee desireth more Priests to bee sent into those parts offers him to build a Castle at the Cape and concludeth with wishing him as many yeeres as the Heauen hath Starres and the Sea Sands The King of Bena gaue great hopes of his Conuersion which were suddenly dashed by meanes of a certaine Mahumetan for so farre hath that Pestilence infected who making a flattering Oration of two houres long inclined the King to his faithlesse Faith This Kings Dominion extendeth nine dayes journey and containeth seuen of their pettie Kingdomes Wee haue before spoken of the Mandingae neere to Gambea These haue of late yeeres embraced Mahomet and by Armes and Merchandize the vsuall meanes sought to propagate it to others beeing excellent Horse-men and couragious vsually placed in the fore-front Their Priests are called Bexerini which write Arabicke Amulets to secure such as weare them in battell These Preach to the people and drawinge forth parchment rolls spread them with great deuotion on the Pulpit and standing a while with eyes fixed to Heauen as it were in Diuine conference presently will them to thanke GOD and his Prophet for the pardon of all their sinnes then reades hee his Scrolls the people tending two houres together without once stirring their bodies or turning away their eyes One of them is chiefe ouer the rest who hath taught the King of Bena a certaine Inchantment or Witchcraft to make the Deuill the instrument of his Reuenge vpon any offender which makes him dreadfull to all Two of the Portugals confessing the experiment thereof vpon themselues The like appeared in a huge Serpent which they call the King of Serpents of most beautifull dolours as bigge as a mans thigh which the King played withall without any harme The Iesuite speakes of one Man which had threescore and twelue Sonnes and fiftie Daughters which multiplied beyond credit All the kindred mourne at the death of the great Men assemble to the corpse and offer of which offerings one third is the Kings the second the nearest kinsmans which is charged with the Funerall the third is put into the Graue together withall that Gold which they haue treasured for this purpose through their whole life hiding it closely from the knowledge of all so that if they die suddenly their Gold is perished with them Yea their Sepulchres the Iesuites report are kept secret and made in the channels of Riuers diuerting the streame till it bee made to preserue these treasures to the vse of the dead At the yeeres end they renue the memorie of the deceased with mourning and festiuall solemnitie the more drunkennesse the greater honour They haue Idols of wood and straw and their Chinas before mentioned made of Poles in forme of a Pyramis within which are many white Pismires that come not forth and it is vncertaine what they eate Before these they will adiure their Seruants to fidelitie wishing that Serpents Lizards or Tygres may teare them if they runne away which they feare with religious awe and dare not flee vpon any hard vsage Euery Kingdome hath a place sacred to the Deuill such an one was the Iland Camasson a league from the shore where all that sayled by offered Rice Oyle or some other thing The King once a yeere sacrificed Goates and Hens which were there kept there being no feare of stealing them where none durst aduenture to set foot on land And now leauing the Coasts of Guinea Benin Melegete and the other Regions of the Negros adjoyning to the Sea we will looke backe againe into the In-land Countries wherof Gualata is an hundred miles distant from the Ocean and hath already beene mentioned The next thereunto in Leos Relations is Gheneoa which is not the same with Guinea before mentioned if Leo had true intelligence but is situate betwixt Gualata Tombuto and Melli and in one place bordereth on the Ocean where Niger falleth into the Sea They had great Traffique with the Merchants of Barbarie They haue Gold vncoyned and vse also Iron money There is neither Towne nor Castle but one where the Prince with Priests Doctors and Merchants reside Those Priests and Doctors goe apparelled in white the rest in blacke or blue Cotton In Iuly August and September Niger ouer-floweth it Izchia the King of Tombuto conquered it and kept the King prisone rat Gago till his death Melli is the head Citie of a Kingdome which hence taketh name and hath in it great store of Temples Priests and Readers or Professours which reade in the Temples because they haue no Colledges They are more ingenious then other Negros and were the first that embraced the Mahumetan Law Izchia also subdued them Tombuto was founded in the yeere of the Hegeira 610. And it is situate within twelue miles of a branch of Niger There are many Wells to receiue the ouerflowing waters of that Riuer Salt is brought them fiue hundred miles from Tagazza and is very deare I at my being there saith Leo saw a Camels burthen sold for fourescore Duckats The King had many Plates and Scepters of Gold some whereof weighed thirteene hundred pounds They which speake to him cast Sand ouer their heads as Cadamosto obserued at Budomel The King would admit no Iewes into his Citie and hateth them so extreamely that hee would confiscate the goods of such Merchants as held Traffique with them Hee greatly honoured men of Learning and no Merchandize yeelded more gaine then Bookes There were many Iudges Doctors and Priests to whom hee allowed their stipends The people vsed much Dauncing in the streets from tenne to one of clocke at night They mingle Fish Milke Butter and Flesh together in their Gallimaufrey kinde of dyet neither toothsome nor holsome Hamet King of Marocco conquered the same Kingdome 1589. and also Gago and other Countries of the Negros extending his Empire sixe moneths journey from Marocco by
haue added to this Armes a Crosse which the Lion holdeth in his right foot And in this right they lay challenge to Ierusalem for their Inheritance Now for the fragment of the Table which Moses brake it is receiued for a truth throughout Ethiopia and it is still preserued in the Hill Amara as the greatest Iewell in the World Baltasar had often seene and handled it It seemeth to be of the Chalcedonie stone shining and transparent and is a corner of a square Table the broken edges yet being manifest with the letters some broken some whole much differing from the common Hebrew which Genebrard sayth the Iewes inuented thereby to differ from the Schismaticall Kingdome of the Israelites of the ten Tribes the Samaritans still retayning the former as both hee and Scaliger affirme But these letters cannot bee read for hee brought a learned Iew skilfull in all the Easterne Languages Persian Arabike Indian Chinois c. yet knew them not This relique is with such deuotion admired of the Iewes that when they passe but within sight of that Hill Amara they prostrate themselues on the ground with reuerence and for this cause make much of the Ethiopians wheresoeuer they meete them as a people beloued of God to whom he hath imparted such a Relique They tell also a tale I thinke so likewise of the former of the Queene of Saba that in her iourney homewards she had a reuelation concerning a piece of Wood which shee saw that it should bee the same whereon Christ should after die for Mankind wherefore adoring the same with much deuotion and teares she wrote to Salomon thereof who hid it in the earth foure Stades where the Poole of Bethesda was made afterwards and by vertue thereof wrought Miracles But the Ethiopian Superstition hath Fables enough of her owne and needeth not the officious helpe of Romish Saints in this kind As for that succession of Iewish Officers Luys denyeth it himselfe therefore denyed by later examiners and sayth the Iewes are no where more hated then in Ethiopia and Alexander the Third late Emperour among them banished all Iewes and Mores out of all his Dominions The Officers of the Emperour are sayth hee the Sonnes of the Tributary King his Vassals and the noblest of his subiecti And for the Iewes which came with Meilech or Meilelec after called Dauid his next successor Lofu so hee calleth him becomming an Apostata reduced Idolatry and whereas Dauid his Father had giuen them one of the Temples dedicated to the Sunne in mount Amara to make it an house of Prayer to the God of Israel casting forth the Idols therein now in this Iosues dayes some of them returned to Ierusalem or to other Prouinces of Africa and some inhabited the vtmost parts of Africa neere the Cape of Good Hope and Desarts not before inhabited And the said Don Iuan de Baltasar being sent by the Emperour into the Lands of Monopopata so he calleth it and of Galofes of Barbizin of Mandinga and of Zape which are inhabited of Idolatrous Gentiles hee found among them some of these Iewes descended of that exiled stocke as themselues also hold which had forgotten their Iudaisme and all knowledge of the Scriptures onely had retained some reliques of it and abstinence from Swines flesh differing also from those Gentiles in worshipping one God whereas the other acknowledge One great God whom they call Caramus but worship also Tigres Lions Flyes Spiders Snakes Lizards and whatsoeuer first meete them in the morning These Gentiles call the Iewes Tabayqueros and will not admit them to purchase houses or inheritance but eyther vse them as Interpreters or Factors for Merchants which is the higest step they can attaine to or else to employ them in base drudgeries to be their porters slaughter-men and such like that they seeme rather slaues to those barbarous Nations then to enioy any liberty of freemen Rightly may those Nations hee called Barbarous which seeme rather to barke then to speake and yet they scorne that any should abase them with the basest of titles in their opinion to call them Tabayquero and reuenge it with the death of the wrong doer But I feare me our Frier will be found a Lyer howsoeuer I am forced to relate many things out of him hauing written so largely of this Ethiopian subiect with such boldnesse and pretending such assurance from reports of that Balthasar as if no doubt were to be made of his assertions CHAP. III. Of PRESBYTER IOHN and of the PEIEST-IOHNS in Asia whether that descended of these HAuing now declared the antiquities of Ethiopia drawne out of ancient Authors let vs neerer hand behold what neerer our times Others haue reported thereof Wherein first we will heere insert out of Scaligers annotation vpon the Ethiopian Ecclesiasticall Calendar or Computation of times somewhat remarkeable and fitting to our present purpose The name sayth hee of the Christian Ethiopians is not now first made knowne to vs For their Church not onely at Ierusalem and Constantinople but at Rome also and Venice hath had liberty a good while to vse their owne Rites The Portugals and Francis Aluares haue further discouered them Before we onely heard the name of Ethiopia A wonder it is that some ages since their Emperours name was made knowne to vs out of Asia rather then out of Ethiopia it selfe Three hundred yeeres agoe the Ethiopian Kings reigned in Asia especially in Drangiana the borders of Susiana India and China vntill the Tartars dispossessed them of the Asian Empire For Cingis first the first Tartar King slue Vncam the Ethiopian Emperour and his Posteritie chased the Abissines out of Moin and China and forced them to flee into Africa Often haue I maruelled that a people of no knowledge in these times of Sea-affaires could atchieue so mightie exploits as to propagate their Empire from Ethiopia to China Since that time the knowledge of that Emperour hath come to vain the name of Prestegiano which in the Persian tongue as much now of reckoning in Asia as the Latine in the West signifieth Apostolike inferring thereby that he is a Christian King of the right faith For Prestegan signifieth Apostles and Prestegani Apostolicall Padescha Prestigiani the King Apostolicall in Arabian Melich ressuli in Ethiopian Negusch Chawariawi Of this greatnesse of their Empire in Asia are witnesses those Ethiopian Crosses which are seene in Giapan China and other places Yea the Temple of Thomas the Apostle in the Region of Man labar hath nothing in it but is Ethiopian the crosses building and name it selfe It is called Hanarija which in Ethiopian is as much to say as Apostle which Marcus Paulus falsly expoundeth a Holy man This name in the Author seemeth to be giuen not to the Church but to the Apostle himselfe Paulus addeth that the remainder of the Christians subiect to Prestegian aboue in Teaduch The neighbouring Arabians call them now Habassi and wee from thence Abissines
neere the Cape of Good-hope the Aethiopians haue no hope or hap of good colour whereas the hotter Countreys of Libya and in manner all America notwithstanding the Sunnes strait looking and neerenesse not allowing them a shaddow to attend them in the greatest height of his bounty know not this blacke tincture in the Naturals thereof But to returne and who will not returne to the Mines There are other Mines in the Prouinces of Boro and Quiticui in which and in the Riuers is found Gold not so pure The people are carelesse and negligent to get and the Moores which traded with them were faine to giue their wares in trust with promise by such a time to pay them in Gold and the people would not faile in their word Other Mynes are in Toroa wherein are those buildings which Barrius attributeth to some forren Prince and I for the reasons before alledged to Salomon It is a square Fortresse of stone the stones of maruellous greatnesse without any signe of morter or other matter to ioyne them The wall fiue and twenty spannes thicke the height not holding proportion Ouer the gate are letters which learned Moores could neither reade nor know what letters they were There are other buildings besides of like fashion The people call them the Court for an Officer keepes it for the Benomotapa and hath charge of some of his women that are there kept They esteeme them beyond humane power to build and therefore account them the workes of Deuils and the Moores which saw them said the Portugals Castles were no way to bee compared to them They are fiue hundred and ten miles from Sofala Westward in one and twenty degrees of Southerly Latitude in all which space is not found one building ancient or later the people are rude and dwell in Cottages of Timber All the people of this Region is of curled hayre and more ingenious then those which are against Mosambique Quiloa and Melinde among whom are many that eate mans flesh and let their Kine blood to satisfie their thirst These seeme prone to receiue the Faith for they beleeue in One GOD whom they call Mozimo and haue no Idols nor worship other thing They punish nothing more seuerely then Witchcraft whereunto other Negros are exceedingly addicted no such person escapeth death The like detestation they conceiue against Adultery and Theft Euery one may haue as many wiues as they will but the first is principall the other serue her and her children are heires A woman is not mariageable with them till her naturall purgation testifie for her abilitie to Conception and therefore they entertaine the first fluxe thereof with a great Feast In two things they are Religious in obseruation of dayes and Rites concerning their dead Of dayes they obserued the first day of the Moone the sixt the seuenth the eleuenth the sixteenth the seuenteenth the twentieth and the eight and twentieth because in that day their King was borne The Religion is in the first sixt and seuenth all the rest are repetitions aboue ten When any is dead after his bodie is eaten his neere kindred or his wife which hath had most children by him keepe the bones with some signes whereby to know whose they were and euery seuenth day they obserue Exequies in the same place where they are kept They spreade many clothes and set thereon tables furnished with bread and sodden flesh which they offer to the dead with prayers and supplications And the principall thing they request of them is the good successe of their Kings affaires These prayers they make being cloathed in white garments after which the good man and his family eate their offerings The Benomotapa must weare cloathes of the same Country for feare of infection others may weare forren cloth He is serued on the knee and when he drinketh or cougheth all they which are about him make a shout that all the Towne may know None may cough in his presence also euery one must sit in token of reuerence to stand is a signe of dignity which he affordeth the Portugals and Moores and is the chiefe honour can bee yeelded any The second honour is to sit on a cloth in his house the third that a man may haue a doore in his house which is the dignity of great Lords For meaner persons they need not feare to haue any thing stolne out of their open houses seeing the seuerity of Iustice doth secure them Doores are not for necessity but for honour Their houses are of pyramidall or steeple forme all the timbers meeting in the middest at the top couered with earth and straw Some of them are made of timbers as long and as bigge as a great ships mast the greater they are the more honorable The Benomotapa hath musicke whithersoeuer he goeth with singers and more then fiue hundred iesters which haue their Captain or Master of Reuels The royall Ensigne is a little plow-share with an Iuory point which he carrieth alway at his girdle by which is signified peace and husbanding of the ground He beareth likewise one or two swords in token of Iustice and defence of his people The Country is free and giues him no other payments but presents when they come to speake with him and certaine dayes seruice No inferiour comes before his superiour without some present in token of obedience and courtesie The Captaines of warre with all theirs bestow seuen dayes in thirty in his husbandry or other businesse Hee must confirme all sentences of Iudgement in his owne person there needs no Prison for matters are presently dispatched according to the allegations and testimonies that are brought And if there bee not sufficient testimonies then the matter is tryed by oath in this manner They beat the barke of a certaine tree and cast the powder thereof in water which the party drinketh and if he doe not vomit he is cleared if he vomit he is condemned And if the accuser when the accused party vomiteth not will drinke of the same and doth not vomit he is then acquitted and the matter dispatched If any sue to him he speedeth not but by mediation of a third person which also sets down the summe that the King must haue somtime at so deare a rate that the suter rather refuseth the Kings grant They haue no Horse and therefore warre on foot the spoyles are generally shared amongst all When he marcheth in the place where he is to lodge they make a new house of wood and therein must continuall fire be kept without euer going out saying that in the ashes might be wrought some witcheries to the indamagement of his person And when they goe to the warres they neuer wash their hands nor faces till they haue obtained victory They haue their wiues with them which are so loued and respected that if the Kings sonne meet with one of them in the street hee giues her way Benomotapa hath more then a thousand women but the first is
and in his other imployments His name was Iohn du Paui exiled from Portugall and thus inriched in Brasil A thousand of his slaues at one time entred into conspiracie with nine thousand other slaues in the Countrey and Barricadoed themselues for their best defence against their Masters who had much adoe to reduce some of them into their former seruitude To returne to Angola we may adde the report of another of our Countrey-men Andrew Battell my neere neighbour dwelling at Leigh in Essex who serued vnder Manuel Siluera Perera Gouernour vnder the King of Spaine at his Citie of Saint Paul and with him went farre into the Countrey of Angola their Armie being eight hundred Portugals and fiftie thousand Naturals This Andrew Battell telleth that they are all Heathens in Angola They had their Idolls of wood in the midst of their townes fashioned like a Negro and at the foot thereof was a great heape of Elephants teeth contayning three or foure tuns of them these were piled in the earth and vpon them were set the sculls of dead men which they had slaine in the warres in monument of their victorie The Idoll they call Mokisso and some of them haue houses built ouer them If any be sicke he accounteth it Mokisso's hand and sendeth to appease his angrie god with powring wine which they haue of the palme-tree at his feet They haue proper names of distinction for their Mokisso's as Kissungo Kalikete c. and vse to sweare by them Kissungowy that is by Kissungo They haue another more solemne oath in triall of Controuersies for which purpose they lay a kinde of Hatchet which they haue in the fire and the Ganga-Mokisso or Mokisso's Priest taketh the same red hot and draweth it neere to the skinne of the accused partie and if there bee two hee causeth their legges to bee set neere together and draweth this hot Iron without touching betweene them if it burnes that partie is condemned as guiltie otherwise hee is freed For the ceremonies about the dead they first wash him then paint him thirdly apparell him in new clothes and then bring him to his graue which is made like a vault after it is digged a little way downe vndermined and made spacious within and there set him on a seate of earth with his beades which they vse in chaines and bracelets for ornament and the most part of his goods with him in his lasting home They kill Goats and shed the blood in the graues and powre wine there in memoriall of the dead They are much giuen to diuination by birds If a bird flie on their left hand or crie in some manner which they interprete ominous and vnluckie they will cease from the enterprises which they haue in hand Their Priests are called Gange and so highly reputed that the people thinke it in their power to send plentie or scarcitie life or death They are skilfull in medicinall herbes and in poysons and by familiaritie with the Deuill foretell things to come In Angola euery man taketh as many wiues as he will There are mines of siluer and of most excellent copper They haue many Kine but loue dogs better then any other flesh and fat them to the shambles Andrew Battell saith that the dogs in those Countries are all of one sort prick eared Curres of a meane bignesse which they vse also to hunt with but they open not for they cannot barke and therefore they hang clappers made of little boords about their necks Hee hath seene a Mastiffe sold for three slaues Lopez affirmeth that a great dogge was exchanged for two and twentie slaues which might happen vpon some extraordinarie occasion The money in Angola is glasse-beades which they vse also as is said for ornament The King of Angola hath seemed willing to become Christian and hath sent to the King of Congo for that purpose but could not obtayne any Priests in that scarcitie to instruct him This Kingdome hath many Lordships subiect thereto as farre on the Sea-coast as Cape Negro Towards a Lake called Aquelunda lyeth a Countrey called Quizama the Inhabitants whereof being gouerned after the manner of a Common-wealth haue shewed themselues friendly to the Portugals and helped them in their warres against Angola The houses in Angola are made in fashion like a Bee-hiue The women at the first sight of the newe Moone turne vp their Bummes in despight as offended with their menstruous courses which they ascribe vnto her The men sometimes in a valorous resolution will deuote themselues vnto some haughtie attempt in the warres and taking leaue of the King will vow neuer to returne till they bring him a horse-head or some other thing very dangerous in the enterprise and will either doe it or die Horse tayles are great jewells and two slaues will bee giuen for one tayle which commonly they bring from the Riuer of Plate where horses are exceedingly increased and growne wilde They will by firing the grasse round about hemme the horses about with a fierie circle the fire still streightning and approching neerer till they haue aduantage enough to kill them Thus haue the Europaean Cattell of horse and kine so increased in that other World as they spare not to kill the one for their hides and the other for their tayles §. II. Of Congo NExt to Angola Northwards is the Kingdome of Congo the westerne Line whereof Lopez extendeth three hundred threescore fifteen miles the Northern fiue hundred and fortie the Eastern fiue hundred and the Southern three hundred and threescore The breadth thereof from the mouth of Zaire crossing ouer the Mountaynes of the Sunne and the Mountaynes of Crystal is six hundred miles And yet is it much streightned of the ancient bounds only the title except which stil holdeth the old stile Don ALVARO King of Congo and of Abundos and of Matama and of Quizama and of Angola and of Cacongo and of the seuen Kingdomes of Congere Amolaza and of the Langelungos and Lord of the Riuer Zaire and of the Anziquos and Anziquana and of Loango The present Kingdome is diuided into sixe Prouinces Bamba Songo Sundi Pango Batta Pemba Bamba is the chiefe for greatnesse and riches then gouerned by Don Sebastian Mani-Bamba the word Mani is a title of honour and signifieth a Prince or Lord when need requireth the Mani-Bamba may haue in campe foure hundred thousand men of warre Therein are mines of siluer and on the Sea-coast a kinde of shells which they vse for money for siluer and gold is not vsed for money amongst them In this Prouince are yeerely bought by the Portugals about fiue thousand Negros There are among them very mightie men that will cleaue a slaue in the middle or cut off a Bulls head at one blow Yea one of them did beare on his arme a vessell of wine contayning the fourth part of a Butt and might weigh three hundred and fiue and twentie pound vntill it was cleane emptied
which some exorbitant members burthen themselues and make others by lighting heauy worthily therefore by the Sun of our Great Britaine at the first rising of his morning brightnesse dispersed from our Horizon But how farre is Loanda from Britaine And yet our scope is to bring Loanda and all the World else into our Britaine that our Britaines might see the in and outside of the same Loando is reported as some affirme of Egypt and Nilus to bee the issue of the Oceans sand and Coanzo's mire which in processe of time brought forth in their disagreeing agreement this Iland In Congo the King is Lord Supreme and none hath power to bequeath his goods to his kindred but the King is heire generall to all men CHAP. X. Of Loango the Anzichi Giachi and the great Lakes in those parts of the World §. I. Of Loango IT followeth in the course of our Discouerie to set you on shore in Loango the Northerly neighbour of Congo right vnder the Line whose Countrie stretched two hundred miles within Land The people are called Bramas the King Mani Loango sometimes as report goeth subiect to the King of Congo They are Circumcised after the maner of the Hebrews like as also the rest of the Nations of those Countries vse to be They haue aboundance of Elephants and weare cloathes of Palme Andrew Battell liued amongst them two yeares and a halfe They are saith he Heathens and obserue many Superstitions They haue their Mokisso's or Images to which they offer according to the proportion of their sorts and suits The Fisher offereth fish when he sueth for his helpe in his fishing the Countrey-man Wheat the Weauer Alibungo's pieces of cloth other bring bottles of wine all wanting that they would haue and bringing what they want furnishing their Mokisso with those things whereof they complaine themselues to be dis-furnished Their Ceremonies for the dead are diuers They bring Goats and let them bleed at the Mokisso's foot which they after consume in a Feasting memoriall of the deceased party which is continued foure or fiue dayes together and that foure or fiue seuerall times in the yeere by all of his friends and kindred The dayes are knowne and though they dwell twenty miles th ende yet they will resort to these memoriall-Exequies and beginning in the night will sing dolefull and funerall songs till day and then kill as aforesaid and make merry The hope of this maketh such as haue store of friends to contemne death and the want of friends to bewayle him makes a man conceiue a more dreadfull apprehension of Death Their conceit is so rauished with superstition that many dye of none other death Kin is the name of vnlawfull and prohibited meat which according to each kindreds deuotion to some Family is some kinde of Fish to another a Hen to another a Buffe and so of the rest in which they obserue their vowed abstinence so strictly that if any should though at vnawares eate of this Kin he would dye of conceit alway presenting to his accusing conscience the breach of his vow and the anger of Mokisso Hee hath knowne diuers thus to haue died and sometimes would when some of them had eaten with him make them beleeue that they had eaten of their Kin till hauing sported himselfe with their superstitious agony he would affirme the contrary They vse to set in their Fields and places where Corne or Fruits grow a Basket with Goats-hornes Parrats feathers and other trash This is the Mokisso's Ensigne or token that it is commended to his custodie and therefore the people very much addicted to theft dare not meddle or take any thing Likewise if a man wearied with his burthen lay it downe in the high-way and knit a knot of grasse and lay thereon or leaue any other note knowne to them to testifie that hee hath left it there in the name of his Idol it is secured from the lime-fingers of any passenger Conceit would kill the man that should transgresse in this kinde In the Banza or chiefe Citie the chiefe Idol is named Chekoke Euery day they haue there Market and the Chekoke is brought forth by the Ganga or Priest to keep good rule and is set in the Market-place to preuent stealing Moreouer the King hath a Bell the strokes whereof sound such terrour into the heart of the fearfull thiefe that none dare keepe any stolne goods after the sound of that Bell. Our Author inhabited in a little Reed-house after the Loango manner and had hanging by the wals in a Cloth-case his Piece wherewith hee vsed to shoot Fowles for the King which more for loue of the Cloth then for the Peece was stolne Vpon complaint this Bell in forme like a Cowbell was carried about rung with proclamation to make restitution and he had his Peece the next morning set at his doore The like another found in a bagge of Beads of a hundred pound weight stolne from him and recouered by the sound of this Bell. They haue a dreadfull and deadly kind of tryall in Controuersies after this manner There is a little Tree or Shrub with a small Root is called Imbunda about the bignesse of ones thumbe halfe a foot long like a white Carrot Now when any listeth to accuse a Man or Family or whole Street of the death of any of his friends saying That such a man bewitched him the Ganga assembleth the accused parties and scrapes that Root the scrapings wherof he mixeth with water which makes it as bitter as gall hee tasted of it one Root will serue for the tryall of a hundred men The Ganga brewes the same together in Gourds and with Plantine stalkes hitteth euery one after they had drunke with certaine words Those that haue receiued the drinke walke by till they can make Vrine and then they are thereby freed Others abide till either Vrine trees them or dizzinesse takes them which the people no sooner perceiue but they cry Vndoke Vndoke that is naughty Witch and hee is no sooner fallen by his dizzinesse but they knocke him on the head and dragging him away hurle him ouer the Cliffe In euery Liberty they haue such Tryals which they make in cases of Theft and death of any person Euery weeke it fals out that some or other vndergoes this tryall which consumeth multitudes of people There be certaine persons called Dunda which are borne of Negro-Parents and yet are by some vnknowne cause white They are very rare and when such happen to be born they are brought to the King and become great Witches They are his Councellors and aduise him of lucky and vnlucky dayes for execution of his enterprises When the King goes any whither the Dundas goe with him and beat the ground round about with certaine Exorcismes before the King sits downe and then sit downe by him They will take any thing in the Market not daring to contradict them Kenga is the landing place of Loango They haue
an Iland fourteene leagues from Zacotora from whence it is fifteen leagues to Cape Guardafu At Tamarind they had no raine in two yeers together Two small Iles lie to the North of Socotera called the two Sisters the Inhabitants of an oliue colour without Law among themselues or commerce with others There are also those two Iles the one of men the other of women which wee mentioned in our fift booke a matter how true I know not but very strange They are Christians subiect to the Bishop of Socotera and he to the Zatoia in Baldach Many other Ilands there bee of no great name in that Sea called Sinus Barbaricus as of Don Garcia the three and the seuen brethren of Saint Brandon Saint Francis Mascarenna Do Natal Comoro and many other besides those of Quiloa Mosambique and some other for their vicinitie to the Land before handled The I le of Saint Laurence so called by the Portugals by themselues Madagascar is meetest in all those parts to entertayne the Readers obseruation as being one of the greatest Ilands of the world It contayneth in breadth foure hundred and fourescore miles in length a thousand and two hundred M. Polo saith the Inhabitants were Saracens and were gouerned vnder foure Lords eate Camels flesh vse merchandize or artes Thus farre did the Great Can stretch his Tartarian Dominion and sent hither to spie the Land That which Polo saith he heard of a bird in this Iland called Ruch so bigge as it could take vp an Elephant hath no likelihood of truth He calls it Magascar It is situate from seuenteene to six and twentie ½ of Southerly latitude Onely vpon the coast they are Mahumetans within Land Idolaters black and like the Cafres the soile yeeldeth Cloues Ginger and Siluer It deserueth to haue better Inhabitants if Linschoten iudge rightly hauing many faire and fresh Riuers safe Harbours plentie of fruits and cattell therein are foure gouernments each fighting against other They vse not themselues to trade with others nor suffer others to traffique with them The Portugals haue some trade with them but goe not on land In the first discouerie of them by the Portugals 1506. they shewed themselues in hospitall and trecherous rewarding receiued kindnesse in their Canoas or Boats made of the body of a tree with shot There are said to bee some white people supposed to be of Chinian off-spring Of the people of Madagascar the Hollanders report that they are of colour blacke strong and well made they couer their priuities with cotton they haue large holes in their eares in which they weare round sticks They acknowledge one Creator and obserue Circumcision but know nothing of praying or keeping festiuals They haue no proper names whereby to distinguish one day from another neither doe they number weekes moneths or yeeres Nor doe they number aboue ten They are exceedingly afraid of the deuill whom they call Tiuuaddes because he vseth often to afflict them They liue most-what on fishing They marrie but one wife their time of marriage is for the men at twelue the women at ten yeeres of age Adulterie and Theft are punished with death The men vse to hunt abroad the women spin their Cottons at home whereof they haue trees yeelding plentie If any man kill any of his Kine all his neighbours may challenge part Cornelius Houtman saith they are sweet-spoken men They haue a kinde of Beanes or Lobos growing on trees the cod whereof is two foot long They haue a kind of seed whereof a little makes foolish a greater quantitie kils herewith they betrayed and killed threescore and eight Hollanders with their Captaine The English haue had some knowledge of this Iland to their cost as those of the Vnion before mentioned But not trusting them too farre they here finde good refreshing Captaine Downton arriued there in the Bay of Saint Augustine Aug. 10. 1614. and bought of them diuers Beeues at a reasonable rate The people are tall and swart their haire smooth and finely plaited their weapons are darts neatly headed with Iron Their cattell fairer then any I haue seene hauing on their fore-shoulders a lumpe of fat like the pomell of a saddle Here were Tamarin trees with greene fruit vpon them the pulpe whereof boyled cured our men of the Scorbute They haue store of cotton whereof they make striped cloth of diuers colours Another then in companie reports them to bee a strong actiue people not fearefull of gunnes or other weapons ciuill honest and vnderstanding their weapons small Lances Bowes Arrowes and Darts their Kine sold at three foure or fiue shillings a peece as sweet and fat as ours That bunch on the shoulder is very sweet in taste And as one reporteth he had seene the skin that compassed one of them contayned six or eight gallons Here are many Crocodiles The Vnion comming to Gungomar in the North-west corner of Madagascar was assaulted by a Nauie of an hundred Canoes by water arranged in order of a halfe moone the King trecherously assaulting them out of the woods and tooke Captaine Michelborne with other Merchants In Saint Marie an Iland by Madagascar they met with the King which was obserued of his subiects with great reuerence Here they buried one of their dead men the Ilanders being present who signified by signes that his soule was gone to heauen and would haue had them to cut off his legs by the knees The I le of Cerne they called Maurice Iland They found excellent Ebon trees there the wood whereof is as black as pitch and as smooth as Iuorie inclosed with a thick barke They found of the same kinde some red some yellow There were Palme-trees like the Cocos They found store of birds whereof they might take some in their nests with their hands There were no people inhabiting In the I le of Bata our men killed a Bat as great as a Hare in shape like a Squirrill with two flaps of skin which hee spred forth when he leaped from tree to tree which they can doe nimbly often holding only by their tailes The Hollanders in the Bay of Anton Gil Southwards from Madagascar in sixteene degrees saw the King blacke or hue wearing two hornes on his head and many chaines or bracelets of Brasse on his armes This place is fertile the people valiant In the channell betweene the firme land and Madagascar are many Ilands great and small all inhabited by Mahumetans the chiefe of which is S. Christopher more Northwards against Mombaza and Melinde are three Ilands Momsid Zanzibar and Pemba inhabited with Mahumetans of white colour In the time of M. Polo Zenzibar was Heathenish The inhabitants he saith very grosse and deformed and likewise the women Neere the Cape of Good Hope are the Isles of Don Aluares and Tristan d' Acunuha but of no great note The deepenesse of these Seas make them vncapable of many Islands CHAP. XII Of
of Columbus his Companions by his example inuited made new Discoueries and Vespucius and Cabota and many other euery day making new searches and plantations till the World at last is come to the knowledge of this New World almost wholly The particulars will more fitly appeare in our particular Relations of each Countrey §. III. Of the Beasts Fowles and Plants in America AFter this Discourse of the men in those parts let vs take some generall view of the other Creatures especially such as are more generally disperst through the Indies I haue before noted that America had very few of such Creatures as Europe yeeldeth vntill they were transported thither and therefore they haue no Indian names for them but those which the Spaniards that brought them giue vnto them as Horse Kine and such like They haue Lions but not like in greatnesse fiercenesse nor colour to those of Africa They haue Beares in great abundance except on the North parts They haue store of Deere Bores Foxes and Tygres which as in Congo are more cruell to the Naturals then to the Spaniards These beasts were not found in the Ilands but in the Continent and yet now in those Ilands Kine are multiplyed and growne wilde without other Owner then such as first can kill them the Dogges likewise march by troupes and endammage the Cattle worse then Wolues Their Swine did multiply exceedingly but as an Enemy to their Sugars a great commoditie in Hispaniola where Anno 1535. Ouiedo reckons almost thirty Ingenions the number daily increasing they were forced to root out this rooting kind of beasts This Iland hath stored the other about it with store of Horse and Mares which are sold very cheape For Kine the Bishop of Venezuola had sixteene thousand head of that kind of beasts and more others possessed thousands also and some killed them only for their Hides of which were shipped from hence for Spaine Anno 1587. 35444. and from New Spaine 64350. as Acosta relateth The Lyons are gray and vse to clime Trees The Indians hunt and kill them The Beares and Tygres are like those in other parts but not so many Apes and Monkies they haue of many kinds and those admirably pleasing in their Apish tricks and imitations seeming to proceed from Reason A Souldier leuelling at one of them to shoot him the silly beast dyed not vnreuenged but hurling a stone as the other aymed at him depriued the Souldier of his eye and lost his owne life They haue Monkies with long beards Acosta tels of one Monkie that would goe to the Tauerne at his Masters sending and carrying the pot in one hand and money in the other would not by any meanes depart with his money till he had his pot filled with wine and returning home would pelt the boyes with stones and yet haue care to carie his Wine home safe to his Master neither touching it himselfe till some were giuen him nor suffering other They haue a monstrous deformed beast whose forepart resembleth a Fox the hinder part an Ape excepting the feet which are like a mans beneath her belly she hath a receptacle like a purse wherein she bestowes her yong vntill they can shift for themselues neuer comming out of this naturall nest but to sucke Sheepe haue much encreased and by good husbandry in that plenty of pasture would be a great commoditie but in the Islands the wilde Dogges destroy them and therefore they that kill these Dogges are rewarded for it as they which kill Wolues in Spaine The Dogges which the Indians had before were snowted like Foxes they fatted them to eat and kept them also for pleasure but they could not barke Such Dogges we haue shewed are in Congo Their Stagges and Deere in the South parts of America haue no horns They haue store of Conies The Armadilla is an admirable creature of which there bee diuers kinds they resemble a barded Horse seeming to be armed all ouer and that as if it were rather by artificiall Plates opening and shutting then naturall scales it digs vp the earth as Conies and Moules The Hogs of the Indies haue their nauill vpon the ridge of their backs They go in heards together and assaile men hauing sharpe talons like razors and hunt their Hunters vp the tops of trees whence they easily kill these enraged Sainos so they call them biting the tree for anger The Dante 's resemble small Kine and are defended by the hardnesse of their hydes The Vicugne somewhat resembleth a Goat but is greater they sheare them and of their fleeces make Rugs and Couerings and stuffes In the stomacke and belly of this beast is found the Bezar-stone sometimes one alone sometimes two three or foure the colour of which is blacke or gray or greene or otherwise it is accounted soueraigne against poisons and venemous diseases It is found in diuers sorts of beass but all chew the cud and commonly feed vpon the snow and Rockes The Indian sheepe they call Lama it is a beast of great profit not onely for food and raiment but also for carriage of burthens they are bigger then sheepe and lesse then Calues they will beare a hundred and fifty pound weight In some places they call them Amydas and vse them to greater burthens Hulderike Schmidel affirmes that hee liuing in the parts about the Riuer of Plate being hurt on his legge rode fortie leagues vpon one of them They will grow restie and will lye downe with their burthen no stripes nor death able to asswage their mood onely good words and faire dealing with gentle entreatie sometimes diuers houres together can preuaile Of fowles they haue many kinds which we haue as Partridges Turtles Pidgeons Stock-Doues Quailes Faulcons Herons Eagles and a World of Parrots which in some places fly by flockes as Pidgeons There are also Estridges Hens they had before the Spaniards arriued They haue other kinds peculiar The Tomineios is the least in quantitie the greatest for admiration and wonder I haue oftentimes doubted saith Acosta seeing them fly whether they were Bees or Butter-flyes but in truth they are Birds Thenet and Lerius call it Gonambuch or Gonanbuch They affirme that it yeelds nothing in sweetnesse of note to the Nightingale and yet is not bigger then a Beetle or Drone-Bee One would say Vox os praeterea nihil but so could not any truely say for euen otherwise it is almost miraculous Nature making this little shop her great store-house of wonder and astonishment and shewing her greatest greatnesse in the least Instruments The Prouinciall of the Iesuites in Brasil affirmeth as Clusius testifies that the Brasilians called it Ourissia which signifyeth the Sun-beame and that it was procreated of a Fly and that he had seene one partly a Bird and partly a Fly first coloured blacke then ash-coloured then rose-coloured then red and lastly the head set against the Sunne to resemble all colours in most admired varietie
making a noyse downward that they worship the Deuill vnder them There is no flesh or fish which they find dead smel it neuer so filthily but they wil eat it without any other dressing Their Deere haue skins like Asses and feet large like Oxen which were measured 7. or 8. inches in breadth There are no Riuers or running Springs but such as the Sun causeth to come of snow Sometimes they will perboyle their meate a little in kettles made of beasts skins with the bloud water which they drinke lick the bloudy knife with their tongues This licking is the medicine also for their wounds They seeme to haue traffike with other Nations from whom they a small quantity of Iron Their fire they make of heath mosse In their leather Boats they row with one oare faster then we can in our Boats with all our oares §. IIII. Discoueries by IOHN DAVIS GEORGE WEYMOVTH and IAMES HALL to the North-West MAster Iohn Dauis in the yeere 1585. made his first voyage for the North-west discouery and in 64. degrees and 15. minutes they came on shore on an Iland where they had sight of the Sauages which seemed to worship the Sunne For pointing vp to the Sunne with their hands they would strike their breasts hard with their hands which being answered with like action of the English was taken for a confirmed league and they became very familiar They first leaped and danced with a kind of Timbrel which they strucke with a sticke Their apparell was of beasts and birds skins buskins hose gloues c. Some leather they had which was dressed like the Glouers leather The 6. of August they discouered land in 66. deg. 40. min.. They killed white Beares one of whose fore-feet was fourteene inches broad so fat that they were forced to cast it away It seemed they fed on the grasse by their dung which was like to Horse-dung they heard Dogs howle on the shore which were tame They killed one with a Collar about his necke hee had a bone in his pisle these it seemed were vsed to the Sled for they found two Sleds The next yeere he made his second voyage wherein hee found the Sauage people tractable They are great Idolaters and Witches They haue many Images which they weare about them and in their Boats They found a graue wherein were many buried couered with Seales skinnes and a Crosse laid ouer them One of them made a fire of Turfs kindled with the motion of a sticke in a piece of a boord which had a hole halfe thorow into which hee put many things with diuers words and strange gestures our men supposed it to be a sacrifice They would haue had one of the English to stand in the smoke which themselues were bidden to doe and would not by any meanes whereupon one of them was thrust in and the fire put out by our men They are very theeuish They eate raw Fish grasse and Ice and drinke salt-water Heere they saw a whirlewinde take vp the water in great quantitie furiously mounting it vp into the ayre three houres together with little intermission They found in 63. degrees 8. minutes a strange quantitie of Ice in one entire masse so bigge that they knew not the limits thereof very high in forme of land with Bayes and Capes like high-cliffe-land they sent their Pinnasse to discouer it which returned with information that it was onely Ice This was the 17. of Iuly 1586. and they coasted it till the thirtieth of Iuly In the 66. deg. 33. min.. they found it very hot and were much troubled with a stinging Fly called Muskito All the Lands they saw seemed to bee broken and Ilands which they coasted Southwards till they were in foure and fifty and a halfe and there found hope of a passage In the same voyage he had sent the Sun-shine from him in 60. degrees which went to Iseland and on the seuenth of Iuly had sight of the Gronland and were hindered from harbour by the Ice They coasted it till the last of Iuly Their houses neere the Sea-side were made with pieces of wood crossed ouer with poles and couered with earth Our men played at foot-ball with them of the Iland The third voyage was performed the next yeere 1587. wherein Mr Dauis discouered to the 73. degree finding the Sea all open and forty leagues betweene land and land hauing Groenland which hath an Iland neere it to the West for the loathsome view of the shore couered with snow without wood earth or grasse to be seene and the irkesome noise of the Ice called Desolation in 59. on the East and America on the West The Spanish Fleet and the vntimely death of Master Secretarie Walsingham the Epitome and summary of Humane worthinesse hindered the prosecution of these intended Discoueries In the yeere 1602. Captain George Weymouth made a voyage of Discouery to the Northwest with two Fly-boats set forth by the Muscouy Company saw the South part of Gronland and had water in 120. fadome blacke as thick as puddle and in a little space cleere with many such enterchanges The breach of the Ice made a noise as a thunder-clap and ouerturning had sunke both their Vessels if they had not with great diligence preuented it They had store of Fogges some freezing as they fell In 68 deg. 53. min.. they encountred an Inlet forty leagues broad and sailed West and by South in the same 100. leagues Iames Hall An. 1605. sailed to Groenland from Denmarke and had like encounters of Ice yeelding in the breach no lesse noise then if fiue Canons had beene discharged with people also like those which in Frobishers Voyage are mentioned they make sailes of guts sowed together for their fishing Boats and deceiued the Seales with Seales-skin garments Groenland is high Mountainous full of broken Ilands alongst the Coasts Riuers nauigable and good Bayes full of fish Betweene the Mountaines are pleasant Plaines and Vallies such as a man would scarce beleeue He saw store of Fowle no beasts but blacke Foxes and Deere The people seemed a kind of Samoydes wandering in Summer by companies for Hunting and Fishing and remouing from place to place with their Tents and Baggage they are of reasonable stature browne actiue warlike eate raw meat or a little perboyled with bloud Oyle or a little water which they drinke their apparell beasts of fowles skinnes the hairy or feathered side outward in Summer in the Winter inward their arrowes and darts with two feathers and a bone-head they haue no wood but drift they worship the Sunne Anno 1606. He made a second Voyage thither found their Winter houses built with Whales bones couered with Earth and Vaults two yards deepe vnder the Earth square They call Groenland in their language Secanunga Vp within the Land they haue a King carried on mens shoulders The next yeere he sailed thither the third time and in a fourth Voyage 1612. was slaine
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
38. and 39. The temperature agreeth with English bodies not by other meanes distempered The Summer is hot as in Spaine the Winter cold as in France and England certaine coole Brizes doe asswage the vehemency of the heate The great Frost in the yeere 1607. reached to Virginia but was recompenced with as milde a Winter with them the next yeere And the Winter Anno 1615. was as cold and frosty one fortnight as that There is but one entrance by Sea into this Country and that at the mouth of a very goodly Bay The Capes on both sides were honoured with the names of our Britanian hopes Prince Henry and Duke Charles The water floweth in this Bay neere two hundred miles and hath a channell for a hundred and forty miles of depth betwixt seuen and fifteene fathome of breadth ten or fourteene miles At the head of the Bay the Land is Mountaynous and so runneth by a Southwest Line from which Mountaynes proceed certaine Brooks which after come to fiue principall Nauigable Riuers The Mountaynes are of diuers composition some like Mil-stones some of Marble many pieces of Chrystall they found throwne downe by the waters which also wash from the Rockes such glistering Tinctures that the ground in some places seemeth gilded The colour of the earth in diuers places resembleth Bole-Armoniac terra sigillata and other such apparances but generally is a blacke sandy molde The Riuer next to the mouth of the Bay is Powhatan the mouth whereof is neere three miles broad it is Nauigable an hundred miles falls rocks shoalds prohibite further Nauigation hence Powhatan their greatest King hath his Title In a Peninsula on the Northside thereof is situate Iames Towne The people inhabiting which haue their Weroances are the Kecoughtans which haue not past twenty fighting men The Paspaheghes haue forty Chichahamania two hundred The Weanocks an hundred The Arrowhatocks thirty The Place called Powhatan forty The Appamatusks threescore The Quiyonghcohanocks fiue and twenty The Warraikoyacks forty The Naudsamunds two hundred The Chesapeacks an hundred The Chickahamanians are not gouerned by a Weroance but by the Priests No place affordeth more Sturgeon in Summer of which at one draught haue beene taken threescore and eight nor in Winter more Fowle Fourteene miles from Powhatan is the Riuer Pamaunke nauigable with greater Vessels not aboue threescore and ten miles Toppahanok is nauigable an hundred and thirty miles Patawomeke an hundred and twenty To speake of Powtuxunt Bolus and other Riuers on the East side of the Bay likewise of diuers places which receiued name by some accident as Fetherstones Bay so called of the death of one of ours there happening and the like or to mention the numbers which euery people can make would exceed our scope and the Readers patience Captaine Smiths Map may somewhat satisfie the desirous and his Booke now printed further This the Captaine saith that hee hath beene in many places of Asia and Europe in some of Africa and America but of all holds Virginia by the naturall endowments the fittest place for an earthly Paradise Alexander Whitaker the Preacher at Henrico writes that at the mouth of Powhatan are the Forts of Henrico and Charles two and forty miles vpward is Iames Towne and threescore and ten miles beyond that the new Towne of Henrico ten miles higher the fals where the Riuer falleth downe betweene many minerall Rockes twelue miles beyond a Chrystall Rocke wherewith the Indians head their Arrowes three dayes iourney from thence is a Rocke or Hill found couered ouer with a rich siluer Ore Our men that went to discouer those parts had but two Iron Pickaxes with them and those so ill tempered that the points turned againe at euery stroke but tryall was made of the Ore with argument of much hope Sixe dayes iourney beyond this Mine runs a ridge of Hils beyond which the Indians report is a great Sea which if it bee true is the South Sea At Henrico they are exceeding healthfull and more then in England Master Thomas Hariot hath largely described the Commodities which the Water and Earth yeeld set forth also in Latine with exquisite Pictures by Theodore de Bry besides the relations of Brereton and Rosier and others There is a Grasse which yeeldeth silke beside store of Silke-wormes Hempe and Flaxe surpassing ours in growth and goodnesse exceeded by a new found stuffe of a certaine sedge or water-flagge which groweth infinitely and with little paines of boyling yeeldeth great quantitie of sundry sorts of Skeines of good strength and length some like silke and some like Flaxe and some a courser sort as Hempe There is also a rich veine of Allum of Terra Sigillata Pitch Tarre Rozen Turpentine Sassafras Cedar Grapes Oyle Iron Copper and the hope of better Mines Pearle sweete Gummes Dyes Timber Trees of sweet wood for profit and pleasure of which kinde haue beene discouered fourteene seuerall kinds Neither is it needfull that heere I relate the Commodites of Virginia for food in Fowles Beasts Fishes Fruites Plants Hearbes Berries Graines especially their Maiz which yeeldeth incredible recompence for a little labour One Acre of ground will yeeld with good husbandry two hundred Bushels of Corne They haue two Roots the one for Medicinall vse to cure their hurts called Weighsacan the other called Tockahough growing like a flagge of the greatnesse and taste of a Potato which passeth a fiery purgation before they may eate it being poyson whiles it is raw Yet in all this abundance our men haue had small store but of want and no fire nor water could purge that poyson which was rooted in Some to the hinderance of the Plantation The chiefe Beasts of Virginia are Beares lesse then those in other places Deere like ours Aronghcun much like a Badger but liuing on trees like a Squirrell Squirrels as big as Rabbets and other flying Squirrels called Assepanicke which spreading out their legs and skins seeme to flye thirty or forty yards at a time The Opassom hath a head like a Swine a tayle like a Rat as bigge as a Cat and hath vnder her belly a bagge wherein she carrieth her yong Their Dogges barke not Their Wolues are not much bigger then our Foxes Their Foxes are like our siluer-haired Conies and smell not like ours Mussascus is otherwise as our Water-Rat but smelleth strongly of Muske Master Whitaker saith they yeeld Muske as the Musk-Cats doe Their Vetchunquoys are wild Cats Their vermine destroyed not our Egges and Pullen nor were their Serpents or Flyes any way pernicious They haue Eagles Hawkes wild Turkeyes and other Fowle and Fish which here to repeate would to some nice fastidious stomacks breed a fulnesse though with some of their Countrimen in Virginia they would haue beene sauoury sometimes and dainty They are a people clothed with loose Mantles made of Deeres skins and aprons of the same round about their middles all else naked of stature like to vs in England They
wee haue banished together out of our Coasts euery one distrusting or defrauding others whiles eyther by miserable keeping or luxurious spending he which is bad to all is worst to himselfe To this Barne they bring at a certaine time of the yeere all the Venison Fish and Crocodiles dryed before in the smoke for the better preseruation which they meddle not with til need forceth them and then they signifie the same to each other The King may take thereof as much as he will This prouision is sent in baskets on the shoulders of their Hermaphrodites which weare long haire and are their Porters for all burthens They hunt Harts after a strange manner for they will put on a Harts skinne with the legges and head on so that the same shall serue them to stalke with and they will looke thorow the eye and the holes of the Hide as if it were a Vizor thereby deceiuing their Game which they shoot and kill especially at the places where they come to drinke Their Crocodiles they take in a strange manner They are so plagued with these beast that they keepe continuall watch and ward against them as other-where against their Enemies For this purpose they haue a watch-house by the Riuers side and when hunger driues the beast on shore for his prey the Watchmen call to men appointed they come tenne or twelue of them bearing a beame or tree the smaller end whereof they thrust into the mouth of the Crocodile comming vpon them gaping for his prey which being sharpe and rough cannot be got out and therewith they ouer-turne him and then being laid on his backe easily kill him The flesh tasteth like Veale and would be sauoury meate if it did not sauour so much of a Muskie sent Their sobrietie lengtheneth their liues in such sort that one of their Kings told me saith Morgues that he was three hundred yeeres old and his Father which there he shewed me aliue was fiftie yeeres elder then himselfe when I saw him mee thought I saw nothing but bones couered with skinne His sinewes veines and arteries sayth Laudonniere in description of the same man his bones and other parts appeared so cleerely thorow his skinne that a man might easily tell them and discerne the one from the other He could not see nor yet speake without great paine Monsieur de Ottigni demanding of their age the younger of these two called a company of Indians and striking twice on his thigh laid his hands on two of them hee shewed that they were his Sonnes and striking on their thighes he shewed others which were their Sonnes and so continued till the fift generation And yet it was told them that the eldest of them both might by the course of Nature liue thirtie or fortie yeeres more They haue a diuellish custome to offer the first-borne male-children to the King for a sacrifice The day of this dismall Rite being notified to the King he goeth to the place appointed and sits downe Before him is a blocke two foot high and as much thicke before which the mother of the child sitting on her heeles and couering her face with her hands deploreth the death of her sonne One of her friends offereth the child to the King and then the women which accompanied the mother place themselues in a Ring dancing and singing and shee that brought the child stands in the mids of them with the child in her hands singing somewhat in the Kings commendation Sixe Indians stand apart and with them the Priest with a Club wherewith after these ceremonies he killeth the child on that blocke which was once done in our presence Another religious Rite they obserue about the end of Februarie they take the hide of the greatest Hart they can get the hornes being on and fill the same with the best hearbs which grow amongst them hanging about the hornes necke and bodie as it were Garlands of their choisest fruits Hauing thus sowed and trimmed it they bring the same with songs and pipes and set it on a high tree with the head turned toward the East with prayers to the Sunne that hee would cause the same good things to grow againe in their land The King and his Magician stand neerest the tree and begin all the people following with their Responds This done they goe their wayes leauing it there till the next yeere and then renue the same ceremonie Ribault at his first comming had two of the Floridians aboord with him certaine dayes who when they offered them meat refused it giuing them to vnderstand that they were accustomed to wash their face and to stay till sun-set before they did eate which is a ceremonie common in all those parts They obserue a certaine Feast called Toya with great solemnitie The place where it is kept is a great circuit of ground swept and made neat by the women the day before and on the Feast day they which are appointed to celebrate this Feast come painted and trimmed with feathers and set themselues in order Three others in differing painting and gestures follow with Tabrets dancing and singing in a lamentable tune others answering them After that they haue sung danced and turned three times they fall to running like vnbrideled Horses through the midst of the thicke Woods the Indian Women continuing all the day in weeping and teares cutting the armes of the yong Girles with Muskle-shels with hurling the blood into the Ayre crying out three times He Toya Those that ranne through the Woods returne two dayes after and then dance in the midst of the place and cheere vp those which were not called to the Feast Their dances ended they deuoure the meat for they had not eate in three dayes before The Frenchmen learned of a boy that in this meane-while the Iawas had made inuocation to Toya and by Magicall Characters had made him come that he might speake with him and demand diuers strange things of him which for feare of the Iawas he durst not vtter To prouoke them vnto reuenge against their enemies they in their Feasts haue this custome There is a Dagger in the roome which one taketh and striketh therewith one that is thereunto appointed and then places the Dagger where he had it and anon renueth the stroke till the Indian falling downe the women Girles Boyes come about him and make great lamentation the men meane-while drinking Cassine but with such silence that not one word is heard afterwards they apply Mosse warmed to his side to heale him Thus doe they call to minde the death of their Ancestors slaine by their enemies especially when they haue inuaded and returne out of their enemies Countrey without the heads of any of them or without any Captiues §. III. Of the more In-land parts of Florida discouered by NVNEZ BVt let vs take view of the more Southerly and Westerly parts of Florida beyond the point Of Pamphilo Naruaes his vnfortunate Expedition
charmes were the cause that made the earth bring forth her fruit and that he might the easier perswade them he retired himselfe once or twice a yeere to a certain house accompanied with two or three of his friends where he vsed inchantments If any man offered to see what he did it cost him his life Euery yeere he offereth a man in the time of Haruest which was kept for that purpose and taken of such Spaniards as had suffered shipwrack on that Coast They which further desire to know the riches and commodities of these Countries may resort to the Authors in this Chapter mentioned Sir Francis Drake in the yeere 1586. besides his worthy exploits in other places tooke the Forts of S. Iohn and Saint Augustine whence he brought Pedro Morales and Nicholas Burgoignon whose relations concerning that Countrey Master Hackluit hath inserted among other his painfull labours Dauid Ingram reported many strange things which he saith he saw in these parts Elephants Horses and beasts twice as big as Horses their hinder parts resembling Greyhounds Buls with eares like Hounds beasts bigger then Beares without head or necke but hauing their eyes and mouthes in their brests and another beast Cerberus he cals him Colluchio which is saith he the Deuill in likenesse of a Dogge and sometimes of a Calfe with many other matters wherein he must pardon me if I be not too prodigall of my Faith He tels also of punishment of adultery by death the woman cutting the adulterers throat and the neerest kinsman hers after many prayers to the Colluchio and a further punishment in that they haue no quicke bodie buried with them to attend them into the other world as all others haue But they that list to beleeue may consult with the Author Anthony Goddard another of Ingrams company left by Sir Iohn Hawkins going another way at Panuco yeelded himselfe to the Spaniards with whom was Miles Philips and Iob Hortop whose discourses of their disaduentures with the Spaniards and Indians Master Hakluit hath published and hath Goddards also written CHAP. VIII Of the Countreys situate Westward from Florida and Virginia towards the South-Sea §. I. Of Cibola Tigues Quiuira and Noua Albion WE haue hitherto discouered those parts of this Northerne America which trend along the North Sea which the English and French Nations haue most made knowne vnto vs further Westward the mid-land countreys are not so well knowne yet following our Spanish guides wee here present them from their relations to your view When as Cortez had conquered Mexico as after followeth to be related he was made Admirall of the South-Seas but the gouernment of Mexico and New Spaine was with the title of Vice-roy giuen to Antonio de Mendoza These two partly in emulation of each others glory partly in hope of enriching themselues sought to discouer vnknowne Lands the one by Sea the later both by Sea Land The Viceroy sent as he himselfe testifieth Francis Vasquez de Coronado and Frier Marco de Nisa with Stephen a Negro by land out of whose relations we haue inserted that which concerneth our purpose Marke the Frier and Stephen set forth with certaine Indians in this Discouerie and Stephen going before came to Ceuola as Marke related where hee was slaine the Frier followed with his Indian guides and passed thorow one place where was small store of Victuall because it had not there rained as the Inhabitants affirmed in three yeares space The Indians call him Hayota that is a man come from Heauen Hee passed on further led by the same of Ceuola which with other sixe Cities were reported to be vnder the gouernment of one Lord and to haue houses of stone consisting of diuers stories where were many Turqueses with many other strange reports of their Markets multitudes and wealth But because the Frier came not there for feare of the Negros entertainment let vs listen to Francis Vasquez who came saw and ouercame An 1540. He went with his Army from Culiacan which is 200. leagues from Mexico and after a long and tedious iourney he at last arriued in this Prouince and conquered almost with the losse of himselfe the first Citie of the seuen which he called Granado Twice he was striken downe with stones from the wall as he offered to scale the same He saith that their houses were of foure or fiue stories or lofts to which they ascended on ladders and that they had Cellers vnder the ground good and paued But those seuen Cities were small Townes all standing in the compasse of foure leagues all called by that generall name of Ceuola or Cibola and none of them particularly so called but hauing other peculiar names they were of like building In this Towne which he conquered stood 200. houses walled about and 300. others not walled The Inhabitants had remoued their wiues and wealth to the Hill Hee reporteth of beasts there Beares Tygres Lions and Sheepe as bigge as horses with great hornes and little tayles Ounces also and Stagges That which the Indians worshipped as farre as they could learne was the Water which said they caused the Corne to grow and maintained their life Hee found there a garment excellently embroidered with needle-worke Vasquez went hence to Tiguez to Cieuic and to Quiuira as Lopez de Gomara reporteth This way is full of crooke-backed Oxen. Quiuira is in 40. degrees and the Countrey is temperate They saw Ships in the Sea which bare Alcatoazes or Pelicans of Gold and Siluer in their Prowes laden with Merchandise which they tooke to be of China or Cathay The men in these parts cloath and shoo themselues with leather they haue no bread of any kind of graine their chiefe food is flesh which they often eate raw either for custome or for lacke of wood They eate the fat as they take it out of the Oxe and drinke the bloud hot which of our buls is counted poison and the flesh they warme for they seethe it not at a fire of Oxe-dung They rather may be said to rauin then to eate it holding the flesh with their teeth cut it with rasors of stone They goe in companies as the Scythian Nomades Tartarian floords and many other Nations following the seasons and best pasturings for their oxen These Oxen are of the bignesse and colour of our Buls but their hornes are not so great They haue a great bunch vpon their shoulders and more haire on their fore-part then on the hinder and it is like wooll They haue as it were a horse-mane on their backe bone and much haire and very long from their knees downwards They haue great tufts of haire on their foreheads and haue a kinde of beard vnder their chins and throats the males haue very long tayles with a great knob or flocke at the end so that in some respect they resemble a Lyon in other the Camels Horses Oxen Sheepe or Goats They push with their hornes and in their rage
in water thicke and white the next day in fresh and the day after saw two Islands in the mouth of Amazones accounting themselues fortie Leagues vp the Riuer May 22. they were in the Riuer of Wiapogo which they called Caroleigh in three degrees and halfe Northward from the Line The people were ready to giue them entertainment The Iayos and Capayos offered them their owne houses and gardens already planted two of which he accepted with some gardens vndertaking to defend them against the Charibes and their other enemies They desired him to send into England for some to teach them to pray and gaue fiue pledges to be sent thither He after intending for England dyed aboord his ship of the Flux They intoxicate the fish with a strong sentedwood called Ayaw whereby they easily take them on the top of the water Their bread is Cassaui of which chewed they also make drinke They are much troubled with a Worme like a Flea the Spaniards call it Niguas which creepes into the flesh of their toes vnder the nailes and multiply there with much multiplication of torment except they vse speedie preuention One was so pestred with them that for remedie they were faine to hold his feet vpwards and powre thereon melted Wax hot which being cold they plucked off and therewith seuen or eight hundred Niguas The people are of modest countenance naked but would weare clothes if they had them Huntly returned for England and left there fiue and thirtie which should haue bin succoured it Discord had suffered Anno 1605. a ship was sent for supply but the Mariners and Land-men quarelling these were left on Land at Saint Lucia an Island in twelue degrees of Northerly Latitude to the number of threescore and seuen and most of them slaine a by the Ilanders These Indians go naked haue long blacke haire their bodies painted red with three strokes also of red from the eare to the eye Eleuen of our men after much miserie and famishment which killed some of them in the way got to Coro and after good and bad entercourse of fortunes with the Spaniards some returned home The Spaniards there as Iohn Nichol one of this companie testifieth told them of a Vision of Christ on the Crosse appearing to our King and reuoking him from his error at the sight whereof three of our Bishops fell into a trance and so continued three dayes after which they became Catholikes and preached and the King had sent to the Pope for learned men to perfect this Conuersion These were the Spanish tricks with faithlesse tales to peruert these men to their faith The Mariners gaue names to the places which they left according to their conceits of these men Rogues Bay Cape Knaue Riuer of Rascals They came as farre as Comana or Cumana where they obserued the weather hot till noone and then a coole breeze and thunder without raine by windes and current they were detained from Wiapogo which they sought A Fleming there told them fabulous rumours of Warres with Spaine Another ship of Amsterdam to disgrace our men told the Indians of Wiapoco that they came to inhabit there and to oppresse them as the Spaniards did See what gaine can doe without godlinesse A ship of Middleburgh came thither with Negros to sell thither came also a ship of Saint Malos The Indians of these parts as Wilson reporteth choose their Captaines at their drunken Feasts in this sort They set the nominated person in the midst with his hands lifted ouer his head making Orations to him to bee valiant after which they whip him with a whip that fetcheth bloud at euery stroke for tryall of his courage he neuer mouing thereat They haue commerce with the Deuill For they told vs of three ships in the Riuer of Amazons and that One two moneths after would visit vs They call this Deuill Peyae with whom the men haue often conference the women neuer that they could perceiue they suffer not meane-while a childe in the house When any bee sicke they thus consult of their recouerie and if their Oracle answer death they will giue no Physicke if life they vse their best helpes For an Axe they would trauell with them two or three moneths or finde them so long victuals at home The Iayos are proud ingenious giuen to flouting The Arwakos of better carriage The Saspayes craftie The two former hate the Spaniards as much as the Caribes Their houses haue doores at each end the men keepe at one end the women at the other they are like Barnes but longer some hundred and fiftie paces long and twentie broad an hundred of them keepe together in one No raine commeth in notwithstanding that store which falleth in Aprill May Iune and most of Iuly They paint them when they goe to feasts Against the time of trauell the women haue as roome apart whereto they goe alone and are deliuered without helpe which done shee cals her husband and deliuers it to him who presently washeth it in a pot of water and paints it with sundry colours I could not heare saith Wilson the woman so much as grone all the time of her trauell When one dyes they make great moane ten or twelue dayes together and sometimes longer Here are store of Deere Hares Conies Hogs Monkeyes Leopards Lyons Porke-pines Parrots as big as Hennes blue and red very beautifull c. He returned with the rest in a ship of Amsterdam the Indians being loth to part with them They often inquired of Sir Walter Raleigh and one came from Orenoque to aske of him alledging his promise of returne The like remembrances of him are mentioned by Master Harcourt in his late published Voyage to Guiana This worthy Gentleman An. 1608. with Gentlemen and others to the number of 97. set forth for Wiapoco The ninth of May they fell into the Current of that great and famous Riuer of Amazones of which they drunke fresh and good being 30. leagues from Land the tenth day the water became muddy whitish and thicke the eleuenth day they made Land and their Pinnace being left dry vpon the Ebbe by the next floud comming on was almost spoyled Thence they stood along the Coast to Wiapoco whither they came May the seuenteenth and setled themselues at Caripo Hee tooke possession in his Maiesties name as Captaine Leigh had also done of this spacious Countrey of Guiana bounded on the North with Orenoque and the Sea on the East and South with the Riuer of Amazones on the West with the Mountaines of Peru The Charibes are the Ancient Inhabitants the Other later Incrochers There is no setled gouernment amongst them only they acknowledge a superioritie which they will obey as long as they please They commonly punish Murther Adulterie by death which are the only offences punished amongst them and certaine persons are appointed to execute those punishments The better sort haue two or three wiues or more the rest but one
prophecying that they shall not bee mourned for They wash and paint the dead curiously and then couer him ouer with Cotton yarne and put him in a great vessell vnder the Earth that no Earth may come to him and couering this vessell with the Earth make him a House where euery day they carry him meate For when he is wearied with dancing say they hee comes thither to eate Thus for a certaine time they goe to bewaile him euery day With him they bury all his Iewels if any had giuen him a Sword or other thing now he challengeth his gift againe The mourners eat not but by night This mourning lasteth a Moone after which they make Drinkings but many after this will forbeare them They rule themselues by the Sunne and goe two or three hundred leagues thorow the Woods no Horse will hold out with them they feare no Sea being able to continue a night and a day swimming When they returne from victory their women receiue them with shouts and buffeting themselues on the mouth The Keeper appointed to the Captiue is one giuen him to be as his Wife for bed and boord Some of these are so resolute that they will not be ransomed saying it is a wretched thing to dye and to stinke be eaten of Wormes Sometimes their Keeper will run away with them When they kill a Captiue at their Feasts if hee fall on his backe it is an ominous signe that the killer shall dye which presages they obserue in other circumstances The taker hath a new name as a title of dignitie added to him and must be content to fill his fancie with this new Gentility for nothing is left him to fill his belly euery one taking from him that which he hath He stands all that day on certaine logges of the Tree Pilan with strange silence he is presented with the head of the dead the eyes pulled out his pulses annointed with the strings and sinewes and cutting off the mouth whole they put it in manner of a Bracelet about his arme Thus lyeth he downe in his Net fearing if all Rites be not accomplished that the soule of the dead will kill him Within few dayes after they giue him the habit razing his skin with the tooth of a Cutia in forme of some worke putting thereon Cole and juyce of Broome-rape he lying still certaine dayes in silence hauing water meale and fruits set neere him After this they make a great Feast and then may hee lay aside his mourning and cut his haire and thence forwards may kill any without any painfull ceremonie Abaetes Marnbixaba Moczacara are names of Gentilitie amongst them The Fryers haue obtained some good liking with the Brasilians for teaching their children to write reade and cipher the Iesuits will be of esteeme euery where yet two and fifty of them sayling from Lisbon to Brasil Anno 1570. by Frenchmen at Sea were taken and slaine In Marriages they abstaine sayth Lerius onely from Mother Sister and Daughter they obserue no Marriage-ceremonies but vpon consent of her friends and her owne take her home It is a credit to haue many wiues amongst whom is no Leah to enuie Rachels greater portion of loue the Husband may kill the Adulteresse but for their vnmarried Maydens they are not scrupulous Our Author hearing a woman cry in the night thought shee had beene in some danger of deuouring by a wild beast but found her Husband playing the homely Midwife to her in her trauell byting the nauel-string and pressing downe the nose The Father washeth and painteth him They vse to put to their male-infants little Bowes and Arrowes into one end of the bed and herbs at the other which are the Enemies his Son must be supposed to kill and eate chatting out their hope of the childes valour in being auenged when he shall be a man vpon his Enemies They name their children at aduenture by the name of a Beast Bird or otherwise as this Child was called Orapacon that is Bow and Arrowes The men are modest in accompanying with their Wiues secretly The women haue not the ordinary feminine sicknesse Lerius thinkes that humour was diuerted in their youth seeing the Mothers cut their Daughters side downe to the thigh at twelue yeeres of age But twice while he was there did he see any in priuate brawling or contention if such happens as they began so they are suffered to end it if any hurt or kill other he sustayneth the like in his owne person inflicted by the Kindred of the party wronged They haue their proper pieces of ground which they husband with their Rootes and Mais When they entertayne a Stranger the Moussacat or Good-man seemes to neglect him a while and the guest sits him downe silent on the bed the women sit by on the ground and hold their hands before their eyes weeping with many prayses that hee is a good man a valiant man that if he be a Christian he hath brought them fine Wares The Stranger must endeuour in some measure to imitate the like weeping gesture The Moussacat is all this while whitling his Arrow not seeming to see his new Guest till anon he comes And are you come sayth hee How doe you with many termes of his best Rhetoricke and then askes if he be hungry and if he be sets his cheere before him on the ground which kindnesse is repayed with Glasses Combes or the like They are very kind both to their owne and to such Strangers as they are enleagued with They would carry burthen or man for the space of some miles when they needed their loue and hatred are in like extremes the one to their owne the other to their Enemies They haue Physicians called Pages They vse much mourning at the death of any and making a round pit bury him vpright therein sixe houres after his death with that wealth they had In their Villages liue some six hundred persons they remoue their Villages often which yet carry the same name Stadius sayth there are few Villages of aboue seuen Houses but those Houses are a hundred and fifty foot long and two fathoms high without diuision into plurality of Roomes and therein liue many Families all of one Kindred What our Countrimen haue done on this Coast I referre the Reader to Master Hakluyts Discoueries The Iesuits first came into these parts Anno 1549. which whiles they sought to reduce the Brasilians from their Man-eating Feasts had like to haue kindled a dangerous contention betwixt them and the Portugals whereupon the Iesuits sought to bee permitted to speake with them whom they kept for the Boucan instructing baptizing them but then also they complained the flesh was distastfull they said vnto them so that the Iesuits being forbidden that by stealth with a wet cloth following them to execution would performe a kind of Baptisme and that also being espyed was prohibited Since which by schooling their children teaching them to reade and
cast off the yoke of homage to the Crym conquered diuers Tartarian Princes the Empires of Casan and Astracan 2700. miles downe the Volga from Mosco and by a generall Councell of his Princes Prelates and Nobles was crowned and stiled the Emperour and Great Duke of Volladamiria Muscouia Cazan and Astracan c. His Conquests grew with his yeeres He tooke from the King of Poland the famous Citie of Pollozca the great Citie of Smolensca Doragabus Vasma and many other Townes with much riches and infinite numbers of captiues seuen hundred miles within their confines Lituania and Bela Russia goodly Townes of Trafficke and Countries yeelding Waxe Flaxe Hempe Tallow Hides Corne and Cattell in abundance He grew puissant and proud ouermightie for his next Neighbours and bloudie in all his Conquests When his good Queene Nastacia dyed she was canonized a Saint and to this day worshipped in their Churches By her he had two Sonnes Iuan and Theodore The Emperour after this married one of the Chircas by whom hee had no issue that hee would be knowne of The manner of this Marriage was strange and heathenish which I forbeare out of their owne History to relate By this Marriage hee was much strengthened by the Tartars better Souldiers then the Natiues of whom he made vse to curbe his Princes and Nobles which were discontent with his cruell robbing and incessant murthering of his Nobilitie He set forward with 100000. Horse and 50000. Foot with prouisions of Cannon and Munition towards Liuonia and Swethia kils men women and children in his way to Nouogrod and Plesco the two greatest Townes of Trafficke in all the East with the Narue which three stand triangle wise at the end of the Baltike Sea within the Sound In this last hee built a Castle called Iuan Gorod and caused the eyes of the Architect to bee bored out Thence he enters the Confines of Liuonia sends Knez Iuan Grinscoy to besiege Newhous which was taken with all the Townes in the way to Dorp This also yeelded and the Tartars carried away eight thousand Captiues the Merchandize and Treasure was sent to Nogrod for the Emperours vse He proceedeth deuideth his Army into foure parts ten thousand are appointed to draw the Ordnance ouer the frozen Lakes takes all in his way thirty walled Townes and Castles neere the Easterne Sea within two hundred miles compasse drowning burning rauishing Maydes and Wiues stripping them naked notwithstanding the cold tying them by two and three at their Horse tayles and dragging them some aliue some dead the wayes and streets lying full of carkasses of euery age and sexe These Liuonians are accounted the fairest people in the World Infinite numbers were sent into Russia with infinite treasure Sixe hundred Churches were robbed and destroyed He and his Tartars at last came to Reuell besiegeth and batters it with twentie Cannons The Inhabitants by night make vp the breaches by carrying and casting hote and cold water which froze so thicke that after sixe weekes siege and 20000. Cannon shot spent with losse of 7000. he hasted away the sudden thaw also making him to leaue much of his Artillery behind with former booties baggage and 30000. men in his retiring Enraged with fury for this repulse and losse hee comes backe to the Narue spoyles the Towne of all the Riches and Merchandise kils men women and children and giues the spoyle to his Tartars which bred no small emulation in his Russe Captaines Thence hee marcheth to Plescoue alias Vobsco where he intended to doe the like easily beleeuing those which reported that these two Townes and Nouogrod had practised against him that by their meanes hee had sustayned his losse at Reuel But there met him a Magician Mikula Sweat which that Towne held their Oracle who with bold Imprecations and Exorcismes calling him Bloud-sucker and Deuourer of Christian flesh swore by his Angell that hee should not escape death by a present Thunderbolt if he or any of his did touch the least childs haire in that Citie which God by his Angel did preserue for better purpose then his rapine that therefore he should get him thence before the fierie Cloud of Gods wrath were raysed which he might behold hanging ouer his head it being a very great and darke storme at that instant The Emperour trembling at these words desired Prayers for his deliuerance and forgiuenesse of his cruell thoughts I saw this Impostor a foule creature hee went naked Winter and Summer induring extreame frost and heat His Holinesse could not endure me He did many strange things by Magicall Illusions and was much followed and feared there of Prince and people The Emperour returning to Nouogrod where all his Captiues and Prisoners remayned in exceeding discontent he chargeth it with 30000. Tartars and 10000. Gunners of his Guard who without respect rauished the women and maides robbed and spoyled all that were within it murthered young and old burned the houshold stuffe and Merchandises with Ware-houses of Waxe Flaxe Cordage Tallow Hides Salt Wines Cloth of Gold Silkes Furres all set on fire The Waxe and Tallow melted ran downe the Kennels of the streets together with the bloud of 700000. men women and children as some affirmed besides beasts insomuch that with bloud and carkasses the Riuer Volca was as it were stopped He vanted that this Massacre should exceed those of Niniue and Ierusalem The Citie being thus destroyed and desolate he returned towards Musco and in the way employes his Captaynes to take the people in the Townes and Villages within a hundred miles compasse Gentlemen Peasants Merchants and Monkes old and young with their Families Goods and Cattle to goe and inhabit this ruined Nouogrod exposing them to a new slaughter For many of them dyed with Pestilence and poyson of that infected place which could not bee replenished to any purpose Not long after God empties the Emperours Kingdome and chiefe Cities of his people by Pestilence Famine Fire and Sword and this his crueltie bred such discontent that many practised to destroy him which were still discouered Hee countenanced the Rascalitie and the most desperate Souldiers against the chiefe Nobility Hee setled his Treasures in Mosco and the principall Monasteries Many of the Nobilitie he put to shamefull deaths and tortures and now suspecting his Chercas Tartars also he placed them in his new Conquests of Leefland and Sweathland The Crim Tartar his ancient Enemy inuaded him incited by his Nobilitie as he found out against whom he leuies out of remote Prouinces a huge Army of strangers with his owne hundred thousand horse and fifty thousand foot He discards his Chercas wife and puts her in a Monastery and among many of his owne Subiects chuseth Natalia Daughter to Kneaz Pheodor Bulgaloue a great Commander in his warres who soone after lost his head and his Daughter within a yeere was shorne a Nunne Newes came of his Enemies approch God suffered this wicked
as heart-whole as euer he was Sir they answered bee not so wrathfull you know the day is comne and you know it ends with the Sun-setting He hasts him to the Emperour made preparation for his Bath about the third houre of the day The Emperour therein solaced himselfe and made merry with pleasant Songs after his vse came out about the seuenth houre well refreshed sate downe vpon his Bed cals Rodouone Birken a Fauourite of his to bring the Chesse-board sets his men his chiefe Fauourite and others with Boris Federowich Godonoue being then about him He in his loose Gowne Shirt and Linnen Hose faints and fals backward Great was the stirre and out-cry one sends for Aquauitae another to the Apotheke for Vineger and Rose-water with other things and to call the Physicians Meane time he was strangled and starke dead Some shew of hope was made of his recouery to still the out-cry Bodan Belscoy and Boris to whom the dead Emperour had bequeathed as the first of foure Princes to take charge of his Sonne and Kingdome being Brother to the Successors Wife goe out on the Terras accompanied with so many of the Nobility his familiar friends as was strange so suddenly to behold They called out to the Captaines and Gunnera to keepe their Guards strong and the Gates sure with their Peeces and Matches light wherevpon the Gates of the great Castle were presently shut with watch and ward I offered my Selfe my Men Powder and Pistols to attend the Prince Protector Hee accepted mee among his Familiars and Seruants passing by with a cheereful countenance towards me speaking aloud Be faithfull and faint not Eremiesca The Metropolitans Bishops and Nobility flocked into the inner Castle holding it a day of Iubilee for their redemption pressing who could first to the Booke and Crosse to sweare to the new Emperour Feodor Iuanowich It was admirable what dispatch there was in sixe or seuen houres The Treasury sealed vp and new Officers added to the old twelue thousand Gunners with their Captaines set for a Garrison about the Wals of the great Citie of Musco A Guard was giuen mee to keepe the English House The Embassadour S. I. B. trembled and expected hourely nothing but death from the rage of the Nobilitie and people His gates windowes and Seruants were shut vp his former plentifull allowance taken away Boris and three others of the greatest Peeres ioyned assistance with him in the Emperours Will for the Gouernment of the Kingdome viz. Knez Misthisloskie Knez Iuan Suskoy and Mekita Romanowich began to mannage and dispose of all affaires they proclayme the Emperour Feodore in his late Fathers stile thorow all the Kingdome take Inuentories of all the Treasure euery where Gold Siluer Iewels which was infinite make a suruay of all the Officers and Bookes of the Crowne Reuenues New Treasurers Counsellors and Officers in all Courts of Iustice are made new Lieutenants also Captaines and Garisons in all places of charge and importance most out of the Family of the Godonoues best to be trusted for attendance and seruice about the King and Queene by which meanes the Protector became strong He was with great obseruation magnified of all and so be haued himselfe to the Princes Nobility and people as he increased their loue After some pause I was sent for and asked what they should doe with S. I. B. his businesse being at an end he was not now said they to be reputed an Ambassadour I answered it stood with the honour of the King and Kingdome to dismisse him with honour and safely according to the Law of Nations otherwise the Queene whose Seruant hee was would take it ill c. They shooke their heads reuiled him saying he had deserued death by the Law of Nations practising so much mischiefe in a State They would haue sent a message to him by me to prepare his present dispatch with some other terrible words of displeasure I be sought that I might not be the messenger which somewhat offended them The Lord Protector sent for mee at Euening whom I found playing at the Chesse with Knez Iuan Gemskoy a Prince of the bloud and taking mee aside said I wish you to speake little in defence of Bowes the Lords take it ill Go shew your selfe from me and pacifie such and such Your answer was well considered of but many perswade reuenge vpon him for his ill behauiour I hope said I your greatnesse and wisdome will pacifie their furies I 'le do my best he sayd to make all well and so tell him from me I went to those Noblemen accordingly which complayning of their sufferings for his arrogance willed me to be quiet in the businesse Yet did not I leaue to deale effectually vnder hand for him intreating he might be sent for and dispatched beeing cooped vp and kept close as a prisoner and allowances taken from him At last he was sent for attended but with a meane messenger lead into a with drawing Roome where the Lords vsed him with no respect charged him with haynous matter practised against the Crowne and State would not spend time to heare his answere rayled on him especially the two Shalkans great Officers and some others who had suffered displeasure beatings from the Emperour through his complaints saying it were requisite to make him an example cutting off his Crane-legges and casting his withered carkasse into the Riuer pointing out of the window vnder him but God hath now giuen vs a more mercifull Emperour whose eyes he should see for Queene Elizabeths sake But put off your Sword which hee refused to doe saying it was against his Order and Oath they would inforce him else comming into the presence of so peaceable a Prince whose soule being clothed with mourning was not prepared for the sight of Armes And so hee put on patience and was brought single to the presence of the Emperour who by the mouth of his Chancelour commended him to Queene Elizabeth Wherewith Sir Ierome Bowes was conuayed to his Lodgings three dayes giuen for his departure out of Musco perhaps hee should haue a Letter sent after him He had now little meanes lesse money and none to supply him but my selfe who made meanes to get him thirty Carts to conuay his and his Seruants Stuffe and as many Post-horse for he could be allowed none of the Emperours charge I asked leaue of the Lord Protector to speake with him and to bring him out of the City Watch and ward was appointed in the streets that the people should not stirre at him A meane Sinoboarscoie was appointed to conduct him who vsed him with small humanity and much against the height of his mind to endure I with my Seruants and good friends accompanied him wel mounted out of Musco caused my Pauillion to be pitched by a Riuers side ten miles off and with my prouisions of Wines and Mead tooke leaue of him and his company He sadly prayed me to haue an eye an
and Turkes ibid. Aeolis how situate 335 Aesculapius or Physicke God 81 Aethiopia why and what Countries so called 725. 726. Aethiopian Antiquities 726. Their Kings 731. The legend of the Q. of Saba 732. 733. 753. The truth of it ibid. Of Presbyter Iohn 734. Of the Aethiopian Empire 738. seq Fals and flouds 739. Romish Patriarks 740. Offers to the Portugall ibid. Their strict Lent Marriages tēpests ibid. Their houses rites Abuna oaths c. 740 Aethiopians branded why 742 the rarites of the hill Amara in Aegypt 743. The Library Treasure safe-keeping of the Princes there 744. 745. The election of the Emperor his title mariage iustice 745. 746. Their Schooles Vniuersities Physicians Mummia stewes 747. Their cities 748 The seuerall Countries 749. seq Their Religiōs Riuers Lakes ibid. Commodities of the Country 750. Strange fishes originall of Nilus ibid. Priuate and publike customes 751. Luys his lies 752 Their estimation of Blacke and White ibid. Aethiopia Superior 725. seq Aethiopia Exterior 754 Africa why so termed 619. by some esteemed of Europe ibid. Diuision therof 620. The Giraffa Camels 621. Horse Dant Adimmain Sheep Asses Lions 622. the Crocodile Basiliske Ostrich Grashoppers 623. 624. Hippopotamus Mermaids 625. 626. The inhabitants and their conditions 626 Little of it Christian ibid. Africa in great part subiect to the Turk 701. Religion and customes of the Africans 671. seq 704 Africanus his opinion of 72. lang Agao the inhabitants thereof 740 Age 413. The extraordinary age of a man in Bengala 508. The like of a Bramene 548 Aggees Prophesie of the second Temple interpreted 103 Agmet a town in Barbary 700. 701 Agra the situation and description thereof 533 Agwans or Puttans 37 Ahabs sicknesse and Iesabels Physicke 115. Ahabs Palace 137 Aitonus or Anthony the Armenian Writer 343. Aitonus K. of Armenia his requests to Mangu Can 345 Akiba a Iewish Rabbine 132. K. of Ala 721. his ditch of secrecy ib. Alarbes and Brebers 703. 704 Alcoran or Alfurcan 248. What it signifieth ibid the stile not in metre ibid. The composition and Azoaras of Chapters thereof 249 The agreement of copies translators therof 250. An Epitome of the Alcoran in heads or common places 251. 252. Their opinions of it and of the reward to the diligent Reader 253. 254. Expositions Cōmentaries on it 255. the Saracens opinion of their Alcorā 258 Aladine King of Acem 613. His receiuing Queene Elizabeths Letter and Feast to Sir Iames Lancaster 614. 615 Albania the situation and description thereof 346. 347 Aloadine or the Old man of the Mountayne 219 Alchimy twofold and who the best Alchimist 301. Accounted an art of Naturall Magicke 347 Alexander Magnus 50. 59. 227 Mahomets Saint 255. 318 His Empire diuided 72. His Expedition 332. His ambition of Diuinitie 227. His acts 333 334. 337. 338. 348. 350. 359. 366. 399. 404. 482. 538. 590. 612. 614. 681. What he gained by the Persian conquest 102. 701. Hee is worshipped by Augustus 695. By the Saracens 708. And by the Cyrenians ibid. Alexandria the Mother Citie of the Grecian Iewes 124. The reputation thereof 648. The Schooles Wealth Religion 649 The present stase of Alexandria 656. The Patriarkes of Alexandria 659. A counterfeit Gabriel ibid. Aleppo the chiefe Citie of Syria 75. called Haleb 147 Alfurcan vid. Alcoran Ali Hali or Halli the designed Successor of Mahomet 232. seq 249. 274. 275. 276. 381. He was author of the Sect Imemia 275. 391. A Cimiterre painted and hung vp in memory of Haly who with his Sword is reported to cut the Rocks in sunder 315. The place of Ali his buriall and the Ceremony there vsed 378. The deuotions of Ali the Persian Prophet forbidden 386. The preheminence of the children of Ali aboue all Prophets 391. The house of Ali 64 Algier the description thereof 676 seq The receptacle of Pirats 677. 678 Alilat of the Arabians 78. 227 231 Allen a Greenland greedy fowle 815 Almagro his acts 921 Almes to Beasts Birds Ants 302 The almes of a Mahumetan at Mecca 268. Of Tartars 419 Of Farfar King of Mangi 460 Of Gedacham 509. At Cambaya 540. 541. Of the King of Narsinga 552. Publike and priuate Almes of the Turkes 298 Almohades certaine Sectaries so called 689 Aladules his Paradise 64. 218 283. The like in Persia 380 Aladine the Turke 279 Allegories ouerthrow truth 16 Allegorical Theology of the Phoenicians 77. 78 Allech an Idoll 229 Alitta a Persian Deitie 370 Aloes Socotrina how made and where plenty 779 Alumut King of Persia 383. 384 Al-Mutsal how situate 147 Amalekites 85 Amasia how situate 326. 327 Amanus a God of the Persians 374 Amanus a Mount or Hill 37. 67 223 Amasis King of Aegypt 584 Amazons 37. 327. 399. Riuer of Amazons 327. Ilands of Amazons 578 Amara the admirable Hill in Aethiopia 743. The History and description thereof 743. 744. The Temples Monasteries Library ibidem The inestimable treasure and incomparable Iewell and the Princes kept there as Luys sayth 745. 746 Amber what it is 532 Ambition the nature thereof 74 Ambize or Hogge-fish in Congo 767. 668 Amboino Ilands 578. The commodities of Amboina 606 Americus Vesputius 791 America why so called 791. The nature of Heate Raines Winds there 792. 793. Of Mettals 795. 796. How rich it is to the Spaniard 796. Whether knowne to the Ancients 798. How men came first thither 799. How beasts 800. The beasts therein 804 Fowles 805. Plants ibid. Their bread 806. Comparison of our World the new World together 807. Discouery of the North parts of America 807. 808. Diuision of America 807 The Southerne America 891 Seas and Ilands adioyning to America 950 Amen the Iewish conceit thereof 187. Not to be said by a Iew at a Samaritans blessing 136 Amera and Amera-ship 702. 703 Amida a Iaponian Idoll 598 601 Amiogli why so called 221 Ammonites circumcised 86 Iupiter Ammon Amuz 37. 114 657. The History of that Oracle at large 657. 658. seq Ammonian women 658 Ammonius the Philosopher 648 Amoraim whence so called 165 Amorites 86. 87 Amphisbena described 624 Amouchi their bloudy custom 521 Amurath the first 282. 283 Amurath the second 283. seq Amurath the third 285. 286 Anacharsis his trauels and death 398 Anaitis a Geddesse 345 Anakims 85 Ananas an Indian fruit described 567 Anathema a kind of Excommunication or Curse 101. 137 Anatomy of Iewes 178 Anastasius the Patriarch cruelly murthered 215 Ananas are Indian fruit 563 Anchiale built by Sardanapalus 62 Anchorets in China 466 Andromeda freed by Perseus 81 Angels why not mentioned in the Creation 6. Why with fixe wings 3. Dreames of Angels 31. 177. 179. 188. 189. 191. 196. 197. 224. 225. sequitur Names obserued by the Essees 131. By Iewes and Christians 161. Their orders ibid. Their kinds 369. Mahometicall fancies of Angels 224. 225. 226. 259. 260. 261. 302 Angell of death 207. 210. Mahometicall Dreames of the Angell Gabriel 242. 243.
they haue new husbands if the former bee absent twentie dayes 369. In Thebet 430. In China 468. 469. In Pegu 502 503. Of Bengalans 508. 509 Indians 678. About Goa 544 545. Of Bramanes 547. 548 In Calecut 549. Of Brasilians 919. In Peru 935. In Golchonda 1000 Marriage of Parents and children 64. Iew more Christian then the Papist in preferring Marriage before the seeming-holy Vow of Virginitie 214 Malebar vide Malabar Maranatha a kind of Excommunication of the Iewes 100. What it signifieth 101 Mars how worshipped in Scythia 396. 397 Marsyas flayed quicke 330 Marthus and Marthana 134 Martyrs in all Religions 28. Of the Turkes 315. 316. 317. 318 Maruthas Bishop 362 Masbothaei or Masbothenai a Sect of the Iewes 135 Masorites 165 Masoreth 169. 170 Massalians 134 Massagerae their Religion and Rites 399 Mathematicall Instruments in China 468. Their skill in the Mathematicks ibid. Iesuits get credit there by them 469 Marstach an hearbe which maketh mad 316 Mattins of the Iewes 185. 186. seq Mauiitania Caesariensis Mauri Maurusij 675. 676. Their miserable life ibid. Women Prophetesses ibid. Mauritius the Emperour 380. seq Mausolus his Tombe 335 Maxes their Rites 667 Maximinus his huge stature 32 Mays 806 Mazalcob Mazal and Mazaloth 70 Meaco a Citie in Iapon 595. 596 Measures inuented by Cain 29 Meats prohibited to the Aegyptian Priests 642. 643 Meats forbidden in Loango 770 By the Mahumetans 257 Mecca taken and conuerted to Islamisme 1015. The Pilgrimages thither 255. 267. 268. 269. seq Description of Mecca 267 273. The description of the Mosquita there 269 Mecca spoyled of the Black-stone 1035 Medes 37. The story of the Medes 349. 350. seq Media whence so called 349. The description thereof 350. seq The diuision thereof 351. 352 Medina described 271. Conuerted to Islamisene 1014 Mediterranean Sea 575 Medan and Merou 728 Medina and Mecca spoyled 1022 Megalobyzi certaine Priests so called 337 Megasthene his testimony of Nebuchodonosor 49. Of Darius Medus 61 Megauares their Rites 667 Mehokekim who so called 99 Meletius Patriarch of Alexandria 659 Melici or Melchia Sect 704 Melinde 754 Memphis or Noph 631 Memnon 79. His speaking Image ibid. Menas King of Aegypt 631. 632 Mendao a great Citie 812 Mengrelia the sauation and description thereof 347. The state of the present Mengrelians 347 Menon husband of Semiramis 66 Menudde and Menudim 98 Mereury 77 Mercuries certaine Planets so called 51 Meroe Iland described 727. 728 Their Rites ibid. Their Table of the Sunne 728. 729 Merists or Merissaeans 135 Merwan the 11. Chalifa poysoned by his Wife 1022 Meshech Mesehini and Mazaca 37 Melchisedech 121 Merdin a Citie and Patriarchall See 67 Mermaids 626 Merwan the 21. Chalifa his gluttony 1026 Mescuites or Moschees and the Ceremonies in them 266 999 Mesopotamia why so called and how situate 65. Mesopotamian Cities 64 Messa and tales thereof 165 Messias of the Iewes 142. 207. seq Counterfeit Messias 143 144. Dreames of an earthly Messias 162. Of the signes of the comming of the Iewes Messias 207. 208. seq Two Messiasses expected ibid. Iewish Messias his Feast 201 Meta Incognica discouered and described 811. 812 Metasthenes 62 Metempsychosis 471. 469 Menis Iland 941 Master MetholdsVoyage and obseruations 993. seq Methra and Mithra 57. 372 Metsr the name of Cairo and all Aegypt 655 Mexico why so called 862. seq The foundation thereof and strange Expedition thither ibid. Mexico entred by the Spaniards 862. Besieged taken and rebuilt 863. Their seuerall peoples 864. The history of their Kings 865. 866. Their Orations 866 Coronations ibidem Ominous prodigies and ancient Tributes 867. The present state thereof 868. 869. Their Gods Goddesses and worship in Mexico 869 870. Their horrible Sacrifices 871. Their Priests 871. 872 Their Temples 873. 874. Their Monasteries 874. 875. Their Rites and Opinions 876. 877 Their bloudie Processions ibid. Their Baptismes and Education of their children 877. Their Punishments Mariages Funerals 878. Supputation of times 879 Their opinion of fiue Sunnes ibid. Their Feasts and Festiuall rites 880. 881. Of Transubstantiation ibid. Their Iubilee Reliques Lent Processions 881 Other rites 882. Their Schooles Theaters Writings Hieroglyphicks Bookes Whistling 883 Their manner of Numbering ibid. Their opinion of the Soule ibid. Michaels borne a Iewish Miracle before the comming of the Messias 209. 210 Midas his Story 231 Middleton viz. Sir Henry Middleton his Story 582. 583. seq His death 610 Mina a superstitious place 247. A Castle so called 306. A Summe 119 Mindanao Iland her extent and Cities 578 Minaei or Minim 129 Mines how deadly 760. In barren soyles ibid. Mines of Sofala 759. Of the West Indies and what thoy cause men to doe 483. 781 Mine of Diamants 1002 Miracles reported of the Sytian Goddesse 67. 68. Of Beelzebub why applyed to Christ 81. The Popish Miracles ibid. Iewish Dreames of Miracles 164. 165 208. 209 Miracles of the Arabians 228. Of Mahomet 243. Disclaimed by him 244. False ibid. Of Turkes 315. seq Of Tartars 406 407. seq In China 447. 448 seq Amongst the Brachmanes 478. 479. As Ganges 509 510. Of the Mogoll 520. Of the Bramenes 547. In Iapon 592. In Zeiland 616. 617. At Cyprus 584. At Golchonda 999 Miralmumim his building Marocco and other his Acts 234. The Prince of Beleeuers ibid. Miriam Fountain 193 Mislates King of Persia his reigne 361 Mithres and Mithra 57. 372. The Sunne and Fire ibid. Mithridates 329. From him the Antidote Mithridate so called ibid. His cruell Edict 335 Mizraim and his Posterity 37. The name of Cairo 652 Moabites 85 Mogores 512 Mogor or Mogol why so called 515 Mogol Tartars 426. 427. The Great Mogor his large Dominions 515. The disposition and course of Echeber 516. His Religion and his new Sect ibid. His conquests in Decan 517. 518 His huge presents 517. Other Conquests 518. His death 519 The Succession and Title of Selim 519. 520. The Mogors Religion ibid. The storie of that State by Captaine Hawkins 520. 521. The Mogor his great Riches Reuinues Feodaries Iewels c. 521. 522. The meanes of his riches ibid. His Elephants and other beasts 522. 523. His progresse and enemies 523. His deuotions and daily course of life 523 524. His sitting in Iustice and Feasts 524. The Sepulchre of his Father ibid The settling of the English trade and of the two Sea-fights betwixt the English and Portugals 524 525. Trauels of English through the Mogors dominions 526. 528 529. Diuers superstitions of the Mogor 530. 531. seq Of the People subiect to the Mogol and of their Countries Religion and Rites 534 535 536 Moha in the Red Sea 583. The Iourny of Sir Henry Middleton thence to Zenan and back again 583. 584. 585. The description and situation of Moha 584 Mohel a Iewish Circumciser 180. Molucca Ilands the situation and description thereof 578. 604. 605 Moloch and Melchom Idols 86 Mombaza 755 Mongol a Countrie of Tartars 401 Monkes pay tribute 1023 Monsters
848 Saualets many Voyages Sciequian Sect 463 Sclauonian Tongue the large extent thereof 973 Scribes not a Sect but a Function 132. The Historie of them 132. 133. Two sorts of them 132 Scriptures sense how diuerse 14 The mysticall is miste-all and missecall 16. Opinions concerning the Scripture 169. First penned by Moses 175. Digested by Ezra 87. Numbers of the Bookes Chapters Verses Who first Authour of Chapters 159 The Trent Decree of Translations 168. Iewes respect to the Scripture 168. 169 Seyles King of the Scythians his misfortunes 398 Scythia a great part of the World contayned vnder the name 396 Why so called ibid. The people religion language and manner of life 396 397. Their Temples Diuination Funerals c. 397. 398 Their cruelty and hatred of Forreigne Rites ibidem Particular Nations in Scythia their Acts and Rites 398. 399. seq Scythes a Monster 396 Scythilmus 45 Sea the Creation thereof 10. Diuision thereof 575. Commodities thereof ibid. The Red Sea 84 582. 583. seq 775. seq A large Discourse of the Sea and many Obseruations thereof 571. 572. seq The forme greatnesse depth ibid. The profit motion and saltnesse 573. 574 The Sea Original of Fountaines 574. Varieties of Seas 575. 576 The Persians and Mogol haue no power by Sea 293 Seales a kind of Fishes 435 Seba Peopler and people of Arabia 37. 225. The Region of Seba 143 Sebua Sebuaeans 139. Sebuaeans a Sect of Samaritans ibid. Sebaste in Samaria 105 Seboraei whence so called 165 Sebyrians 432 Secsina in Barbary 700 Sects in Golchonda 995 Seed of the woman and the Serpent 27 Master Selden his deserued commendation 70. 150 Seilan or Zeilan 616. seq The riches and rarities thereof ibid. Their Temples Images Monasteries Processions 617. Their workmanship and iugling 618 Whither Seilan bee Taprobane ibid. Selim the great Turke 283. sequitur Selim the second 285. 286. Selim the great Mogol now reignning his greatnesse and conditions 519. 520 Selfe-penance vide Punishments Selfe-murther 633 Selebes they abound with Gold 578 eat mans flesh 608. Ilands neere ibid. Seleucia 63. Turned into Bagdet 50. Built by Seleucas 63. With eight other of that name 73 Seleucus worshipped 70. His historie 73 Seleuccian Family of Turkes 279 280. 281 Semiramis her Pillar 45. Her Babylon Buildings 48. 49. Not the Founder thereof ibid. Her Sepulchre 45. The first that made Eunuchs 61. Abuse of her Husbands 66. Supposed the Founder of the Temple at Hierapolis 68 Her Image there 69. In Media 350. Her inuading India 381 Senaga Riuer 714 Senacherib ouerthrowne by Mice 62. Slaine by his owne Sonnes 66 Sentence in the Court of the Iewes how giuen 98 Sentida a feeling herbe 563 Sensim an Order of Tartarian Priests who obserue great strictnesse 418 Separatists a Sect of Moores 273 Sepulchres vide Funerals Serpents eaten in America 33. Diuers kinds of Serpents in India 565. Death to kill a Serpent ibid. The King of Calicuts opinion of Serpents 565. 566. Huge Serpents in Africa 623. 624 Seuerall kinds of Serpents there ibid. Serpent vsed to tempt Eue 21. 22 His curse 23. Seed of the Serpent 27. 28 Serpent Images in Belus Temple 47 Serpent honoured by the Phaenicians 77. By the Ophitae 135 Worshipped by the Arabians 221 By the Indians 565. By the Aegyptians 637. 638. By the Adeans 652. A Serpent the Armes of the King of China 451. Tame Serpents 623 Serpents in Brasill 912. 913 Seres their Habitaion and Rites 400 Serug Author of Idolatry 45. 95 Sesostris 227 Seth his Natiuitie and Posteritie 29. 30. Artes ascribed to him 31 Sethiani a Sect of the Iewes worshippers of Seth 135 Sem Sonne of Noah 36. His Posteritie 37. The same with Melchisedec 45 Serapis his Temple and Rites 650 651 Seriffo of Barbary his History 695 696 Seuerus his seueritie 71 Seuerity Elders 99 Seuenty Weekes of Daniel 98 Sharke a Fish 953. 954 Shaugh Tamas the Story of him and of the Persian troubles after his death 585. 586 Shem and his Posteritie 37 Shemer 136. A Citie so called ibid. Sherly viz. Sir Anthony Sherley his Trauels 388. 389 Sheshack and Shacke 58 Shomron Mountaine 136 Siam Silon or Sion a Citie and Kingdome in India 490. Their Houses Inundations Monkes and Superstitions ibidem Their Gods and Religious Men 491. sequitur Their Feastes Temples Deuotions 492. The Kings greatnesse ibidem Besieged 493. Acts of the Blacke and White Kings ibidem Fury of the Iapanders there ibidem They weare Balls in their yards 496 Sibils counterfeit 35. 38 Sichem 137. Called Flauia Caesarea and Naples 143. The Sichemites Religion ibid. Sicke persons how vsed amongst the Iewes 206 Sidon the building thereof 78 Sidonians first Authors of Weights and Measures 82 Sidon first inhabited the Sea-coast 86 Siluer the nature thereof and of the Mines 797 Sinai 225. Mount Sinai how situate ibid. Sincopura Straits 579 Sinda described 532. 533 Sinne the definition and distinction thereof 24. Whence Originall Sinne and how ibidem Whither by Generation 25 Sinnes combination in our first Parents 22. The fearefull state of Sinners 28. Seuen mortall sinnes reckoned by the Turkes 301 Sinne-offering of the Iewes 116 The nature of actuall sinne 25 What accounted sinnes by the Tartars 415. 416 Sion 94 Sithuchrus the same with Noah 47. His Chaldaean Legend ibid. Sitting a signe of reuerence standing of dignitie 420 Skuls in the Temple of Mexico how many 873. In Nicaragua 888 Skuls of Parents made drinking cups 951. A Turret built of stone and Skuls 951 Slaues of Angola 766 Sleds vsed by the Samoeds drawne with Deere 432. Their swiftnesse ibid. Sleds drawn with dogs 744 Snakes vide Serpents Snake-wood where growing 570 Socatera or Socotoro 778. The description thereof 779 Socota an Idoll in Virginia 839 Sodome and Sodomites 85. Historie of Sodome 83. 84. sequitur The Sodomie of Turkes 229 230. Of Persians 371 Of Tartars 419. Of Chinois 440 Sogor a Village neere Sodome 84 Sofala 756. Supposed Ophir ibid. Soldania 761. Their cheape sale of beasts beastly habit and diet colour c. 762. 763. 764 Solyman a name of diuers Turkes 280. 284 Solyman the Magnificent his acts 284. 285 Solmissus how situate 339 Sommers Ilands 960. 961 Sophia chiefe Temple in Constantinople turned into a Meschit 306. 307 Sophi of the Turkes 321 Sorceries of the Tartars 416 Soule 13. It s immortalitie 126 The Iewes Opinion of three soules and one Sabbatary 127 Dogzijn their Opinion of the soule 220 South-sea sayled by Viloa and Alarchon 922 South Continent how great 832 By whom discouered 831 Spaniards how detested in the Philippinas 604. 605. 606. In Cuba 954. Indian conceits of them and their Horses 962 Their cruelties in the West Indies and of their peruerse Conuersion of the Indians vnto Christianitie 962. 963. sequitur Spaine infested by the Danes 1045 Spelman viz. Sir Henry Spelman his deserued commendation 116 Spirit very God 3. Our sanctifier 4. His manner of working 6. 7. Mouing on the waters 6
Ram. r W. Magoths ap Hakluyt ſ Iohn Iane t Ap. Hak. M. S. a Botero Enquiries of Lang. and Relig 4. 14. b Bot. part 1. vol. 2. Herera c P. Ferdin de Quir. Detectio Australis Incognit d By Walsingham Grisley c e Mercurius Britannicus Of Chil. f Botero g G. Ens l. 2. c. 4 h Lop. Vaz i L. Apollon hist Peru l. 1. k The Riuers of Chili in the night time froz n. l Earthquakes in Chili and their effects * Some reckon this Towne to Peru It was vexed with Earthquakes 1582. 1586. m Acost l. 3. c. 9. n L. Apollon Hist Peru l. 3. o Nuno da Silua p Oliu. de Noort q Adams and the Dutch Fleet lost many of their men in fight with the Indians 1608. about S. Marie r Oliu. de Noort ſ Gomar c. 144. vid. historia general del Peru Escrita por el Ynca Garcilasse de la Vega in 8. lib. t Gom. c. 108. Benzol 3. c. 1. L. Apol. l. 1. u Peru why so called x Gom. c. 112. Apol. l. 2. Ben. l. 3. c. 3. * The Friers preaching This Oration is expressed more at large by Vega p. 2. l. 1. c. 22. diuided into two parts And Philipillus the Interpreter wanting fit words which the Cuscan Language hath not to expresse his Oration falsified the sense as by their Quippos hath appeared So for Trinitie and Vnitie hee interpreted Foure for our sinne in Adam that on a time all men being assembled layed their sinnes on Adam Nothing of the Diuinitie of Christ but that hee was a great Lord c. and that their forces which they threatned were superiour to those of Heauen as if they had Gods not men to fight against Whereupon Atahuallpa so he cals him fetched a deepe sigh and after made an answere far differing from this which Authors haue related But this was written by the Spaniards to the Emperour to cleere themselues which had offered abuse to the Inga neither would they suffer the truth to be written His answere hee relateth at large and is worth reading The Spaniards weary of his prolixitie made a rout and tooke him no man resisting Miguel Astete laying first hold but Pizarro carrying the credit such as it was his Fringe or Diademe remayned with Astete till 1556. When he restored it to the Inga Sayritupac The Frier was after * a Bishop and lastly slaine by the Indians a Gom. c. 113. b This hee spake according to the Bul of Alexander the Sixt which had giuen the Southerne and Western world to the Spanish Kings The hornes of the Bull and not of the Lambe are the Popish weapons c Rel. della conq del Peru ap Ram. tom 3. Xeres ibid. d Vega saith Atahuallpa forbad them whose command was a Religion to them death to transgresse and there perished 5000. of which 3500. Souldiers others of all ages and both Sexes which had come in great multitudes to heare and solemnize this Embassage of them which they tooke for Gods a Lop Vaz b Gomara saith that it was a great roome and they made a line about it it was all of wrought metal in vessels c. c Gom. hath 252000. poūds of siluer and 1326000. Pezos of Gold d Xeres saith they were 102. Footmen and Horsemen e They baptised him before his death thretning otherwise to burne him aliue Vega l 1. c. 36. The gold siluer which Atabaliba paid came to 4605670. Duc. Blas Valeca hath 4. Millions 800000. Duc. a summe not now maruailous when euery yeere 10. or 12. millions entreth the Guadalquibir The naturall strength of the country is such that had there not bin contentiō betwixt the Brethren c. Peru could neuer haue bin subdued f Gom. c. 115. g The Spanish Captaine in Ramus cals Cusco saith he promised 4 times as much h He kept Cusco with 30000. Indians i They after burnt him k F. Xeres P. Sancto Of their treasures see inf §. 3. c 9. §. 3 c. 11. § 1 c. l Benzo l. 3. c. 5 m Acost l. 6. c. 19. 20. 21. 22. Originall of the Inguas Their Kings n Gom. c. 120. Mariana lib. 26. Guaynacapa prophesied by reuelation of his Oracles of the comming of bearded men commanding at his death that they should yeeld subiection to them hauing a better law customes c. then they as Atahuallpa in his answer to Valle viridi his oration ap Veg. o Acost l. 6. c. 22. 23. p His Son Sayri Tupac was baptised by the name of Diego Amaru was his Brother q One of which hath written a generall History of the Indies in two parts in the former of the Peruuian Antiquities Acts in the later of the Spanish viz. Garcilasso de la Vega Naturall of Cusco his Mother was Palla Isabel daughter of Huallpa Topac Inga one of the Sons of Topac Inga Yupangui and of Palla Mama Ocllo his lawfull ife His Father was Garcilasso de la Vega one of the Conquerors of Peru a Captaine who went thither with Pedro de Aluarado 1531. and there continued till his death 1559. Francisco de Toledo being Viceroy entred Processe against the Ingas and all the Mestizos of that bloud but would not execute them Instead whereof he sent and dispersed them lest by their Fathers conquests or mothers bloud they should challenge that Empire into Chili Pinama New Granada Nicaragua and into Spaine 36. Indians of that bloud they sent to Loy Reyes there to remayne of which 35. dyed in little more then two yeares with griefe c. Others also elsewhere dyed Don Carlos had a Son in Spaine which there dyed 1610. of griefe and soone after a little Infant which he left and so all Guaynacapas prophesie touching his Posterity was accomplished In Mexico they tooke not that course because the Kingdome passed by Election not Succession The present Inga they presently sentenced to lose his head who desired to be sent into Spaine protesting his innocency that if his Father could do nothing against 200. Spaniards in Cusco with 200000. Indians what could they feare of him so poore He appealed to the King and to Pachacamac was baptised also by the name of Philip his Inga as he called him moued pitie in the Spaniards who would haue besought for him to be sent into Spaine there to remayne exiled but might not be suffered on paine of death to speake to the Viceroy Thus was Amaru or Philip brought forth on a Mule his hands fastned the Cryer proclayming him a Tyrant and Traytor with a halter about his necke 300000. were gathered together in the streets and wayes to this sad spectacle with much teares and cryes the Priests desired him to enioyne them silence whereupon hee lifted vp his hand and laying it on his eare and thence by degrees to his thigh there followed such silence as if there had not beene a man in the Citie And thus with protestation of his innocencie hee sustayned
Cairo chiefe Citie of Egypt taken A.H. 19. which began Ian. 1. 640. New Misra walled A.H. 21. Dec. 10. 641. Persia Assyria and Syria A.H. 23. began Nou. 19. A.C. 643. Omar killed * This is noted because it was done by the Chalifa when he could possibly In his sicknes by one of the chiefe Omar first called Emir Elmumenim Priuiledges to Ierusalem * Mimi Note the cause why Iacobitisme preuailed with other Heresies in the East partly because the politike Infidels thus secured themselues by diuersitie of religion against the Romans partly the circumcised Muslims fauoured the circumcised Cophti Bi r a towne on the Riuer Euphrates Africa conquered Cyprus A.H. 31. it began Aug 24. 651. Nubia inuaded Old Persian A.H. 35. it began Iuly 11. 655. Rebellion Otsman killed Ali 5. Insurrection Swearing Prophetesse A.H. 37. Iune 19. 657. 90. Battels Ali killed Hasen 6. Muaui 7. And first on whose Posteritie in the Ommian Family the Chalifate setled Hasens holines . Old Obeid Iezid 8. Husein slaine and the Mushaf neglected Bochara in Bactria and Samarcand subiected Medina spoyled * Temple of Mecca burned Muaui 9. Abdalla 10. Mirkond and Zacuth leaue his out of their Catalogues Merwan 11. Cufans rebell i So Mirkond k To pray for him is meant to pray publikely before the people which in the Chalifas Temple none might doe but himselfe except in such fatall necassitie c. Abdulmelic 12. Cufa rebelleth a chiefe Citie in Arabia since ruined Basra now called Balsora The Charisaeans Hispaan now chiefe Citie of the Persian Securitie not secure Mecca besieged and taken Muske drunke a I suppose hee meaneth Derbent of old Caspiae portoe A.H. 76. it began April 21. 695. Note hard stony heart Arabike letters first in Coines Perhaps the tale of Muhammeds returne arose from this M. and not their first seducer of that name 81. ciuill fights Indian Christianity Tribute of Monkes Tyrannies Tyrants reward Walid 13. These countries lie East from the Caspian Bactriana Sogdiana other countries east-warst from Persia and the Caspian so that from thence North-east and from India South-east his Empire extended to the Westerne Ocean without interruption quite thorow Africa with Spaine part of France in Europe included Constantinople being also tributary the greatest Empire that euer had beene Temple at Damascus costly magnificent Spaine conquered o Rich table Rodericus Toletanus saith that Muza which sent Taric first came and got much riches amongst which a table of stone greene very great containing 365. foot all of one stone together with the feet c. p Mirkond cals him Oiasgegoue of Korason Zac. Hagog Son of Ioseph Being sicke he sent for an Astrologer which foreshewing by the starres the death of a King he cut off his head said he should die one houre before him q This Family soone after got the Chalifate Suleiman 14. Great glutton Omar 15. Chalif the 8. of the Ommians Ali cursed daily Chalifas deuotion Iezid 16. Rebellion Armada Loue odious Hisiam 17. A.H. 121. began Dec. 18. 738. Rebellion First and great Wardrobes Terrible earthquakes Note the greatnesse of the Kings of Nubia in those dayes Note of the different Patriarkes at Alexandria Wa'id 18. Women not permitted to pray with men Iezid 19. Rebellion Ibrahim 20. Merwan 21. 14. of the house of Ommia Merwan gluttony Lib. 2. Abdalla 22. O Cruelty ! * The Egyptians reckon from this yeere because of the multitude of Martyrs then slaine call it the yeere of the Martyrs Abugiafar 23. Huge slaughters Muaui of the Merwanian or Ommian race Emp in Spaine· Bagdad built Mirkond saith it had that name of Baga a Persian word which signifieth garden because of many gardens in that place before the building Scaligers conceit that it is Seleucia is by both excluded l Or pits which Maimon digged in that desert Rapacity Mu. Mahadi 24 m Irene Soz. Bounty to Poets M. Alhadi 25. Haron 26. l The Chalifas where they resided praied in their own persons and in other Prouinces their Lieutenants Their hypocrie condemneth others profanenesse which think Ieroboams Priests the basest of the people good enough for Prayer and themselues too good to be present a thing performed fiue times a day by the greatest Muhammedans Victories against the Christians His pilgrimage Learned men Abu Abdalla Alaminus 27. Z. reckons excellent Physicians in his time Gabriel Surianus Iohn Son of Masawia and Sela an Indian Almamon 28. Z. Mamon M. Mahamun He was studious of learned men and caused the Book s of Phylosophy Mathematicks Astrologie and Physicke to be translated out of Greeke and Syriake into Arabike * A.H. 200. it began Aug. 11. AD 815. Sirnames first p Of this City Tus was the Translater of Euclides Elements lately printed in Arabike at Rome q Z saith hee forbad the Posteritie of Ali to weare black but only yellow Poetry richly rewarded Alis correction of the Alcoran 1500000. giuen See before in Merwan It seemeth they rosted then sheep whole and not cut out in ioynts Mustasim 29. Z. Mutetzma 2 great louer of Physicians M. Matacon He built Samarra three miles from Tigris N. from Bagdad Idols hated Mutasims strength B. of the Ethiopians vnder the Negroes Wacic 30. Z. Elwathek M. a great famine in Persia by three yeers drought which almost di peopled it They returned after raine and warred on the Magi killing of those fire worshippers very many Mutewakkel 31. Z. Metuchal M. Almotowakel Ceremonies of inauguration i Out of thine owne mouth will I condemne thee A.H. 235. which began Iuly 26. 849. Great Earthquakes k The forme of the Alcoran before enioyned by his Predecessors Mustansir 32. Z. Mutuatzar M. Montacer Mustain 33. Mutaz 34. g Zacuth supposeth that the Chalifate was by him diuided and another set vp in Egypt which is not true as anon shall appeare Muhtadi 35. The Rihi Mutamid 36. Habibs harmes Mirkond saith that Yacub Leis a Tinker a prodigal and robber by high-waies to whom renowned for liberalitie vnthrifts resorted first got Sistom then inuaded Karason c. still giuing the spoiles to his followers took Persia went toward Bagdad to see hee said the Chalifa which would haue confirmed all he had to him if hee would haue stayed he died in his way of the Cholike hauing ruled Persia eleuen yeeres His brother Hamer succeeded him confirmed by the Chalif This Hamer seemeth Habib here mentioned if Mirkond doe at all mention him p As our Defender of the Faith in their superstitious conceit q This Ahmed would not acknowledge Mutamid and ruled Egypt as Souereigne therefore cursed as seeking to raise another Chalifa in Bagdad not any at all in Egypt which long after was done but now began to be hereditary As Persia also by Mirkonds testimony to the Family of Leys r Which is to be vnderstood of all lands taken as in our Doomesday Booke Caramites H. 279. began Aprill 3. A.D. 892. Mutadid 37. Z. Mutetzed M. Mutazed Egyptian broyles
by mans industrie forced to yeeld to the match as Plinie sayth for that purpose emptied Babylon of her Inhabitants and inherited her name also with her people It was from Babylon ninetie miles or as some reade it fortie inhabited with sixe hundred thousand Citizens To spoile the spoiler the Parthians built Ctesiphon three miles from thence and failing of their purpose Vologesus built another Towne by called Vologesocerta Yet did Babylon it selfe remaine but not it selfe in the time of Ammianus Marcellinus and after Ortelius thinketh that Bagdat was called Babylon as Seleucia before had beene because it stood neere to the place where Babylon had stood For that old Babylon in Pausanias time had nothing left standing but the Temple of Bel and the walls sometimes sayth he the greatest Citie that euer the Sunne saw In Ieromes time within those walls were kept beasts for the Kings game It was after inhabited with many thousands of Iewes and was laid euen with the ground as Ios. Scaliger affirmeth in the yeere after the Iewish account 4797. and after the Christian 1037. Master Fox hath a little lengthned the date and fate thereof shewing that Almaricus King of Ierusalem rased and ruined it and that it was neuer after inhabited Ann. 1170. But in Beniamin Tudelensis his dayes which seemeth to be somewhat before Almaricus this Citie was vtterly subuerted as in his Itinerarie is related in these words One dayes iourney from Gehiagan anciently called Resen is old Babel containing thritie miles space now vtterly ruined in which the ruines of Nabuchodonosors palace are yet seene not accessible for diuers hurtfull kinds of Serpents and Dragons there breeding There now remaineth nothing but the small part of that great Tower either of ornament or of greatnesse or of place inhabited Before that time was Bagdet built by Bugiafar as Barrius calleth him or after Scaliger Abugephar Elmantzur who beganne to reigne in the one hundred thirtie and sixe and died in the one hundred fiftie and eight yeere of their Aegeira Scaliger and Lydyate agree of this place which in their Emendations of Time disagree so eagerly that it was Seleucia or built in the place and of the ruines thereof an opinion not so improbable as theirs altogether which thinke the present Bagded to be the old Babylon The storie of this Bagded or Baldach and her Chalifs ye may reade in our Saracenicall Historie Authors agree that Haalon the Tartar sacked it about the yeere one thousand two hundred and threescore Mustratzem being then Chalipha the foure and fiftieth and last of those Saracenicall Popes Hee found a miserable death where others with miserablenesse seeke a blessed life being shut vp and starued amidst those Treasures whereof he had store which niggardise forbade him to disburse in his owne defence There is yet a bone left of this Calipha's carkasse or some ghost and shadow of that great and mightie bodie I meane that ancient name and power of the Calipha's which magnificent Solyman the Turkish Emperour in his conquest 1534. would seeme to acknowledge in accepting the royall ensignes of that new conquered state at the hands of their Calipha a ceremonie which the Soldans in Egypt and Persia vsed more for forme then necessitie this Assyrian and that Egyptian Caliph hauing but gesture and vesture the Soldans themselues enioying both bodie and soule of this authoritie In the yeere one thousand one hundred fiftie nine the Riuer Tygris ouer-flowed Bagded and desolated many Cities Barrius affirmeth out of the Arabian and Persian Tarigh which he saith he had seene that Bagded was built by the counsell of an Astrologer a Gentile named Nobach and hath for ascendent Sagittarius was finished in foure yeeres and cost eighteene millions of gold These studies of Astrologie did there flourish One Richardus a Frier Preacher sayth That here was a Vniuersitie the Students whereof were maintained at publique charge of which number himselfe was one That Caliph that founded it for the preuenting of sects banished Philosophie out of these Schooles and accounted him a bad Saracen which was a good Philosopher The reason whereof grew from some which in reading Aristotle and Plato relinquished Mahomet Marco Palo or Paulus the Venetian saith that they studied here in his time the Law of Mahomet Necromancie Geomancie Phisiognomie Physicke and Astronomie And that it was then a great Staple of the Indian Commodities This was within few yeeres after the Tartar had wonne it He addeth that there were many Christians in these parts and that in the yeere one thousand two hundred twentie and fiue in derision of the Gospell the Caliph commanding by a day that the Christians should remoue a mountaine in testimonie of their faith according to the words of Christ or else to abide the perill this was effected by a Shoomaker and the day in remembrance thereof yeerely solemnized with fasting the Euen The Iewes goe still to visite the Denne which is there shewed as the place of Daniels imprisonment with his terrible Gaolers or fellow-prisoners as Master Allen told me A certaine Merchant the Discourse of whose voyage Ramusius hath published speaketh of Orpha a towne in the way from Byr to Babylon wherein the people foolishly suppose that Abraham offered Isaac at which time say they there sprang a fountaine which watereth their Countrey and driueth their Mils Here was a Christian Temple called Saint Abraham after turned into a Mahumetane Moschee and now called Abrahams Well into which if any enter so many times they haue a set number with deuotion hee is freed of any feuer The fishes which are many haue taken Sanctuarie in these waters and none dare take them but hold them holy Sixe miles from hence is a Well holden in like sacred account which cureth Leprosies Nisibis Carrae and Edessa were chiefe Cities of Mesopotamia at Edessa reigned Abagarus betwixt whom and our Sauiour passed if we may beleeue it those Epistles yet extant At Carrhae there was a Temple of the Moone in which they which sacrificed to the goddesse Luna were subiect to the gouernment of their wiues they which sacrificed to the god Lunus were accounted their wiues Masters As for this difference of sexe ancient Idolatrie scarce obserued it For wee reade of the god Venus which the Cyprians sayth Macrobius accounted both male and female and so doth Trismegistus mystically say of God himselfe So is Baal in the Scripture sometimes masculine sometimes feminine Hee sayth that the Babylonians allowed marriages of parents and children Cafe is two dayes iourney from Bagdet religious for the buriall of Hali and his sonnes Hassan and Ossain whereunto is resort of Pilgrims from Persia whose Kings were wont here to bee crowned But this Citie Curio calleth Cufa assigneth it to Arabia and sayth that of this accident it was called Massadale or the house of Ali slaine here by Muani his Competitor Mesopotamia is now called
Diarbech The chiefe Cities in it are Orfa of seuen miles compasse famous say some for the death of Crassus Caramit the mother Citie of the Countrey of twelue miles compasse Mosul and Merdin of which in the next Chapter Betweene Orpha and Caramit was the Paradise of Aladeules where hee had a fortresse destroyed by Selim. This his Paradise was like to that which you shall finde in our Persian Historie Men by a potion brought into a sleepe were brought into this supposed Paradise where at their waking they were presented with all sensuall pleasures of musicke damosels dainties c. which hauing had some taste of another sleepie drinke after came againe to themselues And then did Aladeules tell them That he could bring whom hee pleased to Paradise the place where they had beene and if they would commit such murders or haughtie attempts it should bee theirs A dangerous deuice Zelim the Turke destroyed the place CHAP. XIIII Of Niniue and other neighbouring Nations WE haue hitherto spoken of Babylonia but so as in regard of the Empire and some other occurrents necessitie now and then compelled vs to make excursions into some other parts of Assyria Mesopotamia c. And I know not how this Babylon causeth confusion in that Sea of affaires and in regard of the diuision of the pennes as sometimes of tongues of such as haue written thereof Hard it is to distinguish betweene the Assyrian and Babylonian Empire one while vnited another while diuided as each partie could most preuaile and no lesse hard to reconcile the Ethnike and Diuine Historie touching the same Ptolemey straitneth Assyria on the North with part of Armenia neere the hill Niphates on the West with Mesopotamia on the South with Susiana and Media on the East But her large Empire hath enlarged the name of Syria and of Assyria which names the Greekes did not well distinguish to many Countries in that part of Asia The Scripture deriueth Syria from Aram and Assyria from Ashur Both were in their times flourishing and mention is made from Abrahams time both of the warres and kingdomes in those parts yea before from Ashur and Nimrod as alreadie is shewed Mesopotamia is so called and in the Scripture Aram or Syria of the waters because it is situate betweene Euphrates and Tygris the countries Babylonia and Armenia confining the same on the North and South Whereas therefore wee haue in our former Babylonian relation discoursed of Assyria extending the name after a larger reckoning here wee consider it more properly Euphrates is a Riuer very swift for they which goe to Bagdet buy their boats at Birra which serue them but one voyage and sell them at Felugia for seuen or eight which cost fiftie because they cannot returne But Tygris is swifter the Armenians bring victuals downe the same to Bagdet on rafts made of Goats skinnes blowne full of wind and boords laid vpon them on which they lade their goods which being discharged they open the skinnes and carrie them backe on Camels Dionysius and Strabo tell of this Riuer that it passeth through the Lake Thonitis without mixture of waters by reason of this swiftnesse which also giueth it the name for the Medes call an Arrow Tygris Lucan sayth it passeth a great way vnder ground and wearie of that burthensome iourney riseth againe as out of a new fountaine At Tygrim subito tellus absorbet hiatu Occultosque tegit cursus rursusque renatum Fonte nouo flumen pelagi non abnegat vndas The chiefe Citie in these parts was Niniue called in Ionas A great and excellent Citie of three dayes iourney It had I borrow the words of our reuerend Diocesan an ancient testimonie long before in the Booke of Genesis For thus Moses writeth That Ashur came from the land of Shinar and built Niniueh and Rehoboth and Calah and Resin At length he singleth out Niniue from the rest and setteth a speciall marke of preeminence vpon it This is a great Citie which honour by the iudgement of the most learned though standing in the last place belongeth to the first of the foure Cities namely to Niniue Others imagined but their coniecture is without ground that the foure Cities were closed vp within the same walls and made but one of an vsuall bignesse Some ascribe the building of Niniue to Ninus the sonne of Belus of whom it tooke the name to be called either Ninus as wee reade in Plinie or after the manner of the Hebrewes Niniue They conceiue it thus That when Nimrod had built Babylon Ninus disdaining his gouernment went into the fields of Ashur and there erected a Citie after his owne name betweene the riuers Lycus and Tygris Others suppose that the affinitie betwixt these names Ninus and Niniueh deceiued profane Writers touching the Author thereof and that it tooke to name Niniueh because it was beautifull or pleasant Others hold opinion that Ashur and Ninus are but one and the same person And lastly to conclude the iudgement of some learned is that neither Ashur nor Ninus but Nimrod himselfe was the founder of it But by the confession of all both sacred and Gentile Histories the Citie was very spacious hauing foure hundred and fourescore furlongs in circuit when Babylon had fewer almost as some report by an hundred and as afterwards it grew in wealth and magnificence so they write it was much more enlarged Raphael Volaterranus affirmeth That it was eight yeeres in building and not by fewer at once then tenne thousand workemen There was no Citie since by the estimation of Diodorus Siculus that had like compasse of ground or statelinesse of walls the height whereof was not lesse then an hundred foot the breadth sufficiently capable to haue receiued three Carts on a row and they were furnished and adorned besides with fifteene hundred Turrets Thus farre our reuerend and learned Bishop Diodorus telleth out of Ctesias that Ninus after he had subdued the Egyptians Phoenicians Syrians Cilicians Phrygians and others as farre as Tanais and the Hyrcanians Parthians Persians and other their neighbours he built this Citie After that hee led an armie against the Bactrians of seuenteene hundred thousand footmen and two hundred thousand horse in which Expedition he tooke Semiramis from her husband Menon who therefore impatient of loue and griefe hanged himselfe Hee had by her a sonne of his owne name and then died leauing the Empire to his wife His Sepulchre was nine furlongs in height each of which is sixe hundred feete and ten in breadth The credite of this Historie I leaue to the Author scarce seeming to agree with Moses narration of the building of Niniue any more then Semiramis building of Babylon Some write That Semiramis abusing her husbands loue obtained of him the swaying of the Empire for the space of fiue dayes in which shee depriued him of his life and succeeded in his estate But lest the
which the Turkes were vnacquainted they quickly transported their men and as quickly endamnified their enemies When the Grand Signeur was made acquainted with the forwardnesse of these Polonians and vnderstood they were alreadie encamped and expected his comming hee was too young to apprehend any feare and not old enough to lay the blame of his retardance where it was therefore they made the more haste when he vnderstood the occasion and so according to former preparation the establishment of diuers Gouernments the ordering the Prouinces the settling the great Citie the mustring his Gallies the guarding of his Castles and the watching of the Blacke Sea the Tartars vnited themselues to his Armie and both together made a bodie of 200000. which with all magnificent preparation hee presented in the same Fields and within sight of the Polonians where hee pitched his Imperiall Tent. The Tartars thought to haue made but one battell and day of triall of the businesse but when they came to passe ouer Riuers and assaile Trenches they knew not what to say and lesse to doe though the Ianizaries came as a second vnto them whereupon they retreated and were altogether appauled to be so disappointed Both they the Ianizaries were glad to retire with losse the yong Emperor vnacquainted with the war was yet acquainted with Oathes and Curses to chide both himselfe and Fortune At the last the Bashawes seeing no remedie and finding so great obstacles of their attempt proiected the preseruation of the Emperours person but it may bee to secure their liues and so entrenched themselues being as they said the first time that euer so great an Armie of Turkes was enclosed within walles The Polonians also endured both hunger cold slacknesse of payment and their entertainment came many times short The Noble Generall died in the Campe the Prince lay sicke of a Feuer their horse miscarried and other lamentable effects taught them extraordinary patience which made them attend good conditions of peace and secret workings of more nimble spirits A Priest of Moldauia was set on worke to go among the Polonians and by way of generall complaint against the outragious effects of warre to enlarge the happinesse of peace and inferre what a blessing it were to procure the same whereupon hee was brought to the young Prince of Poland and Commanders of the Armie with whom hee at last preuailed so well and so farre that they sent a solemne Embassie to the great Turke as hee lay entrenched in the fields to entreate a peace and desire the renouation of the antiqua pacta which had beene euer betweene the two Nations The Turke had learned his lesson so well that he seemed to make the matter strange and of great humiliation if hee should consent thereunto and rather a courtesie granted then a necessitie imposed and so deferred them awhile till at last as if he had beene ouer-wrought by the intercession and mediation of his Bashawes he was contented to capitulate the matter and after many meetings and a great deale of conference Articles were drawne and confirmed with a kinde of solemnitie and proclaimed by sound of trumpet in both the Campes and so brake vp the Campe with a kinde of murmuring and repining The Great Turke tooke easie iourneys toward Adrinopolis where he discharged the Tartars and sent most of his Ianizaries before hand to Constantinople Sigismond King of Poland raised his Armie and rewarding the Cossacks dismissed them home againe into their Countrey he went in person to Leopolis from whence by this time Osman was come to the Great Citie hee sent a solemne Embassadour to be there a Leiger as it had beene in former times By Christmasse Osman comes home and had the accustomed acclamations of the people with all the Ceremonies of his returne whereupon he goes in great pompe to the Sophia and had the vsefull Guard of his Court Ianizaries to attend him but within short space many fearefull accidents appalled them all First they were astonished at a blazing Comet Secondly they were afrighted at a great fire hapning amongst the Iewes which they presaged ominous to the gouernment Thirdly a sore Earth quake made their hearts quake for feare but this is vsuall in those parts by reason of the ascending vp the Hills and many Cauerns vnder ground The Sea also swelled extraordinarily And a great dearth hapned These might bee concurring Symtomes the disease was Osmans great spirit emulous of his Ancestors glory and ambitious to adde the rest of Europe to their Conquests but hereto his owne auarice and the decrepit or at least that vndisciplined age of that Empire were agreed correspondent and this first disastrous Polonian attempt filled him with repining indignation He is said to vndertake that warre against the will of his Souldiers and without the aduice of his Viziers and his gaines to be the losse of 100000. horses for want of fodder and 80000. men for want of fighting to which hee could neuer incite his Ianizaries though he hazarded thereto somewhat farre his owne person Hereupon he complained hee was no King subiect thus to his owne slaues which would neither fight in war nor obey in peace without exacting new bounties and priuiledges Delauir Bassa a man of great courage lately called from the Easterne parts was suddenly made Vizier and wrought vpon the Kings discontent giuing him counsell to prouide a new Souldiourie about Damasco and from the Coords in stead of these degenerate Ianizaries and of them to entertaine 40000. for his Guard and that the Begh-lerbegh of euery Prouince should traine vp some of the inhabitants in Martiall discipline with which men of new spirits and hopes hee might be able to doe something Osman extreamely pleased with this deuice consented and left all to his discretion Hereupon it was concluded that the King should pretend to goe in person against the Emirde Zaida and after interceding against that a pilgrimage to Mecca was pretended May seuen 1622. he began to passe his Tents to Asia side with great store of treasure to the defacing of his Palace and of Churches The Ianizaries had secret intelligence and vpon a word giuen met at the Hippodrome and thence ranne to the Seraglio in tumult taking order to stop the passage by water There they cried out for the King who appearing they first demanded his continuance in the Citie Secondly the chiefe Officers to be deliuered to them Delauir the great Vizier the Hoia or Confessor the Treasurer the Gouernour of the Women the Cadileskar or Chiefe Iustice and others as enemies to the State and authors of that iourney Hee granted the first but stucke at the second and they returned discontent The next day they renewed the mutinie slew the Vizier and the Gouernour of the Women and not finding the King they called for Mustapha before deposed a man esteemed holy or frantike and fitter for a Cell then a Scepter Him they found almost starued in a Vault