they put two other Canes much after the manner of a Lorrain-Cross whereto they fasten the Feet and the Hands and then the Executioner runs him through with a Pike from the right Side up to the left Shoulder and from the left Side to the right Shoulder so that being twice run through the heart he is soon dispatch'd Sometimes they only fasten the Malefactor with his Back to a Post and they make him stretch forth his Hands which are held out by two Men and then the Executioner standing behind him runs him in at the Neck and so into the Heart and dispatches him in a moment The Lords have such an absolute power over their menial Servants that there needs but a pretence to put them to death An example of this happened not long since a Servant had the insolence to address himself to a Gentleman to proffer his service to him but ask'd greater Wages then he knew the other was able to give purposely to abuse him The Gentleman perceiving the impudence of the Raskal was a little troubled at it but smother'd his indignation and only told him that his demands were very great but that he had so good an opinion of him that he must needs be a good Servant Accordingly he kept him a while but one day charging him with some neglect and reproaching him that when he should have been about his business he had been idling about the City he put him to death The Gentlemen and Souldiâ—rs are for the most part very poor and live miserably by being highly conceited of themselves most of them keep Servants though only to carry their Shoes after them which are indeed but as it were a pair of Soles made of Straw or Rushes having a hole towards the toe which keeps them on their feet The Crimes for which all of the Family or kindred are put to death are Extortion Coyning setting of Houses on fire ravithing of Women premeditated murther c. If a Mans Wife be guilty of any Crime her Husband is convicted of she dies with him but if she be innocent she is made a Slave Their punishments bear no proportion to the Crimes committed but are so cruel that it were not easie to express the barbarism thereof To consume with a gentle Fire or only with a Candle to crucifie with the Head downwards to boyl Men in seething Oyl or Water to quarter and draw with four Horses are very ordinary punishments among them One who had undertaken to find Timber and Stones for the building of a Palace for the King and had corrupted the Officers appointed by his Majesty to receive and register what he should send in was crucified with his head downwards The officers were condemn'd to rip up their bellies but the Merchant was put to the foresaid death He had the repute of an honest man and was one that had had occasion to obliege several Persons of Quality in so much that some resolved to petition the Emperour for his pardon though these intercessions for condemn'd persons be in some sort criminal and indeed the Emperour took it so ill that the Lords who had presented their Petition for him had no other answer thereto but the reproaches he made to them of their imprudence It happened in the year 1638. That a Gentleman on whom the King had bestowed the Government of a little Province near Iedo so oppressed the Country people that they were forc'd to make their complaints thereof to the Court where it was ordered that the said Gentleman and all his Relations should all have their bellies ripp'd up on the same day and as near as might be at the same hour He had a Brother who lived two hundred fourty and seven Leagues from Iedo in the service of the King of Fingo an Uncle who lived in Satsuma twenty Leagues further a Son who serv'd the King of Kinocuni a Grand-son who serv'd the King of Massamme a hundred and ten Leagues from Iedo and at three hundred and eighty Leagues from Satsuma another Son who serv'd the Governour of the Castle of Quanto two Brothers who were of the Regiment of the Emperours Guard and another Son who had married the only Daughter of a rich Merchant near Iedo yet were all these persons to be executed precisely at the same hour To do that they cast up what time were requisite to send the Order to the farthest place and having appointed the day for the execution there Orders were sent to the Princes of all the forementioned places that they should put to death all those persons upon the same day just at noon which was punctually done The Merchant who had bestowed his Daughter on that Gentlemans Son died of grief and the Widow starv'd her self Lying is also punished among them with death especially that which is said in the presence of the Judge The forementioned punishments are only for Gentlemen Souldiers Merchants and some other persons of mean quality but Kings Princes and great Lords are ordinarily punished more cruelly then if they were put to death For they are banished into a little Island named Faitsensima which lies fourteen Leagues from the Province of Iedo and is but a League about It hath neither Road nor Haven and it is so steepy all about that no doubt it was with the greatest danger imaginable that the first who got up to it made a shift to do it Those who first attempted to climb it up found means to fasten great Poles in certain places whereto they have tyed ropes with which they draw up those that are sent thither and make fast the boats which otherwise would split against the Rocks with the first Wind. There grows nothing in all the Island but a few Mulberry-trees so that they are obliged to send in provisions for the subsistance of the Prisoners They are relieved every moneth as is also the Garrison kept there but they are dieted very sparingly as being allow'd only a little Rice some roots and other wretched fare They hardly afford them a lodging over their heads and with all these miseries they oblige them to keep a certain number of Silk-worms and to make a certain quantity of Stuffs every year The expence which the Emperour of Iapan is at every year in his Court and what relates thereto to wit the sallaries and allowances of the Officers and Counsellours amounts yearly to four millions of Kockiens and the sallaries of Governours of places and Military persons together with the Pensions he gives amount to five millions of Kockiens They who speak of the Soveraign Prince of all Iapan give him the quality of Emperour in as much as all the other Lords of the Country on whom they bestow that of King depend on him and obey him not only as Vassals but as Subjects since it is in his power to condemn them to death to deprive them of their Dignities to dispossess them of their Territories to banish or send them
hath the same signification and etymologie Whence it is that they would also imitate the Emperours of Germany in their great seal which had a Spread-Eagle but the wings not so large as the Imperial Eagle's having on the breast in an Escutcheon one on hors-back fighting with a Dragon representing the Archangel St. Michael or rather St. George The three Crowns which are above and between the Eagle's heads signifie Muscovy and the two Kingdoms of Tartary Cassan and Astrachan The Tyrant Iohn Basilouits first used these Arms as willing to be thought descended from the antient Roman Emperours The Great Dukes Interpreters and the Germans who live at Moscou call him in their language Kaysar that is to say Caesar or Emperour But it is certain the word Czaar signifies King which may be seen in their Bible where the Muscovites speaking of David and his Successors Kings of Iudah and Israel they call them Czaars The Great Duke is indeed King in effect since other Princes stick not to treat him with the word Majesty the title of Great Duke being much below what that great Prince deserves Nor accordingly does he take the quality of Great Duke when he assumes that of of Welikoi Knez but that of Grand Seigneur as well as the Emperour of the Turks with whom he may be parallel'd not only in respect of the extent of his Empire but also by reason of the absolute power he hath over his Subjects No people in the World have a greater veneration for their Prince than the Muscovites who from their infancy are taught to speak of the Czaar as of God himself not only in their acts and publick assemblies but also in their entertainments and ordinary discourse Thence proceed their submissive forms of speaking The honour to see the brightness of the eyes of his Czaarick Majesty Only God and the Czaar knows it All they have belong to God and the Czaar The Great Duke Iohn Basilouits reduc'd them to these submissions Now to continue them in this lowness of spirit and to keep them from seeing that liberty which other Nations about them enjoy the Muscovites are upon pain of death prohibited to go out of the Countrey without the Great Duke's express permission Iohn Helmes the Great Duke's Interpreter who died some three years since aged 97. years had got leave to send his son into Germany to study Physick where he afterwards grew famous but the young Gentleman having spent 10. or 12. years up and down Germany and England pleas'd with the sweetness of the climate and liberty would never return into Muscovy Whence it came that when Peter Miklaf a Merchant of Novogorod whom the Great Duke sent into Germany 3 years since in the quality of Poslanick desired his Majesty would permit him to leave his son in Germany neither the Czaar nor Patriarch would by any means consent thereto But indeed this despotical Government seems to be most suitable to their humour and disposition which is insensible of the advantages of Liberty as being unacquainted with it and so not fit to enjoy a happiness which they never heard of Yet are we not to attribute to the present time what may be read in the Baron of Hâ—bâ—rstein Paulus Iovius and Guagnin concerning the violent and tyrannical Government of the Great Duke for they writ during the reign of Iohn Basilouits whose Scepter was of Iron and his Government more cruel and violent than that of any Prince mentioned in History But the Great Duke that now is is a very mild Prince one that according to his Father's example instead of impoverishing his Subjects relieves them and allows sums of money out of his Exchequer to set up those whom a bad year or some other misfortune hath ruin'd Nay he hath the goodness to provide for such as are banish'd into Siberia for their Crimes allowing to persons of quality money finding employment for those that are capable of it and disposing Soldiers into some place where they have Pensions or ordinary pay during life So that what is most insupportable to them when they are out of favour is that they have not the honour to see the bright eyes of his Czaarick Majesty For were it no for that this is become so mild a punishment that many have in their exile got that wealth which they could not have hoped before When we said the state of Muscovy was Monarchical we presuppose that the Prince is a Monarch and hath alone all the prerogatives of Soveraignty He is not subject to the Laws he only makes them and all the Muscovites obey him with so great submission that they are so far from opposing his will that they say the Justice and word of their Prince is sacred and inviolable He only creates Magistrates and deposes them ejects them and orders them to be punish'd with such absolute power that we may say of the Great Duke what the Prophet Daniel says of the King of Babylon That he put to death whom he would and saved whom he would He appoints Governours and Lieutenants for the Provinces for the disposal of the antient Demesn and Administration of Justice who have joyned with them a Deak or Secretary and these take Cognizance of all matters give final and absolute judgement in all causes and cause their sentences to be put in execution without any appeal And in this the Great Duke follows the advice of the best Politicians who are so far from allowing a survivancy in Governments that they would have a Soveraign that it might be in his power to punish the miscarriages committed by great ones in their Governments and prevent their making intrigues to settle themselves in the Provinces to change the Governours from three years to three years He alone hath the power to make War and Peace with other Princes For though he takes the advice of his Knez and Bojares yet does he not always follow it but makes them know that notwithstanding the freedom he gives them to advise him he reserves to himself the power of doing what he thinks fit He only confers Honours and rewards the services that are done him with the qualities of Knez Bojares Dukes or Princes and whereas the Muscovites have heard that it is a mark of Soveraignty in Germany to make Doctors the Great Duke meddles with that also and grants Letters Patents to Physicians and Surgeons that are Strangers All the Great Duke's Mony who only hath the power to make any is of Silver of an oval form and little The greatest piece is worth but a peny and is called a Copec or Denaing For though in trading the Muscovites use the words Altin Grif and Rouble whereof the first is worth three the second ten the third a hundred Copecs yet is there no Coins of that kind the words being used only for the convenience of Commerce to avoid the multiplication of Copecs The Poluske is worth half the Mustofske the fourth part of
alighted took out his own knife and cut off what the Executioner had left to the great astonishment of all us who were not accustomed to see Persons of that quality turn common Executioners Within the enclosed place I spoke of there was a little building much after the fashion of a Theatre into which the King brought us to a Collation of Fruits and Conserves That done there were driven into the place thirty two wild Asses at which the King discharg'd some shots with the Fowling-pieces and shot some Arrows and afterwards permitted the Ambassadors and the other Lords to shoot at them It was pretty sport to see those Asses run having sometimes ten or more Arrows shot into their Bodies wherewith they incommodated and wounded the others when they got in among them so that they fell a biting one another and running one at another after a strange manner Having knock'd down all those that were wounded there were let in thirty wild Asses more which they also kill'd and laid them all in a row before the King to be sent to Ispahan to the Court Kitchin The Persians so highly esteem the flesh of these wild Asses that they have brought it into a Proverb in their Kulusthan This kind of Hunting being over Dinner was brought in at the same place Here it was that the Ambassador Brugman was pleas'd upon his own account to present the King of Persia with his Highness the Duke of Holstein's Picture in a Box all beset with Diamonds as also with a very fair Steel Looking-Glass polish'd on both sides and embellish'd with several Figures grav'd by that famous Artist Iohn Dresde and done after an Excellent way whereof he himself had been the Inventor After Dinner we retir'd into some houses thereabouts to take our Mid-dayes repose The King sent us thither ten Ahues and a very fair Stagg the horns whereof had twelve brow-ancklers but ere we were well laid down word was brought us that the King was got on Horse-back in order to some further sport We immediately follow'd and found him a Hawking He soon gave over that sport and taking along with him nine persons of his own Retinue and six of ours he went into a spacious low Walk at the end whereof there was a place for the keeping of wild-Dacks but instead of hunting he must needs fall a Drinking and was so dispos'd to mirth that the noise we made kept the Ducks and Geese from coming near the place The King did Monsieur Mandelslo the favour to permit him to present him with a Glass of Wine and after he had drunk and that Mandelslo had kiss'd his knee he presented him with an Apple which is an expression of so particular a kindness that the whole Court began to look on him from that time as a Person very much in the King's favour The Kerek jerak or ordinary Steward of his Majesties Houshold whose name was Mahumed Aly-beg who had fill'd the King his drink during this Debauch and had not forgot to take off his own was grown so drunk that sitting at the entrance of the Walk he made such a noise that the King sent one to bid him get thence and perceiving no intreaties would prevail with him he commanded him to be dragg'd thence and set on horse-back Aiy-beg could not hinder their dragging of him thence but they were not able to set him on horse-back nay he abus'd and struck those that should have done it The King goes out of the Gallery and would have perswaded him to get on horse-back but he was no better treated than the rest so that laying his hand on his Sword he made as if he would have cut off his head The fright which that put the Steward into made him cry out so loud that the whole company concern'd themselves in the fear he was in He was very much in his Prince's favour but knew him to be a person not to be jeasted withall and he had so many sad examples of it before his Eyes that the terrors of Death did in a moment disperse the Vapours which had unsetled his Brain and bestow'd wings on those Feet which the Wine had made unable to go He immediately got on horse-back and rid away as fast as his horse could carry him and so made a shift to escape that time The king who was got into a pleasant humour only Laugh'd at it he came very merrily in to us but withdrew soon after and we went and were lodg'd in our own quarters The 20. there was no hunting at all We dined with the king who was that day serv'd by a hundred young Men very handsome Persons and richly Clad who alwayes stood before him Many of our Retinue would rather have kept those Gentlemen company and waited than have been among the Guests by reason of the trouble it was to them to sit according to the manner of the Country This entertainment was made in a pleasant Summer-house that stood in the midst of a Garden upon the water-side In the afternoon we went to another Village about a League and a half from the City and in our way took a white Heron. The 21. the king sent betimes in the Morning to invite us to go a Pidgeon-hunting We were carried up to the top of a great Tower within which there were above a thousand Nests We were plac'd all without having in our hands little sticks forked at the ends The king commanded our Trumpets to sound a charge and immediately there were driven out of the Tower or Pidgeon-house great numbers of Pidgeons which were most of them kill'd by the king and those of his Company This was the end of that kind of hunting after which we took our way towards the City but ere we got into it the king carried us into one of his Gardens called Tzarbach which is no doubt the fairest of any we have seen in Persia where we had another Manificent treatment As soon as we were got to our Lodgings there were brought us from the King twelve wild Drakes and as many Pidgeons but they were provided it seems only for the Ambassador Brugman and his Ladies Somes days afterwards it was publish'd by the Tzartzi or publick Crier all over the City that all should keep within their houses and that none should presume to come into the street the King being to goe that way abroad to give the Court Ladies the Divertisement of Hunting The custom of the Country is that the King's Wives and Concubines should not go abroad unless it be in certain Chests or Cabinets which are covered all over and carried by Camels All which notwithstanding they permit not that while they are passing by there should be any one in the Streets or that any men should come within Musket-shot of the field where they are upon pain of present Death The King goes before and the Ladies follow about half an hour after accompany'd by their Women and a great number
that of Chan of Kesker but he could not avoid the punishment which so base a complyance too well deserv'd For the first journey the king made to Caswin after that we spoke of before he commanded Bebut to go and cut off with his own hands his Son's head and to bring it him He was forc'd to obey and Schach-Abas seeing him coming into the Room with his Son's head ask'd him how he did Bebut made answer Alass my Liege I think I need not tell you I have been forc'd with my own hands to kill my only Son whom I lov'd above any thing in the World the grief I shall conceive thereat will bring me to my Grave The king reply'd Go thy wayes Bebut and consider how great must have been my affliction when thou broughtst the news of my Son's death whom I had commanded thee to put to death But comfort thy self my Son and thine are no more and reflect that thou art in this equal to the King thy master Not long after this unhappy Paricide Bebut ended his life after an extraordinary manner For soon after he had taken possession of the Government of Kesker one of his servants giving him water to wash after Dinner according to the Persian custom pour'd it on so hot that it scalded his hands which incens'd him so that he threatned to have him cut to pieces but the Slave prevented him and considering that he who had been so barbarous as to murther his Prince and his own Son would make no great difficulty to rid the World of a servant he conspir'd with some of his Gamerades who expected no better treatment from their Master and kill'd him the night following in his drink Schach-Abas was not much troubled that that hatefull object was remov'd out of his sight and would not have prosecuted the Murtherers had not the other Chans represented to him that if they were not made examples no Lord could think himself secure among his servants after he had given them some theatning language But Schach-Abas's affliction and the regret he express'd for his Son's death how great soever they might be took not off the just apprehensions the Widdow conceiv'd that he had a design to put to death his Grand-Child Sain Myrsa Whence it came that she kept him a long time conceal'd and would not suffer him to be brought to Court though the King who saw his two younger Sons whose eyes he had caus'd to be put out were excluded the Government by the Laws of the Kingdom design'd that little Prince to succeed him 'T is reported he had a great tenderness for him and yet lest he should appear to soon and the vivacity of his spirit revive the affection which the people had express'd towards his Father he endeavour'd to have his senses dull'd and commanded there should be given him every day about the begness of a Pea of Opium the use whereof is very common in Persia as we have said elsewhere but that the Mother instead of giving him that Drug made him often take Treacle and several other preservatives against the poyson which she conceiv'd she had some cause to suspect might be given him While Schach Abas was in Kilan Tamaras-Chan taking advantage of his absence entred again with an Army into Georgia and recover'd all those places out of which he had been forc'd The King sent thither Aliculi-Ghan Mahumed-Chan Kasack and Mortusaculi Chan of Talisch and several other Chans who could do no good there but brought word back that they had found the Enemy so advantageously posted that they durst not set upon him The King punish'd their seeming prudence with death and went the next year in person into Georgia protesting at his departure that if he return'd victorious from that VVar he would sell the Georgians at an Abas or fifteen pence a head Upon which occasion they say it hapned that the King being Master of the Field and having taken a great number of Prisoners a Souldier came to him with two Abases in his hand and desir'd him to sell him two handsom young Maids who were among the Prisoners and that the King remembring his Oath permitted him to take his choice It was about this time that most of the Georgian Christians who liv'd at Ispahan at the time of our being there came out of their Country to settle themselves in the Metropolis of the Kingdom Much also about the same time was it that Schach-Abas receiv'd Letters from Bekirkcha who under the Grand-Seignor commanded the Garrison of Bagdat or Babylon This man dissatisfy'd with the Court upon his being deny'd the Government of that place at the Bassa's death under whom he had had the Lieutenancy proffer'd Schach-Abas to deliver up the City to him The King hearkned to that Proposition and immediately took his march with a good Army towards those parts but ere he got thither Bikirkeha's discontent was over so far that he sent Schach-Abas word that he had only Powder and Bullets at his service He was so netled at the affront that he protested not to return thence till he had taken the City though it should cost him his life Accordingly having pass'd over the Ditch after a siege of six months and having set fire to a Mine which work the Persians are very excellent at he caus'd an assault to be given entred the breach and became Master of the City without any composition Bikirkeha being found among the Prisoners was sown up in a raw Ox-Hide and in that condition plac'd near the High-way where the King order'd him to be sed till such time as the heat of the Sun having made the Hide shrink together he died a very painful death His Son cast himself at Schach-Abas's feet and satisfy'd him so far of his being wholly unconcern'd in his Father's proceeding that having begg'd his Pardon he by that submission obtain'd the Government of Schiras which Schach-Abas made no difficulty to bestow on him in regard that lying at a great distance from the Frontiers of Turkey he fear'd not his proving unfaithful to him The year following the Emperour of the Turks caus'd Bagdat to be besieg'd by the Bassa Hasis Ahmed but Abas forc'd him to raise the siege and continu'd eight moneths together in sight of the Turkish Army till such time as sickness having consum'd a great number of the Turks who were not so well able to endure the great heats as the Persians Hasis was oblig'd to retreat to Constantinople At his return from this expedition Schach-Abas began to build the Citie of Ferabath in the Province of Mesandran upon occasion of a Village named Tahona situated upon a pleasant River which not far thence falls into the Caspian Sea This Victory procur'd him but two years rest For the Turkish Emperour desirous to recover Bagdat sent Chalil Bassa with an Army of five hundred thousand men to reduce it Schach-Abas commanded Cartzschugai-Chan to march to the relief of the Citie with a small Brigade
above three thousand Vessels His design was to get himself proclaim'd Emperour of China but knowing he should find too much opposition in the inclinations of the people as long as there were Princes to be chosen out of the Family of Tayming he was not sorry to see it extirpated by the Tartars with whom he held correspondence as we said before Upon the reduction of the Province of Fokien they gave him the Title of King under the name of Pingnam that is Pacifier of the South treating him highly and putting him in hopes that they would leave him the command of the two Provinces of Fokien and Quantung But the Prince who commanded the Tartarian Army in the Province being upon his departure towards the Court Chincilung who had left his Fleet in the Haven of Focheu desirous to accompany him to the place where he was to take leave of all the Officers the Tartar took his advantage of the opportunity pressed him to go along to Peking and finding him unwilling to do it secured him and brought him away by force and had it not been for his Brothers who were Masters of the Fleet the Tartars would have put him to death The other Army which was got into the Province of Quangsi met with so much resistance there that it was forced to dislodge thence and retreat into that of Quantung into which the Viceroy and Governour of the Province pursued them and to give the greater reputation to their designs they created an Emperour of the Royal Progeny who assum'd the name of Iunglie After their example several other Provinces revolted but all their attempts only confirmed the settlement of the Tartars who after the death of Kiang Governour of the City of Taitung in the Province of Xansi who took up Arms against them in the year 1649. and their reduction of the City of Quangcheu in the Province of Quangsi which was taken on the 24. of November 1650. have been possess'd of that vast Country without any disturbance rather through the cowardice of the Chineses then by the number of their own Souldiery in as much as it is impossible for any Army how numerous soever to conquer so powerful a State as that of China if the Inhabitants had ever so little courage to defend themselves Xunchi the Tartarian Emperour of China married the daughter of the King of Taayu in the Western Tartary in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred forty and nine MANDELSLO'S TRAVELS INTO THE INDIES The Third Book WE gave the Reader an account in the precedent Book how that the calm which staid our Ship in a manner in fight of the Island of Ceylon occasioned the digression we have made wherein we have represented the State of the Indies even to the utmost extremities of Asia We continued at the Altitude of Ceylon till the 20. of February at which time the North-west-wind oblig'd us to take our course towards South-east Taking the Latitude about noon we found we were two minutes beyond the Aequinoctial Line I asked the Master of the Ship what he thought of their opinion who affirm that being under the Line a man may discover both the Poles but he made it appear to me that it was an errour and shewed me clearly that the Artick Pole is not to be seen within six Degrees of the Line and that the Artartick cannot be perceiv'd till a man comes to the eighth degree He shew'd me farther that at eight or ten degrees of the Line the wind seems to be as changeable as it is in our Seas on this side of it inasmuch as that of the North-west reigns there six months together and that of the South-east blows there as constantly for the other six moneths So that such as go into the Indies or come thence may regulate their Voyages accordingly In these parts we saw several sorts of Birds whereof some were white and not unlike our Pidgeons save that their Tails are longer and narrower Others were of sundry colours and somewhat like wild Ducks But among others we saw abundance of those Birds which the Portuguez call Garayos or Rabos foreados which are black and white as Mag-pies but somewhat bigger and have their Tails divided like a Taylors pair of Shears All these Birds live only by the Sea and feed on a certain flying Fish which to avoid the pursuit of the Albocores Bonitos and Dorados that continually prey upon them fly into the Air where they can abide no longer then while their wings are moist and where they are caught by these Birds or if for want of moisture they fall back into the Sea they are devour'd by those Fishes The Albocores are white all over and have no Scales no more then the Bonitos The former are much bigger then the latter and have but one bone in them which comes from the Head to the Tail Some of them are so large that if we may credit report one between five and six foot long hath dined sixty Seamen but the meat of it being not very good I conceive they were rather glutted then satisfied The Dorado which the English confound with the Dolphin is much like a Salmon but incomparably more delicate and hath smaller Scales We also took a certain Fish which had a mouth like the snout of a Hog the Portuguez call it Tonina and the French Marsouin a name which no doubt is deriv'd from the German word which signifies a Sea-hog The Hollanders in the Relation of their first Voyage affirm that out of curiosity they opened one of them and that they found within it not only flesh and fat and the intrails after the same manner as those of a Hog but also a young Pig in the belly of it which they cast into the Sea They are seen alwayes many of them together and when the Sea is rough they come near the Vessel and grunt as if they desired shelter against the Storm they perceive coming and whereof the Sea-men look upon them as an infallible sign The Sea hath not a more dangerous Fish then those which the Portuguez call Tuberones the Dutch Hayes and the English Shark It is a great Fish and hath much ado to swim whence it comes that many times when the Sea is clam it is seen floating above water It is never seen but there are fastened to the head of it seven or eight other Fish about the bigness of a Herring expecting to participate of what he takes Above all things they love mans flesh and there are many sad examples of it in Sea-men who have either lost arms or other limbs or have been devoured by them for their teeth are as sharp and close as those of a Saw Their mouth is below the head so that to take their prey they lie upon their backs and so catch it upwards That we took had the heart in the head and lived a good while after it was taken
flaming Mount. Joartam Gerrici Surabaia Cidaye Taboan Cajam Japara Matram or Matavam Pati and Dauma Taggal Monucaon Jacattra Bantam The Kings Palace A Drum for a Clock The Guard of the town Market places Armourers Tuban The Javians Mahumetans Fasts Divers Wives Tourg â—â—â—riages Magistrate of Bantam The Kings Councel The train and state of the Nobility The qualities of the Javians Good Souldiers Javians Sophuticate their wâ—res How they imploy their Slaves Strongers commerâ—s there The trade of China Coin of Java The Portuguez Commerce Oysters of three hundred weight Crocodiles Civet Hens Rhinocerot Ants. Areca Mangas Ananas Samaca Tamarindâ— Tabaxir Boats of Canes Duriaons Lantor Cubebs Mangosthan Talasse Jaca Wild Cinnamon Carcapuli Costus Indicus Zerumbet Galanga Benjamin Sandale Ginger Anacardium Palo de cuebro Calamba Lacque Other Drugs in Java The Dutch fortifie in Jacatra Batavia Madura place of no trading Baly It s sâ—ituation 〈◊〉 Abounds in Rice Fowl Drugs Fish Gold Mines Pulo raza The Isle of Borneo Borneo the Town Bazar The Haven The Hollanders treat with the King of Sambas Celebes Islâ— Amboyna The inhabitants The discovery The Hollanders take Amboyna Castle Religion Consult with the Devil Superstitioâ—s Circumcision Marriage Oaths Sorcerers Their qualities Iâ—dotible Profaneness The Hollanders possess it intirely Banda Arms. They live long Nutmegs Maces The Oyl of Nutmeg The Hollanders Forts in Banda Prodigioâ—â— Serpents Molucques Sagu a sort of bread How they make bread of it Wine from the same Tree The Inhabitants Partly Mahumetans A particular policy The Clove â—ade The Portuguez seize it Dispossest by the Hollanders A difference between the Castilians and the Portuguez for the Moluccaes Grounded on a false supposition Magellan finds a new passage Ternate Gamma lamma Cloves The tree grows without planting Avicenna's errour What cloves the Moluccaes yields yearly The Mountain of Ternate But one season in the Moluccaes Cusos A Wood incombustible Leaves turn'd to Butterflyes Tidor Birds of Paradise King of Bachiam Machiam Philippins Manille Hunting of Crocodiles The Commerce of the Chineses and Spaniards in the Philippins The Archbishop of Manilla is Viceroy The City of Manilla It is doubted whether it be on Island or Continent The names and revenues of the Great Lords of Japan The Revenues of the Ministers of Stâ—te The Emperour of Japan's policy The Lords have three names Slaves dye with their Masters Their mannâ—r of ripping their bellies Their Mesquites The Cities of â—apan are not wall'd No Impositions in Japan The poweâ— of Masters over their Servants Gaming a Crime All the Relations of Offenders die with them A particular Punishment for Theâ—t The Crimes for which all the Kindred are put to death A horrid execution Lying punished with death The Emperours expence Jedo Castle The Palaces of the Kings The Emperours Retinue The Dayro The Emperours magnificence His Treasures The Emperour of Japan is a vice-roy Conâ—ines hiâ— Wife to a Castle How the Emperour of Japan came to thâ— Crown Ceremonies at the choic of a Nurse for the Dayro's son A revolution in Japan A Souldier of Fortune gets to be General of the Army And Soveraign Iâ— poyson'd Bestoâ— the Regency on one of the Lords Puts to death the Heir of the Cown The Emperour of Japan raises hâ—â— Armies upon the charge of h Subjects Can raise 368000. foot and 38800. horse Their Arms. Their Companies and Regiments The Council of State The expences of great Lords Provisions dear The 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 in their buildings Three years requisite to 〈◊〉 an entrance for the Emperour The Emperour marries all the great Lords The women kept in restraint Women never talk of business The generosity of a â—aponnese Wife An example of modesty in a 〈◊〉 Another example of modestie The reservedness of their conversotien They are jealous Adultery severely punished Fornication permitted They have no Devotion Their Pagodes and Priests Distinguished into several Sects A cruel kind of death Their opinion concerning the Soul No disputes about Religion They haâ—e Christians Diabolical inventions to put Christians to death Their Houses They are civil No drinking houses in Japan Their Musick Their Wine Tsia how prepared Their Marriages Their education of their Children Go not to School till seven or eight years of age Not swath'd The Japonneses tender in point of honour An Example of it Are good Friends What Forraigners trade thither The occasion of the rupture between the Chineses and the Japonneses Japan was not peopled by Chineses No Custom paid in Japan No correspondence between the Emperour of Japan and other Princes Their Arithmetick The Dayâ—ro writes the History of the Country The Money of Japan Japan well stored with Cottel and Fowl Their Physicians The riches of Japan A particular way of meltiâ—g Iron The Roman Catholâ—â—â— Religion planted in Japan The Spaniards baâ—ished it The Dutch established there The Air of Japan Have many good qualities Are distinguished into five Orders The principal Ministers of Japan The Procession of the Dayro and Emperour The Dayro's baggage The Ladies of Honour 27. Lords of the Dayro's Retinue 24. Gentlemen The Dayro's three Wives The chief Servants of those Ladies 68. Gentlemen The Emperour and his Word The greatest Lords of Japan The Dayro's Concubines He Sacretary His Musick The Dayro The Issâ— of Tayovang The Dutch settle there And 〈◊〉 new Zealand Fermosa An Anarchy The places possessed by the Dutch The Inhabitants of Fermosa Are civil and good natured Are ingenious 〈◊〉 Their Wine Their women go afishing How the 〈…〉 Their huntâ—â—g The manner of their 〈◊〉 〈…〉 The Island of Tugin Their Magistracy It s Authority Their punishments The Magistrate hath no power They have a respect for old Age. The Age of the men in order to marriage Their marriages A pleasant married life The Women bear no children till 35. years of Age. Divorce lawful among them Their houses Their sustenance Have no Festivals Dogshair-stuffs Their Funerals They neither bury nor burn the dead A mad ramedy against painful diseases Their Religion Their Sins Their Gods Women only employed about their Mysteries Their devotion 〈◊〉 Quakerisin The Kingdom of China Its Frontiers It s extent The Provinces whereof it consists The 〈◊〉 The Province of Peking Its Frontiers Its Cities The number of its Families Its Revenues Xuntien described The Palace The Province of Xansi Its Frontiers Its Cities Families Revenue The qualities of the Country The Province of Xensi Its Frontiers The number of its Families Its Revenues Gold Mines Rhubarb Musk. The great Wall By whom built The Province of Xantung Its Frontiers Silks Its Cities and Families It s Revenue The Province of Honan Its Frontiers Its Cities and Families It s Revenui The Province of Suchuen Its Frontiers Its Cities and Families It s Revenue Radix Sina The Province of Huquang Its Frontiers Its Families It s Revenue The Province of Kiangsi Its Frontiers Its Cities and Families Its Revenues Porcelane made in Kiangsi The Province of Nanking Its
stood in most need of his service and assistance It was also a very strange Adventure which made him find civil entertainment and hospitality at Surat made him subsist at the charge of others conducted him by Land to the Great Mogul's Court brought him safely back again to Surat preserv'd the ship he was in after so many tempests near the Cape of Good-Hope and miraculously deliver'd him at his first arrival into England when he was given over for irrecoverably lost in the very haven as may be seen neer the end of his Travels To these Mandelslo had a particular inclination and knew so well how to make his advantages thereof that Olearius himself makes no difficulty to confess that he met with in his Notes many things which might have been added to his Relation and have found a kind reception even among the more Curious had he been as forward to have his Travels publish'd as he had been to prosecute them But Mandelslo instead of giving the world that satisfaction and continuing with his Friend who might have further'd him in his design left the Court of Holstein where he found not employment proportionable to his merit and betaking himself to another Profession he got into a Regiment of Horse commanded by a German who purely by his Military accomplishments had rais'd himself to one of the greatest dignities of France He had therein the Command of a Troop and being a person of much courage and endu'd with all the qualities requisite to the making up of a great man was likely to have rais'd himself to a more than ordinary fortune when coming to Paris to pass away the Winter he there died of the small Pox. Being at Surat in December 1638. he made a kind of Will concerning his Papers which he put before the beginning of his Relation wherein he desir'd his Friend Olearius not to suffer it to be publish'd in regard he had not had the leisure to digest it into order or if he did that he would rather regard therein his reputation after his death than the friendship they had mutually promis'd one another and faithfully improv'd during the four years of their joynt-Travels Mandelslo was no great Scholar but could make a shift to understand a Latin Author which helpt him much in the attaining of the Turkish Language wherein he came to a considerable perfection His Friend taught him also the use of the Astrolabe so that he was able to take the Longitudes and Latitudes that are in several places of his Book and without which it had been impossible for him to be much skill'd in Geography which makes the most considerable part of this kind of Relations Olearius hath indeed been very much his Friend not only in reforming and refining his Style which could not be very elegant in a person of his Profession but also in making several observations and additions thereto printing it in Folio in a very fair character and adorning it with several pieces of Sculpture Olearius's kindness to his Friend in enriching his Relation with many excellent remarks taken out of Emanuel Osorio Maffaeus and the chief Voyages of the Dutch gave the French Translator thereof A de VVicquefort occasion to augment the said Book with whatever he found excellent in all those who have given the best account of the East-Indies So that it is to him we are oblig'd for the exact description of the Province of Guzuratta the Kingdoms of Pegu and Siam c. the state of the affairs of Zeilon Sumatra Iava the Molucca's and Iapan as also for the Religions of these people So that there is in this Edition of ours especially as to the Travels of Mandelslo a third part more than there is in the largest of the German Editions The Reader will find therein many things which will haply seem incredible to him as among others he may haply be astonish'd at the wealth of a Governour of Amadabah and at that of a King of Indosthan as also at the vast revenues of the Provinces and Lords of China and Iapan but besides that there is nothing of Romance in all this and that there is no comparison to be made between the wealth of Europe and that of Asia there are many persons in France and England that will justifie our Relation though it said much more than it does I might here trouble the Reader with what I find in the Learned Vossius's Observations upon Pomponius Mela Lib. 3. c. 5. v. 16. concerning the length and breadth of the Caspian Sea wherein he differs from our Author and prefers the measure of it by our Countryman Ienkinson before that of Olearius But I choose rather to referr the more critical to the place it self and leave them to satisfie their own curiosity by conferring what is there said by Vossius with the account given by Olearius of the said Sea pag. 190 191 192. of this English Edition of the Travels I havâ— only this to add that the French Translator de Wicquefort promises the world if it be not abroad already a Piece of his own which coming out under the authentick name of History will contain some thing beyond what may be expected from a Relation A JOURNAL OF THE TRAVELS of the Ambassadors from the Duke of Holstein into MUSCOVY TARTARY and PERSIA Which may serve for a Table to this Relation THE FIRST VOYAGE INTO MUSCOVY M.DC.XXXIII OCTOBER THe 22. the Ambassadors from the Duke of Holstein leave Gottorp the occasion of the Embassy the names and qualities of the Ambassadors their retinue Pag 1. NOVEMBER The 6. they leave Hamborough where they took order for their Voyage come the next day to Lubeck the 8. to Travemunde where they embark'd the 9. ibid The 10. they pass away neer the Iland of Bornholm and anchor the 12. at Cap de Domines in Courland the 18. come to Dunemunde p. 2. The same day come to Riga the Magistrates Present Riga described its foundation is made an Archbishoprick subject to Poland taken by the Swedes its Fortifications and Commerce p. 3 The Ambassadors continue there neer a month DECEMBER The 14. they leave Riga and come the 18. to Wolmar 3. daies 18. l. the 20. to the Castle of Ermes the 21. to that of Halmet the 22. to that of Ringen and the 23. to the City Torpat or Derpt p. 3 A description of Torpat where they pass over the Christmass holy-daies ibid. M.DC.XXXIV IANVARY The 3. having left Torpat the 29. of December the Ambassadors came to Narva ibid. There they continue 5. months JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL and MAY during which they send part of their Train to Novogorod and go themselves to Reuel where the Swedish Ambassadors met them in order to their going together into Muscovy p. 4 MAY. The 15. leave Reuel and return to Narva the 18. ibid. The 28. they leave Narva come to Gam-Fort Kapurga the civilities of the Muscovian Ladies come to Iohannestal or St. Iohn's Valley p. 5 IVNE
where they stay three months ibid APRIL Their Cavalcade and reception their lodgings in the City of Moscou 39 Their allowance of provisions their first publick Audience the Great Duke's treatment of them their first private Audience ibid Their second private Audience the Muscovian Palm-sunday Procession the Muscovian celebration of Easter Easter-eggs and other Ceremonies 40 The Amb Brugman's private Audience ibid MAY. Several Audiences and Conferences of the Ambassadors ibid. IVNE The 1. was celebrated the birth day of the Prince of Moscovy the Great Dutchess's Cavalcade 41 The Ambassadors last Audience the Audience of the Secretary of the Embassy ib. They augment their Train the entrance of Ambassadors from Poland the fierceness of a Polish Ambassador the Great Duk'es pass ibid The Amb. leave Moscou its description situation buildings quarters the Great Duke's Palace its markets Monasteries the great Bell its Churches and Chapels p. 42 Muscovy described the Provinces of Wolodimer and Smolensko 45 Rhesan Permie Jugarie Wiathka Bielsk Rschovie Tuere Plescou Siberie Jaroslaf Rosthou Susdal Dwina 46 Archangel Ustingha Vologda Bielejezoro Petzora Obdory the source of the Wolga 47 The River Boristhenes that of Dwina the air of Muscovy extremely cold in Winter and hot in Summer ibid. It s fertility fruits especially Melons more fertile than Livonia the seed-time and harvest 48 Boranez what flowers asparagus venison and fowl no Dear furrs 49 No Carps in Muscovy mines and iron forges ibid. The Samojedes a different people from the Samogithes their habitations manner of life stature cloathing 50 The error of certain Geographers 51 A description of Groenland ibid The stature of the Groenlanders ibid. Their language 53 Their cloathing and ordinary exercises 54 They are Salvages have no gold or silver are Pagans ibid. Whence it comes that the Inhabitants of Septentrional-Countries are swarthy 55 The stature of the Muscovites 56 They are great admirers of long beards and great bellies ibid. The women paint their dress 56 The Muscovites constant to their own fashion ibid Their manner of life they have an aversion for the Sciences whereof they know nothing especially the Mathematicks and Anatomy 57 They are naturally ingenious liars distrustful and calumniators 58 A pleasant story of a woman who fasly accus'd her husband 59 They are indiscreet uncivil quarelsom land insolent in their expressions 60 Not addicted to any study shameless 61 Drunkards ibid. The women much given to drink 62 Tobacco forbidden among them they are all Slaves to the Great Duke as well strangers as such as live in Muscovy ibid The Knez and Bojares keep many slaves who commit great disorders both in City and Country 63 They are good Soldiers 64 The siege of Smolensko in the year 1635. ib. Their hous-keeping ordinary food Cavayer 65 Hydromel a kind of mead how made 66 The expences of persons of quality the highest act of Muscovian civility ibid. The Muscovites sleep after dinner their stoves and bathing-places 67 Are long-liv'd subject to fornication and brutality ibid. The ceremonies of their Marriages ibid. The nuptial bed the ceremonies in the Church 68 How the women live their divertisement why the Muscovites bang their wives 69 Divorce 70 The Government of Muscovy the true signification of the word Czaar or Zaar his Arms the veneration the Muscovites have for their Prince know not what liberty is 71 The Great Duke's absolute power changes the Governours of Provinces every three years 72 The money of Muscovy Muscovian Ambassadors a remarkable Present 73 An abridgement of the History of Muscovy from the beginning of the last Century 74 The tyranny of Juan Basilouits commonly called Iohannes Basilius ibid. The usurpation of Boris Gudenou ibid. Foedor Borissouits his son ejected 75 A counterfeit Demetrius the history of him and his end ibid. Iohn Basilouits Zuski made Great Duke a second counterfeit Demetrius a third Impostor 76 The Muscovites choose Uladislaus Prince of Poland Great Duke of Muscovy are discontented with the Polanders an insurrection at Moscou ibid. Michael Federouits chosen Great Duke the story of a counterfeit Zuski his impostures and death 77 The ceremonies of the Czaar's Coronation 81 The story of the Great Duke's Favorits 82 An insurrection at Moscou which costs the lives of some of the Favorites creatures 84 The Officers and Ministres of State of Moscovy 87 Their expence they esteem Nobility 88 The Great Duke's revenue expence ibid. His Table Physicians Interpreters Privy Councel 90 Their administration of Iustice. 91 Their ordinary punishments 92 The Religion of the Muscovites 93 The Characters of the Muscovian language 95 Their Baptism ibid Their Chaldeens 96 Their Proselites 97 The admirable constancy of an English Gentlewoman 98 Their Festivals ibid Their Divine service 99 Their corruptions of the stories of the Bible particularly that of Mary Magdalen ibid Their Images 100 Their Churches bells 102 Their Hierarchy 103 Their Patriarch and Archbishops ibid. Their Prelats marry not their Monks the habits of Ecclesiasticks 104 Their Priests are oblig'd to marry their Monasteries ibid. Their Fasts Confession and Communion 105 Their Interrments 106 They tolerate all Religions but Roman Catholicks 107 THE TRAVELS of the AMBASSADORS from MUSCOVY into Tartary and Persia. M.DC.XXXVI IVNE The 30. the Ambassadors leave Moscou in order to their departure for Persia embark upon the River Mosca so to go by that of the Wolga to Astrachan 109 IVLY The 2. they come to Columna 24. l. ibid Within three quarters of a league of Columna the Mosca falls into the Occa ibid The 4. they come to the City of Pereslas 22. l. 110 Leave Pereslas the 4. and pass in sight of Rhesan ibid. The 7. they come to the little City of Cassinogorod in Tartary where they sent to complement a Tartar-Prince subject to the Duke of Muscovy 25. l. 3. daies ibid. The 8. they come to Moruma the greatest City of the Tartars of Mordwa 22. leagues 2. daies 111 The 10. they leave Moruma and come the next day to the great City of Nise or Nisenovogorod at the meeting of the Occa and the Wolga ibid. They continue 3. weeks before the City till the ship was finish'd for their sailing along the Wolga and the Caspian Sea ibid A description of the City of Nise the Weywode's magnificâ—nce ibid From Moscou to Nise there are 100. leagues by land and 150. by water ibid The River WOLGA its breadth is one of the greatest Rivers in the World there being from its source to its mouth above fifteen hundred French leagues it is very full of Sand-banks 112 AVGVST The 4. the Ambassadors settle their Guard to prevent what danger they might fear from the Cosaques ibid. The 5. they come before the City of Basiligorod which described 113 The Tartars called the Ceremisses their habitations their Religion their belief concerning the immortality of the Soul their superstitions sacrifices Polygamy lawful among them the cloathing of the men and Women ibid. The 6. they come to Kusmademianski 8.
c. 263 Schach Sefi succeeds his Grand-father Schach-Abas 265 Several examples of his cruelty kills an Vncle and his three sons 266 Kills Seinel-Chan with his own hands ibid Puts to death his Chancellor and others 267 Causes 40. Ladies to be buried alive among whom his own Mother 269 Express'd more temerity than courage in his actions is subject to wine ib. His Wives Concubines death 270 Schach Abas succeeds his Father dignities not hereditary in Persia the Persian Armies consist most of horse ibid Their Military Officers they hate Cowards 271 The Schach's revenue the Officers of the Court their names and places 272 The administration of Iustice Vsury forbidden their punishments 275 The Religion of the Persians the signification of the word Mussulman Circumcision the difference between the Religion of the Persians and that of the Turks ibid The initials of the Religion of the Persians their Saints 276 Their Festivals Commentators upon the Alcoran 277 Their Miracles 278 Their purifications and prayers 279 The Persians very devout their opinion concerning Heaven and Hell 280 They dedicate their Children to Saints their Lent the kindred of Mahomet ibid Another sort of lewd Religious men called Abdallas 281 The enterrments of the Persians 282 THE RETURN of the AMBASSADORS From Persia through Tartary and Muscovy to Holstein M. DC XXXVIII DECEMBER Some of the retinue takes Sanctuary 284 The 21. the Ambassadors leave Ispahan and take their way back by the little City of Nalens whence they come to Kaschan 285 IANVARY The 3. come to Kom the 6. to Saba the 11. to Caswin 60. leagues in 14. daies 286 The mountain Kilissim and other salt-mountains ibid They meet with a Polish Ambassador ibid The superstition of the Persians 287 The Ambass leave Caswin ib. Fauces Hyrcaniae a Caravansera upon a Bridge a dreadful road Summer and Winter the same day 288 The Province of Kilan described its fruits ib. Its Inhabitants ib. The history of Karib-Schach a strange punishment 289 The Kilek disarm'd their habit and language the Thalischs the different imployments of men and women in those parts 290 The Ambassadors come to Rescht the Metropolis of Kilan a feast in honour of Myrza's Sanctuary they leave Rescht 291 They come to Kurab Metropolis of the Province of Kesker ibid FEBRVARY The 1. they leave Kurab and come the 11. to Kisilagats in the Government of Astara 50. l. in 8 daies They cross several little Rivers among others that of Dinatzar which divides the Provinces of Kesker and Astara 292 Come to the Province of Lenkerkunan leave Lerkeran the City of Kisilagats 293 The Inhabitants of a Village extirpated for their incest a false Miracle of Aly A barbarous action of the Ambassador Brugman 94 Causes a Kisilbach to be kill'd in cold blood ibid A Robber General of an Army and Governour of a Province 295 The River Aras some errors in Geography corrected by the Author 296 The mountain of Scamachie the Chan treats the Ambassadors 297 MARCH Several treatments given the Ambassadors by the Chan and others how the King of Persia assures the Chans of his favour ibid The ceremonies of that assurance ibid Ceremonies of the Armenians their Easter the Ambassador from the King of Persia for Holstein comes to Scamachie 298 The Ambassadors leave Scamachie March 20. and come the 7. of April to the City of Derbent 42. leagues in 9. daies 299 APRIL Padars a people otherwise called Kurs who are high-way-men ibid Above 30. sources of Nefte black and white Derbent described ibid Built by Alexander the Great ibid The Fable of Tzumtzum and his Sepulchre Many other Sepulchres upon occasion of the defeat of Kassan King of Media the Inhabitants of Derbent 300 The Chan of Tarku proffers to convoy the Ambassadors they take order for their departure the Governour hinders it Other Saints Sepulchres 301 The 14. the Ambassadors leave Derbent enter into Dagesthan pass through the Country of Osmin and the Seigniory of Boinack and come the 16. to Tarku the Metropolis of Dagesthan 18. l. in 3. daies 302 There they continue in much danger and with great inconvenience neer a month ibid The Tartars ot Dagesthan their Habit 〈◊〉 the Prince of the Tartars ibid The Country of Osmin the Lordship of Brugman's impertinence a Polish Ambassador kill'd 303 The Author in danger to be taken by the Tartars ibid The Ambassadors in great danger are treated by the Prince of Tarku their drink 304 The Present sent to Surkou-Chan who invites the Ambassadors to Dinner particulars of the entertainment Another Tartarian feast 305 The Governour of Terki refuses a Convoy 306 MAY. The Ambassadors leave Tarku enter the 18. into the Circassian Tartary and come the 20. to the City of Terki the Metropolis thereof 26. leag in 9. daies The Schemkal grants the Ambassadors passage ibid The River Koisu the Albanus of Ptolomy they come to Andre 307 The Schemkal's Present to the Ambassadors their to him Brugman's policy they leave Andre and cross the Rivers Ascai and Bustro which last divedes the Dagesthane from the Circassians 308 They enter Circassia abundance of Serpents a kind of Field-Mice ibid The Government of Circassia the language habit the dress of Widdows their women very familiar yet chaste 309 Their Religion sacrifices enterrments their mourning 310 IVNE The 4. the Ambassadors leave Tarku and travel over a great sandy Plain and come the 15. to Astrachan 60. leagues in twelve daies The desert of Astrachan in which being 11. daies journey they saw neither City nor Village nor House nor Tree nor any River but that of Kisilar nor meet with so much as fresh water 311 They cross the Wolga to get to Astrachan the Weywodcs Present to the Ambass theirs to him 312 There the Ambassadors continue from the 14. of Iune to the 7. of September ibid A pernicious design of one of the Ambassadors the Muscovian Ambassador leaves Astrachan poisons himself ibid AVGVST The 1. was celebrated the Reduction of Astrachan the Persian Ambassador's entrance into it 313 SEPTEMBER The Ambassadors divide their Baggage Brugman buies two young Girls the Persian Ambass buys him a wife ibid The 7. the Ambass leave Astrachan and embark upon the Wolga come to Tzornogar to Sariza ibid OCTOBER The 6. came to Soratof the 24. to Slamara ibid NOVEMBER The 6. they come to the River Casan the Wolga being frozen up and go to the City of Casan 314 There they continue five weeks DECEMBER The 13. they leave Casan by Sledges are drawn along the Wolga and come the 21. following to Nisa The 16. the Muscovites celebrated the feast of their Patron St. Nicholas 314 M.DC.XXXIX IANVARY The 2. the Ambassadors make their entrance into Moscou It was according to the accustomed manner they have several conferences with the Officers of the Court The 8. the Czaar's second Son dies ibid The Ambassadors continue at Moscou six weeks FEFRVARY The 3. the Persian Ambassador made his entrance into Moscou ibid MARCH The
Duke's presence till he himself was troubled with the Gowt and sent for them Among the rest there was one a German who having practised Physick some time in Muscovy had some thoughts of returning into Germany to take the degree of Doctor But the Great Duke desirous to know the occasion upon which he desir'd leave to go understanding that he went thither to be examin'd and so take his Degree which the Faculty gives and confirms by its Letters Patents he told him that having been often eas'd of his pain by his remedies he was satisfy'd of his sufficiency and as to Letters if there were any need of them he would give him such as should be as authentick as any he could get from the Universities of Germany and so he needed not put himself to the trouble and expence of that journey This Physician was one of those who kept out of the way upon the Duke of Holstein's death and imagining the Great Duke would send for him in order to his execution he put on a tatter'd Garment and having his hair negligently hanging down over his eyes and face he came in that posture to the Great Duke's Chamber-door into which he went creeping on all four and coming to his bed-side told him that he was not worthy to live much less be admitted into his Majesties presence since he was so unfortunate as to be out of his favour Upon which one of the Knez who were about the Duke thinking to make his Prince some sport treated him as a Sabak or Dog kick'd him in the head and drew blood of him The Physician perceiving the great Duke look'd favourably on him thought fit to make his advantage of it and with a certain confidence said to him Great Prince I know I am your Slave but be pleas'd to give me leave to tell you that I am only yours I know I have deserv'd death and should think my self happy to receive it from your hands but it troubles me to be affronted by this Knez who is but your Slave as well as my self and I think it is not your desire that any other should have power over me These words and the need the Great Duke stood in of this Physician procur'd him a present of a thousand Crowns his Fellow-Physicians were pardoned and the Bojar had a good cudgelling As for slaves their number is not regulated some Lords have above a hundred of them in their Country-houses and Farms Those they entertain for their service in the City do not diet in their houses but have board-wages their allowance so small that it is as much as they can do to live upon it And this is one of the chiefest causes of the many disorders and mischiefs done at Moscou there passing hardly a night but violences and murthers are committed Great Lords and rich Merchants have a Guard in their Courts who watch all night and are oblig'd to express their vigilance by the noise they make upon boards with a stick much after the manner of playing upon the Timbrels which done they give as many knocks as the Clock hath struck hours But these Guards watching many times more for the advantage of house-breakers than that of their Masters there is none used now and no servant is taken into a house but upon good City-security for his truth This great number of slaves makes it unsafe to walk the streets of Moscou in the night time un-arm'd and without Company We had the experience of it in some of our servants upon several occasions Our Master-Cook who had been employ'd at a person 's of quality where the Ambassadors had Dined was kill'd as he came home in the night which misfortune happen'd also to the Steward belonging to the Suedish Ambassador Spiring The Lieutenant who had commanded our German and Scotch Musketiers in our Voyage into Persia was in like manner kill'd in the night having been with some others at the Wedding of a German Merchants daughter And as there passed no night almost without murther so these disorders increas'd towards great Festivals especially on flesh days which they call Maslouitzo On St. Mastin's Eve we counted fifteen dead bodies in the Court of Semskoy a place where they are expos'd that their kinred and friends may know them and take order for their burial If no body owns them they are dragg'd thence like Carrion and thrown into a Ditch without any Ceremony The insolence of these Villains is so great that they stuck not to set upon the Great Duke's principal Physician in the day time They stopp'd him in the street as he was going home struck him off his horse and would have cut off his finger on which he had a Gold Seal-ring had he not been reliev'd by some sent to his rescue by a Knez of his acquaintance who living near thereabouts had seen him set upon The misery is that no Citizen will so much as look out at his window much less come out of his house to relieve those that are affronted so much are they afraid to come into the same misfortue they see others engag'd in Since our being there some course hath been taken herein Watches being set who stop those who go in the night without Torch or Lanthorn and carry them to the Strelitse priscas where they are punish'd the next day At Hay-making time the road between Moscou and Tuere is very dangerous to travel by reason of the great number of slaves employ'd in that work making their advantage of a Mountain whence they discover those that pass whom they rob and kill without any reparation to be expected from their Masters who not allowing their slaves what to subsist upon are forc'd to connive at their Crimes Masters dispose of their slaves as they do of any other moveable nay a father may sell his son and alienate him for his own advantage But the Muscovites have this piece of vain-glory that not only they seldom come to those extremities but also had rather see their Children starve at home than suffer them to go out any where to service 'T is only debt that sometimes engages them to make over their Children to their Creditors the Boyes at ten the Girls at eight Crowns a year the Children being no less oblig'd to satisfie the debt than their fathers as also to endure that cruel treatment which desperate debtors are to expect or to sell themselves to their Creditors The subjection in which they are born and the gross feeding they have even from their infancy at which time they are taught to be content with any thing makes them very good Souldiers and such as would do very great services under strang Commanders For though the Military Discipline of the Romans allow'd not the listing of slaves in their Legions yet does it not follow but that the Muscovites who are all such may be advantageously employ'd in War this being certain of them that they are excellent good in a besieg'd place
intreat Demetrius to come as soon as he pleas'd and take possession of the Kingdom of his Ancestors They also begg'd his pardon for what they had done through ignorance upon the instigation of Boris assured him of their affection and obedience and as a pledge of their fidelity they profer'd to put into his hands the deceased Duke's Son his Mother and all his Family to be disposed of as he should think it Upon these overtures Demetrius sent a Deak or Secretary named Iuan Bogdanou with order to strangle the Mother and Son and to give out that they were poison'd Which was accordingly executed the 10. of Iune 1605. in the second moneth of the reign of Foedor Borissouits The 16. of the same moneth Demetrius came to Moscou with his Army which strangely encreased as he came along The whole City went out to meet him and made him Presents He was Crown'd the 21. of Iuly with extrtordinary Ceremonies And that there might be no question made of the lawfulness of his birth he sent for the Mother of the true Demetrius whom Boris Gudenou had shut up in a Monastery at a great distance from Moscou He went to meet her with a Noble retinue of Courtiers lodg'd her in the Castle where he caused her to be treated with all magnificence visiting her every day and doing her all the honour a Mother could expect from a Son The good Lady knew well enough that Demetrius her Son had been kill'd but she cunningly dissembled it as well out of the resentment she had against the memory of Boris Gudenou and the fear she was in to be ill-treated by this counterfeit Demetrius as for that she was not a little pleas'd to see her self so much honour'd and enjoy the sweetness of a happy life after the miseries and afflictions she had endured in the Monastery since her Son's death But when the Muscovites found his manner of life different from that of the Great Dukes his predecessors that he was resolv'd to marry a Roman Catholick the Weywode of Sandomiria's daughter and ransack'd the Treasuries of the Kingdom to furnish her according to the advancement she expected they began to mistrust him and to perceive they had been mistaken One of the principal Knez named Vasili Zuski was the first that offer'd to speak of it to some other Lords as well Ecclesiastical as Secular and to remonstrate to them the danger whereto both the State and Religion were expos'd by the Alliance which that Counterfeit intended to make with a strange woman and of a contrary Religion adding that of necessity he was an Impostor and a lewd person Upon this it was resolv'd he should be dispatch'd out of the way but the Conspiracy being discover'd and Zuski taken Demetrius got him sentenc'd to death but sent him a pardon upon the point of execution hoping by that mildness to gain the affection of the Muscovites Accordingly all was quiet till the day of his marriage which was the 8. of May 1606. The Bride being arriv'd with a great number of Poles Armed and in a capacity to become Masters of the City the Muscovites began to open their eyes Zuski got to his own house several Knez and Bojares propos'd to their consideration the present State of Affairs the unavoidable ruine of both State and Religion and profer'd for the preservation thereof once more to expose his person and life They gave him thanks and promis'd to assist him with their Persons and Estates when there should be an opportunity to put their design in execution They had a fair one the last day of the Nuptial solemnity which was the ninth after the Wedding and the 17. of May. The Great Duke and his Company being got drunk and asleep the Muscovites caused all the Bells in the City to be rung as they are wont in case of fire to give an Alarm whereupon they immediately put themselves into Arms and set upon the Castle where having defeated the Polish Guards and forc'd the Gates they entred the Great Dukes Chamber who thought to avoid present death by leaping out at a window into the Court in hope to save himself among the Guards which were still there in Arms but he was taken and cruelly us'd The Castle was ransack'd Zuski addressing himself to the pretended Mother of Demetrius oblig'd her to swear by the Cross whether Demetrius was her Son or no to which having answer'd that he was not and that she never had but one Son who had been unfortunately murther'd they shot the Counterfeit Demetrius in the head with a Pistol They imprison'd the pretended Great Dutchess with her Father and Brother as also the Polish Ambassador The Ladies and Gentlewomen were abus'd and deflour'd and above 1700. men kill'd among whom were many Jewellers Merchants who had abundance of Jewels about them Demetrius's body was stripp'd and dragg'd to the place before the Castle where it lay expos'd for three whole days After which they buried it but it was immediately taken up again to be burnt and reduc'd to ashes This conspiracy thus succeeding the Muscovites chose into the place of Demetrius Knez Basilouits Zuski the Ring-leader of the Enterprise who was Crown'd Iune 1. 1606. But he was no sooner got into the Throne ere another Impostor disputed the possession of it His name was Knez Gregori Schacopski who at the pillaging of the Castle having found the Seals of the Kingdom fell into a League with two Polauders and made a shift to go into Poland He made use of the same invention as his Predecessor and took the name of Demetrius giving out where he came that he had escap'd the Massacre in the night time that they had kill'd another in his stead and that he was going into Poland to raise another Army to punish the Muscovites for their infidelity and ingratitude About the same time started up another Demetrius in the City of Moscou He was Clerk to one of the Secretaries of State got into the field made use of the same imposture as the two others and found abetters by whose assistance he became Master of many great Cities This occasion'd many other disorders which the Polanders countenanc'd out of their resentment of the affront they had receiv'd from the Muscovites The events of the War occasioned thereby prov'd so fatal and unhappy that the Muscovites quarrell'd at Zuski and look'd upon him as the sole cause of all their misfortunes They said his Government was unjust because unfortunate and that there must needs be something fatal in his person when victory seem'd to shun him to side with his Enemies Three Muscovian Lords Zacchary Lippanow Michael Molsaneck and Iuan Kesefski were the first that amus'd the people with these reports and perceiving they were well receiv'd among them proceeded in their design depriv'd Zuski of his Dignity shut him up in a Monastery and had him shaved Upon this the Knez and Bojares to avoid the jealousie which the
any Spilki clapt him up in prison but having no evidence to convict him he could not hinder his being set at liberty Timoska had some difference with his Wife who often reproach'd him with his perfidiousness and other vices especially his Sodomy so that fearing on the one side to be called to accompt for what he was in arrear to the Prince and on the other that his Wife might happly be the first that should accuse him bethought him one day to send his son to a friend of his to shut up his Wiâ—e in a stove and to set the house a-fire in which his Wife was burnt Having done thus he went into Poland but so secretly that it was thought at Moscou the same fire had consumed him with the rest of his family Timoska went away about the latter end of the year 1643. but hearing in 1645. that the Greak Duke was to send an Ambassador to the King of Poland and that his being at the Court of Warsaw was known in Muscovy he went in the year 1646 to Chmielniski General of the Cosaques and begg'd his protection against the persecutions which he suffer'd upon no other accompt than this that the Great Duke knew him to be a near kinsman to the Prince Iuan Basilouits Zuski He had wit enough to carry on the Imposture and had got such an influence over Chmielniski that he began to grow considerable when a Muscovian Poslanik named Iacob Koslou who had been sent to this Cosaque General knew him and advis'd him to return to Moscou and endeavour to make up the sum which was due from him to the Great Duke which was not so great but that having paid it the intercession of his friends might easily get his pardon for it was not yet known that he pretended to be son to the Great Duke Iohn Basilouits Zuski But this course he thought not safe and fearing he might be secur'd he went in the year 1648. to Constantinople where he abjur'd the Christian Religion and was circumcised He stay'd not long there but fearing to be punish'd for some Crimes he had committed there also he went into Italy and so to Rome where he became a Roman Catholick Thence he went in the year 1650. to Vienna and thence into Transilvania to Prince Ragotskie who gave him Letters of recommendation to Queen Christina of Sueden This Princes receiv'd him kindly and giving credit to what he related allowed him an honourable subsistence The Muscovian Merchants who were then at Stockholm soon acquainted the Great Duke with this man's Imposture who stuck not to give out every where that he was son to Iohn Basilouits Zuski The Great Duke immediately sent thither the aforesaid Koslou who had seen him with Chmielniski to desire the Queen to deliver up that man to him but Timoska who knew that enquiry would be made for him was already got away His man whose name was Kostka or Constantine whom some business had detain'd after his Master at Stockholm was taken and sent well chain'd to Muscovy where they found Timoska's Mother and Kinred whereof some were put to the Rack and executed Timoska was taken at Reuel in Livonia by order from the Queen of Sueden but he made a shift to get out of prison and went by the way of Holland to Brussels where he saw the Arch-Duke Leopold Thence he went to Wittenberg and to Leipsig where he made profession of the Lutheran Religion and Writ himself his Confession of Faith in Latin Thence he went to Noustadt in the Dutchy of Holstein where Peter Miklaf who had brought Letters from the Great Duke to the Duke of Holstein got him secur'd He was carried thence to Gottorp where he was well guarded till the Great Duke had sent express order for the bringing of his person to Muscovy The Letters which the Czaar Writ upon that occasion are such as may be well inserted in this place that we may thereby discover somewhat of the elegance of the Muscovian manner of writing In the name of Almighty God who does all in all and protects all Nations in good consolations from Him who by the Grace Providence Power Vertue Operation and good pleasure of God to be magnifi'd in the blessed Trinity and glorious in all Eternity hath been chosen and holds the Scepter of the true Christian Faith to govern and preserve with Gods assistance in peace and quiet without troubles the Great Empire of the Russians with all the Provinces thereunto annexed by Conquest or otherwise We the Grand Seigneur Czaar and Great Duke Alexei Michaelouits Conservator of all the Russes c. To the most mighty Frederick Hereditary Prince of Norway Duke of Sleswick Holstein Stormarie and Ditmarse Count of Oldenbourg and Delmenhost Health In the year 1644. or according to the Calculation of Muscovy in the year 7152. the mentioned Timoska Ankudina and Kostka Konichou having robbed our Treasure to avoid the death they had deserved departed the Countries under our Iurisdiction to go to Constantinople where they professed the Turkish Religion There they did so great mischief in a short time that they were forc'd to fly and to retreat into Poland and Lithuania where they endeavoured to sow divisions between the neighbouring Princes To that end they went to Theodat Chmielniski General of the Cosaques whom the King John Casimir of Poland our Brother commanded to put those Robbers into the hands of M. Germolitzowi Gentleman of his Chamber who had order to send them to Muscovy under the conduct of M. Peter Protesiowi a Gentleman of our retinue as the said Chmielniski had made known to our Czaarick Majesty But these Robbers and Traitors got to Rome where they embraced the Latin Religion Afterwards they passed through several other Provinces of Europe where they changed their names so as Timoska sometimes assumed that of Zuski and sometimes that of Sinensis while Kostka went under the name of his Servant till such time as both having been known at Stockholm by some of our Merchants of Novogorod and other places and thereupon secured one at Ruel the other at Narva the Governours of those two places made some difficulty to deliver them up to us without express order from the Great Queen of Sueden But when we had desired the said Great Queen of Sueden to put those Traitors into the hands of the Gentleman whom we had sent expressly for that purpose it happened that at his coming to Reuel with the Orders of the said Great Queen the Governour had already suffered one of them to make his escape so that he could bring along with him but only the said Kostka We have understood since that the other hath been taken and imprisoned in the Country of Holstein wherefore we have thought fit to send to your Highness our Posâ—anick Basili Spilki accompany'd by some of our Subjects with Letters from our Czaarick Majesty to intreat you that you will be pleas'd to deliver up unto
maintain that he could make it as clear as the Sun at Noon that he was no Muscovite and that there was not any thing in his person language or manner of life which might perswade the World that he was Indeed his beard was quite after another fashion than the Muscovitet ordinarily wear theirs He had the Latin Italian German and Turkish Languages so well as to be understood in any of them and he had such an art in counterfeiting all sorts of hands that it was hard to convince him by that which he writ in his first employment Nay he would have had us suspect as counterfeited the Letters sent by the Great Duke to our Prince because he had not signed them and might have surpriz'd us with that allegation had we not learnt in Muscovy that the Great Duke never signs expeditions but leaves that to be done by the Secretaries of State Timoska perceiving these evasions would not serve his turn â—ell into despair and would have kill'd himself For being upon his way to Travemunde to be ship'd away not far from Neustatâ— he cast himself down headlong from the Wagon and shuffled himself under the Wheels hoping they would pass over his Body but the ground being soft and sandy his fall did him no hurt and the Wagon was immediately staid so that they had the time to return him to his place where they fasten'd him beyond all fear of shewing such another trick He seem'd to be in a very good humour all the way yet sought all the means he could imagine to compass his own death but he was so narrowly watch'd that at last being out of all hope to effect it the joy he had express'd before was much abated Coming to Novogorod he fell into so deep a melancholy that he was become absolutely disconsolate Which yet hindred not but that amidst the greatest tortures he express'd an admirable constancy at least if I may so call the resolute obstinacy in which he persisted as to his first depositions whether it were his design thereby to confirm in strangers the opinion he would have imprinted in them or that he considered with himself that his confession would not prevent his death nor alleviate his misfortune As soon as he came to Moscou he was put to the torture in the presence of divers persons of quality but he impudently told them that of all the Bojares he would not vouchsafe to speak to any but Knez Nikita Iuanouits Romanow and him only as knowing him by fame by reason of his goodness and courage he should be glad to have some discourse withall While two Bojares were gone to find out Nikita Timoska desired somewhat to drink They presented to him some Quas in a wooden dish but he would have Hydromel and that it should be brought him in a silver Cup but after they had so far comply'd with his humour he only put it to his lips and would not drink Seeing Nikita and the other two Bojares come in he gave them a civil salute but still affirmed that he was Son to Basili Iuanouits Zuski though it were prov'd against him that he was the Son of Dementi Aukudina a Linnen Draper of Vologda and that the Great Duke Basili had had no children but only two Brothers Knez Demetri Iuanouits and Iuan Iuanouits Zuski who both died without issue male For of these three Brothers who were sent Prisoners into Poland at the election of Vladislaus in the year 1610. with the rest of the Great Dukes kinred the two elder died there and the third was releas'd and sent back into Muscovy where he died some few years before the execution of Timoska 'T is true there was another Lord of the same Family but he had left only one Son named Michael Basilouits Zuski Scapin who died without issue when the Suedes took the City of Novogorod in the year 1616. While he endured the torture they brought his Mother to him who exhorted him to acknowledge his crime He seem'd to be moved at her presence but persisted in affirming he knew her not no more than he did Iuan Pescou with whom he had left his Son when he left Muscovy This man represented to him how much he was to blame for behaving himself so in the condition he was in and told him that he must at last pull off the vizard he had made use of for so many years to cheat the World and disturb his Country conjuring him to own his Son and rely no longer on elusions and impostures which would only aggravate his misery and bring a greater weight of God's vengeance upon him He was so mov'd hereat that he would not speak one word afterwards though there were divers persons brought before him who had known him while he was employ'd at the Tavern-Office He was search'd and found to be Circumcis'd The next day they put him again to the torture but he would not speak at all so that he was immediately carried to the great Market-place where his sentence was pronounced and presently put in execution They cut off with an Ax first his right arm below the elbow then the left leg below the knee and afterwards the left arm and right leg and last of all the head The members were set up on stakes and the trunk left upon the ground but the Dogs devour'd it in the night and the next morning the Executioner's Servants dragg'd the members to the place where all the City dirt is thrown His man Kostka was pardoned because he had confess'd the truth but in regard he had been unfaithful towards his Prince he was sentenc'd to lose three fingers of his right hand The Patriarch got that punishment to be moderated upon this accompt that the Religion of the Muscovites obliging them to make the sign of the Cross with the right hand which ought not to be maimed he receiv'd his punishment in the left and was sent into Siberia where provision was made for his subsistence during life About this time there came a Polish Envoy to Moscou They gave him audience the same day that Timoska was put to death and brought him through the Market-place just at the execution that he might be an eye witness of it and give an accompt in Poland of the Tragedy of that Impostor who had been there look'd upon as son to the Great Duke Basili Iuanouits Zuski We said before that the Great Duke Michael Federouits died Iul. 12. 1645. The very next day the Knez and Bojares would needs crown his Son Alexei Michaelouits who was not full sixteen years of age He it is that now reigns and makes himself known by the War he made upon Poland as also by that which he daily threatens against Sueden He was born March 17. 1630. Knez Boris Iuanouits Morosou fearing his enemies might take any advantage of the Prince's tender years so hastened his Coronation that they could not send for all those who are oblig'd to be present
all to their homes and make no further tumult But they told him that they had as much to say to him as to the other Accordingly some went immediately to his Palace which was forc'd ransack'd and demolish'd in a moment having cast out at a window one of his Servants who would have made some opposition Their animosity was such as that they spar'd not even the Images of their Saints for which they are wont to have a great veneration Yet did they shew some respect to Morosou's Wife and thought it enough to take away her Pearls and Jewels which they cast into the street and to frighten her a little by telling her that had they not look'd upon her as Sister-in-law to the Great Duke they would have cut her to pieces Among other things they broke his rich Coach which besides the expence in other things about it had all silver even about the Wheels Some got into the Cellar and knock'd out the heads of the Strong-water Barrels which taking fire consumed all those who had made themselves drunk This was the Prologue to the ransacking of several other houses afterwards as those of Plesseou and Tichonouits the Chancellors and all that had any relation to or dependance on the Favourite which afforded them such a booty as that they sold Pearls by handfuls and so cheap that for thirty Crowns a man might have bought a hat-ful a black-foxe-skin or a pair of Sables for 2 s. 6 d. and stuffs of Gold Silver and Silk in a manner for nothing Nazari Iuanouits Tzistou Chancellor of Muscovy had farm'd the imposition upon the Salt and lay sick in his bed by reason of an accident that had happened to him three days before which was that meeting with a mad Ox his Horsed started and threw him so violently that he was in some danger of his life But hearing that Morosou's house had been ransack'd and not doubting but they would come to his he hid himself under a heap of Birch which they at a certain time make provision of to serve the Stoves and to take off all suspicion he caus'd himself to be cover'd with some Flitches of Becon so that he had certainly saved his life had he not been betray'd by one of his Servants who making his advantage of his Masters misfortune took a good sum of Money and went to Nisenovogorod The enrag'd multitude took him out by the heels and dragg'd him down stairs into the Court where they cudgell'd him to death The body was thrown upon the Dung-hill and the house so pillag'd that there was not any thing left While these disorders were committed in the City they had the time to barricado themselves in the Castle against the insolences of the people who continued all night between the 6 and 7 of Iuly in arms in such a posture as shew'd they only expected day-light to begin again Whereupon Orders were sent to the German Officers and Souldiers to meet at several rendevouzes in the City and to come in to the Great Dukes relief at the Castle They march'd with Drums beating and Colours flying and the Muscovites instead of opposing them gave them way and told them that they had no quarrel against them and knew them to be persons of honour who approved not the miscarriages of the Government Being got into the Castle they took up the posts of their Guards and the Great Duke sent out Knez Nikita Iuanouits Romanow whom he knew the people much respected to endeavour the breaking up of the Assembly He came to the people cap in hand and told them that he conceiv'd they ought to be satisfy'd with the assurance which the Great Duke had made them the day before that he would remedy the disorders of which they complained That his Majesty had commanded him to tell them as much and to advise them to go every man to his home that he might the better perform what he had promised them This message was well receiv'd and the people made answer that they were not dissatisfied with the Great Duke but those who under his name abused his authority and that they would not stir till they had deliver'd up to them Boris Iuanouits Morosou Leponti Steppanouits Plesseou and Peter Tichonouits Trachanistou that they might revenge on their heads the mischief they had done the whole Kingdom Romanow gave them thanks for the kind answer they had made to his proposition and told them he would acquaint the Great Duke with the zeal and affection which they express'd towards him that he doubted not but Order would be taken for the execution of those three Lords but that he could safely take his oath that Morosou and Trachanistow had made their escape and for the third he should be immediately put to death Accordingly Romanow was no sooner return'd to the Great Duke but word was sent to the people that Plesseou was coming to be sacrific'd and that the other two should come to the same end as soon as they were found and that they should send for the Executioner to do his Office He was soon found being at the Castle-gate with his servants whence he came about a quarter of an hour after leading Plesseon to the Market-place to cut off his head But the people spar'd him the trouble falling upon him with Cudgels so outrageously that they dispatch'd him in a moment They dragg'd the Body through the dirt accompanying it with all the curses imaginable till at last a Monk whom the deceas'd had order'd to be cudgell'd cut off his head Morosou had indeed made his escape but meeting with Waggoners and some of the people searching after him he was so fortunate as to avoid them and by secret ways to get into the Castle And that it might not be thought the Great Duke had consented to the escape of the others there were some sent after Trachanistou who was taken near the Monastery 〈◊〉 Troitza twelve leagues from Moscou He was brought the 8. to Semskoy Duor that is the place where his Master had sate as Judge which the Great Duke hearing of he commanded his head to be cut off This execution wrought so much upon the people that being informed how Morosou had been met in the Country and none knew what was become of him they forbore further pressing the Great Duke to give them what he had not and about 11. in the morning went every man to his home In the afternoon several houses in the quarters of Metrossky and Twersky were set afire whither the people which had not yet clear'd the street ran not so much to quench the fire as to steal It made such havock in a short time that it consum'd the whole quarter of Zuargorod reducing to ashes all the houses within the White-Wall to the River Neglina and getting over the River into the Great Duke's Taverns it got into those of his Strong-waters and grew so violent that it was fear'd it would have buried the Castle
in its ashes No body would endeavour to prevent it those who were oblig'd thereto being got so drunk that lying along in the streets the vapours of the fire they had in their bodies together with the smoak of that which was then in its way to burn down the whole City choak'd them as they lay About 11. at night some strangers looking with no small astonishment on the fire in that house where they kept the Strong-water for the Great Duke's Provision perceiv'd at some distance a Monk coming towards them with a great burthen which by his blowing they conceiv'd must needs be very heavy Being come near he call'd for some desiring them they would help him to cast into the fire the body of the abominable Plesseou which he dragg'd after him it being as he said the only way to quench it But the Germans refusing to meddle with it he fell a-swearing and cursing till some Muscovites did him the good office and holp him to cast the Carcass into the fire which immediately began to abate and some time after went out ere they left the place Some dayes after this accident the Great Duke treated the Strelits with Strong-water and Hydromel and his Father-in-law Ilia Danilouits Miloslausky invited divers Citizens of several Professions to dine with him and spent several dayes together in entertainments The Patriarch also enjoyn'd the Priests and Monks to endeavour the settlement of unquiet spirits and to press unto them the respect and obedience to which their consciences oblige them All thus quieted and the Great Duke having supply'd the places of the executed with able and approved persons he took the opportunity of a Procession to speak to the people in the presence of Nikita Ieuanouits Romanou and told them that he was extremely troubled to hear of the injuries and violences done by Plesseou and Trachanistou under his name but contrary to his intention That he had put into their places persons of integrity and such as being acceptable to the people would administer Justice equally and without corruption and that they might not fail therein he would have an eye over them That he repeal'd the Edict about the imposition laid on Salt and that he would with the soonest suppress all Monopolies That they should enjoy all their Privileges which if occasion were he would augment Whereupon the people having smitten their forehead and given his Majesty thanks the Great Duke re-assumed his discourse and said That it was true indeed he had promis'd to deliver up to them the person of Boris Iuanouits Morosou and acknowledg'd that he could not absolutely justifie him but that he could not also resolve to condemn him That he hoped the people would not deny the first Request he should make to them which was that they would pardon Morosou only for that time as to what he might have displeas'd them in That he would be answerable for him and durst assure them that Morosou should so behave himself for the future as that they should have occasion to speak well of him That if they would not have him to be any longer of of his Councel he would dismiss him but that he desir'd them to look on that Lord as one who had been a Father to their Prince and one that having married the Great Dutchess's Sister must needs be extremely dear to him and consequently that it would be very hard for him to consent to his death The tears which concluded this discourse of the Great Duke's discover'd the affection he had for that Favorite and so mov'd the people that they all cry'd out God grant His Highness a long and happy life God's and the Great Duke's will be done The Czaar conceived an extraordinary joy hereat thanked the people and highly celebrated the zeal and affection they express'd for his estate and person Some few dayes after Morosou appeared in publick among those who attended the Great Duke upon occasion of a Pilgrimage which he made to the Monastery of Troitza He went uncover'd from the Castle to the City gate saluting the people on both sides with great submissions and from that time he laid hold on all occasions to gratifie and assist those who addressed themselves to him in any business they had at Court The story we have related confirms the truth of what we have said elsewhere that the Muscovites how submissive and slavish soever they may be will endeavour the recovery of their freedom when the Government becomes insupportable to them and casts them into despair I shall here add another later example which will be the less tedious in that it hath some dependence on the precedent and relates very much to what we have seen much about the same time in all the other Countries of Europe The Great Duke of Muscovy sent in the year 1649. a solemn Embassy to the Queen of Sueden the chief person whereof was the Ocolnitza Boris Iuanouits Puskin He had order among other things to accommodate the difference which seemed to threaten those two States with an inevitable War proceeding hence that the Subjects of both Crowns left their own habitations and got into the other Kingdom to avoid the payment of their debts And in regard that for 32 years that accompt had not been clear'd and that there were more Suedes in Muscovy than there were Muscovites in Sueden it was mentioned in the Treaty made by Puskin at Stockholm that for the first thirty years there should be a liquidation of all accompts and for the two other the Great Duke should pay to the Queen and Crown of Sueden 190000 Roubles that is 390000 Crowns part in mony part in Rye and that the payment should be made in the Spring of the year 1650. Accordingly Iohn de Rodes being come at that time to Moscou in the quality of Commissary for the Queen of Sueden receiv'd in Copecs and Ducats 300000. Crowns and order was sent to Foedor Amilianou a Merchant of Plescou to provide as much Rye as should amount to 90000. Crowns This interess'd man caus'd all the Rye wherever it were to be seized and permitted not private persons to buy so much as a bushel without his permission which good leave of his they were forc'd to buy at a dear rate The Inhabitants of Plescou were so impatient under this oppression that they not only quarrel'd at the avarice of the Suedes but charg'd Puskin with prevarication in his Employment and perfidiousness towards his Prince They said that Morosou held correspondence with Strangers and presuming that this negotiation was concluded contrary to the Great Duke's intention they endeavour'd to engage the City of Novogorod in their quarrel and went so far on in their work that some of the chiefest Merchants having declared for them the Weywode had much ado to prevent an insurrection of the whole City Both these and the others resolv'd that they would stop the money when it was to be transported into Sueden and that they would no
longer endure the Treaty of the Rye because it would in likelyhood starve the Country With this intention they sent three Deputies to Moscou to wit a Merchant a Cosaque and a Strelits with Order to know whether this Treaty was made and put in execution with the Great Duke's consent In the mean time without expecting the return of their Deputies they ransack'd Amilianou's house and tortur'd his Wife to make her confess where her husband who had made his escape had laid up his money The Weywode came in hope to prevent the disorder but he was forc'd out of the City and the neighbouring Nobility invited to come in and joyn with them against Monopolies and Patentees These three venerable Deputies were no sooner come to Novogorod but the Weywode caus'd them to be put into Irons and in that posture sent them to Moscou whether came at the same time the Weywode of Plescou and the Merchant Amilianou Intelligence was brought that those of Plescou had robb'd and abus'd a Suedish Merchant whereupon the Great Duke sent back the Weywode and with him a Bojar to endeavour the further prevention of these disorders Those of Plescou who at first would not receive them at length opened their Gates but it was to put the Weywode in prison and to affront the Bojare who had the imprudence at so unseasonable a time to treat them with so much severity that the people fell upon him with Cudgels and pursu'd him to a Monastery where he was so beaten that he was given over for a dead man However the Great Duke pursu'd the execution of the Treaty made with Sueden and paid money instead of the Rye sending along with the Suedish Commissary a good Convoy of Strelits who were to bring him to the Frontiers of Sueden He gave order at the same time to Iuan Nikitouits Gavensky to assemble the Nobility of the neighbouring Provinces and the foot-Regiments of Colonel Kormichel and Col. Hamilton which made up above 4000 men and to besiege the City of Plescou The Inhabitants as first pretended to stand out but their courage and strength soon fail'd them so that they were forc'd to make an accommodation at the cost of the Authors of the Sedition who were put to death or sent into Siberia These disorders have occasion'd a great change in the Affairs and Government of Muscovy For though Miloslauski and Morosou have much credit and the Patriarch himself a very great Authority about the Prince yet have the other Knez and Bojares a great hand in publick Affairs and execute their charges every one according to his Birth and Employment There are commonly some 30 Bojares about the Court though in Zuski's time there were numbred 70. In the year 1654. when the War of Smolensko was resolv'd on there were present at the deliberations of that important affair twenty nine Bojares who names were these Boris Iuanouits Morosou the Czaar ' s Fanourite Boris Nikit a Iuanouits Romanou the Czaar ' s Great Uncle Iuan Basilouits Morosou Knez Iuan Andreouits Galizin Knez Nikita Iuanouits Odouski Knez Iacob Kudenieteuits Tzerkaski Knez Alexei Nikitouits Trubetskoi Gleeb Iuanouits Morosou Wasili Petrowits Tzemeretou Knez Boris Alexandrouits Reppenin Michael Michelouits Soltikou Basili Iuanouits Stresnou Knez Vasili Simonouits Posorouski Knez Fâ—dor Simonouits Kurakin Knez Iurgi Petrouits Buynessou Rostouski Iuan Iuanouits Solikou Knez Iurgi Alexeouits Dolgoruski Gregory Basilouits Puskin Knez Foedor Federouits Volchanski Laurenti Demetriouits Soltikou Ilia Danilouits Miloslauski the Great Duke's Father-in-Law Basili Basilouits Butterlin Knez Michael Petrouits Pronski Knez Iuan Nikitouits Gavenski Knez Foedor Iurgiouits Chworosting Basili Borissouits Tzemeretou Nikita Alexouits Susin The Ocolnits or Lords out of whose number the Bojares are chosen areâ— The Ocolnitza Knez Andre Federouits Litwinou Masalskoi Knez Iuan Federouits Chilkou Mikifor Sergeouits Zabackin Knez Demetri Petrouits Lewou Knez Basili Petrouits Lewou Knez Simon Petrouits Lewou Knez Iuan Iuanouits Romadanouski Knez Steppan Gabrielouits Puskin Knez Simon Romanouits Bosarskie Bogdan Mattheouits Chytrou Peter Petrouits Gowowin Iuan Andreouits Miloslauski Knez Iuan Iuanouits Labano Rostouski Knez Demetri Alexeouits Dalgaruski Simon Lukianouits Stresnou Michael Alexeouits Artischo Precossi Federouits Sochouin Knez Boris Iuanouits Troikurou Alexei Demetriouits Collitziou Wasili Alexandriouits Zioglockou Iuan Basilouits Alferiou The persons of greatest quality next the Bojares and the Ocolnits are those whom they call Dumeny Duorainy and Simbojarski that is to say sons of Bojars and they are six in number to wit Iuan Offonassouits Gabrienou Fedor Cusmits Iellissariou Bogdan Fedrowits Narbickou Sdan Basilouits Conderou Basili Federouits Ianou Ossonassei Ossipouits Prontzissou The Chancellour and Secretaries of State are Almas Iuanouits Chancellour Simon Iuanouits Saborouski Lariouton Demetriouits Prontzissou These are the names of the Lords who at this day have the principal charges and govern the whole Kingdom of Muscovy as well in the Councel of State as for private affairs as we shall see anon The chiefest Dignity of the Kingdom was heretofore that of Sunderstreuoi Coinische that is Lord high Steward of Muscovy but this charge was suppress'd when Zuski who had it was called to the Crown The next which is now the chiefest is that of Duoretskoy or Great Master who hath the over-sight and direction of all the great Duke's houshold After him comes the Orusnitschei who hath the over-sight of the Arms and Horses which are for the Great Duke's peculiar service as also of the Harnesses and other Ornaments which are used at Entrances and publick Ceremonies These three Officers precede all the other Bojares Ocolnits Dumeni-Diaki and the Secretaries of State who in their turns precede the Postilnizei or him who makes the Great Duke's bed the Comnutnoy Klutziom that is the Chamberlain the Craftzey or Carver the Stolniki or Gentlemen Sewers the Strapsi or Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber and the Duoraini or ordinary Gentlemen The Silzi or Pages the Diaki or Secretaries and the Boddiotzei or the Commissaries or Clerks who are the last in Dignity and Function All the Knez and Bojares who have Estates are oblig'd to set out their Lands and to give their personal attendance at Moscou where they are oblig'd to be every day at Court and to smite their foreheads in the Great Duke's presence who looks on this attendance of theirs as an argument of their fidelity and an assurance of his Estate being in quiet which might soon be disturb'd by the authority these Great men might assume in the Provinces were they permitted to make their aboad there Their Houses or Palaces are great and magnificent and they make great ostentation as well in their expences at their houses as in cloaths and retinue when they go abroad When they ride they have at the bow of their Saddle a little Timbrel a foot Diameter which they ever and anon touch with the handle of their Whip to make their way through the throngs which are frequent in the Markets and Streets
Virtue hath left the Saints Body which they say is still intire but it is forbidden upon pain of death for any man to lift up the cloath which covers it In the Monastery of Troitza 12. leagues from Moscou they have another Saint named Sergius He was a very tall man a thing the Muscovites have a great veneration for and had sometime been a Soldier but the crimes and disorders he had committed in his youth touch'd his Conscience so to the quick that he forsook the World and turn'd Hermite He quitted that solitary kind of life and got into the Monastery of Troitza where he was soon chosen Igumine or Abbot and did there with his Disciple Nikon so many Miracles that dying in the year 1563. they were both Canonized They say their heads are there yet to be seen intire and that when the Polanders besig'd that Monastery the head of Sergius only forc'd them back in the midst of their assault and made them turn their arms against themselves Of which yet there is nothing to be found in the History of that time which speaks but of one siege of Troitza under Iohn Sapiha a Polish General who was indeed forc'd to raise it not upon the vigorous resistance of the Monks or by the assistance of Sergius but by the Suedish Army which came in to the relief of the Muscovites Since this Saint was buried there that Monastery hath been called Zergeofski Troitza though it be properly dedicated to the Trinity It is so rich that it maintains above 300. Monks and its revenue increases dayly through the Great Duke's liberality and the alms of those who go thither to perform their Vows they had made in their travels or sickness and settle Annuities for Service to be said after their death The Great Duke who goes thither twice a year lights off his Horse when he is come within half a league of the Monastery and so walks it Having ended his Devotions he spends some dayes there in Hunting during which the Abbot maintains him and his retinue both with Man's meat and Horse meat Some years since the Muscovites found an Image of the Virgin Mary at Casan and sent a copy of it to Moscou where there is a Church built for the reception of it in the Market-place near that street where the Cutlers have their shops The Church is called Precista Casanska the holy mother of Casan and many Pilgrimages are made to it They go also in Pilgrimage to the Monastery of Chutina a league and a half from Novogorod to the Sepulchre of their Saint Warlam who was born at Novogorod and buried at Chutina whence they call his Festival Prasnick Warlama Chutinskoga As to their Churches we said there were above two thousand Churches and Chapels in the City and Suburbs of Moscou Those which are of stone are round and vaulted because God's Houses ought to represent Heaven which is his Throne They have neither Seats nor Benches by reason none sit down but all say their prayers either standing or kneeling The late Great Duke who was much given to Devotion lay all along upon the ground when he said his prayers They have no Organs or other musical instruments in their Churches not using any out of this perswasion that things inanimate cannot glorify God That they were allow'd in the Paedagogy of the Law but that under the new Testament they were no more to be used than any other of the Jewish Ceremonies The Patriarch that now is hath shewn his enmity to Musick yet greater in prohibiting the use of all those musical instruments which the Muscovites were wont to make use of at their merry meetings Some four or five years since he caused all private houses to be search'd for Instruments and having loaden five Wagons with them he sent them over the River of Moscou where they were all burnt Only the Germans kept theirs nor could the Patriarch with all his Authority oblige the Bojar Boris Nikita Iuanouits Romanou to put away his Musicians There is no Stone-Church but hath in the midst of four Turrets a Tower form'd at the top much like the Knobs we set on Bedsteads having upon it a triple Cross by which they say they represent our Saviour as Head of the Church saying that the Cross being the Badge of Christianity it is necessary the Church of Christ should be known by it They hold they are prophaned by Strangers that is to say such as are not of their Communion upon which account it was that when at the beginning of our Travels we entred into them they came and thrust us out and many times they swept after us If it chance a Dog gets in they think it not enough to sweep the Church but they also Incense it and purify it with holy Water They have also very much respect for their Church-yards and suffer not that any should make their water in them Their Bells are not in steeples but in a certain Engine or Machine near the Church in the Church-yard and are for the most part so small that few of them are 150. or 200. pound weight They toll them at the beginning of service and at the Elevation of the Chalice for the Bread being put in immediately after Consecration they make but one Elevation The Rope is not fasten'd to the Bell but to the Clapper so that one man may toll three or four Bells at the same time if the Ropes be fasten'd to both his Elbows and both his hands which making a certain chiming the Muscovites are much taken with But this kind of chiming of the almost infinite number of Bells which they many times toll at the same time in all their Churches makes a very strange noise to their ears who are not accustomed thereto They think this chiming so necessary that without it the divine Service would be defective Upon which perswasion it was that a certain Pristaf who conducted the Suedish Ambassadors hearing that they were desirous to do their Devotions it being Michaelmas day told them that he could not imagine what shift they would make to do it since he had not by reason of the greatness of the Journey brought any Bells along with him There is no Church but hath an Image over the door and at every corner of a Street and upon all the Gates of the City there are Images before which the Muscovites make a halt to say their Gospodi They also address the Gospodi to the Crosses which are upon the Churches so that they goe through no Street but they make a short stay to do their Devotions The Ecclesiastical Government consists of a Patriarch several Metropolitans Arch-Bishops Bishops Arch-Deacons Protopopes and Priests The Patriarch among them hath the same authority as the Pope has in the Latine Church The Patriarch of Constantinople had heretofore the nomination of him In time he came to have only the confirmation of him but now of late he hath lost both Filaretes Nikitits
he not to eat any flesh that day They Communicate in both kinds and mix water with the Wine The bread they put into the Wine taking out a morsel together with some of the Wine with a spoon The bread is leavened and must have been made up and baked by a Priest's Widow which they think to be so Essential to the Sacrament that one of the principal causes of the Schism between the Greek and Latine Church is that the latter makes use of unleavened bread contrary to the express institution of our Saviour who to abolish the Ceremony of the Iews who made use of unleavened bread was pleased to take ordinary bread This Communion bread is about twice as big and somewhat thicker than a Crown piece and hath in the middle the figure of the Crucifix After the Priest hath Consecrated it he takes off that figure with an instrument made much after the fashion of a Launceâ— and puts it up into a wooden box which hangs above the Altar that the Rats and Mice may not come at it When the Communion is to be Administred to a sick person they take a little out of the said box upon which they pour three drops of Claret-wine and put it into the Chalice mingling sometimes a little water and so they give it the sick person with a spoon But if through weakness or otherwise he be not able to get down the bread they give him only a little Wine consecrated In the ordinary Administration of the Communion they make use of a sort of Consecrated bread of the same form as the other but not bigger than a half Crown from which they also take away the Crucifix and break it into as many pieces as there are Communicants cast them into Claret-wine and put thereto a little warm water because no doubt but the blood and water which came out of our Saviour's side was so They hold Transubstantiation and at the Administring of the Sacrament the Priest sayes these words This is the true body and the true bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ which hath been given for thee and for many more for the Remission of thy sins which thou shalt take in remembrance of him God bless thee The more devout sort sleep after they have receiv'd the Communion that so they may not Sin that day What remains of the bread after Consecration serves for holy-bread They call it Kutja and the Sunday following the Priest gives a morsel of it to each of those who had Communicated the week before There is no Child so young but they give him the Communion but it is only when he is Sick and then but in one kind till he be seven years of age and then he is Communicated as the rest for which they give this reason that about that age one begins to Sin mortally No doubt they have derived this custom from what was done in the third age wherein St. Cyprian sayes that they Communicated Children immediately after baptism which custom was continued till St. Augustine's time But in Process of time the custom was changed since that as Nicephorus the son of Calistus who lived in the 14th age affirms that in his time they gave those Children who were learning the first Rudiments of the Sciences but only the Consecrated bread which was remaining after the Communion In Muscovy they also give the Communion to distracted persons but they only touch their lips with the bread after it hath lain a while in the VVine The Priest who hath kiss'd a dead body or been at the interment of any can neither consecrate nor administer the Sacrament that day for they hold him to be defiled Nor is it lawful for him to Commâ—nicate a VVoman in Child-bed in the same room where she was delivered but she is obliged to get her self carried into some other place and to be washed Heretofore they were wont to send the Consecrated bread into the Countrey to those places which were destitute of a Priest nay they gave of it to such as intended to travel or were going to the VVars who made their Confessions before their departure and were to Communicate when they had any convenience to do it or were in any danger of death so to make it as it were their last Viaticum Their custom of receiving the Consecrated VVine in the Church and carrying away the bread to be taken at home as also that practised by Anchoretes who carried away both to the places of their retirement is so antient that St. Cyprian nay even Tertullian speaks of it as a thing very ordinarily done in their times but this kind of Communicating is now absolutely abolish'd in Muscovy as well as other places Those who have taken their Oaths in any Law business or have committed murther or any other hainous sin are not to receive the Communion but at the point of death All that are sick to that extremity are Communicated and at the same time receive extreme Unction but that once done they suffer them not to take any thing else not ought of nourishment unless they apparently perceive that the sick party begins to recover strength and gives them a great assurance of the retrival of his former health Before the receiving of the Communion they give those that are sick some fair water or Aquavitae wherein some Relicks had been put There are those who in that condition cause themselves to be shaven put on Monks habit and become really such for that once done they are not suffer'd to take any thing for the space of eight dayes it being their perswasion that those who take that habit which they call Seraphick are not to be numbred among men but are become Angels And if after those eight dayes abstinency they recover their former health they are oblig'd to perform their vow and to go into a Monastery because the Rasour hath pass'd upon their heads Their interrements are accompany'd by abundance of Ceremonies as indeed are all their publick actions As soon as the sick person is departed they send for all his Kindred and Friends who being come into the house stand about the body excite one another to bemoan him as it were to heighten the Lamentations of the VVomen and ask the deceased why he would dye VVhether his affairs were in a good condition VVhether he wanted meat and drink VVhether his VVife were not handsom and young enough VVhether she had been unconstant to him c. Then they send a present of Beer Aquavitae and Hydromel to the Priest that he may pray for the Soul of the deceased party The body is well washed and after they have put a clean shirt or a shrowd about him they put on his feet a pair of new shooes of a very thin Russia leather and so lay him into the Coffin with his Arms cross the breast Their Coffins are made of the Trunk of a Tree and are to be sold every where It is cover'd with a Cloath or
Horse an Ox or a Sheep roasting the flesh and take a cut thereof in a Dish and holding in the other hand another Dish full of Hydromel or some other liquor they cast both into a fire which they make before the skin of the Creature that is sacrificed which skin they hang upon a Pole laid a-cross between two Trees They intreat that skin to present their Prayers to God or sometimes they make their address immediately to God and pray him to augment the number of their Cattel or grant them some other conveniencies of this life which are the only object of all their Devotions They adore also the Sun and Moon as Authors of all the Noble Productions of the Earth nay they are so fondly superstitious as to have a veneration for what ever presents it self to them in the night in their Dreams and to adore it the next day as a Horse a Cow Fire Water c. I told the Tartar I spoke of before that it was madness to worship those Creatures whose lives are at our disposal He reply'd that it was better to adore things Animate than the Gods of Wood and Colours which the Muscovites have hanging on their Walls They have neither Churches nor Priests nor Books and the Language of the Ceremisses is peculiar to them having in a manner nothing common with that of the other Tartars nor yet with the Turkish though those who are subject to the Czaar and so oblig'd to converse with the Muscovites make use also of their Language They perform all Religious Ceremonies and Sacrifices near some Torrent where they meet together especially when upon the death of any of their friends who hath left any Wealth behind him they make good Cheer with the best Horse he had which they put to death with the Master Polygamy is so ordinary among them that there are few but have four or five Wives whereof they take two or three into the same house and make no great difficulty to marry two or three Sisters at the same time Their Women and young Maids are all clad in a coarse white Cloath wherein they so wrap up themselves that there is nothing to be seen but their Faces Those that are betroathed have a particular dress for their Heads which hath a point like a Horn which seems to come out of the Head about half an ell in length At the end of that Horn there is a Tassel of silk of diverse colours at which hangs a little Bell. The Men wear a long Coat or Garment of coarse Linnen Cloath under which they wear Breeches They all shave their Heads only those young Men that are not married leave on the Head a long tress of Hair which some tye up into a knot upon the Head others suffer to hang down the Back which particularity we had the opportunity to take better notice of at our return at Casan When they saw us upon the River in a Dress so different from theirs they were affrighted so as that some fled others had the confidence to stay on the Rivers side but not one would venture to come into the Ship Being come at night to the River of Welluka near the Monastery of Iunka one of these Tartars had the courage to bring us a Sturgeon to sell for which at first he asked a Crown but afterwards let it go for xv d. August 7. we came before the City of Kusmademiansky 40. werstes from Basiligorod seated at the foot of a mountain on the right hand We saw in those parts whole Forests of Elms the Bark whereof they sell all over the Country to make Sledges of The Trees are many times of such compass that the body of them being cut cylinder-wise they make great Fat 's Barrels and Coffins thereof all of one piece which they sell at the adjacent Towns We cast Anchor three werstes thence near the Island of Krius where we did our Devotions and Celebrated the Lords Supper The Peasants thereabouts brought aboard the Ship several provisions to sell. About a league thence a tempest overtook us and forc'd us to cast Anchor and to stay there all night The 8. the wind fair we got about noon near the Island of Turich but in the afternoon the same wind forc'd our Ship being under all the Sail she could make upon a Sand-bank near the Island of Maslof with such violence that it was thought the Masts would have broken and this prov'd such a check to us that it cost us four hours toil and trouble to get off We perceiv'd on the right hand a great number of Tartars some a-foot some on horse-back coming from Hay-making We came at night before the City of Sabakzar 40. werstes from Kusmademianski and upon the same side of the River The buildings of this City are of Wood as are those of all the rest but the situation of this is beyond comparison more pleasant than that of any other City of Tartary The Inhabitants perceiving our Ship at some distance knew not at first what to think of her whence it came that the Weywode sent some Musketiers in a Boat as far as the Island of Makrits three werstes from the City to discover what we were The Boat thinking it not safe to venture too near us took a compass at a great distance about our Ship and so returned to the City But they no sooner understood our quality by our Pass-port and withall the occasion of our Voyage but there came above 300. persons to the River side to see us pass by The 9. we pass'd by the Island of Cosin leaving it on the left hand 12. werstes from Sabakzar Afterwards on the same hand a Village named Sundir and thence we came to a little City called Kockschaga on the left side of the Wolga 25. werstes from Sabakzar The River is so shallow thereabouts that there was hardly water enough for our Ship which put us to much trouble both that day and the next The 11. the current having forc'd the Ship upon the shore where we were constrain'd to stay for several hours M. Mandelslo and my self went a shore to divert our selves and see what Fruits we could find in the Woods Which had like to have occasion'd us a great misfortune for the wind turning fair at our return to the River side all were gone the Ship it self not in sight though we made all the hast we could to overtake it At last we saw a Boat coming towards us which we thought at first might belong to the Cosaques but soon after we perceiv'd they were some of our own sent to bring us aboard The conrtary wind had stay'd the Ship at a turning of the River and the tempest still increasing we were forc'd to cast anchor and to lie there all night The 12. we spent in getting beyond the turning by the help of an Anchor which we order'd to be cast at some distance before us but with this misfortune that having
mercy and through the extraordinary care of the Physician not one dyed The same day which is according to the accompt of the Persians the 21. day of Ramesan they celebrated their Auschur or solemn Feast in memory of Haly their great Saint and Patron The Ceremonies and Devotions were performed in a House built for that purpose without the City The Governour his Calenter and the other chief Officers were in a Gallery of the said House and opposite to the Gallery there was an open Chair about eight foot high which was plac'd under a piece of Linnen Cloath which had been pitch'd there for the convenience of the Chatib that is their Prelate who sat in the said Chair clad in a blew Garment which is the Mourning-Colour of that Country He spent above two hours in reading in a Book which they call Machtelnama containing the Life and Actions of Haly singing with a loud and dolefull yet clear and intelligible Voice and that without any intermission unless it were when he came to some remarkable Passage or some Moral Sentence whereof he only said the first Word leaving the rest to be sung out by the other Priests whereof there stood a great number about the Chair One of those Priests cry'd out at the end of every passage Luanet Chudai ber kuschendi Aaly bad that is Gods Curse be on him who kill'd Haly whereto the whole Assembly answer'd bisch bad kem bad that is rather more than less When he comes to the passage where Haly said to his Children there are some believe he was well skill'd in Judiciary Astrology and that he fore-saw his own Death that he should not live long and that it would not be long ere he were kill'd by one of his Domesticks discovering it should be Abdurraman ibni Meltzem upon which the Children with tears in their eyes intreat him to be carefull of his Person and rather to prevent Abdurraman then suffer them upon his Death to become Orphans destitute of all Comfort and expos'd to the discretion of their Enemies when the Chathib I say comes to this place you shall see the Persians weep and sob most bitterly as they do also when the Chathib represents how Haly was kill'd in their Metzid as he was at Prayers and the desolate condition his Children were in upon his Death When the Chathib hath given over Reading the Chan sends him a Garment of Silk which he immediately puts on and then there were conducted in Procession three Camels carrying Coffins cover'd with black Cloath to represent those of Haly and his two Sons Hassan and Hossein After that follow'd two Chests cover'd with blew Cloath in which were the Books and spiritual Treatises written by Haly. Then came two excellent Horses having at the Pommel of the Saddles andupon the Saddles several Bows Arrows Turbants and Flaggs After them march'd one man alone carrying upon the top of a long pole a kind of Tower or Steeple in which there were thrust four Cimiters but they were cover'd with so many Ribbons and other Toyes that they could hardly be perceived and at last many men carrying on their Heads little Boxes cover'd with Feathers and Flowers of several colours in which the Alchoran lay open These last Danc'd and Leap'd in cadence to a certain dolefull Musick of Hawboyes Timbrels Flageolets and Tabors On the other side many young Boyes Danc'd and Sung together clapping one another upon the shoulders and crying Heder Heder which is the name of Haly Hassan Hossein and with these Ceremonies they took their way towards the City Upon this day the Death of Haly is celebrated all over Persia but Mahomet their great Prophet hath no particular Festival The 14. of February was the new Moon at which ends the Lent of the Persians which began the 16. of Ianuary which according to their accompt is the first of Ramesan but in regard it was the eve of their Sabbath which is Friday their Ecclesiasticks thought fit to continue the Fast till that day The next day after the Feast the Chan made a great Entertainment for all the Grandees of his Court to which he invited also the Ambassadors with their retinue and treated them very Magnificently The 27. came back the Courrier whom the Chan had dispatch'd thence ever since the 21. with express orders for our departure with the first convenience for Ispahan This good news put some of us into an humour to go a Hunting The Governour lent us his excuses that some business of importance intervening he could not go along with us however he sent us his Huntsmen his Hounds and his Hawks as also a Leopard which being Excellently well taught started with as much swiftness as a Grey-hound and gave us all the satisfaction Hunting could afford He discover'd no Hare which he took not and came on at the least call with more command than any Setting Dog leaping up behind the person who had the ordering of him The Chan had in the mean time caus'd a sumptuous Collation to be made ready for us in his own Garden without the City but the person he had sent to invite us to pass that way mist the Company and overtook us not till we were coming into the City so that it being too great a trouble for us to go then back again he sent to our quarters some part of the Meat which had been prepared for our Entertainment The first of March which according to their Almanack called by them Taguim is the fourteenth of Scheual the Persians celebrated another Feast which they call Chummehater in memory of the day on which Haly took possession of the Estate of his Cousin and Father-in-law Mahomet The Chan treated us again this day very Magnificently near the River under a Tent where during the time of the Entertainment he gave us the Divertisements of several sorts of Dances and among others that of a Youth of about twenty years of age who Danc'd to the Musick of two little Cimbals which he himself play'd on excellently well as also that of a Moor or black Arabian who leap'd and danc'd between the Porcelane Dishes wherein the Meat had been brought up with such exactness that he broke not one Nay as it should seem all the people were willing to contribute to our Divertisement by the publick Acclamations which fill'd every street And the Chan himself would needs give us another tryal of his skill at the Bow He told us that heretofore he had cut a Hair with his Arrow at a considerable distance and that he would try whether he could do as much at the age he was of then which was forty five years Having therefore fasten'd to a Horses hair one of those Rings which the Persians make use of to bend their Bows and commonly wear them upon their Thumbs and having caus'd the Boy that held it to stand at the distance of above six paces he cut it twice one after another
â—â—cending the same tenderness of Conscience as his Father had express'd before him he reserv'd the Glasses till he might have occasion to make tryal of them upon himself Accordingly being at the point of Death he commanded a man that waited on him to make use of those Glasses as his Father had taught him The man having caus'd his Master's Body to be brought into the Bath we spoke of before poured upon it the two first Glasses which wrought the effect which Lokman had promised they should insomuch that the Master sitting up and impatient to return to Life cries out bris bris that is to say pour pour at which words the fellow was so frightned that he let the third Glass fall down to the ground so that the unfortunate Lokman Sade was forc'd to lye down again and take the Journey which all other Mortals do The Persians confidently affirm that near this ruinous Bath that Voice af bris bris is still many times heard They relate several other stories of this Lokman but I shall forbear any account of them thinking it enough to have produced one to shew the vanity of all the rest Some years since in the time of King Abas a certain man named Risa began to take upon him the quality of Schich or Prophet and to broach a new Doctrine imagining he might in time acquire the same credit and authority as had before rais'd Schich-Sefi to so great reputation The humour of the Persians who are extremely addicted to novelty brought after him in a short time above thirty thousand men who cajoll'd by the apparent sanctity of this new Prophet were become followers of him Schach-Abas fearing this novelty might disturb the quiet of his Country sent for Risa making him believe that he was desirous to be instructed in the particulars of his Doctrine but when he was come the King commanded him to confirm it by miracles which Risa not able to do he put him to death as an Impostor It will not be amiss here to give some accompt how the Indian Prince came to live at Caswin when we came into those parts The great Mogul who liv'd in the time of Schach-Abas left at his Death two Sons The elder who succeeded the Father soon after died leaving behind him only that Myrsa Polagi whom we found at Caswin who was but very young when his Father died Choram youngest Son of that Mogul and Uncle to young Polagi took his advantage of that Conjuncture to usurp the Crown and accordingly he was King of Indosthan at the time of our Travels into Persia. The cruelty of Choram's reign and the mild nature and inclinations of Polagi who in the mean time was arriv'd to a considerable age drew upon him the affections of the People and the hatred of his Uncle In so much that Choram perceiving that it was the design of the Indians to bring his Nephew into the Throne would prevent them by dispatching Polagi out of the way who having notice of his Uncles wicked intentions against him retires into Persia and puts himself under the Schach's Protection All the time before his Residence had been at Ispahan where the King allow'd him a pension of 12000 Crowns per an but he was oblig'd then to retire to Caswin by reason of a solemn Embassy which the Mogul sent to the King of Persia purposely to demand him though that during the space of three years that the said Ambassador had been there he had not prevail'd to have him delivered up The Kings of Persia live in perpetual jealousie of the Indians with whom they never have any assured peace by reason of the Frontiers of Candahar which finds Exercise for both sides as those of Babylon do on the Turks side insomuch that the Persians take their advantage of any occasion to foment the discontents of the Grandees as they do any other distractions tending to Civil War Whence it comes that they never deny their Protection to the Indian Princes who are willing to retire into Persia to oblige by that means the Mogul to assist them against the Turk and to continue the Commerce which the Persians have with the Indians from which Persia derives so great advantages that the obstruction thereof would be an infinite loss to it There are several instances of these Protections under Schach-Ismael and Schach-Tamas Under the reign of the latter it happened that Selim who as eldest of the House had succeeded his Father died soon after leaving only one Son very young named Humajun Tzelaledin Ekber younger Brother to the Deceas'd who slighting the infancy of his Nephew takes possession of the Scepter and the more to assure himself thereof he had a design to murther the right heir of the Crown Humajun had notice of it and got to Persia. Tzelaledin hearing of it sent to demand him with this message to the King of Persia that if he sent him not back he would come and fetch him away with all the forces of his Kingdom Schach-Tamas who was then engag'd in an open War against the Turks not thinking it prudence to disoblige so powerful an Enemy caus'd Humajun to be hidden and that he might not make a false Oath when he was to give an answer to the Embassy of Tzelaledin he put him into a Cage and caus'd that to be hung in a Tree while he was to give Audience to the Ambassador to whom he protested that Humajun nist der chakimen Humajun is not upon my Lands and dismiss'd the Ambassador with that answer But having afterwards made a Peace with the Turk he sent Humajun with a powerful Army commanded by Mehediculi Sulthan against Tzelaledin who was so startled to find himself set upon by so strong an Enemy that he was forc'd to run away Humajun desirous to requite the services of Mehediculi bestow'd on him Lordships and great wealth in the Province of Kulkende where he settled himself with the consent of Schach-Tamas and where his Posterity still live in much credit and authority The Ambassadors sent some of the retinue to visit the Prince Polagi who receiv'd them sitting on a cushion of Velvet near a Fountain about the border of whose Basin there was cast pieces of Tapistry the ground-work Gold and Silver and he had about him a great number of Servants and Domesticks He took this for so great a civility and kindness from the Ambassadors that he thought it not enough to express how sensible he was thereof in words but would needs treat those that had been sent to him with a Collation of Wine and Fruits and told them that being not in a condition to entertain them as he wish'd out of his own Estate he was forc'd to borrow of the Kings favours to make them that treatment The Ambassadors intended to have given him a personal visit but the Persians would by no means permit it alleging it was against the custom of the Country where Ambassadors are not
the rest of the Malecontents and seiz'd the Person of Suhak They went afterwards to the Mountain of Elwend where they found Kechosrow among the wild Beasts and restor'd him to his Throne The first request that Kechosrow made to the people was that Suhak might not be put to death which was granted but they carried him to the Mountain of Demawend which reaches from that of Elwend towards Teheran where they made him go into a Cave and hung him up by the feet They say he is there Living to this day and that the place of his punishment is known by a sulphureous stink that comes out of it Whereto they add that when a stone is cast into the Cave there comes out a voice which sayes Tzira miseni mera that is Why dost thou fling stones at me They say also that Kechosrow so regulated his expences during the whole time of his Reign that he gather'd vast Treasures together and that he put it up in the Mountain Bakru in the Province of Kilan hiding it so safely by the means of a Thelesmat or Talisman that till there happen a Conjuncture of the same Stars it will never be discover'd They say the place is known but that when any come near it there arise certain winds which not only blow out the lights but also overturn the men who bring them But the truth of all this story is that there are many Sulphureous Mines in those Mountains and that the winds which reign there are very natural and ordinary as well there as in several other Provinces of Persia as we had observ'd before at Ardebil Nor is it unlikely that there may be a mystical sense of this relation and that the Persians who are much addicted to teach their Morality under Fables would by this fabulous History â—demn those Princes who to satisfie their irregular passions are apt to hear flatterers who being ever guilty of wicked intentions never give any good advice and to prevent the inconveniences arising thereby apply remedies that are much more dangerous than the evil it self and such as not only are destructive to the people but also putting them into despair animate them into rebellion against their Princes who are by that means brought to great misfortunes Iuly 13. we left Caswin the sick persons and the Baggage were sent away in the evening the Ambassadors follow'd the same night The next day the 14. having travell'd through a Plain of three Leagues we came to the Village of Membre whereof all the Houses were cover'd like Vaults so that looking on it at a distance the whole Village seem'd to consist of so many Ovens The Ambassador Crusius the principal person of the Embassy began at this place to complain of some indisposition insomuch that not being able any longer to ride on Horse-back he was for some dayes following carried in a Litter Our Minister was grown so weak that not able to endure the jolting of the Horse he alighted ever and anon and lay upon the ground thinking by that means to get some ease Monsieur Mandelslo was the only person who had no touch of any sickness all along our Travels whence it came that he had the more convenience of observing all the particulars thereof which he hath done with so much exactness that his Notes might make a considerable Volume We travell'd that night seven Leagues and were got the next day being the 15. very betimes in the morning to a fair Village named Araseng We found there in a Garden which was seated on the right side of a Torrent good store of Pomegranates and Almonds which were a great refreshment to us In the evening we prosecuted our travels and got six Leagues further over a very smooth Mountain and Lodg'd the 16. in the morning at a Caravanscra named Choskeru It was all built of Free-stone and had several Vaults and Chambers dispos'd all about a spacious Court in the midst whereof there was a Well compass'd by an Iron-rail Upon the Walls of several Rooms were to be seen the names and devises of several persons of most Nations who it seems had been desirous to leave there behind them some marks of their passage that way We departed thence about four in the afternoon and travell'd that night nine leagues The 17 we came betimes in the morning in sight of Saba but in regard the Sun was not yet up we made a halt at some distance from the City to give them time to come out and receive us The Persians put this City at 85 degrees Longitude and 35 Latitude but I found it at 34 degrees 56 minutes It is seated in a spacious Plain within sight of the Mountain of Elwende which may be discover'd thence by reason of its height which reaches in a manner to the Clouds The ruins of the City of Rhei are under the same parallel with that of Saba from which it is a good days journey distant towards the East The ground thereabouts is of a reddish colour and brings forth neither grass nor fruit The cause of that barrenness they attribute to the Malediction which was pronounc'd against it upon the account of Omar Saad who was one of the principal Military Commanders in the time of Hossein This Omar who had at first profess'd friendship to Hossein prov'd the only person who would serve Iesid Peser against him upon this score that Hossein being of the blood of Mahomet and having acquir'd a great reputation of Sanctity not one Captain of Medina would take up Arms against him but only this Omar who engag'd in a war against him upon promise that there should be bestow'd on him the City of Rhei with the Territories belonging thereto which long before he had been very desirous of But the death of Hossein who was kill'd in that VVar brought upon the Countrey the Curse which according to their saying is still visible there in the colour and barrenness of the ground The City of Saba is of no great bigness though it be numbred among those which make a fair shew on the out-side by reason of its Towers and other publick structures The Walls of it are but of earth and its houses in a manner all destroy'd but it hath in requital very fair Gardens and rare and excellent Fruits especially Pomegranates and Almonds Near the City at the foot of the Mountain there grows abundance of Cotton and Rice which are the greatest Commodities they have to Trade in We stay'd there only that one day and departed thence in the evening travelling the night following six Leagues or better so that the 18. by Sun-rising we were got to a Caravansera called Schach Ferabath The heat was so excessive that day that though we were all in our Drawers yet could we not possibly avoid the inconveniences thereof We ordered our Tents to be pitch'd abroad so to have the advantage of the coolness and the wind which came from the adjoyning Mountain but
to discover him and invited him to Dine with her But instead of Meat there were brought up only great Basins full of Gold Silver and Precious Stones which she desir'd him to fall to and to make the best Cheer he could whereupon Alexander telling her that there was not any thing could satisfie his hunger she represented to him that it was for those useless trifles that he ruin'd so many Provinces and fruitfull Countries such as were able to produce what could maintain many Millions of People and shew'd him how that when he had Conquer'd all the World he must at last dye for want of Bread if he still continu'd the courses he then took and intreated him not to deprive her of her Kingdom Alexander did as she desired and they talk to this day of the great Wisdom of that Queen of whom they relate among other things that being very Rich she did not impose pecuniary Mulcts upon offenders but oblig'd them to make Graves for the Burial of the Dead and they say there are yet many of those made by her Command to be seen near Nechtzuan That thence Alexander went to Schiruam and built the City of Derbend causing it to be fortify'd on the side towards Persia and drawing a wall all along the Mountain as far as the black Sea and building Towers at a League distance one from another for Guards against the Invasion of the Tartars That afterwards he went into Persia became Master of almost all the Provinces thereof and engag'd against Darius who was then with an Army of two hundred thousand men in the Province of Kirman That Darius had the advantage in the three first Battels but was defeated in the fourth Alexander having drawn the Enemie's Army to a place where he had caus'd several pits to be made which he had covered with straw and that Darius was taken in one of them Afterwards he went into Chorasan and thence into the Indies where upon the intreaty of the Indians he caus'd to be made a Palizado of Iron against the Pigmèes which is to stand till the day of Judgment Afterwards he defeated the Vsbeques and after that he turn'd his Arms against the Hebbes who rebell'd against him That having so many Kings in his power he would needs be advis'd by Aristotle whether it were not the safest way to put them to Death But Aristotle having represented to him that some of their Children might come to revenge that cruelty he set them all at Liberty except Darius whom he poyson'd After this Alexander coming to understand that in the Mountain of Kef there was a great Cave very black and dark wherein ran the water of Immortality would needs take a Journey thither But being afraid to lose his way in the Cave and considering with himself that he had committed a great over-sight in leaving the more aged in Cities and fortify'd places and keeping about his Person only young people such as were not able to advise him he ordered to be brought to him some old Man whose counsell he might follow in the adventure he was then upon There were in the whole Army but two Brothers named Chidder and Elias who had brought their Father along with them and this good old Man bid his sons go and tell Alexander that to go through with the design he had undertaken his only way were to take a Mare that had a Colt at her heels and to Ride upon her into the Cave and leave the Colt at the entrance of it and the Mare would infalliby bring him back again to the same place without any trouble Alexander thought the advice so good that he would not take any other person with him in that Journey but those two Brothers leaving the rest of his Retinue at the entrance of the Cave He advanc'd so far that he came to a Gate so well polish'd that notwithstanding the great darkness it gave light enough to let him see there was a Bird fasten'd thereto The Bird ask'd Alexander what he would have He made answer that he look'd for the water of Immortality The Bird ask'd him what was done in the World Mischief enough replies Alexander since there is no Vice or Sin but Reigns there Whereupon the Bird getting loose and flying away the Gate opened and Alexander saw an Angel sitting with a Trumpet in his hand holding it as if he were going to put it to his Mouth Alexander ask'd him his name The Angel made answer his name was Raphael and that he only staid for a command from God to blow the Trumpet and to call the Dead to Judgment Which having said he ask'd Alexander who he was I am Alexander repli'd he and I seek the water of Immortality The Angel gave him a Stone and said to him go thy wayes and look for another stone of the same weight with this and then thou shalt find Immortality Whereupon Alexander asked how long he had to live The Angel said to him till such time as the Heavens and the Earth which encompass thee be turn'd to Iron or as others say into Gold and Silver Alexander being come out of the Cave sought a long time and not meeting with any stone just of the same weight with the other he put one into the Balance which he thought came very near it and finging but very litrle difference he added thereto a little Earth which made the Scales even it being God's Intention to shew Alexander thereby that he was not to expect Immortality till he himself were put into the Earth At last Alexander having one day a fall off his Horse in the barren ground of Kur or Ghur they laid him upon the Coat he wore over his Armour and cover'd him with his Buckler to keep off the heat of the Sun Others affirm that this Coat was Embroider'd with Gold and Silver and that his Buckler was cover'd with Plates of the same Mettal and that then he began to comprehend the Prophecy of the Angel and was satisfy'd the hour of his Death was at hand that accordingly he dyed and that his Body was carried into Greece They add to this Fable that these two Brothers Chidder and Elias drunk of the water of Immortality and that they are still living but invisible Elias upon the earth and Chidder in the Water wherein this latter hath so great power that those who are in danger of being destroy'd by water if they earnestly pray saying Ia Chidder Nebbs vowing a Sacrifice or Offering to him and firmly believing that he can relieve them shall escape the danger and save their Lives Whence it comes that if any one perish it is attributed to his Incredulity but if he escape they are of a certain perswasion that it is by the assistance of Chidder to whom those who escape Shipwrack or any other danger upon the Sea do every year upon the same day give solemn thanks and acknowledge the protection of this Saint These Ceremonies are performed in February
years after Solyman came in person into Persia where he took Tauris and besieg'd Sulthania Schach Tamas who was in the mean time at Caswin having not so much courage as to raise the Siege But as good fortune would have it it happened that during the time of the Siege in the moneth of March some few dayes before their Naurus there fell so great a Rain accompany'd by such a violent Tempest that the Snow of the adjacent Mountains dissolving and the water over-flowing all the Valleys Soliman who was incommodated thereby and fround the water of a reddish colour contracted haply from the ground through which it had pass'd was frightned thereat raised the Siege and departed the Kingdom In his retreat he destroy'd all before him but was engag'd neer Bitlis where he was absolutely defeated Schach Tamas dying the 11. of May 1576. in the 68th year of his age and the 42th of his reign left a very ill repute of himself among the Persians who speak of him with some prejudice as well in relation to his Conduct as his Courage They change him among other things that he was very careless of doing Justice to his Subjects and had committed the administration of the affairs of his kingdom to his Ministers as they are ordinarily wont to do who cannot love a people that hath no affection for them They blame him for protecting Hamajum the Son of Selim king of the Indies to whom he gave Refuge and Protection against the Persecutions of Tzelaleden Ekbet his Uncle a younger Brother of Selim's who had usurp'd the Crown and demanded him of Schach-Tamas that he might be put to death But that was a generous and just action and is not to be produc'd among the examples that are alleged of his violence and injustice especially with any parallel to the ensuing story Lavassap Prince of Armenia had two Sons Simon and David and left the former as being the Elder the Government of the Country David who had too much courage to be satified with a small Territory found means to raise an Army such as might frighten his Elder Brother who being really afraid of an insurrection desir'd the assistance of Schach Tamas who sent him four thousand Horse ordering him who had the Conduct of them if possible to take David alive and send him to him nay to Crown him in case he should comply so far as to be Circumcised but with this Proviso that he should prefer Simon if he would take the Crown upon the same terms David being taken in the first Engagement soon hearkened to the King of Persia's Proposition and promis'd to change his Religion and do homage for his Province if the King would establish him in his Brother place Simon express'd a greater constancy and would not change his Religion whereupon he was imprison'd in the Fortress of Kahak and David who after his Circumcision was called Dant-Chan was forc'd to content himself with the Government of Tiflis Simon remain'd some time a prisoner but the Reputation he had of being a good Soldier and a knowing person brought him first acquainted and afterwards very intimate with Schach Ismael the second the Son of Schach Tamas who promis'd to deliver him out of the Captivity which he was to expect should have lasted as long as he liv'd and to restore him to his Territories if he would change his Religion He did so at left in outward thew but Ismael dying soon after he was little the better for his Promises He was indeed set at liberty some time after his death but Chodabende coming to the Crown minded not much the performance of his Brother's promises and forc'd Simon to content himself with the employment he bestow'd on him in the Wars he was then engag'd in against the Turks Schach Tamas had by several Wives eleven Sons and three Daughters and among the rest Mahomet on whom upon his having shaken hands with all business by reason of the weakness of his sight and embracing a devout kind of life they bestow'd the Sirname of Chodabende that is servant of God Ismael and Eider Tamas had a particular kindness for Eider his third Son and it was his design to prefer him before the two Elder in the Government of the Kingdom and to make the more sure work he permitted him even in his life time to assume some part thereof But after his death the Lords of the Countrey sent to Mahomet to desire him to accept of the Crown which was his right by birth and upon his refusal they sent to Ismael who was by his Father's order a Prisoner in the Castle of Cahak for having upon his own accompt made incursions into the Turks Dominions though in his Soul he had an aversion for the Persian Religion and in effect made profession of the Turkish Eider who was but seventeen years of age was so impatient to get into the Throne that he had the insolence to put the Crown on his head and present himself in that posture before his Father who was then near his death and desirous to make his advantage of Ismael's absence and Mahomet's refusal made use of the interest which Periaconcona his Sister had with the Grandees to mount the Throne The Princess who had declar'd for the interest of the elder Brethren considering with her self that in their absence Eider might commit such violences as might prevent her securing of the Crown for Ismael thought it not safe openly to oppose the pretensions of the younger Brother but suffer'd him to assume the title of King and he was acknowledg'd as such all over the Palace But she had all the Avenues so well Guarded that it was impossible for Eider's friends to carry any tidings of it to the City So that the young Prince coming to distrust his Sister's carriage and apprehending it might be their design to sacrifice him to his Brother's ambition conceal'd himself among the Women till such time as Schamal a Georgian his Uncle by the Mother-side found him out and cut off his head Ismael 11. coming to the Crown in the 43. year of his age and reflecting on his long imprisonment confirm'd by his procedure the antient Proverb which sayes that the reign of a Prince who returns from Exile is ever cruel and bloudy This man began his with the executions of all the Kinred and Frinds of Eider and all those who had advis'd his Father to imprison him pursuing those whom he could not get apprehended even as far as the Frontiers of Turkey and at his first entrance discover'd the inclination he had to the Turkish Religion which he openly profess'd To find out how the Grandees of the Kingdom were affected towards him a report was spread abroad of his death but he rose up again too soon for those who had been so imprudent as to discover their aversion to his Government For he brought to execution all such as he conceiv'd any jealousie of and exercis'd so great cruelty that his
reign of Schach-Abas began to grow so odious and insupportable to the Grandees of the kingdom that some had the confidence to cast a Note into Myrsa's Chamber whereby they discover'd to him that if he would not stand in his own way he might immediately succeed the king his Father and that if he would consent to the Execution of the Design they were engag'd in to that end they would soon show him how the business was to be effected Sefi conceiv'd a horrour at the Proposition whereby he was to be a complice in his Father's death and thereupon carried the Note to the king accompanying his free and innocent proceeding with so many protestations of the sincerity of his intentions and an absolute dependence on his Father's will as might well satisfie any other mind less distrustfull than that of Schach-Abas He could not forbear expressing outwardly that he was very well satisfy'd with his Son and commended his affection and piety but he afterwards fell into such frights as depriv'd him of all rest and oblig'd him to change his Lodging twice or thrice in a night with such disturbances as he conceiv'd he could not be deliver'd of otherwise than by the death of his Son According to these apprehensions being one day at Rescht in the Province of Kilan with the whole Court about him a Flatterer so heighten'd the distractions of his mind by the false Alarm he gave him of a new Conspiracy of Myrsa's with several of the great Lords of the kingdom against him that he resolv'd he should dye He thought at first to employ in that Commission Kartzschuckai-Chan General of the Army or Constable of Persia and would have oblig'd him to kill his Son with his own hands This Lord was Originally descended from an Armenian Family born by Father and Mother-side of Christians and had been stollen away in his youth by the Tartars who had Circumcis'd and sold him to Schach-Abas The freedom and sincerity of his disposition and demeanour had gain'd him the friendship of the whole Court and his courage had so well setled him in the king's favour that having by his means had several great victories over his Enemies he had conferr'd on him the Command of his Army and look'd upon him with such respect that he never call'd him by any other name than that of Aga that is the Captain The king would needs put him upon this important service as considering him to be the person who of any in his kingdom was the most oblig'd to him for his Fortune But the grave old Man having laid down his Sword at the kings feet and cast himself by it told him that he was so infinitely oblig'd to his Majesty that he would rather lose a thousand lives than that he should be ever reproach'd to have imbru'd his hands in the blood of any of the royal Progeny so far was it against his Soul to commit a Crime of that nature and by putting to death the Heir of the Crown execute a command which the king could not impose upon him without regret and which were no sooner put in Execution but he would repent him of it Schach-Abas was satisfy'd with this excuse from him and made the same Proposition to a Gentleman named Bebut-Beg whom he found not so scrupulous as Kartzschuckai-Chan This man having undertaken that Commission went immediately to Sefi Myrsa and having met him coming out of a Bath riding on a Mule and accompany'd only by a single Page layes hold on the Bridle stayes the Mule and sayes Alight Sefi Myrsa it is the pleasure of the king thy Father that thou should'st die and thereupon throws him down The unfortunate Prince joyning his hands together and lifting up his eyes to Heaven cries out O my God! what have I done to deserve this disgrace Cursed be the Traytor who is the occasion thereof But since it is the pleasure of God thus to dispose of me Gods will and the King 's be done He had hardly the time to speak out those words ere Bebut gave him two stabs with a Chentze which is a kind of Ponyard ordinarily worn by the Persians in their Girdles wherewith he laid him dead upon the place The body was dragg'd into a Fen not far thence where it continu'd above four hours In the mean time the news of this Murther being brought into the City the people ran in multitudes to the Palace threatned to force the Gates and would have the Authors thereof deliver'd up to them in so much that the Chans who were afraid that in the fury of their first insurrection the people would wreak their malice indifferently on all they met forsook the king and got away The Queen Myrsa's Mother understanding that her Son had been kill'd by the king's express order was so overcome with grief that not minding the humour of the Prince she had then to do withall who could not endure the lest opposition she ran into the king's Apartment and not thinking it enough to reproach him with his inhumanity and the barbarous death of an innocent Prince and one whom he had tenderly lov'd she flew in his face and beat him with her first But the king instead of being angry with her was at an absolute loss and at last made her answer with tears in his eyes What would you have had me to do News was brought me that he had a design upon my life There is now no remedy what 's done cannot be recall'd On the other side Schach-Abas had no sooner heard of this execution but it repented him of having commanded it and express'd no small regret that he had proceeded with so much precipitation in a business of that importance He thought it not enough to acknowledge it done by his order but would needs continue ten dayes shut up in a place where he would not see the light of the Sun as having all that time a Handkercher over his eyes He liv'd a whole moneth and eat no more than what was purely necessary to keep him from starving He went in mourning a whole year and all his life after he wore not any thing about him that might as to matter of Cloaths distinguish him from the meanest of his Subjects And in some fort to eternize the memory of the Prince he caus'd the place where he was kill'd to be encompass'd with a high Wall made a Sanctuary of it and allow'd it a certain Revenue for the entertainment of a great number of poor people The first ten dayes of his greatest mourning being over he went from Râ—scht to Caswin where he would needs entertain the Chans whom he any way suspected and the Flatterer who had made him jealous of the Prince at a Dinner but he caus'd poyson to be mixt in their Wine and kept them so long at Table till he saw them all dead in the place The action of Bebut-beg was indeed recompens'd with the charge of Daruga of Caswin and some time after with
that they said There is but one God Mahumet the Apostle of God and Aly Coadjutor or Lieutenant of God Nay they presume to affirm that though Aly be not really God yet he comes very neer him And to prefer him even before Mahomet himself they add hereto that it was God's intention to bestow the Alcoran on Aly and that it was by mistake it fell into the hands of Mahomet But as to Abubeker Omar and Osman they who at Prayer time call the people together for the Persians as well as the Turks use no Bells will be sure to Curse these three pretended Prophets and to execrate them to the pit of Hell They have commonly these words in their mouth Kiri Sekder deheni Abubeker Omar Osman Hanifebad that is many Dogs stones stop the mouths of these Prophets which is an abomination to the ears of the Turks who upon this accompt are become irreconcileable Enemies to the Persians especially since Sedredin and Tzinid whom some name Gutnet express'd so great a zeal for the establishment and advancement of their Sect which is in process of time grown so strong that their Schichs are become Schachs that is their Prophets have chang'd their quality into that of Kings The Persians not thinking it enough to have establish'd the Sanctity nay in some measure the Divinity of Aly were of opinion that he had communicated some part of that quality to those of his Family and that they might bestow the denomination of Saints upon his first Successors of whom there were related many Miracles whereby their memories have been celebrated and their Sepulchres enrich'd by the Presents sent into them He had lâ—ft two Sons Hassan and Hossein who left Seinel Abedin Mahumed-Bagur Tzafer-Saduk Musai-Casum Risa Mahumed-Taggi Alli Naggi Hossein Alkeri and Mehedi whereof some to wit Hassan Scinel Abedin Mahumedâ—Bagur Mahumedâ—Taggi and Alli Naggi are interr'd at Medina Tzafer Saduk at Bagdat and Hossein Musai-Kasum and Hossein Alkeri at Kelbula or Kufa They affirm that Mehedi is not dead but lies hid in a Cave near Kufa where he is to remain till the day of Judgement which is to be when his shooes which he left at the entrance of it and which are already turn'd half way shall be quite turned towards the Cave so as that at his coming out he may put his feet into them to go and convert all the World to the Faith of the Alcoran On these twelve Saints they bestow the quality of Imam or Prelate To these as also to the Institutor of their Sect Schich-Sosi they address their Prayers and Devotions and it is to the four Sepulchres of them that they go on Pilgrimages especially when their affairs permit them not to go to Meca or Medina They give the Pilgrims a Certificate or Testimonial called Sijaretname whereby they are not only known to be true Mussulmans professing the true Persian Religion but there is also a further particular advantage of these Testimonials in that they save their lives who are in disgrace with the Kings or Governours of the Provinces where they live We have seen instances hereof in our Interpreter whose name was Rustam who took one of them to avoid the punishment which he migh have suffered for embracing the Christian Religion in England and another in Tzirrachan who took this course to save himself as we have related elsewhere The Persians Celebrate every year with great Ceremonies the memory and death of Hassan and Hossein The Turks deride them for it and on the contrary have a great Veneration for Abubeker Omar and Osman and highly esteem Hanife their chief Commentator and Paraphrast of the Alcoran The Persians execrate the memory of the three former and speak of the last as an Impostor who hath made false explications of the Alcoran They affirm that Hanife being a servant to Tzafur Saduk was very carefull to preserve the water wherein that Saint had wash'd his hands which he carried into Turkey rubb'd therewith the eyes of several blind people who by that means recover'd their sight and wrought divers other Miracles the honour whereof belongs only to the Saints of Persia. They add to this that Schach Tamas after the taking of Bagdat caus'd the body of Hanife who had a very sumptuous Tomb there to be taken up and that he converted the Masur or place of his Sepulture into a Stable and the Sepulchre into a Sink or common House of ease There are many Authors have Commented on the Alcoran but they who have had a particular illumination for that work and have in their opinion best understood the Sentiments of Mahomet are Aly and Tzafur-Saduk whom the Persians prefer before all the rest The Turks most esteem Hanife and the Vsbeques Tartars as also the Indians follow the explication of Hembili and Maleki The Alcoran in many places is not to be understood not only in that Mahomet himself seems to have affected obscurity as not knowing himself what he would say but also in this regard that many times he alludes to stories which peradventure never happened and whereof the Commentators certainly having no knowledge have supply'd the defect with their own fictions fables and impostures which have no likelyhood of truth in them But not to digress from the Persians whom it is our particular design here to give an accompt of it is a thing much to be admir'd that these people who are so ingenious and so wise in their Generation and so excellently well vers'd in the affairs of the World could be brought to believe things so ridiculous and the many fables their Books of Devotion are fill'd with As for instance among others that Duldul so they call Aly's Horse was got of a Rock That it was the Angel Gabriel who brought him the Sword called Dzulfakar wherewith he did so many great exploits That with the said Sword he kill'd a Dragon that had seven heads and cut a Devil to pieces And that Sulthan Mahomet Chodabende being one day a-hunting neer Kufa discover'd thereabouts a Sepulchre with this Inscription Vnder this place ly Adam Noe and Aly and that thereupon the Sulthan had ordered the building of the Citie of Netzef where he had erected a Tomb in memory of Aly. But there is not any thing so ridiculously flat as the story they relate of Aly's drinking with the Angels in Paradise And that there may be no scruple made of the supernatural and as it were Divine power attributed by them to the Author of their Sect they relate a great number of Miracles wrought by him which Miracles indeed are chargeable with some imposture among those of other perswasions but in the Religion of the Persians they are the more impertinent in that they make their Saints do them without any necessity As for instance when they affirm that Schich Sofi being yet very young and going to see Schich Sahadi who was a great Saint and a very wise man and liv'd in
in but it was very late ere the rest reach'd it nay some got not thither till after midnight some not till the next morning The Camels which being so heavily loaden where not able to get up so narrow and slippery a way as is that of the Mountain came not till eight dayes after The Chan had assign'd us the same Quarters we had had at our former passage that way so that we were all lodg'd at the houses of the same Armeniaus our antient Landlords They receiv'd us very kindly and as to the Ambassadors the Chan sent them a Supper from his own Kitchin For my own particular I had several Presents sent me from my friends and Tutors as Maheb Aly the Molla Imanculi and Chalil who sent me several dishes of Apples and Grapes and came to see me the next day to examine how I had improv'd my self in their Language Feb. 22. The Chan and Calenter came in person to see the Ambassadors and invited them and their retinue to a Supper In the evening the Chan sent horses to bring them to the Palace He treated us magnificently and entertain'd us with very civil discourses and such as were the more obliging in that we afterwards found the effects of them during our aboad at Scamachie where we continu'd five weeks during which we had the divertisement of several hunting matches and were treated a great Feasts which the Chan made from time to time purposely for us Alexi Savinowits Ambassador of Muscovy made a great and sumptuous entertainment on the first of March in commemoration of the birth of the Great Duke his Master The 3. 6. and 10. the Chan treated us at his own Palace to celebrate their Naurus or Newyear Chalip the Minatzim or Astrologer belonging to the Chan sent me for my new-years-gift a fat Lamb. March 14. Areb-Chan receiv'd an assurance of the continuance of the King's favour towards him according to the custome by the Present of a new Garment in as much as when the Chans and Governours have made their ordinary Presents the King sends an express to them to assure them either of his favour or displeasure whereof the Ceremony is this The King's Envoy or Express being come within three or four leagues of the City sends a Messenger to give the Governour notice of it and to let him know he brings him good news The Governour who many times is not sure to return again takes his leave of the City as if he were not to come thither any more and goes a league out of the City to meet the Envoy accompany'd by all his friends As soon as the Envoy sees the Governour coming he makes a halt and the Governour alights and puts off his Sword Garment and Turbant and in that posture approches the Envoy who hath in a Box cover'd with some rich Tapistry a Letter of grace with a new Garment or else an order to bring the Governour 's head If the Kings favour be confirm'd to him he receives from the Envoy the new Garment which he kisses at the collar touches with his fore head and then puts it on If the Envoy hath an order to bring away the Governour 's head he presently hath it cut off puts it into the Box and immediately returns There are diverse examples of these executions in the time of Schach-Abas as also in that of Schach-Sefi The former caus'd to be executed after this manner Ahmad Chan of Hemedan Kaban Chan of Orumi and Baisunkur Sulthan Governour of Magasburt and the later put to death by an Envoy Iarali Sulthan of Maku and Moral Sulthan of Bajesid But this last caus'd them to be strangled and afterwards to be flead and order'd their skins fill'd with Hay to be set in the high-way because they had over-easily deliver'd up those places wherewith he had entrusted them Areb-Chan intreated the Ambassadors to be present at an action which he knew could not be otherwise than advantageous to him in so much that he had got a large dose of drink ere he went out of the City He was mounted on an excellent Roan horse without any Arms causing to be led before him several other gallant horses with rich trappings and having about his person fifteen of his Guard with their Carabins and a retinue of about four hundred men besides the Ambassadors and the Calenter who accompany'd him with their Domesticks He march'd in this order as far as the King's Garden without the City halting several times to make the Company drink and causing several young Lads to dance in the mean time His two Sons whereof the elder was but 20. years of age and the younger 18. both very handsome well shap'd persons follow'd him with most of the Inhabitants of the City and certain men on horse-back who were cover'd with Lynxes-skins and the furres of Buchar-Sheep and carried on the tops of long Poles certain Turks Heads fill'd with Hay and the Colours which Areb had taken from them He alighted before the Garden and found the King's Envoy at the entrance of it attended by three Servants and holding the Box in his hand The Chan being come within ten or twelve paces of the Envoy he very cheerfully put off his Garment and Turbant but perceiving the Envoy stood a while without saying ought to him he began to be a little startled and out of countenance till the Envoy said to him Ai Areb-Chan whereto Areb answer'd Nediersen what saiest thou The Envoy continu'd Schach Sefi ne chales kunderdiwe rakem Schach Sefi dnsti sen that is Schach Sefi sends thee a Garment and a Letter of Favour thou art certainly belov'd of the King Whereto the Chan reply'd very couragiously Scahung dowletti berkarar olsumwe birkuni minkun olsun men seahung birkari kulim that is May the King's Wealth continue for ever and may every day of his be as a thousand I am one of the King 's old Servants He thereupon took the Garment with very great submission It was of Sea-green Satin The Envoy help'd him to put it on with a Rochet of cloath of Gold a Girdle and Turbant The Envoy had for his pains a Present of certain Tumains Then the Casi or Judge made a Prayer for the King's health which ended the Chan's Steward cry'd out Schach dowetine Kasiler kuweline Chan saglukine alla dielim that is We pray for the prosperity of the King the success of his Soldiers and the health of the Chan whereto all the people answer'd Alla Alla Alla. These Ceremonies ended the Trumpets sounded and the Tymbrels were play'd on and and the Chan return'd to the City causing to be carried before him the Turks heads and Colours which at his coming thence had march'd after him The Chan invited the Ambassadors to Dinner but he himself had drunk so liberally that he was forc'd to rise from Table and the Company soon after withdrew The 22. being Maundy Thursday the Armenians performed the Ceremony of the washing
troubled at any thing the Tartars could do in regard we knew not how far we should credit their relation However we thought good to make our advantage of it upon this reflection that we found no order taken for our departure thence and that there came thither a party of forty Tartars of Boinak that Messengers pass'd to and fro as if it were in order to the execution of some great design The Ambassadors having call'd together the chief of the retinue represented the danger we were in put it to the question what were best to be done It was urg'd that it had been more prudence to treat those Barbarians kindly than to have exasperated them as had been done but since there was no recalling of what was past that the only way was to take courage and â—ell our lives at the dearest rate we could That having on both sides of us inaccessible Rocks the Sea behind and the Tartars before us it would be more honourable for us to dy nobly than fall alive into the hands of the Tartars Our greatest misfortune was that there were differences among our selves The Ambassador Brugman carried on his private designs and found fault with whatever others advis'd especially those among us who any way pretended to Learning Certain it is that instead of contributing his endeavours to our preservation he would have contriv'd our ruin could he have done it without danger to himself We understood since that it was really the design of the Tartars to set upon us and that they had done it if the Schemkal out of hopes to have the whole booty himself and trapann'd us an other way had not prevented them He sent an Express to tell us that we should take our way over the Bridge of Boats above the City of his ordinary residence that if we took any other even that of the Sea-side where we might have cross'd the River by Boat he should treat us as Enemies The Messenger he sent us having concluded his discourse rose up and would have been gone but the Muscovian Ambassador taking him by the arm said to him Friend go and tell thy Schemkal that he is not to appoint us our way we shall take that we think fit 't is true it well be no hard matter for him to cut off a handful of people but let him know that the Czaar who is most concern'd in this Embassy will resent it and revenge our deaths with the greatest cruelty imaginable This sharp and resolute answer made the Tartars quit the design they had to set upon us as they intended and oblig'd them to change their manner of proceeding So that Apr. 20. we were visited by four Tartar-Princes who din'd with the Ambassadors in their Tent and were not ill treated considering the place we were then at All their discourse was only of robbing and stealing and selling men nay one of them said that all the week before he had stoln but one poor Girl After they were gone the Prince of Osmin's Brother came to visit us He express'd somewhat of civility and made us great proffers of his services After him came the Daruga of the City of Tarku We ask'd him why we were not furnish'd with conveniences of carriadge for our Baggage He ingenuously told us that we were not to expect any till we had made a Present to Surkou Chan. The next day there was one sent him to wit a pair of gold Bracelers a pound of Tabacco a Pistol a Firelock a barel of Powder two pieces of Persia-Satin and several sorts of Spices with this message withall that a barel of Aquavitae should be sent him as soon as we came to Terki This Present took him so as that he prefently promis'd we should have all conveniences for mony and invited the Ambassadors to come and dine with him It was taken into consideration whether they should go or not but at last it was resolv'd they should taking along with them four other persons The cloath was laid upon the ground according to the Persian way and the whole entertainment consisted in four dishes wherein there were little slices of Mutton drawn upon sticks some Whitings and Curds and in four other lesser dishes Rice with pieces of Mutton in it and raisins of the Sun The Carver sate in the middle of the dishes and having broke a long thin Cake he cast a piece of it to every one of the Guests He also tore the pieces of Meat and the Fish but all was done only by his hands which were as black as his face so that the fat running between his fingers and mingling with the dirt from which it took another colour almost turn'd our stomacks But there was a necessity we should comply Our drink was only water in great glasses and afterwards Aquavitae in silver Cups After dinner they would needs hear our Musick which we sent for and after a divertisement of three hours there was meat brought in again I observ'd among other things the Liver and Rump of a Sheep which was all fat and weigh'd at least five or six pound One of the Carvers for at this second treatment there were three minc'd the meat very small salted it well and serv'd every man by handfuls The meat look'd as if it had been chew'd before yet was it not so bad as against our stomacks After the treatment we return'd to our Quarters The next day Apr. 21. one of the other Princes named Iman Myrsa invited the Ambassadors to dinner He was very young as being not full eighteen years of age and born between a Brother of Chan's and a woman by birth a Kasamuka His Servant told us that Surkou Chan usurp'd the Principality from him and that his life was in some danger by reason of his Uncle The cloath was laid in a great Hall where we sate down with Imam Myrsa and some other Lords of the Country in Chairs at a low Table We were better treated than we had been the day before and the Meat was better drest Among other dishes there was brought in a whole Lamb roasted whereof every one carv'd himself what he pleas'd They used no knives but tore the Meat in pieces and I observ'd that when one had left any Meat about the bone his next neighbour took it up and pick'd it and many times it went to a third and fourth hand till at last he who could find nothing about it would try what there was within and get out the marrow Their drinking Vessels are of Cows-horns and their drink a sort of liquor called Bragga which they make of Millet and in colour and consistence looks like the lees of beet They think it very delicious and drink freely of it as they do also of Aquavitae and grow of a sudden so drunk that notwithstanding the presence of their Pâ—ince they made such a noise as would have drown'd Thunder it self The Tartars having thus treated us we took leave
engraven upon a square pillar certain unknown characters which have nothing common with either the Greek Hebrew or Arabian nor indeed with any other language There are twelve lines of these characters which as to their figure are triangular Piramidal or like obelisques but so well graven and so proportionate that those who did them cannot be thought Barbarians Some believe they are Telesmes and that they contain some secrets which Time will discover Besides these there is also a great Court upon the same ground-work which is ninety paces square having on each side two gates whereof some are six others but three paces wide all built of a very well polish'd marble whereof the several pieces are eight foot in length and three in breadth In another Court there are represented in carv'd-work in marble battels triumphs and Olympick games very well done and with an exact observance of proportion Upon every gate is represented a man with a graceful countenance sitting and holding in one hand a Globe in the other a Scepter though the Kings of Persia never sate in that posture I had the curiosity to get up on high where I found the figure of a King at his devotions adoring the Sun Fire and a Serpent It is not easie to affirm whether the Architecture of this Palace be of the Ionick Dorick or Corinthian order the building is so ruin'd though there be yet as much left as would find work for a good able Painter for six months 'T is a thousand pities that no body hath yet had the curiosity to have it graven had it been only out of this motive that the barbarous people thereabouts ruine it daiâ—â— more and more and convey away the stones to carry on private buildings Aeâ—ian sayes that the Grand Cyrus was grown famous for the Palace he had built in the City of Persepolis whereof he had himself laid the foundation Darius for that built by him at Susa and Cyrus the younger for the pleasant Gardens which he had himself planted and cultivated in Lydia If this be the same place which Diodorus Siculus makes mention of it is certain that both as to greatness and magnificence it exceeded all those of that time He sayes it was encompass'd with three walls of Marble whereof the first was 16. the second 32. and the third 60. ells high with the gates and balconies of brass The work of so many years and all that wealth were destroy'd in a few hours by Alexander the great who upon the perswasion of a common Prostitute caused it to be fired as Quintus Curtius gives an account of it in his History Having view'd these Antiquities which with those of Derbent were all we met with in our Travels I prosecuted my journey the 28. of Ianuary and got that day ten Leagues to the City of Sehiras In this City I met with four Italian Carmelites who have a very handsome well built Monastery there and enjoy an absolute liberty of conscience under the jurisdiction of the King of Persia. There had also been heretofore a Monastery of Austin-Friers but they were forc'd thence with the other Portuguez when the City of Ormus was taken from them Schiras is the chief City of the Province of Fars at 29. degrees 36. minutes seated in a very pleasant place at the foot of certain Mountains upon the River Sendemer heretofore called Arâ—xes which disembogues it self into the Persian Gulf. We were told the City had been much bigger then it is now though there be in it at present above ten thousand houses which I the more easily credited in that we found all about it and half a league beyond the ruines of the gates and walls of a great City Whatever Nature supplies mankind withall not only for necessity but also for pleasure is here to be had in great abundance as Wheat Wine Oranges Lemmons Pomegranats Almonds Dates Pistachoes c. and the lovely Cypress-trees afford a pleasant shade against the excessive heats The best Wine of all Persia grows hereabouts and in such abundance that it is transported all over the Kingdom especially to the Court where the King and great Lords drink not any other 'T is more sprightly and more pleasant then Canary but in regard no person of quality but drinks of it and is willing to treat his friends with Schiras Scharab it is dear enough at Ispahan where it is sold at half a Crown a pottle The soil hereabouts is very fertile and produces abundance of Wheat and Fruit. The Sheep which are of an Ash-grey colour with an eye of white have their wooll curled or frizled and their tails are so big and so fat that they weigh 18. or 20. pound The adjacent Forrests afford abundance of Mastick which the Country people gather in dishes fastned to the Trees It is at first green but the Air in time corrupting it gives it the brown colour it is of when brought into Europe I stayed eight dayes at Schiras as well to rest my Horses as to fortifie my self against the hardship I was to expect in my future travel it being a hundred Leagues to Ormus through a Country where I should not find what I left behind me at Schiras which is doubtless the principal City of Persia for Wine and Women and affords so great enjoyments to those who can use these two things with moderation that the Persians are wont to say that if Mahomet had tasted the pleasures of Schiras he would have desired God to make him immortal there I left it the fifth of February and passed by two Caravanseras and took up my lodging at the third having travell'd that day ten Leagues through a fair even way The sixth I got seven Leagues having a very bad way but in sight of many Villages whereof the prospect was the more pleasant by reason of the Date-trees all about them The seventh I passed by one of these Caravanseras and got that day ten Leagues taking up my quarters in the little City of Scharim in the middle of a Forrest of Date-trees The five dayes following were the most troublesome of all my life For the eighth of February we got but five Leagues through the most horrid way in the world I cannot imagine how people made a shift to travel that way before Imanculi Chan of whom somewhat hath been said elsewhere who was so cruelly put to death with all his children by Schach Sefi caus'd it to be repaired with incredible expence when at this day a man cannot pass but in great danger of his life by reason of the uneven and narrow wayes between steepy mountains on the one side and dreadful precipices on the other where I very narrowly avoided a mis-fortune which happens there very often For my Horse's hoof which I was leading by the bridle being fill'd with snow he stumbled upon me forc'd me out of the way so as that had I not caught hold of a wild Almond tree which
Couteval or Kings Lieutenant hath given him by way of Present about 15. pence for every Wagoâ— and it is lawful for all Forreigners to buy and sell and trade in all sorts of Merchandises those only excepted which are prohibited as Gun-powder Lead and Salt-Peter which may not be transported without the Governours permission but that it is no hard matter to obtain making but a slender acknowledgment of his favour therein The City of Amadabat comprehends within its territory twenty five great Towns and two thousand nine hundred ninety and eight Villages so as that the revenue thereof amounts to above six millions of Crowns whereof the Governour hath the disposal and therewith maintains the Souldiers whom he is oblig'd to keep for the Kings service especially against Robbers upon the high-wayes though many times he protects them and divides the booty with them The Couteval who is as it were the King Lieutenant commands under the Sulthan and mannages the political Government nay meddles also with the administration of Justice joyntly with the Kasi or ordinary Judge The Mogul hath there also several other Officers who are as it were Controllers and Supervisors of those we last named The dayes following I spent in seeing the Sepulchres which are about the City and among others particularly that which is in the Village of Zirkees about a League and a half from Amadabat 'T is the work of a King of Guzuratta built by him to the memory of a Kasi who had been his Praeceptor and is grown very famous upon the account of many pretended Miracles done by him after his death The whole Structure wherein there are four hundred and forty great pillars thirty foot high is of Marble as also the floor of it and serves for a Sepulchre to three other Kings who would needs be buried there with their Families At the entrance of this sumptuous Monument there is a large Tanke or Cistern full of water and enclos'd with a wall which hath several windows all about it The Mahumetans of those parts go on Pilgrimage thither and in this Village of Zirkees is made the best Indico in all the Country About a League thence there is a spacious Garden with a fair House within it which the Mogul Chon Chimauw built in memory of a Victory gained by him in that place over Sulthan Mahomed Begeran last King of Guzuratta upon which he united that Kingdom to his Crown as we shall express hereafter About a League and a half from the City we were shewn a Sepulchre which they call Betti-Chuit that is to say thy daughters shame discovered There lies interr'd in it a rich Merchant a Moor named Hajam Majom who falling in love with his own Daughter and desirous to shew some pretence for his incest went to an Ecclesiastical Judge and told him in general terms That he had in his youth taken the pleasure to plant a Garden and to dress and order it with great care so that now it brought forth such excellent fruits that his neighbours were extreamly desirous thereof that he was every day importuned to communicate unto them but that he could not yet be perswaded to part therewith and that it was his design to make use of them himself if the Judge would grant him in writing a Licence to do it The Kasi who was not able to dive into the wicked intentions of this unfortunate man made answer That there was no difficulty in all this and so immediately declar'd as much in writing Hajom shewed it his Daughter and finding nevertheless that neither his own authority nor the general permission of the Judge would make her consent to his brutal enjoyments he ravished her She complain'd to her Mother who made so much noise about it that the King Mahomet Begeran coming to hear thereof ordered him to lose his head Not far from Amadabat begin to appear the dreadful Mountains of Marva which reach above 70. Leagues towards Agra and above a hundred towards Ouyen and are so inaccessible that the Castle of Gurchitto where lives Rana one of the principal Radias of those parts is accounted impregnable in so much that the Kings of Pettan and the Mogul himself found much ado to reduce it The Indians who are Pagans have still a great Veneration for that Prince who they say was so powerful as that he could in a short time bring 120000. Horse into the Field In the Mountain which lies between Amadabat and Trappe there lives another Radia who is not subject to the Mogul by reason the Woods and Deserts secure him against that Prince who with all his power is not able to force him out of the places he is possess'd of no more then he is the Radia of Ider who is his Vassal but many times refuses to obey his Orders One of the noblest Gardens about the City is that of Schach-bag in that part of the Suburbs which is called Begampour It is the King Garden very spacious encompass'd with a high Wall and hath within it a very fair House the Ditches whereof are full of water and the appartments richly furnish'd I went thence along a Stone-bridge which is four hundred paces in length to another Garden called Niccinabag that is to say the Jewel and they say it was planted by a beautiful and rich young Lady The Garden is not very great no more then the House within it but both very advantageously seated in a place high enough to discover all the adjacent Champion and upon the avenues of the Bridge to make the noblest prospect that ever I saw The Rain which falls in the Winter time supplyes a great Fish-poud or Pool in the middle of the Garden but in Summer they make use of certain Engines wherewith many Oxen put together draw up the water out of Wells which are so deep that they are never dry A man can seldom go to this Garden but he shall find some young Women bathing themselves they will not persuit the Indians should see them but suffered us to come in and speak to them There are so many other Gardens about Amadabat and the whole City is so full of Trees that a man may say it makes all but one Garden for as he comes to the City he sees such abundance of them that he may well think he is going into a Forrest Among other things I took particular notice of the High-way which they call Bascaban and leads to a Village six Leagues distant from the City It is so straight that it should seem they took a great pleasure in planting the Trees about it whereof there is a double row on both sides upon a straight line They are Cocos-Trees which at all times refresh Travellers with their shade but this road comes nothing near that which goes from Agra to Barampour which makes but one continued Ally for a hundred and fifty Germans Leagues together All these Teees lodge and feed an incredible
had in it two or three fair Structures one whereof being over the Gate had many noble Appartments In the midst of the Garden there is a very high place within which was the Sepulchre of the Mahumetan who had founded it and was there buried with all his Family The Tomb was covered with Marble and had several Arabian Inscriptions There is not any place in all those parts that hath so noble a prospect as this not only towards the Sea-side but also towards the Land where a man hath the sight of the noblest Champion Country in the World This is so pleasant a place that the Mogul being one day at Cambaya would needs take up his Lodging in the Garden and caused the Stones of the Sepulchre to be taken away that his Tent might be pitch'd there While I was taking a particular view of that Structure came up to us two English Merchants who obligingly reproach'd me with the slurre I put upon their Nation in preferring the House of a Mahumetan before their Lodge as if I had been but poorly entertain'd at Suratta and other places where I had lodg'd among them They proffered me their company to walk and promised to carry me the next morning to a place where an Indian Widow was to be burnt with her own consent I went at night to my Lodging whither the Brocker brought several Alcatifs or pieces of Tapistry quilted Coverlets Silk-stuffes Cottons Vessels Handles for Knives Seals Bracelets Rings and Buttons of Agat Cornelian and Jasper c. of all sorts of colours which pleased me very well but not being in a condition to spare any money I only bought some few trifles to keep in favour with my Merchant The next day the English Merchants came to my Lodging whence we went together to the River side without the City where this voluntary execution was to be done The Womans Husband was a Rasboute and had been kill'd near Labor 200. Leagues from Cambaya As soon as she had heard of his death she would needs do his Obsequies by causing her self to be burnt alive but whereas the Mogul and his Officers are Mahumetans who endeavour by degrees to abolish this heathenish and barbarous Custom the Governour had a long time oppos'd her desires under pretence that the news of her Husbands death being uncertain he could not consent to the doing of an inhumane action whereof there would afterwards haply be cause to repent The Governours design was to see whether time would abate any thing of her passion and the earnestness she was in to follow her Husband into the other World but seeing she was daily more and more instant to do it he permitted her to comply with the Laws of her own Religion She was not above twenty years of age yet we saw her come up to the place of her execution with so much confidence and a chearfulness so extraordinary to those who go to present and inevitable death that I was much inclin'd to believe that she had dull'd her senses with a dose of Opium which is as commonly used in the Indies as in Pâ—â—sia In the front of the Procession marched the Country Musick consisting of Haw-boys and and Timbrels Then follow'd a great many Maids and Women singing and dancing before the Widow who was drest in her richest Cloathing and had her Fingers her Armes and Legs loaden with Rings Bracelets and Carkanets After her came a confused company of Men Women and Children and so concluded the Procession She made a stop at the Funeral Pile which had been purposely erected for the Ceremony The Woman had wash'd her self in the River that she might meet her Husband in a state of Purity in regard the body of the deceased being not upon the place she could not accompany it in its passage into the other World The Pile was of the wood of Apricock-trees among which they had put in some Sanders and Cinnamon Having look'd upon it with a certain contempt she took leave of her Kindred and Friends and distributed among them the Rings and Bracelets she had about her I was something near her on horseback with the two English Merchants and I think she perceiv'd in my countenance that I pitied her whence it came that she cast me one of her Bracelets which I had the good hap to catch and still keep in remembrance of so extraordinary an Action As soon as she was got upon the Pile they set fire to it which she perceiving pour'd on her head a Vessel of persum'd Oly which the fire immediately taking hold of she was smother'd in an instant so as that she was not perceiv'd to make the least wry face at it Some that were present cast upon her several Cruses of Oyl which soon reduc'd the body to ashes while the rest of the Assembly fill'd the Air with their cries and shouts such as must needs have hindred those of the Widow to be heard if she had the time to make any in the fire which had made a sudden dispatch of her as if it had been Lighting The Ashes were cast into the River I was told that this barbarous Custom had been introduc'd among the Pagans of those parts upon this account that Polygamy occasioning much heart-burning among the Women arising either from the little satisfaction they could have from a man who is oblig'd to divide his affections or the jealousie which is unavoidable among Rivals of that Sex it happened that the Women procur'd their Husbands death and 't was found that in one year there had been four Men buried for one Woman so that to oblige them to be careful of their Husbands lives it was ordered that such as were desirous to be accounted honest Women should be ingag'd to accompany their Husbands at their death and to be burnt together with their bodies Certain it is that the Persians and other neighbouring Nations have ever had so particular a veneration for the fire that it is not to be admir'd they should chuse rather to reduce their deceased to ashes then bury them I say this Obligation of dying with their Husbands was imposed only on those Women who stood upon the reputation of honesty yet so as they were engag'd thereto only by a principle of honour there being not any punishment to be inflicted on such as refused to follow them in that dreadful journey other then that they were not admitted into the company of Persons of quality as being looked on as infamous Women They who are not so scrupulous and stand not so much upon the punctilio of Honour and prefer their lives before their reputation do ordinarily strike in among the publick Dancers The Ceremony being over I went to see one of the chiefest Merchants of the City named Myrsabeg to whom I had Letters of recommendation from the Director of the Engglish Commerce at Amadabat He was not at home but I found him on the River side looking on some Workmen he had about
that they were valued at six Millions four hundred sixty three thousand seven hundred thirty one Ropias that is three Millions two hundred thirty one thousand eight hundred sixty five Crowns and a half In Artillery Powder Bullets and other Ammunition to the value of eight Millions five hundred seventy five thousand nine hundred seventy one Ropias that is four Millions two hundred eighty seven thousand nine hundred eighty five Crowns and a half In defensive and offensive Armes as Swords Bucklers Pikes Bows Arrows c. to the value of seven Millions five hundred fifty five thousand five hundred twenty five Ropias which amount to three Millions seven hundred seventy seven thousand seven hundred fifty two Crowns and a half In Saddles Bridles and Stirrups and other Harness belonging to Horses of Gold and Silver to the value of two Millions five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred forty eight Ropias or one Millions two hundred sixty two thousand eight hundred twenty four Crowns In Covering-clothes for Horses and Elephants embroidered with Gold Silver and Pearls five Millions of Ropias which amount to two Millions and five hundred thousand Crowns All these sums cast up together come to three hundred forty eight Millions two hundred twenty six thousand three hundred eighty six Ropias that is one hundred seventy four Millions a hundred and thirteen thousand seven hundred ninety three Crowns But this came not any thing near the Treasure which Scach Choram was possessed of at the time of my Travels in those Parts This Wealth is more and more augmented every day not so much out of the ordinary Revenue coming in from the great Kingdoms he hath in regard that as his ordinary Expence abates not any thing of his Treasure so is it seldom seen that he increases it by ought remaining at the years end of his Revenue as by the Presents which are made him and the Escheats falling to him at the death of great Lords and Favourites who make the Mogul Heir to what they had gotten by his Favour insomuch that the Children have no hope to enjoy ought of their Fathers Estates either Real or Personal For the Mogul's Authority is such and his Power so Absolute that the Estates of all his Subjects are at his disposal and thence it comes that only his will decides all differences arising among them they having no other Law then implicitely to submit to what he ordians He hath the absolute disposal of their Lives and Fortunes and thence it is that upon his meer Order and Command the greatest Lords are dragg'd to Execution and their Estates Charges and Governments taken away from them There is no hereditary Dignity in all his Country That of Rasgi or Raja which he bestows rather upon the account of Merit then Birth is Personal as that of Chan in Persia and is not deriv'd to Posterity but by the recommendation of Vertue Not that it is to be inferred hence that the Mogul does exclude from Charges the Children of such as have done him good service but he gives them lesser charges by which they may advance themselves to the chiefest in the Kingdom if either an extraordinary Vertue or the Princes Favour call them thereto The chiefest Offices of the Kingdom are those of principal Visir which is somewhat like that of Chancellourship elsewhere Chief of the Eunuchs who is as it were Lord High Steward the Treasurer the principal Secretary of State the General of the Elephants and the Overseer of the Houshold-stuffe Tents and precious Stones These are of the Princes Privy Council whereto is sometimes also called the Couteval who is as it were the chief Judge and commands the Mogul's Guard The Council sits in the night from seven of the clock till nine in a Hall which they call Gasalean No day almost passes but the Mogul is to be seen in the morning at Sun-rising at which time the Lords of the Court salute him with their Patschach Salammet as also about Noon when he comes to see the Beasts fight and in the Evening when he comes to a certain Window to behold the Sun-setting with whom he retires himself with the noise of a great number of Drums and Timbrels and the Acclamations of the people who wish him a long and happy life It is to be found among the Registers of the Kingdom that only the Provinces of Candahar Cabul Guzuratta Cassimer Barampour Dely Bengala Agra Orixa and some others bring in of yearly Revenue one hundred seventy four Millions and five hundred thousand Ropias which amount to fourscore and seven Millions and two hundred and fifty thousand Crowns and that the Province of Guzuratta alone is able to raise fourscore and ten thousand Horse Cambaya twelve thousand Kabul as many Orixa fourscore thousand and Dely one hundred and fifty thousand besides those which may be raised out of the other Provinces whereof I could get no certain Accompt All this Militia is divided into several Regiments whereof some are of fifteen or twelve thousand Horse which are for the Kings Sons and the principal Persons of the Kingdom who have also the Command of these Bodies which consist of but two three or four thousand Horse The Mogul Scach Choram when he went in Person in the year 1630. against Chan Chaan had an Army of one hundred forty four thousand and five hundred Horse besides Elephants Camels Mules and Horses for the Train That Army was divided into four Brigades which yet kept all together that only excepted which was about the Kings Person at Barampour The first was commanded by Schaaft-Chan the Son of Assaph-Chan and consisted of several Regiments to wit that of Schaaft-Chan which was of five thousand Horse 5000 That of his Father consisting also of five thousand Horse all Rasboutes 5000 Sadoch Chan. 3000 Myrsa Yedt Madaffer 3000 Giasar Chan. 2500 Godia Sabes 2000 Seid Iaffer 2100 Iaster Chan. 1000 Mahmud Chan. 1000 Alawerdi Chan. 2000 Safdel-Chan Badary 700 Myrsa-Scer-Seid 500 Baaker-Chan 500 Whereto were added besides four thousand six hundred Mansebdars in several loose Companies 4600 The second Body under the Command of Eradet-Chan consisted of the following Regiments That of Eradet-Chan of 4000 Rau-Donda 1000 Dorcadas 1200 Kerous 1200 Ram Tscheud Harran 1200 Mustapha-Chan 1000 Iakout-Chan 2000 Killously 3000 Sidi Fakir 1000 Ecka Berkendas 1000 Iogi-Rasgi the Son of Lala Berting 7000 Teluk-Tschaud 400 Iakoet-Beg 400 Three other Lords commanded each two hundred Horse 600 Aganour Chabonecan Babouchan Seid-Camel Sidiali and Sadaed-Chan each five hundred Horse 3000 So that this Body consisted of 28000 The third Body under the Command of Raja Gedsing consisted of the following Regiments Raja-Gedsing 3000 Raja-Bideldas 3000 Oderam 3000 Raja-Biemsor 2000 Madosing Son of Ram Rattung 1000 Raja-Ros-Assou 1000 Badouria Raja-Bhozo 1000 Raja-Kristensing 1000 Raja Sour 1000 Raja-T'Chettersing 500 Wauroup 500 Raja-Odasing 5000 And under several other Rajas 4500 That Brigade which was about the Kings Person at
They call their Brass or Copper money Tacques and it is prohibited upon pain of death that any should transport either Gold Silver or coined Brass out of the Country Speaking before casually of the fertility of this Country we said it wanted not any thing requisite for the life of Man It produces Wheat Rice Pease Beans Barly Millet Turkish Wheat Flax Mustard-seed c. Oyl Butter Cheese though somewhat dry and over-salted to please the palats of Forreigners and all these it is better stor'd with then any Province of Europe Their Wheat is much bigger and whiter then ours and they make bread of it not to be baked in an Oven as we do but upon Iron plates The poorer sort and particularly the Benjans make a kind of Flawns of it in Frying-pans over their fire of Cow-dung which they make use of instead of Wood. Their Pease and Benas are somewhat less then ours but much more delicate especially their red Chices wherewith in some places they feed their Horses Oxen and Buffles instead of Oats which is a kind of Grain not used in the Indies They do not make any Hay at all nor ever cut any Grass but what is eaten while it is green Their Sowing time is in May and their Harvest in November and December There is not any person in the Mogul's Countrey possess'd of any real Estate in Land But when Seed-time is coming on the Peasants apply themselves to the Governour or him who is next under the King in the several Provinces and acquaint him how much ground they intend to cultivate that year upon condition to allow the King a third part nay sometimes half the profits in so much that it often happens that the Peasants hardly get in the charges they had been at in the manuring of it On the contrary the Mogul leaves all the Meadow-ground to be Common and makes little or no advantage thereof whence it comes that most Grounds lye fallow and bring forth only Grass They sow in their Gardens all sorts of Pot-herbs as Lettice Succory Sorrel Parsley c Radishes Navew Cabbages Cowcumbers Citruls Garlick Onions Parsnips of several kinds but above all Melons which in delicacy exceed those of all other parts The Rose only excepted there is almost no Flower but is sought after more for its colour then scent for though those they call Mogera and ceampi have a good smell yet are the Women more in love with them for their colour then scent The former are white the latter yellow and both are to be had all the year long as also the Grass wherewith all the Fields are covered unless it be when the excessive heat of the Summer dries it up Besides the Trees known to us and which bring forth Lemmons Citrons of several kinds and Pomegranats there are also those called Ananas Banasses Iaccas Cocos and Fig-trees of which they most cultivate the Cocos-trees out of which they get the Terry There is also near Surat a kind of Grapes but much less then those of Persia and much dearer then any other Fruit of the Countrey We shall have occasion to speak of it elsewhere and shall therefore only add here that their Forrests which are full of these sorts of Trees are stor'd besides the Creatures we have spoken of heretofore with a kind of wild Dogs which they call Iakals but it is death for any to hurt them or any of the other Beasts that are yellow or black because that sport is reserv'd for the King and the Governour of the Province Their Horses are not comparable to those of Persia and Arabia yet are they at great charge in keeping them allowing a Groom for every Horse and feeding them after a particular manner When they give them of that kind of Pease called Ciches whereof we spoke before called by them Donna they cause them to be beaten and boil'd Besides which they give them twice a day morning and evening two pounds of Barly-meal which they make up into a Paste with half a pound of Butter and a pound of Sugar The Oxen of this Countrey are of the same making with ours save that they have a great bunch or rising between the Shoulders The Mahumetans are the only people that eat of them as they do also of Mutton but they are only the poorer sort that do so Persons of quality feed on Kid which they either roast whole making a Pudding of Rice Almonds and Raisins of the Sun in the belly or they stew them with Butter and Pepper which they call Brenghie and is very good meat They eat also of those Persian Sheep that have such fat tails but this is a very scarce dish and consequently reserv'd for great Mens Tables and extraordinary Entertainments They have also Fowl as Capons Peacocks Geese wild-Ducks Teal Partridges Pigeons Herons Sparrows as also all sorts of Birds of prey as Faulcons Tassels Hawks Eagles c. They want no River-fish as Carps Breams Eels c. and Salt-fish is extraordinary good and very cheap proceeding hence that the Pagans eat not of it at all and the Mahumetans love Flesh better then Fish They have also all sorts of Shell-fish as Oysters and Crabs and particularly a certain Fish which in the Maritime Towns of Picardy is called Cheurette and is a kind of great Prawn so big that a dozen of them makes a good dish It is very remarkable that whereas upon all the Coasts of Europe this Fish is best at the Full-moon in those parts it is so at the New and at the Full Shell-fish are in a manner empty The Fish called Tubarons which devour Men are often seen in those parts and that is one reason why all persons ordinarily bathe and wash themselves in Tankes Their Ships are but poorly built in so much that they have no other way to dispose of their Artillery but upon the deck and consequently in the open Air. The greatest Voyages they make are those of Iava and Sumatra Eastward and to Aden and Meca upon the Red-sea They sometimes carry above a thousand persons together who for the most part go upon Pilgrimage to Meca that at their return they may be put into the number of their Hoggoi or Saints They set sail at the beginning of the March-Moon and return in September for the tempests which reign from Iune till that time upon those Coasts makes them spend six moneths in a Voyage which might be performed in two The Commodities they transport to the Coasts of Aden are Cotten Linnen-cloath Indico Camphire Tobacco Allum Sulphur Benjamin Pepper and other Spices Mirobalans and several other sorts of Preserves and they bring back very little in Commodities to wit Coral Amber Misseit wherewith they dye red Kahwa or Coffee-berries and Opium which is accounted the best of all the East but their best returns consist in Gold and Silver coined The other Vessels which are less
natural Portuguez the greatest part are Mestizes or Malâ—yans The City is so commodiously scituate for Commerce with China and the Moluques whereof the Portuguez having experience to hinder other Nations from footing there gave out that the Air was unwholsome that it was not inhabitable especially for Forraigners while they notwithstanding continued there and followed their business They are possessed of no more then the City and Suburbs and five Leagues off upon the same River the Town of Nostra Senhora de Guadalupe for about half a League thence live the Manancambos Subjects to the King of Iahor but that would not have hindred the Portuguez from making it one of the most considerable places of the Indies if the Hollanders did not disturb their Commerce and find work for the King of Spain's Armies in that part of the Universe At the request of the King of Iahor in the year 1606. they came down into Malacca and besieg'd the chief City upon promise they should be possest of it but the aid that King brought them was so inconsiderable that they were constrain'd to raise the Siege yet not till they had so ruin'd the place that it could never since be repaired six thousand lives being lost in the Siege On the other side since the Hollanders got such strong hold in Ceylon and Iava the Portuguez trade with China and the Moluques is quite lost by reason they are no more Masters of that Sea But what more and more ruines the City is the avatice of the Governours who will not accept of that Government but on condition to inrich themselves two hundred thousand Crowns in three years to raise which sum they are forc'd to oppress the Inhabitants as well as Strangers which oppressions will in time so ruine the Commerce of this place that for the future the Portuguez must make no great account of it The Kingdom of Patana is not so great as that of Iahor but without comparison more populous for some that have dealt there for the Hollanders and have staid there a sufficient time affirm they have seen Records that assert the King of Patana can raise an Army of an hundred and fourscore thousand men True it is the Patanans are bad Souldiers and very improper for war but we speak of the number not the quality and say that the City of Patanan the Metropolis of the Kingdom can alone set forth at least ten thousand that is the Malayans four thousand the Chineses three and the Siameses as many The City of Patana stands upon the Sea-side but the Haven is two thousand paces thence The Houses are of Timber or Canes and well and handsomly built The Kings Palace is surrounded with a Pallisado and the Mosquey is made of Brick As to the Inhabitants they may be said rather brown then Olive-coloured of body well proportioned but they are haughty and proud yet this rather in their Comportment then Conversation wherein they are very affable for the Queen her self admitted the Hollanders to come into her Bark with her Noble men and excused it that the severity their Sex observe neither permitted her to see them more often nor to admit them to her Retirement to which she was oblieged since here Widowhood The Chineses and Siameses who have lived any time there are ingenious and understand Navigation but the Malayans meddle only with Husbandry and Fishing living miserably and drinking nothing but Water They have no liking to Wine and for Arac and Aquavitae they have an aversion but Women they love and prefer that pleasure before all others wherefore there is not a Man who besides four or five lawful Wives hath not as many Concubines Simple â—ornication they allow of and hold it no sin but Adultery they punish severely This is a Crime unpardonable and for which the Father or Son or one of the nearest Relations is obliged to be Executioner the manner of death being left to the person guilty yet is this Crime so common that they would dispeople the Country should they punish all that are guilty of it Their wealth consists in Land and Slaves whom they feed with nothing but Rice and a little Fish yet make great profit out of their labour Only the Chineses and the Mestizes betake themselves to any Trade or apply themselves to Traffick which they chiefly have in Siam Burdelon Lugor Cambodia Cochinchina Macasser Grece Pahan Iambi Iohor Bantam Bandar Malfin Suchidanar and other places upon the same Coast or Countrey where they carry all sorts of China Commodities Purcelane Skins Pots Kettles and other Iron Utensils as likewise Flesh powder'd and smoak'd Fish dry and salted Cloath which they have from the Hollanders and Chineses From their Neighbours they fetch Timber to build withall Rottang that is Cordage of Cocoe Oyle of the same Fruits dry'd and preserv'd Skins of Neat Buffles Goats Pepper and particularly a Drug they call Saroyboura These are only Swallow-nests which they find on Rocks by the Sea-side and are of such esteem in China that they sell them for three or four Crowns the pound There are two sorts of them the white which are much in request and are sold for six seven or eight Campans the China Catti but the grey are not so dear and not worth three or four Campans the Catti which amounts not to above eleven Sols or a Mamide of Cambaya Though the Country lye not far from the Equinoctial yet is the Air good and wholsom though the heats are exceeding great Summer begins there in February and lasts to the end of October there falls continual Rains during November December and Ianuary with a North-west wind They Till the Earth with Oxen and Buffles and sow nothing but Rice of which they get great abundance They have for every moneth several Fruits and Hens that lay twice a day by reason whereof the Country abounds in all sorts of provisions for the belly as Rice Oxen Goats Geese Ducks Hens Capons Peacocks Deer Hares Coneys Fowl and Venison and specially in Fruits whereof they have above a hundred several sorts as Durians Mangosthans Annas Lanciats Ramboutammas Pissans Oranges and Lemmons and above all Lemmons gibol called in France China Oranges bought there five or six hundred for a Campan Mamplans Batians and Centals c. whereof more hereafter The Inhabitants breed no Swine but the Forrests are so full of wild ones that they are forc'd to hunt them to prevent the destruction of their Rice which being taken they bury them in the ground as being Mahumetans and eat none themselves nor suffer others In the Forrest likewise there are abundance of Tygers and Apes which are no less pernicious to the Fields then the wild Swine are but the wild Elephants of which there are likewise great numbers are very harmless They are taken by hunting turning a tame Elephant amongst them with whom they presently fight and while they are in the fury they tye their hinder feet
do to their King He seldom appears in publick but all Addresses are made to a Noble man in whom the direction of Affairs lies He is intitled Quillor which is the same as Constable or Grand-Minister in other places He governs by divers other Persons of Quality who have their Divisions and Provinces to regulate according to Orders from him The Kings name is in such veneration amongst them that all the Subjects unanimously joyn in a moment to oppose any disturbance to the peace of the State As appear'd in the end of the last preceding Age in the person a Prince of the bloud who rising against the King and having some design upon the life of his Prince was immediately taken and condemn'd to death but the King in compassion chang'd his Sentence to perpetual exile in Pulo raza that is the desert Island where he stood confined with all his Complices who so well did cultivate it that divers other families have been since transplanted thither They retain the Pagan Religion they profess in the Isle of Baly and quit not that accursed custom for Women to burn themselves after the death of their Husbands The Isle of Borneo lyes more North then Iava and is one of the greatest in those parts 't is scituate under the Equinoctial Line but so as the greater part is on this side of it extending to six degrees towards the North. Some do assign it four hundred Leagues in circumference as Bartholomew Leonardo de Argensola who wrote the History of the Conquest of the Molucques and others but the Hollanders allow it but two hundred and fifty Leagues The principal Towns are Borneo Sâ—ccidava Landa Sambas and Benghemassin The City of Borneo from which the Island derives its name stands in a Marsh as Venice doth so as there is no passing from Street to Street but by boat The same Argensola sayes it contains 23000. Houses but the Dutch allow it but two thousand The best Camphire in the Indies is gotten in the Isle of Borneo Here is also Gold and Bezoar This Stone breeds in the Maw of a Sheep or Goat about a knot of Grass that stayes in the Maw and is often found within the Stone The Persians call these Beasts Bazans and the Stone Bazar which is a Market as by excellence proper for a Market or Fair and from the same word comes the Bazarucques the least Money that is sent to the Market The Stone is smooth and greenish and the more substantial and weighty it is the better it is and of the greater vertue In the Country of Pan near Malacca they find a Stone in the Gall of a certain Swine more highly esteem'd then the Bazar It is of a reddish colour as smooth and slippery in the feeling as Soap and exceeding bitter so that when it is to be used they only steep it in cold water and the water is a most soveraign Antidote against all poyson and an effectual cordial against all infectious Diseases Here they have likewise Diamonds Sapan-wood for dying as also Brasile Wax and good store of Pepper Frankincense Mastick and all other sorts of Gums The Island hath divers Havens and Roads but its Cities are not very populous Borneo is better then the rest and the Haven upon the mouth of a fair River is large and very commodious The Spaniards were once Masters of the Haven but they quitted it because the Air was so unhealthful they could not subsist Their Houses are of Timber but so sleightly built that they ordinarily pull them down to change their habitations or pass over to the other side of the River They are an ingenious and dexterous people but addicted to theft and great affecters of Pyracy so as sometimes they will cruze up and down the Sea as far as the Coasts of Pegu which is four hundred Leagues from that Island They use all sorts of Arms as Swords and Gosos which are Bucklers made of boyled Leather Lances Darts and a sort of Pikes they call Selihes the wood whereof is extreamly hard but withall so small and brittle that if it break in a Wound it leaves Splinters that render the part incurable The King is a Mahumetan as also the greatest part of the Islanders on the Sea coast but they that live in the heart of the Island are Pagans Their hue is rather black then tawny they are of compact well proportioned bodies and go habited near like the rest of the Indians with a Linnen about their loins and on their heads a little Turbant On the first of October in the year 1609. the Hollanders treated with the King of Sambas for establishing a Commerce of Diamonds which are to be found in the Mountains far within the Country and since have made one for Pepper with the King of Borneo with exclusion of all other Forreigners but the Borneans are no more faithful in the observance thereof then the other Indians Betwixt the Isle of Borneo and Molocques under the Equinoctial Line lies the Isle of Celebes and if credit may be given to Mercator this is one of the three Islands Ptolomy calls Sindas The chief City here is called Macassar and lies in the most Southerly part of the Island five degrees seventeen minutes beyond the Line It abounds in all sorts of Provisions particularly Rice wherewith in the moneths of March April and May the Territory is so entirely covered that 't is not to be imagined there is an inch untill'd and in effect besides what they convert to pasture for their Cattle and what they assign for their Cocoes there is not the least parcel lyes unsowed In the face they are like the people of Pegu and Siam and 't was but in the beginning of the present Age they deserted Paganisme and imbraced the Mahâ—umetan Religion 'T is said that in the time of Paganisme they were Anthropophagi and that the Kings of the Molucques sent their Malefactors to them to be devoured But it may be averr'd for truth that at this day the Indies have not a people so tractable as they yet they are couragious and irreconcileable where they once declare enmity Their chief Armes is Bow and Arrow whereof they impoyson the head to render the Wound mortal The Men are of a comely make carrying in their Prepuce a Ball or two of Ivory or a Fish-bone massie and not hollow like the Siameses and Peguans but this custom by degrees wears out as that amongst the Women to cut their Hair off for at present they let it grow and coif themselves as the Malayans do Women when they walk the Streets and Slaves have their Breasts open and wear Breeches that reach from the Navil to the Knee but when they bathe in their Cisterns or Wells in the Street they are stark naked The Houses of Macassar are built upon Piles and rais'd nine or ten foot above the ground by reason of the Rains which fall with the West and North-west Winds
making good chear they rip up their bellies cutting them cross so as that all the guts come out and if that does not dispatch them they thrust themselves into the throat and so compleat the execution Nay there are some who coming to hear that their Masters intend to build some Edifice either for himself or the Emperour will desire him to do them the honour that they may be laid under the Foundations which they think are made immoveable by that voluntary Sacrifice and if their request be granted they chearfully lay themselves down at the Foundation and have great Stones cast upon them which soon put them out of all pain But it is for the most part Despair which puts them upon this resolution in as much as these are of that kind of Slaves who are so cruelly treated that death were more supportable to them then the wretched life they lead All their Pagodes or Mesquites are of Wood rais'd three or four foot from the ground and about seven or eight fathom square They have on the outside many Turrets having lights on all sides and gilt all over but very narrow and set out with certain fantastick Figures but wretchedly done as to proportions They have also Statues in their Pagodes whereto they address their Prayers and bestow on them by way of Alms a certain number of Caxias which the Priests make their advantage of But their Castles are much better built His Majesty hath belonging to him many spacious and fair ones but the most considerable are those of Osacca and Iedo The Princes and great Lords have also very handsome Castles but those which are fortifi'd are oblig'd to receive a Garrison from the Soveraign The Cities have not any Fortifications at all for some few only excepted which lie between Firando and Iedo and have only simple walls the rest have not any at all but the Streets are streight and of the same breadth and length that is sixty Iekiens which make about fourscore and ten fathom Every Street hath two Gates which are shut up in the night and a Watch kept at them as also two Officers who are accountable for the disorders committed in their Quarter and speak to the Judge about any thing wherein the Inhabitants of the Streets whereof they have the oversight are any way concern'd there being it seems such order taken that all persons are not permitted to present themselves indifferently before the Magistrate but they would have it done by such as know what respect they owe to their Superiours The Cities or Towns have no particular Revenue nor any sums of Money in bank whereof they have the disposal for all the Demeâ—ne belongs to the Soveraign who bestows the Revenue thereof on the Princes and great Lords before mentioned and permits not the raising of any Impositions or Taxes of any nature whatsoever Nor is it to be fear'd that the mildness of the Air of that Countrey should breed any of those Grashoppers which consume where-ever they come all the Fruit which the Hail hath left on the Trees in so much that they leave not any verdure on them They only pay a small chief Rent for their Houses which the great Lords receive yearly but it amounts not to above thirty shillings for the greatest those of the middle sort ten and the ordinary ones twenty pence The Inhabitants are besides these oblig'd to certain dayes works and to find a man for their Lord to do what business he hath to put him upon but this happens not above twice or thrice a moneth and is but for an hour or two or at most but for half a day By this means the Lord lives upon his Demesâ—e the Souldier by his Pay the Merchant by his Traffick the Tradesman by his Trade and the Husbandman by his Labour One of the most considerable parts of these Lords Revenues consists in Fishing especially that of the Whale which the Emperour gives them There are taken every year about two or three hundred upon the Coasts of Iapan but they are not so big as thoâ—e taken towards the North and have at most not above seven or eight inches of fat but much flesh or meat which the Iaponneses feed upon There is no Lord nor indeed any Citizen or Merchant but may put his Vassals and Domesticks to death and that by way of Justice he himself being the Judge but to others Justice is administred all over the Country in the Emperours name Gentlemen and Souldiers have the priviledge to be their own Executioners and to rip up their bellies themselves but others are forc'd to receive their death from the hands of the common Executioner They alledge as a reason for this proceeding of theirs that Merchants are in some respect infamous in as much as they are for the most part Lyars and deceive those that trust them Tradesmen they sleight as being only but publick servants and the Peasantry is contemptible by reason of the wretched condition they live in which is little better then that of Slaves Only the Gentlemen and Souldiers are best respected and live at the charge and upon the labour of others No offence though never so small but is punish'd with death but especially Theft though it were but for a Penny Gaming whether that which depends upon chance or requires skill is capital among them if it be for money and he who kills another though innocently and in his own defence is to die without mercy with this only difference that such as kill in their own defence as also they who commit such Faults or Offences as would not here be punished with death die only themselves but other Offenders involve all their Kindred in their misfortune so that for the Crime of one single person the Father Brethren and Children are put to death the Wives and Daughters are made Slaves and the Estate of the whole Family is confiscated And this happens so frequently that there are Commissioners expresly appointed for the administration of what is so confiscated yet does not the money raised thereby go to the King but is imployed in the building of Pagodes and the repairing of High-wayes and Bridges The torture Thieves are put to for want of evidence makes rather the unfortunate then the guilty to be condemned They take a piece of Iron about a finger thick and a foot square and make it red hot and as soon as the redness is gone and the Iron return'd to its own colour they put it to the hands of the party accused upon two sheets of Paper which immediately flame and if the accused person can cast the piece of Iron upon a little Hurdle standing near him without burning himself he is dismissed but if his hands are ever so little touched by the Fire he is sentenc'd to die This Crime is punish'd with a particular kind of death The Criminal is tied with a Straw-rope by the Neck to a great Cane overthwart which
three days they make choyce of one of these three on whom they bestow besides several other Titles the quality of the Prince's Nurse In order to her establishment in that Function she is brought into the Prince's Chamber whom she finds in the arms of one of the chiefest Ladies of the Countrey by whom he had been kept from the time of his birth and after the Nurse hath spurted a little of her milk into the Childes mouth he is delivered up to her All these Ceremonies as also those performed at the ordinary Feasts are very great and they are at this day performed with the Dayro who still enjoys a very considerable Revenue sufficient to defray all the charge and continues the same grandeur his Predecessours have been possess'd of though the force of the Empire hath been devolv'd into other hands as we shall now relate The charge of General of the Army was heretofore the greatest of any in the Kingdom as is that of Constable in France and it was invested ordinarily though contrary to the rules of good policy in the second Son of the Dayro About a hundred and twenty years since it happened there was a Dayro who having a son he exceedingly doted on would needs out of an imprudent compliance he had for the Mother consent that he should participate of the Royal Dignity and it was ordered that it should pass alternately from one to the other every three years But the son willing to make his advantage of the occasion found means so to insinuate himself into the affections of the great Lords and the Soldiery during the three years of his Reign that he resolv'd to continue it contrary to the exhortations of his Father who too late repented him of his devesting himself of an authority which indeed is not communicable This was the first disturbance that ever had been seen in Iapan inasmuch as both Father and Son being equally invested with the quality of Dayro the people conceived they might without any crime take up Arms for either However most of the Lords detesting the ingratitude of the Son joyn'd with the General whom the Father had appointed to reduce his Son to obedience who was defeated and killed in that Civil warr The General finding himself well established in his charge followed the example of the Prince and abusing the lawful power whereof he was seized made his advantage of it to settle himself in the Throne after the Dayro's death yet leaving the lawful heir with the quality of Dayro all the outward appearance of his former greatness This demeanour of the Generall 's occasioned a second Civil warre which was thought the more just out of this respect that in this the people took up Arms against an Usurper who had not the quality of Dayro nor consequently the Character for which the Iaponnesses have so great a veneration Accordingly this war had the same success with the former for the Usurper was defeated and executed But this second General took the same course as his Predecessour had done so that by this second Usurpation the Countrey was reduced to an absolute Anarchy wherein all were Masters there being no Prince nor Lord nay hardly a Village but was engaged in war against some other These disorders gave occasion to a Soldier of Fortune named Taycko to appear at first in the head only of fifty men with whom he did such exploits that he soon improved that handful to a very considerable Army His first adventures were the taking in of several Castles and small Cities but within a while after his thoughts flew much higher and he proved so fortunate in his designs that within less then three years he became absolute Master of the whole State He left the Dayro the external part of his former greatness and thought it enough to be in effect what the other was only in appearance The Dayro on the other side perceiving it was impossible for him to prevent that establishment comply'd therewith and chang'd the quality of General of the Army to that of Emperour Taycko who could not expect much quietness in his newly acquired fortune if he removed not those Lords of whom he conceived any jealousie resolved to keep them at a distance from the Court and to that end he sent the chiefest of them with an Army of sixty thousand men into the Countrey of Corea with order not to return thence till they had conquered that Province They there met with such resistance that they were near seven years reducing that Nation to obedience Taycko in the mean time feeding them with fair hopes and animating them to prosecute a design of so great concernment to the State They were forc'd to obey but being impatient to return to their own habitations they committed such exorbitances as made the Inhabitants of Corea desperate insomuch that not able any longer to endure the burning of their houses the murthers and other violences done them they sent an Embassadour to the Court who to deliver his Country out of the miseries it had suffered for so many years made a shift to poyson Taycko who some days after dyed The Army in Corea was immediately disbanded and the Lords who had the command of it return'd to their several homes Taycko being on his death-bed and considering with himself that he could not hope to derive the succession to his Son who was but six years of age if he made not some powerful Person Protector during his Minority sent to Ongosschio one of the greatest Lords of the Country desiring him to undertake the tuition of that young Prince Ongosschio accepted it and to give Taycko the greatest assurance he could expect that he would be faithful to him promised him by an act signed with his blood that he would deliver up the Crown to Fidery so was the young Prince called assoon as he were come to the fifteenth year of his age and that he should be Crown'd Emperour by the Dayro The disorders of the late Civil Warrs were yet fresh in every mans memory so that there was a general joy conceiv'd to see the Regency in the hands of a person excellently qualified for the execution thereof Ongosschio was indeed a person of very great endowments but he had withal too much spirit and ambition to be reduced to a private life after he had been possessed of the Soveraign Power for so many years He had obliged Fidery to marry his Daughter yet could not so near an alliance smother so that predominant passion in him Whence it came that he immediately gave out that Fidery was grown so distrustful of him that he was forc'd to stand upon his guard and to raise an Army to oppose that which Fidery was going to get together against him He gave out also that Fidery would needs be treated as Emperour and discharge the Functions thereof before the Dayro had acknowledged him to be such or Crown'd him in that quality Accordingly
divert him and to mind the education of his Children and that herein consists all her duty and that there are but too many Examples of the mischiefs happening through the excessive freedom heretofore allowed to women The Wives of Iapan have the reputation of being extreamly faithful to their Husbands and so modest and reserv'd that none any where else come near them Of this many instances might be produced but confining our selves to the relation of a particular man's Travels wherein these digressions must needs be thought tedious we shall here produce only two or three of many others that happend much about the time we speak of The King or Prince of the Province of Fingo hearing that a Gentleman of the Country had a very handsom woman to his wife got him dispatch'd out of the way and having sent for the Widdow some days after her Husband's death acquainted her with his desires She told him that though she had much reason to be glad and think her self happy in being honour'd with the friendship of so great a Prince yet was she resolved to bite off her Tongue and murder her self if he proffer'd her any violence but if he would grant her but one favour which was to spend one month in bewailing her Husband and then give her the liberty to make an Entertainment for the relations of the deceased to take her leave of them he should find how much she was his Servant and how far she would comply with his affection The Prince who thought himself sure enough of her made no difficulty to do what the Gentlewoman desired of him and having provided a very great dinner at the place where she desired it might be all the kindred of the deceased came thither but it was only to be witnesses of the fidelity which she expressed to her husband after his death For the Gentlewoman perceiving the King began to be warm in his wine out of the hope he was in to enjoy what had been promised him desired the liberty to withdraw into an adjoyning Gallery to take the Air but assoon as she was come into it she cast her self headlong down in the presence of the King and all her husbands Relations Much about the same time it hapned that a young gentlewoman being on her knees at the end of a Table waiting on her Master in the appartment of the Women and over-reaching her self to take a flaggon that stood a little too far from her she chanced to let wind backwards which she was so much asham'd of that putting her Garment over her head she would by no means shew her face after but with an enrag'd violence taking one of her nibbles into her mouth she bit it off with such fury that she died in the place Another Lord having had an exact search made for all the handsome young Damosels in his Province to be dispos'd into his Ladies service there was among the rest brought him one whom he was so much taken with that he made her his Concubine She was the Daughter of a poor Soldiers widdow who hoping to make some advantage of her daughters good fortune took occasion one day to write her a large letter wherein she express'd what a necessitous condition she was in and how she was forc'd to sue to her for relief While the Daughter was reading her Mother's Letter her Lord comes into the room but being asham'd to discover her Mothers poverty she endeavours to hide the Letter from him yet could she not convey it away so as that the other did not perceive it The disorder he observ'd in the Gentlewoman's countenance made him suspect there might be some design in it insomuch that he pressed her to shew him the Letter but the more importunate he was the more unwilling she was to satisfie him so perceiving there was no way to avoid it she thrust it into her mouth with so much precipitation that thinking to swallow it down it choaked her This so incensed the Lord that he immediately commanded her throat to be cut whereby they discovered only the Mothers Poverty and the Daughters innocence He was so moved thereat that he could not forbear expressing it by tears and it being not in his power to make any other Demonstrations of his affection to the deceased he sent for the Mother who was maintained among his other Ladies at the time we speak of with all imaginable respect They are generally so reserv'd in their conversation that their discourses are not only far from being guilty of any obscene or impertinent expression but also they will not so much as talk of marriage or ought relating thereto even in honourable terms in the presence of young people who when there is any such thing spoken of immediately rise and go out of the Room The Children have a great tenderness and respect for their Parents as being perswaded there is no sin more severely punished by the Gods then the disobedience of Children They have also a certain veneration for their memory after their decease for they religiously observe those fasting dayes they impose upon themselves of their own accord abstaining from whatever hath had life upon those dayes of the moneth on which their Parents departed this World As they are very severe in restraining their Wives and Concubines of even the least liberty so are they excessively cruel in punishing those which are not careful to preserve their honours or give the least suspition of their inclinations to be dishonest It is not long since that the Lord of Firando caused three Ladies to be put into so many Chests through which there were Nails struck in of all sides one for having prostituted her self to a Gentleman who ripp'd up his own belly as soon as their familiarity was discovered and the other two because they had been privy to their Loves and had not acquainted him therewith He who finds a Man lock'd up in the same Room with his Wife may kill them both and in the Husbands absence the Father Brother or any other Kinsman nay any one of the menial Servants may do as much and by this means they so avoid those scandals which are but too frequent elsewhere that a man seldom hears of Adultery among them in so much that I do not remember I ever heard of any more then one Example which being a remarkable one I shall not think it much to insert it here A certain Merchant who had some reason to suspect his Wife pretended to go into the Country but returning soon after surpriz'd her in the very act The Adulterer he killed and having ty'd his Wife to a Ladder he left her in that half-hanging posture all night The next day he invited all their Relations on both sides as well Men as Women to dine with him at his own house sending them word that the importance of the business he had to communicate to them excused his not-observance of the
they have no knowledge of the Worlds Creation so are they ignorant that there is a time appointed for its dissolution The most zealous among them make no scruple to convert their Pagodes into Drinking-houses for as they make choice of the most delightful places of the Country for the Pagodes so they walk in them and divert themselves in the presence of their Gods and have the company of their Priests drinking and debauching themselves to that height that it proves the occasion of many consequent disorders A man shall never in this Country meet with any Controversies about Religion nor ever find that a Iapponese conceives himself any way obliged to instruct his Neighbour or shew him his Errour but on the contrary their indifference for these concernments is generally so great that some among them will not stick to change their Religion for a hundred Crowns They have so irreconcilable an aversion for the Christians that perceiving they went chearfully to their deaths when they only cut off their Heads and crucified them after their death they have since found out such exquisite torments to procure their more painful departure that though they had resolution and constancy enough to endure them yet could they not express that insolence and insensibility as to receive so greivous a death with the same alacrity they had discover'd at the ordinary Executions There were indeed some who sung amidst the Flames but it would have been somewhat above humanity if they should not have groan'd in the torments they endured when they were broild with a gentle Fire upon Gridirons or suffer'd to languish â—or several dayes together Yet did not all these courses much diminish the number of those Wretches in so much that these Monsters of barbarisme perceiving that Death little frighten'd those who look'd on it but as a passage to a better life bethought themselves of other courses to be taken with them Young Maids of any Quality they caused to be stripp'd stark naked to be publickly violated made them go on all four through the Streets and dragg'd them through rugged and uneven places till their hands and knees were cut and their bodies torn in several places and after all put them into Vats full of Serpents which enter'd into their bodies at all the open places and so put them to a very painful death yet was this done with less horrour then when they fill'd the privy parts of a Mother or a Daughter with Match done over with Gun-powder and bound about those of a Son or a Father with the same and forced the Son to set fire to that of the Mother and the Father to that of his Daughter 'T was a kind of favour shewn them when they cover'd their bodies all over with Turfs and incessantly pour'd â—eething Water into their privy parts till they expiâ—'d amidst those torments which commonly dispatch'd them not in less then three or four dayes They drove great companies of them up and down the Country and into Forrests stigmatiz'd in the foreheads with prohibitions upon pain of death that any should give them any sustenance or entertainment Some were put into Cages upon the Sea-side that the Tide might come up to their chins and at the return of the water they might recover their spirits a little to endure the greater torment at the next Floud They bound the Fathers and Mothers to a Post and hood-winked them while they put the Children to inconceivable torments which they being not able to endure intreated their Parents with the most importunate expressions they could imagine at that age to deliver them out of their pains by renouncing This was one of the most insupportable punishments of any they invented and which brought many to death and abjuration Another torment they had for those poor Children was to pluck off their Nails and to prick them with Bodkins in the tenderest parts of their bodies To make a discovery of Christians they ordered that all the Inhabitants should once a year protest before their Pagodes and sign a certain Instrument whereby they renounced Christian Religion and by this means there passed not a year but a great number was discover'd Such as were hung up by the feet and were continued in that posture for ten or twelve dayes endured the greatest torment of any in regard the anguish of this punishment still increasing there is no pain not even that of fire it self comes near it These persecutions must needs have much diminish'd the number of Christians in Iapan but what most contributes to the destruction of Christian Religion is a course they have taken to put the Christians to death even though they proffer to renounce so that there is no way for any to avoid death but by discovering another Christian who may endure it in their stead and by that discovery they escape However there is an exact Register kept of these Renegadoes out of a design as it is conceiv'd one time or other to rid the Country of them when the Executions must cease for want of Christians About the same time there was a search made for Christians in all the Hospitals for Lepers where they found three hundred and eighty Christians whom they sent away in two Ships to the Philippine Islands as a Present to the Portuguez The Leprosie is so common a Disease in Iapan that a man shall meet there with many whose fingers and toes are so rotted that they fall off The Christians who are conducted to punishment are tied but the Priests whether Castilians Portuguez or Iaponneses are otherwise treated They shave off one half of their Heads and Beards which they paint over with a red colour put a Gag into their Mouths and a Halter about their Necks which is tied to the Horse-tail on which they are brought to the place appointed for their execution Most of their Houses are built of Wood sleightly enough in regard the Country is very much subject to Earthquakes They are all raised three or four foot from the ground boarded and matted and very handsom within especially those Rooms where they reveive their Visits They are for the most part but one story high in which they live and the rest serve for Corn-lofts They have places distinct from their Houses where they keep their Merchandises and what else they most esteem in regard their Houses are so apt to take fire that they are forc'd to have Fat 's full of Water alwayes ready against such Accidents which are very frequent among them The Houses of Gentlemen and Souldiers are divided into two partitions whereof one is taken up by the Wife who is never seen and the other by the Husband who hath his Chambers and Halls for the reception of his friends and his business The Wives of Citizens and Merchants appear in the Shops and have a care of the House but they are treated with so much respect that none durst let fall a free or equivocal expression in
their presence nay a licentious one were criminal Instead of Tapistry they have a kind of Scenes or Shutters which serve them also for Pictures whereof they cover the closures with Paper painted and gilt and so neatly pasted on that the whole piece seems to consist but of one sheet These Shutters are made of very thin boards and fall one into another so as that of two or three small Chambers they can of a sudden make a very fair Hall All these little Rooms make◠a kind of Gallery which serves equally for both the Appartments of the Husband and Wife and leads to a common Door to go into the Garden which Door is ordinarily opposite to the Hall-windows In the midst of the Room there commonly stands a Cabinet on which they set a Pot of Flowers which are there to be had all the year long They are very curious about their Gardens and make them as pleasant as may be with Groves Fountains Orchards and especially one kind of Tree which is as green in Winter as in Summer There is not much Houshold-Stuff to be seen in their Houses in regard they bestow on their Wives the Trunks and Cabinets of Lacque their rich Tapistry and the like or they dispose them into some private Rooms into which they admit only their most intimate Friends They are very expensive in their Pots for Cha or Tsia as also in Pictures Pieces excellent for the writing and in Arms. They are civil and entertain such as visit them with great Complements Persons of Quality make such as come to see them sit down and present them with Tobacco and Tsia If the Master of the house hath a particular esteem for the Friend who visits him he will treat him with Wine which is brought in a varnish'd Cup and it were an incivility in him to whom this honour is done to refuse it They are not so reserv'd but that sometimes they will take a little more then they are well able to carry away but seldom to that height as to do ought whereof they may repent the next day or quarrel in their Drink for the perpetual apprehension they have of the unavoidable Death that would follow keeps them in and sends them to bed with whole Skins In Cities and upon the High-wayes there are Inns for the entertainment of Travellers and Passengers but otherwise there is not a Tipling-house or Cooks-shop in all Iapan For though there are great lovers of good chear and company keeping yet have they not any publick places for that purpose but they meet at one anothers houses and there spend the time in good fellowship and drinking and have a kind of Musick which is not very harmonious They have but few Musical Instruments and that most used among them and which they are most taken with is a kind of Lute the belly whereof is above a foot-square with a long and narrow neck as being made only for four strings which are of Silk and they strike them with a Peg of Ivory about the bigness of a Mans singer They sing to it but the voyce is as immelodious as the sound of the Instrument Their Wine they make of Rice putting thereto some Sugar or Honey and they call it Moursack or Saltse It is a kind of Hydromel rather then Wine yet it is as strong as the best Sack and makes a Man drunk much sooner As for Tsia it is a kind of The or Tea but the Plant is much more delicate and more highly esteem'd then that of Thé Persons of Quality keep it very carefully in Earthen-pots well stopp'd and luted that it may not take wind but the Iaponneses prepare it quite otherwise then is done in Europe For instead of infusing it into warm water they beat it as small as powder and take of it as much as will lye on the point of a Knife and put it into a dish of Porcelane or Earth full of seething Water in which they stir it till the Water be all green and then drink it as hot as they can endure it It is excellent good after a debauch it being certain there is not any thing that allayes the Vapours and settles the Stomack better then this Herb doth The Pots they make use of about this kind of Drink are the most precious of any of their Houshold-Stuffe in as much as it is known that there have been Tsia-pots which had cost between six and seven thousand pound sterling Their Marriages are sollicited only the Relations who have some superiority over those that contract them The Father and Mother find out the party and propose that alliance and for want of them others of the Kindred so as that the young Couple know nothing of what is done in so much that the persons who are to be married never see one another till the Marriage is to be consummated This is the more easily effected in that it is in the Husbands power to keep what number he thinks fit of Concubines nay may prosecute his enjoyments among common Prostitutes whereas the least suspition of the Womans dishonesty would cost her her life They have also the convenience of Divorce and may send their Wives back to their own Friends yet conceive it no disparagement to them True it is that only Persons of mean condition use it as Merchants Tradesmen and common Souldiers and that Persons of Quality take another course out of a respect to the Birth and Relations of the Woman and in case of disagreement they still maintain them according to their Quality Which hinders not but that they also are most liberal of themselves among their Concubines little it seems troubled at the discontent they give their Wives whom they see but when they please themselves For certain it is that the Women only are married and that the Men are as much at liberty after as they had been before marriage Common Brothel-houses are allowed and there are some Masters who buy Slaves only to drive that trade it being their perswasion that to avoid a greater scandal this may be permitted They bring up their Children with extraordinary indulgence and mildness never beating and very seldom chiding them out of this consideration that knowing they are not come to the use of their reason they conceive they are not to be made capable thereof before the time and that things are to be instill'd into them according to their weak capacity with mildness and that they ought to be instructed rather by good Examples then many Precepts It is to be imagined that the little correction they give them in their Childhood strengthens that obstinate disposition which is remarkable in all the Iapponneses but it is to be confessed withall that this noble and mild kind of education much heightens that vivacity of Understanding and Judgment which is discernable in them while they are yet very young in so much that Children of seven eight or nine years
this carriage the reason is that it were a shame for her to leave her Relations to go to her Husband Their bed-steads are made of Bambus or Canes a baven serves them for a bolster and a Dear-skin for bed and all belonging threeto The women living thus with their Fathers till the ground belonging to the Family while the Husband lives at his own house and provides only for himself They never see one another in the day time unless they appoint it to be in some remote place where they may not be seen speaking together or unless the young man goes to the house when he knows there is none but his Wife at home yet will he not enter till he hath sent one to know whether it may be done without any inconvenience to her If she think fit he should see her she comes to the door and makes him a sign to enter but if she desires not his company she sends him away The children they have remain with the Mother till they are thirteen years of age and then the Father takes them home The Women bear no children till they are thirty-five or thirty six years of Age but destroy in the womb such as they conceive before that time To procure abortion they have one of their Priestesses comes to them who kneeling upon their bellies causes miscarriage insomuch that the Fruit of the Womb is forc'd out before they leave kneeding of them in that manner with greater pain to the Woman then if she were naturally delivered Not that they are wanting in point of kindness to their Children but prepossessed and befotted with the lewd impression they receive from their Priestesses that it were a great sin and shame for them to bear Children before that Age. The men live not with their Wives till they are forty years of Age. Then they take their leave of the Pagodes of their quarter forsake their own houses and go and live in the VVives but being come to that Age they spend most of their time in the Fields retireing in the night time into Huts that they may be near their work Notwithstanding this liberty which the men have to see their wives when they please themselves and to divert themselves elsewhere all day long yet would they have also the conveniency of Divorce Assoon as a man is weary of his wife he leaves her and marries another but with this difference that if he puts her away without cause the presents he sent her shall remain hers but if she be convicted of Adultery or chance to be so transported with passion as to revile her husband in words or affront him otherwise she is bound to make restitution Divorce is reciprocally free to both parties so that Wedlock no more obliges the woman then it does the men and it often happens that both of them change their conditions They condemn Polygamy though some of them marry two or three wives But in regard there is neither Law nor Magistrate to punish any Crime wherein there is no Civil concernment this remains unpunished as well as Adultery for provided they conceal it from their own Wives and her Husband whom they abuse they may confidently and without any scandal seek their fortunes elsewhere A man never finds any incestuous marriages among them nor that a man takes a wife within the fourth degree of Consanguity or Affinity Nor do they care a man should aske after their Wives as how they do whether they be handsome or not of what friends they come c. Boyes from four years of Age and upwards nay married men when they do not lodge with their Wives lye not at their own houses but in a Pagode or Mosquite where the Males of fourteen or fifteen Families meet in the Evening and lye there upon little Couches or Bedsteds of Canes made as we described before Their houses are spacious and fairer then such as are ordinarily seen in the Indies They are all raised five or six foot from the Ground and have four doors one towards every quarter of the Heavens There are some have two of a side and are three or four stories high They have no other ornament then what they derive from the heads of Deer and wild-Boars wherein they are covered both within and without You find in them only certain stuffs wherewith they cover themselves and Deer-skins which in their trade with the Chineses is to them instead of mony All the houshold-stuff they have in their houses are only Spades to digg the ground withall Pikes Bows Arrows and some other Arms. But what they account most precious are the heads or other Trophies taken from their Enemies Instead of dishes they use little troughs of wood such as among us are set before Swine Their drinking-pots are of Earth or Cane and they also boil their Rice in Earthen-pots Rice is their ordinary sustenance and if they put thereto either fish or flesh they eat not of it till it be corrupted and full of worms Their drink is not ill especially to such as have not over-weak stomacks or know not how it is made but on the contrary it is wholsome and very pleasant They have no set day for either rest or devotion and celebrate no Festivals yet do they meet on certain days to be merry and make good chear every quarter meeting to that purpose in its own Pagode whither the women also come dress'd in the richest things they have and clad after such a manner as we cannot well describe our Language not having terms to express the odness of their habit Their richest cloathing is made of Dogs-hair For as we shear Sheep to make woollen stuffs of so they have Dogs whose hair they cut once a year and dying it red make stuffs thereof which they esteem as we hear do Velvet or the best Scarlet The Ceremonies performed here upon the death of any one are haply as remarkable as any the Reader shall find in this relation Immediately after the departure of any one they beat a Drum before his door to acquaint the Village therewith This Drum is made of the Trunk of a great tree so that it may be heard at a great distance and upon that noise all the people come to the door of the deceased The women bring each of them a pot of their Arac and having sufficiently drunk to the memory of the Deceased they fall a dancing upon a great empty round Chest so that their motion which is not very violent makes a dull and doleful noise suitable to the sorrow they would express There get upon the Chest eight or ten women at a time in two ranks who turn their backs one to another and gently stirring their armes and feet they go several times about the Chest till such time as being weary they think fit to make way for others and this exercise lasts about two hours The next day or two days after they begin
grey Every Order hath its General whom they call Tricon who lives in the City of Xuntien He hath under him Provincials who make Visitations within their several Jurisdictions to see that there be an observance of Discipline and that there be no remission of the rigour required by the Rules of the Order These have also the nomination of Superiours and Guardians in the several Monasteries The General continues in that dignity as long as he lives and when he dies the King names his successour making choice of him among those who are most deserving He is cloth'd in Silk but of the same colour as is worn by the Religious men of the Order and never goes out of his own house without a retinue of four Religious men who carry him in an Ivory Chair upon their shoulders He hath a particular Seal for such affairs as concern his Order and his Religious men never speak to him but on their knees The King allows him what may keep a plentiful house and contributes also to the subsistance of the Monks in the Monasteries and if they want any thing it is supplied by the liberality of private persons The Religious men are all clad in serge and all after the same fashion save that they are distinguished by the colour They all shave their heads and beards They use beads and say their Mattens and other Offices much after the same manner as our Monks in Europe do Those who enter into the Monastery make a feast for all the Monks but the eldest Son of a Family is not permitted to take the habit in regard the Laws of the Kingdom forbid it and would have him to be the comfort and support of the weak and decrepit age of his Father Their vows are not indispensable but they may quit the Monastery and marry The Chineses observe at their Funerals the following Ceremonies Assoon as any person is deceased they wash the body put about him his best cloathes well perfum'd and set him in the biggest Chair they can find in the house That done the Wife Children Brothers Sisters and afterwards all the Relations kneel down before him and take their leave of him That Ceremony over they put him into a Coffin of sweet-wood well closed and set him upon a Table or two tressels and they cover him with a Hearse-cloath reaching down to the ground upon which they draw the Picture of the deceased They leave him in that posture fifteen days during which time in some other Chamber or Hall there stand constantly set on a Table Wine Fruit and two wax Torches lighted for the Priests who spend the night there in singing and praying according to their way but especially in making divers inchantmeâ—ts against the evill Spirits and in burning several Images and fastning others to the Hearse-cloath which covers the Coffin which Images they ever and anon move with their hands thinking they by that means force the Soul to Heaven The fifteen days being over the body is carryed into the Country where the Priests interr it and commonly plant a Pine-tree neer the Sepulchre whence it comes that they have a particular venâ—ration for that Tree Their mourning is austere enough Sons continue it for a whole year and sometimes two during which time they are clad in a course cloth cover their heads with a Hat of the same and tie about their upper Garment with a cord Nay some quit the publick employments they have with the Kings consent and ever after live privately Remote kindred go in mourning for some months and friends put it not off till the body be laid in the ground From what we said before concerning the Wall which divides China from Tartary it may well be inferr'd that the Chineses have a dreadful enemy beyond it It must indeed be acknowledged that though we have not any Author that hath given a pertinent account of the Eastern part of Tartary which reaches from little Tartary and the Kingdom of Cascar to the Eastern Sea and the Streights of Anian above Iapan yet have we it for certain that out of those parts and the Kingdoms of Samahania Taniulth Niuche Niulhan c. came those Nations who over-ran several Provinces of Euâ—ope and in a manner all Asia under Tamerlaine and under other Chiefs possessed themselves of the Kingdom of China For in the year 1206 the Tartars whom the Chineses called Tata because they do not pronounce the Letter R. entred China with a powerful Army and after a War of seventy two years became Masters of it forc'd thence the Princes of the house of Sunga which then Reign'd and were peaceably possest of the whole Countrey for the space of near seventy years till a certain Priest's servant named Chu considering that the savageness of the Tartars was much abated by the delights of China undertook a War against them and forc'd them out of China in the year 1368. The aversion the Chineses had to be governed by a forreign power soon prevail'd with them to become subject to Chu who assumed the quality of Hugnus that is Great Warriour and was the first of the Royal Family of Teiming which reign'd in China even to our days Chu not thinking it enough to have forced the Tartars out of the Kingdom of Chiâ—a entred with an Army into that of Niuche whither the Tartars were retreated and forc'd them to acknowledge the Soveraignty of the Emperour of China and to pay him Tribute The Tartars divided themselves into seven Colonies which warred one against the other till they were reduced into one State under the name of the Kingdom of Niuche about the year 1600. About that time Raigned in China Vanlie who had succeeded his Father in the Empire in the year 1573. and lived in an absolute peace when the Governours of the Frontiers conceiving some jealousie at the great powerfulness of the Tartars would needs hinder their Merchants from trading into China opposed the match which the King of Nâ—uche would have made between his Daughter and the King of Tanyu took him and killed him The King of Nyuche's son desirous to revenge his Fathers Death raised an Army passed over the great wall entred China in the year 1616. and took the City of Gayven whence he writ in very respectful terms to Vanlie who was then living and represented to him the injury had been done him by the Governours of the Frontiers proffering to deliver up the City and go out of the Kingdom upon condition his complaints might be heard and Justice done him Vanlie instead of reflecting on the Justice of this demand returned the business to the Councel of State where it was not thought fit so much as to answer his Letters The Tartar on the other side was so incensed at this slighting of his Proposals that he vowed to sacrâ—fice two hundred Thousand Chineses to the Manes of his Father Accordingly having taken the City of Leaoyang by
only augmented the number of discontented and treacherous persons which were on both sides in so much that most of the Grandees minding only their private Affairs they either neglected sending the relief which the Governours of the Provinces required against the Tartars or maliciously dissembled the need they stood in thereof and by that means the Rebels had time to make sure work on their side Lizungzo so well knew how to make his Advantages of these Distractions that having settled all things relating to the Province of Xensi he without any obstruction crossed the River Hoangh or Croceus and entred the Province of Xansi where he took the great and rich City of Kiangcheu The other Cities of the same Province afterwards came in save only that of Thaiyuen which was taken by storm and plunder'd The Emperour hearing that the Rebels had passed the River Hoangh and fearing they might beset him in the City of Xuntien would have retreated to Nanking but he was perswaded to the contrary by his Council it being the intention of some by that means to keep up the reputation of his Armes of others to deliver him up to Lizungzo so that he sent against the Rebels a powerful Army under the Command of the Colao or President of the Council who prov'd so unfortunate in his business that out of despair he hung himself Lizungzo who had his Correspondents in the City of Peking or Xuntien understanding how things stood at Court sent some of his people into the City who under pretence of keeping a Tavern or opening Shops for Mercery were to make a Rising when they heard the Army was advanced near the City Some affirm he had corrupted him who had the Command of the City and that by his Order he found one of the Gates open at which he entred it in April 1644. and afterwards became Master of the Palace before the Emperour had any notice of his coming The Traitors who had kept him from hearing of it prevented him also from getting away so that perceiving Lizungzo was possessed of all the Avenues of the Castle and thinking it too great a dishonour to submit to the Commander of a sort of Robbers he with his own hands kill'd an only Daughter he had so to secure her honour which she could not have kept with her life and going into the Garden he took off one of his Garters and hung himself at a Plum-tree The Colao the Queen and some of his Eunuchs followed his example and hung themselves in the same Garden Zunchini left three Sons whereof the two youngest had their Heads cut off three dayes after the Fathers death but the eldest vanish'd and could not be found notwithstanding all the diligence Lizungzo used to get some account of him I shall forbear giving a relation of all the executions which this barbarous person ordered in the City where he put all the Officers to death only this I cannot omit that among others Persons of Quality there was an ancient man named Vs whose Son commanded the Chinese Army upon the Frontiers of Leaotung Lizungzo sent order to this Vs that he should write to his Son to this effect That if he with his Army would acknowledge him Emperour of China he would divide Fortunes with him threatning if he did it not to put him to death The Father writ to Vsanguei so was his Son called in such terms as he might infer from them what condition he was in but the Son generously made him answer that he could not own him for a Father who had been unfaithful to his King and that if he had so base a Soul as to advise him to be a Traitor he for his part had one so loyal as to persist in the resolution he had taken rather to die then obey a Highway-man Whereupon Vsanguei immediately sent to the Tartars to desire them to joyn and march along with him against that Usurper The Tartar thought it not amiss to make his advantage of the opportunity he then had to get into the Heart of the Kingdom and so marched with his Forces against Lizungzo This lewd Villain who had put so many innocent persons to death trembled at the first notice he received of the March of the Tartars left the City of Xuntien and retreats into the Province of Xensi intending to establish the Seat of his pretended Empire at the City of Sigan The Tartars pursued him to the River Croceus or Hoangh defeated part of the Rear-guard and had the Plunder of some part of the Baggage in which were all the Riches which the Emperours of China of the House of Tayming had been two hundred and eighty years getting together The Tartars would not cross the River as well because they would secure the Conquest of the Province of Peking as for that they were without any Prince ever since the death of Zungte who died when the Army began to march out of the Province of Leaotung He had left only one Son about six years of age whom he had recommended to the tuition of the eldest of his three Brethren who proved so faithful to his trust that the Tartars gave him the name of Amaban that is Father-King Vsanguei finding the Province of Peking and the Metropolis thereof deliver'd of those Robbers would have requited the service the Tartars had done China and obliged the Forreigners to leave the Kingdom But he who commanded the Tartarian Army told him that it was too soon to talk of any such thing as yet that Lizungzo was still alive and might re-enter Peking that there was a necessity of ruining him so as that it should be impossible for him to recover himself and that Vsanguei should go himself with his Army and some of the Tartarian Force against the Usurper and put the Rebels to an absolute Defeat As soon as the Tartars were intreated by Vsanguei to come into China they sent to invite all the other Tartars from the Eastern Sea to the River Wolga to come and participate of their Conquests in so much that no Colony of them but sent in some Forces which coming into China brought along with them that young Tartar King the Son of Zungte As soon as he was come the Tartars discover'd what their intentions were for they settled him upon the Throne and caused him to be proclaimed Emperour of China under the Regency of the eldest of his Uncles He took the name of Xunchi and ordered his Family to be called Taicing and they say that young Prince made so sensible a discourse at his inauguration as very much startled those who heard it and expected no such thing from one so young The same day that these Ceremonies were performed at Peking they sent away some Tartarian Regiments with Orders to establish Vsanguei King to give him the quality of Pingsi that is Pacifier of the West and that he should reside in the Province of Xensi He was
look on them as fore-runners of famine and mortality of Cattle One small shower of Rain dispersed them all As for the Island of Madagascar which the French call the Island of St. Laurence either from its being discovered by Laurence Son of Francisco Almeyda General of the King of Portugal's Army in the Indies or from its being done upon Saint Laurence his day in the year 1506. It lies in the torrid Zone reaching from North to South from the tenth to the twenty sixth degree 'T is certainly one of the greatest Islands in the World since it is above 150. Leagues in length and 180. in breadth and hath many good Harbours whereof the chiefest are St. Augustine's Bay where we put in St. Iago Anton Gil Antipera St. Iulian's St. Maries St. Sebastians St. Romanus and Manatenga Its Mountains are for the most part covered with Citron-trees and Orange-trees and if any are bare and rocky that Rock is an excellent white Marble out of which issues forth the best Water in the World Some of them are covered with a kind of Trees the Wood whereof is of all sorts of colours but especially such as afford Ebony and a certain Wood which in colour comes near that of Brasil whereof they make their Lances or Pikes and Date-trees which gives shelter to an infinite number of Apes and Birds and among others a kind of Hens as big as Turkies save that they were black all over the body but marked with little white spots Their heads are between a red and blew colour and in their foreheads they have a yellow horn They feed in the Woods whole hundreds of them together There is also great store of that Gum which the Druggists call Dragons-bloud which is drawn out of the flower of a Tree about the bigness of a Pear-tree but much more branchy and not so full of leaves Its leaves are longer but narrower then those of Lawrel and the flower is taken off in order to the extracting of the juyce and put into hollow Canes wherein it is reduced to that form in which it is brought into Europe This Island affords also some Aloes a Commodity we have before given an account of in the description of the Island of Zocotora That which grows in Madagascar is not so good as the other in regard it is wild yet it is used in Medicine nay many times instead of the other They have also Cotton and Indico but they make it not into a paste as they do in Indosthan and elsewhere Their greatest wealth consists in Cattel For where they do till the ground it is only to get a little Rice which is excellent good there as also for Beans Pompions and that kind of Melons which the Persians call Harpus There are also several sorts of Citron-trees and Orange-trees which bring forth twice a year Date-trees Cocos-trees and Bananas No House but hath some Hives of Bees about it but they have not yet the invention of making Wax nor using their Honey otherwise then in making a certain Drink of it with Rice which serves them instead of Wine The ground yields Salt and Saltpeter and upon the Sea-coasts there is found abundance of Ambergreece It is reported also that there are mines of Gold and Silver but the Inhabitants making no use of these Metals and valuing Tin above Silver have not yet search'd into them Madagascar is very populous and the Inhabitants are for the most part Negroes of a good stature and well shap'd All the clothing they wear is only a piece of Cotton-cloth of several colours which they so fasten about their Waste that one of the ends hangs down to the Knee before and the other to the Ham behind and in the night they take it off and make it serve for a Coverlet They lie upon Mats and in regard their Huts are made only of the branches of Trees those liâ—tle wooden Houses only excepted which they make for their Princes they make a fire of all sides of them against the Mill-dew which iâ— seems is there very dangerous Some wear above their Navels a row of Glass-beads of several colours and several Bracelets of them about their Necks their Arms or above the Elbow and about their Legs under the gartering place Both Men and Women have their Ears bored through and put into them Copper Rings somewhat like but not so large as those they wear about their Wrists and the small of the Leg. Their Hair is black but not equally curled all over the Country and they dispose it into several tresses but it grows not much though they grease it perpetually and do all they can to get long Hair There is little difference between the clothing of the Men and that of the Women save that the Women wear also a kind of sleeveless long Coat and that the Cloth wherewith they cover themselves is so large that it hides all their Thighs almost down to the Knee In this Cloth they carry their Children upon their Backs so as that putting their Legs under the Mothers Arms they seem to be in a manner fastned together and yet as she carries them a Man would think they should fall backwards and break their back-bones The fidelity of Wives towards their Husbands is here exemplary and the Men think it no disparagement to take their advice No Man but hath at least two Wives but dispos'd into several Huts For the more aged of the two he hath most compliance though he undertakes no business nor concludes any bargain till he hath consulted both These they buy of their Parents or rather Relations for a certain number of Oxen Pikes or other Arms. Adultery and Fornication is punished with death but they do not easily suspect one another They are very free in their conversation and there is no familiarity so great as to raise any jealousie in them Some young Women made no difficulty to come into our Tent nay one of them made not any to take one of my Shirts from the President who intreated her to wear it for my sake She accordingly wore it two dayes but afterwards tore it to pieces to be used about other things The Men are couragious and well skill'd in the use of their Lances Darts and Pikes which they carry along with them where ever they go When they are at work their Arms lie not far from them and they are accustomed to them from the eighth or ninth year of their age Some Persons of Quality have a bundle of twenty five or thirty of these little Pikes carried after them They use also Bows and Arrows and their Bowes are at least five or six foot long the String being very loose yet have they a sleight of shooting with a miraculous swiftness and strength When they cast their Pikes or Javelings they make several postures and are so expert at this exercise that at the distance of forty paces they will not miss a
prudence and secrecy about publick Affairs which concern the greatness and safety of the State and that they impartially dispose punishments and rewards The Prince when he makes choice of any for his Council regards principally their Age and he bestows the place of Judicature on such among them as have most experience and are best acquainted with Affairs These fit every day to hear Causes and decide Differences They know nothing of our Military discipline but their way of making war hath something particular in it which is this All that are able to bear Arms are disposed into several Regiments and lodged in Quarters appointed for that purpose under their Colonels whom they call Iugarases so that as soon as there is any occasion the Orders are dispatched from Quarter to Quarter and by that means a powerful Army is raised in a few dayes without any need of making new Levies in as much as the places are kept for the Sons of the Souldiers who succeed their Fathers and put the Prince to no charge but what he allows them by way of salary since they bring their provisions and baggage along with them The names of buying and selling are not yet known among them for having neither Gold nor Silver coined they truck and exchange all as well among themselves as with Forreigners Their greatest Commerce consists in trucking of Hides and Slaves Of these they have only such as they take in war which being many times civil among themselves they make the best advantage they can of them They have among them some distinction of Nobility and Peasantry and call the former Sahibibos who are a kind of Knights for whom they have a great respect but not so much as they bear the Grandees whom they call Thubalas out of which rank they chuse their King provided he be full thirty years of age When the Portuguez discovered the Country of the Ialofes there reign'd a very powerful Prince named Brabiran who dying left three Sons by two several Wives By the former he had Cibitam and Camba and by the second who was the Widow of another Prince Father of Beomi Biran who was chosen King after the Fathers death His two elder Brethren envying the greatness of that Prince declared themselves so openly against him that Biran who had great assurances of the affection and fidelity of Beomi his Brother by the same Mother took him so much into favour that he seem'd to have reserved to himself only the name of King But that extraordinary favour prov'd fatal to both for Biran was kill'd by his Brethren and Beomi who thought to make his advantage of that Fratricide to get himself chosen took up Arms against the two Brethren He got together a considerable Army but being afterwards forsaken by his Friends he was forc'd to apply himself to Portugal for relief King Iohn II. having got him instructed in the Christian Religion had him baptized with all his Family and sent him back with a considerable Fleet under the conduct of Pedro Vaz de Cogna whom he ordered to build a Fort at the mouth of the River Zanaga it being his design to get further into Africk as far as the Country of Prester Iohn whereof he had but a confused knowledge But that great design proved abortive and miscarried at the beginning through the cowardice of Pedro Vaz who minding his convenience more then his honour demolished the Fort he had newly built and not able to endure the just reproaches which Beomi made him upon that occasion he kill'd him with his own hands the King of Portugal not expressing the least resentment of so base an action The Islands which the Portuguez call As Ilhas Verdes and the Dutch the Salt-Islands lye over against Cabo Verde and were not discovered by the Portuguez till the year 1472. Some are of opinion they are the Gorgonides of Ptolomy but I dare not affirm that that great Person who hath left us so confused an account of that Coast of Africk knew any thing of these Islands whereof the nearest is 70. and the most remote 160. Leagues distant from the Continent They reach from the 15. to the 19. degree and are in number ten to wit St. Iago St. Antonio Santa Lucia Sant Vincenle St. Nicholas Ilha blanca Ilha de sal Ilha de Mayo Ilha de Eogo and Ilha de Boa Vista It is probable the Portuguez gave them the general name of Ilhas Verdes or the Green-Islands either from the Cape we spoke of before or from the verdure which floats upon the water in those parts and which the Portuguez call Sargasso from its resemblance to Water-cresses The Sea is so covered there with from the twentieth to the twenty fourth degree that they seem to be floating Islands intended to block up the passage of Ships Nay this Herb is so thick thereabouts that without a pretty strong Gale of wind it would be no easie matter to pass that way Yet can it not be faiâ—â— whence the said verdure comes to that place where the Sea hath no bottom there being not any but in those parts at above a hundred and fifty Leagues from the Coasts of Africk They were desert and not inhabited when the Portuguez discovered them but now they are cultivated and bring forth plenty of Rice Millet Abruin or Turkish wheat Oranges Citrons Bananas Annanas Ignaues Potatoes Melons Citruls Cowcumbers Figs and Raisins twice a year The Islands of Mayo de Sal and de Boa Vista are so stored with Cattle that they load whole Ships thence for Brasil The same Islands yield also such abundance of Salt that the Dutch have taken occasion thence to name them the Salt-Islands The same Portuguez brought thither Barbary and common Hens Peacocks and Pidgeons which are so increased there that with the Partridges Quails and other smaller Birds whereof there is plenty people may fare very well at an easie rate There are also among others a kind of Birds which the Portuguez call Flamencos that are white all over the body and have wings of a lively red near the colour of fire and are as big as Swans They have above all abundance of Conies and the Sea supplies them with so much Fish that at all times a man may find there many Portugal Vessels fishing for the provision of Bresil Whence it may be inferred they lie very conveniently for the refreshing of such Ships as are bound for the Indies in as much as going thither they may easily put in at the Island of Mayo and coming thence at that of St. Anthony so as the Portuguez who live there cannot hinder them The Island of St. Iago is the chiefest of them as being the residence of the Governour and Archbishop whose spiritual jurisdiction extends not only over these Islands but also over all the Portuguez are possessed of upon the Coasts of Africk as far as the Câ—pe of Good hope November 4. With a North-east
forreign Commodities p. 86 The Viceroy of Goa a character of him his power revenue ibid. The Malabars Zamorin Emperour of Calicuth and Cananer p. 78 The priviledges of the Nayres the writing of the Malabars the order of succession in Calicuth Cochim described the power of the King of Cochim a great priviledge of the Bramans p. 88 The Zamorin of Calicuth sometime Emperour of the Malabars the Cape of Comory the Isle of Ceylon p. 89 When discover'd by the Portuguez the History of Fimala Derma King of Candy he murthers his Father and three Brothers declares against the Portuguez p. 9 The treason of a Portuguez Renegado p. 91 The Dutch ill treated in the Island of Ceylon the Kingdom of Candy its Inhabitants their Religion ibid. Kings tributary to the Portuguez Mines of Gold and Silveâ— p. 92 The Maldives the Coast of Coromandel the Inhabitants thereabouts Christians a story of St. Thomas p. 93 He is martyr'd at Edesa the City of Meliapour p. 94 Bengala its Inhabitants their superstition ibid. Pegu the Palace Royal the Guard p. 95 The Kings forces he makes war upon his Vncle King of Auva a just Execution but too severe a Combat betwixt two Kings the Pagodes of Pegu. ibid. The Peguans Armes they are Pagans adore the Devil their Feasts how the Kings Corps are burnt their Ecclesiasticks p. 96 A third part of all mens estates falls to the King a strange Sawce other peculiar Customs the Commodities of Pegu. p. 97 The River Menan overflows as the Nile India its houses p. 98 The King of Siam of a very ancient Family is absolute his manner of life hath but one Wife p. 99 A magnificent Procession a Procession upon the River the Revenue of the King of Siam p. 100 His Expences their Punishments manners of justification the Militia of Siam p 101 Their Arms both the Kings of Siam and Pegu pretend to Soveraignty the King of Siam a friend to the Dutch ibid. Elephant-huntingâ— the occasion of the War between the Kings of Pegu and Siam Raja Hapi King of Siam p. 102 The King of Siam a Pagan a Hierarchy Beguins a kind of religious women the belief of the Inhabitants lights in the Mosqueys Prayers for the dead p. 103 The Siameses invoke the Devil their qualities habit houses marriages education of children ibid. The traffick of the City of India the King a Merchant the money of Siam the settlement of the Dutch in Siam p. 104 The Kingdom of Cambodia the Palace-Royal the Lords of Cambodia the Portuguez keep out the Dutch p. 105 Malacca when discovered p. 106 A description of Patana its Inhabitants p. 107 The Air of Patana Mahumetans p. 108 Batusabar Metropolis of Patana its Inhabitants the Language of the Malayans the Island of Sumatra p. 109 Was sometime divided into many Kingdoms the King of Achim the City of Achim the Inhabitants p. 110 Their Religion food the mournful tree Cocoes ibid. How they make Wine their Paper Bananas what p. 111 Pepper how planted the Island of Java its Inhabitants the King of Bantam p. 112 A sulphureous Mountain the names of several Cities of those parts ibid. The Kings Palace the Guard of the City its Market-places Armourers p. 113 The City of Tuban described the Kings Palace its commerce p. 114 The Javians Mahumetans their Fasts they marry their daughters very young the ceremonies of their marriages Women of Quality are kept in restraint p. 115 The Magistrates of Bantam the Kings Councel the train and state of the Nobility the qualities of the Javians they are good Souldiers p. 116 The Javians sophisticate their Wares how they imploy their Slaves ibid. The Commerce of Forreigners there the trade of China the money of Java p. 117 The Portuguez commerce Oysters of three hundred pound weight Crocodileâ— Civet Hens the Rhinocerot Ants. p. 118. The Fruits of Java Areca Mangas Ananas Samaca described p. 119. Tamarinds Tabaxir Canes so big that Boats are made of them a fruit called Duriaons its qualities ibid. The Lantor-tree Cubebs Mangosthan Talasse Jaca wild Cinnamon Carcapuli Costus Indicus p. 120 Zerumbet Galanga Benjamin Sandal Ginger Anacardium Pala de cuebra Calamba p. 121 Lacquc other Drugs of Java the Dutch fortifie in Jacatra p. 122 They give it the name of Batavia Madura a place of no trade the Isle of Baly its scituation Inhabitants p. 123 It abounds in Rice Fowl Drugs Fish hath Gold mines the King of Baly the Island of Borneo its Metropolis the Bâ—zoar stone p. 124 The Haven the Dutch treat with the King of Sambas about the trade of Diamonds the Island Celebes its Metropolis its Inhabitants are Cannibals 125 The Isle Gilolo its Inhabitants and Fruits Amboyna its Inhabitants discovery p. 126 The Dutch take Amboyna Castle the Religion of the Inhabitants their superstitions ibid. Their circumcision marriage oaths their qualities p. 127 Banda its Inhabitants their Armes they live long p. 128 Nutmegs Mace Oyl of Nutmeg the Dutch Forts in Banda prodigious Serpents the Moluccas p. 129 Sagu How Bread made of it how Wine the Inhabitants of the Moluccas p. 130 Are partly Mahumetans a particular piece of policy the Clove trade the Portuguez seize it are dispossest thereof by the Dutch a difference between the Castilians and the Portuguez about the Moluccas grounded on a false supposition 131 Magelan finds a new passage the Isle Ternate what Cloves it affords ibid. The Clove-tree grows without planting Avicenna's errour whaâ— Cloves the Moluccas yield yearly the Mountain of Ternate but one season in the Moluccas 132 A Wood incombustible leafes turned to Butterflies Birds of Paradise the King of Bachiam the Isle of Machiam p. 133 The Philippine Islands the hunting of Crocodiles p. 134 The commerce of the Chineses and Spaniards in the Philippines the Archbishop of Manille is Viceroy a description of the said City p. 135 Whether Japan be an Island or part of the Continent the names and revenues of the great Lords of Japan p. 136 The revenue of the Ministers of State p. 141 The Emperour of Japan's policy the Lords have three names p. 142 Slaves die with their Masters their manner of ripping up their bellies their Mesquites the Cities of Japan not walled no taxes in Japan p. 143 The power of Masters over their Servants Gaming criminal all the relations of Offenders die with them a particular punishment for theft p. 144 The crimes for which all the kindred of a criminal are put to death an example of it ibid. Lying punished with death the Emperours expence Jedo Castle the Palaces of the Kings p. 145 The Emperours retinue the Dayro the Emperours magnificence p. 146 His Treasures the Emperour of Japan a Viceroy confines his Wife to a Castle p. 147 How the Emperour of Japan came to the Crown Ceremonies at the choice of a Nurse for the Dayro's Son p. 148 A revolution in Japan a Souldier of Fortune gets to be General of the Army and Soveraign is poysoned ibid. Bestows the Regency
on one of the Lords who put to death the Heir of the Crown the Emperour of Japan raises his Armies upon the charge of his Subjects is able to raise three hundred sixty eight thousand foot and thirty eitht thousand eight hundred Horse p. 149 Their Arms their Companies and Regiments the Council of State the expence of great Lords p. 150 The magnificence of the Lords in their buildings three years requisite to provide an entertainment for the Emperour the Emperour marries all the great Lords Women kept in restraint p. 151 Women never talk of business the generosity of a Japponese Wife p. 152 An example of modesty in a Maid the reservedness of their Conversation the men jealous ibid. Adultery severely punished fornication permitted they have no devotion their Pagodes and Priests p. 153 The Ecclesiasticks divided into several sects the death they are put to for breach of Vows their opinion concerning the Soul no disputes about Religion p. 154 Thephate Christians their diabolical inventions to put them to death p. 155 Their houses their civility p. 156 No drinking houses in Japan their Musick Wine Tsia how prepared their marriages and education of children ibid. They go not to school till seven or eight years of age are not swath'd the Japonneses tender in point of honour p. 157 What Forreigners trade thither the occasion of the rupture between the Chineses and Japponeses Japan was not peopled by Chineses p. 158 No Custom paid in Japan no correspondence between the Emperour of Japan and other Princes their Arithmetick the Dayro writes the History of the Country p. 159 The money of Japan its store of Cattel and Fowl several sorts of Mineral waters p. 160 Their Physicians the riches of Japan a particular way of melting Iron the Roman Catholick Religion planted in Japan the Spaniards banish'd it the Dutch establish there the Air of Japan p. 161 The Japonneses distinguished into five Orders the principal Ministers of Japan the procession of the Dayro and the Emperour the Dayro's baggage the Ladies of Honour ibid. Twenty seven Lords of the Dayro's Retinue twenty four Gentlemen the Dayro's three Wives the chief servants of those Ladies threescore and eight Gentlemen p. 162 The Emperour and his Ward the greatest Lords of Japan the Dayro's Concubines his Secretary p. 163 His Musickâ— the Dayro himself the Emperours Presents to him p. 164 The Isle of Tayovang the Dutch settle there and call it New Zealand the Government is absolutely anarchical p. 165 The places possest there by the Dutch the Inhabitants of Fermosa are civil good-natur'd ingenious its Fruits ibid. Their Wine the Women go a fishing How the Men liveâ— their hunting p. 166 The manner of their War their Armes the Island Tugin p. 167 Their Magistracy and its authority their punishments p. 168 The Magistrate hath no power their respect for old age mens age in order to marriage p. 169 Their marriages a pleasant kind of married life the women not permitted to bear children till thirty five years of age p. 170 Divorce lawful among them their houses their sustenance have no Festivals Dogs-hair Stuffes their Funerals p. 171 They neither bury nor burn the dead a sure remedy in painful diseases their Religion their sins ibid. Their Gods women only imployed about Religious Mysteries their Devotion p. 172 The Kingdom of China its Frontiers Extent Provinces p. 173 The Province of Peking its Frontiers Cities Families Revenue Xuntien described c. p. 174 The Palaces the Provinces of Xansi and Xensi their Frontiers c. p. 175 The great Wall by whom built the Province of Xantung its Frontirrs Cities c. p. 176 The Provinces of Honan c. the Province of Suchuen c. Radix Sina the Province of Huguang c. the Province of Quangsi its Frontiers c. ibid. Porcelane made at Kiangsi the Province of â—anking c. the Prince of Checkiang c. p. 177 The City of Quinsay Mark Paulo vindicated the greatness of the City of Huncheu the Province of Fokien c. the Inhabitants of Fokien trade most out of the Kingdom p. 178 The Province of Quantung c. the industry of the Inhabitants the Province of Quangsi its Cities c. the Province of Quieucheu its Cities c. p. 179 The Province of Junan c. both black and white Chineses the difference of Fruits in China the Chineses hate idleness China Fruits better then ours Wax Honey Sugar p. 180 Flesh cheap their Fishing how they breed Ducks ibid. The Inhabitants their cloathing their women their money the provision made for the subsistance of the poor p. 181 Printing in China before we had it their way of writing their paper the dignity of Loytia the Chineses very Ceremonious p. 182 Their Feasts their Plate their New-years day the honour they do Embassadours p. 183 Their Weddings Polygamy lawful the Government of China Monarchial p. 184 Offensive war made defensive by a fundamental Law their King called Son of Heaven the Council of State Astrology requisite in Councellors of State Viceroys and Governours ibid. Other Officers of Provinces Officers of the Crown Debtors how treated an admirable Order their tortures Prisons p. 185 Their punishments the Visitours p. 186 The Religion of the Chineses their Divinities three China Saints the Fable of Quaniâ—a p. 187 The Fable of Neoma the Chineses use incantations they invoke the Devil ibid. Their belief concerning the Creation they believe the immortality of the Soul Purgatory p. 188 They believe the Metempsychosis their Religious men they use beads funeral Ceremonies their mourning the present state of China p. 189 The Tartars possess'd of China forced thence the Origine of the Royal House of Teimings the beginning of the Tartarian war Leaotung taken p. 190 Vanlie dies and is succeeded by Tayohang who forces away the Tartars but they re-enter Leagtung the Kings of China and Tartary die the Chineses betray their Country Thienâ—ung King of Tartary dies p. 191 Lizungzo enters the Province of Xansi takes the City of Peking p. 192 A Chinese calls the Tartars to his relief against the Rebels the Tartars will not depart China p. 193 They proclaim their King Emperour of China Usanguei made King the Southerly Provinces chose another Emperour the Tartars enter the Province of Nanking Hungquang strangled ibid. Several Chinese Lords retire to Hangcheu Another Emperour who is also strangled other Princes this division proves the ruine of China the Tartars reduce the Province of Fokien the treachery of a Chinese Pirate p. 194 An Emperour chosen in Quangsi the Tartars absolute Masters of China p. 195 FEBRVARY He leaves Ceylon the 20. and comes the second of July following to the Island of Madagascar where they stay six weeks The Voyage continued several sorts of Birds p. 196 Several sorts of Fish ibid. Very changeable weather near the Line p. 197 Maurice Island discover'd its Haven a prodigious Thorn-back No four-footed beasts in the said Island the story of a
Rock The streight of Calmer NOVEM The Isle of Gotland Tageroort Oetgensholm Hondeshuig Narga The Island of Hogland A dangerous attempt of the Ambassadors The Ambassadors come into Livonia To Reuel DECEM Reuel described The description of Livonia It s fertility Its Inhabitants The Orders of Livonian Knights The Ceremonies of marriages in Livonia They are sad Christians Their slavery Their opinion of eternal life Their Oath in Law-sutes Their Sorcery Their obstinacy The Nobility of Livonia The Government of Livonia The contâ—nuation of our Voyage FEBRU MARCH The Ambassadors leave Reuel Kunda Come to Narva 1636. Juanogorod A remarkable story of a Wolf The Ambassadors leave Narva Lilicnhagen Sarits Orlin Tzuerin Desan Mokriza Come to Novogorod A description of the City of Novogorod An example of cruelty Perun St. Anthony's Monastery The Ambassadors leave Novogorod Brunits Miedna Kressa Iaselbitza Simnagora Columna Wisna wolloka Windra Pusk Torsock Troitza Miedna Tuere Sawidowa Saulkspas Klin Beschick Zerkizouo Nicola-Darebna Their entrance into Moscou The reception of the Ambassadors Their allowance APRIL The Palm-Sunday Procession The Muscov an celebration of Easter Brugman hath a private audience MAY. JUNE The great Dutchess her Cavalcade The entrance of Ambassadors from Poland The fierceness of a Polish Ambassador The Great Duke's Pass The Ambassadors leave Moscou A description of Moscou It s building most of Wood. Catayrogod Cremelena Czaargorod Skoradom Strelitza Slauoda The number of Churches and Chapels in Moscou 1636 Muscovy described The Province of Woledimer Smolensko Rhesan Permie Jugarie Wiathka Bielks Rschouie Tuere Plescou Siberie Jarostaf Rosthou Susdal Dwina Archangel Ustiugha Vologda Bielejezoro Petzora Obdorie The source of Wolga Boristhianes Dwina The Air of Muscovy Extremely cold Very hot in Summer Fertility Muscovy more fertile than Livonia The seed-time Their harvest The fruits of Muscovy Extraordinary Melons Boranez Flowers Asparagus Venison and Fowl No Deer Furre No Carps in Muscovy Mines Samojede The difference between Samojede and Samogitia The habitations of the Samojedes Their nourishment Their cloathing The error of certain Geographers A description of Groenland Of the Inhabitants Their language Their cloathing Their ordinary exercises They are Savages The Groenlanders have no Gold nor Silver in their Countrey Are Pagans Inhabitants of Septentrional Countries swarthy * Lib. 2. c. 78. The stature of the Muscovites The Women paint Their habit Their manner of life They are ingenuous naturally Are lyars and distrustful A pleasant story Have no civility Quarrelsome Insolent in their expressions Not addicted to any study Shameless Drunkards Women given to drink Tobacco forbidden among them They are born to slavery Strangers are in no better condition there They keep many Slaves They are good Soldiers The Siege of Smolensko Their hous-keeping Their feeding Hydromel how made The expences of Persons of quality The highest act of Muscovian civility They sleep after Dinner Their stoves and bathing places The Ceremonies of their marriages The nuptial bed The Ceremonies in the Church How the Women live Their divertisement Why the Muscovites beat their wives Adultery Their superstition The Government of Muscovy The 〈◊〉 signification of the word Czaar The Czaar's Arms. The Muscovites know not what liberty is The Great Dukes absolute power Changes the Governours of Provinces every three years Tee Money of Muscovy Muscovian Ambassadours A remarkable Present An Epitâ—my of the History of Muscovy Juan Basilouits Boris Gudenou Foedor Borissouits A counterfeit Demetrius A conspiracy against the counterfeit Demetrius Demetrius kill'd Zuski made Great Duke A second counterfeit Demetrius A third Impostor Uladislaus Prince of Poland chosen Czaar of Muscovy The Muscovites discontented against the Polanders Michael Federouits chosen Great Duke A counterfeit Zuski Son of a Linnen-Draper His first preferment Cheats his fellow Officer Burns his wife and retreats into Poland Goes to Chmielniski Turns Turk Becomes a Roman Catholick Goes into Sueden To Brussels Embraces the Lutheran religion The Great Duke's Letters to the Duke of Holstein Timoska varies in his depositions Would procure his own death Is tortured And Executed The Ceremonies of the Czaar's Coronation The Great Dukes favourite An Insurrection in Moscou Plesseou put to death The principal Officers of Muscovy and their 〈◊〉 The Bojares obliged to follow the Court Their expence They esteem Nobility His Expencâ— Their administration of Iustice Their ordinary punishments The Religion of the Muscovites Their Baptism The admirable constancy of an English Gentlewoman Their Images Their Churches Their Hierarchy Their Prelates marry not How the Monks live The Habits of the Ecclesiasticks The Priests are oblig'd to marry Their Moâ—â—steries Tâ—eir â—asts Their Confession Their Communion Their manner of burial JUNE Columna Peresla Rhesan Cassinogogorod The City of Moruma The Tartars of Mordwa Nisenovogorod The Wolga Bâ—siligâ—rod Ceremiâ—â—ses The City of Sabakzar The City of Suiatski The City of Casan A Tartar Prince The Province of Casan Reduc'd by the Muscovites The Tartars Masters of the City of Moscou The Great Duke Tributary to the artar The fidelity of the Weywode of Resan Casan â—esieged by John Basilouits And takes it by storm Melons of extraordinary bigness The Course of Wolga Ice in August The River Kama The City of Tetus The River of Utka The River Ussa The superstition of the Muscovites The City of Samara The Mountain of the Cosaques SEPTEMBER The City of Soratof The King of Persia's Cuptzi The first Branch of Wolga The City of Zariza 1366. The second branch of the Wolga 1636. The City of Tzornogar The third branch of the Wolga The fourth branch of the Wolga A fifth Branch of the Wolga A sixth Branch of the Wolga The seventh Branch of the Wolga The Ambassadors come to Astrachan A description of the City of strachan A description of Nagaia The Isle of Dolgoi Salt-pits The Fruits of Nagaia Its Inhabitants Their food Their Religion A custom of Persia to make Presents to persons of quality The Cuptzi's Present 1366 The Cuptzi visits the Ambassadors The Weywodes Presents The Ambassadors visit the Tartar-Prince 1636. The incivility of the Muscovites The Cuptzi's Feasts The Tartars much given to Hawking The Treatment of another Persian Merchant Brugmansâ—â—nprudence â—â—nprudence Another Tartar-Prince visits the Ambassadors The Weywodes Present OCTOB Provisions for the continuation of the Voyage The Ambassadors leave Astrachan Simples of extraordinary bigness Snakes A Muscovian Slurr The civility of a Persian Pilot. An ominous day NOVEM Terki described The Garrison of Terki The Cuptzi's Present to the Ambassadors A mutiny in the ship An Eunuch belonging to the King of Persia visits the Ambassador Their Presents to the Weywode Their message to the Tartar-Prince The reception of the Envoys from the Ambassadors by thâ— Tartar-Princess The Collation The curiosity of the Tartar-Ladies The Tartars enclin'd to theft The Ambassadors leave Terki The Weywode's Present An Island in the Caspian Sea Mount Caucasus Mengrelia Mount Aratat A Tempest The Ambassadors disembark with part of their retinue A strange resolution in