came to his Ships side such aboundance of Fish of all sorts that they might therewith haue fraught themselues for their returne if Hudson had not too desperately pursued the Voyage neglecting this oportunitie of storing themselues with fish which hee committed to the care of certaine carelesse dissolute Villaines which in his absence conspired against him in few dayes the fish all forsooke them Once a Sauage visited them who for a knife glasse and beads giuen him returned with Beuers skins Deeres skins and a Sled At Hudsons returne they set sayle for England But in few dayes their victuals being almost spent and hee out of his despaire letting fall some words of setting some on shore the former Conspirators the chiefe whereof was Hen. Greene none of their allowed Company but taken in by Hudson himselfe and one Wilson entred his Cabin in the night and forced him the Master together with his sonne Iohn Hudson Tho. Widowes Arn. Ludlo Sidraoh Fauor Ad. Moore Hen. King Mic. Bute to take Shallop and seeke their fortune But see what sinceritie can doe in the most desperate tryals One Philip Staffe an Ipswich man who according to his name had beene a principall staffe and stay to the weaker and more enfeebled courages of his Companions in the whole action lightening and inlightening their drooping darkened spirits with sparkes from his owne resolution their best Purueyor with his Peece on shore and both a skilfull Carpenter and lusty Mariner on boord when hee could by no perswasions seasoned with teares diuert them from their diuellish designes notwithstanding they entreated him to stay with them yet chose rather to commit himselfe to Gods mercy in the forlorne Shallop then with such Villaines to accept of likelier hopes A few dayes after their victuals being spent the ship came aground at Digges Iland and so continued diuers houres till a great floud which they by this accident tooke first notice of came from the Westward and set them on flote Vpon the Cliffes of this Iland they found aboundance of Fowles tame whereof they tooke two or three hundred and seeing a greas long Boat with forty or fifty Sauages vpon the shore they sent on Land and for some of their toyes had Deeres skinnes well dressed Morse-teeth and some few Furres One of our men went on land to their Tents one of theirs remaining for hostage in which Tents they liued by hoords men women and children they are bigge-boned broad-faced flat-nosed and small-footed like the Tartars their Apparell of skinnes but wrought all very handsomely euen Gloues and Shooes The next morning Greene would needs goe on shore with some of his chiefe companions and that vnarmed notwithstanding some aduised and intreated him the contrary The Sauages entertained him with a cunning ambush and at the first onset shot this mutinous Ringleader into the heart where first those those Monsters of treacherie and bloody crueltie now payed with the like had beene conceiued end Wilson his Brother in euill had the like bloody inheritance dying swearing and cursing Perse Thomas and Moter dyed a few dayes after of their wounds Euery where can Diuine Iustice finde Executioners The Boat by Gods blessing with some hurt men escaped in this manner One Abacucke Pricket a seruant of Sir Dudley Digges whom the Mutiners had saued in hope to procure his Master to worke their pardon was left to keepe the Shallop where he sate in a gowne sicke and lame at the sterne vpon whom at the instant of the ambush the leader of all the Sauages leapt from a Rocke and with a strange kinde of weapon indented broad and sharpe of bright steele riueted into a handle of Morse-tooth gaue him diuers cruell wounds before hee could from vnder his gowne draw a small Scottish-Dagger wherewith at one thrust into his side he killed this Sauage and brought him off with the Boat and some of the hurt company that got to him by swimming Being got aboord with a small weake and wounded company they made from this Iland vnto the Northerne Continent where they saw a large opening of the Sea North-West-ward and had a great floud with such a large Billow as they say is no where but in the Ocean From hence they made all possible haste home-wards passing the whole Straits and so home without euer striking sayle or any other let which might easily haue made it impossible For their best sustenance left them was Sea-weeds fryed with Candles ends and the skins of the Fowles they had eaten Some of their men were starued the rest all so weake that onely one could lye along vpon the Helme and steere By Gods great goodnesse the sixt of September 1611. they met with a Fisherman of Foy by whose meanes they came safe into England §. VII Of BVTTONS and BAFFINS late Discoueries THis newes so incouraged the Aduenturers that by the gracious assistance of that Starre of the North Illustrious Sonne of Britaines brightest Sunne and in his presence shining with beauteous beames in this and euen to that further Hemisphere but with speedier setting raised aboue the Sunne and Spheres and Starres to discouer the Straits and passage to a better World there to shine with light vnspeakeable in the fruition of that light inaccessible with the Father of Lights and Sunne of Righteousnesse For how could a worldly Kingdome though the Kingdome of the World deserue so good so great a spirit to rule it But these my words are too short an Epitaph his owne Name euen after death speakes more and proclaimeth in a few Letters al humane Greatnesse Great Britaines great hope PRINCE HENRY the Aduenturers I say whom my weaker eyes dazled with this greater Light could scarce recouer by this Princely assistance pursued the action in more Royall fashion with greater shipping vnder the command of a Worthy Sea-man seruant to Prince HENRY Captaine Thomas Button whose Discouerie of a great Continent called by him New-Wales and other accidents of his Voyage I haue not seene onely I haue seene a Chart of those discouered places and I heare that he passed Hudsons Straits and leauing Hudsons Bay to the South sailed aboue two hundred Leagues South-West-Ward ouer a Sea aboue fourescore fathoms deepe without sight of Land which at length hee found to be another great Bay And after much misery of sicknesse in his wintering notwithstanding he was forced to quit the great ship hee beat and searched the whole Bay with very great industrie euen backe againe almost to Digges Iland neere which hee found the comming in of the great and strong tyde from the North-West which feeds both those huge Bayes This seemed strange that in this Voyage as he searched many Leaguee East West he found the variation of the Compasse to rise and fall in an admirable proportion as if the true Magneticall Pole might be discouered The comming in of the floud from the Northwest giuing them hopes of a passage in March 1614. Captaine
World to bee a Tallipoy In few dayes after he is carried vpon a Thing like an Horse-litter which they call a Serion vpon ten or twelue mens shoulders in apparrell of a Tallipoy with Pipes and Drums and many Tallipoys with him and all his friends which accompany him to his House standing without the Towne and there leaue him Euery one of them hath his House which is very little set vpon sixe or eight Posts to which they ascend on a Ladder of twelue or fourteene steps These Houses are commonly by the High-wayes side and among the Trees and in the Woods They goe strangely apparrelled with one Camboline or thin Cloth next to their bodie of a browne colour another of yellow doubled many times vpon their shoulders These two bee girded to them with a broad Girdle and they haue a Skin of Leather hanging on a string about their neckes whereon they sit bare-headed and bare-footed with their right armes bare and a broad Sombrero or shadow in their hands to defend them in Summer from the Sunne and in Winter from the raine They are shauen on their heads beards and all their bodies They obserue perpetuall Chastitie and are modest in their going When one of them dies his body is kept many dayes with Feasts and after is set on a high Scaffold many Tallapoys feasting about it Thus it is carried to the place of burning by a great number of people where it is consumed with sweet Woods to the bones these buried neere their Houses and the ashes cast into the water Balby resembles them in Habite and Ceremonies to their Friers They goe with a great Pot made of Wood or fine Earth and couered tyed with a broad Girdle vpon their shoulders which commeth vnder their arme wherewith they goe to beg their Victuals which they eate which is Rice Fish and Hearbs They demand nothing but come to the doore and the people presently doe giue them one thing or other which they put together in their Pot. They keepe their Feasts by the Moone and at a new Moone is their most solemne Feast and then the people send Rice and other things to that Kiack or Church of which they be and there all the Tallipoys of that Church meet and ate that which is sent them They Preach against all abuses and many resort vnto them When they enter into their Kiack at the doore their is a great Iarre of Water with a Cocke or a Ladle in it and there they wash their feet and then enter in lifting vp their hands to their heads first to their Preacher then to the Sun and so sit downe When the Tallipoys preach many of the people carry them gifts vnto the Pulpit where they sit and preach And there is one that sitteth by them to take that which the people bring which is diuided among them They haue none other Ceremonies nor Seruice that I could see but onely Preaching Bomferrus a Franciscan and after him Boterus say That they hold an innumerable multitude of Worlds from all eternitie succeeding one after another and also an innumerable number of Gods but not all at once They imagine that fiue haue gouerned this present World whereof foure are passed aboue 2090. yeeres agoe Now they are without a God and expect the fifth many Ages hereafter after whose death they conceiue that the World shall perish by fire and then another World shall follow and others Gods to rule it They recken likewise in the number of their Gods certaine Men which yet haue first passed into Fishes Beasts and Birds of all sorts After death they beleeue three Places one of Pleasure Scuum like the Mahumetane Paradise another of Torment Naxac the third of Annihilation which they call Niba The Soules after their phantasie abide in the two former places whence they returne so often into this life till at last they be holden worthy that Niba Hee addeth that they haue Couents or Colledges of Priests which liue three hundred together or more in one place haue no vse of Women are harbourers of Strangers and liue some of Almes some of Rents They haue like Nunneries also for the Women There is supposed to be in one Idol-Sanctuary whereof they haue many 120000. Idols They fast thirtie dayes in the yeere in which they eat nothing till night They are of opinion That he which in this world robbeth another man shall in the next world bee his seruant for recompence They hold it a sin also to kill a liuing creature although this be not strictly obserued amongst them Some Iewes are of opinion That this people descended of those Israelites which Salomon sent to Ophir which they place in this Kingdome But the Peguans themselues ascribe their Religion to a Dog and a China woman which escaped shipwracke The Deuill is highly worshipped of these Pegusians to whom they erect a stately Altar and adorne it with varietie of Flowers and Meates of all sorts so to fee and feede him that hee should not hurt them This is principally done when they are sicke for then they make Vowes and build Altars which they couer with Clothes and Flowers They entertaine him also with diuersitie of Musicke and appoint him a Priest whom they call the Deuils Father which procureth his Rites and Musicke Some as soone as they rise from their beds bring a basket of Rice and meates and a burning Torch in their hands running vp and downe in the streets openly professing to feede the Deuill to preuent harme from them that day And if Dogs follow them they hold them to be sent of the Deuill to deuoure those meates in his name Some will not eate till they haue first cast something behinde their backes to the Deuill And in the Country Villages some of the richer inhabitants leaue their houses furnished with store of food three moneths space to bee inhabited of him keeping meane while in the fields that so the other nine moneths they may bee out of his danger And howsoeuer the Tallipoys preach against this deuillish deuotion yet they cannot reclaim the people The Tallipoys euery Munday arise early and by the ringing of a Bason call together the people to their Sermons which are of Iustice to man but nothing of Religion to God They wash themselues once a yeere and the water wherewith they are washed the people account holy and reserue it for their drinke as a holy potion They hold that all which doe well of whatsoeuer Religion shall be saued and therefore care not as Balby affirmeth if any of their Nation turne Christian They haue many Feasts very solemnly obserued One Feast called Sapan Giachie is kept twelue leagues from the Citie whither the King rides in a triumphall Chariot with his Queene in exceeding pompe so adorned with Iewels that the eye cannot endure their shining his Nobles attending Another is kept in Pegu against which day all the Courtiers prouide them certaine Pillars or Images
So vaine a thing is man his soule of nothing lighter then vanitie in the infusion created and in the Creation infused to be the dweller in this house of clay and habitation of dust yea not a house but a Tabernacle continually in dissolution Such is the Maker and matter of Man The forme was his conformitie to GOD after whose Image he was made Christ only is in full resemblance The Image of the inuisible GOD the brightnesse of his glory the ingraued forme of his Person Man was not this Image but made adimaginem According to this Image resembling his Author but with imperfection in that perfection of human Nature This Image of GOD appeared in the soule properly secondly in the body not as the Anthropomorphite Heretikes and Popish Image-makers imagine but as the instrument of the soule and lastly in the whole Person The soule in regard of the spirituall and immortall substance resembleth him which is a Spirit and euerlasting which seeth all things remayning it selfe vnseene and hauing a nature in manner incomprehensible comprehendeth the natures of other things to which some adde the resemblance of the holy Trinitie in this that one soule hath those three essentiall faculties of Vnderstanding Will and Memory or as others of Vegetation Sense and Reason In regard of gifts and naturall endowments the soule in the vnderstanding part receiued a Diuine Impression and Character in that knowledge whereby shee measureth the Heauens bringeth them to the Earth lifteth vp the Earth to the Heauen mounteth aboue the Heauens to behold the Angels pierceth the Center of the Earth in darknesse to discerne the infernall Regions and Legions beneath and aboue them all searcheth into the Diuine Nature whereby Adam was without study the greatest Philosopher who at first sight knew the nature of the beasts the originall of the VVoman and the greatest Diuine except the second Adam that euer the Earth bare The will also in free choice of the best things in righteous disposition towards man and true holinesse towards GOD was conformed to his will for whose wils sake it is and was created The body cannot so liuely expresse the vertue of him that made it but as it could in that perfect constitution so fearefully and wonderfully made and as the Organ of the soule whose weapon it was to righteousnesse had some shadow therefo The whole Man in his naturall Nobility beyond and Princely Dominion ouer the other Creatures that we mention not the hope of future blessednesse sheweth after what Image Man was created and to what he should be renued The end whereunto GOD made Man is GOD himselfe who hath made all things for himselfe the subordinate end was Mans endlesse happinesse the way whereunto is religious obedience Moses addeth He created them Male and Female thereby to shew that the Woman in Oeconomicall respect is the Image and glory of the Man beeing created for the Man and of the Man but in relation to GOD or the World She as a Creature was also framed after the same Image As for that monstrous conceit of the Rabbins that the first man was an Hermaphrodite it deserueth not confutation or mention The order of the Womans Creation is plainly related GOD finding not a meete helpe for Adam in his sleepe tooke one of his ribs whereof he built the Woman This in a Mystery signified that deadly sleepe of the heauenly Adam on the Crosse whose stripes were our healing whose death was our life and out of whose bleeding side was by Diuine dispensation framed his Spouse the Church This may be part of the sense or an application thereof as some say to this Mystery or the signification rather of the thing it selfe here declared then of the words which properly and plainly set downe the Historie of a thing done after the litterall sense to bee expounded According to this sense Moses expresseth the Creation the making and marrying of the Woman The Maker was GOD the matter a Rib of Adam the forme a building the end to be a meete helpe The Man was made of Dust the Woman of the Man to bee one flesh with the Man and of a Rib to be a helpe and supporter of him in his calling which requireth strength neyther could any bone be more easily spared in the whole body which hath not such variety of any other kind nor could any place more designe the Woman her due place not of the head that she should not arrogate rule not of the feet that the husband should not reckon her as his slaue but in a meane betweene both and that neere the heart in which they should as in all Diuine and Humane Lawes else bee fast ioyned The building of this body of the Woman was in regard of the Progeny which was in that larger roome to haue the first dwelling The soule of the Woman is to be conceiued as the soule of the Man before mentioned immediately infused and created by GOD herein equall to Man Being thus made she is marryed by GOD himselfe vnto Adam who brought her vnto him to shew the sacred authority of Marriage and of Parents in Marriage A mutuall consent and gratulation followeth betweene the parties lest any should tyrannically abuse his fatherly power And thus are two made one flesh in regard of one originall equall right mutuall consent and bodily coniunction And thus were this goodly couple glorious in nakednesse not so much in the ornaments of beautie which made them to each other amiable as of Maiestie which made them to other creatures dreadfull the Image of GOD clothing that nakednesse which in vs appeareth filthy in the most costly clothing GOD further blessed them both with the power of multiplication in their owne kind and dominion ouer other kinds and gaue them for food euery herbe bearing seed which is vpon all the earth and euery tree wherein is the fruit of a tree bearing seed He doth as it were set them in possession of the Creatures which by a Charter of free gift he had conueyed to them to hold of him as Lord Paramount But lest any should thinke this but a niggardly and vnequall gift whereas since the Floud more hath beene added and that in a more vnworthinesse through mans sinne let him consider that since the Fall the Earth is accursed whereby many things are hurtfull to mans nature and in those which are wholsome there is not such variety of kinds such plentie in each variety such ease in getting our plenty or such quality in what is gotten in the degree of goodnesse and sweetnesse to the taste and nourishment which had they remayned in this sickly and elder Age of the World we should not need to enuie Cleopatra's vanitie or Heliogabilus his superfluitie and curiositie And had not Man sinned there should not haue needed the death of beasts to nourish his
by faith and not by sight This that Moses telleth of the fall of Man Experience doth in manner proclaime through the World in the manifold effects thereof which we daily see For whereas the World was made for Man as before is shewed who alone in regard of his bodily and spirituall nature can need and vse it no creature in the world is in his kind so imperfect as man Hee that was before as an earthly God is now become an incarnate Deuill and for aspiring to be like his Lord was made a seruant of his seruants the noblest part in him becomming a base Officer to degrade him Reason it selfe deiected at the feet of Sense to be a slaue and a very Bawd to sensuall pleasures a very Broker for dung-hill profits And what is this but to metamorphose man into a beast vnlesse that some in a lower degree liuing onely to liue suffocated with eating drinking sleeping are degenerated into plants And if he descend not lower to become torpide and liuelesse yet doth he participate the imperfections of those things and that without their perfections as if with an imperfect retrograde hee would returne into his first elements or in a perfected imperfection to his first nothing What stone so hard as mans heart is relentlesse remorselesse to his best good What dust more subiect to the wind or water more flexible then hee to temptation and sinne But those things remaine in their nature or naturall place Man is a fuming smoke a passing shadow And yet if wee could stay at our Elements it were somewhat better but wee are seruants and drudges beneath all names of basenesse vnbowelling the Earth and our selues in the earth for a little hardened earth that neuer had the dignitie to see no not to be seen of the Sunne We seeme to rule the Skie Winds and Seas indeed we aduenture our liues to their mercy and not three fingers thicknesse doth separate vs from death that we may bring home an idle discourse or somewhat almost lesse then nothing that we call a Iewell Once we inuert Nature subuert others peruert our selues for those things which sometimes kill the body and alway except a power with whom all things are possible preuent the Soule And yet Thou Foole this night may they fetch away thy Soule and whose then shall these things bee And whose then and where then shalt thou be Thou gainest faire to loose thy selfe to be taken with thy taking to bee thus bad to others that thou mayest be worse to thy selfe and when-as like an Asse thou hast been laden all the dayes of thy life with those things which euen in hauing thou wantedst now to be more intollerably burthened now to be in Hell which will neuer bee satisfied in thee whose Character was before engrauen in thy vnsatiable heart Tell me not then of the reasonable power of our soules whereby we resemble GOD seeing that reason may tell thee and me that by abusing it we are like and are of our Father the Deuill That erected countenance to be still groueling in and poring on the Earth that immortall soule to mind onely such things as haue not the imperfect priuiledge to be mortall those high excellencies to bee abused to mischiefe blaspheming denying forswearing GOD and all for the basest of the basest creatures Well might this deluge of corruption mooue that Cynick in a throng of men to make search for a Man this Man which is now left vs beeing but the ruines the carkasse of himselfe Well might the Greekes call this body of ours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sepulchre of the soule the Latines Corpus where by reason of mans fall from his first estate the first syllable is falne off Cor the heart is gone we are Vecordes Socordes onely pus remaines corruption and filthinesse and doe not wee call it body because both die the soule also hereby infected and that both deaths internall and externall The Spirit the better part of man is spirit indeed a puffe and vaine blast of emptinesse animus is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a winde that passeth that passeth the wind in vanitie But what needes all this Why are we fallen into so long and tedious discourse of our fall Euen because some are fallen further beyond all sense and feeling of their fall and beleeued not that man was euer any other creature then now they see that if their goodnesse cannot yet their wickednesse might teach them that so perfect a World should not haue beene framed for so imperfect a wretch now onely perfect in imperfection Our fall must teach vs to rise our straying to returne our degeneration a regeneration And therefore was not that Image of GOD wholly done out but some remainder continued to the Posteritie to conuince them of miserie in themselues that so denying themselues they might take vp their Crosse and follow the second Adam vnto a durable happinesse But how may some aske as the Pelagian did came this misery to vs Non peccat ille qui genuit non peccat ille qui condidit per quas igitur rimas inter tot praesidia innocentiae fingis peccatum ingressum Doth it agree with diuine Iustice that if the Fathers haue eaten sowre Grapes the Children-teeth should be set on edge I answere We are Heires of our Father we need not seeke some secret cranie we see an open gate by one man sinne entred into the World and death by sinne A little leaue let vs borrow to cleere this difficultie Sinne is a transgression of the Law or a defect of conformitie to the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and cannot properly be said to haue an efficient but a deficient cause being in it owne nature and subsistence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Schoole-men say in sinne are two things to bee considered the substance and the qualitie essence and priuation the act and defect whereof that they call the Materiall this the Formall part of sinne beeing nothing else but a deformitie irregularitie and vnlawfulnesse in our naturall condition and conditions as easily to be distinguished though not to be diuided from the action as lamenesse from the working hand or iarring in an Instrument both from the Instrument and sound The Sinner is termed nequam as nequicquam naught as not ought Not that sinne is simply norhing Non negatiue sed priuatiuè Nihil nor is it a meere and pure priuation but to bee considered with that subiect wherein and whereof it is such a distortion and destruction the want of this consideration draue the Manichees to their Hereticall opinion of two beings and beginnings Sinne was first seene in the Deuill who voluntarily strayed from the right way and as hee abode not in the Truth himselfe so hee beguiled our first Parents from whom by the Conduit of Nature it is conueyed to vs I speake of Originall sinne which is
the Sacrifices of Aaron Gedeon Manoah Dauid Salomon Elias or by some other meanes both comfortable to Abel and enuied of Caine who therefore slew him thus in this member bruising the heele of that blessed seed as a type of that which the Head himselfe should after sustaine Here is the first Apostasie after that first Euangelicall promise and the first diuision of Religion Caine beeing the first builder of the Earthly Citie not that which hee called after the name of his Sonne Henoch but of that spirituall City of the Wicked the seed of the Serpent which he founded in his Brothers bloud euen as that later Compendium thereof which called her selfe Caput mundi the head of the World and indeed the World is vsually in Scripture applyed to that seed of the Serpent as it is opposite to the seed of the Woman was by Romulus her first Founder by like example of Fratricide in the murther of Remus dedicated as it were to the future mysterie of iniquitie the seat of the Beast and of the Whore by whose authoritie Christ himselfe was slaine drunken after with the blood of his Saints and still breathing blood and slaughter to euery Abel that will not communicate in her spirituall whooredomes that will not with her offer the fruits of the ground the Sacrifice of Caine which neither came from heauen nor can guide to Heauen being earthly sensuall deuillish Caine was for this his fact conuented by that All-seeing Iustice who both by open sentence and inward terrors accused and accursed him continuing his life euen for the same cause that other Murtherers loose it that he might liue an example which then in that vnpeopled world by his death he could not haue been to the future generation branded also by the Lord with some sensible marke to exempt him and terrifie others from that bloudy crueltie this mercy being mixed with this iudgement a longer time of repentance GOD before cursed the earth for Adam he now cursed CAINE from the earth to be a runnagate and wanderer thereon For how could he that had so forsaken God but be forsaken of the Earth and of himselfe the stable and mercifull earth which before had opened her mouth to receiue his Brothers bloud shrinking and as it were grudging to support such wicked feet and by denying him her strength forcing him to his manifold shifts and shiftlesse remoouing Wretched man alwayes bleeding his brothers bloud not daring to looke vp to Heauen fearing to looke downe to Hell the World without him threatning a miserable life his Body branded to contempt and shame till his death his soule become a stage of Anguish Feare Horrour and other Furies the Harbingers of Hell not able to suffer which yet he cannot but suffer the guilt of passed wickednesse gnawing him the waight of present misery pressing him the dread of a death and a death attending him restlesse in himselfe hated of the World despairing of reliefe from God a liuely Map of the deadly and damnable state of sinne and sinners without Christ dead whiles they liue moouing sepulchres the Deuils captiues hels heires exiled from heauen and vagabonds on the earth euen on that which they call their owne land Caine more vexed with the punishment then at the fault of his sinne departed from the presence of the Lord which is meant either of his iudiciall conuenting him or in regard of the visible societie of the Church cradled yet in his Fathers houshold where God did especially shew his present prouidence protection and grace who otherwise filleth the Heauen and Earth of whom in whom they are from hence as Adam before out of Paradise so Cain was as it were excommunicated expelled out-lawed and dwelt in the Land of Nod which some take to be appellatiuely spoken as if his miserie had giuen name of Moouing vnto the place where he dwelled or roamed rather Iosephus saith hee built Naida applying it to a proper place which was either Eastward from Eden or Eastward towards Eden from Canaan where Adam is supposed to haue dwelt and after with his Wife to haue beene buried at Hebron Afterward his posteritie beeing multiplied his Wife Epiphanius out of Leptogenesis calleth Shaue Comestor calleth her Chalmana Philo Themech he built a Citie which he called by the name of his sonne Henoch to crosse that curse of his wandering to and fro on the earth or to arme him against others which his guilty conscience caused him to feare or to be a receptacle and store-house of those spoyles which Iosephus saith hee robbed from others by violence when as the earth was barren to him Philo if we may so entitle that Author which hath written of the Antiquities of the Bible ascribeth vnto him other Cities Mauli Leed Tehe Iesca Celet Iebbat adding that hee liued 730. yeeres These things may bee probable although that Author be otherwise fabulous considering that men did ordinarily liue many hundred yeeres in those times and were also exceeding fruitfull especially after that Polygamy was embraced of that Family And if that in Abrahams posterity the seed of Iacob in lesse then three hundred yeares was multiplyed to so great a people it is like that the Cainites were no lesse populous liuing in more freedome Hee first saith Iosephus found out weights and measures and assigned proprieties in possessions of Land before common as the ayre and light and was Author to lewd persons of a lewd and vngodly life Probable it is that the Citie was called Henoch because the Curse suffered not the father to stay in a place but to leaue a hasty inheritance to his Son to finish and rule it Iabal and Iubal and Tubalcain were inuenters of Arts the first to dwell in Tents and keepe Cattell the second of Musicall instruments the third of working in Mettals and making of Armour which some thinke to be Vulcan by the neerenesse of name and occupation His Sister Naamah is accounted by some Rabbines the first inuenter of making Linnen and Woollen and of vocall Musique yea they make her the wife of Noah also Thus let vs leaue this Family multiplying in numbers in Sciences in wickednesse sauouring nothing diuine or at least nothing but humane in their Diuinitie therefore called the sonnes of men and let vs looke backe to Adam who in this wicked fruit of his body might read continual Lectures of repentance for the sinne of his soule Adam begat a child in his own likenesse that is not in that likenesse of God wherein he was created but like vnto himselfe both in humane nature natural corruption his name he called Seth of whose posteritie the whole world was by Noah re-peopled Vnto Seth was born Enosh Then began men saith MOSES to call vpon the name of the Lord This some interpret of the beginning of Idolatry that men began to profane the name of the Lord
some to call the name of the Lord that is after Rabbi Salomo to apply the name of God to Images Stars and Men But the more likely opinion is that when Adam had obtained a more holy posteritie which was now multiplyed in diuers families Religion which before had been a priuate In-mate in Adams houshold was now brought into publike exercise whereof Prayer hath alwaies been accounted a principall part and God himselfe in both Testaments calleth his house a house of Prayer the calues of the lips and the ejaculations of the heart being the body and soule of Diuine worship whereof Sacrifices were in a manner but the apparel fashioned to that infancy of the Church Of the names of the posteritie of Adam and his hundred yeeres mourning for Abel of Seth his remoouing after Adams death to a mountaine neere Paradise and such other things more sauouring of fabulous vanity in the false-named Methodius Philo and others that follow them I list not to write And wel might Genebrard haue spared his paines in searching for the antiquitie of Popery in this first Age of the World Easily may we grant a Church then truely Catholike in the Posteritie of Seth instructed partly by Reuelations partly by Traditions concerning the Creation the fall the good and euill Angels the promised Seed the Vnitie and Trinitie punishments and repentance for sinne publike and priuate Deuotions and other like Articles gathered out of Moses but for the Rabble of Rabbinicall Dreames which hee addeth herevnto we had need of the implicite faith of some simple credulous Catholike to receiue them as namely Purgatory resembled in the fiery Sword at the entrance of Paradise Free-will grounded on that which GOD speaketh to CAINE Thou shalt rule ouer him the prerogatiue of the elder Brother ouer the yonger falsly applyed to the rule of the minde ouer sinfull lusts the choice of meates in the first Fathers abstinence from flesh fish and wine as hee saith which had not beene permitted to them as it is to vs Traditions when as yet they had no Scripture Superstitious Obsequies to the dead because the Iewes in their office for the dead call vpon the Fathers which lye buried at Hebron namely Adam Eue and the rest to open the gates of Paradise Deuotion to Saints because the Cherubins were set betweene Paradise and Sinners as if their Saints were honoured to keepe them out of Heauen and not the bloudie Sacrifices onely in Abels offering but that vnbloudie Sacrifice so they stile their Masse in the offering of Caine wee enuie them not their Founder yea he finds their Sacrifice of Orders in Gods executing the Priestly function of Matrimony in Adam and Eue of Baptisme in the Breeches which they ware of Penance because GOD said Thou art dust and to dust thou shalt returne of Confirmation in those words Shee shall breake thy head the Truth will breake their heads for so reading it of Vnction in that Seth went to the Cherub which kept Paradise and receiued of him three graines of the Tree of Life whereof we reade in the Apocalyps the leaues shall heale the Nations with those graines was an Oyle made wherewith Adam was anoyed and the stones put into his mouth whence sprang the Tree whereof the Crosse of our Lord was made hidden by Salomon in the Temple and after in the Poole of Bethesda Spectatum admissi risum teneatis amici Did not Genebrard deserue an Archbishopicke or if the obseruation be his did not Petrus Victor Palma which set him forth with such Comments deserue the Palme and Victory for Peters pretended Successors which could find such antiquitie for proofe of their Catholicisme Much good may it doe their Catholike mawes with such Dainties Iust art thou O Lord and iust are thy iudgements which because they will not beleeue thy Truth giuest them ouer to such strong delusions to beleeue so grosse and palpable Lyes CHAP. VII Of the cause and comming of the Floud THus wee haue seene in part the fulfilling of the Prophesie of the Seed of the Woman and of that other of the Serpent in the Posteritie of Caine and Seth. The Family of Caine is first reckoned and their forwardnesse in humane Arts as the children of this World are wiser in their generation in the things of this life which they almost onely attend then the children of light As for the Iewish Dreames that Lamech was blind and by the direction of Tubalcaine his sonne guiding his hand slew Caine supposing it had beene a wilde beast which when he knew so inraged him that he killed his sonne also they that list may follow Moses reckoneth the Generations according to the first-borne in the Posteritie of Seth as enioying the Principalitie and Priest-hood that so the promised Seed of the Woman after such a World of yeares comming into the World might iustifie the stablenesse of GODS promises his Lineall Descent from Adam with a due Chronologie beeing declared After Seth Enosh Kenan Mehalaleel Iared was Henoch the seuenth from ADAM who walked with God whom God tooke away that he should not see death This before the Law and Helias in the Law are Witnesses of the Resurrection being miraculously taken from the Earth into Heauen not by death but by supernaturall changing of their bodies That hee should bee still in an Earthly Paradise and that hee and Elias should come and preach against Antichrist and of him be slaine is a Popish Dreame the Scripture saying that HENOCH was taken away that he should not see death of Elias that he is alreadie come in the person of Iohn Baptist the Spirit and power or spirituall power of walking with GOD reforming Religion and conuerting soules beeing communicated to many of those Ministers which haue lien slaine in the streets of that great Citie This his Assumption is supposed to be visibly done Hee was a Prophet and Iude doth in his Epistle cite a testimonie of his which eyther by Tradition went from hand to hand as it seemeth the whole Word of GOD was deliuered before the dayes of Moses GOD by Visions and Dreames appearing vnto the Patriarkes or else it was written and since is lost Some hold it was penned by some Iew vnder the name of Enoch Augustine thinketh that the Booke entituled Enoch was forged in his name as other Writings vnder the names of Prophets and Apostles and therefore calleth it Apocrypha as Hierome doth also Chrysostome and Theophilact account Moses the first Pen-man of Holy Scripture Although it seemes that Letters were in vse before the floud if Iosephus his testimonie be true who affirmeth that Adam hauing prohpecied two vniuersall destructions one by fire another by water his Posteritie erected two Pillars one of bricke another of stone in both which they writ their inuentions of Astronomie that of stone was reported to remaine in his time Some ascribe this to Seth as
Assertion The Arke was too little forsooth for so many creatures and their prouision for a yeare Wee need not seeke for shifts from helpe of the Geometricall Cubite knowne to Moses in his Egyptian Learning of three sixe or nine foot to the Cubite as Origen and Hugo doe nor of the sacred Cubite imagined twice as much as the common nor of the larger stature and Cubites of men in those youthfull times and age of the World The length hereof three hundred Cubites and the breadth fiftie doe make of square measure by common Rules of Art fifteene thousand Cubites Three floores or roomes were therein of that quantitie each contayning ten foot in height As for the beasts a floore of fifteene thousand Cubits might yeeld fifty Cubits square to three hundred seuerall kinds many more then are knowne by relation of the most Writers Aristotle Plinie Gesner c. which scarce reckon halfe that number and but fortie kinds or thereabouts that would take vp any great roome The height might yeeld commodious roomes for the fowles on Perches and all this might one roome or floore affoord Iudge then whether two other roomes of equall bignesse might not be sufficient for all other necessary employments Besides the roofe is not to be thought vnproportionable fitted for so long and tempestuous stormes and therefore not vnfitted with roome for diuers necessaries And if any accuse me for adding this of the roofe to Moses description I say that so it is translated by some Et in cubiti longitudinem consummato eius fectum superne vnderstanding those words not of the window as many doe but of the roofe it selfe which else is no where described which should ouer-hang the Arke a Cubite breadth to defend it the safer from raines as in our houses the eues and slope roofes are commodious both for roome within and against the weather without But if any would entertaine longer dispute about this he may among others that haue handled this question resort vnto Goropius Becanus his Gigantomachia whom in this point I would rather follow then in many other his Becceselanical Paradoxes Noah and his Family with this their retinue being entred the fountaines of the great deepes were opened and the windowes of Heauen the two store-houses of waters which GOD had separated in the Creation beeing in a manner confounded againe the Seas breaking their sandie barres and breaking vp by secret vnderminings the priuie pores and passages in the Earth the Cloudes conspiring with the Waters and renuing their first league and naturall amitie to the confusion of Nature and the World The heauenly lights hid their faces from beholding it and clothed themselues with blacke as bewayling the Worlds Funerall the Ayre is turned into a Sea the Sea possesseth the Ayrie Region the Earth is now no Earth but a myrie lumpe and all that huger World is contracted into a briefe Epitome and small abridgement in the Arke euen there but a few inches distant from death Thus do all Creatures detest Sinne which hath made them subiect to Vanitie thus would the Elements wash themselues cleane from it and the committers thereof but the Arke preuaileth ouer the preuailing waters a figure of the Church the remnant of the elder and Seminarie of the new World This drowning of the World hath not beene quite drowned in the World but besides Moses many other Writers haue mentioned it the time thereof being referred to that which in each Nation was accounted most ancient as among the Thebans to Ogiges in Thessalia to Deucalion among the Americans although Mercator thinke that the Floud drowned not those parts because they were not yet peopled and because the beasts there are most-what differing kinds from these in our World the people haue retayned the tradition hereof Mnaseas among the Phoenicians Berosus a Caldaean Hieronimus Aegyptius Nicolaus of Damascus the Poets Greeke and Latine adding Fables to the Truth which without some ground of truth they could not haue added all mention the Floud howsoeuer confounding the lesse and later with this first and vniuersall I might adde the testimonies of Eupolemus Molon Abidenus Alexander Polyhistor out of Eusebius Iosephus and others Lucian in his Dea Syria telleth the opinion of the Hierapolitans but a little corrupted from Moses Narration that Countrey wherein Noah liued most likely retayning firmer memorie of this Miracle so plainly doth he attribute to his Deucalion the Arke the resort and safe-gard of the Lions Bores Serpents and Beasts the repairing of the World after this drowning thereof which he ascribeth to periurie crueltie and other abominations of the former people That Berosus which we now haue is not so much as the ghost or carkasse and scarce a few bones of the carkasse of that famous Caldaean Author mentioned by the Ancients but the Dreames of Annius no new thing in this last Age coined for the most part in his name Some fragments of Berosus wee haued cited in other Authours that conuince this Bastard Among others somewhat of the Floud hath escaped drowning his testimonie whereof set downe in Polyhistor and Abidenus is in Eusebius He affirmeth that Saturne gaue warning to Sisuthrus of this Deluge and willed him to prepare a great Vessell or Ship wherein to put conuenient food and to saue himselfe and his kindred and acquaintance which hee builded of length fiue furlongs of breadth two After the retyring of the waters hee sent out a Bird which returned after a few dayes he sent her forth againe which returned with her feet bemired and being sent the third time came no more with other things to like purpose which Polyhistor there and Abidenus citeth out of Berosus Plutarch hath also written of this Doue sent by Deucalion out of the Arke which returning was a signe of tempest and flying forth of faire weather CHAP. VIII Of the re-peopling of the World and of the diuision of Tongues and Nations NOw GOD remembred Noah saith Moses not that GOD can forget but that hee declared his Diuine Power whereby Noah might know hee was not forgotten Then did the Heauens remember their wonted influence in the Elements then did the Elements remember their naturall order GOD made a winde to passe in Commission and as a common Vmpire to end their vnnaturall strife forcing the Waters into their ancient precincts aboue and beneath the Firmament Ambrose interpreteth this Winde of the HOLY GHOST Rupertus of the Sunne The most of a wind which yet naturally could not be produced from that wateris masse but by the extraordinary hand of God Then did the Earth remember first inheritance beeing freed from the tyrannicall inuasion and vsurpation of the Waters And what could then forget or be forgotten when GOD remembred NOAH and all that was with him in the Arke And in the seuenth Moneth the seuenteenth day of the moneth the Arke rested vpon the Mountaines of Ararat This fell out
beyond Taurus After this hee was slaine exhibiting in himselfe a true example of the worlds falshood that playeth with Scepters and vyeth Diadems vsing men like Counters or Figures in numbring and casting accounts where the same with a little difference of place is a pound shilling or penie one ten or an hundred And yet as earthly happinesse herein comes short of heauen that it is neuer meere and vnmixed but hath some sowre sauce to rellish it so falleth it as farre short of hell that not onely hope but the most miserable hap hath some glimpse of comfort But to come to our Historie Antiochus his sonne sur-named Epiphanes and after Epimanes for his furious insolence who beganne his raigne Anno mundi 3774. was first sent to Rome in hostage for securitie of his fathers faith and after that Seleucus his brother which sent Heliodorus to rob the Temple at Ierusalem had a while warmed the Throne succeeded in the Syrian Kingdome Of him and his tyrannie Daniel had long before prophesied in the interpretation of Nabuchodonosors Image whose legs are interpreted to be this Syrian and the Egyptian kingdomes both heauie and hard neighbours to the Church in Iudea lying betwixt them but more especially in his Visions in the seuenth Chapter Where after other things he fore-telleth of the ten hornes which are the eight Kings afore-named and two Egyptian Ptolemus Euergetes and Philopater in their times preuayling in Syria and infesting Iudea And the last shall subdue three Kings which were Ptolemie of Egypt driuen out of Syria Seleucus his brother and Demetrius to whom after Seleucus the right of the Scepter belonged His policie and blasphemie and tyrannie are also by Daniel plainely fore-signified and in their euent as fully in the Historie of the Machabees related There you may reade his wicked life and wretched death He tooke Ierusalem Anno mundi 3781 and slew fourescore thousand people robbed the Temple of eighteene hundred talents and of the holy Vessels polluted the Temple forbade the Sacrifice named it the Temlpe of Iupiter Olympius forced men by tortures from their religion with other execrable outrages which would require a iust volume to describe As he was thus madde and raging against the true Religion so Athenaeus sheweth his vanitie in his owne whose pompous solemnitie at the Daphnean Feast hee thus relateth Antiochus in emulation to Paulus Aemilius proclaimed this solemne festiuitie in the Cities of Greece and performed it at Daphne First passed in order fiue thousand men armed after the Roman manner next followed fiue thousand Mysians and three thousand Cilicians with Crownes of gold of Thracians three thousand of Galatians fiue thousand of whom some had shields of siluer Twentie thousand Macedonians and fiue thousand with shields of brasse after these two hundred and fortie couples of champions which should fight in single combate There followed one thousand Pisaean horse-men and three thousand of the Citie the most whereof had Crownes and Vials of gold other trappings of siluer Next came the band called Socia nothing inferiour in pompe or number then a thousand extraordinarie and another thousand in the band called Agema Lastly the barded horses fifteene hundred all these in purple vestures which many had embroidered or embossed with gold Chariots drawne with sixe horses one hundred and fortie drawne by foure one drawne by Elephants attended with six and thirtie other The rest of the pompe is incredible and tedious eight hundred youths with golden crownes a thousand fat oxen and three hundred persons to attend the sacrifices eight hundred Elephants teeth There were also the Images of all the gods and Heroes that can be reckoned some gilded some clothed with golden vestures their fabulous histories being with great pompe annexed After all these the Images of Day Night Earth Heauen Morning and Noone Then came a thousand Boyes each hauing a piece of plate of a thousand drams sixe hundred with vessels of gold eightie women were carried in chaires footed with gold and fiue hundred in others footed with siluer very sumptuously attired two hundred of them out of basons of gold strewed odours These spectacles lasted thirtie dayes A thousand and sometimes twelue hundred Halls or dining roomes were furnished for bankets the King himselfe affecting too officious familiaritie therein visiting the tables of the baser people yea and that as a base Minstrell with musicke not of the best instruments but such as the poorer sort vsed for want of better as learned Casaubonus hath on that place of Athenaens obserued So base is the Pride of Ambition tempering a confused distemper according in a strange harmonie the harshest discord of proud-aspiring and deiected basenesse where a base and seruile mind begetteth pride and pride produceth a seruil basenesse a changeling which the doting World fathereth on Humility Of the death of this Antiochus the former and second bookes of Machabees seeme to disagree and which is more strange the second booke in the first chapter saith hee and his company were destroyed in the Temple of Nanaea in Persia and in the ninth chapter saith that in Media at Echatana hee was smitten with an vncouth disease and a fall from his Chariot whereof he died Some that would haue this history Oanonicall apply it to two Antiochi as Lyra and Rupertus and after them Canus but Bellarmine seeing that they will not agree with the times of any other but Epiphanes proueth himselfe Epimanes and runneth mad with loue of that Trent-Minion affirming that in the Temple of Nanae a he fell but escaped as the King of Sodome is said to fall when Lot was captiued and yet was not slaine and after perished as in the after part of the historie is expressed whereas it is there said that they shut the dores on him and cut him and his fellowes in pieces and made them shorter by the heads who yet after this forsooth could goe into Media and there haue a fall from his Chariot They must haue no delicate stomacks that wil be Iesuits any thing must down when they will vp especially if Trent or the Vatican command though manifest reason and sense that I say not Religion countermand I enuie not the red Hat with these labels Wel fare that modestie of the Author that confesseth his weakenesse but Anathema to their Anathema's that enact contradictions to be Canonicall I omit the successors of Antiochus to wit Antiochus Demetrius Alexander who tooke away the golden Image of Victoria out of the Temple at Antioch in his necessitie iesting that Iupiter had sent him Victorie and when hee would haue added Iupiter to his sacriledge was chased away by the multitude and after slaine by Gripus The rest with the times of their raigne are before expressed Pompey set an end to these Seleucidan Kings and the Romans enioyed the Countries of Syria till the Saracens dispossessed them whose history you may reade in their
they his peculiar In Iewrie was GOD knowne his Name was great in Israel In Salem was his Tabernacle and his dwelling in Sion And Christ himselfe ratified it acknowledging himselfe sent to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel a Minister of the Circumcision and said to the Cananite woman which besought him for her daughter It is not good to take the childrens bread and to cast it to Dogs Such in spirituall reputation before GOD were all people excluded as vncleane Dogs out of his heauenly Ierusalem till this partition wall was taken downe and they which had beene farre off were made neere by the bloud of Christ who abrogated through his flesh that hatred and made of twaine Iewes and Gentiles one new man in himselfe So that the Gentiles the name of all the World excepting this people which had beene without Christ and aliants from the Common-wealth of Israel strangers from the Couenants of promise had no hope and were without GOD in the world were now no more strangers and forreiners but Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of GOD built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone Let it not bee tedious to heare of this which the Angels reioyced to learne a Mysterie which from the beginning of the world had beene hid in GOD and vnto Principalities and Powers in heauenly places was made knowne by the Church But the Word whereby we haue fellowship in this mysterie came out of Sion and the preaching began at Ierusalem This and not Rome by the confession of Espensaeus a learned Papist was Emporium fidei Christiana Ecclesiae Mater The Mart of Christian faith and Mother of the Church Yea it was necessarie that the Word of GOD should first be spoken vnto them which they by incredulitie put from themselues and gaue place to the Gentiles The fall of them became the riches of the World and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles as a Glasse wherein we may behold the bountifulnesse and seueritie of GOD and in both the deepnesse of the riches of the wisedome and knowledge of GOD whose Iudgements are vnsearchable and his wayes past finding out I may fitly compare them to Gideons Fleece which receiued the dew when all the Earth besides was drie and after it was drie vpon the Fleece onely when the dew couered all the ground Sometimes they alone receiued all those Dewes Showers Riuers Seas of sauing Bountie and all the world besides was a parched wildernesse Now he turneth the fruitfull Land into barrennesse for the wickednesse of the Inhabitants but that Wildernesse he turneth into Pooles of water and the drie Land into water-springs Hee hath called them his people which were not his people and her beloued which was not beloued and where it was said Yee are not my people there they are now called the children of the liuing GOD. Thus hath hee shut vp all vnder vnbeliefe that he might haue mercy vpon all that his free election might appeare not of works lest any should boast themselues but of grace Behold therefore all Atheists and wonder The Iewes branded with iudgement wander ouer the World the contempt of Nations the skum of People the hissing derision and indignation of men for refusing Him whom they expect denying Him whom they challenge hating Him whose Name is in life and death vnto them the sweetest tune and most melodious harmonie still wayting for and glorying in that Messias whom vnknowne they crucified and slue and still pursue with the deadliest hatred in all his followers GOD they please not and are contrarie to all men Yet such is GODS manifold wisedome in his deepest Iudgements that his enemies shall fight for him euen against themselues the Midianites shall sheathe their swords which they haue drawne out against GOD in their owne bowels and Christian Truth shall preuaile and let our enemies themselues be iudges Out of their premisses which they maintayne as earnestly as thou O Atheist securely deridest which they will seale with that which thou makest thy heauen thy GOD we will and doe conclude against thee and them that in which with which for which we will liue and die Let the old Testament yeeld the Proposition in prophesie and the new Testament assume in Historie and euen be thou the Iudge if that Reason which thou hast as a man and peruertest as a Deuill will not by force of their scriptures which they preferre before their liues necessarily in the conclusion demonstrate the Christian Truth Neither I appeale vnto our common Reason canst thou more wonder at vs for beleeuing things in thy seeming incredible absurd and impossible then at them vpon such grounds which with vs they hold not beleeuing For what beleeue we but for the maine and chiefe points of our Faith are as plainly in their Euangelicall Prophets as in our Propheticall Euangelists All the Historie of Christ in a more diuine way seemeth rather told then foretold a Historie not a Prophesie as is easie by conference of both to shew and thou if thou beest not idle or wilfully malicious mayest finde That then which thou seest come vpon them a spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see and eares that they should not heare which yet haue the light of the first Scriptures had they not a veile ouer their hearts the same see in thy selfe that when greater light doth offer it selfe willingly shuttest thine eyes as though there could be no light because thou liuest in and louest thy darknesse It is the same hand that giueth vp both thee and them because yee will not beleeue the Truth to be saued to strong delusions that yee might beleeue lyes and be damned To me and all Christians let the Iewes bee both reall and verball teachers of the Truth which they let fall and we take vp the one in their Oracles of sacred Writ the other in their exemplarie iudgement And to them Let O thou Lord of all heare and grant it let all Christians be that which Moses prophesied a prouocation to emulation not of enuie and hatred which hitherto hath beene in these amongst all the Christian enemies the most implacable and despitefull but of imitation that as their casting away hath beene the reconciling of the World their receiuing may be life from the dead which Paul seemeth plainly to fore-signifie THus much being premised as a preparation to our Iewish Historie which as of more importance then any other deserueth more ample view let vs in the next place suruey that Countrey which their Progenitors had with those priuiledges and their Posteritie together with those priuiledges haue lost This Countrey was first called the Land of Canaan after that the Posteritie of Canaan the sonne of Cham had possessed it Moses and Ioshua conquered it to the Posteritie of Iacob of whom it
therefore enioyne thee to desist from these attempts otherwise be thou cast out from all Israel But he proceeded neuertheles till Zinaldin a Turkish King subiect to the Persian corrupted his Father in Law with ten thousand peeces of Gold who accordingly with a Sword slew him in his bed And thus ended Dauid but not his designes for the Iewes in Persia were forced by many talents af gold to buy their peace with the King About the same time Rambam tells of another which tooke him to bee the Messenger of the Messias which should direct his way before him preaching that the Messias would appeare in the South To him resorted many Iewes and Arabians whom hee led alongst the Mountaines professing to go meete the Messias who had sent him Our Brethren in the South countrey wrote to me a long Letter hereof declaring the innouations he made in their Prayers and his preachings amongst them asking my aduice And I writ a booke saith Rambam for their sakes touching the signes of the comming of the Messias This Seducer was taken after a yeeres space and brought before one of the Kings of the Arabians which examined him of his courses who answered that he had so done at the commandement of GOD in witnesse whereof he bad him cut off his head and he would rise againe and reuiue which the King caused to be done without any such miraculous effect ensuing The like telleth Isaac Leuita of one Lemlen a Iew in the yeere 1500. as also of R. Dauid which about the same time was burned for like cause The Iewes haue Legends as that of Eldad translated by Genebrard of multitudes of Iewes in Aethiopia whom when wee come thither we will visit But alas it is small comfort being burned in the fire to make themselues merry with smoke Of their miseries sustained in all places of their abode all histories make mention And yet their superstition is more lamentable then their dispersion as also their pertinacie and stubbornenesse in their superstition And certainely me thinks that euen to him that will walke by sight and not by faith not oblieging his credit to meete authoritie as the case standeth betwixt vs and the Scriptures but will be drawne by the cords of Reason onely and Sense euen to such a one me thinks this Historie of the Iewes may be a visible demonstration of the Truth of Christian Religion Not onely because the truth of the Prophesies of Iaacob of Moses of Esay and other the Prophets is fulfilled in them and because Gods iustice still exacteth the punishment of the betraying and murthering that iust one but especially in this that the bitterest enemies cruellest persecutors and wilfullest Haters that euer were of the Christian truth are dispersed into so many parts of the World as witnesses of the same Truth holding and maintayning to death the Scriptures of Moses and the Prophets then which euen Reason being Iudge as is said before we will not desire sounder and fuller proofes of our profession Neither is our Gospell wherein we differ from them any other then the fulfilling of their Law and Christ came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill the same the same truth being deliuered in both veyled in the one and reuealed in the other In him the Promises in him the figures in him the righteousnesse of the Law righteousnesse in Doctrine righteousnesse in practice righteousnesse of Doing righteousnesse of Suffering to satisfie the debt to merit the inheritance are the witnesses that in him they are all yea and Amen haue receiued their perfect being and accomplishment But the vayle is ouer their hearts eyes they haue and see not eares and heare not They hold out to vs the light of Scripture themselues walking in darkenes and reserued to darkenesse like to a Lampe Lanthorne or Candlesticke communicating light to others whereof themselues are not capable nor can make any vse §. IIII. Of the Miserable Dispersions of the Iewes WE haue shewed how they were vtterly cast out of their countrey And Italie and the Empire was filled with Iewish slaues Nor was this their first dispersion but as the Assyrians had carried away the other ten Tribes So the Babylonians carried away the two Tribes remayning which might haue returned vnder the Persian Monarchie but many remained in those Countries till the dissolution of that Iewish state and after They had there diuers famous Vniuersities and that at Bagdet endured till the yeere of Christ one thousand three hundred so writeth Boterus At which time they fleeing the persecutions of the Arabians dispersed themselues into India where many are found at this day These through continuall conuersing with the Gentiles and Christians haue small knowledge of the Law and lesse would haue but for other Iewes that resort thither out of Egypt Before that time also if we beleeue the Ethiopian History twelue thousand Iewes of each Tribe a thousand went with the Queene of Sabaes Sonne which they say she had by Salomon into that Country and there remaine their posteritie to this day Thus is ASIA and AFRIKE fraught with them but EVROPE much more Adrian banished fiue hundred thousand into Spayne where they multiplied infinitely and founded an Vniuersitie at Corduba about the yeere of our Lord one thousand And at Toledo was a Schoole of twelue thousand Iewes about the yeere of our Lord one thousand two hundred thirty and sixe as writeth Rabbi Mosche Mikkatzi from hence it seemeth they swarmed into England and France Anno 1096. innumerable numbers of men and women of diuers Nations according to the zeale of those times trauelling to Ierusalem compelled the Iewes in places whereby they passed to be baptized euery where making terrible massacre and slaughter of such as refused may of the Iewes also killing themselues in zeale of their Law At Mentz they slew of them 1014. of both sexes and fired the greatest part of the Citie The rest rested not long in their imposed Christianitie but willingly renounced that which against their wils they had accepted Auentinus numbreth 12000. Iewes slaine in Germanie in this irreligious quarrell Otto Frisingensis attributes these Iewish slaughters to the zealous preaching of Rodolph a Monke which furie was appeased by the preaching and authoritie of Saint BERNARD These Pilgrims saith Albertus Aquensis which then liued being a gallimaufry of all Nations in pretence of this holy quarrell against the Turkes gaue themselues to all vnholy and filthy courses amongst themselues and against the Christians where they passed may whoores attending and following the Campe to which they added excesse in dyet robberies especially all cruelties against the Iewes chiefly in the kingdome of Lorraine thus beginning the rudiments of that war against the enemies of the Faith First they destroyed them and their Synagogues in Collen and taking two hundred of them flying by night to Nuis they slue and robbed them all At Mentz the Iewes committed
But of Beasts Birds Trees and Flowers those prominent Images which are made standing out are lawfull Otherwise of the Sunne Moone and Starres 45. No commoditie is to bee raised from Idols If a tree be planted neere an Image one may not sit vnder the shadow thereof nor passe vnder it if there bee any other way and if he must passe it must be running Things imployed to Idolatry may be vsed of vs if the Gentiles haue first prophaned them It is not lawfull to sell them Waxe or Frankincense especially at their Candlemasse Feast nor bookes to vse in their seruice Our women may not performe a Mid-wiues office to them nor nurse their children 65. Thou shalt doe no worke on the Seuenth day Nothing that belongeth to the getting of Food or Rayment It is vnlawfull to walke on the grasse lest thou pull it vp with thy feet or to hang any thing on the bough of a tree lest it breake or to eate an Apple plucked on the Sabbath especially if the tayle or woodden substance whereby it groweth be on it or to mount on a horse lest he bee galled or to goe into water lest thou wipe thy clothes which holdeth also if they be moystened with Wine or Oyle but not in a woman that giueth suck who may wipe her cloathes for the more puritie of her prayers The stopple of a Vessell if it be of Hempe or Flax may not be thrust in though it runne especially if any other Vessell be vnder To mixe Mustard-seed with wine or water to lay an Apple to the fire to roast to wash the bodie chiefely with hot water to sweate to wash the hands to doe any thing in priuate which may not bee publikely done but some say it is lawfull priuately to rubbe off the durt with his nayles from his cloathes which publikely hee may not To reade by a Light except two reade together To set sayle but if thou enter three dayes before it is not necessarie to goe forth on the Sabbath to be carryed in a Waggon though a Gentile driue it If fire happen on the Sabbath to carrie any thing out but thy food rayment and necessaries for that day and that wherein the holy Booke lyeth to put to pasture Horses or Asses coupled together to receiue any good by the Light or Fire which a Gentile hath made for the Iew otherwise if he did it for himselfe To play on any Instrument to make a bed to Number Measure Iudge or Marry lest they should write any thing To reade at home when others are at the Synagogue To speake of buying and selling which it seemeth they obserue not To visite Field or Garden To Runne Leape or tell Tales c. All these on the Sabbath day are vnlawfull For dangerous diseases it is lawfull to violate the Sabbath Such are the three first dayes after a womans trauell c. But of this see also the obseruation of their Sabbath It is not lawfull to walke out of the Citie but their limited space but within the Citie as farre as they will though it bee as big as Niniuie 120. It is forbidden to hurt the Seed-members of Man or Beast Neither Males nor Females may be gelded or spayed and yet wee may vse such Beasts 126. It is punishable to know kisse or embrace one which is forbidden by the Law Leuit. 18. Therefore our Masters haue forbidden to smile on such or vse any meanes or tokens of Lust Likewise they haue forbidden men to know their Wiues in the day-time vnlesse it bee in the darke or vnder some Couering The same is forbidden to a drunken man and to him which hateth his wife lest they get wicked Children betweene them Also to follow a woman in the streets but either to goe before or besides her And hee which is not married may not put his hand beneath his Nauell nor touch his flesh when he maketh water And because a man may not weare Womans attire neither may hee looke in a glasse because that is womanish 138. The fat may not bee eaten The fat of the Heart may but not that which is on the Inwards and Reines and Stomake and Guts and Bladder the rest may be eaten 176. If thy Brother bee poore thou mayest not abuse him to wit to base Offices as to vntie the shooe or to carrie Vessels to the Bath Concerning liberalitie to the poore they limit it at the fift part of a mans goods lest men should become poore by releeuing the poore 191. Thou mayest not lend to an Israelite on Vsurie nor borrow on Vsurie Nor be a witnesse or suretie in cases of Vsurie nor receiue any thing besides the principall especially on any Couenant going before 201. Hee that by constraint doth any thing worthy of Death although hee violate the Name of God ought not be slaine 213. Wicked men are not competent witnesses Hee is accounted wicked which transgresseth any Precept for which hee is worthy to be beaten A Theefe and a Robber is not sufficient to bee a witnesse after he hath made restitution Nor a Vsurer nor a Publicane nor he which is enriched by play nor Children till they haue beards except hee be twentie yeeres olde 222. The King ought not to multiply Wiues Our Masters say that the King may haue eighteene Wiues 225. If any of the seuen Canaanitish Nations shall come in the hands of a Iew hee ought to slay him 242. The Father or the Husband may disannull the vowes of their Children or Wiues And the Wise-men may release the vowes of those which repent of their vow A Sonne of thirteene yeeres and a day and a Daughter of twelue and a day if they be out of their Parents tuition haue power to vow A bastard may not marry an Israelites daughter to the tenth generation 308. Their are fiftie defects which make a Man or Beast vncapeable of Sacred Functions to bee either Sacrificer or Sacrifice fiue in the Eares three in the eye-lids eight in the eyes three in the nose sixe in the mouth twelue in the seed-vessels sixe in the hands and feete and in the bodie foure c. Besides there are foure-score and tenne defects in Man which are not in a Beast No defect vnlesse it bee outward maketh a man vnfit §. III. Of their affirmatiue Precepts 12. EVery one ought to teach his Sonne the Law Likewise his nephew and Wisemen their Disciples and he which is not taught it of his Father must learne it as he can He which teacheth another the written Law may receiue a reward but not for teaching the Traditionall 13. Rise before thine Elder That is saith R. Iosi a Wiseman although young in yeeres To him thou must rise when hee is foure cubites distant and when he is passed by thou mayest sit downe againe 16. The sinner must turne from his sinne vnto God And being returned he must say I beseech thee O
of the Sabbath and in the land of Israel of which you haue heard their rolling opinion before neither will wee roll this stone to our Reader againe CHAP. XX. The Jewes faith and hope touching their Messias §. I. Of the Signes of the comming of their Messias THe Iewes generally beleeue hope and pray for a Messias but such a one whose Kingdome shall bee of this world and who shall to vse the Apostles phrase who were also euen after Christs death and resurrection partakers of this dreame Restore the Kingdome to Israel And because the Scripture speaketh sometimes of the poore contemptible and deiected state of the promised Messias sometimes of the puissance renowne and glory of his Kingdome they therefore frame to their conceits two Messiahs one poore and simple but a mightie warriour whom they call Messias Ben-Ioseph the other Messias Ben-Dauid after the other in time but before him in glory and the true Messias howsoeuer euen this also bee in their opinions but a meere man and one which shall marry and leaue behind him a remayning and raigning posterity The Cabalists according to their transcendent mysteries out of the name Adam which the Hebrewes write without points Adm gather that the soule of Adam by a Metempsychosis passed into Dauid and that of Dauid into Messias which yet lyes hid for the sinnes of the Iewes The ancient Iewes looked for this Messias to bee sent them about that time when Iesus came in the Flesh as that Prophesie which is fathered on Elias testifyeth to wit that the world should bee two thousand yeeres Tohu empty and without law two thousand vnder the Law two thousand vnder the Messias and accordingly Christ Iesus came into the world about the yeere after the Creation 3963. The Iewes reckon 202. yeeres fewer in all their computations then the Christians Vpon this occasion and in regard of the generall expectation of the Messias about that time rose so many Sects and especially that rebellion of Ben-Cochab before spoken of to whom R. Akibha famous for his foure and twenty thousand Disciples gaue testimony and called him Messias the King But this Ben-Cochab the sonne of the Starre Numb 23. was by Adrian as you haue seene besieged taken and executed and was called after Ben-Cozobh the sonne of lying They therefore when as they found no Messias said that the time was deferred because of their sinnes and after denounced Anathema to him that should set downe the time of his comming And being conuinced in their consciences that the Prophesies of this time were already past and accomplished they affirmed in their writings that hee was then borne but did not yet reueale himselfe because of their sinnes R. Salomon Iarchi writeteh that the ancient Iewes thought he was borne on that day in which Ierusalem was last destroyed but vncertaine where he hath lyen hid Some say that he abideth in Paradise tyed by the haire of a womans head so interpreting that of the Canticles The hayre of thy head is as purple The King is tyed in the rafters by rafters meaning Paradise The Talmudists write that hee lay at the gates of Rome among the Lazars and Leapers according to Esay 53. Before he commeth they write that ten notable miracles shall happen to warne them thereof First GOD shall raise vp three Kings which shall make profession of the true Faith but shall indeed betray it and seduce men and cause them to deny GOD. The louers of the Truth shall flee and hide themselues in caues and holes of the earth and these Tyrants shall pursue and slay them Then shall there be no King in Israel as it is written no Pastor no holy men The heauens shall bee shut vp the people shall be made few for these Tyrants which yet by diuine dispensation shall raigne but three months shall impose ten times as much as was before exacted and they which haue not to pay shall lose their heads And from the ends of the earth shall come men blacke and loathsome the dread of whose countenance shall kill men for they haue two heads and seuen eyes sparkling like fire The second Miracle shall bee a great heate of the Sunne causing Feauers Pestilences and other diseases so that the Gentles shall digge themselues graues and there lye and wish for death But the Israelites shall haue this heat to be as wholesome medicine to them so interpreting the Prophet GOD shall make a bloudy dew fall on the earth of which the people and the wicked of the Israelites shall drinke thinking it to be good water and shall die it shall not hurt the iust who shall shine c. Fourthly GOD shall make a wholsome dew to fall whereof the indifferent meaner sinners sicke of the former dew shall drinke and liue Hos 14.6 Fifthly The Sunne shall be darkened thirty dayes and then receiue againe his light whereby many shall embrace Iudaisme Sixthly GOD shall permit the Edomites or Romans to rule ouer all the world but one especially at Rome shall raigne nine moneths ouer all the world wasting large countries laying heauy tributes vpon the Israelites Then shall the Israelites haue no helper as sayth Esai 49.16 But after nine moneths GOD shall send Messias Ben-Ioseph of the children of Ioseph whose name shall be Nehemias the sonne of Husiel Hee shall come with the race of Ephraim Manasse Beniamin and Gad and the Israelites hearing of it shall flocke to him as Ieremie sheweth Conuert yee to the Lord yee rebellious children I will take yee one of a City and two of a Tribe c. This Messias shall ouerthrow the Edomites and slay their King and destroying the Empire shall carrie to Ierusalem holy vessels reserued in the house of Aelian for a treasure The King of Egypt also shall make peace with the Israelite and shall kill the men about Ierusalem Damascus and Ascalon the fame whereof shall affright all the inhabitants of the earth Seuenthly There is at Rome a marble Image of a Virgin not made by mans hand to which shall resort all the wicked of the world and shall incestuously conuerse therewith Hence shall GOD frame an Infant in the same which shall with breach of the marble come foorth This shall bee named Armillus the wicked the same which the Christians call Antichrist of ten elles quantitie of bredth and length a spanne bredth betweene his eyes which shall bee red and deepe in his head his hayre yellow the soles of his feet-greene deformed with two heads Hee shall professe himselfe the Romane Messias and GOD and shall bee accepted of them He shall bid them bring him the Law which hee hath giuen them which they shall bring with their Prayer-booke hee shall cause them to beleeue in him and shall send Ambassadours to Nehemias the sonne of Husiel and to the people of Israel commanding them also to bring him their Law and to acknowledge him for GOD. Then shall Nehemias
Kings and Princes who before in that Countrey vsed no Physicians He published neere an hundred bookes manie of Physicke some of Philosophie a Dictionarie of Herbes and Stones Verses of the Soule c. He liued eight and fiftie yeeres and dyed in Hamadan He had runne thorow all Arts at eighteene Thus Ben-Casem But others affirme that a certaine Physician flourishing of great note vpon whom no praying nor paying could fasten a Disciple lest the secrets of his Art should bee made common the mother of Auicenna offers her sonne to doe him seruice in decoctions and other meaner offices which hee could not doe himselfe nor was there feare of danger from him whom nature had made deafe and therefore dumbe Hee made tryals and found Auicenna deafe as he thought and entertayned him who watched his times and transcribed his bookes and notes sending them closely to his Mother which after his mothers death hee published in his owne name Damascus is called of the Arabians Sciam and Demasc of the Syrians Darmsuc It is luxurious in Fruits of all kinds rich in Oliues and Yron of excellent temper by nature and so bettered by Art that no Helme or Shield can withstand it It is seated in a large Plaine at the roots of Libanas there called Hermon sixe miles in compasse double walled with a strong square Tower in the midst built by a Florintine beautified with Springs Market-places publike Buildings Meskits Bathes Canes and all sorts of like weauing and in all ancient times with Learning and learned men Here flourished Saint Damascen and heere Almotannabbi excelled in Arts and Armes emulous of Mahomet but not with like successe Hee was called Nabion that is The Prophet this Motannabbi that is Prophecying hee wrote the Alcoran elegantly and eloquently this excelled in Prose and Verse both had Followers but this mans Disciples after his death were disperst which hapned A. H. 354. Ben-Casem also relates that Mohamed Abi Abdillah professed Philosophie in this Citie and to dispute with all commers and wrote a huge Booke De vnitate existendi principiorum He dyed there A.H. 638. Aleppo is called of the Inhabitants Haleb the chiefe Mart of all the East frequented by Persians Indians Armenians and all Europians The Port is Scanderoone called by the Inhabitants Escanderuneh The soyle is very fertile and nourisheth abundance of Silke-wormes A.H. 922. Sultan Selim tooke it and found therein infinit wealth Sciarfeddin which wrote the Victories of the Othomans in two Tomes saith that it had of Gold and Siluer coyned 1150000. a mightie masse vncoyned Vests of cloath of Gold tissued or wrought with gold silk and scarlet aboue 300000. besides abundance of Gems Pearls And besides other wealth innumerable it had eight Armories well furnished It now flourisheth in the next place to Constantinople and Caito and may be called Queene of the East Here are store of Gems Amber Bengeoin Lignum Aloes and Muske which is taken from a little reddish beast beaten with many blowes on one place that the bloud may all come thither Then is the skin so swolne and full of bloud bound straight that the bloud may not issue and put into one or more bladders is dryed on a beasts backe till the bladder fall off of it selfe and that bloud after a moneth becomes excellent Muske At Aleppo was borne that great Grammarian Othaman Abu Homar surnamed Ben-ellhhageb which wrote Cafia and Sciafia of Grammer and dyed A. H. 672. CHAP. III. The Life of Mahumet Mahammed or Muhammed the Saracen Law-giuer §. I. Mahumets Life after the Histories of Christians THe life of Mahomet is at large described by diuers Authors but I finde it no where so fully as before the Alcaron in the Italian Edition the sum whereof and of the other reports touching the same is this Ismael was the first according to that Italian Author others ascribe it to Abraham that built the Temple at Mecca and hauing to wife an Egyptian Idolatresse had by her twelue sonnes which as he saith being dispersed in Arabia Persia Armenia sowed so many sorts of Religion and Chedar his second sonne placed in the Temple of his father vpon an high Tower called Alquibla an Idoll named Allech and Alleze instituting certaine cremonies and amongst the rest the sacrificing of a Ram in remembrance of that Ram which was presented to his grand-father Abram at the offering of Isaac Of Chedar descended Thebic and so in order Caab Numhib Almucaien Ahlucen Acaha Amubasca Amir Celif Nisca Abhimaistae Aadirem Scaad Mudhar Ilges Mudicita Hudhaifa Chinene Anascere Melich Phasce Paliff Lunai Cabnai Morta Chelef Facien Abdamanef Abdalmutalif Abdalla the supposed father of Mahomet his mothers name was Hennina or Hemina a Iewish as some write his father was an Ethnicke or Pagan Idolater His base condition and obscuritie was such that the Turkes themselues doubt whether he were an Arabian or Persian notwithstanding that genealogicall rabble Richerius reporteth that he was a Cyreuean by birth and that in the time of his minoritie or child-hood he was by some Plagiarie stolne away from his friends and sold to the Ismaelit-Marchants Others say that hee was abandoned both of father and mother and according to the cruell custome of that barbarous people sold to strangers From so base a beginning did this cunning Impostor and Seducer of the world arise to be the scourge of Princes and disturber of the world He was somewhat comely of person and of sharp wit and therefore was made ouer-seer of the businesse of Abdalmutalif his Master or as some say his Grand-father and traded for him in Soria Egypt and Persia and after his death inherited his goods continuing his trade of Marchandize with a great man of Corozan he succeeded him in his bed wealth by the marriage of his widdow Gadisa whom others call Adega the daughter of Hulert and that as some suspect not vnprobably by the helpe of Sorceries and Incantations With this widdow after shee was become his wife he liued in his wonted course of life thirteene yeeres and had by her one sonne and three daughters And by this meanes growne great he aspired higher assembling to himselfe a company of theeues vnthrifts and out-lawes which with him became voluntaries and aduenturers in the warres of the Emperour Heraclius against the Persians in which he valourously behaued himselfe and was wounded in the visage and Cosdroes the Persian King was ouercome After this Mahomet deuising further how to satisfie his ambitious desire of Soueraigntie met with occasion fitting those his aspiring designes The Arabians being denied their pay as is said raised a mutinie and rebellion these chose Mahomet to be their Captaine who vsed them as his instruments of robbery and violence about the countries of Mecca But the Nobles opposing themselues against him hee perceiuing that their power and authoritie would be a perilous rub in his way thought it his safest course to
it with them and to pray God for health and pardon of sinnes To this building is added a Noble Schoole or Vniuersitie A. H. 949. by Solyman who adorned it by his costs by maruellous structure and endowed it with reuenues After these visitations all the Pilgrimes goe to a certaine Temple on a Hill ten miles from the Citie and flocking in great numbers buy according to their abilitie one or more Rams for sacrifice And because some are of opinion that the Mohamedans haue no sacrifices we will relate what Iacub Ben-Sidi Aali hath written of their ceremonies Dhahhla so the Arabs call a Sacrifice is a killing of beasts in the worship and for the offering of God and they are Lambs of sixe or seuen moneths at least Camels of fiue yeeres Bullockes of two yeeres The males are to be chosen before females and those cleane white infected by no naturall or violent defect fatte corpulent horned Euery man must kill his owne Sacrifices and rippe them with his owne hands except in vrgent necessities and then he may substitute others to doe it for him For euery one before they eate any thing are bound to eate some peace of the Sacrifice the rest if they can to giue cheerefully to the poore They which are admitted to these Oblations let them offer one Ram for themselues another for the soules of the Dead another for Mahomed that in the day of Iudgement he deliuer them from calamities These Sacrifices are offered to God in imitation of Abraham which would haue offered his sonne Ismael to God who going out of the Citie with him to a certaine Hill called Mena where he would haue offered him to God but when the sword could not cut his necke a white Ram appeared betwixt his hands fat and horned which he sacrificed to God in stead of his sonne Whiles the Pilgrims are heere busied in their sacrifices Beduine Arabs assault the Carauans and robbing them flee to the Hils and inaccessible refuges so swift as if they did flie And although all Armes are forbidden in the Territorie of Mecca which containeth on the East sixe miles on the North twelue on the West eighteene on the South foure and twentie in which respect Mecca Medina are called Atharamain yet they cease not to infest Pilgrims are here forced to Armes This Territorie is barren for want of water and raine hath very few Herbs and Plants or other pleasures of Groues Gardens Vines or greene obiects but is roasted with the Sunne both land and people And this haply is the cause that no man may breake a bough if they finde any Tree Only the shrubs of Balsam brought hither from Cairo thriue well and are now so propagated that all the sweet liquor of Balsam is carried onely from this Citie thorow all Regions in great plentie Heere are store of Pigeons which because they are of the stocke of that which came to Mahomeds eare as the Moslemans fable no man may take or scarre them A certaine Scerif enioyeth the dominion of this Citie and all the Land of Medina by inheritance called Alamam-Alhascemi that is the Captaine or chiefe Hascemee descended of Hascem great Grand-father of Mohamed Who were neuer depriued of their dominion by the Ottoman or Soldan Yea the Ottoman calls not himselfe the Lord of Mecca and Medina but the humble seruant Yet this Scerif notwithstanding his reuenues and gifts by Pilgrims and Princes through the Beduines spoiles and his kindreds quarrels seeking the Soueraigntie is alway poore Therefore doth the Ottoman bestow the third part of the reuenues of Egypt and to protect the Pilgrims from the inuasions of the Arabs Medina is called The Citie by Antonomasia and Medina Alnabi that is The Citie of the prophet because Mohamed when he was forced to forsake his Countrey Mecca betooke himselfe to this Citie then called Iathreb and was made Lord thereof It is an errour that he was borne here for he was borne and brought vp at Mecca CHAP. VII Of the Successors of MAHOMET of their different Sects and of the dispersing of that Religion through the World MAHOMET hauing with Word and Sword published his Alcoran as you haue heard his followers after his death succeeding in his place succeeded him in tyrannie Eubocar surnamed Abdalla vndertooke the defence of that faithlesse Faith and Kingdome and that as his Predecessor had done partly by subtiltie partly by force For when as Mahumets Disciples had buried their new Religion with their old Master except a few of his kindred hee applied his wits to recall them and whereas Hali Mahomets neerest kinsman and sonne-in-law disagreed from him and was perswaded by the Iewes to professe himselfe a Prophet with promise of their best aide and assistance Eubocar or Ebuber reconciled him and as the Arabian Chronicle witnesseth conuerted many Infidels and slue the gaine-sayers He raigned one yeere and three moneths and thirteene dayes The next successour Aomar saith the same Author Leo termeth him Homar ordained their prayers in the moneth Ramazan and that the Alcoran should be read through which he caused to be written out and vnited in one booke He conquered Egypt by Hanir his Captaine after that Damasco Ierusalem Gaza and a great part of Syria were subdued He raigned ten yeeres and sixe moneths Odmen or Ozimen succeeded and raigned twelue yeeres and after him Hali and next to him his sonne Alhacem and then Moaui the great Conquerour c. These foure Eubocar Aomar Ozimen and Hali are the foure great Doctors of the Mahumetan Law and Mahomet before his death prophesied that they should succeed him and of their worthinesse But as Mahomet had pretended the name of Gabriel to the dreames of Sergius and other Apostata's of the Christians and Iewes disagreeing both with the truth and themselues so it was not long that this vntempered mortar would hold together these buildings For the Alcoran being according to diuers Copies thereof read diuersly was cause of different Sects among them Ozimen to preuent the danger hereof commanded that all the Copies of their Law should be brought and deliuered into the hands of Zeidi and Abdalla who conferring their Copies should make one booke and where they dissented should read according to the Copie of Corais Thus these two according to the Kings Edict to stablish an vniformitie in the reading of the Alcoran hauing out of all those Copies framed one to be Athenticall burned all others Yet were they deceiued of their hopes partly because Hali Abitalib and Ibenmuzod would not bring in their bookes of which that of Hali was the same which Mahumet had left and was after by the Iewes altered putting out and in at their pleasure partly because that booke which they had thus culled out of the rest to remain Canonical was lost of the foure Copies which they had written therof by fire negligence al perished Eletragig would haue vsed the like
policie after but this many-headed serpent which could not in the shel be killed much lesse in his riper growth could be reformed Those foure Doctors aforesaid emulous of each other intending their owne priuate ends sowed the seeds then which fructifie in their venemous multiplication till this day Hali or Halli was Author of the Sect Imemia which was embraced of the Persians Indians and of many Arabians and the Gelbines of Africa Ozimen or Odmen began the Sect Baanesia or Xefaia and hath in diuers Countries his followers Homar founded the Anesia followed of the Turkes Syrians and in Zahara in Afrike Ebocar otherwise called Ebuber or Abubequer taught the Sect Melchia generally possessing Arabia and Africa These are holden as Saints in the Saracene Kalender as Scaliger testifieth who had one in Semiarabike and Persian wherein ouer against the 27. of December was written the death of Phetima she was the daughter of Muhamed God haue mercy on her Against the 10. of Ianuary the death of Abu-Boker God haue mercy on him and so of the rest Against the 16. of Nouember the beginning of the fast Caphar so they call the Christians on the 25. of December the birth of Iesus On the 17. of Ianuary the birth of Moses Which I mention to shew what honor they ascribe to them or rather that dishonor which in this cōfusion of light with darknes the Prince of darknes in the form of an Angel of light doth vnto them Frō these 4. in proces of time arose other 68. Sects of name besides other pedling factions of smaller reckoning Amongst the rest the Morabites haue bin famous liuing for the most part as Heremites and professing a morall Philosophie with principles different from the Alcoran One of these not many yeers since shewing the name of Mahomet in his brest there imprinted with Aqua fortis or some such like matter raised by a great number of Arabians in Afrike laid siege to Tripolis where being betraied by one of his Captaines his skin was sent for a present to the grand Signior These Morobites affirm that when Hali fought he killed a 100000. Christiās with one stroke of his sword which was a 100. cubits in length The Cobtini are a sect ridiculous One of them shewed himselfe riding in the Country of Algier on a Reed reyned and bridled as a horse much honoured for that on this Horse this Asse had as he said rid an 100. leagues in one night R. Moses Aegyptius writeth of two Sects of Moores the one called Seperatists the other Intelligents or Vnderstanders both followed in their opinions by many Iewes These later were of opinion that nothing in the world commeth to passe by chance or accident neither in generall nor particular but all are disposed by the will and intent of God as well the fall of a leafe as the death of a man The Seperatists in a contrary extreme allow to man and beast a freedome and that God rewardeth all creatures according to their merits or demerits his prouidence extending it selfe to the fall of the leaues to the way of the Ants if one be borne defectiue it is better for him then if he had bin perfect and so if any aduersitie befall him for his reward shal be the greater in the world to com yea the beast which is slaughtered the Ants Flea or Louse shall not lose his reward from the Creator the Mouse also which hath not sinned is killed of the Cat shall there be recompenced Now beasts pray for their soules and Fleas and Lice prey vpon their bodies which hatched this beastly lousie Diuinitie The Intelligent beleeueth that it is conuenient that men be punished in this life and for euer in hell because the Creator would the Seperatist thinketh that vniust and that whatsoeuer is punished in this life shall be rewarded in the next because such is the Creators wisdome Neither may we beleeue the Rabbine who reciting 5. differing opinions concerning the prouidence of God first of the Epicures which exclude it wholly secondly of Aristotle that it descended not beneath the Moon thirdly of the Intelligents fourthly of the Seperatists fiftly his own which he attributeth to the law of Moses that euery man hath free-wil and all good befals him in reward al euil for punishmēt what measure any man meteth shal be measured to him again but for other creatures beasts plants and their operations as of a spider catching a fly the like he attributeth with Aristotle vnto chance not to diuine prouidence which he appropriateth in things below vnto man These opinions he ascribeth that of Aristotle to Iob that of the Seperatists to Bildad that of Sophar to the Intelligents that of Eliphaz is the same with his own then let him with Eliphaz sacrifice to exipiate it I. Leo. l. 3. writeth that one Elefacin had written at large of the Mahumetan sects of which he reckoneth 72. principall which agreeth with our former number euery one accounting his owne to be good and true in which a man may attaine saluation And yet Leo there addeth that in this age there are not found aboue two One is that of Leshari which in all Turkie Arabia and Africa is embraced the other Imamia currant in Persia and Corosan of which in his proper place more So that by Leo's iudgement all which follow the rule Leshari or Hashari are Catholike Mahumetans although of these the same Author affirmes that in Cairo and all Egypt are foure Religions different from each other in Spirituall or Ecclesiastical Ceremonies and also concerning their Ciuill and Canon Law all founded on the Mahumetan Scripture in times past by foure learned men diuersly construing the generall rules to such particulars as seemed to them fitter for their followers who disagreeing in opinion agree in affection and conuerse together without hatred or vpbraiding each other As for those other Sects it seemeth that they are for the most part long since vanished and those differences which remaine consist rather in diuersitie of rule and order of profession then in differing Sects and Heresies of Religion except in some few which yet remaine of which Leo thus reporteth Fourescore yeeres after Mahumet one Elhesenibu Ahilhasen gaue certaine rules to his Disciples contrarie to the Alcoran principles but writ nothing About a hundred yeeres after Elharit Ibnu Esed of Bagaded writ a booke vnto his Disciples condemned by the Calipha and Canonists But about fourescore yeeres after that another great Clerke reuiued the same doctrine and had many followers yet hee and they were therefore condemned to death But obtaining to haue triall of his opinions by disputation he ouerthrew his Aduersaries the Mahometane Lawyers and the Califa fauoured the said Sect and erected Monasteries for them Their Sect continued till Malicsah of the Nation of the Turkes persecuted the same But twenty yeeres after it was againe renewed and one Elgazzuli a learned man
the Persians losse and with lightnings to shew that indignation against the Turkes which in their thundering Dialect they aloud vttered there grew such horror to their mindes from aboue and such sicknesse to their bodies from those putrified carkasses beneath that Mustapha was forced to remoue missing forty thousand of his first Musters After hee had fortified the Armenian Castle of Teflis his Armie being driuen to shifts for lacke of victuals ten thousand of his forragers were slaine by the Persians who were recompenced with like slaughter by Mustapha that came vpon them whiles they were busie about the spoyle and spoyled the spoylers In passing ouer the Riuer Canac he lost fourescore thousand Turkes which the Riuer seemed to take for Custome as it had many of the Persians in the late conflict whereof his violent current was a greedy and cruell exactor Mustapha erected a Fortresse in Ere 's and tooke Sumachia chiefe Citie of Siruan Derbent offering her selfe to the Turke and then returning into Natolia But Emir Hamse Mirise the Persian Prince recouered after his departure both Ere 's and Sumachia slew and captiued the Tartars thirtie thousand of whom were newly come to the Turkes ayde He rased Sumachia euen with the ground The next yeere Mustapha fortified Chars in three and twentie dayes wherein they were hindered with Snowes on the fiue and twentieth of August although it standeth in fortie foure Degrees Anno 1580. Sinan Bassa was chosen Generall for the Persian Warre who as hee departed from Teflis lost seuen thousand of his people besides such as the Georgians and Persians together with the spoyle carried away This was earnest the rest was but sportfull shewes of warre in trayning his Souldiers after which he returned In 1583. Ferat Bassa was sent Generall but little was done till Osman Bassa a new Generall 1585. tooke Tauris the ancient Ecbatana as Minadoi is of opinion But the Persian Prince carried with indignation reuenged this losse on the Turkes with his owne hands slaying Caraemit Bassa Generall in the place of Osman then sicke and gaue his head as opima spolia to one of his followers and afterwards at Sancazan slew twentie thousand Turks Osman dyed of sicknesse and the Persian Prince the Morning-starre of that Easterne State was soone after murthered In that dismall yeere 1588. Ferat tooke Genge fifteene thousand houses seuen Temples and fiue and twentie great Innes were burned in Constantinople the tumultuous Ianizaries not suffering the fire to be quenched An Impost was leuied of the subiects to satisfie the pay due to the Souldiers for the Persian warre which raised these stirres Yea the Priests disswaded the people from those new payments and perswaded them to maintaine their ancient Liberties shut vp their Meschits intermitted their Orisons and the great Turke was forced to call in his Mandates and deliuer the Authors of that counsell wherof the Beglerbeg of Grecia was one to the Ianizaries furie who made Tennis-balls of their heads In the 1592. Wihitz chiefe Citie of Croatia was yeelded to the Turke The next yeere Siseg was besieged but relieued by the Christians who slew eighteene thousand Turkes and tooke their Tents yet was it soone after taken by the renewed forces of the Turkes Sinan tooke Vesprinium in Hungarie and Palotta but their losse was farre greater then their gaines which continuing and a broyle of the Ianizaries added thereto brought Amurath into malancholy and sicknesse whereof he dyed the eighteenth of Ianuarie 1595. Transyluania Valachia and Moldauia hauing before reuolted from him to Sigismund who was entitled their Prince This Amurath in a letter to Queene Elizabeth entituleth himselfe By the Mercie of God free from all sinne with all height of Grace made possessor of great blessednesse aboue the 72. Lawes of the world §. III. Of MAHOMET the Third MAHOMET his sonne succeeded who inuiting his nineteene brethren to a Feast sent them to learne his fathers death in the other world accompanied thither with ten of Amuraths women from whom issue was feared which with drowning them he preuented Much adoe he had with his Ianizaries at home much losse in his Dominions abroad for which cause he sent for Ferat Bassa out of Hungarie and strangled him and sent Sinan his emulous corriuall in his roome whom the Transyluanian Prince ouerthrew in battell and after chased him ouer a Bridge which he made a mile in length for his Armie to passe ouer Danubius with great losse of his people His Bridge the fire and water diuided betwixt them and the conceit of this ill successe as was thought procured his death soone after In the yeere 1597. Mahomet in his owne person enterprised these warres and not farre from Agria on the sixteenth of October fought a cruell battell with the Christians wherein had not Couetousnesse rightly called the root of all euill hindered had beene atchieued the most glorious victorie against those Barbarians that euer Christendome was blessed with Mahomet himselfe for feare seeing his Ordnance an hundred fourescore and tenne great Peeces taken and his men slaine in multitudes fled with Ibrahim Bassa towards Agria shedding teares by the way which he wiped off his bloudie face with a piece of greene silke supposed to be a piece of Mahomets garment carried with him as a holy Relique But whiles the Christians were now halfe Conquerours by greedie turning to the spoile their victorie was wholly lost and twentie thousand of them slaine who had slaine threescore thousand Turkes Mr. Barton the English Embassador was present in the fight and Mr. Thomas Glouer also who in a large iournall of this Expedition testifieth that the great Turk was in great feare but being animated by some about him he tooke his bow and arrowes and slew three Christians therewith Those former reports hee mentioneth not Not long after the Bassa of Buda was taken and the Bassa of Bosna with some thousands of Turkes slaine Anno 1599. Yet did not all his losses in the West by the Christians vexe the Great Sultan so much as a rebellion raised in the East which many yeeres continued Cusabin Bassa of Caramania rose in armes against his Master and hauing now done great matters his Souldiers before false to their Prince became now also false to him hee flying was after taken and tortured to death His rebellion out-liued him and was maintained by one called the Scriuano who ouerthrew Mehemet Bassa in the field and the second time in the yeere 1601. ouerthrew him with his Armie of fiftie thousand and foraged all the Countrey almost as far as Aleppo proclaiming himselfe the defender of the Mahumetan faith and soon after gaue the Bassa a third ouerthrow The Turkes Embassadour sent into Persia to demand the Sophies sonne in hostage for the assurance of the peace betweene those two Monarchs was for his proud message put to the Bastinado and grieuously threatned sent backe to the Grand Signior The Scriuano's proceedings was much furthered by the dissentions betweene
and Peloponnesus for feare of a second returne of Techellis The remainder of Techellis his power as they fled into Persia robbed a Carauan of Merchants for which outrage comming to Tauris their Captaines were by Ismaels command executed and Techellis himselfe burnt aliue but yet is this Sect closely fauoured in Asia §. III. Of their Rites Persons Places and Opinions Religious WE haue now seene the Proceedings of this Sophian Sect both in Persia and Turkie both here kept downe and there established by force To weare red on the lower parts of their body were to these Red-heads scarsely piacular Touching Hali they haue diuers dreames as that when they doubted of Mahomets successor a little Lizard came into a Councell assembled to decide the controuersie and declared that it was Mahomets pleasure that Mortus Ali or Morts Ali should be the man He had a sword wherewith hee killed as many as he stroke At his death he told them that a white Camell would come for his body which accordingly came and carried his dead body and the sword and was therewith taken vp into heauen for whose returne they haue long looked in Persia For this cause the King kept a horse ready sadled and kept for him also a daughter of his to be his wife but she died in the yeere 1573. And they say further that if he come not shortly they shall be of our beleefe They haue few bookes and lesse learning There is often great contention and mutinie in great Townes which of Mortus Ali his sonnes was greatest sometime two or three thousand people being together by the eares about the same as I haue seene sayth Master Ducket in Shamaky and Ardouill and Tauris where I haue seene a man comming from fighting and in a brauery bringing in his hand foure or fiue mens heads carrying them by the hayre of the crowne For although they shaue their heads commonly twice a weeke yet leaue they a tuft of hayre vpon their heads about two foot long whereof when I enquired the cause They answered that thereby they may bee the easier carried vp into heauen when they are dead In praying they turne to the South because Mecca lyeth that way from them When they be on trauell in the way many of them will as soone as the Sunne riseth light from their horses turning themselues to the South and will lay their gownes before them with their swords and beads and so standing vpright doe their holy things many times in their prayers kneeling downe and kissing their beades or somewhat else that lieth before them When they earnestly affirme a matter they sweare by God Mahomet and Mortus Ali and sometime by all at once saying Olla Mahumet Ali and sometime Shaugham bosshe that is by the Shaughes head Abas the young Prince of Persia charged with imputation of treason after other Purgatorie speeches sware by the Creator that spread out the ayre that founded the earth vpon the deepes that adorned the heauen with Starres that powred abroad the water that made the fire and briefly of nothing brought forth all things by the head of Ali and by the Religion of their Prophet Mahomet that hee was cleare If any Christian will become a Bosarman or one of their superstition they giue him many gifts the Gouernor of the Towne appointeth him a horse and one to ride before him on another horse bearing a sword in his hand and the Bosarman bearing an arrow in his hand rideth in the City cursing his father and mother The sword signifieth death if hee reuolt againe Before the Shaugh seemed to fauour our Nation the people abused them very much and so hated them that they would not touch them reuiling them by the names of Cafars and Gawars that is Infidels or Mis-beleeuers Afterwards they would kisse their hands and vse them gently and reuerently Drunkards and riotous persons they hate for which cause Richard Iohnson caused the English by his vicious liuing to be worse accounted of then the Russes Their opinions and rites most-what agree with the Turkish and Saracenicall Their Priests are apparelled like other men they vse euery morning and afternoone to goe vp to the toppes of their Churches and tell there a great tale of Mahomet and Mortus Ali. They haue also among them certaine holy-men called Setes accounted therefore holy because they or some of their ancestors haue beene on pilgrimage at Mecca these must be beleeued for this Saint-ship although they lie neuer so shamefully These Setes vse to shaue their heâ—ds all ouer sauing on the sides a little aboue the Temples which they leaue vnshauen and vse to braide the same as women doe their hayre and weare it as long as it will grow Iosafa Barbaro at Sammachi lodged in an Hospitall wherein was a graue vnder a vault of stone and neere vnto that a man with his beard and hayre long naked sauing that a little before and behind he was couered with a skinne sitting on a peece of a matte on the ground I sayth hee saluted him and demanded what hee did he told mee hee watched his father I asked who was his father He quoth he that doth good to his neighbour with this man in this Sepulchre I haue liued thirty yeeres and will now accompany him after death and being dead be buried with him I haue seene of the world sufficient and now haue determined to abide thus till death Another I found at Tauris on all-Soules day in the which they also vsed a commemoration of Soules departed neere to the Sepulchre in a Church-yard hauing about him many birds especially Rauens and Crowes I thought it had beene a dead corpse but was told it was a liuing Saint at whose call the birds resorted to him and he gaue them meat Another I saw when Assambei was in Armenia marching into Persia against Signior Iausa Lord of Persia and Zagatai vnto the City of Herem who drew his staffe in the dishes wherein they are and sayd certaine words and brake them all the Sultan demanded what he had sayd they which heard him answered that he said hee should be victorious and breake his enemies forces as hee had done those dishes whereupon he commanded him to be kept till his returne and finding the euent according he vsed him honourably When the Sultan rode thorow the fields he was set on a Mule and his hands bound before him because he was sometime accustomed to doe some dangerous folly at his feet there attended on him many of their religious persons called Daruise These mad trickes he vsed according to the course of the Moone sometimes in two or three dayes not eating any thing busied in such fooleries that they were faine to bind him Hee had great allowance for his expences One of those holy men there was which went naked like to the beasts preaching their faith and hauing obtained great reputation hee caused himselfe to bee immured in a wall forty
storie is not yet because I haue done thus in other Nations and haue so worthy a patterne in this as the Worthy of our Age Iosephus Scaliger pardon mee to trouble thee with this Chronicle of their Kings The first was Vitey a Gyant-like man a great Astrologer and Inuenter of Sciences hee reigned an hundred yeeres They name after him an hundred and sixteene Kings whose names our Author omitteth all which reigned two thousand two hundred fiftie and seuen yeeres all these were of his linage and so was Tzintzon the maker of that huge wall of China which killed many of the Chinois of whom hee tooke euery third man to this worke For which cause they slue him when he had reigned fortie yeeres with his sonne Aguizi They ordained King in his stead Auchosau who reigned twelue yeeres his sonne Futey succeeded and reigned seuen yeeres his wife eighteene his sonne three and twentie then followed Guntey foure and fiftie Guntey the second thirteene Ochantey fiue and twentie Coantey thirteene Tzentzey sixe and twentie and foure moneths Anthoy sixe Pintatcy fiue Tzintzumey three and seuen moneths Huy Hannon sixe Cuoum two and thirtie Bemthey eighteene Vnthey thirteene Othey seuenteene Yanthey eight moneths Antey nineteene yeeres Tantey three moneths Chitey one yeere Linthey two and twentie yeeres Yanthey one and thirtie yeeres Laupy one and fortie yeeres Cuythey fiue and twntie yeeres Fontey seuenteene yeeres Fifteene other Kings reigned in all one hundred seuentie and sixe yeeres The last of which was Quioutey whom Tzobu deposed who with seuen of his linage reigned threescore and two yeeres Cotey foure and twentie yeeres Dian sixe and fiftie yeeres Tym one and thirtie yeeres Tzuyn seuen and thirtie yeeres Tauco with his linage which were one and twentie reigned two hundred ninetie and foure yeres Bausa a Nunne wife of the last of them whom she slue one and fortie yeeres Tautzon slue her and reigned with his posteritie which were seuen Kings one hundred and thirtie yeeres Dian eighteene yeeres Outon fifteene yeeres Outzim nine yeeres and three moneths Tozon foure yeeres Auchin ten yeeres Zaytzon and seuenteene of his race three hundred and twentie yeeres Tepyna the last was dispossessed by Vzon the Tartar vnder whom and eight of his Tartarian successours China endured subiection ninetie and three yeeres Gombu or Hum-vu expelled Tzintzoum the last of them He with thirteene successours haue reigned about two hundred and fortie yeeres There computation of times is more prodigious then that of the Chaldaeans after which this present yeere of our Lord 1614. is in their account from the Creation 884793. CHAP. XIX Of the Religion vsed in China §. I. Of their Gods and Idols in former times HOw much the greater things are reported of this so large a Countrey and mightie a Kingdome so much the more compassion may it prouoke in Christian hearts that amongst so many people there is scarce a Christian who amongst so ample reuenues which that King possesseth payeth either heart or name vnto the King of Heauen till that in so huge a Vintage the Iesuites of late haue gleaned a few handfulls to this profession Before wee come to the Narration of their gods I thinke it fit to deliuer what our ancienter Authors haue obserued of their Religion and then to come to the Moderne They were before the Tartarian Conquest giuen to Astrologie and obserued Natiuities and gaue directions in all matters of weight These Astrologers or Magicians told Farfur the King of China or Mangi that his Kingdome should neuer be taken from him but by one which had a hundred eyes And such in name was Chinsanbaian the Tartarian Captaine which dispossessed him of his state and conquered it to the great Can about 1269. This Farfur liued in great delicacie nor did euer feare to meet with such an Argus He brought vp yeerely two hundred thousand Infants which their Parents could not prouide for and euery yeere on certaine of his Idoll-holy-dayes feasted his principall Magistrates and all the wealthiest Citizens of Quinsay ten thousand persons at once ten or twelue dayes together There were then some few Nestorian Christians one Church at Quinsay two at Cinghianfu and a few others They had many Idoll-Monasteries They burned their dead the kinsmen of the dead accompanied the corps clothed in Canuas with Musicke and Hymnes to their Idols and when they came to the fire they cast therein many papers wherein they had painted Slaues Horses Camels c. as of the Cathayans is before reported to serue him in the next world They returne after their Funerall Rites are finished with like harmony of Instruments and Voyces in honor of their Idols which haue receiued the soule of the deceased They had many Hospitals for the poore where idle persons were compelled to worke and poore impotents relieued Odoricus affirmeth that at Kaitan or Zaiton hee found two Couents of Minorite-Fryers and many Monasteries of Idolaters in one whereof hee was in which as it was told him were three thousand Votaries and eleuen thousand Idols One of those Idols lesse then some others was as big as the Popish Christopher These Idols they feed euery day with the smoake of hot meates set before them but the meate they eate themselues At Quinsay a Chinian conuert led him into a certaine Monastery where hee called to a Religious person and said This Raban Francus that is this Religious French-man commeth from the Sunne-setting and is now going to Cambaleth to pray for the life of the great Can and therefore you must shew him some strange sight Then the said Religious person tooke two great baskets full of broken reliques and led mee into a little walled Parke and vnlocked the doore We entred into a faire greene wherein was a Mount in forme of a steeple replenished with Hearbs and Trees Then did hee ring with a Bell at the sound whereof many Creatures like Apes Cats and Monkeyes came downe the Mount and some had faces like men to the number of some thousand and two hundred putting themselues in good order before whom he set a platter and gaue them those fragments Which when they had eaten he rung the second time and they all returned to their former places I wondred at the sight and demanded what creatures they were They are quoth he the soules of Noble-men which we here feed for the loue of GOD who gouerneth the World And as a man was honourable in his life so his soule entereth after death into the body of some excellent beast but the soules of simple and rusticall people possesse the bodies of more vile and brutish creatures Neither could I disswade him from the opinion or perswade him that any soule might remaine without a body Nic. di Conti saith that when they rise in the morning they turne their faces to the East and with their hands ioyned say God in Trinitie keepe vs in his Law §. II. Of their present Gods and Idols THeir Religion
and in the dayes of Moses their Priests Wisemen and Southsayers confirming their deuotions with lying Miracles as the Scriptures testifie of Iannes and Iambres and Hermes Trismegistus of his Grandfather and himselfe The Grecians ascribe these deuotions to Osiris and Isis of whom the Historie and Mysterie is so confused that Typhon neuer hewed Osiris into so many pieces as these vaine Theologians and Mythologians haue done They are forsooth in the Egyptian throne King and Queene in the Heauens the Sunne and Moone beneath these the Elements after Herodotus they are Bacchus and Ceres Diodorus maketh Osiris the same with the Sunne Serapis Dionysius Pluto Ammon Iupiter Isis the Moone Ceres and Iuno Appollodorus makes her Ceres and Io. Antonius and Cleopatra stiled and figured themselues the one Osiris and the other Isis In Macrobius and Seruius she is the nature of things He Adonis and Atis Plutarch addeth to these Interpretations Oceanus and Sirius as to Isis Minerua Proserpina Thetis And if you haue not enough Apuleius will helpe you with Venus Diana Bellona Hecate Rhamnusia and Heliodorus neerer home maketh Osiris to be Nilus the Earth Isis So true it is that An Idoll is nothing in the world and Idolaters worship they know not what Stampellus interpreteth Osiris to be Abraham and Isis to bee Sazeb whom Moses calleth also Ischa Orus Apollo or Horapollo saith Isis is the Starre called of the Egyptians Sothis which is the Dog-starre therefore called Isis because at the first rising of that Starre they prognosticated what should happen the yeere following The like was in vse amongst the Cilicians who obserued the first rising of that starre from the top of Taurus and thence saith Manilius Euentus frugum varios tempora dicunt Quaque valitudo veniat concordia quanta c. Thence they foretell what store of fruits or want What times what health what concord they descant Tully in the first Booke of his Diuination reciteth the same out of Heraclides Ponticus of the Cei But the Egyptians had more cause to obserue that Starre because Nilus doth then begin to encrease And therefore from thence they began to reckon their Tekuphas or quarters of their yeere as the Iewes from Nisan But to search this Fountaine further you may read the Egyptian opinion in Diodorus how that the World being framed out of that Chaos or first matter the lighter things ascending the heauier descending the Earth yet imperfect was heated and hardened by the Sunne whose violent heat begate of her slimie softnesse certaine putride swellings couered with a thinne filme which being by the same heat ripened brought forth all manner of creatures This muddie generation was say they first in Egypt most fit in respect of the strong soyle temperate ayre Nilus ouerflowing and exposed to the Sunne to beget and nourish them and still retayning some such vertue at the new slaking of the Riuer the Sunne then more desirous as it were of this Egyptian Concubine whom the waters had so long detained from his sight ingendring in that lustfull fit many Creatures as Mice and others whose fore-parts are seene mouing before the hinder are formed These new-hatched people could not but ascribe Diuinitie to the Author of their Humanitie by the names of Osiris and Isis worshipping the Sunne and Moone accounting them to be gods and euerlasting adding in the same Catalogue vnder disguised names of Iupiter Vulcan Minerua Oceanus and Ceres the fiue Elements of the World Spirit Fire Ayre Water and Earth These Eternall Gods begot others whom not Nature but their owne proper Merit made immortall which reigned in Egypt and bare the names of those coelestiall Deities Their Legend of Osiris is that he hauing set Egypt in order leauing Isis his wife Gouernour appointing Mercurie her Counsellour the inuenter of Arithmeticke Musicke Physicke and of their superstition made an Expedition into farre Countries hauing Hercules for his Generall with Apollo his brother Anubis and Macedon his sonnes whose Ensignes were a Dog and a Wolfe creatures after for this cause honoured and their counterfeits worshipped Pan Maron and Triptolemus and the nine Muses attending with the Satyres Thus did hee inuade the world rather with Arts then Armes teaching men Husbandry in many parts of Asia and Europe and where Vines would not grow to make drinke of Barley At his returne his brother Typhon slew him rewarded with like death by the reuenging hand of Isis and her sonne Orus The dispersed pieces into which Typhon had cut him shee gathered and committed to the Priests with injunction to worship him with dedication vnto him of what beast they best liked which also should be obserued with much ceremonie both aliue and dead in memorie of Osiris In which respect also they obserued solemnely to make a lamentable search for Osiris with many teares making semblance of like ioy at his pretended finding whereof Lucan singeth Nunquamque satis quaesitus Osiris alway seeking saith Lanctantius and alway finding To establish this Osirian Religion she consecrated a third part of the Land in Egypt for maintenance of these superstitious rites and persons the other two parts appropriated to the King and his Souldiers This Isis after her death was also deified in a higher degree of adoration then Osiris selfe One thing is lacking to our tale which was also lacking a long time to Isis in her search For when shee had with the helpe of waxe made vp of sixe and twentie parts which she found so many Images of Osiris all buried in seuerall places his priuities which Typhon had drowned in Nilus were not without much labor found and with more solemnitie interred And that the Deuill might shew how farre hee can besot men the Image hereof was made and worshipped the light of this darkenesse shining as farre as Greece whose Phallus Phallogogia Ithiphalli Phallophoria and Phallaphori issued out of this sincke together with their Membrous monster Priapus Yea the Egyptians hauing lost their owne eyes in this filthy superstition bestowed them on the Image of Osiris his stones which they pourtrayed with an eye Athenaeus telleth of Ptol. Philadelphus in a solemnitie wherein hee listed to shew to the world his madnesse or as it was then esteemed his magnificence a place worth the reading to them who are not heere glutted with out tedious Egyptian Banquet He among many sumptuous spectacles presented a Phallus of gold painted with golden crownes of an hundred and twentie cubits length hauing a golden starre on the toppe whose circumference was sixe cubites This was carried in a Chariot as in others the Image of Priapus and other Idols Of Typhon the Poets fable that after the Gods by the helpe of mortall men had slaine the Giants the Earth in indignation for rhe losse of that her Giantly brood lying with Tartarus brought forth Typhon which exceeded all the former for his height surmounted the Mountaines his head reached to the Starres one
bringeth water from Nilus continueth fiftie miles the Cisternes which receiue it are as you haue heard and it is thought as this our Author affirmeth that those parts of Alexandria which the ground hideth cost more then that which is open to the view Yet doe these Cisternes now much decay The Citie sheweth faire without but within they are Baumgartens wordes like a heape of stones few houses are whole The Custome is farmed by the Iewes at two hundred thousand Madeins a day a coyne of siluer trebling the value of an Asper thirtie of them amounting to a Riall of eight the Port is free to friend and enemie Ten in the hundred is paid in kinde of all thing for custome onely money payes but one and a halfe whereof they take an exact account that they may ghesse at the value of returned commodities then paying eleuen in the hundred more euen for such Goods as are in propertie vnaltered The places anciently famous in Alexandria besides the Musaeum and Serapium before mentioned as their Vniuersitie and Librarie were the Isaeum and other their Temples which with the Palaces are said to take vp the fourth part of their Citie Beniamin Tudelensis speaketh of a faire building without the walls in his time called Aristotles Schoole wherein were twentie Schooles and betweene them marble pillars sometimes much frequented as he saith but I thinke deceiued to heare Aristotles Reading He mentions Vaults a mile long He found there three thousand Iewes Thebes that sometime was so famous a Citie contayneth not now aboue three hundred Families and still retayneth some bones of the carkasse of old Thebes many pillars walls inscriptions in Latine Greeke and Egyptian characters Memphis her next successor is vtterly ruinate §. V. Of the Saracens their Acts and Sects of the Mamalukes and Cophties THe Mahumetanes entred Aegypt about Anno 637. After their state sinking vnder the weight of it selfe which is the ordinary sicknesse of Greatnesse they grew to dissentions and Sects as is said in our Saracen History For the seate of the Saracenicall Caliphas beeing by Macamat remoued to Bagdat which hee had builded there arose new Caliphs in Damasco in Egypt whose seate was after at Cayro in Cayroan to whom the Africans yeelded subjection and after at Marocco But in Elcains time while hee sought to winne the East from the Caliph of Bagdat his Lieutenant rebelled against him and hee was faine to liue in Egypt where Gehoar had built Cayro The Sect of Hali had before also preuayled in Egypt for which case Nafissus father was forced to flee the Countrey yet this fect after was restored by Asmulinus and Solinus his sonne first Caliph of Egypt But when the Westerne forces vnder Godfrey of Bullen grew terrible to the East the Egyptians payd tribute to the Christians which Dargan the Sultan detayning was by Almericus King of Ierusalem ouerthrowne in battell Noradine of Damasco sent Saracon his sonne to helpe Sanar the Sultan against this Dargan which Saracon was by the Caliph appointed Sultan who before had slaine the Sultan and Saladine his Successour slew the Caliph for comming to him with pretence of doing him reuerence hee smote him to the ground with an Iron Mace and rooted out his Posteritie to settle his owne This History is diuersly reported Peucerus maketh the Egyptian Caliphs to bee Schismaticall from their first entrance which was as hee saith in Anno 703. which raigned in Egypt foure hundred forty and seuen yeeres of the profession of Hali. Curio writeth otherwise as in their History wee haue shewed So also doth Leo dissenting from them both a man learned in his owne Religion Hee saith that the Caliph of Cayro had contmued two hundred and thirty yeeres when as Saladine slew him and subjected himselfe to the Caliph of Bagdet the onely Caliph then remayning This Saladine was nephew to Saracon who chased the Christians out of Syria His Children raigned after him of which Melechsala was last who first inuented the Order of the Mamalukes which were Cireassian slaues bought in their youth and trayned vp to Armes Artes and Religion of the Saracens whom hee made of his Guard But they slew their Master and vsurped the Kingdome to themselues alwayes electing one of their Company the first of which Mamaluke Kings was Turquemenius who was slaine of his fellow Cothus and hee of Bendocader who was also poysoned c. Leo sayth that Saladines Family raigned an hundred and fiftie yeeres and Piperis was sayth hee the first Mamaluke King Campson Gaurus and Tomumbeius the last of these Kings were ouerthrowne by Zelim the Turke Anno 1517. whose Successours still hold Aegypt and haue a Bassa resident at Cayro from whence was carried by water many Ornaments to Constantinople The Caliph was at Bagdet so heere retayned some spirituall preeminence much like the Rex sacrorum amongst the Romanes whose Title was Royall and his Office in their superstitious ceremonies to performe those Rites which the Kings had vsed personally to doe but this titular King was subject to higher Powers of the Pontifex People and Senate Baumgarten saw him in white attire with a forked Diadem or Mitre a blacke and long beard with a great retinue comming to salute Tongobardinus a great Mamaluke which sometimes had beene a Deacon in Spaine and now had embraced the world and the world him possessing Honours Wealth and fiue and thirtie Wiues in Cayro Peter Martyr sayth that the Caliph selleth the Soldan this Dignitie at a price and ascending the Throne doth giue and commit vnto the Soldan there standing on foote the absolute power of life and death and then descending difrobeth himselfe attiring the Soldan with the same Robes So it appeareth that the name and power of the Caliph all the time of the Mamalukes as the Ghost of it selfe had some almost breathlesse shadow left the life and substance being in the Soldan There is sayth Leo in Cayro and in all Aegypt foure Sects differing from each other in Canon and Ciuill Lawes all Mahumetans Hee which professeth one of these Sects cannot at his pleasure betake him to another except being learned hee shew reasons therefore Each of these Sects hath his peculiar Iudge from whom yet lyeth an appeale to a higher Iudge being Gouernour of the Sect called Essafichia Whosoeuer attempteth ought against the Precepts of his owne Sect is secretly punished by the Iudge thereof And although the Priests of these seuerall Sects vse differing Liturgies and Rites yet doe they not take one the other for Enemies with hatred or mutinies but if any question arise Learned men by conference debate the same No man vpon paine of grieuous punishment may reproach any of the foure Doctors first Authors of those foure Sects There is one Sect of religious men in Cayro called Chenesia which liue vpon Horse-flesh therefore are lame Iades bought and set vp a fattening and sold to these Chenesians which Sect is rise
was sometime sacred famous for the Garden of the Hesperides neere to which is that Riuer of Lethe so much chaunted by the Poets Nigh to this place also are the Psylli a people terrible to Serpents and medicinable against their poysons both by touching the wounded partie and by sucking out the poyson and by enchanting the Serpent The Oracle of Iupiter Ammon is famous among the Ancient The place where this Temple was hath on euery side vast and sandie Desarts in which they which trauelled as wee finde in Arrianus and Curtius seemed to warre with Nature for the Earth was couered with sand which yeelded an vnstable footing and sometime was blowne about with the windie motions of the Aire Water was hence banished neither Cloudes nor Springs ordinarily affoording it A fierie heate did possesse and tyrannize ouer the place which the Sands and Sunne much encreased Neither was here Tree or Hill or other marke for Trauellers to discerne their way but the Starres In the middle of this Desart was that sacred Groue which Silius Italicus calleth Lucus fatidicus not aboue fiftie furlongs in circuit full of fruit-bearing Trees watred with wholsome Springs seasoned with temperate Aire and a continuall Spring The Inhabitants called Ammonians are dispersed in cottages and haue the middest of the Groue fortified with a triple wall The first Munition contayneth the Kings Palace the second the Serail or lodgings for his women where is also the Oracle the third the Courtiers inhabite Before the Oracle is a Fountayne in which the Offerings were washed before they were offered The forme of this God was deformed with Rams-hornes crooked as some paint him according to Curtius without forme of any creature but like a round Bosse beset with jewels This when they consult with the Oracles is carried by the Priests in a gilded ship with many siluer Bells on both sides of the ship The Matrons follow and the Virgins singing their dis-tuned Procession by which they prouoke their god to manifest what they seeke These Priests were about fourscore in number Alexanders ambitious pilgrimage to this Oracle is sufficiently knowne by the Relations of Curtius and Arrianus This we may adde out of Scaliger That after that the Cyrenaeans to sooth this prowd King which would needes bee taken for the sonne of Ammon stamped his shape in their coynes with two hornes of a Ramme and without a beard whereas before they had vsed the forme of Iupiter with a beard and hornes wherein the other Easterne people followed them The Syrians vsed the like stampe with the name of King Lysimachus which Scaliger who hath giuen vs the pictures of these Coynes thinketh to be Alexander Rammes-hornes are said to bee ascribed to him because Bacchus wandering in these Desarts with his Armie was guided to this place by a silly Ramme Likewise Pausanias in his Messenica saith that one Ammon which built the Temple a Shepheard was authour of this name to their God Plutarchs reason of Amus we haue before shewed Others deriue this name from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sand which may well agree with all Idoll deuotion as being a sandie foundation although it is here intended to the situation But that which I haue before noted of Ham the sonne of Noah soundeth more probable as being Progenitor of all these Nations and of this minde also is Peucerus This Strabo in his time saith was not in request as no other Oracle besides For the Romanes contented themselues with their Sybils and other diuinations This Oracle was not giuen by word but by signes This defect of Oracles in generall and especially of this occasioned that Treatise of Plutarch of this subiect enquiring the cause of the Oracles fayling Neuer had he read that the Gods which had not made heauen and earth should perish out of the earth nor had he eyes to see that Sunne of Righteousnesse the Light of the world whose pure beames chased and dispersed these mists of darknesse And therefore are his coniectures so farre from the marke as not able with a naturall eye to see the things of God The antiquitie of this Oracle appeareth in that Semiramis came to it and inquired of her death after which the Oracle promised to her diuine honours Perseus also and Hercules are reported to haue consulted the same in their aduentures against Gorgon and Busiris Besides this Groue there is another of Ammon which hath in the middest a Well they call it the Fountayne of the Sunne whose water at Sunne-rising is luke-warme and cooleth more and more till noone at which time it is very cold and from thence till mid-night by degrees exchangeth that coldnesse with heate holding a kinde of naturall Antipathy with the Sonne hottest in his furthest absence coldest in his neerest presence Plinie and Solinus place this Fountayne in Debris a Towne not very farre from those parts amongst the Garamants Lucretius mentions it and Philosophically disputeth the cause thereof nimirum terra magis quod Raratenet circum hunc fontem quà m caetera tellus Multaque sunt ignis prope semina corpus aquai c. The substance whereof is that the fire vnder that subtile earth by cold vapours of the night is pressed and forced to that waterie refuge but by the Sunne beames receiuing new encouragement forsaketh those holds and holes and for a little while takes repossession of his challenged lands The Ammonian women haue such great brests that they suckle their children ouer their shoulder their brest not lesse if Iunenal be beleeued then the childe In Meroe crasso maiorem infante mamillam In Meroe the monstrous Pappe Is bigger then the childe in lappe Pausanias reckoneth an Ammonian Iuno among the Libyan Cities as well as this Iupiter He addeth the Lacedemonians had this Ammon in much request and built to him diuers Temples as at Gytheum one which had no roofe and the Aphytaeans did him 40 lesse worship then the Libyans Ortelius who hath bestowed a Description of this Temple supposeth that his Image was painted with hornes but that Vmbilicus was accounted the Deitie it selfe or the signe of his presence which shapelesse shape he sampleth by many like in other Nations The ship he coniectureth to signifie that the Religion was brought from some other place But if Ammon be that sonne of Noah it might rather bee a memoriall of the Arke wherein Noah and his sonnes were preserued as that also of Ianus who is imagined to be Noah may more fitly be interpreted then according to the Poets glosse Sic bona posteritas puppim formauit in aere Hospitis aduentum testificata Dei So well-dispos'd Posteritie did frame A ship to shew which way their strange God came The ancient frugalitie of the Cyrenians is commended in Authors Sulpitius bringeth in Postumianus in his Dialogues telling That landing there by force of weather hee went with the
a Cap of the same the haire inwards a Rats skin about their priuities some of them haue soles tyed about their feet their neckes adorned with Chaines of greasie Trypes or guts also in many doubles which they would sometimes pull off and eate stinking and raw they did also eate the entrayles by vs throwne away halfe raw and would scramble for it like hungry Dogges lothsomely besmeared with the bloud they weare Bracelets of Copper or Iuory about their armes with Ostrich feathers and shels The habit of women is like the former which at our first comming seemed shamefast but at our returne would impudently vncouer that which here must bee couered with silence their brests hang downe to their middles Their haire is curled Copper with them is Gold and Iron Siluer their Houses little Tents in the Fields made of skins at their pleasure remoued On the high Hill called the Table may be seene an hundred miles about some ascended and thence tooke obseruation of many Bayes and Riuers Hee thinkes these parts might be profitably planted with an English Colony One sayth of this people that they are idle not so much as hauing a Canow nor knowing to take eyther fowle or fish whereof they haue store theeuish and swiftly running away with that which they haue stolne By trading with the Dutch and English their prices of things are raysed as you here see to some more Copper or Iron then at the first Discoueries Their Beasts are large their Sheepe smooth and short haired not woolly like a young Calfe with long and broad eares hanged like Hounds their hornes short and tender easily broken their tayles greater then any part of a mans legge some weighing 40. pounds Their Beeues are large and most of them leane The men haue but one stone the other being cut away when they are young the reason seemes to bee some reasonlesse Superstition towards the Sunne which they point vnto being demanded thereof The Hector brought thence one of these Saluages called Cory which was carryed againe and there landed by the Newyeeres gift Iune 21. 1614. in his Copper Armour but returned not to them whiles the Ships continued in the Road but at their returnes in March was twelue-moneth after he came and was ready to any seruice in helping them with Beeues and Sheepe The wilde beasts are dangerous in the night as Lions Antilopes and others some of which in one night carried away twelue pieces of meate laid in the Riuer to water couered with a stone of two hundred weight which was remooued also a very great distance The Pengwins in the Iland neere to Soldania haue stumps in stead of wings and with their feet swimme fast There are Seales a thousand sleeping in an Heard on the Rockes Myce and Rats and Snakes innumerable The weather in the midst of Winter is there temperate Penguin Iland is North Northwest and an halfe West three leagues from Soldania and this fourteene leagues North Northeast from Cape Bona Speranza and ten leagues North by West from Cape Falso which is Eastwards from the former The habitation of the Soldanians seemes moueable and following the best pastures There are fallow Deere Porcupines Land Tortoyses Snakes Adders wild Geese Duckes Pellicans Crowes with a white band about their necks Pengwins Guls Pintados Alcatrasses Cormorants Whales Seales c. HONDIVS his Map of Congo CONGI REGNŪ CHAP. IX Of the Kingdome of Congo and the other Kingdomes and Nations adioyning §. I. Of Angola THe Kingdome of Congo vnderstanding so much by the name as in times past hath beene subiect thereto hath on the West the Ocean on the South the Caphars and mountaynes of the Moone on the East those Hills from which the Riuers issue and runne into the Fountaynes of Nilus and on the North the Kingdome of Benin Of these Countries Pigafetta from the Relation of Odoardo Lopez a Portugall hath written two bookes out of whom P. du Iarric Botero and others haue taken most of their reports And in this we will begin with the most Southerly parts in which wee first come into the Kingdome of Matama this is the Kings proper name who being a Gentile ruleth ouer diuers Prouinces named Quimbebe This is a Kingdome great and mightie extending from Brauagal to Bagamidri the ayre thereof is wholsome the earth outwardly furnished with store of fruits inwardly with mines of Crystall and other metalls The Signiories toward the Sea-coast are very meane and want Hauens Angola sometime a Prouince of the Kingdome of Congo is now a great Kingdome it selfe and very populous They speake the same language with small difference of dialect that is vsed in Congo whose yoake they cast off since the Congois became Christians Diego Can first discouered these parts for the Portugals An. 1486. And the Portugals vsed to trade quietly with the Angolans but some of them trading as high into the Countrey as Cabazza the Royall Citie which is an hundred and fiftie miles from the Ocean were there by order from the King put to the sword vnder pretence of intended treason This was done 1578. Paulo Dias to whom the King Sebastian had giuen the gouernment of these parts with licence to conquer three and thirtie leagues alongst the Coast to him and his heires to reuenge himselfe for this despight done to his people armed such Portugals as hee had and with two Gallies and other Vessels which he kept in the Riuer Coanza hee went on both sides the Riuer conquering and subduing many Lords vnto him The King of Angola raysed a mightie Armie of a million of men as is supposed For they vse to leaue none at home that is fit to carrie a weapon and make no preparation for victuall but such as haue any carrie it vpon the shoulders of their seruants and therefore no maruell if their foode being soone consumed their camps be soone dissolued Small likewise is their prouision of armour for offence and for defence much lesse Diaz sent to the King of Congo for aide who sent him sixtie thousand men with which and his owne Nation he made his partie good against the confused rabbles of the Angolans The trade of Angola is yet continued and from thence the Portugals buy and carry to Brasil and other parts yeerly a world of slaues which are bought within the Land and are captiues taken in their warres Paulo Diaz at his death bequeathed to the Iesuites as much as might maintayne fiue hundred of that Societie in these parts Master Thomas Turuer one that had liued a long time in Brasil and had also beene at Angola reported to me that it was supposed eight and twentie thousand slaues a number almost incredible yet such as the Portugals told him were yeerly shipped from Angola and Congo at the Hauen of Loanda He named to me a rich Portugall in Brasil which had ten thousand of his owne working in his Ingenios of which he had eighteene
when there seemed defect of these Sacrifices to goe to their Kings telling them that their Gods died for hunger and therefore should be remembred Then assembled they their people to warres to furnish their bloudy Altars There happened a strange accident in one of these Sacrifices reported by men of worthy credit That the Spaniards beholding these Sacrifices a young man whose heart was newly plucked out and himselfe tumbled downe the staires when he came to the bottome he said to the Spaniards in his Language Knights they haue slaine me The Indians themselues grew weary of these cruell Rites and therefore they easily embraced the Spaniards Christianitie Yea Cortes writ to the Emperour Charles that those of Mechoacan sent to him for his Law being weary of their owne as not seeming good vnto them Some of the Spaniards were thus sacrificed at Tescuco and their Horse-skinnes tanned in the haire and hung vp with the Horse-shooes in the great Temple and next to them the Spaniards garments for a perpetuall memory At the siege of Mexico they sacrificed at one time in sight of their Countrimen forty Spaniards The Mexicans besides their cruelties had other vnbeseeming Rites in their Religion as to eate and drinke to the name of their Idols to pisse in the honour of them carrying them vpon their shoulders to anoint and besmeare themselues filthily and other things both ridiculous and lamentable They were so deuout in their Superstitions and superstitious in their deuotions that before they would eate or drinke they would take a little quantitie and offer it to the Sun and to the Earth And if they gather Corne Fruit or Roses they would take a leafe before they would smell it and offer the same he which did not thus was accounted neither louing nor loued of God The Mexicans in the siege of their Citie being brought to all extremities spake thus as Lopez reporteth vnto Cortes Considering that thou art the childe of the Sunne why doest thou not entreat the Sunne thy Father to make an end of vs O Sun that canst goe round about the World in a day and a night make an end of vs and take vs out of this miserable life for we desire death to goe and rest with our God Quetcanath who tarrieth for vs CHAP XII Of the Religious places and persons in New-Spaine wherein is also handled their Penance Marriages Burials and other Rites performed by their Priests §. I. Of their Temples WE haue already mentioned the Temple of Vitziliputzli in Mexico which requireth our further description It was built of great stones in fashion of Snakes tyed one to another and had a great circuit called Coatepantly that is a circuit of Snakes Vpon the top of euery Chappell or Oratorie where the Idols were was a fine pillar wrought with small stones blacke as Iet the ground raised vp with white and red which below gaue a great light Vpon the top of the Pillar were Battlements wrought like Snailes supported by two Indians of stone sitting holding Candlesticks in their hands were like Croysants garnished and enriched at the ends with yellow and greene feathers and long fringes of the same Within the circuit of this Court there were many chambers of Religious men and others that were appointed for the Priests and Popes This Court is so great and spacious that eight or ten thousand persons did dance easily in a round holding hands which was an vsuall custome there howsoeuer it seemeth incredible Cortes relateth that within the compasse of the wall a Citie of fiue hundred houses might haue beene builded round about encompassed with goodly buildings Hals and Cloisters for the Religious Votaries to dwell in In that circuit he numbereth forty high Towers well built to which the ascent was by fifty steps or staires the least of them as high as the steeple of the Cathedrall Church in Siuill The stone-worke as curious as in any place full of grauen and painted imagerie All these Towers were sepulchres of great Lords and had each of them a Chappell to some speciall Idol There were there three large Hals with their Chappels annexed into which none but certaine Religious men might enter both full of Images the chiefe of which Cortes cast downe and in stead thereof placed the Image of the Euer-blessed neuer worthy to bee dignified with indignitie the glorious Virgin and Mother our Lord with such other Saints There were foure gates or entries at the East West North and South at euery of which began a faire Causey of two or three leagues long There were in the midst of the Lake wherein Mexico is built foure large causies Vpon euery entry was a God or Idol hauing the visage turned to the causie right against the Temple gate of Vitzliputzli There were thirty steps of thirty fadome long diuided from the circuit of the court by a street that went betweene them Vpon the top of these steps there was a walke of thirty foot broad all plastered with chalke in the midst of which walke was a Pallisado artificially made of very high Trees planted in order a fadome asunder These Trees were very bigge and all pierced with small holes from the foot to the top and there were rods did runne from one Tree to another to which were tied many dead mens heads Vpon euery rod were many skuls and these rankes of skuls continued from the foot to the top of the Tree This Pallisado was full of dead mens skuls from one end to the other which were the heads of such as had bin sacrificed For after the flesh was eaten the head was deliuered to the Priests who tied them in this sort vntill they fell off by morsels Vpon the top of the Temple were two stones or Chappels and in them the two Images Vitziluputzli and Tlaloc These Chappels were carued and grauen very artificially and so high that to ascend vp to them there were an hundred and twenty staires of stone Before these Chappels there was a Court of forty foot square in the midst whereof was a high stone of fiue hand breadth pointed in fashion of a Pyramide placed there for the sacrificing of men as is before shewed Gomara saith that this and other their Temples were called Teucalli which signifieth Gods house This Temple he saith was square containing euery way as much as a Crosse-bow can shoot leuell in the middest stood a mount of earth and stone fifty fadome long euery way built Pyramide-fashion saue that the top was flat and ten fadome square It had two such Pyramide Stones or Altars for Sacrifice painted with monstrous figures Euery Chappell had three lofts one aboue another sustained vpon Pillars From thence the eye with much pleasure might behold all about the Lake Besides this Tower there were forty other Towres belonging to other inferiour Temples which were of the same fashion onely their prospect was not Westward to make difference Some of those Temples were bigger then
harth to eate no other bread but that which had beene offered to their Gods that they should vpon all occasions repaire to their Wisards who with certaine graines told Fortunes and diuined looking into keelers and pailes full of water The Sorcerers and ministers of the diuell vsed much to besmeare themselues There were an infinite number of these Witches Diuiners Inchanters and the like and still there remaine of them but secret not daring publikely to exercise their superstitions The Mexicans had amongst them a kinde of baptisme which they did with cutting the eares and members of yong children hauing some resemblance of the Iewish circumcision This Ceremonie was done principally to the sonnes of Kings and Noblemen presently vpon their birth the Priests did wash them and did put a little Sword in the right hand in the left a Target And to the children of the vulgar sort they put the markes of their callings and to their daughters instruments to Spinne Knit and labour The Mexican history afore-mentioned in the third part thereof sheweth in pictures their policie and customes When a child was borne as is there described it was laid in a Cradle foure dayes after the mid-wife brought it naked with the instrument of the trade as is said in the hand into the yard where were prepared Bul-rushes and a little pan of water in which she washed the same Three boyes sate by eating tosted Mars with sodden Frizoles in a little pan and at the mid-wiues appointment named the child with a lowd voice After twenty dayes they went with it into the Temple and presented the same in presence of the Priest with an offering and being of fifteene yeares committed him to the High Priest of that Temple to be taught if they would after haue him a Priest or if they would haue him a Souldier they committed him to the Master thereof with an offering of meat also In this booke is pictured how they instruct and feed them at three yeeres of age giuing them halfe a Cake how at foure with a whole Cake at fiue burthening and exercising their bodies and letting their daughters to spin how at sixe they exercise them in gathering vp corne spilled on the ground or the like at seuen in fishing There is likewise described their seuere discipline in punishing them with Manguez The Priests did exercise their Pupils in bodily seruices of the Temple in going to the Mountains to sacrifice in Musicke obseruing the time by the starres and the like Old men of threescore and ten might be publikely drunken without controll which to yong folkes of both sexes was death as was theft also and adultery The Priests also had their office in marriages The Bridegroome and the Bride stood together before the Priest who tooke them by the hands asking them if they would marry vnderstanding their will he took a corner of the vaile wherewith the woman had her head couered and a corner of the mans gowne which he tyed together on a knot and so led them thus tyed to the Bridegroomes house where there was a harth kindled Then he caused the wife to goe seuen times about the harth and so the married couple sate downe together and thus was the marriage contracted That booke of pictures describes it thus as Amantesa or Broker carried the Bride on her backe at the beginning of the night foure women attending with Torches of Pine-tree Rosenned At the Bridegroomes house his parents receiue her and carry her to him in a Hall where they are both caused to sit on a Mat neere a fire and tyed together with a corner of their apparell and a perfume of Copale wood is made to their gods Two old men and as many old women were present The married couple eate and then these old folke which after this separate them asunder and giue them good instructions for Oeconomicall duties In other parts of New-Spaine they vsed other marriage-rites at Tlaxcallan the Bridegroome and Bride polled their heads to signifie that from thenceforth all childish courses should be laid aside At michuacan the Bride must looke directly vpon the Bridegroome or else the marriage was not perfect In Mixteopan they vsed to carry the Bridegroome vpon their backs as if he were forced and then they both ioyne hands and knit their mantles together with a great knot The Macatecas did not come together in twenty dayes after marriage but abode in fasting and prayer all that while sacrificing their bodies and anointing the mouths of their Idols with their bloud In Panuco the Husbands buy the Wiues for a Bow two Arrowes and a Net and afterwards the Father-in-law speaketh not one word to his Sonne in-law for the space of a yeere When he hath a child he lyeth not with his wife in two yeeres after lest she should be with child againe before the other bee out of danger some sucke twelue yeeres and for this cause they haue many wiues No woman while she hath her disease may touch or dresse any thing Adulterie in Mexico was death common women were permitted but no ordinary Stewes The diuell did many times talke with their Priest and with some other Rulers and particular persons Great gifts were offered vnto him whom the diuell had vouchsafed this conference He appeared vnto them in many shapes and was often familiar with them He to whom he appeared carried about him painted the likenesse wherein be shewed himselfe the first time And they painted his Image on their doores benches and euery corner of the house Likewise according to his Protean and diuersified apparitions they painted him in many shapes It belonged also to the office of the Priests and religious in Mexico to interre the dead and doe their obsequies The places where they buried them were their gardens and courts of their owne houses others carried them to the places of sacrifices which were done in the mountaines others burnt them and after buried the ashes in the temples burying with them whatsoeuer they had of apparell stones and iewels They did sing the funerall offices like Responds often lifting vp the dead body with many ceremonies At these Mortuaries they did eate and drinke and if it were a person of qualitie they gaue apparell to such as came When one was dead his friends came with their presents saluted him as if he were liuing And if he were a King or Lord of some Towne they offered some slaues to bee put to death with him to serue him in the other world They likewise put to death his Priest or Chaplain for euery Noble-man had a Priest for his domestical holies that he might execute his office with the dead They likewise killed his Cooke his Butler Dwarffes and deformed men and whosoeuer had most serued him though he were his Brother And to preuent pouertie they buried with them much wealth as Gold Siluer Stones Curtains and other rich pieces And if they burned the dead they
well attended to meet him and make his prouisions At Yeraslaue another Querry of the Stable met him At Musco hee was honourably entertayned Knez Iuan Suetzcoie attended with 300. Horse brought him to his lodging Sauelle Frolloue the Secretary was sent to congratulate his welcome with many dishes of dressed meate and promise of best accommodating The next day the Emperour sent a Noble man Ignatie Tatishoue to visit him with faire words and promise of speediest audience which was on Satturday following About nine of the clocke the streets were filled with people and a thousand Gunners attired in yellow and blue Garments set in rankes by the Captaines on Horsebacke with bright Harquebuses in their hands from the Ambassadours doore to the Emperours Palace Knez Iuan Sitzcoie attended him mounted on a faire Gennet richly bedecked with a faire Gelding well furnished for the Embassadour attended with three hundred Gentlemen gallantly adorned The Embassadour being displeased that the Dukes Horse was better then his mounted on his owne Horse and with his thirty men liveried in Stamell Clokes well set forth each hauing a part of his Present being most Plate marched onward to the Kings Palace where another Duke met him and told him that the Emperour stayed for him He answered that hee came as fast as he could By the way the people ghessing at the vnpleasingnesse of his message cryed Carenke that is Cranes-legs in mockage of him whereat hee stormed much The passage stayres and Roomes thorow which hee was conducted were all beset with Merchants and Gentlemen in Golden Coats His men entred before him with their Presents into the Roome where the Emperour sate in his Robes and Maiesty with his three Crownes before him foure young Noble men called Ryndes shining in their Cloth of beaten Siluer with foure Scepters or bright Siluer Hatchets in their hands on each side of him the Prince and other his great Dukes and Nobles in rankes sitting round about him The Emperour stood vp and the Embassadour making his courtesies deliuers the Queenes Letters which hee receiued and put off his Imperiall Cap asking how his louing Sister Queene Elizabeth did His answere made he sate downe on a side forme couered with a Carpet and after some little pause and mutuall view was dismissed in manner as hee came and his Dinner of two hundred dishes of dressed meats sent after him by a Gentleman of qualitie I was forewarned by my secret and best friends not to intermeddle in those businesses Some secret and publike conferences passed but good note was taken that none of the great Family of the Godonoues were consulted with therein The King feasts the Embassadour grants great allowance of daily prouision and nothing would please him yea he made great complaints about friuolous matters The Merchants and the Emperours Officers were reconciled in their accounts grieuances remedied Priuiledges granted and an Embassadour to the Queene resolued on if Sir I. B. could haue conformed himselfe to the time any thing might haue beene yeelded yea he promised that if his Marriage with the Queenes Kinswoman tooke effect her issue should inherit the Crowne for assurance whereof he had a masse of ready treasure presently to be transported with his Embassadour vnto Queene Elizabeths trust The Clergy and Noblity especially the neerest allied to the old Empresse the Princes wife and her Family of the Godonoues found meanes to crosse all these Designes The King much distracted in fury caused many Witches Magicians or Wors presently to be sent for out of the North where there are many betweene Colmogro and Lappia Threescore of them were brought post to Musco where they were guarded dyeted and daily visited by the Emperours great Fauourite Bodan Belscoy to receiue from them their Diuinations or Oracles on the Subiects giuen them in charge by the Emperour Note that a great blasing Star and other prodigious sights were seene a moneth together euery night ouer Musco that yeere This Fauorite now sought to serue the turne of the rising Sunne wearied with the wicked disposition of the Emperour The Sooth-sayers tell him that the heauenly Planets and Constellations would produce the Emperours death by such a day But he not daring to tell the Emperour so much said to them that on that day they should be all burned The Emperour began grieuously to swell in his Cods wherewith he had offended so long boasting that he had deflowred thousands of Virgins and a thousand children of his begetting destroyed was carried euery day in his Chaire into his Treasury One day two dayes before the Emperour his death the Prince beckoned to me to follow and I aduenturously stood among the rest and heard him call for his Precious Stones and Iewels He then held discourse to the Nobles about him directing his eye and speech most to Boris Godouona of the nature and properties of his Gemmes of the World compassing Load-stone causing the Wayters to make a Chaine of Needles therewith touched of the Corall also and Turkesse whose beautifull colours sayd he layd on my arme poysoned with inflammation you see are turned pale and declare my death Reach out my Staffe Royall an Vnicornes Horne garnished with very faite Diamonds Rubies Saphires Emeralds and other Precious Stones it cost 70000. Markes sterling bought of Dauid Gowell of the Fulkers of Ausburge seeke out some Spiders caused his Physician Iohannes Eiloff to scrape a Circle thereof vpon the Table and put within it one Spider and after another which burst presently others without the Circle running away from it aliue It is too late it will not preserue me Behold these Precious Stones the Diamond most precious of all other I neuer affected it it restraines Fury and Luxury the powder is poyson Then he points to the Rubie this comforts the Braine and Memory clarifieth congealed bloud That Emerald of the nature of the Rainbow is enemy to all vncleanenesse and though a man cohabit in Lust with his owne Wife this Stone being about them will burst at the spending of Nature The Saphyre I greatly delight in it preserueth and increaseth Nature and Courage reioyceth the heart is pleasing to all the vitall Senses souereigne to the Eyes strengthens the Muscles Hee takes the Onyx in hand c. All these are Gods wonderfull gifts secrets in Nature reuealed to mans vse and contemplation as friends to grace and vertue and Enemies to vice I faint carry me away till another time In the afternoone he peruseth ouer his Will and yet thinkes not to dye His Ghostly Father dares not put him in minde of annointing in holy forme Hee hath beene witched in that place and often vnwitched againe He commands the Master of the Apotheke and the Physicians to prepare a Bath for his solace enquires the goodnesse of the Signe sends his Fauourite to his Witches to know their Calculations Hee tels them the Emperour will bury or burne them all quicke for their Illusions and Lyes the day is comne he is
betweene vs and you whereupon the men of Irac threatned to kill Ali if hee would not listen to the Syrians according to the iudgement of Gods Booke and so Muaui escaped At last both sides agreed to chuse an arbitrator which should arbitrate according to that Booke which were chosen Amrus and Abumusa and both parties bound to stand to their agreement They agreed to depose both Ali and Muaui and chuse Abdalla Sonne of Omar Ali was deposed accordingly but when Amrus should haue done the like to Muaui he refused Abdalla Son of Wahab had also forsaken Ali whom he slue in fight with all the Chawarigians his followers The broyles continued betwixt Ali and Muaui in Egypt and Irac till the fortieth yeere Then Basijr was sent to Medina by Muaui and entred it the Inhabitants acknowledged Muaui Thence he went to Mecca then to Aliaman and slue two of Ali his Sonnes with many others which followed the part of Ali after which he returned to Mecca and slue at Taijf Iamam and Medina thirty thousand At last Peace was concluded betwixt them that laying aside armes Ali should enioy Irac and Muaui Syria That yeere three Chawarisians agreed to kill in diuers places on one day Ali Muaui and Amrus also Hagiag wounded Muaui with a poysoned Sword but he was slaine and Muaui escaped Amrus another of them mistooke and killed Charigia the Lieutenant of Amrus Sonne of Alas in steed of him and was therefore taken and executed Abdurrahman the third wounded Ali on the forehead as he went to morning Prayer on a Friday the seuenteenth of Ramadan whereof he dyed three dayes after and was buried in Tahaf where now is the place of his buriall Some say he was buried at Cufa and some say the place is vnknowne Ali commanded to feed his smiter for hee was taken and vse him well and if he recouered to spare him if hee dyed to ioyne him with him that he might accuse him before God He reigned fiue yeeres three moneths lesse aged sixty three He was browne short great-bellied long-bearded and bald neglected things of the World feared God much much in Almes iust and lowly witty defender of the true Religion learned in speculatiue and practicke Sciences bold liberall The inscription of his Seale was Only to the strong God dominion Hasen Sonne of Ali was made Chalifa at Cufa on the day of his Fathers death But the men of Irac quarrelling with him he sent to Muaui conditions and agreed with him he abode at Medina and yeelded Cufa to Muaui hauing enioyed the Chalifate six moneths and fiue dayes His Seale was inscribed There is no God but God the true and manifest King Muaui Sonne of Abusofian Sonne of Haleb Sonne of Ommia Sonne of Abdusiams Sonne of Abdumenaf Sonne of Cuda was the seuenth Emperour Hee was created Chalifa at Cufa when Hasen resigned Anno 46. Muaui Sonne of Amir and Basier Sonne of Artah inuaded the West and tooke many Cities Caraua Caphsa c. till they came to Kairawan which Muaui Sonne of Chodbag had taken before they came and there builded a Citie and encompassed with a wall the City now called Kairawan An. 49. Hasen dyed poysoned by his wife as was said by the command of Muaui He had gone fiue and twenty Pilgrimages on foot and twise had forsaken all his wealth and thrice made partition with God euen to his shooes and sockes reseruing one halfe to himselfe An. 50. Muaui procured that the Oath of Fealty should be made to his Sonne Iezid as to his partner of the Couenant which was done by all but Husein Sonne of Ali Abdurrahman Sonne of Abubecr Abdalla Sonne of Omar and Abdalla Sonne of Zubeir An. 52. Iezid inuaded the Romans as farre as Constantinople An. 58. Aijsia of happy memory died on the seuenth day of Ramadan An. 60. Muaui dyed at Damascus and his Sonne Iezid prayed for him he enioyed the place nineteene yeeres and ninetie foure dayes Obeid Sonne of Sarib liued in his time a man three hundred yeeres old Iezid was created Chalifa the same day He writ to Walid Gouernour of Medina to apprehend Husein Sonne of Ali and Abdalla which fled to Mecca and abode there refusing the Oath to Iezid The Cufans sent to Husein and promised to sweare to him Husein going thither with fifty horse and a hundred foot was set on by the band of Obeidalla sent thither by Iezid He on the Friday set before him the Mushaf and admonished them But they rushed on him and slue him and all his company and carried away their wiues and children Iezid commanded his head to be set vp at Damascus on the gate The same yeere Abdalla Sonne of Zubeir vsurped the Empire at Mecca whiles Iezid followed his wine and dogges contemning Religion Iezid set ouer Chorasan Selim which tooke Naishbur and Chouarasma and Bochara then ruled by Chatumis a woman who promised the King of Saida marriage if he would assist her against the Muslims who thereupon came with 120000. but was slaine in battell and enriched the Muslims with spoyles They went to Samarcand the King whereof bought his Peace with much money A. 63. the men of Medina deposed Iezid who sent against them Muslim who spared them three dayes and then entred and spoyled them three dayes shedding their bloud and carrying away their goods Yet the Prophet of glorious memory said He which spoyleth my City my wrath remayneth on him A. 64. Muslim went to Mecca against Abdalla and dyed in the way Hasin succeeded in his place layd siege to it beate the house with Engines of battery and burned it This siege continued till newes came of Iezids death His Sonne Muaui prayed for him or in his steed hee reigned three yeeres nine moneths Anno mundi 6175. Muaui Sonne of Iezid the third Emperour of the house of Ommia was created Chalifa the same day and reigned forty fiue dayes and then dyed His Seale was inscribed The World is deceit Abdalla Sonne of Zubeir was inaugurated at Mecca when there had beene no Chalif two moneths The Iracans Egyptians and some Syrians sware to him Merwan of the house of Ommia raised a party at Damascus and preuayled in battell against Dahac which stood for Abdalla slue him and chased his followers Hee held Syria entred Egypt and after many fights obtained it sent an Army against Abdalla which got the better An. 65. the Cufans made an vprore to reuenge the death of Husein sixteene thousand being assembled vnder Suleiman which was slaine in battell by Obeidalla and his followers chased This yeere also Muchtar Sonne of Abuobeida came to Cufa and incited them to reuenge Husein of happy memory for which the Gouernour imprisoned him Merwan dyed of the Plague in the moneth Ramadan Some say that his Wife poysoned him others that she laid a Pillow on his face and sate thereon Abdulmelic Son of Merwan prayed for him He was Chalifa ten moneths
Towres of the wall fell thereby the people ranne into the fields and Acraus the Hill there fell into the Sea a blacke and vnsauoury smoke ascending thence The Riuer also vanished for a farsang An. 246. Omar inuaded the Romans and carried thence seuentie thousand captiues others also in other places Mutewakkell hauing prayed and preached before the people the last Friday in Ramadan at his returne reproued his Sonne Mustansir and threaned him and his Mother who thereupon set his Seruants to kill him A principall cause hereof was Mutewakkels hatred to Ali Sonne of Abutalib which Mustansir could not beare Hee reigned fourteene yeeres ten moneths and three days He tooke away the temptation from men and the World was ordered Muhammed Abugiafar Mustansir Billa was priuately inaugurated the same day of his Fathers death and publikely the day after He continued sixe moneths A Persian Carpet with the Image of a King being haply brought before him he would needs force one to read the Letters therein wrought which were I Syroes Sonne of Cosroes slue my Father and reigned but sixe moneths Some say he was poysoned A fearefull Dreame also of his Fathers threatning him with short Reigne and fire after it terrified him He had made his two brethren resigne their partnership of the couenant Ahmed Ahulabbas Mustain Billa Sonne of Muhammed Sonne of Mutasim was enthronized in his place and imprisoned Mutaz and Muaijad An. 249. the Turkes killed Vtamaz which ruled all vnder Mustain An. 250. Iahia Sonne of Omar of the Posteritie of Ali arose at Cufa but was slaine in battell They which had slaine Mutewakkell slue also Iaaz whereupon Mustain fledde to Bagdad and the people created Mutaz Chalifa Mutaz sent his brother Ahmed to besiege Mustain at Bagdad whose Generall Abdalla made his Peace with Ahmed The same yeere Hasen of the Posterity of Ali possessed himselfe of Tabristan and another Hasen the Talibite of Ali his Posteritie arose in the Region of Dailam and besieged Mecca but both were put to flight and this last died An. 252. Mustain resigned the Chalifate and was committed to custodie where by Mutaz his procurement he was slaine He reigned two yeeres and nine moneths Muhammed Abu-Abdalla Mutaz Billa was the thirteenth Abasian Chalif Hee deposed his brother Muaijad from the partnership of the couenant and imprisoned him and perceiuing that the Turks would haue him set at liberty he caused him to be strangled in clothes that the Iudges could perceiue no signe of violent death in him An. 253. the Turkes killed Wasif for their stipends the Keeper of the Port whose Sonne Salih procured the deposition of Mutaz and starued him to death hauing reigned foure yeeres six moneths and three and twentie dayes He was a man giuen to his pleasures and negligent of gouernment A. 254. Ahmed Sonne of Tulan was made Gouernour of Egypt Muhammed Abu-Abdalla Muhtadi Billa Sonne of Watic Sonne of Mutasim succeeded . An. 255. He forbade the vse of Wine and reiected Singers and Iesters exiled Soothsayers refused the Lions and hunting Dogges in the Imperiall Tower and tooke away Tributes He also tooke on him to bee present at Iudgements and Accounts and sate euery Munday and Thursday to attend the people hauing a Booke before him Habib rebelled at Basra saying falsly that he was Ali Sonne of Muhammed of the Posteritie of Ali. He gathered together the Rihi which liued like Lions he was an Astrologer of bad Religion Hee continued to the yeere 270. Musa killed Salih the killer of his Master An. 256. Muhtadi Billa was slaine that yeere by the mutinous Turkes hauing reigned eleuen monethes and some dayes Ahmed Abulabbas Mutamid Alalla Sonne of Mutewakkel was created the same day at Samarra An. 256. the Rihi tooke foure and twentie Ships of the Sea and slue all that were in them and Habib with eighty thousand men did much spoyle He got the victory in diuers fights against Mutamids Armies He tooke Basra and slue twenty thousand Inhabitants at his entrance He preuayled also A. 258. and slue Muflish neyther could Muaffic Billa whom Mutamid had made Gouernour of the East and partner of the league preuayle against him Hee made the People beleeue that hee knew all secrets and could doe things miraculous An. 259. Iacob Sonne of Allit rebelled at Nisabur and possessed himselfe of Tabristan Habibs Souldiers slue fifty thousand at Ahwaz and threw downe the wals He and Iacob made great stirres and ouerthrew Mutamids Captaines Iacob put to flight Muhammed Sonne of Wasil and tooke his Castle in which were forty Millions of Staters Hee tooke Wasit Mutamid with his partner went against him and put him to flight But Habid preuayled in diuers battels he continued spoyling and victorious till Anno 267. at which time Muaffic Billa sent his Sonne Mutadid who chased him tooke his Citie Mabia which he had builded ruined the wals and filled vp the Ditches and freed out of his Prison fiue thousand Muslim women Muaffic pursued them to the Citie which they had builded with fiue Walls and as many Ditches and draue them out of it and got rich spoyles Habib had fortified Mahbar and had three hundred thousand Souldiers with him there Muaffic seeing it could not in short time be taken builded another Citie Muaffikia ouer against it he built also a Temple there stamped Coines inuited Merchants and by degrees preuayled An. 268. Lulu rebelled against Ahmed the Gouernour of Egypt and got Muaffics fauour whereby Ahmed was cursed in all Pulpits For Muaffic ruled all and Mutamid enioyed only the title his name on coines and to pray in Pulpits An. 270. Habib was taken and executed his head carried about for shew Muaffic was surnamed Nasir Lidinilla that is the Helper of Gods Religion for killing Habib The same yeere Ahmed dyed when death approched he lift vp his hands saying O Lord haue mercy on him which knew not his owne quantitie and shew thy selfe mercifull to him when he dieth He left three and thirty Sonnes He was a man of much iustice and almes and gaue euery moneth 300000. pieces of Gold in almes A thousand pieces of Gold daily were designed to his Kitchin and to Ecclesiasticke persons euery moneth hee gaue as much And whiles he gouerned Egypt two Millions and two hundred thousand pieces of Gold were carried to Bagdad to be giuen to the poore and to learned and good men Hee left in his treasury ten Millions of Gold Hee had seuen thousand Slaues and as many Horses eight thousand Mules and Camels three hundred Horses for warre all his owne proper goods The Rent of Egypt in his time was three hundred Millions of pieces of Gold He is said to haue executed with adding those which dyed in Prison eighteene thousand His Sonne Hamaruias succeeded in all which he had in Egypt and Syria An. 273. Muhammed Sonne of Abdurrahman King of Spaine dyed his Sonne Mundir succeeded An. 278. Muaffic Billa dyed and
number specially obserued by the Tartars 404. 419 Nisibis peopled by the Iewes 64 Nisroch an Assyrian Idoll 66 Nitocris not inferiour to Semiramis 49 Noah his wife 29. His Sacrifice 33. 35. His Posteritie 36. The names giuen him by Heathens 44. Zabij their conceit of him 49. Worshipped by the Armenians 344 Nomades Vide Tartars Scythians Arabians Turkes Northeast Discouery 792 North and Northwest 801. 828 Noses flat a great beautie with Tartars 420. With Chinois 436. In Brasill 906. People that haue no Noses 149. Short Noses esteemed beauty 518 Noua Albion 853. 854 Noua Zimla 856. Hollanders wintering there and their long night ibid. Noyra an Indian Fowle 564 Nubae and Nubia 723. 1026 Numas Temple of Vesta 9 Fable of Aegeria 27 Numidia described 706. 707. seq Nunnes of Mithra 57. Nunnes in China 465. 466. In Comar 478. Amongst the Indians 479. In Pegu 505. In Iapon 592. In Mexico 896 Nunnes wile to preserue her chastitie 1027 Nutmegs how growing 569 Nymphaeum 68 Nymphes 87 O OAnnes a strange Monster 47. 80 Ob Riuer 432 Obedience of selfe-killing vpon command 1041 Obeliske of Semiramis at Babylon 49 Obeliske in Aegypt 633. In Aethiopia 726 Oblations of the Iewes 115. Gifts or Sacrifices 115. 116 Ocaca Rockes and the Confessing there 596. 597 Occada the Tartarian Emperour his Reigne 405. 406 Ochon his Acts 235 Ochus the Persian 647 Odia a great City 782 Offerings 115. Burnt Offerings 116. Meat Offerings and Peace Offerings ibid. Personall Offerings 119. 120 Ogge the Giant his huge bones 210 Ogiges his Floud 34 Ogoshasama his Acts 591 Oisters wonderfull great 513 Oisters with Pearles 566 Old Man of the Mountaine 218 219 Omar and his Acts 215 Omar sonne of Alchittab succeeded Abubecr in the Califate 1018. He conquered Persia Syria Egypt and Palaestina 1019 His Priuiledges granted to Ierusalem ibid. He is killed ibid. Omar sonne of Abdulacis the fifteenth Chalifa 1025. Hee was Iust Deuout Religious ibid. Omarca or Omorka 47 Onias built a Temple in Aegypt 104. 651. His City Onion ibid. Onions worshipped of the Chaldees 52. Of the Aegyptians 634 How vsed at Fez Ophir the situation and description thereof 756. Supposed Sofala ibid. Ophitae a Sect of Iewes 135 Opium much eaten by Turkes 303. Where it groweth 570 Oracles at Hierapolis at Delphos and Daphne 70. 356. 357. Of the Aegyptians 643. 644. Of Iupiter Ammon 665. 666 Orbs how many supposed 8. But supposed ibid. Oram or Oran 678 Ordnance by whom inuented 527 Called Metal-deuils Fire-breathing Buls c. ibid. Orenoque Riuer 898 Orion or Otus a Giant 32 Orimazes and Arimanius 367 Orissa or Orixa how situate 511 512 Orites certaine people of India 37 Orontes a Riuer 72 Orodes or Herodes 353 Ormisda King of Persia his reigne 363 Ormuz lately taken by the Persians 580 Orpha a Towne in the way from Byr to Babylon 64 Osel or Ossell an Iland in the Balticke Sea 981 Osiris 78. His Legend 635. 636 Feast of seeking Osiris 114 Ossens 133 Ostriges 625 Othes of the Hasidees 125. Of the Pharisees 128. Of the Mahumetans 256 Otoman Family of the Turkes 281. 282 Otoman or Osman his Exploits 282. 283. seq His Murther 294. 295 Otsman the fourth Emperour of the Muslims 1020. Hee is accused and killed ibid. Owle obserued by the Tartars and had in great reuerence 403 Oxe of huge greatnesse 210. 853 vide Behemoth Oxe-fish 913. 914 Oxus a Riuer running vnder ground 402 Oyle-fountaine 395 Ozimen or Odmen 275 P PAchacamac 935 Pacorus his Exploits 354 Pagods and Varelles in Pegu 505. In Bengala 509. In Goa 545 Palace of Benhadad 233. Of Golchonda 995 Palaestina the situation and description thereof 83. 84. 91. The last Inhabitants thereof 213 Palicat a Dutch Fort in East India 964 Palme-wine 564 Palmita 563. Called Taddye ibid. Palladius his Horsemanship 342 Pantogia his Chinian Iourny 414 His Opinions of China ibid. Paphlagonia how situate 330 Whence so called ibid. Paquin chiefe Citie of China whither Cambalu 439. 440. The description thereof 440 Paradise the differing Opinions concerning it 15. seq The Riuers and Fruit thereof 15. 16 17. Mercators Map thereof 16. Two Paradises 161. Golden Tree in Paradise 263 Paradise of Aladeules 64. 380. Of the Iewes 206. Of Mahomet 253. 254. 263. Of Turkes 313 Of the Siamites Parents how to bee esteemed 516 Paria the situation and description thereof 899 Parchment why so called 318 Pariacaca Hils in Peru of strange qualitie 934 Parthians their History 62 Parasceue 110 Parrots and the seuerall kinds 565 Troublesome to some Countries as Crowes here 816 Parthia the situation and description thereof 352. 353 Paschall Feast 110. How obserued ibid. seq Paschall Lambes how many in one Feast and how vsed ibid. How the Moderne Iewes prepare to it and obserue it 194. 195 Passarans a kinde of Indian Essees 610 Paste-god of the Mexicans or Transubstantiation 881 Patricius his Chaine of the World 7. His Opinion of the Moone 16. Of Zoroasters Opinions 142 Patriarches of Constantinople 324. The other Patriarches and Easterne Bishops 325. The Patriarch of Aleandria 659. Patriarches of Aethiopia 752 Patane a Citie and Kingdome 495. 511. The Description thereof and of the Neighbouring petty Kingdomes 495. 496 497 Patenaw a Kingdome 511. 512 Paulina abused by Mundus in Isis Temple 635 Peace-offerings of the Iewes 116 Pearles how fished for 566. Where the best ibid. How ingendred ibid. Peacockes had in high account 412 Pegu the situation thereof 498. The greatnesse of the King of Pegu 498. 499. The commodities of Pegu and the Kingdomes adioyning thereunto ibidem The destruction and desolation of Pegu 500. 501. 502. The Elephants there white ibid. 503. The Peguan Rites Customes 502 503. seq Their dwelling in Boats 504. Temples Images Priests 505. 506. Their opinions of God the World the state after death their originall 507 Deuotions to the Deuill Munday Sabbaths Washings Feasts ibid. Their opinions of Crocodiles and Apes and their Funerals 507. 508. The King of Pegu his entertainment to the English 1006 Pehor and Baal Pehor 85 Peleg why so called 95 Pentecost 195 Penguins a kinde of Fowles where found and the description of them 716 Pepper how it groweth 569 Pella a Citie of refuge 132. 133 Penance vide Punishment Pergamus and Pergamenae 335 Perimal King of Malabar 550 617. The signe of Perimal erected 553. 617. His Generation 560 Permacks their Religion and Rites 432 Permians 431. They are subiect to the Russe their manner of liuing 431. 432 Persis 141. 142 Persecution of Christians 1024 Persia the situation thereof 356 The Persians whence descended ibidem The beginning of the Persian Monarchie by Cyrus 356. 357 The succession of Cyrus and Cambyses 358. The succeeding Persian Monarchs vntill Alexanders Conquest 359. 360. The Persian Chronologie 360. sequitur The Kings of the first and second Dynastie 360. 361 362. sequitur Persian magnificence and other their Antiquities 365. 366. Their Riches Epicurisme Excesse in Apparell Dyet
994. Saint Thomas Iland 781 Thomas-Christians 561 Thophasumin the reasonable cretures so called 77 Thoyth 77 Thresher a Fish 952 953 seq Thuball Father of the Iberians 37 Thunder how produced 77 Tiberias a Citie wholy inhabited by Iewes 136 Tibareni a beastly people 330. their cruell Rites 400 Tigris 17. The ouerflowing thereof 58. Mixed with Euphrates neere Seleucia 61. The townes thereon 50. 64. Desolated Cities by a Deluge 64. The swiftnesse 63. The name 341 Tigres 491. They cause the people to lodge in Trees and to set their houses on posts c 493. 494 Time what it is 5. Time and Motion twinnes 12 13 Computation thereof diuerse Tinge or Tanger 87 Titans and their Inuentions 77 Tithes how farre Leuiticall 116. Some reckon foure sorts 117. Of what how paid where by whom 117. 118. Officers receiued them ibid. seq Paid by Turks 306 At Fez 684. To the Seriffos 695 696. Titus 140 Tombuto 722 Tongues confounded 38 Topheth or Tymbrell 86 Tomimamlazes 910 Torlaquis a Turkish order 317 318. Their wickednesse ibid. Torch-intelligence 996 Torpedo 750 Towre of Babylon 50 Traditionarie Iewes 127 seq Equalled to Scripture 157 Of traditionarie Iewes more at large vid. lib. 2 cap 12. to the end Traditionarie Papists 158. 159. Traditionall Law Tradition preferred before Scripture ibid. Foolish and blasphemous Traditions of the Arabians 231. 232. Lying Traditions of the Mahumetans 273. 274. Translations of Scripture nine 170. Opinions concerning the translation of Scripture 169. the Vulgar translation ibid Transubstantiation 881 Tree forbidden 17. 21. Fabulous speaking Trees of the Zabii 52 Trees vsed in the Feast of Tabernacles 196. Trees worshipped 360. Trees of India 566. Two Trees in the Garden of God son call Sacraments 21. Trees of Sodome 84. Mahomets tree in Paradise 263. Trees in Iapon very strange 520. As strange in Ciumbubon 532. In Congo 769. In the Iland of Saint Thomas 781. In Brasill 912. In Golchonda all Trees continually greene 995 Tremisen Kingdome 675 Trials of doubtfull causes in Guinea 718. In Angola 766. In Loango 770. 771 Tribes 44. in Golchonda described 997 Tribes of Israel their portion 91 97. Their Cities royall 92 Tribunals 98 Trinitie in Vnitie 3 Trinidado 899 Tripiti an Indian Idoll 560 Tripolis in Barbarie 674. Described ibid. Strange People and Sects neere Tripoly 220 Triumuiri at Rome 66 Troglodytae 667. 731. Troy historie thereof and present ruines 332. 333 Feast of Trumpets 111 Tubalcain supposed Vulcan 34 Tuban in Iaua 610 Tubiens a societie of the Iewes 135 Tuesday Sabbath in Guinea 718. 719 Tunia or Tomana 894 Tunis Kingdome the description thereof 669. 670. Wonne by the Turke ibid. Delicacie there vsed 670. 671 Turkes whence their name and originall 278. 279. Their first Religion 278. Language 279. Conquest of Persia ibid. Of Other parts of Asia 280. 281. Ouerthrowne by the Christians of the West ibid. By the Tartars 281. 282. Conquered Asia ibid. A great part of Europe 283. With Constantinople Aegypt 283. 284. seq Ouerthrowne at Sea by Iohn of Austria 286. In Hungarie 288. seq Rebellion and Ciuil warre 289. Emperours Sepulchers ibid. Warres with the Persian and amongst themselues 288. 289. The Map of the Turkish Empire 290. The great Turkes Handi-craft his Falconers Huntsmen Concubines Officers 291. 292. His Ianizaries ibid. The Turke compared with other Princes their Zuna and Curaam 292. 293. Their eight Commandements 297. Prayer Almes Sacrifice 208. Mariage Women Adulterie Murther 299. Opinions and practises in Religion 300 seq their Friday-Sabbath Zeale hatred of Images moderation in building respect to the Sunne and Moone 300. 301. Polygamie Ignorance Reliques Sorceries Patience good workes Oathes Vowes Opinions of Fate and Antichrist 301. 302. Almes to Beasts Conceit of Prophets eating Opium Physicke Opinion of Angels 302. 303. Their manner of apparelling themselues at home and abroad 303. 304. Salutations Recreations houses and furniture food meales feeding Coffa houses c. ibid. Tobacco attire of women slaues Arts 305. Their Temples 305 seq Hospitals and Monasteries 308. The Turkish manner of Praying and Church Rites 309. Of blessing their women Of preaching ibid. Their Sabbath Lent and Easter 310. Their Circumcision 311. Of Renegadoes 312. Visitation of the sicke and Funeralls ibid. Fancies of the end of the World last iudgement Paradise and Hell 313. 314. Their Votaries and Sects 315. 316. Deuoted to death ibid. Their Kalenders and Deruises c. 316. 317 Their Saints Vowes Pilgrimages and other Popish obseruations 317 318. Chederles 318 Their Priests Hierarchy Colledges 319 320. seq A patheticall description of Turkish Tyrannie 322. 323 seq Orders and degrees of their Clergie from the Mufii to the Sophti 319. seq Their Election and Arts 322. Their Emers ibid Cruell taking of Constantinople 323. Their heauie hand ouer the Greekes 324. Their zeale of making Proselites 325. Their buying and selling of Christians 325 326 Turkes greatnesse in Africa 626 Turkes and Persians hot dissentions for Religion 390. 391 Turkish greatnesse the beginning thereof 1040 Turkeman or Turcomania 334. 335. 336 Typhon a Dragon 72. Phaenician God 76. In Aegypt 636. His Legend 636. 637. The mystery thereof 638. 639 Tyrus called Sur 179. taken with a stratagem 82 Tyrannus Priest of Saturne his Knauery 681 Tygranes Kings of Armenia Minor 37 V. VAlerianus his Story 361 Valboas Acts 931 Vanly or Vasiliwich Great Duke of Russia his History 973. sequitur Veadar 106 Venezuela 895 Venus worshipped with filthy Rites in Babylon 56. Called Mylitta and other names ibid. Her Temple 59 Venns Vrania 66. Hatched of an Egge 69. The same with Iuno 78. Filthy Rites 80 Verteas strict Sect 541 Verus a voluptuous Emperour 71 Vestaments holy Vestaments of the Iewes 185 Vineyard eighteens miles square 142 Viper of sixteene Cubits 480 Virginia 828. First Voyages and Plantations ibidem Northerne Plantation there by Westerne men 829. Called New England ibid. Southerne Plantation 831 seq Diuers Voyages and supplyes sent 832. 833. Causes of ill successe in this businesse 833 834. Captaine Smiths description of the Countrey 834. Of the People 835. Commodities ibidem Alteration of the Gouernment and a Peace concluded with presperoùs successe of the English 836. Places inhabited by ours with their seuerall numbers and Functions 837. Their Religion 838. Their Wiroances Priests Warres conceit of our men 838. 839. Their Idols 839. Their Deuil worshippe Temples Sepulchres Songs 840 Their Feasts Dances Heauen Hell and other Rites and Opinions 840. 841. 842. Their Giant-like Sasquesahanockes and their Rites 842. 843. sequitur Conceit of their originall ibid. Tomocomos relations of their Gods Apparition and of their Loue-locke 843. sequitur Their Blacke Boyes 844. Their Physicke Dances naturall conditions ibid. Their Oeconomie and Policy 845 Visions and Apparitions among the Turkes aswell as among the Papists 315 Vncam 735 Vnicornes 564. Scepter of Vnicornes Horne and effect thereof 983 Vilna 990 Vniuersities or Schooles of Learning in Babylon 50. 51. At Bagdet