oath cleared himselfe of this odious imputation And yet hee is no lesse suspected of a more monstrous and vnnaturall treacherie against his owne father who is thought to bee poysoned by his meanes that by these bloudie steps hee might ascend to that Throne which now he enioyeth But all this notwithstanding he hath since so subtilly handled the matter that hee is both beloued of his owne and feared of his enemie his subiects sweare and blesse in his name He hath recouered from the Turke both Tauris and other Regions of Seruania and Georgia which the Turke had before taken from the Persians Hee was reported also to haue taken Bagdat but it seemeth not truly Iansonius in his Newes 1610. reporteth of diuers victories obtained by him against the Turke which caused publike Fasts and supplications to be appointed at Constantinople and of the Persian Embassage with rich Presents and holy Reliques to the Emperour at Prage Gotardus Arthus likewise in his Gallobelgicus relateth of Abas his Embassage to Constantinople about a Peace but when his Embassadour returned with Articles whereby the Persian was bound vnder shew of gifts to pay an annuall tribute to the Sultan he therefore put him to death putting out the eyes also and cutting off the hands of the Turkish Embassador which was sent with him Of Bagdat and old Babylon wee haue spoken elsewhere let this be here added out of Balbi that trauelling from Felugia to Bagdat which hee reckoneth a dayes iourney and a halfe one whole dayes iourney thereof was by one side of the ruines of Babylon which hee left on the left hand As for Tauris in the yeere 1514. Selim tooke it as some say on composition which hee brake and carried thence three thousand of the best Artificers to Constantinople Anno 1535. Solymar gaue it for a prey to his souldiers Anno 1515. Osman spoiled it with vncouth and inhumane cruelties whatsoeuer the insulting Conqueror in the vtmost extent of lawlesse lust could inflict or the afflicted condition of the conquered could in the most deiected state of miserie sustaine was there executed Abas in recouerie hereof vsed the Canon an Instrument which before they had to their owne losse scorned The Prince is saith our Author excellent both of composition of bodie and disposition of minde of indifferent stature sterne countenance piercing eyes swart colour his mustachees on the vpper lip long his beard cut close to the chin Hee delights in Hunting and Hawking Running Leaping and trying of Masteries He is an excellent Horse-man and Archer In the morning he vseth to visit his stables of great Horses and hauing there spent most of the forenoone he returnes to his Palace About three of the clocke in the after-noone he goeth to the At-Maiden which is the high street of Hispaan the Citie of his residence round about which are scaffolds for the people to sit and behold the King and his Nobles at their Exercises of Shooting Running Playing at Tennis c. all on horse-backe In this place very often in his owne person he heareth causes and pronounceth sentence executing Iustice seuerely Now that we may mention some of the chiefe Cities of Persia vnder which name I here comprehend as vsually in this Historie their Dominion not as it is measured by the Pens of Geographers but by the Swords of their Princes In Sumachia Master Cartwright saith They saw the ruines of a cruell spectacle which was a Turret erected with Free-stone and Flints in the midst whereof were placed the heads of all the Nobilitie and Gentrie of the Countrie A mile from this Towne was a Nunnerie wherein was buried the bodie of Amaleke Canna the Kings daughter who slew her selfe with a knife for that her father would haue forced her to marrie a Tartarian Prince the Virgins of the Countrey resort hither once a yeere to lament her death Sechi is foure dayes iourney thence not farre from which is Ere 's which because they yeelded to the Turke were by Emir-Hamze vtterly destroyed man woman and child Arasse is the chiefe Citie of Merchandize in all Seruania especially for raw Silks Tauris hath out-liued many deaths and is very rich by reason of continuall Trade nourishing almost two hundred thousand people within her compasse for wals it hath not This was sometime the Seat-Royall and after that Casbin which is situate in a fertile Plaine foure dayes iourney in length wherein are two thousand Villages The buildings are of Bricke dried in the Sunne as in Persia is most vsuall The At-Maidan or chiefe street is foure square almost a mile in circuit Neere to it is Ardouil of chiefe note for beginning of the Sophian Superstition Geilan is foure dayes iourney from Casbin and stands neere to the Caspian Sea Neere to Bachu is a Fountaine of black oyle which serueth all the Countrey to burne in their houses Cassan is well seated and rich in Marchandize but subiect to heat more then other parts of Persia No person is there permitted to be idle Hispaan is thought by some to be Hecatompolis the walls are a dayes iourney about on horsebacke before the greatest now the Royall Citie of the Persians It hath a strong Fort two Seraglio's the walls whereof glister with red Marble and Parget of diuers colours paued all with Mosaique worke all things else combining Maiestie and Louelinesse Magnificence and Beautie The inhabitants as did the ancient Parthians whose chiefe Citie it sometime hath beene buy sell talke and performe all their publike and priuate affaires on horse-backe the Gentlemen neuer goe on foot Sciras is thought to bee Persepolis it is rich of Trade and there is the best Armour made in all the East of Iron and steele cunningly tempered with the iuyce of certaine herbes The Gouernement of this State in Warre and Peace I leaue to others §. VI. An Appendix touching the present Persian King out of Sir ANTHONY SHERLEY HAuing thus followed the currant of Authors in these Relations of Persia there hath since the first Edition been published the Trauels of Sir Anthony Sherley into these parts with Sir Robert Sherley his brother penned by himselfe with some extracts whereof to furnish this Chapter alreadie tedious as with a second seruice after a full stomacke will I hope renue appetite with the varietie so farre fetched and so deare bought howsoeuer before cloyed with fulnes To let passe therefore those worthy Brethren Worthies indeed in this kinde beyond the reach worth of my blurring praise and eclipsing commendations and to come to their Trauell and obseruation Hauing passed not without manifold dangers to Aleppo and thence to Birr and so downe Euphrates by the way they aduentured to see the Campe of Aborisci King of the Arabs inhabiting the desarts of Mesopotamia a poore King with ten or twelue thousand beggerly subiects liuing in tents of blacke haire-cloth well gouerned They came to Bagdat which is wholly on the other side of Tygris
be the Reliques of the Tartarian conquests in those parts so Adelham is King of Iustice Neza in the Persian which Scaliger saith is of like extent in the East as Latine in the West is a Lance Maluco signifieth the Kingdome Neza or Nizamaluco the Speare or Lance of the kingdom So Cotamaluco the Tower of the kingdom Imadmaluco the Throne of the Kingdome c Nizamaluco is also called Nizamoxa which Xa or Scha is a Persian title signifying as Monsieur in France Don in Spaine and giuen by Ismael the Sophi and Tamas his sonne to all those Kings that would communicate in their Sect which Nizamoxa only yeelded to Other of them made shew but soone recanted Thus farre Garcias The Decan Kings being now ten or twelue make joynt warre against the Mogoll hauing one Lieutenant Generall which is Amber Chapu an Abassen slaue before mentioned out of Captaine Hawkins who hath many Lecks of Rupias in ready money and is Protector of the Kingdome of Amdanagar the titular King being a childe One Robert Iohnson an Englishman turned Moore and was entertained with much respect of one of the Decan Kings but died eight dayes after his Circumcision So were Robert Claxon and Robert Trally voluntarily robbed of that which they neuer had Faith and Religion and turned Moores The Decans dominians reach from the West Sea to that of Choromandel or very neere thereto The chiefe reason of their Mahumetan Religion was that Conquest by Nosaradin and his successors Moores that there are so many Kingdomes proceed from that diuision before mentioned §. III. Of the Banian and Cambayan superstitions THe Religion in Cambaya is partly Moorish partly Heathenish The Banians are many in Sinda and other Countries of the Mogol There are some thirty Casts of them in Sinda this is the Countrey which Indus last forsaketh inhabited by Boloches and Rasbooches and Banians the great Townes and Cities gouerned by Mogols These are of thirty different Sects which may not eate with each other They must also marry in their owne Cast Tribe and Sect and which is more in the same trade as the Sonne of a Barber with a Barbers Daughter These marriages are made when they be yong sometime almost before they be For when two women are pregnant the Parents will make a match betweene their Children if death or the sexe disappoint not When they are three or foure yeeres old the Parents which haue agreed on a match betweene their Children make a great feast and set this young couple on horsebacke a man behind each of them to hold them in their best clothes accompanied with the Bramenes or Priests and many others according to their state and so leade them vp and downe the Citie where they dwell and then to the Pagode or Temple After Ceremonies there done they come home and make festiuall cheere certaine dayes as they are able At ten yeeres of age they lie together The burning their dead is common to all their Sects They are of the Pythagorean or he was rather of their fancy which he learned of the Indians When the husband dies the wife shaues her head and weares her jewels no more so continuing till death Thus farre Master Withington M. Couert relateth that they haue God in pictures of stone hanging their Beades on the heads of the pictures and then with their faces towards the Sunne doe worship it saying all their comforts proceed from it I saw a Kow adorned with Iewels and a Vest of gold her head bedecked with garlands flowers and then being brought to a burial place where they vse to make Sermons they kisse her feet and teats and worship her I asking why they did so they answered that she was the mother of beasts brought them milke butter cheese and the Oxe to till the ground and lastly her Hide did make leather to make them shooes Moreouer they say she is blest by the Mother of God to be honored aboue all beasts Another writes that these Banians are the wisest Merchants in the East exceeding the Iewes very rich some worth 2. or 300000li. He addes that they pay a great summe to the Mogol to preuent killing of Oxen and when our men had shot a Turtle-doue through the wings they will giue a Riall of eight to redeeme and preserue it Generall Downton in his last Iournall writes that when they would haue obtained a Bazar or Market by the shoare answere was made that they might but not for Bullocks For the Mogol had granted his Firma to the Banians for a mighty summe yeerly to saue their liues For Souldiery these are but shadowes of men all their Fortitude smoking out in these superstitious speculations and therefore an easie prey to any Inuader So true a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haue they sustained being metamorphosed and transanimated from men to blockes and liuing statues or to ghosts Beniamin Day nameth one of their Sects called Ash-men whose bodies being most part naked are couered with ashes whereby they looke like ghosts or dead men They liue idlely on reliefe not so much as begging One of these was in great account with haire hanging to his feet platted together his nailes fiue or sixe inches long Vertomannus is Author that they worship not Idols or Pagodes Others report That this way aad others they are exceeding religiously deuoted They obserue a strict kind of fasting which lasteth with some eight dayes with others fifteene twenty or thirty dayes in all which space they eate not a bit onely when they thirst drinke water One could not see when to make an end of this his penance till his left eye fell out of his head as both had done before out of his heart In Cambaia they had one Bramene in such reputation of holinesse and honour that they would salute him before they meddled with their worldly affaires One affirmed to this Iesuite That if his Bramene should command him to distribute all his goods to the poore he would doe it yea he would lay downe his life at his command On the eight day of Ianuarie i in that Citie were giuen in almes twenty thousand Pardawes which is in value about a Flemish Dollar one man had giuen fiue thousand thereof another three thousand another fifteene hundred The cause was because that day as their Bramenes affirmed the Sunne departed from Sur to Horte Of their Pilgrimages is spoken before some Eastward to Ganges some Westward to Mecca to wit the Moores not men alone but women also and because Mahomet hath forbidden all vnmarried women this holy Iourney they will marrie before they set forth and dissolue the same marriage againe after their returne Hereby they thinke to purchase merit with God I went one day sayth Pinnerus to the publike Hospitall which the Citizens of Cambaia had founded for all kindes of Birds to cure them in their sicknesse Some Peacockes were there incurable and therefore might haue
ship to murther the English there Dangerous had this Fray prooued had not the murthering Peece with almost a cleane riddance of them cruelly decided the quarrell Yet would they not desire their liues and pulled the Pikes of such as had wounded them thorow their bodies to reuenge it with their Swords This is generall to the Iaponians call it fortitude or desperatnesse or cruelty or in some respects all of them Quabacondono the Nephew of Taicosama before mentioned feemed to delight in bloud and butchery and obserued as an ordinary recreation at set times to haue condemned persons brought before him in a place purposely inclosed and framed to this inhumanity in the midst of which was a faire Table and thereon those wretches were set in what posture he pleased so to try his arme art and blade in this beastly caruing of humane bodies sometimes also setting them for markes to his Peece or Arrowes sometimes exenterating women to open and curiously to search the closest Cabinets of Nature alway prouoking vengeance to repay him in his owne Coyne For old Taicosama hauing a young child of his owne bodie studied how to remoue this Quabacondono It is a custome in Iapon that the Fatherr growing old resigne their Signiories to the Sonne or Heire The Lords of Tensa which title includes the Iaponian Empire adde another ceremony to visit that Sonne now in possession so to acknowledge a kind of subiection all the Lords in the Empire doing the like in publike solemnity This time was appointed and Quabacondono prouided all variety of cheere for entertainment a thousand choyce Wayters to attend and thirteene thousand of their Iaponian Tables little bigger then our Trenchers but all was disappointed by Taicosamas iealousie refusing to come After that He picked quarrels with him and caused Him to goe to the Monastery of Coia a receptacle for Exiles Quabacondono in this distresse shaued his hinder-locke and beard changing his name to Doi The Bonzij gaue Him entertainment at Coia as to other Exiles without any respect to his present Title or late power A few dayes after came a Mandate from Taicosama that they should all plucke out their bowels after the Iaponian custome First began an Honourable seruant who hauing cut himselfe open acrosse the brest was by Quabacondono after reuerence done to him beheaded and then Others in order after the same manner the fift was Quabacondono whose head after hee had ripped vp himselfe was strooke off with the same Sword which hee had vsed before in his butcherly recreations And lastly he that had smitten off his head committed execution vpon himselfe the Bonzij presently burning all their bodies in the same place One of this company was offered by Taicosama his liberty which hee refused chusing kindly to dye with him who in life had vsed him kindly The like executions followed in others one of which was the mightiest Lord in Tensa who being slaine his Son but 16. yeeres old had his life offered but sending word to Taicosama he could not liue without reuenge of his Fathers death went presently to a Temple in Meaco and before the Idoll Fotoco disembowelled himselfe Of all Quabacondonos wiues and their followers one and thirty chiefe women and three of his children little Infants were carried in Carts to the place of execution where the Executioner presently presents them with Quabacondonos head that death might first enter at their eyes which by a bloudy hand soone possessed all the other members Their bodies were all laid in one Graue ouer which Taicosama raysed a Temple with Inscription The Temple of Traytors After other wiues and children of the other Nobles executed hee demolished to the ground the Palace which Quabacondono had built with the City by him founded consisting of little other then three hundred Noblemens Houses this being the Iaponian policy vnder shew of attendance to keepe the Grandes at the Court so to bee secured of their persons and practices I haue beene the longer in this Relation to shew the Iaponian tyranny in this example whereof it were easie to giue you many The poorest if sentence of Death bee determined on them will if they can haue knowledge and meanes preuent it with this accounted honourable kind of death crossing themselues And whensoeuer any man is executed presently euery man rusheth in and tryes his Catan or Sword on the body of the Dead thus shred into gobbets not a piece left bigger then a mans hand This Captaine Saris saw done on a woman and her two Paramours at Firando whom shee had appointed to visit her but one comming sooner and before the other was gone they quarrelled to draw a Sword in a Garrison Towne and adultery are both death and they were all thus executed The like for stealing one for a little bagge of Rice another for a piece of Lead not worth aboue sixe pence Their doores stand open so little doe they feare Theeues and they make ordinary through-faires thorow other mens houses Crucifying is common the bodies still hanging and putrifying by the high-wayes their Crosses haue two crosse timbers fastned to the maine Post which is set into the ground the one for the expansion of the hands the other of the feet with a shorter piece in the midst to beare vp the weight of the body They bind them thereto and runne a Launce into the right side of the crucified sometimes two acrosse Headding is vsuall which in Solemnitie is thus performed one goes before with a Mattocke another followes with a shouell a third with a boord or table contayning the crime which also hee himselfe following next holdeth in a sticke to which is fastened a paper made like a Vane the end whereof is in his hands tyed behind him by which cord the Executioner leades him on each side a Souldier with his Launce resting on him at the dismall place without shew of feare hee sits downe and holds out his head presently wiped off others mangling him as is said Since Captaine Saris his returne the King of Firando is dead and three of his followers crossed themselues their bodies were burned and enioyed the same Sepulchre with his And the Mint-master a Great man with this olde Emperour hath already promised thus to dye with Him I could leade you from these Tragedies to their Comedies which in Iapon are common and that by common women which are to bee hired of their Pandar or Owner for this the Bed or attendance at table to fill your drinke but it is Note-worthy that the Pandar being dead is by a bridle made of Straw put in his mouth drawne about the streets and cast on a dung-hill or some open place to bee deuoured of Beasts or Fowles This hinders not but these Hydras heads multiply Sometimes Great Men at their Great Solemnities will themselues in person personate the Acts of their Ancestors This Captaine Saris saw the King of Firando with the chiefe Men doe whiles hee
they would not suffer our men to see but feasted there two houres On a sudden all arose with cudgels in their hand and made a lane as is before said and the children being laid downe vnder a tree to their seeming without life they all fell into a ring againe and danced about the children a good space and then sate downe in a circle about the tree Raphanna in the mids caused burdens of wood to be brought to the Altar made of poles set like a steeple where they made a great fire which our men thought but were deceiued was to sacrifice their children to the Diuell whom they call Kewase who as they report suckes their bloud They were vnwilling to let them stay any longer They found a woman mourning for yong Paspiha sacrificed at the Towne of Rapahanna but this Paspaiha is now aliue as Mr Rolph hath since related to me and the mourning of the women is not for their childrens death but because they are for diuers moneths detained from them as we shall after see Yea the Virginians themselues by false reports might delude our Men and say they were sacrificed when they were not For euen still they are very inconstant it is Mr Rolphs report in all that they speake of their Religion one denying that which another affirmeth and either not knowing or nor willing that others should know their diuellish mysteries And hence perhaps it was that as Captaine Smith addeth a Werowance being demanded the meaning of this sacrifice answered that the children were not all dead but that the Oke or Diuell did sucke the bloud from their left brest who chanced to be his by lot till they were dead but the rest were kept in the wildernesse by the yong men till nine Moones were expired during which time they must not conuerse with any and of these were made their Priests and coniurers This Sacrifice they held to be so necessarie that if they should omit it their Oke or Diuell and their other Quiyoughcosughes or gods would let them haue no Deere Turkies Corne or Fish and who would besides make a great slaughter amongst them They thinke that their Werowances and Priests which they also esteeme Quiyoughcosughes when they are dead doe goe beyond the Mountaines towards the setting of the Sunne and euer remaine there in forme of their Oke hauing their heads painted with Oyle and Pocones finely trimmed with feathers and shall haue Beades Hatchets Copper and Tobacco neuer ceasing to dance and sing with their Predecessors The common-people they suppose shall not liue after death Some sought to conuert them from these Superstitions the Werowance of Quiyoughcohanock was so farre perswaded as that he professed to beleeue that our God exceeded theirs as much as our Guns did their Bowes and Arrowes and many times did send to the President many presents entreating him to pray to his God for raine for his God would not send him any William White reporteth these their ceremonies of honouring the Sunne By breake of day before they eate or drinke the men women and children aboue ten yeeres old runne into the water and there wash a good space till the Sunne arise and then they offer sacrifice to it strewing Tobacco on the land or water the like they doe at Sun-set Hee also relateth that one George Casson before mentioned was sacrificed as they thought to the Diuell being stripped naked and bound to two stakes with his backe against a great fire then did they rip him and burne his bowels and dryed his flesh to the bones which they kept aboue-ground in a by-roome Many other of our men were cruelly and treacherously executed by them though perhaps not sacrificed and none had been left if their ambushes and treasons had taken effect Powhatan thus inuited Captaine Ratliffe and thirty others to trade for corne and hauing brought them within his ambush murthered them Alexander Whitaker saith That their Priests whom they call Quiokosoughs are Witches of whom the people stand in great awe The manner of their life is Heremite-fashion in woods in houses sequestred from the common course of men where none may come or speake with them vncalled They take no care for victuals for all such necessaries are set in a place neere his Cottage for his vse If they would haue raine or haue lost any thing he at their request coniureth and often preuaileth He is their Physician if they bee sicke and sucketh their wounds At his word they make warre and peace and doe nothing of moment without him Master Rolph affirmes that these Priests liue not solitarily and in other things is of another opinion which perhaps our former Author at his first comming might haue by relation of others The Wirowance of Acawmacke told our men of a strange accident two children being dead and buried being reuiewed by the parents seemed to haue liuely and cheerefull countenances which caused many to behold them and none of the beholders escaped death §. III. Of the Sasquesahanockes with other and later obseruations of the Virginian Rites THe Sasquesahanockes are a Gyantly people strange in proportion behauiour and attire their voice sounding from them as out of a Caue their attire of Beares skins hanged with Beares pawes the head of a Wolfe and such like iewels and if any would haue a spoone to eate with the Diuell their Tobacco pipes were three quarters of a yard long carued at the great end with a Bird Beare or other deuice sufficient to beat out the braines of a Horse and how many Asses braines are beaten out or rather mens braines smoaked out and Asses haled in by our lesse Pipes at home the rest of their furniture was sutable The calfe of one of their legges was measured three quarters of a yard about the rest of his limbes proportionable With much adoe restrained they this people from worshipping our men And when our men prayed according to their dayly custome and sung a Psalme they much wondered and after began in most passionate manner to hold vp their hands to the Sunne with a Song then embracing the Captaine they began to adore him in like manner and so proceeded notwithstanding his rebuking them till their song was ended which done one with a most strange action and vncomely voice began an Oration of their loues That ended with a great painted Beares skinne they couered the Captaine another hung about his necke a chaine of white Beades Others laid eighteene Mantles at his feet with many other ceremonies to create him their Gouernour that hee might defend them against the Massa-womekes their enemies As these are very great so the Weighcocomocoes are very little I may also heere insert the ridiculous conceits which some Virginians hold concerning their first originall as I haue heard from the relation of an English Youth which liued long amongst the Sauages that a Hare came into their Countrey and made the first men and after preserued them
harth to eate no other bread but that which had beene offered to their Gods that they should vpon all occasions repaire to their Wisards who with certaine graines told Fortunes and diuined looking into keelers and pailes full of water The Sorcerers and ministers of the diuell vsed much to besmeare themselues There were an infinite number of these Witches Diuiners Inchanters and the like and still there remaine of them but secret not daring publikely to exercise their superstitions The Mexicans had amongst them a kinde of baptisme which they did with cutting the eares and members of yong children hauing some resemblance of the Iewish circumcision This Ceremonie was done principally to the sonnes of Kings and Noblemen presently vpon their birth the Priests did wash them and did put a little Sword in the right hand in the left a Target And to the children of the vulgar sort they put the markes of their callings and to their daughters instruments to Spinne Knit and labour The Mexican history afore-mentioned in the third part thereof sheweth in pictures their policie and customes When a child was borne as is there described it was laid in a Cradle foure dayes after the mid-wife brought it naked with the instrument of the trade as is said in the hand into the yard where were prepared Bul-rushes and a little pan of water in which she washed the same Three boyes sate by eating tosted Mars with sodden Frizoles in a little pan and at the mid-wiues appointment named the child with a lowd voice After twenty dayes they went with it into the Temple and presented the same in presence of the Priest with an offering and being of fifteene yeares committed him to the High Priest of that Temple to be taught if they would after haue him a Priest or if they would haue him a Souldier they committed him to the Master thereof with an offering of meat also In this booke is pictured how they instruct and feed them at three yeeres of age giuing them halfe a Cake how at foure with a whole Cake at fiue burthening and exercising their bodies and letting their daughters to spin how at sixe they exercise them in gathering vp corne spilled on the ground or the like at seuen in fishing There is likewise described their seuere discipline in punishing them with Manguez The Priests did exercise their Pupils in bodily seruices of the Temple in going to the Mountains to sacrifice in Musicke obseruing the time by the starres and the like Old men of threescore and ten might be publikely drunken without controll which to yong folkes of both sexes was death as was theft also and adultery The Priests also had their office in marriages The Bridegroome and the Bride stood together before the Priest who tooke them by the hands asking them if they would marry vnderstanding their will he took a corner of the vaile wherewith the woman had her head couered and a corner of the mans gowne which he tyed together on a knot and so led them thus tyed to the Bridegroomes house where there was a harth kindled Then he caused the wife to goe seuen times about the harth and so the married couple sate downe together and thus was the marriage contracted That booke of pictures describes it thus as Amantesa or Broker carried the Bride on her backe at the beginning of the night foure women attending with Torches of Pine-tree Rosenned At the Bridegroomes house his parents receiue her and carry her to him in a Hall where they are both caused to sit on a Mat neere a fire and tyed together with a corner of their apparell and a perfume of Copale wood is made to their gods Two old men and as many old women were present The married couple eate and then these old folke which after this separate them asunder and giue them good instructions for Oeconomicall duties In other parts of New-Spaine they vsed other marriage-rites at Tlaxcallan the Bridegroome and Bride polled their heads to signifie that from thenceforth all childish courses should be laid aside At michuacan the Bride must looke directly vpon the Bridegroome or else the marriage was not perfect In Mixteopan they vsed to carry the Bridegroome vpon their backs as if he were forced and then they both ioyne hands and knit their mantles together with a great knot The Macatecas did not come together in twenty dayes after marriage but abode in fasting and prayer all that while sacrificing their bodies and anointing the mouths of their Idols with their bloud In Panuco the Husbands buy the Wiues for a Bow two Arrowes and a Net and afterwards the Father-in-law speaketh not one word to his Sonne in-law for the space of a yeere When he hath a child he lyeth not with his wife in two yeeres after lest she should be with child againe before the other bee out of danger some sucke twelue yeeres and for this cause they haue many wiues No woman while she hath her disease may touch or dresse any thing Adulterie in Mexico was death common women were permitted but no ordinary Stewes The diuell did many times talke with their Priest and with some other Rulers and particular persons Great gifts were offered vnto him whom the diuell had vouchsafed this conference He appeared vnto them in many shapes and was often familiar with them He to whom he appeared carried about him painted the likenesse wherein be shewed himselfe the first time And they painted his Image on their doores benches and euery corner of the house Likewise according to his Protean and diuersified apparitions they painted him in many shapes It belonged also to the office of the Priests and religious in Mexico to interre the dead and doe their obsequies The places where they buried them were their gardens and courts of their owne houses others carried them to the places of sacrifices which were done in the mountaines others burnt them and after buried the ashes in the temples burying with them whatsoeuer they had of apparell stones and iewels They did sing the funerall offices like Responds often lifting vp the dead body with many ceremonies At these Mortuaries they did eate and drinke and if it were a person of qualitie they gaue apparell to such as came When one was dead his friends came with their presents saluted him as if he were liuing And if he were a King or Lord of some Towne they offered some slaues to bee put to death with him to serue him in the other world They likewise put to death his Priest or Chaplain for euery Noble-man had a Priest for his domestical holies that he might execute his office with the dead They likewise killed his Cooke his Butler Dwarffes and deformed men and whosoeuer had most serued him though he were his Brother And to preuent pouertie they buried with them much wealth as Gold Siluer Stones Curtains and other rich pieces And if they burned the dead they
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
people who liued and wallowed in the height of their wickednesse and lust of crying Sodomiticall sinnes to be thus punished both by so bloudy a King and this Scythian Enemy who came with two hundred thousand Horsemen within fifty miles compasse on the Riuer Occa neere Circapoe and vpon secret intelligence as was thought he passed the Riuer without repulse of the Emperours Army who durst not on paine of death stirre beyond their bounds vpon whatsoeuer aduantage The Enemy approching the great City of Musco the Russe Emperour flies with his two Sonnes Treasure Seruants and his Guard of twenty thousand Gunners towards a strong Monastery Troiets or the Trinity sixty miles off Vpon Ascention day the Enemy fires the high steeple of Saint Iohns Church at which instant happened a tempestuous wind whereby all the Churches Houses Monasteries and Palaces within the City and Suburbs thirty miles compasse built most of Firre and Oke were set on fire and consumed in sixe houres space with infinite thousands of Men Women and Children burnt and smothered to death by the fierie aire few escaping without and within the three walled Castles The Riuer and Ditches about Musco were stopped and filled with multitudes of people laden with Gold Siluer Iewels Earings Chaines Bracelets Rings and other Treasure which went for succour to saue their heads aboue water All which notwithstanding so many thousands were there burnt and drowned that the Riuer could not with all meanes and industry that could bee vsed bee in two yeeres after cleansed those which were left aliue and many from other places being daily occupied within great circuits to search and dragge for Iewels Plate bags of Gold and Siluer I my selfe was somewhat the better for that fishing The streets of the City Churches Sellers and Vaults lay so thicke and full of dead carkasses as no man could passe for the noysome smels long after The Câ—im and his Army beheld this fire solacing himselfe in a faire Monastery foure miles off and tooke the spoyle of such as fled from the fire besetting all the wayes about the Citie and returned with much Treasure and store of Captiues passing ouer the Riuer the same way they came The Russe Emperour fled further to Vologda fiue hundred miles from Mosco accompanied with his Clergy in whom he had most confidence He summons a Councell Royall dissolues his Army which fought not a stroke for him examined racked and tortured many of his chiefe Captaines executes confiscates destroyes their Race and Families takes order for clensing repayring and replenishing Musco In the midst of this Parliament Chigaly Mursoy sends an Embassadour attended with many Mursoys in their account Noblemen all well horsed clothed in sheepes skinne Coats girt to them with blacke Caps of the same hauing Bowes and Arrowes with curious Cymitars by their sides They had a Guard to keepe them in darke Roomes stinking Horse flesh and water was their best dyet without Bread Beere Bed or Candle At the time of their audience bad vsage was offered them which they puffed at and scorned The Emperour sate with his three Crownes before him in great Royalty his Princes and Nobles attending richly adorned with Iewels and Pearle He commanded the Embassadors sheepe skinne Coate and Cap to be taken off and a Golden Robe and rich Cap to be put on who laughed aloud thereat enters the Emperours presence his followers being kept backe in a space grated with Iron The Embassadour chases with a hollow hellish voyce looking fierce and grimly on the Emperour beeing otherwise a most vgly Creature Foure Captaines of the Guard bring him neere His seate and then without reuerence he thunders out that his Master and Lord Chigaley great Emperour of all the Kingdomes and Chams that the Sunne doth spread his beames ouer hath sent to him Iuan Vassilliwich his Vassall and great Duke ouer all Russia by his permission to know how he liked the scourge of his displeasure by sword fire and famine and withall had sent him for remedie a present of his indignation pulling out a foule rustie Knife to cut his throat with all This done hee hasted out of the Roome without answere They would haue taken off his golden Gowne and Cap but he and his company stroue with them and would not permit it The Emperour fell into an agony tore his haire and beard sent for his Ghostly Father The chiefe Captaine desired leaue to cut them all in pieces but he gaue no answere After he had detayned him some time his fury being alayed he sent him away with better vsage and this Message Tell the Merchant and vnbeleeuer thy Master it is not he it is my sinnes and the sinnes of my people against my God and Christ he it is that hath giuen him a limme of the Deuill this power and oportunitie to to be the instrument of my rebuke by whose pleasure and helpe I doubt not of reuenge and to make him my Vassall though he be now but a Runnegate and hath no place of abode to be found out in Hee answered he would not doe him so much seruice to speake so arrogant a message from him Wherevpon not long after hee did addresse a Noble Gentleman Alfonasy Phedorowicz Nagoy in that Embassie who was there detayned and indured much misery for seuen yeeres space The Emperour was loth to come to Musco but sent for the chiefe Merchants Handicrafts and Tradesmen from all other Cities and Townes within his Kingdome to build and inhabit there and further to draw Trafficke thither tooke away all Impositions and granted freedome of Customes set seuen thousand Masons and Workmen to build a faire stone Wall round about the Musco which was finished in fiue yeeres space strong and beautifull and furnished with faire brasse Ordenance he also setled his Offices and Officers of Iustice therein as before Himselfe kept much at Vologda on the Riuer Dwina the Centre and safest place of his Kingdome He conferred much with one Elesius Bomelius a Mathematician comne out of England He also sent for skilfull Architects Carpenters Ioyners Masons Goldsmiths Physicians Apothecaries and such like out of England He builds a Treasure-house of stone great Barkes and Barges to conuey and transport Treasure vpon any sudden occasion to Sollauetzcoy Monastery standing on the North Sea the direct way to England Hee fleeced his Merchants by taking their Commodities to exchange with Merchant Strangers for Gold Dollers Iewels and Pearles which he tooke into his Treasury paying little or nothing hee borrowed great summes of Cities Townes and Monasteries exhausting all their wealth by great Impositions and Customes to augment his owne Treasure which he neuer would diminish vpon any occasion whatsoeuer whereby hee became so odious that in a desperate resolution he deuised to preuent and alter his estate to annull and frustrate all these ingagements of his Crowne He made a diuision of his Subiects calling the one Oproswy and the other Soniscoy
it was the next day after the Azyma or Feast day But the Samaritans reckoned the second after the Sabbath and so in all that space of fiftie dayes kept the first day of the weeke that is Sunday holy Thus they kept seuen Pentecosts in a yeere And perhaps he but coniectureth as they had these imaginarie Pentecosts so they might at other times of the yeere haue such imaginarie solemnities of other Feasts From that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the second day and next to the Feast of vnleauened bread the Sabbaths saith Scaliger in the same place were called in order the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the second Sabbath after that day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so the rest and thus hee expoundeth those words of Luke cap. 6. v. 1. Secundo primum Sabbatum that is the first Sabbath after that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or first day of the fiftie which beganne to be reckoned the next day after Easter till Pentecost A place hitherto very obscure Epiphanius doth number for Samaritan Sects The Essens of which is before shewed that they were Iewes and otherwise hereticall and Idolatrous in respect of their morning deuotions to the Sun for which it seemeth they might not certaine they did not communicate with other Iewes in the Temple and Sacrifices These pertaine not to this place as not Samaritans A fourth Samaritan Sect he accounteth the Gortheni which differed from the rest at least from the Sebuians in keeping their solemnities Paschal Pentecost and of Tabernacles at the Iewish times and obserued but one day holy as likewise the fasting day The Iewes still obserue the Sabbaticall yeere and so do the Samaritans also but not at the same time for that which is the fourth of the seuen with the Iewes is the Sabbaticall of the Samaritans CHAP. X. The miserable destruction and dispersion of the Iewes from the time of the desolation of their Citie and Temple to this day §. I. Of the Destruction of the Iewes vnder TITVS THE curse threatned vnto this superstitious and Rebellious Nation madnesse blindnesse astonishment of heart to grope at noone-daies as the blinde gropeth in darkenesse to be a wonder a prouerbe and a common talke among all people among which they should be scattered from one end of the World to the other is this day fulfilled in our eyes both in respect of their Politie and Religion GODS iust iudgement sealing that their owne imprecation His blood be on vs and on our children and pursuing them in all places of their dispersion through the reuolutions of so many ages Odious are they not to the Christians alone but to the Heathen people that know not GOD nor will the Turke receiue a Iew into the fellowship of their Mahumetane superstition except he hath passed first from his Iudaisme through the purgation of a Christian profession vnto that their no lesse ridiculous and miserable deuotion God they please not saith Paul and are contrarie vnto all men This their wretchednesse although it seemed to beginne when Herod a stranger seized their state yet was that infinitely more then recompenced when their Messiah so long before prophecied and expected came among his owne but his owne receiued him not yea they crucified the Lord of Glorie But euen then also did not the long-suffering GOD reiect them Christ prayed for them the Apostles preached to them remission of this and all their sinnes till that as Paul chargeth them they putting these things from them and iudging themselues vnworthie of eternall life GOD remoued this golden Candlestick from amongst them to the Gentiles and let out his Vineyard to other husband-men Famine sword and pestilence at once assayled them And what shall not assayle what will not preuaile against the enemies of GOD Ierusalem sometimes the glorie of the Earth the type of Heauen The Citie of the great King and Mother-citie of the Iewish kingdome from this incomparable height receiued as irrecouerable a fall besieged and sacked by Titus and yet more violently tortured with inward convulsions and ciuill gripes then by outward disease or forraine hostilitie Iosephus and Iosippus haue handled the same at large both which can acquaint the English Reader with the particulars Besides many thousands by Vespasian and the Romans slaine in other places of Iudaea Ierusalem the holy Citie was made a prison slaughter-house and graue of her owne people First had diuine mercie by Oracle remoued the Christians to Pella out of the danger that without any impediment the floud-gates of vengeance might be set wide open for Desolations black-guard to enter Here might you see the strong walls shaking and falling with the pushes of the yron Ramme there the Romans bathing their swords in Iewish entrales here the seditious Captaines disagreeing in mutuall quarrels written in blood there agreeing in robbing and burning the Citie and in slaughter of the Citizens here hunger painted with pale colours in the gastly countenances of the starued inhabitants there dyed in red with the blood of their dearest children which the tyrannie of famine forceth to re-enter into the tendrest-hearted mothers wombe sometime the place of Conception now of buriall Euery where the Eye is entertained with differing spectacles of diuersified Deaths the Eare with cries of the insulting Souldier of the famished children of men and women euen now feeling the tormenting or murthering hand of the seditious the Sent receiueth infectious plague and contagion from those humane bodies with inhumanitie butchered whom no humanitie buried the Taste is left a meere and idle facultie saue that it alway tasteth the more distastfull poyson of not-tasting and emptinesse what then did they feele or what did they not feele where all senses seemed to bee reserued that they might haue sense of punishment Where all outward inward publike priuate bodily ghostly plagues were so ready executioners of the Diuine sentence The continuall sacrifice first ceased for want of Priests of the last course to whom in order it had descended after for want of a Temple before polluted with Ethnick sacrifices and murthers of the Priests and Souldiers and lastly ruined the sacred vessels thereof being carried to Rome for ornaments of the Temple of Peace which Vespasian had there erected Eleuen hundred thousands are numbred of them which perished in this destruction The remnant that escaped the Roman Sword for the most part perished after in Warres or killed themselues or were reserued eyther for solemnitie of triumph or if they were vnder seuenteene yeeres of age sold vnto perpetuall slauerie ninetie seuen thousand of these Iewish slaues were numbred Galatinus accounteth two hundred thousand And that the hand of GOD might be the more manifest they which at their Passe-ouer feast had crucified the Sonne of GOD are at the same time gathered together in Ierusalem as to a common prison-house of that whole Nation and they which had bought Christ of the Traytor Iudas for
20 21 22. and out of Iob chapter 23. verse 23 24. 25. swingeth the Cocke three times about his head euery time saying This Cocke shall make an exchange for me he shall dye for mee and I shall goe into life with all the people of Israel Amen He doth it three times for himselfe for his children for the strangers that are with him Then hee killeth him and cutteth his throat and hurleth him with all his force to the ground and roasteth him signifying that he himselfe deserueth death the sword stoning and fire the inwards they hurle on the top of the house that the Crowes may with it carrie away their sinnes A white Cocke for this purpose is principall a red Cocke they vse not for they are full of sinne themselues by Esaias authoritie If your sinnes were red as scarlet c. Antonius Margarita saith That this propitiatory creature should bee an Ape as most like to man but they vse a Cocke for the names sake a man in Hebrew is Gebher which is the Talmudicall or Babylonish name of a Cocke Thus those that with a Rams horne beguile the Deuill and with a Cocke beguile GOD iustly beguile themselues who refuse that sacrifice of Christ in whose stripes they might be healed They haue another fable of a Cocke mentioned by Victor Carbensis thinking that as often as a Cocke stands on one leg and his combe lookes pale that GOD is angry which hapneth they say euery day and onely in the day time and that but the twinckling of an eye And therefore they praise GOD which hath giuen such vnderstanding to a Cocke After the performance of this Cocke-sacrifice they goe to the buriall place vsing like Ceremonies there as on New-yeers eeuen and after noone bathe them likewise After Eeuensong he which hath offended others askes them forgiuenesse which if he obtaine not at first then the offender taketh with him three other and asketh the second and third time if all this bee in vaine he taketh ten others and renueth his suite if he obtaine it is well if not GOD will hold him excused and the other partie shall be guiltie If the partie offended be dead the offender with ten other goeth to the graue there confesseth his faults They confesse one to another also and that in a secret place of their Synagogue where each receiueth mutually at his fellowes hand with a leather belt nine and thirty blowes at each blow the partie beaten beateth himselfe on the brest and saith one word of his Confession taken out of the seuentie and eight Psalme and eight and thirtieth Verse being in the Hebrew thirteene words which he thrice repeateth then the striker lyeth downe and receiueth like penance at the hands of the former you may iudge with what rigour This done they runne home and make merry with the Cockes and Hens before mentioned supping largely because of the next dayes fast Their Supper must be ended before Sunne-set for then begineth their fast They put on their cleanest rayment and ouer the same a great and large shirt downe to the shooes to testifie their puritie They resort to their Synagogues with waxe candles in Germanie they haue for euery man one and then light them The women also light Candles at home as on the Sabbath It is ominous if the Candles burne not cleerely They spread the floore with Carpets for soyling their purest cloathes Their humiliations at this feast are fiue first foure and twentie or seuen and twentie houres fast whereunto children are subiect the Males after twelue yeeres the Females after eleuen Secondly they weare no shooes Thirdly they must not annoint them Fourthly nor bathe them no not put a finger into the water Fiftly nor companie with no not touch their wiues Before they begin prayers thirteene of the principall Rabbies walking in the Temple giue licence to all both good and bad to pray And the Praecentor or Reader fetcheth the booke out of the Arke and openeth it singing a long Prayer beginning all compacts vowes and oathes c. insinuating that all the vowes promises oathes and couenants which euerie Iew had that yeere broken bee disanulled and pardoned and that because now all haue power to pray and prayse GOD. They continue singing till late in the night Some remaine all night in the Synagogue yea the deuouter some stand vpright singing and praying without intermission all that feast the space of seuen and twentie houres in the same place Those that departed the Synagogue returne in the morning before day and there stay all that day Often they prostrate themselues with their face couered at euery word of their Confessions knocking their brest When it beginneth to bee night the Priest draweth his Tallies a large cloath made of haires before his eyes and pronounceth the blessing Numb 6. holding his hand towards the people who meane-while couer their faces with their hands for they may not looke on the Priests hand because the spirit of GOD resteth thereon Then hee singeth a Prayer seuen times together sometimes higher sometimes lower with his voyce because that GOD now ascendeth from them into the seuenth Heauen and they with their sweet melodie bring him on the way Then they make a long and shrill sound with their Rams-horne-trumpet and there followeth presently a voyce from Heauen Goe eate thy bread with ioy and gladnesse c. After this they returne home some carrying home their lights to distinguish the holy Times as you haue heard from the prophane some leaue them in the Synagogue all the yeere at certaine times lighting them Some Saint-Iewes prouide to haue a waxe-light continually burning all the yeere long in the Synagogue In their returne they wish to each other a good yeere For the bookes before mentioned are now closed nor may they expect any alteration They sup largely and betimes the next morning returne to the Synagogue lest Sathan should complaine at so soone a cooling of their zeale But the Deuill may bee quiet for when the Law was giuen Samael the euill spirit complained that hee had power ouer all people but the Israelites GOD answered That he should haue power ouer them if on the Reconciliation-day hee found any sinne in them But he finding them pure sayd That this his people were like the Angels liuing in vnitie without eating or drinking The Iewes haue a ceremonie to giue the Deuill gifts on this day either not to hinder them or else because Gifts blinde the wise §. VI. Of their other Feasts THe Iewes diuide the Law into two and fiftie parts and reading euery Sabbath one the last falleth on the next day after the Feast of Tabernacles about the three and twentieth day of September In this day they leape dance and make much ioy They assemble in their Synagogue and take all the bookes of the Law out of the Arke leauing in it meane-while that it bee not left emptie a burning light
of those which haue since succeeded them in habitation in sinne in iudgement And where might wee better stay or what part of the world can yeeld such varietie and multiplicitie of obiects to both the eyes of the minde Curiositie and Deuotion No where such manifold alterations and diuisions of state so diuersified a Map of Nature so multiplied rites of Religion in such differing sects of Heathens Hebrewes Mahumetans Christians No where Antiquitie shewing a grauer countenance no where the Monuments of such mercies the spectacles of such iudgements such consolations such desolations such ambition of Potentates and forraine sutors from the East the West the North the South such Miracles such Oracles such confluence of Pilgrims looking as farre opposite as Sampsons Foxes with as fierie diuisions whether in differing heresies of one or differing names of diuers Deuotions both Catholike and Hereticall Iewes Saracens and Christians concurring in visiting adorning adoring these places with Titles and Rites of Holinesse How often hath this country emtied our Westerne world with Armes and Armies to recouer it and the Easterne in like manner to retaine it How often hath it brought Armies of Angelicall spirits out of the highest Heauens to couer these Hilles with Chariots and Horses of fire round about the holy men of GOD How oft But what speake I of Men or Angels GOD himselfe loued the gates of Sion more then all the dwellings of the world and IESVS CHRIST the Angell of the Couenant true GOD and perfect MAM here was borne here liued practised died ascended and hence he sent his Apostles to bee Fathers of men that the sonnes of men might bee made the heires of GOD co-heires with himselfe After the Iewes for reiecting him were reiected out of both the heauenly and earthly Canaan this countrey was inhabited partly by Roman Colonies there planted for securitie of the countrey by the Roman Emperours partly by such Syrians as submitted themselues peaceably to the Roman Empire both that Ethnike before Constantine and after in farre more flourishing estate vnder the Christian Emperours till the daies of vn-christian Phocas This was the murtherer of Mauritius his Lord the vsurper of the Empire the exalter of the Roman See vnto the Ecclesiasticall Supremacie with as good right as himselfe had to the state a monster of mankinde vnder whom the Empire was neere an vtter ouerthrow as by the Hunnes Auares and other Nations in the West so especially by the Persians in the East whose Emperour Chosroes ouerthrew that Armie which had conspired against Mauricius and in the fourth yeere of Phocas ouer-ranne Mesopotamia and Syria in the next yeere after carried much prey and many captiues out of all Syria Palestina and Phoenicia in the seuenth yeere of his raigne possessed Armenia Galatia Paphlagonia and spoiled all as farre as Chalcedon Yet saith Cedrenus Phocas did more harme at home then the enemy in the field At the same time the Iewes made a commotion at Antioch and slew besides many other Citizens Anastasius the Patriarch in despight also putting his priuitiues in his mouth But the Iewes paid much bloud for this butcherie and Phocas also himselfe the chiefe Butcher was most mercilesly butchered presently after by Heraclius his successour They tell of a Reuelation to a certaine Holy man that GOD had made Phocas Emperour because hee could not finde a worse man by whom to punish that people which I mention that the world might see what a good Mid-wife Rome then in trauel had to helpe her babe Antichrist into the world But to returne to the Storie Heraclius could not withstand the Persian insolence but lost in his first yeere Apamea and Edessa and in the next Caesarea from whence they carried many thousands into captiuitie in the fourth Damascus was taken and in the fifth Ierusalem where by reason of the Iewish crueltie who bought all the Christians they could to slaughter them there were slaine ninetie thousand Zacharias the Patriarch together with the holy Crosse and exceeding store of captiues and spoile were carried into captiuitie The next yeere they ouercame Egypt Africa and Ethiopia Chosroes neglects all ouertures of peace made to him by Heraclius except they would deny their crucified God and worship the Sunne He also caused the Christians in his dominion to become Nestorians the cause perhaps why almost all the farre Easterne Christians to this day are or at least are called Nestorians Against him Heraclius continued a six yeeres expedition in which hee ouerranne his countries ouerthrew his Armies sacked his Cities Castles and Palaces and at last assisted his eldest sonne Siroes whom Chosroes sought to dis-herit against him who tooke him and hauing before exposed him to all contumelious insultations and almost starued him in a darke prison and slaine all his other children in his sight with abominable tyrannie shot his tyrannicall father to death So died Chosroes a successour of Sennacherib in the dominion of many the same countries subiection to the like blasphemous impietie and reward by like parricide Heraclius in the ninteenth yeere of his raigne visiteth Ierusalem restoring the captiued crosse and Patriarch by restitution of Siroes He banished thence all the Iewes prohibiting by Edict that none should come neere it by three miles §. II. Of the Saracens and Turkes in Palestina THe Saracens had done good seruice in rhese wars against the Persians which in the time of Heraclius began a new Religion and Empire vnder Mahomet the founder of both the second after whom Omar ouerthrew Theodorus the brother of Heraclius in battell and after him another Theodorus and Boanes his Generals forced the Emperour to abandon Syria carrying the holy crosse from Ierusalem to Constantinople In the 26. of Heraclius hee entred Ierusalem hypocritically and pseudoprophetically clothed in a homely garment of Camels haire and sought out the place of Salomons Temple there to erect another subduing soone after the whole Persian State and a great part of the Roman Anno Dom. 641. did Homar build his Temple at Ierusalem with incredible costs in matter and workmanship enriching the same with many and large possessions and reuenues in the Musaike worke of the inner and outward part thereof expressing in Arabike letters the Author time and charges of the building The forme whereof is thus described by William Archbishop of Tyrus The Church-yard was square about a bow-shot in length and bredth compassed with a high wall hauing on the West square two gates one on the North and another on the East on the South was the Palace On euery of these gates and on the corners were high steeples on which at certaine houres the Priests after the Saracenicall manner called them to prayers In this compasse none were suffered to dwell nor to enter but with bare and washed feet Porters being assigned to that purpose In the midst of this square was another somewhat higher whereto they ascended by staires in two places on the West
after held cruell fight with twelue great Gallies full of Ianizaries and choice men whom he ouerthrew and tooke But the Ianizaries that were left cast their Scimaters ouer-boord least such choice weapons should come to the Christians hands Solyman conuerting his forces against the Venetians for the indignities mentioned had almost fallen into the hands of the Mountaine-Theeues which liued in the Acroceranian Hills who in a strange resolution had conspired to kill him in his Tent and had almost to the wonder of the world in a night by vnknowne wayes suddenly effected it had not the cracking of a bough discouered their Captaine who in a tree was taking view of the Campe how to bring to passe his desperate designes This their Captaine by name Damianus was after confession hereof torne in pieces and those wilde Mountainers liuing on robberie without Law or Religion were like wilde beasts hunted to destruction The Turkes inuaded Corfu whence they carried sixteene thousand of the Islanders captiues They likewise in their returne committed great spoyle in Zante and Cythera sacked Aegina Paros and other Ilands in the Archipelago bringing Naxos vnder tribute Barbarussa sacked Botrotus a Venetian Citie The like did Vstrif to Obroatium and the Castle of Nadin Nauplium also and Epidaurus were besieged But Ferdinand who had entituled himselfe King of Hungarie after Lewis his death receiued a greater disgrace in Hungarie by the Turkish forces then befell the Venetians in all their losses Cazzianer the Generall of the Christians shamefully flying and betraying his associates to the Turkish crueltie The next yeere 1538. Barbarussa chaseth the Christian Fleet in which the Emperours Venetians and the Popes forces were ioyned In the yeere 1541. Solyman againe inuadeth Hungarie professing himselfe Protector of the young King which Iohn late King of Hungarie who had held long warres with Ferdinand about that Title had left behinde him his heire and successor But vnder colour of protection hee maketh himselfe Lord of Buda the chiefe Citie turning the Cathedrall Church into a Meschit and maketh Hungarie a Turkish Prouince bestowing Transyluania and what he pleased on the Orphan Two yeeres after he reentereth Hungarie and taketh Strigonium turning the Christian Temples into Mahumetan sacrificing there for his victorie as he had done at Buda Hee entred also into Alba Regalis where the Hungarian Kings lye entombed another chiefe Citie of that Kingdome and slew the Magistrates I speake not all this while of the spacious Countries in Africa which from the Riuer Muluia hee added to his Dominions the Kingdomes of Algier Tremisen Tunes Tripoly c. being annexed to his Turkish Soueraigntie Howbeit Tunes by ayde of Charles the Emperour somewhat recouered her selfe but breathed out againe her last gaspe of libertie in the daies of Selym his sonne And thus was Solyman victorious and happy otherwhere victorious and vnhappy when he was forced to darreine battell against his owne bowels and hauing murthered Mustapha his eldest sonne the hopefullest branch in Turkish estimation that euer grew out of the Ottoman stocke hee warred against Baiazet another of his sonnes whom with foure of his children he procured to be done to death in Persia And after much domesticall trouble in his seuenth Expedition into Hungarie his Fleet in the siege of Malta being before with great disgrace repulsed he dyed at the siege of Zigeth the fourth of September 1566. §. II. Of SELIM the second and AMVRATH the third SELYM the onely sonne which the bloudie father had left aliue succeeded in the Throne not in the prowesse and valour of his father Neither hath any Turkish Sultan since his dayes led their forces in person but committed it to their Deputies and Generals except once when Mahomet the third had almost lost his Armie and himselfe Yet did this Selym by his Bassaes make him Lord of Cyprus and also of the Kingdome of Tunis But this sweet meate was sourely sauced by his exceeding losse in the Sea-fight betwixt Hali Bassa Admirall of the Turkes and Don Iohn of Austria Generall of the Fleet set forth by the Pope Spaniard and Venetian 1571. wherein an hundred threescore and one Gallies were taken fortie sunke or burnt and of Galliots and other small vessels were taken about threescore The Turkish Admirall was then slaine Wittily did a Turke descant vpon this losse of the Turkes and their gaine of Cyprus comparing this to the shauing of a mans beard which would grow againe that to the losse of an arme which once cut off cannot bee renued Lastly Tunes came in and Selym went out of this Turkish Soueraigntie both in manner together 1574. Amurath his heire began his Empire with the slaughter of his fiue brethren The mother of Solyman one of that number slew herselfe with a dagger for anguish of that losse He in viewing a new Gally by the breach of a Peece hardly escaped death thirtie of his company being slaine And because the Plague was exceeding hot hee by deuotion sought to appease diuine anger and therefore prohibited all vse of Sodomie Blasphemie and Polygamie and himselfe put out fiue hundred women out of his Seraile In a priuate habite hee visited the Markets and hanged vp the hoorders of corne He by the Tartars inuaded Polonia and Henry of France secretly leauing that Kingdome of Polonia hee wrote vnto him to chuse Stephen Battor for their King in which letters he called himselfe God of the Earth Gouernour of the whole World Messenger of God and faithfull seruant of the great Prophet which wrought so much with the Nobilitie that either they would not or durst not doe otherwise howsoeuer Maximilian had beene before by many of them chosen Tamas the Persian at the same time dying bequeathed his Crowne to Ismael his sonne whom Aidere his brother seeketh to depriue but is therefore himselfe depriued of that ambitious head which he sought to adorne with the Crowne and Ismael adding the slaughter of eight his younger brethren ascendeth the Throne which together with his life hee lost by vnnaturall trecherie of Periaconcona his sister the foure and twentieth of Nouember 1577. Mahomet his brother succeeded in this troublesome State which Amurath the Turke in these troubled waters thought fit time for himselfe to fish for Hereunto also helped the hatred and ciuill broyles in Persia for the head of Periaconcona presented to Mahomet with the haire disheuelled on a Launce and for other vncouth and bloudie spectacles Sahamal and Leuent Ogli two Georgian Lords seeking also innouations Amurath therefore in the yeere 1578. sent Mustapha Bassa which had lately conquered Cyprus with an Army of an hundred and tenne thousand into Persia who in the first battell he had with them slew fiue thousand and tooke three thousand Persians and to strike that Nation with terrour commanded a bulwarke to be framed of those heads but by an exceeding tempest which lasted foure dayes together whereby the Heauens seemed to melt themselues in teares for
to the youths men of riper age as masters of Manners The children come not in the Fathers sight till fiue yeeres of age or as Valerius Maximus hath till seuen and especially learne truth they were taught by these Prefects the rules of Iustice not by bare rules but by examples for which cause also Augustus would haue the Senators children present in the Court Yea a good part of the day was to this end spent by those Prefects in hearing and deciding such cases as fell out amongst these their schollers about thefts reproaches or other wrongs Next to Truth and Iustice they learned Sobrietie Abstinence Continence and Temperance wherein they were well furthered by the examples of their Masters neither might they eat but in their presence and with their leaue and that not of the choisest fare but bread and cresses whereto they added drinke from the next riuer They planted in them a hatred of vices especially of lying and in the next place of debt which cannot but bee attended with much disquiet and therefore wisely did Augustus command to buy him the pillow of a Roman Gentleman that died incredibly indebted as if there had therein rested some sleeping power whereon one so much indebted could take any rest Ingratitude was as little gratefull as the former and by the Persian lawes ingratefull persons were subiect to accusation and punishment as not Xenophon onely but Marcellinus also hath marked howsoeuer Seneca findes such a law onely amongst the Macedonians which perhaps was hence borrowed They hated such as forsooke their friends and country-men in need Their awfull respect to their parents was such that they might not sit in the mothers presence without her leaue the father had tyrannicall power ouer his children for life and death That which was vnto them vnlawfull in deed was not permitted in obscene and filthy words to bee spoken Thus were the Noble-mens children brought vp neere the Palace gates and in the Prouinces neere the gates of the Deputies or Gouernours For bodily exercise they learned to shoot to cast darts to ride and manage vnruly horses and to fight on horse-backe And this was their education till seuenteene yeeres of age at which time they were of the second ranke of Springals and youths and for ten yeeres after did not repaire home at nights but lay and abode in this Court or Colledge When the King went on hunting halfe of them attended him in armour Their dyet was the same but somewhat larger as is before related of the children and in hunting if it continued two dayes had but one dayes allowance They vsed to run long races of thirtie or fortie furlongs they exercised the sling leaping and wrestling the King propounding rewards to the Victor The helpe of these were vsed by the Magistrates against robbers murtherers and the like wicked persons as also of the Men which was the third order the Seminary of Magistrates and Souldierie of the Persians till they were fiftie yeeres old or somewhat more at which age they were freed from musters and forraine employments but at home were employed in publike and priuate iudgements None might attaine this honour in Age but by those degrees before expressed nor might any haue that education but the children of the rich which were able to beare the charge It was vnlawfull amongst the Persians to laugh in loud manner openly or openly or by the way to doe the easements of nature by siege vrine or vomit or to make water standing §. V. Of the Persian Luxurie and Marriages Funerals c. BVt this ancient Persian discipline and sobrietie with wealth and loosenesse were afterwards corrupted especially in drinking to represse which the Kings made an order Est. 1. that none should bee compelled to forget their health in remembring of healths or other Bacchanal deuices whereof would GOD wee had lesse cause to complaine The vse of Harlots were also added to their drinkings which when the Embassadors sent to Amyntas King of Macedon to demand Earth and Water which was the Persian custome when they exacted full subiection and possession extended to Matrons Alexander his sonne sent young men armed in womens habite amongst them which quenched their hot flames of lust with their bloud Hence haply it was that Assuerus would needes make shew of Vashti the Queene in his magnificent Feast which occasioned her depriuation and Esters succession Amidst their cups they consulted of warre and weightie affaires but some say they decreed not till afterwards The Persians vsed banquettings vnder Arras hangings before the time of Attalus from whom the Romans first borrowed the vse of them of his aula or hall hanged therewith calling them aulaea But the wals of the richer Persians were hanged with them the floures spread with costly carpets their cupboards furnished with rich plate their bodies shining with curious costly ointments their kitchin stored with garlick as a preseruatiue against serpents and venemous creatures their chambers swarmimg with Concubines yea mothers daughters and sisters wedded and bedded with them their second seruices celled in Scripture The banquet of wine when after the belly full farced with meats with which they dranke water they had other tables set with wine on which they gaue a new onset as a fresh enemy these and the like excesses would glut our Reader Loth were I to bring him to their mourning rites in which they shaued themselues their Horses and Mules they vsed sackcloth and entred not the Court they couered the face of such as incurred the Kings anger as we reade of Haman Their executions were flaying crucifying burning burying aliue stoning cutting asunder c. This pertaineth to their religion their diuination by lots as before Haman they perhaps the Magi cast Phur that is a lot from day to day and from month to month to see which would be the most lucky and fatall time for his mischieuous plot against the Iewes Their mariages they celebrated in the Spring and on their mariage day the husbands eate nothing but an Apple or the marrow of a Camel The Persians are accounted authors of making Eunuches which Petronius Arbiter and M. Seneca impute to the curiositie of their lust which might thus be longer serued of them They vsed in salutation to vncouer or put off the Tiara Here I might lade you with the Persian wardrobe the length and varietie of their garments and I might tell you of their earings and Iewels painting of their faces long haire of their kissing salutations if they were equall and of the knee of the superiour by the inferiour and adoration of the chiefe of their womans womanly detestation in the eagerest degree of hatred and indignation the fingering of wooll of their inhumane crueltie to the kindred of those which had committed some grieuous crime to punish all for the offence of one The Persians made banquets to their gods and gaue them the first fruits thereof
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
and others attribute this to Guine and say that these slaues became his disciples first and after Souldiers to his sonne Aidar against the Christian Georgians This Aider Erdebil or after Iouius Harduelles forsaking as some say the world led a streight life in continency and austerity and was therefore admired as a Prophet and resorted to out of all parts of Armenia and Persia comming to Tauris to see him Hee inueighed against the common opinion concerning Mahomets successors as Guine and Sophi had done shutting vp heauen to all sauing Hali his followers For so the Persians vse to say in their prayers Cursed be Ebubeker Omar and Osman GOD be fauourable to Hali and well pleased with him Vsuncassan moued with his fame gaue him in mariage his daughter Martha begot of the Christian Lady Despina daughter of Calo Ioannes Emperour of Trapezond both of them by this alliance strengthning themselues against the Turke Aidar had by this Martha Ismael whom she trayned vp in the principles of Christian Religion Iacob successor of Vsuncassan iealous of the multitude of Aidars disciples and the greatnesse of his fame caused him to be secretly murthered persecuting all his professed followers with fire and sword Ismael then a child fled into Hyrcania to one Pyrchales a friend of his fathers who afterwards ayded him to the recouering of his patrimonie Boterus saith that Iacob after the murther of Aidar committed his two sonnes Ismael and Solyman to Amanzar a Captayne of his to be conueyed to Zalga a strong mountaynie place but he brought them vp liberally with his owne children and in his last sicknesse gaue them horse and two hundred Ducats with aduice to repaire to their mother where taking vpon him the protection of the sect of Hali and the reuenge of his fathers death his enterprises succeeded prosperously Giouan Maria Angiolelio saith that Iacob being poysoned 1485. the Signiorie was possessed by a kinseman of Iacobs called Iulauer after whose three yeeres raigne succeeded Baysingir two yeeres after Rustan seuen yeares who sent Solimanbec against Sechaidar the father of Ismael who made challenge to the State in right of his wife the daughter of Vsuncassan who slew him in the field Rustan would also haue killed the mother and her sonnes had not entreatie of his Nobles preuented it He committed them to ward in the Iland of the Armenians in the Lake Astumar whither he sent for them againe after three yeeres but they for feare fled to Ardouil there liued closely for a time Rustan was slaine by Agmat through his mothers procurement who loued that Agmat who abode Sultan fiue months was slaine by Rustans Souldiers And Aluan the kinsman of Vsuncassan was Signior whom Ismael slew A certaine Merchant who abode a long time in Tauris and trauelled thorow the most part of Persia skilfull of the Turkish Persian and Arabian languages either seeing himselfe or learning of them which did see in the time of Ismael relates this history somewhat otherwise whom as learning of the Persians themselues the Persian affaires we may reckon worthy to be followed Hee saith that this Sechaidar in Ardouil was this head of thy Sophian Sect and had three sonnes and three daughters by the daughter of Vsuncassan He was a zealous enemie against the Christians oftentimes with his followers repayring into Circassia doing the people much damage which when in the daies of Sultan Alumut hee attempted as before times he was by Alumuts order forbidden at Darbent further passage but seeking to make way by force he was by the forces of Alumut taken and his head on the top of a Lance presented to Alumut and by his command giuen to the Dogges to bee eaten the cause why the Sophians are such enemies vnto Dogs killing all they finde This newes comming to Ardouil his three sonnes fled one into Natolia another to Aleppo Ismael the third to an Iland in the Lake of Van in which is a Citie of Christian Armenians where he abode foure yeeres in the house of an Armenian Priest being then about thirteene yeeres old who vsed him courteously and instructed him in the rudiments of Christian Religion A yeere after he went from Arminig to Chillan where he kept with a Gold-smith his fathers friend In this time hee had intelligence by mutuall writing with his friends at Ardouil and with this Gold-smith hauing gathered together eighteene or twentie men of their Sect secretly to take a strong Castle called Maumutaga and hidden in ambush two hundred horse-men of his friends in Ardouill suddenly slaying the Guard and possessing himselfe of the Castle he entred a Towne not farre from the Castle killing the Inhabitants and carrying the spoile to the Castle This Castle was verie rich because it was a principall Hauen of the Caspian Sea and so strong that when Alumut had newes hereof hee was disswaded from sending any power thither to besiege him Two daies iourney from hence is Sumachi which with his power now encreased he also took and diuided the spoiles euery where to his Souldiers which with fame of this liberalitie came from all parts vnto him He sent also into Hiberia three or four daies iourny from thence which was then gouerned by seuen great Lords three of which Alexander Sbec Gorgurambec and Mirzambec with many promises of present spoiles and future exemptions from tribute hee won to his side receiuing from each of them three thousand horse so that he was now growne fifteene or sixteene thousand strong Alumut with thirtie thousand valiant Souldiers went to meet him between Tauris Sumachia and hauing passed a great Riuer ouer which were two Bridges he presently caused them to be broken Ismael arriuing there the next day with great diligence found a passage thorow the streame and with his whole forces in front in the breake of the day assailed Alumut his armie little suspecting such a good morrow that Alumut with a few companions hardly escaped The pauilions horses and other bootie Ismael bestowed on his Souldiers and then hasted to Tauris where entring without resistance hee made great slaughter killing all the race of Iacob opening his Sepulchre and the Graues of other Noble-men which had been at the battaile of Darbent against his father and burning their bones three hundred harlots he caused to be cut asunder in the middle hee killed all the Dogs in Tauris and because his mother had married to one of those Nobles which were in the battaile of Darbent he caused her head to bee stricken off in his presence In this while many Townes Cities Castles and Lords submitted themselues to him and weare his red-coloured Turbant but the Castle Alangiachana whereto were subiect eighteene Villages of Christians which vsed yeerely to send to Rome two men from the Patriarch to the Pope of whose faith they were speaking Armenian hauing some bookes but quite lost the vse of the Italian language this Castle I say held out for Alumut vntill his death While
to his Scepter The people he remoued into other parts of his Dominion sending the former inhabitants into Cheylan and Mazandran Not long after the brother of that King of Corassan which had beene Tutor to Abas rebelled against his brother and slew him and all his children except one with whom his Tutors fled into the Mountaines This occasion Abas apprehended for the subduing of that Countrey in the Infants right which notwithstanding the treasons of Ferrat now weary of his former loyalty and conspiring with the Turke and Tartar to betray his Master to them hee effected These things with larger circumstances Abas himselfe related to Sir Anthonie and Sir Robert As for his gouernment the same is there also described but I haue beene too long in the former Hee hath Posts once a weeke from all parts The Visire sitteth in counsell with the Kings counsell euery morning and the King himselfe euery Wednesday The poorest may offer him any supplication which he readeth registreth ordereth One example of Iustice is admirable which he sentenced on the Gouernour of Casbin conuict of many extortions briberies and other crimes That all his goods and lands should be sold for satisfaction to those whom hee had spoyled and if any thing wanted since the King by giuing him that authoritie was partly the cause of those excesses hee condemned himselfe to pay the residue out of his treasurie If any thing aduanced it should bee giuen to his children with a grieuous Edict that no succour should be ministred to himselfe Neither should hee at once end his punishment by death but during his life weare a Yoke like a Hogs-yoke and haue his eares and nose cut off nor might any relieue him but hee should get his liuing with his owne hands that hee might feele in himselfe the miserie of pouertie This made the Turks Embassador there present sweare that such fortune such vertue must needs be his Masters ruine His bountie to our Author his magnificence otherwise let the Reader there learne as likewise his priuate disports and exercises At his entrance into Hisphaan the wayes were couered two English miles with Veluet Satin and Cloth of Gold where his horse should passe He feasted Sir Anthony before his employment in that honorable Embassage to the Princes Christian after the maner of the ancient feasting vsed by the Persians thirty dayes together in a Garden of two miles compasse vnder Tents pitched by small rils of water where euery man that would come was placed according to his degree vnder one or other Tent prouided abundantly with meate fruit and wine drinking as they would without compulsion The ioy of which feast was augmented by the Tartars of Buckhawrd yeelding themselues to his subiection and by the great Mogors great offer with his eldest sonnes daughter to the young sonne of King Abas in marriage But I referre the more desirous to Sir Anthonies owne booke hauing thence gathered this because it differeth so much in some things from others then whom he had farre better meanes of intelligence CHAP. IX Of the Sophian Sect or Persian Religion as it is at this present §. I. The differences betwixt the Turke and Persian with the zeale of both parts IT hath beene already shewed how the Saracens had one Calyfa or Caliph whom they esteemed the Head of their Religion and Empire in right vnto both succeeding their grand Seducer Mahomet and how the foure Captaines or Doctors each ayming vnder colour of Religion to further his ambitious Proiects made way to difference of Sects in the beginning and in succeeding Ages the Sword decided who was rghtfull successor the posterity of each challenging to himselfe that right according as they were able in the Fielde to maintaine it These Persians affected Hali as truest interpreter of their Law and Lord of the State to whom Mahomet gaue his daughter in his life time and his Alcoran at his death being his kinsman also by birth and although by the violence of the contradicting Caliphes they did not alway make hereof open profession yet euer and anone as occasion was offered this fire brake out yet neuer into so great a flame as after the yeere 1369. by Sophi Guine Aidar Ismael and their successors vnto this day their Sect being that onely of the seuenty two Saracenicall so many some account which shall in the Persian estimation haue admission into Paradise all the rest and why not this also leading to hell From that diuision betwixt the Persians and Arabians about the successor of Mahomet it is Barrius his Relation in which the Persians call themselues Sia which signifieth the vnion of one body but the Arabians call them Raffadin that is vnreasonable and themselues Cunin proceeded other Sects amongst the Mahumetans and amongst the Persians two called Camarata and Mutazeli which follow little the saying of the Prophets but would haue all proued to them by naturall reason not allowing Moses or Mahomet any further There is one Sect amongst them called Malaheda which subiecteth all things to Chance and to the Stars not to Diuine Prouidence There are other called Emozaidi which reiect many things in the Alcoran and follow the doctrine of Zaidi the Nephew of Hocem second sonne of Ali these inhabite on the confines of Prester Iohn and in Melinde But to come to the common Persians and to obserue out of Barrius the diuersity of opinion betwixt them and the Arabians their Doctors reduce these differences into seuenteene conclusions The Persians say That GOD is the Author and worker of euery good and that euill commeth from the Deuill The Arabians say That would bring in two Gods one of good the other of euill the Persians say that God is eternall and that the law and creation of men had a beginning the Arabians answere That all the words of the law are prayses of the works of God and therefore eternall like himselfe the Persians say That the soules of the blessed in the other world cannot see the essence of God because he is a Spirit of Diuinity onely they shall see his greatnesse mercy pitty all other good things which he works in the creatures the Arabians answere That they shall see him with their eyes euen as hee is the Persians say That when Mahomet receiued the Law his soule was carried by the Angel Gabriel into the presence of God the Arabians affirme it of his body also the Persians say That the children of Ali or Alle and Fatema and their twelue Nephewes haue preheminence aboue all Prophets the Arabians grant it aboue all other men but not aboue the Prophets the Persians say that it is sufficient to pray thrice a day vnto God in the morning when the Sunne riseth which is called Sob the second Dor at noone the third Magareb before Sunne-set because these three containe all the parts of the day the Arabians require twice besides according to their law called Hacer and Assa The rest of
serue one thousand of them a day When the wormes by reason of that chaine breeding in his flesh fell off he would place it there againe and aske if it had nothing to gnaw His carkasse is still kept there to which are pilgrimages out of all the Kingdome and this Temple built to his honor The Regulars are diuided into twelue stations and each hath a Superior besides One supreme ouer all the rest They professed chastitie but their house was both a stewes for whoredome and a denne of theeues and robbers Here were many huge Idols of brasse and other metall and of wood gilded in one station fiue hundred They had diuers steeples and bells in them one so great that they had neuer seene so great a bell in Europe The Corpse of Lusu was shewed them which they worship but many doubt whether it be the true for could it escape the wormes which had seised on it aliue kept in the midst of the Temple in a high place where hang fiftie lamps which burne at appointed times The Abbot of this Monasterie confessed that in ancient times the Chinois had worshipped no Idols but that they were politically appointed by Magistrates lest the vulgar should bee without all Religion They haue their Chappels in great mens houses But we will take view onely of the Kings Temple at Nanquin and so end This is a Royall one indeed for greatnesse and statelinesse It is built in a groue of Pine-trees neere the Citie which is compast with a wall twelue miles in circuit The Temple after the China manner of building is most of timber the wals of brick diuided into fiue Iles with rowes of pillars on both sides which are of round timber as big as two men can fathome the roofe is carued and guilded verie faire hauing lost nothing of the beautie though not vsed by the Kings for sacrifice in this their two hundred yeeres absence In the midst is an eminent place of precious Marble in which are two Thrones of Marble one for the King to sacrifice in the other left emptie for him to whom he doth sacrifice The Cloisters without the Temple are beautified with elegant turnings and all the windowes netted with yron to keepe out birds which is vsed also in all the Palace All the doores of the Temple are couered with plates of brasse guilded and richly carued without the Temple are many Altars of red Marble which represented the Sun Moone Starres and China Mountaines whereby they inferre that the god there worshipped created all things which are therefore set without the Temple as acknowledged not to be gods No man vnder grieuous penalties may cut a bough off any of the trees in that groue which makes them great and old About the Temple are many Cels which were baths in which the Kings and Ministers washed before sacrifice There Altars are of the Dutch fashion that one may goe round about them §. IX Of their Funeralls THe Chinois are very superstitiously conceited of Death and are exceeding loth to haue any die in their house Linschoten writeth That when a man lies on his death-bed they present vnto him the picture of the Deuill with the Sunne in his right hand and a Poniard in his left bidding the sicke man looke well on him that hee may be his friend in the other world How euer the sicke be visited let vs now performe our last office to these Chinois and follow them to their graues Many are the Ceremonies which they there obserue in Funerals As they honor their parents in their life time being otherwise lyable to grieuous punishments yea some of their chiefest Mandarines will sue for the Kings licence to leaue their publike function to giue priuat and more diligent attendance to their parents so after their death they mourne three yeeres in white Hats and Garments although they beare the highest Magistracies in the Kingdome as the Colai c. the militarie Magistrates excepted The first moneths they gird vnto them a rough Vesture with a rope like the bare-foot Friers This is not onely obserued of the meaner sort but the mightiest Mandarines after newes of their fathers death leaue their function and in their priuate houses bewaile their losse The wealthier sort keepe them aboue ground two or three yeeres in a Parlour fitted for that purpose whither they daily resort vnto them to salute them and to burne Incense and set meates before them Sometimes also the Bonzij or Priests resort thither with their Dirges and holy things Their wiues children and neighbours come likewise to bewaile them being admonished of the death by the sonne or neerest of the kindred in a solemne Libell mournfully composed The Hall is spread with white Clothes or Matts in the midst thereof is an Altar and thereon the Coffin and Image of the dead To that Hall within foure or fiue dayes all the kindred come in mourning attyre one after another euery houre of the day and burne odours and set two Wax-lights to the dead making foure bowings and kneelings after their fashion before deliuered the sonne meane while standing by and modestly lamenting Behind the Coffin are the women of the house hid behind a curtaine in mourning weedes and howling behauiour They burne Paper and white Silkes so thinking to minister apparell to the dead They will not vse their wonted lodging diet and delights but lye on Straw Mattresses on the bare ground neere the Coffin eate no Flesh or Dainties drinke no Wine Bathe not companie not with their Wiues come not at Feasts nor for certaine moneths space abroad alwaies remitting more of this austeritie as the three yeares grow neerer an end They vse not the same apparell house-hold furniture salutations They colour part of the Paper in which they write with another colour They obserue not their wonted proper names but call themselues otherwise as Disobedient or such like Musick is banished their dyet is hard When the corpes is to bee buried all the kindred come together being re-invited with another Libell in mourning habit The pompe is in manner of Procession diuers Statues of Men and Women Elephants Tygres and Lyons all of Paper diuers-coloured and gilded goe before which at the graue are burned A long rancke of Priests also attend which performe many Rites by the way pattering their prayers and playing on Tymbrels Pipes Cymballs Bells and other Instruments Likewise huge Censers of Bell-metall are carried on mens shoulders Then followes the Coffin adorned sumptuously carried of forty or fifty Bearers vnder a great Canopie of Silke The children come after on foot leaning on their staues as fainting Then then the women vnseene vnder a white curtaine and then other women further in bloud carryed in mourning chayres They assemble as many Priests as they can which on musicall Instruments and with their voyces tune their mournefull Ditties The place whither the corps is carried is adorned with diuers Images The Coffin is very large the
had his skinne painted with a hot Iron Pensill he and his people at Magellan's peswasion were baptized and burned their Idols which were made of hollow wood with great faces and foure teeth like Bores tuskes in their mouthes painted they were all ouer but had only a forepart and nothing behind They weare in their yard a nayle of Gold They had many wiues but one principall They obserued many Ceremonies in killing a Hogge in Sacrifice as it seemed to the Sunne After the sounding of their Cymbals and certaine Cates set downe in platters two old women came forth with Trumpets or Pipes of Reed and did reuerence to the Sunne and then clothing themselues with sacred Vestments one of them put about her fore-head a haire-lace with two hornes holding another heire-lace or skarfe in her hand and so beganne to sound dance and call vpon the Sunne wherein she is followed by the other both of them in this manner dancing about the Hogge which is there fast tyed The horned Beldame still muttereth certaine words to the Sunne and the other answereth her then doth shee take a cup of wine and after some Ceremonies powreth it on the Hogge and after that with a Launce after dances and flourishes she killeth the Hogge All this while a little Torch is burning which at last she taketh into her mouth and byteth it and the other woman washeth the Pipes with the Swines bloud and with her finger embrewed with bloud marketh the fore-head of her husband first and then of the rest Then doe they vntire themselues and onely with women associates eate the cheare in the platters and after sindge the Hogge and eat him Without these Ceremonies they eat no Swines flesh From hence Magellan went to Mathan where in a battle with the Ilanders he was shine In Pulaoan they keepe Cockes for the game but eate not of their flesh forbidden by their Superstitions In Ciumbubon they found a tree which had leaues like those of the Mulbery hauing besides on each side of the leafe as it were two feete with which as if it had beene mouing and sensible it would stirre and goe vp and downe Pigafetta kept one eight dayes in a platter and when he touched it presently it would flee from him and moue vp and downe he thought it liued of the ayre In Burneo the people are partly Moores and partly Gentiles and according to their Religions haue two Kings and two Royall Cities situated in Salt-water The Moores when they kill a Hen or a Goat vse first certayne words to the Sunne The Gentiles worship the Sunne and Moone esteeming the one Male and the other Female him the Father this the Mother of the Stars whom also they reckon in the catalogue of their Demi-gods They salute the Sun in his morning-approach with certaine Verses and adoration which they also performe to the Moone and demand of them children riches and other their necessaries After death they expect no future state The Spaniards heard of great Pearles as bigge as Egges which the King of Burneo had and if you beleeue them they tooke an Oyster themselues whose fishie substance weighed seuen and fortie pounds The Moore King in Burneo was serued in his Palace and attended only by women and Maydens In Gilolo they are likewise some of the Arabian Sect the others Gentiles The Moores had two Kings of their Law each of which had sixe hundred children The Gentiles vsed to worship the first thing they encounter in the morning all the day following They were sometime man-eaters some of the Ilanders were by the Portugals conuerted but the King being poysoned by a Mahumetan they declined Yet one Nobleman named Iohn first killed his wife and children with his owne hands lest they should apostatize and then offered himselfe to endure any torment §. II. Of the Moluccos Banda Amboyna and Selebes THe Moluccos are vsually reckoned fiue as before is said but many other Ilands are subiect to them and by some Authours called also by that name The King of Ternate is said to haue seuenty Ilands vnder his subiection and in his Port representeth great Maiesty Both heere and in Banda the Mahumetan Superstition hath set footing and preuayled as in the other adioyning Ilands the Moores being as zealous to winne Proselites as to enrich themselues None of these Ilands is aboue sixe leagues in compasse enriched with Cloues but of other fruits barren and poore One tree they haue which out of the cut branches yeeldeth a white wholsome and sauourie liquor for drinke they call it Tuaca and the pith thereof affoordeth them meate called Sagu tasting in the mouth like sowre Curds melting like Sugar whereof they make certayne Cakes which will endure good for food ten yeeres HONDIVS his Map of the Indian Ilands INSULAE INDIAE orientalis The Cloue-trees not onely sucke vp all the moysture of the Earth where they grow disdayning any other plant should grow neere them like our Inclosers suddenly drinking vp all the Heauens liberality in showres but with their thirsty appetite intercept the running waters that descend from the Mountaines before they can betake them to their Mothers lap the Oceans refuge In this Iland are said to bee men hauing anckles with spurres like to Cockes heere are Hogges with hornes a Riuer stored with fish and yet so hot that it flayeth off the skin of any creature which entereth it Oysters so large that they Christen in the shels Crabs so strong that with their clawes they will breake the Iron of a Pick-axe stones which grow like fish whereof they make Lime In Ternate is a Mountayne which as it were angry with Nature for being fastned to the earth doth not only lift vp his high head aboue the Ayrie Regions of cloudes but endeuoureth also to conioyne it selfe with the fiery Element wherewith it seemeth to hold some entercourse with dreadfull thunders belching out light flames mixed with a darke smoke like proud Greatnesse wasting it selfe with it owne flames and filling the neighbouring-valley with ashes It is not much aboue a hundred yeeres since first the Sect of Mahumet entred the Moluccas But now both heere and in Amboino the Iesuits haue their Residences and haue perswaded many to their Catholike Faith and whipping Processions Stephan ab Hagan in the yeere 1605. wanne this Iland of Amboino and the Fort of the Portugals to the States it is a Cloue-Iland The King of Ternate is Mahumetan In Ternate theft is neuer suffered vnpunished the Hollanders saw a Boy of eleuen or twelue yeeres for stealing a leafe of Tobacco led vp and downe with his hands bound behind him for a publike spectacle and derision to other Boyes They mayntaine deadly wars with the Portugals and spare none of them that they can get If an Eclipse of the Sunne or Moone happen they howle and make piteous lamentation perswading themselues that their King or some great man amongst them will
the Portugall Fort in Ternate he kept a Sow which some of the deuouter Mahumetans killed He getting the chiefe Priest accessorie to the fact into the Castle at his deliuerie made his face bee greased with Bacon by the Iaylor which caused the people to ofter abuse to some Portugals Menesius in reuenge cut off the hands of two of them the third had his hands bound behinde him and was bayted with two dogges on the Sea-shore which his implacable enemies transported him into like dogged humour though he were not with Hecuba transformed into the shape insomuch that fastening with his teeth on one of their eares he held fast till his strength fayling hee sunke into the Sea with the Dogge and was drowned In Celebes they eate mans flesh The King of the Moluccas was wont to send condemned persons to Celebes to be deuoured Nicolaus Nunnes writeth That Celebes is very large and contayneth many and great Ilands the Soyle is exceeding fertile the Inhabitants comely and tall rather ruddie then blacke They haue many Kings which is cause of many contentions Three of them were conuerted Peter Mascarenia in a Letter dated a thousand fiue hundred sixtie nine speaketh of a King of Sion in Celebes which was baptized and his subiects therefore rebelled against him one Towne onely except and that hee and the King of Sanguim did take vp a Crosse on their owne shoulders which the chiefe Men had before hewen of a faire piece of wood and helped to erect the same and then with the multitude kneeling downe worshipped it Southward of Celebes is situated a little Iland where Sir Francis Drake graued his ship This Iland is throughly growne with Woods in which euery night certayne fierie Flyes made such a light as if euery Twigge or Tree had beene a burning Candle Here they found Batts as bigge as Hennes and plentie of Cray-fishes so great that one vvould suffice foure men to their dinner they digged themselues holes in the earth like Conies At Macassar in this Iland is an English Factorie In this Iland some are Moores some Ethnikes They enuenome their Arrow-heads which are made of Fish-bones with an incurable poyson There are Priests which conforme or rather deforme themselues to the habit of women nourishing their haire on the head and plucking it out of the face They gild their teeth and vse broken wanton effeminate gestures They are called Becos and marrie one another For them to lye with a woman is capitall and punished with burning in pitch These Men-Monsters Women-Deuils much hindered the Portugals Conuersions §. III. Of the Iauas and other adioyning Ilands NOt farre from hence is Iaua of which name M. Paulus and Nich. di Conti reckon two great Ilands ascribing to the one two thousand and to the other three thousand miles in circuit The lesse is neere to the firme Land of the South Continent where Beach and some other Prouinces are named by Paulus and Vertomannus of Heathenish superstitions The lesse Iaua had in the dayes of M. Paulus eight Kingdomes in sixe of which himselfe had beene which hee nameth Felech wherein the rurall Inhabitants were Idolaters the Citizens Moores the Idoll-worshippers eate any flesh whatsoeuer of man or beast and obserue all day what they first see in the morning Basma the second acknowledged the Great Chams soueraigntie but payed him no tribute Here were certayne Vnicornes headed like Swine footed like an Elephant with one horne on their foreheads with which they doe not hurt any but to that end vse certayne prickles that grow on their tongues They delight also in the myre like Swine Here are little Apes much resembling men in their countenance which they vsed to preserue with certayne Spices hauing flayed off their skins and left the haire growing in those parts where Nature causeth men to be hayrie and sell them to Merchants to be carried ouer the World as the bodies of little men happily the onely true Pygmies the world yeeldeth In Samara the third of those Kingdomes none of the North-starres can bee seene They are Man-eaters and Idolaters but not so brutish as in Dragorian the next Kingdome where if a man bee sicke his kinsmen consult with their Sorcerers who enquire of the Deuill Whether he shall escape or no And if the answere bee Negatiue they send for certayne men specially designed to that villanous mysterie which strangle him and then they dresse and eate him amongst the kindred euen to the very marrow in his bones For say they if any flesh should remayne it would putrifie and wormes would breede thereof which after for want of sustenance would perish whereby the soule of the dead partie would be much tormented The bones they burie safely that no beast should touch them such dread haue they of beasts and crueltie in a more then beastly crueltie and such a care to obserue humanitie and pietie in a most impious inhumanitie Lambri the next Kingdome hath in it some men with tayles like Dogs a span long The last is Fanfur where they liue of bread made of pith of Trees the wood whereof is heauie and sinketh to the bottome if it be put in water like Iron and therefore they make Lances thereof able to pierce Armour for it is three fingers thicke betwixt the hollow and the barke To let passe Pentan Sondar and other Idolatrous Ilands and come to Iaua maior This Countrey is very rich but in times past of most abominable custome Nic. Conti saith That they feede on Cats Rats and other vermine and were most vile murtherers not sticking to make triall of the good cutting or thrust of their blades on the next body they met with and that without punishment yea if the blow or thrust were deliuered with fine force with much commendation Vertomannus affirmeth of them That some obserue Idols some the Sunne or Moone others an Oxe and many the first thing they meete in the morning and some worship the Deuill When men were old and not able longer to worke their children or parents carryed them into the Market and sold them to others which did eate them And the like they vsed with the younger sort in any desperate sicknesse preuenting Nature with a violent death and esteeming their bellies fitter Sepulchres then the earth accounting others fooles which suffered the wormes to deuoure so pleasant foode For feare of these Man-eaters they stayed not long there It seemeth that they haue much left their brutish customes since wonne to more ciuilitie by trading of the Moores and Christians especially such as are of the Arabian law although as our owne Countrey-men report which haue there liued a mans life is valued to the murtherer at a small summe of money They are a prowd Nation If a man should come in where they are set on the ground after their manner and should sit on a Chest or high thing it were as much as his life were worth The King of Bantam breaking
Haruest and inuading some Country there stay as long as they find the Palmes or other sufficient meanes of mayntenance and then seeke new aduenture For they neyther plane or sowe nor breed vp Cattle and which is more strange they nourish vp none of their owne children although they haue ten or twenty wiues a man of the properest and comeliest slaues they can take But when they they are in trauell they digge a hole in the Earth which presently receiueth in that darke prison of death the new borne Creature not yet made happy with the light of life Their reason is that they will not bee troubled with education nor in their flitting wanderings be troubled with such cumbersome burthens Once a secret Prouidence both punisheth the Fathers wickednesse and preuenteth a viperous Generation if that may bee a preuention where there is a succession without Generation and as Plinie saith of the Esseni Gene aeterna est in qua nemo nascitur For of the conquered Nations they preserue the Boyes from ten to twenty yeeres of age and bring them vp as the hope of their succession like Negro Azimogli with education fitting their designes These weare a Collar about their necke in token of slauery vntill they bring an Enemies head slaine in battaile and then they are vncollared freed and dignified with the title of Souldiers If one of them runnes away he is killed and eaten So that hemmed in betwixt hope and feare they grow very resolute and aduentrous their Collars breeding shame disdaine and desperate fury till they redeeme their freedome as you haue heard Elembe the great Iagge brought with him twelue thousand of these cruell Monsters from Sierra Liona and after much mischiefe and spoyle settled himselfe in Benguele twelue degrees from the Line Southwards and there breedeth and groweth into a Nation But Kelandula somtime his Page proceeds in that beastly life before mentioned and the people of Elembe by great troupes runne to him and follow his Campe in hope of spoyle They haue no Fetisso's or Idols The great Iagge or Prince is Master of all their Ceremonies and is a great Witch I haue seene this Kelandula sayth our Author continue a Sacrifice from Sun to Sun the rites whereof are these Himselfe sat on a stoole in great pompe with a Cap adorned with Peacockes feathers which fowles in one Countrey called Shelambanza are found wild and in one place empaled about the graue of the King are fifty kept and fed by an old woman and are called Iugilla Mokisso that is Birds of Mokisso Now about him thus set attended forty or fifty women each of them weauing continually a Zebras tayle in their hands There were also certaine Gangas Priests or Witches Behind them were many with Drummes and Pipes and Pungas certaine Instruments made of Elephants teeth made hollow a yard and halfe and with a hole like a Flute which yeeld a lowd and harsh sound that may bee heard a myle off These strike and sound and sing and the women weaue as is said till the Sunne be almost downe Then they bring forth a pot which is set on the fire with leaues and roots and the water therein and with a kind of white powder the Witches or Gangas spot themselues one on the one cheeke the other on the other and likewise their foreheads temples brests shoulders and bellies vsing many inchanting tearmes which are holden to be Prayers for Victory At Sun-set a Ganga brings his Kissengula or War-hatchet to the Prince this weapon they vse to weare at their girdles and putting the same in his hand bids him be strong their God goes with him and he shall haue victory After this they bring him foure or fiue Negros of which with a terrible countenance the great Iagge with his Hatchet kils two and other two are killed without the Fort. Likewise fiue Kine are slaine within and other fiue without the Fort and as many Goats and as many Dogs after the same manner This is their Sacrifice at the end whereof all the flesh is in a Feast consumed Andrew Battle was commanded to depart when the slaughter began for their Deuill or Mokisso as they said would then appeare and speake to them This Sacrifice is called Kissembula which they solemnize when they attempt any great enterprize There were few left of the naturall Iagges but of this vnnaturall brood the present succession was raysed §. IIII. Of the Lakes and Riuers in these parts of Africa NOw that we haue thus discoursed of these former Nations let vs take view of the more in-land and Easterly borders which abut on Congo where wee shall finde the great Lake Aquilunda which with her many Riuers aforesaid watereth all that great Countrey assisted therein by a farre greater Lake called Zembre great Mother and chiefe Ladie of the Waters in Africa As for the Mountaynes of the Moone now called Toroa there is a Lake called Gale of no great quantity whence issueth a Riuer named Comissa and by the Portugals the sweet Riuer disembarquing at the False Cape an arme whereof had before entred the Sea in 32. degrees 40. minutes of Infante one of Dias his companions in the first Discouery of those parts called Infanto because hee there went first on Land But from those Hils of the Moone the Lake whence Nilus springeth hath no helpe Neyther are there two Lakes East and West distant from each other about foure hundred and fifty miles as Ptolemey describeth for then the one should be in the Confines of Congo and Angola the other about Sofala and Monomotapa where is found but one Lake for Aquilunde is no tributary to Nilus This Lake is betweene Angola and Monomotapa and contayneth in Diameter 195. miles There is indeed another Lake which Nilus maketh in his course but standeth Northward from the first Lake Zembre and not in East or West parallel Neyther doth Nilus as some affirme hide it selfe vnder the ground and after rise againe but runneth through monstrous and Desart Valleyes without any setled channell and where no pleople inhabited from whence that fabulous opinion did grow This Lake is situate in twelue degrees of Southerly Latitude and is compassed about like a Vault with exceeding high Mountaynes the greatest whereof are called Cafates vpon the East and the Hils of Sal-Nitrum and the Hils of Siluer on another side and on the other side with diuers other Mountaynes The Riuer Nilus runneth Northwards many hundred miles and then entreth into another great Lake which the Inhabitants doe call a Sea It is much bigger then the first and contayneth in breadth two hundred and twenty miles right vnder the Equinoctiall Line Of this second Lake the Anzichi giue certaine and perfect intelligence for they traffique into those parts And they report That in this second Lake there is a people that sayleth in great ships and can write and vseth number weight and measure which they haue not in the parts of
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
weapons and sometimes separate themselues and their families till time waste away their indignation and then returne yet are the fierce and politike in warre These Nations and the Susolas Comos Camoles Quitones and other Names of Barbarisme vse Tobacco and a drinke made of the leaues of certaine trees boiled with water and put vp into certaine vessels which they drinke as hot as they can endure crying meane-while Who will drinke And when the women heare this cry they suddenly stand still without stirring any way although they be laden they beleeuing that if any woman should then moue her selfe some euill thing would enter into the drinke whereof they must die soone after and therefore if any such accident happen they cast all away and likewise if a woman passe by whiles they are brewing it if the vessell be vncouered When the women haue their naturall fluxe they must be their owne Cookes but for no body else They haue some Men married to other Men being attired in habit of Women and performing onely womanly offices In some places as they passed their Physicians which commonly are in sauage Nations Magicians and Priests had rattles of Gourds which they suppose to come from heauen and to haue great vertue none other daring to touch them Some vsed for boiling wild Gourds not by putting fire vnder but by heating stones continually in the fire and putting them into the liquor till it seethe Some people on the Mountaines for a third part of the yeere eate nothing but a powder made of straw In some places were trees of such venemous qualitie that the leaues thereof in standing waters would poison whatsoeuer dranke thereof Some acknowledged a certaine man in heauen called Aguar who gaue them raine and all good things All these people as he passed with a Negro and two others after he had escaped some of his first Masters which held him in hard slauerie held them for children of the Sunne and therefore receiued them with great reuerence and festiuall pompe and conueyed them still to the next nation Westward towards the South Sea till they came to Spaniards alwayes vsing to rob those people to whom they deliuered them of their little wealth which departed from the same with the greater content because they serued the next people and so successiuely with like sawce They found some rich Sables of muskie sent and Emeralds They were out in this Expedition and captiuity ten yeeres before they could recouer Spaine from 1527. to 1537. §. IIII. Other Obseruations of Florida THese things following Ortelius saith he had from his Nephew Caelius Ortelius by the relation of an eye-witnesse The King giueth or selleth rather to euery man his wife If a woman commit adulterie she is bound to a tree her armes and legges stretched out all day and sometimes whipped A woman three houres after she is deliuered of a child carries the Infant to the Riuer to wash it They obserue no discipline in their families with their children They haue fleas which bite so eagerly that they leaue a great deformitie like a leprie after They haue winged Serpents one of which I saw saith Nicolaus Challusius the wings whereof seemed to enable it to fly a little height from the ground The Inhabitants were very carefull to get the head thereof as was thought for some superstition Botero saith that they haue three sorts of Harts and of one of them make the same commodities which we doe of our Kine keeping them tame and milking them The Spaniard hath three Garrisons on the coast of Florida S. Iacomo S. Agostino and S. Philippo They are much addicted to venery and yet abstaine from their wiues after conception knowne When Ferdinando Soto entred Florida he there found amongst the Indians one Iohn Ortiz a Spaniard which by the subtiltie of the people vnder colour of deliuering a Letter which they had fastened to a cleft Cane was taken and liued twelue yeeres with them Vcita the Lord of the place made him his Temple-keeper because that by night the wolues came and carried away the dead corps Hee reported that these people are worshippers of the Deuill and vse to offer vnto him the life and bloud of their Indians or of any people that they can come by and when he will haue them doe that sacrifice vnto him hee speaketh vnto them and tels them that he is a thirst and enioynes them this sacrifice They haue a Prophecie That a white people should subdue them wherein the French and Spanish haue hitherto failed in their attempts Soto hauing in his greedy hopes neglected the many commodities he might haue enioyed to finde greater was brought to such dumps that hee thereon sickened and after died But before he tooke his bed he sent to the Cacique of Quigalta to tell him that he was the Child of the Sunne and therefore would haue him repaire to him he answered That if he would dry vp the Riuer he would beleeue him And when he was dead because he made the Indians beleeue that the Christians were immortall the Spaniards sought to conceale his death But the Cacique of Guachoya busily enquiring for him they answered that he was gone to heauen as many times he did and had left another in his place The Cacique thinking he was dead commanded two yong and well proportioned Indians to be brought thither saying it was their custome to kill men when any Lord died to wait on him by the way which their cruell courtesie the Spaniards refused denying that their Lord was dead One Cacique asked Soto what he was and why hee came thither He answered that he was the sonne of God and came to teach them knowledge of the Law Not so saith the Cacique if God bids thee thus to kill steale and worke all kind of mischiefe For their credulitie in like case Laudonniere telleth that a strange and vnheard-of lightening hapned within a league of their Fort which consumed in an instant 500. acres of meadow being then greene and halfe couered with water together with the foules that were therein It continued burning three dayes together and made the Frenchmen thinke that for their sakes the Indians had set fire on their dwellings and were gone to some other place But a certaine Paracoussy which is one of their petty Kings or Caciques sent to him a Present beseeching him to command his men that they should shoot no more towards his dwelling thinking that the Ordinance had caused all this which occasion he vsed to his owne good by arrogating that to himselfe which he saw their simplicitie conceiued of him Within two dayes after this accident fell such an heat that the Riuer I thinke was ready to seethe and in the mouth of the Riuer were found dead therewith fishes enow to haue laden fifty Carts whereof issued by putrifacton much sicknesse Calos is neere the Cape of Florida The King thereof made his subiects beleeue that his Sorceries and
when there seemed defect of these Sacrifices to goe to their Kings telling them that their Gods died for hunger and therefore should be remembred Then assembled they their people to warres to furnish their bloudy Altars There happened a strange accident in one of these Sacrifices reported by men of worthy credit That the Spaniards beholding these Sacrifices a young man whose heart was newly plucked out and himselfe tumbled downe the staires when he came to the bottome he said to the Spaniards in his Language Knights they haue slaine me The Indians themselues grew weary of these cruell Rites and therefore they easily embraced the Spaniards Christianitie Yea Cortes writ to the Emperour Charles that those of Mechoacan sent to him for his Law being weary of their owne as not seeming good vnto them Some of the Spaniards were thus sacrificed at Tescuco and their Horse-skinnes tanned in the haire and hung vp with the Horse-shooes in the great Temple and next to them the Spaniards garments for a perpetuall memory At the siege of Mexico they sacrificed at one time in sight of their Countrimen forty Spaniards The Mexicans besides their cruelties had other vnbeseeming Rites in their Religion as to eate and drinke to the name of their Idols to pisse in the honour of them carrying them vpon their shoulders to anoint and besmeare themselues filthily and other things both ridiculous and lamentable They were so deuout in their Superstitions and superstitious in their deuotions that before they would eate or drinke they would take a little quantitie and offer it to the Sun and to the Earth And if they gather Corne Fruit or Roses they would take a leafe before they would smell it and offer the same he which did not thus was accounted neither louing nor loued of God The Mexicans in the siege of their Citie being brought to all extremities spake thus as Lopez reporteth vnto Cortes Considering that thou art the childe of the Sunne why doest thou not entreat the Sunne thy Father to make an end of vs O Sun that canst goe round about the World in a day and a night make an end of vs and take vs out of this miserable life for we desire death to goe and rest with our God Quetcanath who tarrieth for vs CHAP XII Of the Religious places and persons in New-Spaine wherein is also handled their Penance Marriages Burials and other Rites performed by their Priests §. I. Of their Temples WE haue already mentioned the Temple of Vitziliputzli in Mexico which requireth our further description It was built of great stones in fashion of Snakes tyed one to another and had a great circuit called Coatepantly that is a circuit of Snakes Vpon the top of euery Chappell or Oratorie where the Idols were was a fine pillar wrought with small stones blacke as Iet the ground raised vp with white and red which below gaue a great light Vpon the top of the Pillar were Battlements wrought like Snailes supported by two Indians of stone sitting holding Candlesticks in their hands were like Croysants garnished and enriched at the ends with yellow and greene feathers and long fringes of the same Within the circuit of this Court there were many chambers of Religious men and others that were appointed for the Priests and Popes This Court is so great and spacious that eight or ten thousand persons did dance easily in a round holding hands which was an vsuall custome there howsoeuer it seemeth incredible Cortes relateth that within the compasse of the wall a Citie of fiue hundred houses might haue beene builded round about encompassed with goodly buildings Hals and Cloisters for the Religious Votaries to dwell in In that circuit he numbereth forty high Towers well built to which the ascent was by fifty steps or staires the least of them as high as the steeple of the Cathedrall Church in Siuill The stone-worke as curious as in any place full of grauen and painted imagerie All these Towers were sepulchres of great Lords and had each of them a Chappell to some speciall Idol There were there three large Hals with their Chappels annexed into which none but certaine Religious men might enter both full of Images the chiefe of which Cortes cast downe and in stead thereof placed the Image of the Euer-blessed neuer worthy to bee dignified with indignitie the glorious Virgin and Mother our Lord with such other Saints There were foure gates or entries at the East West North and South at euery of which began a faire Causey of two or three leagues long There were in the midst of the Lake wherein Mexico is built foure large causies Vpon euery entry was a God or Idol hauing the visage turned to the causie right against the Temple gate of Vitzliputzli There were thirty steps of thirty fadome long diuided from the circuit of the court by a street that went betweene them Vpon the top of these steps there was a walke of thirty foot broad all plastered with chalke in the midst of which walke was a Pallisado artificially made of very high Trees planted in order a fadome asunder These Trees were very bigge and all pierced with small holes from the foot to the top and there were rods did runne from one Tree to another to which were tied many dead mens heads Vpon euery rod were many skuls and these rankes of skuls continued from the foot to the top of the Tree This Pallisado was full of dead mens skuls from one end to the other which were the heads of such as had bin sacrificed For after the flesh was eaten the head was deliuered to the Priests who tied them in this sort vntill they fell off by morsels Vpon the top of the Temple were two stones or Chappels and in them the two Images Vitziluputzli and Tlaloc These Chappels were carued and grauen very artificially and so high that to ascend vp to them there were an hundred and twenty staires of stone Before these Chappels there was a Court of forty foot square in the midst whereof was a high stone of fiue hand breadth pointed in fashion of a Pyramide placed there for the sacrificing of men as is before shewed Gomara saith that this and other their Temples were called Teucalli which signifieth Gods house This Temple he saith was square containing euery way as much as a Crosse-bow can shoot leuell in the middest stood a mount of earth and stone fifty fadome long euery way built Pyramide-fashion saue that the top was flat and ten fadome square It had two such Pyramide Stones or Altars for Sacrifice painted with monstrous figures Euery Chappell had three lofts one aboue another sustained vpon Pillars From thence the eye with much pleasure might behold all about the Lake Besides this Tower there were forty other Towres belonging to other inferiour Temples which were of the same fashion onely their prospect was not Westward to make difference Some of those Temples were bigger then
mentioned Wheele from the Sunne which was made in the Center vpwards to the Circumference Another manner of writing or signing they had in Circle-wise In the Prouince of Yucatan or Honduras there were Bookes of the leaues of Trees folded and squared which contained the knowledge of the Planets of Beasts and other Naturall things and of their Antiquities which some blindly-zealous Spaniards taking for Inchantments caused to be burned The Indians of Tescuco Talla and Mexico shewed vnto a Iesuite their Bookes Histories and Kalendars which in Figures and Hieroglyphicks represented things after their manner Such as had forme or figure were represented by their proper Images other things were represented by Characters and I haue seene saith Acosta the Pater Noster Aue Maria and Confession thus written As for these things I a Sinner doe confesse my selfe they painted an Indian kneeling on his knees at a Religious mans feet To God most mightie they painted three faces with their Crownes according to that painting blasphemy of the Popish Image-mongers and so they went on in that manner of picturing the words of their Popish Confession where Images failed setting Characters Their Bookes for this cause were great which besides their engrauings in Stone Walles or Wood they made of Cotton-wooll wrought into a kind of Paper and of leaues of Metll folded vp like our Broad-clothes and written on both sides Likewise they made them of the thinne inner rinde of a Tree growing vnder the vpper barke as did also the Ancient Latines from whence the names of Codex and Liber for a Booke are deriued by our Grammarians They did bind them also into some forme of Bookes compacting them with Bitumen their Characters were of Fish-hookes Starres Snares Files c. Thus did they keepe their priuate and publike Records There were some in Mexico that vnderstood each other by whistling which was ordinarily vsed by Louers and Theeues a Language admirable euen to our wits so highly applauded by our selues and as deeply deiecting these Nations in termes of sillinesse and simplicitie Yea in Our Virginia so I hope and desire Captaine Smith told mee that there are some which the spacious diuorce of the wide streame notwithstanding will by hallowes and hoopes vnderstand each other and entertaine conference The numbers of the Mexicans are simple till you come to six then they count sixe and one sixe and two sixe and three ten is a number by it selfe which in the insuing numbers is repeated as in other Languages till fifteene which they reckon in one terme ten fiue and one and so the rest to twentie Some write that the men in Mexico sate downe and the women stood when they made water The Mexicans did beleeue concerning the soule that it was immortall and that men receiued either ioy or paine according to their deserts and liuing in this World They held for an assured faith that there were nine places appointed for soules and the chiefest place of glory to bee neere vnto the Sunne where the soules of good men slaine in the Warres and those which were sacrificed are placed that the soules of wicked men abide in the earth and were diuided after this sort children which were dead-borne went to one place those which dyed of age or other disease went to another those which died of wounds or contagion to a third those which were executed by order of Iustice to a fourth but Parricides which slew their Parents or which slew their wiues or children to a fift Another place was for such as slew their Masters or Religious persons Acosta seemeth to deny that the Indians beleeued any punishments after death and yet setteth downe an Oration made at Mutezumas Election wherein he is said to haue pierced the nine Vaults of heauen which seemeth to allude to this of Gomara Their burials also were diuers as in shewed before and heere may bee added that hee which died for Adultery was shrowded like vnto their god of Leachery called Tlazoulterel he that was drowned like to Tlaloc he that died of drunkennesse like to the god of wine Ometochtli the Souldier like to Vitziliputzli But lest you wish me buried in like manner which trouble as much my English Reader with New-Spaines tedious Relations as Old-Spaines fastidious insulting spirits haue sometime done our English Nation I will aduenture further into the adioyning Prouinces CHAP. XIIII Of other places betwixt New Spaine and the Straits of Dariene §. I. Of Iucatan Acusamil Guatimala and Hondura IVCATAN is a point of Land extending it selfe into the Sea ouer against the Isle Cuba and was first discouered by Francis Hernando de Cordona in the yeere 1517. at which time one asking an Indian how this Countrey was called he answered Tectoten Tectetan that is I vnderstand you not which words the Spaniards corrupting both in the sound and interpretation called it Iucatan Iames Velasques Gouernour of Cuba sent his Cousin Iohn de Grijalua the yeere after who there fought with the Indians at Campotan and was hurt The Spaniards went to a Citie on the shore which for the greatnesse they called Cayro of that great Citie in Aegypt Here they found Turreted Houses Stately Temples Wayes paued and faire Market-places The houses were of stone or brick and lyme very artificially composed To the square Courts or first habitations of their houses they ascended by ten or twelue steps The roofe was of Reeds or stalkes of Herbs The Indians gaue the Spaniards Iewels of Gold very faire and cunningly wrought and were requited with Vestures of Silke and Wooll Glasse Beads and little Bels. Their apparell was of Cotton in manifold fashions and colours They frequented their Temples much to the which the better sort paued wayes with stone from their houses They were great Idolaters and were circumcised but not all They liued vnder Lawes and traffiked together with great fidelitie by exchanging commodities without money The Spaniards saw Crosses amongst them and demanmanding whence they had them they said that a certaine man of excellent beauty passing by that coast left them that notable token to remember him others said a certaine man brighter then the Sunne dyed in the working thereof The Spaniards sayled thence to Campechium a towne or three thousand houses Here they saw a square Stage or Pulpit foure Cubits high partly of clammie Bitumen and partly of small stones whereto the image of a man cut in Marble was ioyned two foure-footed vnknowne beasts fastning vpon vpon him as if they would teare him in pieces And by the Image stood a Serpent all besmeared with bloud deuouring a Lyon it was seuen and forty foot long and as bigge as an Oxe These things I mention as testimonies of their Art in these barbarous places and perhaps of their deuotion also Grijalua or Grisalua seeing a Tower farre off at Sea by direction therof came to an Iland called Cosumel agreeing in priuate and publike manner of life with them
at mans estate they cut bigger with a Cane and weare therein a greene stone otherwise they esteeme a man no Gallant but a Pesant They haue no Religion vse Polygamie but the women are tied to one husband except hee giue her publike leaue When they goe to warre the wiues carrie all the prouision That wife whom hee giueth his hunted prey is his bed-fellow that night and she goeth to the water and washeth her selfe after which she lyeth downe in the net and commandeth all the rest to attend on her for that day When they are in trauell they goe to the doore and being deliuered the father lyeth downe and is visited as before is said No Indian will kill any female creature whiles his wife is with childe thinking that would be the death of his childe They trauell with great store of Tobacco and haue continually a leafe thereof along the mouth betweene the lip and teeth the rheume running out at the lip-hole They war against the Portugals and all others eating all and take so many new names as prisoners They thinke mans flesh makes them valiant Their houses are two hundred yards long without partition they hang their nets on beames wash euery morning both men women and children they part their grounds They haue Serpents amongst them with bodies like trees which strike two fins out of their fore-quarters that kill whatsoeuer they call them d Iaboya They haue foure legs and a taile like an Aligator or Crocodile which they hide when they lye in the woods for their prey They haue Monkies as big as a water-dog faced like a man with long broad beards which goe twentie together on a tree and one of them will alway walke vp and downe with his hand on his beard making a great noyse the rest harkening still an houres space The Maraquites are betweene Fernambuc and Baya other Indians call them Tapoyes that is wilde men which name all but these and the Vaanasses which are like them account a disgrace The men are of good stature the women very proper and fight with their bowes as well as the men They haue no dwelling Religion nor friendship with any Nation yet he left them in peace with the Portugals They haue holes in their lips but carue not their bodies vse Polygamie are swift neuer come into the field to fight but keepe in the Mountaines they eate mans flesh without ceremonies The Topimambazes inhabite from R. de S. Franc. to Baya de todos Sanctos they are and speake like the Petowares but the women are of better complexion The men let their beards grow long From Baya to Eleoos are the Waymoores men of great stature and swift as a Horse fiue or sixe of them will set on a Sugar-house with an hundred therein I haue seene one saith our Author take a man aliue and defend himselfe with this his prisoner as it were with a Target They haue long haire are without Townes or Houses and care not where they come presuming of their swiftnesse They are greedie Man-eaters and are alwaies foule with durt and dust by lying on the ground and ashes Iarric writes that they are without Gouernours euery one doing what seemes good in his owne eyes only he is accounted most Noble that hath slaine most enemies with whom for any of them to speake is punished with death They roue vp and downe in vncertaine dwellings and therefore cannot by warre be conquered This wandring is common to many of these Brasilian Saluages The Tomomymenos dwell at Spirito Sancto haue settled Townes with great stones set about like pales of a good height and within walls of clay and stone they make the sides of their houses with loope-holss to shoot out at They deck their bodies with feathers and paint themselues blacke and red One of these tooke the Portugall Captaine Martin de Sa and in spite of all his company carried him a stones cast and threw him into a Riuer but hee was rescued by Petummyen another Sauage The Portugals tooke sixteene thousand slew the tenth parf and parted the rest destroying the Country downe the Riuer Paraeyua The Waytaquazes dwell on the North and South sides of Cape Frio They are of greater stature then the Waymoores we took thirteene of them and whiles we searched for more they burnt their cords from their hands and fled Their women warre with bowes and arrowes They lye on the ground like Hogs with a fire in the midst hold no peace with any but eate all they can get Heere the mountaines were full of Crablice which sticked so fast on their skins that they were faine to take dry straw to singe themselues Abausanga-retam was Captaine of a kinde of Tamoyes an hundred and twenty yeeres old which being taken ranne amongst the enemies where being shot in one and twenty places he fell then desired Baptisme after which within foure houres he died his haughtie courage could not brooke captiuitie The Wayanasses keepe at Ila Grande they are low great bellied cowards not carued glory not to eate mans flesh the Women vgly with bigge bodies and are well faced painted red with Vrucu which growes in a cod like a Beane the crownes of both Sexes are shauen like Friers the rest of their haire long The Topinaques haue their dwelling at Saint Vincents are of good stature and complexion the women painted with diuers colours eate mans flesh adore nothing onely when they kill a man paint themselues with a fruit called Ianipano and with feathers on their heads great stones in their lips Rattles in their hands dance three dayes together drinking a filthy liquor whereto they said Tobacco made them fresh Among them is great store of Gold in many hils by the Sea The Pories dwell an hundred miles within Land are low like the Wayanasses liue on Pine-nuts and small Cocos as big as Apples with shels like Wall-nuts but harder they call them Eyrires they warre with none eate not mans flesh if they haue other meat lye in nets of barke haue no houses but two or three boughs tyed together couered with Palme-leaues for a knife or combe they will giue fiue or sixe gallons of Balsame-oyle The Molopaques inhabite heere the Riuer Paradiua are like Dutchmen in bignesse faire of complexion bearded ciuill couer their priuities their Towns circled with wals of earth and great logges haue a King called Moriuishann which had thirteene wiues They haue store of Gold which they esteeme not nor vse it but to tye on their fishing lines this is in the Riuer Para fourescore leagues beyond Paraeyua They take none but what the rayne washeth from the Mountaines which are of blacke earth without Trees The Women are goodly and faire like English women modest neuer seene to laugh and of good capacitie They tye their haire about their middle with barke and couer therewith their nakednesse their haire also is of diuers colours and
like is noted in the East Indies at the Hils of Balegate where that Ridge parteth Winter and Summer in the same neernesse to the Sunne at the same time and a few miles distant The Raines in the Hils are cause why they call it Winter and the deawes or mysts in the Plaines so that when the Raines fall most in the Hils it is cleere weather in the Plaines and when the deaw falleth in the Plaines it is cleere on the Hils and thus it commeth to passe that a man may trauell from Winter to Summer in one day hauing Winter to wash him in the morning and ere night a cleere and dry Summer to scorch him Yea in some places sayth Alexandro Vrsino within sixe miles space both heate and cold are intolerable and enough to kill any man From Saint Helen to Copiapo it neuer raineth which Coast extends forty miles in some places fiftie in breadth and twelue hundred leagues in length §. II. Of the first Inhabitants their Quippos Arts Marriages ABout the point of Saint Helena in Peru they tell that sometimes there liued Giants of huge stature which came thither in Boates the compasse of their knee was as much as of another mans middle they were hated of the people because that vsing their women they killed them and did the same to the men for other causes These Giants were addicted to Sodomie and therefore as the Indians report were destroyed with fire from Heauen Whether this be true or no in those parts are found huge and Giantlike bones Cieza writes that Iohn di Holmos at Porto Vicio digged and found teeth three fingers broad and foure long Contrariwise in the Valley of Chincha they haue a Tradition that the Progenitors of the present Inhabitants destroyed the natiue people which were not aboue two Cubits high and possessed their roomes in testimonie whereof they alledge also that bone-argument Concerning the Indians conceit of their own originall we haue mentioned their opinion of a floud and the repeopling of the World by them which came out of a Caue They haue another Legend that all men being drowned there came out of the great Lake Titicaca one Virococha which stayed in Traguanaco where at this day is to bee seene the ruines of very ancient and strange buildings and from thence came to Cusco and so beganne Mankinde to multiply They shew in the same Lake a small Iland where they faine that the Sunne hid himselfe and so was preserued and for this reason they made great Sacrifices vnto him in this place both of Sheepe and Men. They held this place sacred and the Inguas built there a Temple to the Sunne and placed there Women and Priests with great treasures Some learned men are of opinion that all which the Indians make mention of is not aboue foure hundred yeeres which may bee imputed to their want of writing In stead of writing they vsed their Quippos These Quippos are Memorials or Registers made of cords in which there are diuers knots and colours signifying diuers things these were their Bookes of Histories of Lawes Ceremonies and accounts of their affaires There were officers appointed to keepe them called Quipocamayos which were bound to giue account of things as Notaries and Registers They had according to the diuersitie of businesse sundry cords and branches in every of which were so many knots little and great and strings tyed to them some red some greene and in such varietie that euen as wee deriue an infinite number of words from the Letters of the Alphabet so doe they from these kinds and colours And at this day they will keepe account exactly with them I did see sayth Acosta a handfull of these strings wherein an Indian woman did carrie as it were written a generall confession of all her life and thereby confessed herselfe as well as I could haue done in written paper with strings for the circumstances of the sinnes They haue also certaine wheeles of small stones by meanes whereof they learne all they desire by heart Thus you shall see them learne the Pater-noster Creed and the rest and for this purpose they haue many of these wheeles in their Church-yards They haue another kinde of Quippos with grains of Mays with which they wil cast hard accounts which might trouble a good Arithmetician with his Pen in the Diuisions They were no lesse wittie if not more in things whereto they apply themselues then the men of these parts They taught their young children all Arts necessary to the life of men euery one learning what was needfull for his person and family and not appropriating himselfe to one profession as with vs one is a Tayler another a Weauer or of other Trade Euery man was his owne Weauer Carpenter Husbandman and the like But in other Arts more for ornament then necessitie they had Gold-smiths Painters Potters and Weauers of curious workes for Noblemen and so of the rest No man might change the fashion vsed in his owne Countrey when hee went into another that all might be knowne of what Countrey they were For their Marriages they had many Wiues but one was principall which was wedded with Solemnitie and that in this sort The Bridegroome went to the Brides House and put Ottoya which was an open Shooe on her foot this if shee were a Mayd was of wooll otherwise of Reeds and this done he led her thence with him If she committed Adulterie shee was punished with death when the Husband dyed shee carried a mourning Weed of blacke a yeere after and might not marry in that time which befell not the other Wiues The Ingua himselfe with his own hand gaue this woman to his Gouernours and Captaines and the Gouernours assembled all the young men and Mayds in one place of the Citie where they gaue to euery one his Wife with the aforesaid Ceremonie in putting on the Ottoya the other Wiues did serue and honour this None might marry with his Mother Daughter Grandmother or Grand-childe and Yapangui the Father of Guaynacapa was the first Ingua that married his Sister and confirmed his fact by a Decree that the Inguas might doe it commanding his owne children to doe it permitting the Noblemen also to marrie their Sisters by the Father side Other Incest and Murther Theft and Adulterie were punished with death Such as had done good seruice in warre were rewarded with Lands Armes Titles of honour and Marriage in the Inguas Linage They had Chasquis or Posts in Peru which were to carrie tidings or Letters for which purpose they had houses a league and a halfe asunder and running each man to the next they would runne fifty leagues in a day and night §. III. The Regall Rites Rights Workes and of RVMINAGVI and ALVARADO WHen the Ingua was dead his lawfull heire borne of his chiefe Wife succeeded And if the King had a legitimate Brother he first inherited and then the Sonne of the first Hee
well attended to meet him and make his prouisions At Yeraslaue another Querry of the Stable met him At Musco hee was honourably entertayned Knez Iuan Suetzcoie attended with 300. Horse brought him to his lodging Sauelle Frolloue the Secretary was sent to congratulate his welcome with many dishes of dressed meate and promise of best accommodating The next day the Emperour sent a Noble man Ignatie Tatishoue to visit him with faire words and promise of speediest audience which was on Satturday following About nine of the clocke the streets were filled with people and a thousand Gunners attired in yellow and blue Garments set in rankes by the Captaines on Horsebacke with bright Harquebuses in their hands from the Ambassadours doore to the Emperours Palace Knez Iuan Sitzcoie attended him mounted on a faire Gennet richly bedecked with a faire Gelding well furnished for the Embassadour attended with three hundred Gentlemen gallantly adorned The Embassadour being displeased that the Dukes Horse was better then his mounted on his owne Horse and with his thirty men liveried in Stamell Clokes well set forth each hauing a part of his Present being most Plate marched onward to the Kings Palace where another Duke met him and told him that the Emperour stayed for him He answered that hee came as fast as he could By the way the people ghessing at the vnpleasingnesse of his message cryed Carenke that is Cranes-legs in mockage of him whereat hee stormed much The passage stayres and Roomes thorow which hee was conducted were all beset with Merchants and Gentlemen in Golden Coats His men entred before him with their Presents into the Roome where the Emperour sate in his Robes and Maiesty with his three Crownes before him foure young Noble men called Ryndes shining in their Cloth of beaten Siluer with foure Scepters or bright Siluer Hatchets in their hands on each side of him the Prince and other his great Dukes and Nobles in rankes sitting round about him The Emperour stood vp and the Embassadour making his courtesies deliuers the Queenes Letters which hee receiued and put off his Imperiall Cap asking how his louing Sister Queene Elizabeth did His answere made he sate downe on a side forme couered with a Carpet and after some little pause and mutuall view was dismissed in manner as hee came and his Dinner of two hundred dishes of dressed meats sent after him by a Gentleman of qualitie I was forewarned by my secret and best friends not to intermeddle in those businesses Some secret and publike conferences passed but good note was taken that none of the great Family of the Godonoues were consulted with therein The King feasts the Embassadour grants great allowance of daily prouision and nothing would please him yea he made great complaints about friuolous matters The Merchants and the Emperours Officers were reconciled in their accounts grieuances remedied Priuiledges granted and an Embassadour to the Queene resolued on if Sir I. B. could haue conformed himselfe to the time any thing might haue beene yeelded yea he promised that if his Marriage with the Queenes Kinswoman tooke effect her issue should inherit the Crowne for assurance whereof he had a masse of ready treasure presently to be transported with his Embassadour vnto Queene Elizabeths trust The Clergy and Noblity especially the neerest allied to the old Empresse the Princes wife and her Family of the Godonoues found meanes to crosse all these Designes The King much distracted in fury caused many Witches Magicians or Wors presently to be sent for out of the North where there are many betweene Colmogro and Lappia Threescore of them were brought post to Musco where they were guarded dyeted and daily visited by the Emperours great Fauourite Bodan Belscoy to receiue from them their Diuinations or Oracles on the Subiects giuen them in charge by the Emperour Note that a great blasing Star and other prodigious sights were seene a moneth together euery night ouer Musco that yeere This Fauorite now sought to serue the turne of the rising Sunne wearied with the wicked disposition of the Emperour The Sooth-sayers tell him that the heauenly Planets and Constellations would produce the Emperours death by such a day But he not daring to tell the Emperour so much said to them that on that day they should be all burned The Emperour began grieuously to swell in his Cods wherewith he had offended so long boasting that he had deflowred thousands of Virgins and a thousand children of his begetting destroyed was carried euery day in his Chaire into his Treasury One day two dayes before the Emperour his death the Prince beckoned to me to follow and I aduenturously stood among the rest and heard him call for his Precious Stones and Iewels He then held discourse to the Nobles about him directing his eye and speech most to Boris Godouona of the nature and properties of his Gemmes of the World compassing Load-stone causing the Wayters to make a Chaine of Needles therewith touched of the Corall also and Turkesse whose beautifull colours sayd he layd on my arme poysoned with inflammation you see are turned pale and declare my death Reach out my Staffe Royall an Vnicornes Horne garnished with very faite Diamonds Rubies Saphires Emeralds and other Precious Stones it cost 70000. Markes sterling bought of Dauid Gowell of the Fulkers of Ausburge seeke out some Spiders caused his Physician Iohannes Eiloff to scrape a Circle thereof vpon the Table and put within it one Spider and after another which burst presently others without the Circle running away from it aliue It is too late it will not preserue me Behold these Precious Stones the Diamond most precious of all other I neuer affected it it restraines Fury and Luxury the powder is poyson Then he points to the Rubie this comforts the Braine and Memory clarifieth congealed bloud That Emerald of the nature of the Rainbow is enemy to all vncleanenesse and though a man cohabit in Lust with his owne Wife this Stone being about them will burst at the spending of Nature The Saphyre I greatly delight in it preserueth and increaseth Nature and Courage reioyceth the heart is pleasing to all the vitall Senses souereigne to the Eyes strengthens the Muscles Hee takes the Onyx in hand c. All these are Gods wonderfull gifts secrets in Nature reuealed to mans vse and contemplation as friends to grace and vertue and Enemies to vice I faint carry me away till another time In the afternoone he peruseth ouer his Will and yet thinkes not to dye His Ghostly Father dares not put him in minde of annointing in holy forme Hee hath beene witched in that place and often vnwitched againe He commands the Master of the Apotheke and the Physicians to prepare a Bath for his solace enquires the goodnesse of the Signe sends his Fauourite to his Witches to know their Calculations Hee tels them the Emperour will bury or burne them all quicke for their Illusions and Lyes the day is comne he is
of Iezid and finding himselfe like to die he told Muhammed Sonne of Ali Sonne of Abdalla Son of Abbas that the Empire would come to Abdalla that is Saffah his Sonne and gaue him the Writings of vocation and taught him what course to take Omar Sonne of Abdulaziz Sonne of Merwan obtained the Chalifate the same day Hee tooke away the malediction of Ali of happy memory For the Kings of the house of Ommia from Muaui hitherto were wont to curse him in their Pulpits in the end of all their Prayers Muaui had foretold it should be so swearing By God it shall not be omitted till a little one proue hoary and when it shall be abolished neglect of the Law shall be admitted Omar abolished that Curse reading the Verse which beginneth God commands Iustice and Beneficence and men went out of the Temple saying the Law is neglected He was Chalif two yeeres fiue moneths and foure dayes Hee was Iust Deuout Religious preferring his Religion before worldly things He had a Roome locked wherein they hoped to finde money but found nothing but a garment which hee vsed to put on and a line to beare him vp in his Prayers Sute was made in his time for the Temple in Damascus by the Christians but because their Citie was partly taken by the Sword partly by composition the Church of Saint Iohn was left to the Muslims the rest to the Christians whereof Omar gaue them a Charter together with all the Monasteries and the Temples without the City in Gouta on the Hill and the rest to enioy and vse them without molestation of the Muslims Iezid Sonne of Abdulmelic was created Chalife on the day of Omars death Iezid Sonne of Mahleb rebelled and went to Cufa with many followers but was slaine in battell by the aduerse Army and his head sent to the Chalif Muaui his Sonne succeeded in quarrell went to Basora and by Sea to Cundabil into Sindia But Cundabil forbade him to land and Muslima sent an Armada by Sea vnder Halal which ouerthrew them Omar Sonne of Habir sent and inuaded the Turkes tooke Multahar and pursued their King from Towne to Towne to Ardebil in the Countrey of Aderbigian where was fought a great battell and Gierrah the Commander with many Muslims were slaine Iezid died Anno 105. hauing raigned foure yeeres and one moneth Hee spent much on Wiues Playes and Spectacles Hee had two women Habab and Selam whom hee much affected Habab died and hee kept her till she stunke and when she was buried tooke her vp againe and not long after dyed Hisiam Sonne of Abdulmelic was made Chalife the same day the fiue and twentieth of Siaban Anno 113. Muslima tooke Townes of the Turkes many captiues and rich spoyles Muaui and his brother Suleiman sonnes of Hisiam went one on the right hand the other on the left and Constantine the Roman Emperour met them with an Army which was put to flight by the Muslims and Constantine taken Anno 117. Ali the Grandfather of the Abasian Chalifs dyed leauing two and twenty children Anno 121. Zeid Sonne of Husein Sonne of Ali Sonne of Abutalib sought to make himselfe Emperour and the Citizens of Cufa sware to him But Omar Sonne of Ioseph resisted slue crucified and burned him Muslima inuaded the Romans and tooke Cataman Merwan tooke and wasted Serirdehes and forced the Prince to Tribute Anno 122. dyed Muslima Sonne of Abdulmelic a wise and valiant Prince beyond any of the children of Ommia Anno 125. Hisiam dyed hauing reigned nineteene yeeres seuen monethes and eleuen dayes He will ruled and obserued the things which passed his hands but was couetous enuious and spoyled his Subiects to needlesse expenses He had Curtaines Vests and Wardrobes which none had before him his Vests are said to be six hundred Camels lode hee left a thousand paire of Breeches and ten thousand Shirts He had seuen hundred Vestries But when hee died Walid Sonne of Iezid had not to wrap him in for all his Wardrobes were sealed vp and none permitted to enter so that a seruant of his was fame to shroud him in example worthy wise mens obseruation Anno Mundi 6234. and 162. dayes Anno 120. Abnachaijl in the yeere of Dioclesian 460. was made Patriarch of Alexandria and continued three and twentie yeeres In his time Merwan the Chalife set Abdulmelic Sonne of Moses a Iew turned to Islamisme ouer Egypt who demanded money of the Patriarch and after emprisonment permitted him to begge with his Bishops thorow the Prouinces They returned into Egypt the one and twentieth of the moneth Tuba on which night was so great an Earthquake that many Cities buried their Inhabitants in the ruines and many ships were drowned in the Sea It went through all the East and in one night ruined sixe hundred Cities and killed innumerable men and beasts When the King of Nubia named Ciriacus vnderstood what had happened to the Patriarch hee went toward Egypt with a 100000. blacke horsemen on blacke horses and before hee was entred Abdulmelic the Gouernour sent to the Patriarch to write to the King of Nubia which hee did signifying that the Christians were now in good case and so he returned without battell Cosmas was Alexandrian Patriarch of the Orthodoxe Christians which prayed in the Church of Saint Saba all other Churches beeing vnder the Iacobites till vpon complaint and gifts to Hisiam they got the Temple of the Gospell Thus saith Said Sonne of Batric in his historie and also that the Orthodoxe had beene without a Patriarch ninetie seuen yeeres from the time of Omar the Conquerour till this Cosma which was an vnlearned man not able to write or reade a Needle-man The Iacobites meane while possessed all the Sees in Egypt and Nubia Walid Sonne of Iezid Sonne of Abdulmelic was created Chalife the same day his Vncle Hisiam dyed and was slaine Anno 126. for his manifest infidelitie and impietie his two Sonnes were imprisoned and after slaine He raigned one yeere two moneths and two and twenty dayes He was an excellent Poet but applying all his thoughts to wantonnesse He made him an iron Tombe which in his Pilgrimage hee determined to set vp in Caab Hee tooke with him to Mecca hounds in cages and wine Hee defloured a woman of his in his drunkennesse and promised that shee should pray in the presence of men which she did with her face couered He filled a pond with wine and water and sent for Maabad the Singer to sing whiles hee bathed and dranke therein After Walids death the Regions were embroyled the Chawasirians multiplyed and the Kingdome of the children of Ommia weakned by reason thereof Iezid Sonne of Walid Sonne of Abdulmelic Sonne of Merwan was the twelfth Chalifa of that house Emessa rebelled vpon the death of Walid and put to flight Iezids Army Suleiman Sonne of Hisiam spoyled Naama and went to Damascus the people of Palaestina slue
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
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
c. vlt. Kepler de stel No. c. 19. Valla Fracastorius Marpurg Scultetus c. Deo Hebr. Dial. 2. Ignis negat antiquis notum elementum scitè interpretatur Poetarum illud Coeli patrem Aetherem matrem esse diem vel lucem l Tych. Bra. l. 1. de N. St. 2. de Comet Kepler Bariholinus 4. numerant nouas stellas vid. Clau. in Sac. Iosc Casman Ouranograp Cosmop Hipparchi stellam N. ap Plin. c. m Such as the new Stars Fire is one of the foure Elements of the World but not placed beneath the Moone Patrit Pancos l. 1. 4. hath foure infinite eternall impious Elements Space Light Heate and Moysture n Iob 38.19 Lucis Encom o Vid. M. Ficin to 1. de lum Patrit Panaug Leonem Heb. 3. dial de Amore De luce sic Cabalistae Lux in patre luminum vera lux in filio splender illu strans in S. S. ardens fulgor in Angelis splendens intelligentia gaudium in homine ratio in Coelestibus splendor visibilis in igne vitalis vigor in perspicuis corporibus color in opacis vis generans in centro calor exaestuans Archang. in Cabal dog p Iob 38.13 q Verbum Dei voluntas est opus Dei natura est Amb Hex. 1. c. 9. Verbum hoc significat imperiū decretum voluntatem Dei efficacem Perer. r Gibbins in Gen. ſ Sic Basil hox hom 2. alij ab Patritius Panaug l. 4. Distinguit cor pora in lucida opaca hac sèrie à lucido corpore radij hinc lumen inde splendor isthinc nitor quibus opponit simili ordine corpus opacum tenebras obscurationem vmbram vmbrationem adumbrationem c. tenebrae ait habent actionem actie à viribus vires ab essentia c. t Iunius Pagnine c. Fagius habet eo modo quo iulaea expanduntur vel quo argentum malleo diducitur Sic Mercer in Gen. u Iun. Merula Io. Pic. Mirand x Bas Amb. in Hex. Du Bart Muscul in Gen. Th. Aquin. Beda Lumbard Scholastici y Psal. 104.2 3 z Sic Plato Plotinus vide in eos Ficin 4. elementa statuunt non sublunaria sed ipsius Mundi vniuersi Coelum esse ignem in stellis vnà est quaedam terra Coelestis in reliquo coelo aër vel aqua coelestis c. de materia Coeli consule Zanch. Casman Ouranog Zabarel a Patrit Pan. cos lib. 7. 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. b Vide de his Christ Clau. in Sac. Bosc Keckerman Syst Astron Magini Theor. c. c Illi orbes reuera in Coelo non insunt sed docendi intelligendi gratiae roponuntur Tycho Br. l. 2. p. 180. sic Keckerman Bartholimus alij d Gal. Gal. Sid. Nun. e P. Ricij de An. Coeli Bodin Theat. Nat. l 5. Patric Ficinus Platonici R. Mos Ben. Maimon f Arist. c. R. Mos l. 3. interprets Ezekiels Vision 1. the wheeles to be the Heauens and the Beasts Angels g Inest syderibus ratio sed Dei est illa c. Lact. l. 2. 5. i The Pythagor R. Mos Cic. Som. Scip. k Pro. 8.31 Es 40.22 l Plat. Aristot Stoici Cic de N. D. l. 2. Manil. Astron l. 1. Record c. m S. lib. ◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 n Ios. Scal. in Manil. l. 1. o In Drakes Voyage about the World an Eclipse seene here Septem the sixteenth before one in the morning was seene by them in the Magellane straights Sept. 15. at six in the euening p The Portugals sayling to China East haue their day twelue houres sooner then we the Spaniards to Manilla West twelue houres later So that both meeting there together differ a day in reckoning Ones Tuesday is the others Wednesday q Pat. Pancos l. 25. 26 31. r Vid. Plut. de plac ph l. 3. ſ As at Saint Miguel and Panama where the South Sea extendeth to the Philippinae t Eratost thought the highest Hill to bee but tenne Furlongs Cleomedes 15. which holdeth proportion in their iust Diameters to the Earth but of one to 3818. sayth R. Hues de Globis u By the like magnitudes of Starres in all places by the shadowes Horizon c. Ambros Hex. 4.6 x Aelian v. hist lib. 3. 28. Horum agrorum possessione te effers qui nulla pars sunt terrae y Hall Arte of Medit. z Sem. Scip. Plin. lib. 2. Haec est materia gloriae nostrae haec sedes hic tumultuatur humanum genus c. quota terrarum parte gaudeat vel cùm ad mensuram auaritiae suae propagauerit quam tandem portionem eius defunctus obtineat * A Iew at Rome asked a Philosopher the reason why the Sunne shined euery Wednesday The Philosopher obseruing it true but not assigning a cause the Iew said It was because the Sunne thus honored in his Birth-day Isaac Leuita a Plut. de Plac. Phil. l. 2. Barthol de Stellis pag. 6. b Barthol denyeth them to be of the same substance pag. 101. and so doth R. Mos Moreh lib. 2. cap. 20. c Scal. Opusc in Epist. d De his vid. Tych. Br. de N. St. pag. 465. Pythag. ap Phot. 100. Clauium in sac B. Albumasar introduc Alfragan diff 19. d. e 100000. Dolers in Praefat. Alphonsus spent on his Tables 400000. Ducats or after Turquets storie more f Prou. 25. g Clauius 7. numerat h 42398437 1 3 miles in one houre after Ptol. his Hypoth as Patric reckoneth so that a Bird of like swiftnesse might compasse the Earth 1884. times vnder the Line in an houres space Hee to salue this incredibilitie deuiseth a motion both of the Earth and of the Starres one from the East the other from the West i Ram. Math. Schol. lib. 11. k Barthol de Stell l Gen. 15.5 m Psal. 147. Es 40. n Hos 2.11 Iud. 5. Iob 38. Sic. Zan. de Op. Arias Mont. Stellas Chochabim vocari ait id est virtutis receptacula A. M. de Nat. o Hen. à Lindhout S. Ch. Heyden vide Taisneir Ranzou c. fraus est non ars c. Viues de Cor. art l. 5. p Nig. Figulus in the swift motion of a wheele made two blots which then seemed neere but at the standing of the wheele were farre asunder q The twelue Houses one for the Soule another for Children Fortune Death c. Vid. Alcabit Hali Io. de Saxonia c. r Euseb de praep. l. 6. c. 8. R. Mos in Ep. ad Iud. Marsil Contrarie saith Scal. to good manners Philosophy Geometry Christianitie they ascribe Christian Religion to Mercurie and Albumasar foretold it should continue but 1460. yeeres Abi. Iudaeus of the cōming of their Messias A. D. 1464. Arnaldus of Antichrist A D. 1345. In 1179. they all Arabians Iewes and Christians foretold almost a dissolution of the World by tempests to happen in 1186. with lye and all c. ſ
their Hegira f Called of Leo Qualid and of Scaliger Walid 110 Tarik Mirkond Oelid Scal. E.T. lib. 6. pag. 584. Turquet Span. Hist lib. 5. g M. Bedwel in hi Arab. Trudg saith it was of the situation Tarifa signifies the end or outmost bound of any thing h Tarik Mirkond hist Persic a Anno. 717. Suleiman b Curio lib. 2. c Wolfgang Droschter Chro. Omar d Iezid e P. Diac. Leo. f Paul Aemil. lib. 2. g Toures h Scal E.T. l. 6. pag. 584. saith that the countrie people keepe fresh memorie thereof as if it were lately done It was A. D 725. Hegire 106. sixteene yeere after they had inuaded Spaine i Annis 735. 737. 738. k Iezid l Hisan Mirkon calls him Ebrahem m Ios. Scal. Can. Is lib. 2. lib. 3 g Anno Dom. 753. Heg. 836. h As dec. 1. lib. 1 i Animad in Euseb Chron. Lydyat em tem * Lamberti Peramb Kent Mamuds exploites in India Persia c. * This was Tangrolipix Sec. c. 8. * In his time the Abasian Chalifes were receiued in Aegypt which the Phetimaeans of Ali had seperated Zacuth a Iacob de Vitriaco Hist Ieros. l. 1. c. 9. Amir Amira Amiras Admirans à themate AMARA praecepit Bedwel Hence is our title Admirall compounded and of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sea b Such were the Gouernors of Chorasan Irak Siras Damasco Iaman Mutzul Halep Gunia Mahaan The Arabian calleth them Kings and their heyres succeeded them c Can. Isag. l. 3. d The great Turke obserueth some shadow of this custome in vsing one or other handicraft e Lud. Reg. l 8. f Plat. in vita Pont. g Cairaoan became a Papacie absolute though schismaticall as they called it so did Marocco the Persians were alway prone to such Schismes and other as it serued for their aduantage h Ber. Aldrete var. Antiq. l. 3. c. 33. i Scal. Epist. Step. Vberio Hee saith that the figures which we vse in Arithmetike came froÌ„ the Arabians or Moores to the Spaniards and thence to vs about three hundred yeers since and then much differing from those chaacters which now wee vse k De Trad. Discip lib. 4. Ludouicus Viu de caus corrupt art l. 4. Omnia illa Arabica videntur mihi resipere delira nenta Alcorani blasphemas Mab insanias nihil fieri illis potest indoctius infulsius frigidius l Scal. Epist. ad Casaub m Lud Reg. 7. 14. n Whereof Taurus is chiefe Citie M. Polo lib 1. cap. 9. calleth it Hierach Magin Med a maior Baghdad or Bagdat * The Deuils Ierusalem The Tartarian conquest is here omitted Aristotles books of Physicks admired * This number seemeth false Bochara the Citie of Auicenna some say in Bocara neere Samercand o This seemed to arise of their opinion of Fate Auicenna His dissimulation Damascus Comparison of Mahomet Almotannabbi M. Abi Abdillah Aleppo Sciarfeddin a Turkish Historian Muske how made a Fortalicium fidei reckoneth another genealogie and the Saracen Chronicle continueth this euen from Adam not agreeing with themselues or any truth b I. Bo. Ben. Volater c. c Christ Richer d Arabs Nobilis in Alcor refut Cedrenus calls her Chadicha e This mutiny according to others hapned many yeeres after that Mahumet had vnder the cloake of Religion furthered his ambition and rebellion f He neither was circumcised himselfe saith an Arabian nobleman in confutation of the Alcoran nor did command any thing thereof in his law but the Arabians vsed Circumcision before his time g Sansouino calleth him Bacira and addeth also Nicholas a Priest of Rome h Mahomet a Theefe and Murtherer i An Adulterer k A Wittall l Pet. Alf. apud Breidenbach m Mahomets miracles n For the vnderstanding of this reade Scal. E.T. lib. 2. 5. o Legend of Mahomet Hermano Dalmata interprete p These prophets were Abnabdalla Abnalmutaira Abuzaid Abamacumet Alabez Alfad Abulambez Ezerigi Abnamare Kabalchabar scholler of Kabalmedi or Kabalachbar q A mahumetan Chronicle saith That this Light claue to the hands of God two thousand yeeres before Adam worshipping him as the Angels after inclosed in the Rib of Adam c. r Sound couragious faire swift iust a Hunter and Archer Å¿ Or H mina Daughter of Abdemenes t See also Bellon Obseruat llb. 3. cap. 7. u La vita Mahometi saith In a shining ladder they went vp to heauen where the stars hung by golden chaines as big as mount Notho by Medina x There were in the first heauen Angels of the shapes of all creatures praying for the creatures of their shapes and a Cock whose feete touched one Heauen and head the other whose crowing moued the Cocks of the earth to doe so In the second was Noe. This heauen was of gold the third of Pearles wherein was Abraham and the huge huge Angell of Death with his booke pen in hand writing the times and mens liues which fatall opinions maketh them hardie The fourth was of Emerald here was Ioseph and the Angell of Compassion weeping for the sinnes of men The fifth of Diamond and in it Moses The sixth of Rubie and in it Iohn Baptist The seuenth of fire and in it Iesus Christ All these recommended themselues to his Prayers a Nobi a Prophet The Booke of the Policie of the Turkish Empire Scal. E.T. p. 741. Computation of their Hegera Note for reconciliation thereof with Christian account Mahomets filthinesse His foure wiues and his children Mo her of the Moslemans His foure associates or counsellors Abi-Bacr Homar Othman Aali Mohameds death and Sepulchre a Robertus Retinensis b Harman Dal. interprete c The stile of it d In annotationibus in Euseb Chron. Solum Canticum Mosis extremo Deuteronomio Prouerbia Salomonis totus fâ—rè liber lob quadaÌ„ rythmi necessitate cohibentur qui rythmus est instar duarum dimetriarum Iambicarum Sed aliquando pauciorum sunt syllabarum aliquando plurium c. Nam vt in Hebraico Syriaco Arabico Abyssino idiomate vlla metri species concipi possit nemo efficere possit quia id natura sermonis non patitur e The Phrase f The method e Hierom. SauaÌ„ f The subtilty Ric. Florentinus d The agreement of Copies e The truth of the matter in it f Io. Ludouic. Viu g The Translaters h Anno 1143. Moued by Pet. Cluniacensis whose Epistle thereof to S. Bern. is extant i In the Italian are 124. chapt besides this first and the Easterne Saracens reckon it but one Azoara to the fifth Bellon l. 3. diuided it into foure bookes and 201. chap. k Postel de orbis concordiae l. 1. c. 13. * Of God and Christ a Azo 122. b Azo 20. Of Christ e Of his law and the followers therof d Azoara 47. e Mahomet disclaimeth diuine miracles and humane Disputations prouing with the sword f Not to dispute nor seeke a signe in proofe of the Law g The Fox wil eate no grapes because
was there all the Towne and Neighbour-hood sending their Presents and comming to view the same and not the meanest but admitted to meate in the Kings presence I could from hence conduct you to the monstrous buildings raysed be Taicosama employed night and day one hundred thousand men at worke I could present you with the pompous entertainment of their great Solemnities this being a tyrannicall policy to cause Gentry and Nobility of this stirring Nation thus to impouerish themselues with all possible brauery that so their hands might bee too short for State practices But with remembring these things I should forget my principall scope Let vs therefore take view of their Religion §. IIII. Of their Sects and Bonzian Colledges THey haue many Sects some reckon them twelue all truely agreeing in disagreeing with truth some of them Epicure-like denying Gods Prouidence and the Soules Immortality They hold that a man hath three soules which one after another come into and depart out of the body Few of their Bonzij will openly teach this Doctrine but labour to hold the people in awe Amida and Xaca they preach as Sauiours and to bee worshipped Some of their Sects doe beleeue an eternall life and promise it to all such as call vpon these supposed Deities as Saints which sometime led so austere a life for the sins of Mankinde that for a man to vexe his minde or macerate his body for his owne sinnes or to doe good workes would not onely bee superstitious but offensiue and derogatorie to their merits And here the kind-hearted Iesuite is panged with a fit of Charity to yoke the Lutheranes with them as if the sufferings of Iesus were but the Superstitions of Amida as if eyther the sufferings of man imperfect borrowed dutie could bee or the sufferings of God could not bee meritorious or as if the Lutherans denyed Christian contrition whose affect is Indignation effect selfe reuenge as they doe Popish Confession and Satisfaction These Gods they call Fotoques Other Gods of a lesse mould they call Camis which haue their charges and peculiar Offices for Health Children Riches c. as among the elder that I trouble not the queasie stomackes of the later Romanes These were Kings and Noblemen or Inuenters of Artes of whom they they haue as true tales as Homer of the Legend yeeldeth Taicosama that dyed a few yeeres since the first in which these many later ages took the title of a King which together with the Crowne hee receiued of the King of China ordayned before his death that his body should not be burned after the wonted manner but closed in a Chest and in a sumptuous Temple for that purpose built his Image should be enshrined and worshipped with the title of Scinfaciman or new Faciman the name of their Mars or Warlike God which was also done Hee had appointed by Will the forme of that Temple which should bee built vnto him which by those Decem-viri was done Captayne Saris saw it hauing on each side fifty stone Pillars very stately for matter Arte and scite seated on a Hill The people called him the principall Cam of their Cams at the first erection his corps was there intombed and his Statue erected for their Superstitious worships Thus he which in his youth had vsed to cut wood and carry it into the Market to sell for his daily sustinance for his valour promoted in Military Honours at last became the greatest Monarch that Iapon had seene in eight hundred yeeres and not contented with humane greatnesse would aspire to that diuine whereof hee himselfe had beene a derider in others His name before was Faxiba called after Quabacondonus the highest title next to the Dairi and signifieth the chiefe of the Treasure next borrowing a Kingly stile from China would mad folly on his Death-bed bequeath God-head to a Man and Immortalitie to a carkasse when hee could no longer hold out his pride cruelty and other wicked courses which made his presence dreadfull his memory detestable Nabunanga was his predecessor in his State and Impiety arrogating diuine honour to himselfe but destroying the Temples of their Gods together with the Temple-keepers the Bonzij This appeared as Frenoiama a famous Vniuersitie of those Bonzij nine miles from Meaco wherein eight hundred yeeres past a Iaponian King had erected three thousand and eight hundred Temples with houses adioyning for the Bonzij allowing to their maintenance the third part of the Reuenue of the Kingdome of Vomen Hence proceeded their orders and gouernment in affaires both of State and Religion being a Seminary of Lawes and Superstitions But these Temples in time diminished to eight hundred and the Bonzian Discipline as much empayred and altered from Austeritie in some to Wantonnesse in others from Arts to Armes The Bonzij tooke part with Nechien enemy of Nabunanga who enraged hereat made truce with the one to destroy the other The Bonzij not preuayling by their suing for peace fortified themselues for warre in the Temple of Quanon their God of health and long life much frequented with Pilgrimes from all parts much solemnized with their pompous Processions like in all parts if yee beleeue the Iesuite to their Corpus Christi Solemnity which grew the more famous for that these were but the preamble to the like pompe in Gibon Festiuall at Meaco But all preuayled not with Nabunanga who destroyed both Temple and Priests with fire and sword burning foure hundred other Temples for company in the yeere 1572. At Meaco he burned twenty of these Bonzian Cloysters of the greater sort besides fourescore lesse and in one of them threescore Bonzian women or Nunnes whose Deuotion was employed in begging for the reparation of the Temple of Daibud Amongst the rest as the Grecians had their Mercury with his Caducaus so the Iaponians haue their Iizu with his Trident to conuey soules departed into their alloted eternall residences The Bonzij his Chaplaines by lots enquired whither they should remooue him hee commanded it and they with great solemnitie performed it but out of a place which then escaped to another wherein and wherewith he was burnt Facusangin was another Bonzian Academy adorned with many Colledges which he destroyed Xuanguen the King of Cainochun shaued his head and beard and professed himselfe a Bonzi and not only attyred himselfe in their Habit but thrice a day did performe their Superstitions hauing six hundred Bonzij to his followers He writ to Nabunanga intituling himselfe the Patron of those Religions the other in his answere stiled himselfe the Tamer of Deuils and Enemy of Sects But after that he would bee a God soone did he cease to be a man the immortall God hating Corriuals by his owne subiects destroyed his life riches and memory These Bonzij are for the most part Gentlemen whom their Parents hauing many children for want of mayntenance thrust into Cloysters Shauen as you haue heard and Shauers couetously pilling and polling the
people of their money by many deuices as by selling them Scroles to keepe them by the Deuill from hurt of Deuils after death borrowing of money here to repay with great interest in the future World giuing the Creditor a Bill or Scroll of their hands for security by telling of things stolne or lost which they doe by Inchantments calling a Deuill into a child who being so possessed answereth their questions by selling their blessings and curses like Balaam Some by vow the most liue vnmarryed as the Bonzian women Another Sect called janambuxos before their admission into that Order liue two thousand or more together on a high Mountayne for the space of threescore dayes macerating themselues with selfe-inflicted penance the Deuill in diuers shapes meane-while appearing to them And after this they are receiued into that damnable Fellowship distinguished by white flockes hanging downe their neckes curled haire and blacke hats and so wander from place to place giuing notice of their comming by a little Bell. Another Sect called Genguis dwell on some high Hill blacke of complexion and as is supposed horned marrie Wiues of their owne kindred passe ouer great Riuers by the Deuils helpe who on a certaine Hill at times appointed appeareth to them of whom by the name of Amida he is worshipped In another Hill he was wont to appeare to his deuout followers whom then hee would lead as they thought to Paradise indeed to destruction They say that a Sonne not able to perswade his Father from this passage to Paradise secretly followed him with his Bow and Arrowes and when the Deuill appeared shot and wounded a Foxe whom he followed by the bloud to a Lake wherein he found many dead mens bones They haue another Vniuersity in Iapon called Coia whose Bonzian Students are of the Sect of Combendaxis supposed the Inuenter of the Iaponian Letters He in his old age digged a foure-square Caue into which hee conueyed himselfe affirming that hee then dyed not but after some Millions of yeeres would returne in the dayes of one Mirozu which then should be a most worthy King in Iapon About his Sepulchre burne many Lampes sent thither from diuers Nations with opinion that such as enrich that Monument shall themselues here be enriched and in the other life by Combendaxis patronized In the Colledges here liue sixe thousand of those Shauelings from whom women are restrayned vpon paine of death At Fatonochaiti the Bonzij trayned vp witty and proper youths in all trickes of subtlety and guile acquainting them with Genealogies of Princes that so they might counterfeit to bee the sonnes of such or such great men and borrowing money on that credit might enrich their wicked Colledge till the sleight being found they were killed of the Inhabitants There be that worship the Sunne and Moone who haue an Image with three heads which they say is the vertue of the Sunne Moone and Elements These worship the Deuill in visible shape appearing to them with many and costly Sacrifices Some Bonzij play the Physicians which burne certaine papers in which are written the sentences of Cam and Fotoch which papers being burnt they put the ashes in drinke and giue the same to cure diseases and with lyes to turne away lyes and fraudulent dealing Some hold Xacas booke in such veneration that without it they hold it impossible to bee saued Other Bonzij haue beene in other ages in high reputation of holinesse but one especially not a hundred yeeres since the author of the sect called Icoxos the Ruler or Generall of which sect is openly wicked but so adored of the people that if he but looke on them they will salute him with teares of ioy praying him that all their sinnes may bee pardoned and therewith giue him no small quantitie of their gold His yeerly festiuall is so honoured with thronging of the people that in the entrie of the Cloyster many are trodden vnder foot which yet is of the blinde people accounted a happinesse many willingly yeelding themselues to be killed in that presse And in the night whiles his prayses are sung there is a great howling and lamentation Nequiron was author of the sect Foquexan There is an Image or Colossus of Copper in the way from Ozaca to Sorungo called Dabis made hollow sitting vpon his heeles of huge greatnesse and yeelding a great sound if any hallow in the hollow thereof as some of Captaine Saris his companie did At Meaco he obserued one Temple as great as the body of Paules westward from the Quire with a stone roofe borne vp on as high pillars Hee saw an Idoll greater then the former reaching vp to the top of the arch That of Dabis was in their way to the pilgrimage of Tenchadema where Master Adams told him that hee had beene There they euery moneth present the Deuill with a new Virgin instructed by the Bonzij to aske him certayne questions which he in humane shape appearing answereth hauing the carnall vse of her body if some Bonzi make not the Deuill Cuckold as in our Egyptian Relations yee shall find of Tyrannus Some of their Bonzij professe a militarie discipline as the Knights of Malta The profession called Neugori was instituted by Cacubau who is therefore deified in which some intend their prayers whiles others fight and others performe their taske of making fiue arrowes a day Their gouernment is an Anarchie euery one obeying and commanding the meanest person amongst them hauing a Negatiue in all their consultations And nothing is agreed on till all be agreed In the night they often kill one another without remorse and yet such is their Religion this Sect holdeth it a sinne to kill a flye or any liuing thing Amongst the Bonzij there are two principall men which if vnder their hand-writing they giue their testimoniall to other of their Orders it is as conferring a Degree yea a kinde of Canonization For thence-forward they sit in a chaire and are adored and appoint to other Students their taskes of meditation One of these puffed vp with vanitie and arrogance professed to know what he was before he was borne and what should become of him after death Valentine Caruaglio in relating the death of some principall Nobles which withstood Daifusama the present Emperor speaks of a certaine Bonzi which neuer stirres out of doores but vpon such occasions who accompanied with many of his Sect after other hallowing ceremonies did giue them a certaine booke to kisse and laid it on their heads wherein they reposed much holinesse and worshipped it as a god but one of them named Augustine reiected him crying out hee was a Christian and therewith tooke out a picture of Queene Catharine of Portugall sister to Charles the fifth in which were also represented the holy Virgin and our Lord and with great reuerence laid it three times on his head and so resounding the names of Iesus and Maria was beheaded This I mention to let