to their Country Unlesse by extremity of Justice the one still hanged before the other the remnant by the gallowes may examplify amendment contrariwise that Land shall never be quiet for these villanous Wood-carnes are but the Hounds of their hunting Priests against what faction soever their malicious malignity is intended partly for intertainement partly for particular spleens and lastly for a generall disturbance of the Countrey for the Priests greater security and stay The other abuse is their Libertinous Masses the redresse whereof I first to the Heavens and then to my Prince bequeath whose Sabboth recusant mony whereof they bragge as they say in derision of our luke-warme dispensation tendeth to none other purpose but to obombrate the true light of the Gospell and to feed their absurd and almost irrevocable ignorance And neverthelesse at their daily meetings experience taught mee there was never a more repining people against our Prince and Church as they be for in this presumption twofold cause arriseth want of zeale and Church discipline in our parts and the officious nine penny Masse on their part yea all and each of them so exacted and compounded with a higher or lower rates as the officers in this nature please The distribution whereof I no wayes paralell to the sleight concaviâ—ting veynes of the earth nor the sole supply of high-rising Atlas neither to invelope the perpendiculars of long-reaching Caucasus how soever â—ect-demolished Churches unpassable bridges indigent Schollers and distressed families be supported therewith I am as cleare of it as they although I smart by the contrary confusion But leaving this and observing my Method I remember I saw in Irelands North-parts two remarkable sights The one was their manner of Tillage Ploughes drawne by Horse-tayles wanting harnesse they are onely fastned with straw or wooden Ropes to their bare Rumps marching all side for side three or foure in a ranke and as many men hanging by the ends of that untoward Labour It is as bad a husbandry I say as ever I found among the wildest Savages alive for the Caramins who understand not the civill forme of Agriculture yet they delve hollow and turn over the ground with manuall and wooden instruments But they the Irish have thousands of both Kingdomes daily labouring beside them yet they cannot learne because they will not learne to use harnesse as they doe in England so obstinate and perverse they are in their Barbarous consuetude unlesse punishment and penalties were inflâ—cted and yet most of them are content to pay twenty shillings a yeare before they will change their custome The other as goodly fight I saw was women travelling the way or toyling at home carry their infants about their necks and laying the Dugges over their shoulders would give sucke to the Babes behinde their backs without taking them in their armes Such kind of breasts me thinketh were very fit to bee made money-bags for East or West Indian Merchants being more than halfe a yard long and as well wrought as any Tanner in the like charge could ever mollifie such Leather Ireland is an excellent Country to live in for cheapnes and all variety of mans sustenance therefore I would intreat the Reader to take this description of it though already spoken of before but not so fully This Country of Ireland lyeth farre in the West Ocean and is accounted by the most expert in that kinde to be in length very neare three hundred Miles from North to South in bredth from East to West one hundred and twenty Miles It much resembleth the forme of an Egge being as it were blunt at each end and smooth or plaine on the sides not extending it selfe forth to sea in Nooks and Armes of Land as England doth The Country it selfe lyeth low and is very waterish And containeth in it divers little Islands and is much troubled with Bogs and Marishes Some of their highest Hills I have seene them had standing pooles of water on their tops the Country of it selfe is very fruitfull in all sorts of Cattell and very plentifull of all manner of graine The aire is very wholsome yet not altogether so cleare and subtle as England The inhabitants are much troubled with sicknesse as defluxion of Rhumes and bloody Flixes and for prevention and helpe thereof they drinke Aqua-vitae which they conceive doth dry up the Rhume and keepe them healthfull It hath beene very full of Wood and but little Champaigne ground It is mightily inhabited by our English and much civilized of late by the great care of those which are and have beene their Governours Sea-coale and Turffe is most of their fuell it hath great store of horses but of no great stature as they bee in England They have plenty of Fish and all manner of Fowle Great store of Bees which yields them no small profit Sheepe are the fewest and scarcest of all other Cattell and those are but small and yield very course Woole whereof the women spinne and make their Rugges and Mantles which they weare about them No Venemous or Creeping Beast is bred brought forth or nourished there nor can live there if it were sent in and therefore the Spider of Ireland is well known not to be venemous or hurtfull The most part of the better sort of people are inclined to vertue and Religion wondrous kinde amorous and loving where they take their first love but very revengefull and spleenfull otherwise There are many Sorcerers and Witches amongst this Nation The gentlemen are excellent horse-men delighted with exercise of warlike Armes and are both stout and couragious and very free and bountifull in their Almes and hospitality At the death of any friend or kindred they follow the dead corpes to the Grave with howlings and bitter cryings pittifull in outward shew They are very apt to believe and give credit to Miracles and old Prophesies Relations and foolish sayings They are very desirous of praise and honour but very fearefull of dishonour They love an excellent Poet who can or will extoll Saint Patricke and their owne Nation and will bountifull reward them As for any other customes they have to avoid prolixitie I spare onely before my pen flee over Seas I would gladly shake hands with some of our Church-men there for better are the wounds of a friend than the sweet smiles of a flatterer for love and truth cannot dissemble Many dissembling impudents intrude themselves in this high calling of God who are not truly neither worthily thereunto called the ground here arising either from a carnall or carelesse presumption otherwise from needy greed and lack of bodily maintenance Such is now the corruption of time that I know here even Mechanick men admitted in the place of Pastors yea and rude bred Souldiers whose education was at the Musket mouth are become there both Lybian grave and unlearned Churchmen Nay besides them professed indeed professed Schollers whose warbling mouthes ingorged with spoonefu's of
I left the turmoyling dangers of the intricated Iles of the Ionean and Adriaticall seas and advised to travell in the firme land of Greece with a Caravan of Greekes that were bound for Athens Peterasso is a large and spacious City full of Merchandise and greatly beautified with all kind of Câ—mmercers Their chiefe commodities are raw Silkes Cloth of gold and silver Silken grow-grams Rich-Damask Velvets of all kinds with Sattins and Taffaties and especially a store-house for graine The Venetians Ragusans and Marseillians have great trading with them Here I remember there was an English Factor lying whom the Subbassa or Governour of the Towne a Turke caused privately afterward upon malice to be poysoned even when I was wintring at Constantinople for whose death the worthy and generous Ambassadour Sir Thomas Glover my Patron and Protector was so highly incensed that he went hither himselfe to Peterasso with two Ianizaries and a Warrant sent with him from the Emperour who in the midst of the Market-place of Peterasso caused one of these two Ianizaries strike off the head from the shoulders of that Sanzack and put to death divers others also that had beene accessary to the poysoning of the English Consull And the Ambassadour returning againe to Constantinople was held in singular reputation even with the Turkes for prosecuting so powerfully the sword of Justice and would not shrinke for no respect I being domesticke with him the selfe same time Pelopâ—nnesus now called Morea a Peninsula is all invironed with the sea save onely a narrow straight where it is tyed to the continent by an Istmus of five miles in breadth which the Venetian then Lord of it fortified with five Castles and a strong wall from creeke to creek which easily were subverted by the Turkish batteries the defect onely remaining in the defendants weaknesse and want of men Corinth and its gulfe lyeth at the East end of this Istmus and the Gulfe Lepanto on the West dividing Aetolia and Epyre The wall which traversed this strait of Morea was called Hexamite five miles long Truely it is one of the most famous destroit du terre en Europe Morea it selfe is in length 168. and in compasse 546. Miles and is at this day the most fertile and best inhabited Province of all the Empire of Greece The chiefe Rivers here are Arbona and Ropheos Argos here also is watered with the River Planizza neare which standeth the Towne of Epidaure wherein the Temple of Esculapius was so renowned for restoring of health to diseased persons It was anciently cognominate Agalia from Agalius the first King An. Mun. 1574. and also intituled from two Kings Sicionia and Apia then Peloponesus from Pelops and now Moreah It is divided in five territories or petty Provinces Laconia Arcadia Argolis Miseniâ— Eliso the proper territory of Corinth Of which City it was said Hor. Let men take heed of Lais Corinths whore Who earn'd ten thousand Drachmas in an houre It is said by Aeneas Silvius in his Cosmographicall treatise of Europe that divers Kings went about to dig through this Istmus to make it an Iland namely King Demetrius Iulius Caesar Caius Caligâ—la Domitius Nero of all whom he doth note that they not onely failed of their purpose but that they came to violent and unnaturall deaths But before the aforesaid Caravan at Paterasso admitted me into his company hee was wonderfull inquisitive to know for what cause I travailed alone and of what Nation I was To whom I soberly excused and discovered my self with modest answers which pacified his curiosity but not his avaritious mind for under a pretended protection he had of me hee extorted the most part of my money from my purse without any regard of Conscience In the first second and third dayes journeying we had faire way hard lodging but good cheare and kind entertainment for our money which was the Country Laconia But on the fourth day when we entred in the hilly and barren Country of Arcadia where for a daies journey we had no Village but saw abundance of Cattell without keepers and in that place it is thought the great battell of Pharsalia was fought between Iulius Caesar and Pompey the great Arcadia is bounded on the East with Eliso on the West with Misenia on the North with Achaia inferiour and on the South with a part of Laconia and the sea It was formerly termed Pelasgia and lastly it tooke the name from Arcas the sonne of Iupiter and Calisto the people whereof did long imagine they were more ancient than the Moon This soyle of whom Arcas great Patron was In age the Moone excell'd in wit the Asse But because it is a tradition of more antiquity than credit I doe rather note it than affirme it And as men should dread the thunder-bolt when they see the lightning so ignorance and Idolatry placed amongst us and round about us may be a warning to the professours of the truth to take heed of the venome lest by their Arcadian antiquity surpassing the Moone they become novices to some new intended Massacre for as powder faild them but alas not poison so now with policy they prevaile in all things how long the holy one of Israel knoweth but certainly our sins are the causes of their domineering our careles drooping In this desart way I beheld many singular Monuments and ruinous Castles whose names I know not because I had an ignorant guide But this I remember amongst these Rocks my belly was pinched and wearied was my body with the climbing of fastidious mountaines which bred no small griefe to my breast Yet notwithstanding of my distresse the remembrance of those sweet seasoned Songs of Arcadian Shepheards which pregnant Poets have so well penned did recreate my fatigated corps with many sugred suppositions These sterile bounds being past wee entred in the Easterne plaine of Morea called anciently Sparta where that sometimes famous City of Lacedemon flourished but now sacked and the lumpes of ruines and memory onely remains Marching thus we left Modena and Napoli on our right hand toward the sea side and on the sixt day at night we pitched our Tents in the dis-inhabited villages of Argo and Micene from the which unhappy Hellen was ravished This cursed custome of base prostitution is become so frequent that the greater sort of her mercinary sexe following her footsteps have out-gone her in their loathsom journeys of libidinous wayes shee being of such an infinite and voluptuous crew the arch-Mistresse and ring-leader to destruction did invite my Muse to inveigh against her lascivious immodesty as the inordinate patterne of all willing and licentious rapts I would thy beauty fairest of all Dames Had never caus'd the jealous Greekes to move Thy eyes from Greece to Illion cast flames And burnt that Trojan with adulterate love He captive like thy mercy came to prove And thou divorc'd was ravish'd with a toy He swore faire Helen was his dearest dove And
and Pigmalion the brother of Dido who built Carthage This seat giving way to the Persian Monarchie was about the overthrow of Darius beleagured by Alexander who had so much adoe with extraordinary expence of men money and great labour to conquer it being then separated from the mayne Continent by the Sea but now joyned to the firme Land and before you come to the City there lieth a great banke of sand where it is likely the Sea hath beene in Alexanders time Though now as time altereth every thing the Sea be fled from that place which maketh that ruinous Town seem more desolate At the breake of day I and certain Armenians went to visit this decayed Towne and found the most famous ruines here that the Word for memory can affoord and a Delicious incircling Harbour inclos'd within the middle of the Town fit to receive small Barks Frigots and Galleots the compassing fore-face whereof being all of foure squared Marble and Alablaster stones the most part of all which Houses have stood on pillars of the same stones the infinite number whereof may as yet be above and below the sands perspectively beheld There be onely some nineteene fire houses here which are Moores and is now under the Emeere of the Drusians who remayneth in Sydon The East part of this Country aboundeth in Balme Honey and Oile and was the Seat of Asher of whom Moses prophecied Deut. 33. 24. that he should dip his feet in Oile Here these Egyptian Moores for so they were first bred there brought us a pillar lying upon the ground of nine severall colours of Marble being one intire stone and the length of it was twenty two of my measure and eight in compasse Which said they was one of the Pillars that Sampson pulled downe upon the Philistims at the houre of his Death To whom I answered that Sampson died at Azath the furthest South-west part of Palestine where he bore down the House of Dagon upon the Philistims And I thinke the ancient Tyrians said I could not transport that Pillar so far hither But they the more constantly affirmed it and so did these Armenians that were with me confirme it also some of whom had been twice there before yet howsoever it was I brought home a pound weight of it and presented the half thereof to King Iames of blessed Memory Here by accident in returning back to the Caravan I met with an English Factor named Master Brockesse who then remayned at Sydon eighteene miles from this place and had beene down at Acre about some negotiations Who indeed eftsoons and kindly tooke mee into a Moorish House by the Sea side and one of his acquaintance where instantly wee swallowed downe such joviall and deep carouses of Leatick Wine that both hee and I were almost fastned in the last plunge of understanding Yet neverthelesse he conveyed me backe to my company and put me safe into the hands of the Caravan with whom afterwards I diverse times met with here at London to whose kindnesse I celebrate the memory of these lines But now the Sunne discovering the earth and the night banished to the inferiour world we were all encouraged for the light of the day lends comfort The Captaine sending backe that false Iudas for so was hee sworne to do sent a post to Tyrus for a new guide who came forthwith and brought us in our way to Mount Carmell for by it we behoved to go and in our way we met with the desolate Towne of Sarepta nigh thereunto adjoyning where Elias was sustained in a great famine by a Widdow whose sonne he raised from death Great are the mercies of God for as hee hath made man an excellent creature so hath he also indued him with two great powers in his minde The one a wise power of understanding by which he penetrateth into the knowledge of things the other a strong power of dexterous resolving whereby he executeth things well understood for we having judged the worst resolved the best and by his Almighty providence were freed from that apparent danger although the former dayes whoredome and unnaturall vices deserved a just punishment This I intimate to all Travelers in generall that if they would that God should further them in their attempts blesse their voyages and grant them a safe returne to their native Countries without the which what contentment have they for all their pains that they would constantly refraine from whoredome drunkennesse and too much familiarity with strangers For a Traveller that is not temperate and circumspect in all his actions although he were headed like that Herculean Serpent Hydra yet it is impossible he can returne in safety from danger of the Turkes Arabs Moors wild beasts the deadly operative extremities of heat hunger thirst and cold Approaching to Mounâ— Carmell and leaving it upon our right hand betweene us and the Marine coast I beheld a farre off upon the top of the hill the place where Elias ascended to Heaâ—en when hee left his Cloake behind him to Elizeus his Disciple This mountaine is foure miles of length lying South and North the North end bordering with the Sea neare to Acre called anciently Ptolomaeis and the South end joyning with the borders of Samaria through the which confine we past Leaving Samaria on our left hand wee entred into a faire Plaine adorned with fruitfull Trees and all other ornaments that pleasant fields afford but no Village wee saw Marching thus about the declining of the Sunne from the Meridian wee came in sight of two hundred Pavillians all pitched in rankes yeelding the prospect of a little City by a brooke side of water which being perceived the Captaine began to censure what they might bee and immediately there came riding towards us sixe naked fellowes well mounted on Arabian Geldings who demanded what wee were and whither we were bound with such a multitude and if there were any Franks of Christendome in our company To whom the Ianisaries replyed we were purposed to Ierusalem and that there was but one Franke with them Upon the which they presently sought mee demanding Caffar Caffar that was tribute for my head caused me perforce notwithstanding of the resisting Caravan and Ianisaries to pay them presently for my life seven Chickens of Gold seven times nine shillings sterling And this is because sayd they our King is resident in these Tents and therefore we haue tripled his tribute And yet were they discontented because there were no moe Franks in our company for from the Armenians they could not nor would not seeke any tribute because they were tributary slaves and subjects to the great Turke neithere also of any other Christians borne in his dominions when they shall happen to fall into their hands They returning backe to their Prince with the malediction of my heart and the sorrow of a Pilgrimes purse we marching on in our way that day wee travelled above thirty foure miles and pitched
Tarentines The second Plantation was by Evander and certaine other Arcadians who being banished from their native dwellings seated themselves here Thirdly by the Trojanes under the conduct of Aeneas who forsaking the delicious lives of the effeminate Affricans arrived here were kindly entertained by King Latinus whose daughter Lavinea Aeneas married So thus from the Trojans the Italians bragge of their discent and so likewise boast divers other nations to have discended from that Dardan stocke as glorying in such a famous pedigree The length of Italy is nine hundred Italian miles though some allot a thousand it is false for I have trod foure severall times from end to end of it on the soles of my feete even from Vallese the first Towne in Piemont discending mount Synais from La Croix South-ward which secludeth Savoy and to Capo Biancho in Calabria hemb'd in with the gulfe Tarento on the one side and the Faro of Messina on the other it being the furthest promontore of Italy So in a false description some blind Geographers through base ignorance make England longer then Scotland in their Mappes when Scotland by the best judgements and mine owne better experience is a hundred and twenty miles longer than England It is a deocular errour which I could wish to be reformed as in the conclusion of this worke I shall more credibly make cleere The breadth of Italy at the roote and beginning thereof bending along the Alpes from the Adriaticke coast to the riviera di Genoa or Ligurian shore is but 240. Italian miles growing narrower and narrower till it shut out it selfe in two hornes Calabria and Terra di Ottranto The breadth of which or either extendeth not above foureteene English miles from sea to sea the gulfe Tarento which is unnavigable in respect of infinite craggy shelfes deviding the two hornes On the North side of Terra di Otranto lyeth Apulta bordering with Mare superum a very fruitfull soile for cornes West-ward thence boundeth terra di lavoro or proprium regnum Napolitanum These foure territories make up the intire Kingdome of Naples The chiefe Cities of which are Naples Iapua and Salerno in terra di Lavoro In Calabria are Couzensa the chiefe seate of the President or Subvicegerent Rhegio Allauria and Montecilione In terra di Ottranto or Otranto the which Towne being taken by Mahomet the great Anno 1481. involved all Italy in such a feare that for a whole yeare and till the expulsion of the Turkes Rome was quite forsaken the next are Lucia and Brunducium beautified with a famous haven And in Apulia are Manferdo Arpino where Tully was borne Venusio whence Horace had his birth and Canno famous for the victory of Haniball against the Romans The Church-land beginnes beyond Rome eighty miles at Terracina being just opposite to Gayetta the West-most confine by the Marine of the Neapolitan Kingdome neare to Mount Circello and the utmost Marine limit Eastward of Campagna di Roma or the Churches patrimony imbracing both seas till it runne to Ponto Centino in Tuscana which divideth the precincts of Re di Coffine Aquacupadente the last frontiers of the great Duke and Popes land All which bounds to Terracina and in the way of Venice from Rome to Spaleto is denominated Campagna di Roma or Latium and thence it reacheth along North-west by the Venetian gulfe to the uttermost bounds of the Dutchy of Ferara being thirty miles from Venice Extending in length to three hundred fifty miles whose breadth is narrow and where it joyneth with both Seas it is but sixty miles The Church-land is divided in foure territories Compagna di Roma or old Latium Rome Viterbo Narni Tarni Viletri Montefiascone and Civitavecchia being the chiefe Cities Next the Country of Ombria or Ombrosa lying betweene Rome and Loretta the chiefe Cities are Spaleto from whence it is reckoned a Dutchy Perugia a Sacerdotall University Fulino and Asisi where great St. Frances with his invisible Stigmata was borne At the which Asisi I saw the place as they say where the Angell appeared to his mother telling her that shee should conceave and beare a Sonne should be the Champion of Iesus hard by they shewed me the Crib or stall where he was borne with many other foolish lyes both sinfull and abhominable every way representing his imaginary life like to the heavenly tract and resemblance of our blessed Saviour The third is Marca di Ancona by the sea side Ancona being principall the other Cities are Asculi Marcerata Tolentino Reginati Aguby and Parasiticall Loretta The fourth is Romania lying along toward Ferrara betweene the Sea and the Hills Appenine This Ecclesiasticke dowry of Romania is disjoyned from Marca di Ancona by the Duke of Vrbins lands which division by the sea side is thirty miles in length containing Pesaro Fanno and Sinigalia all Sea-port Townes the other of this Dutchy are Vrbino and Castel-durante The chiefe Towne in Romania is Ravenna which for antiquity will not bow her top to none in Italy Here the Popes Legate remaineth the other bee Rimini Fereola Bullogna and Ferrara and this much for the Popes foure Ecclesiasticke territories Tuscana or Aetruria lying South from the middle of this Church-land is 100. miles in length and as much in breadth I meane of that belonging to the great Duke Which hereditary boundes was but lately enlarged by Ferdinando Father to late Cosmus and brother to Mary of Medicis the French Queene Mother now living Who annexed thereunto the Reipublicks of Pisa and Siena The other sequestrate Tuscan jurisdiction is the little common-wealth of Luca The chiefe City is Florence whose streetes are divided by the River Arno the other of this principality are Pisa Siena Pistoia Empoli Ligorne and Arretzo From Tuscany to the West and North-west lyeth Lumbardy intituled the garden of the World which is now divided besides the Venetian territory of which I will speake in the owne place in foure principalities Milaine Mantua Parma and Modena The other Cities be Cremona Pavia Lodi Pleasance Rhegio Brisiles Palestra Navarro and Allessandria di Paglia This Province is mainely watered through the middle with stately Po in which Phaeton was drenched when hee came tumbling downe from Heaven The Rivers Ladishe Montanello Della Guarda and other forcible streames supporting the shoulders of it West from Lumbardy lyeth Piemont between it and Savoy The City whereof and wherein the Savoyan Duke hath his Residence is Torino situate on Po. The other Aste Verseilles and Cowie South from Piemont and Lumbardy lyeth the Riviera of Genoa along the Mediterrean Sea the territory of which is narrow but above one hundred miles in length All which is exceeding rocky and mountanous yet producing good store of Orenges Lemmons Figges and Ches-nuts whereon the Mountaineri onely live being either rosâ—ed or baked in bread the chiefe Cities of this Genewesen Liguria are Genoa and Savona Italy lying in forme of a legge is on
the last ruines of her desolation This Achaia is by some ignorant Geographers placed in the middle between Epire Thessaly and Peloponesus where contrariwise it is the Eastmost Province of Greece except Thrace lying along twixt it and Thessaly by the Sea side which part of the Country some late Authors have falsly named Migdonia which is a Province that lyeth North from Thracia East from Macedon and South from Misia having no affinitie with the Sea The chiefe Cities in Achaia are Neapolis Appollonia and Nicalidi where the famous Philosopher Aristotle was born Here is a huge and high Hill Athos containing in circuit 70 miles and as some affirme three days jonrney long whose shadow was absurdly said to have extended to Lemnos an Island lying neer the Carpathian Sea Achaia was formerly called Aylaida but now by the Turks Levienda Athos in Greeke is called Agros aeros to wit a holy Mountain the top of it is half a days journey broad and 14 Italian miles high There are 20 Monasteries upon it of Greekish Colieres a laborious kinde of silly Friers and kinde to strangers The chiefest of which Cloisters are called Victopodos and Agios laura being all of them strongly walled and fencible Upon the third day from Salonica wee arrived in the Road of Tenedos which is an Island in the Sea Pontus or Propontis It hath a City called Tenedos built by Tenes which is a gallant place having a Castle and a faire Haven for all sorts of Vessels it produceth good store of Wines and the best supposed to be in all the South-east parts of Europe or yet in Asia The Island is not big but exceeding fertile lying three miles from the place where Troy stood as Virgil reported Aeneid 2. Est in conspectu Tenedos notissima famainsula In sight of Troy a stately Isle I fand Shut up with Pontus from the Trojan land Whose beauteous bounds made me wish there to stay Or that I might transport the same away Else like Tritonean rude Propontick charms T' imbrace sweet Tenes always in mine arms And again Insula dives opum Priami dum regna manebant An Isle most rich in Silks delicious Wine When Priams Kingdome did in glory shine Where Ceres now and Bacchus love to dwell And Flora too in Berecinthiaes Cell In Tenedos I met by accident two French Merchants of Marseils intending for Constantinople who had lost their ship at Sio when they were busie at venerall rilting with their new elected Mistresses and for a second remedy were glad to come thither in a Turkish Carmoesalo The like of this I have seen fall out with Seafaring men Merchants and Passengers who buy sometimes their too much folly with too dear a repentance They and I resolving to view Troy did hire a Ianizary to be our conductor protector and a Greek to be our Interpreter Where when wee landed we saw here and there many relicks of old walls as wee travelled through these famous bounds And as wee were advanced toward the East part of Troy our Greek brought us to many Tombs which were mighty ruinous and pointed us particularly to the Tombs of Hector Ajax Achilles Troylus and many other valiant Champions with the Tombs also of Hecuba Cresseid and other Trojan Dames Well I wot I saw infinite old Sepulchers but for their particular names nomination of them I suspend neither could I believe my Interpreter sith it is more then 3000 and odde years ago that Troy was destroyed Here Tombs I view'd old Monuments of Times And fiery Trophyes fix'd for bloody crimes For which Achilles Ghost did sigh and say Curst be the hands that sakelesse Trojans slay But more fierce Ajax more Ulysses Horse That wrought griefs ruine Priam's last divorce And here inclos'd within these clods of dust All Asia's honour and cross'd Paris lust He shewed us also the ruines of King Priams palace and where Anchises the father of Aeneas dwelt At the North-east corner of Troy which is in sight of the Castles of Hellespont there is a gate yet standing and a piece of a reasonable high wall upon which I found three pieces of rusted money which afterward I gave two of them to the younger brethren of the Duke of Florence then studying in Pretolino The other being the fairest with a large picture on the one side I bestowed it at Aise in Provance upon a learned Scholler Master Strachon my Countrey man then Mathematician to the Duke of Guise who presently did propine his Lord and Prince with it Where the pride of Phrygia stood it is a most delectable plaine abounding now in Cornes Fruites and delicate Wines and may be called the garden of Natolia yet not populous for there are but only five scattered Villages in all that bounds The length of Troy hath bin as may be discerned by the fundamentall walls yet extant about twenty Italian miles which I reckon to be ten Scottish or fifteene English miles lying along the sea side betweene the three Papes of Ida and the furthest end Eastward of the River Simois whose breadth all the way hath not outstrip'd the fields above two miles The inhabitants of these five scattered Bourges therein are for the most part Greekes the rest are Iewes and Turkes And loe here is mine Effigie affixed with my Turkish habit my walking staff my Turbant upon my head even as I travelled in the bounds of Troy and so through all Turkey Before my face on the right hand standeth the Easterne and sole gate of that sometimes noble City with a piece of a high wall as yet undecayed And without this Port runneth the River Simois inclosing the old Grecian Campe downe to the Marine where it imbraceth the Sea Propontis A little below are bunches of grapes denoting the vinyards of this fructiferous place adioyning neare to the fragments and ruines of Priams Palace sirnamed Ilium And next to it a ravenous Eagle for so this part of Phrygia is full of them So beneath my feet lye the two Tombs of Priamus Hecuba his Queen And under them the incircling hills of Ida at the west South-west end of this once Regall Town and at my left hand the delicious and pleasant fields of Olives and Fig-trees where with the bowels of this famous soyle are inter larded And here this piece or portraiture deciphered the continuing discourse inlarging both mean manner Whence Princely Homer and that Mantuan born Sad Tragicktunes erect'd for Troy forlorn And sad Aeneas fled to the Affrick Coast Where Carthage groan'd to hear how Troy was lost But more kinde Dido when this wandring Prince Had left Numidia stole away from thence Did worser groan who with his shearing sword Her self she gor'd with many weeping word O dear Aeneas dear Trojan art thou gone And then she fell death swallowed up her mone They land at Cuma where Latinus King Did give Aeneas Lavinia with a Ring Where now in Latium that old Dardan
inferiour to the first and superiour to the second And although some Authors would have him but to repaire the second Temple yet it is most certaine he did even from the foundation raise its greatest beauty and glory For this Herod the Ascolinite was an Edomite stranger or Idumean who having gotten the Kingdome contrary to the Law of Moses and created King of Iewry by Octavius Augustus and knowing these people to be offended therewithall to procure their favour did build to them a third Temple This was it in which our Saviour and his Apostles did daily Preach and was set on fire by Titus the tenth day of August on which day likewise the first Temple was burnt by Nebuchadnezzar And lastly there is another great Temple builded in the same place by Sultan Selim Seliman reserved by Turkes and highly regarded for that respect they carry to Salomon neare the which or within whose Courts no Christian may enter under the paine of loosing his head This present Temple hath two incircling Courts invironed with high wals hauing two entires in the inner Court standeth the Temple that is composed of five circling and large Rotundotes rising high and incorporate from the ground with round tops The outward fabrick whereof we cannot see save on Mount Olivet which is over against the Citie and twice as high as Mount Sion These are all the monuments which in one day I saw within Ierusalem but as for Mount Calvary and the Holy Grave I saw them afterward which in their owne place shall be orderly touched As we were spending that day in these sights the Guardian had prepared one hundred souldiers sixty Hors-men and forty Foot-men to take with him the day following for his conduction to Iordan and the Mountaine in the Wildernesse where Christ fasted which is his usuall custome once every yeare between Palme Sunday and Easter returning again before Good-friday These places cannot be viewed save onely at that time neither may a Pilgrime goe along with the Souldiers unlesse hee give the value of seven Crownes or Piasters as a propine unto the Lievtenant being forty two shillings sterling and if the Traveller will not goe to that charge hee may stay there till their return which I would not wish him to doe if possibly hee may spare the money for the sight of Sodome and Iordans sake That same night after supper The Guardian demanded of us Travellers if wee would goe with him to see these memorable and singular things upon the former condition To whom wee answered in a generall consent wee would and so payed our moneys Early upon Tuesday morning all the Friers and Pilgrims being mounted on Mules save onely pedestriall I and two Mâ—les loaden with our provision of victuals we departed from the City about nine of the clocke in the forenoone keeping our faces South-east and leaving Bethphage and Byâ—hania on our left hand wee had pleasant travelling for seven miles but in the afternoon wee entred in a barren and desart Countrey till Sun-setting where at last wee arrived at a standing Well and there refreshing our selves and the beasts wee reposed till two houâ—es within night After that the Captaine had cryed Caâ—e thâ—anga that is match away we set forward being well guaâ—ded round about with our Keepers because we entred into a dangerous way and a most desolate and â—abulous 〈◊〉 In all this deformed Countrey wee saw neither House nor Village for it is altogether desartuous and inhabited onely by wild Beasts and naked Arabians Before wee came neere to Sodom and Gomorrah by seven miles for so wee behooved to passe by the East end of it before wee could arrive at that place of Iordan which wee intended we I say incountred with such deep sandy ground that the Mulets were not able to carry our Company through Whereupon they all dismounted wrestling and wading above the middle part of their bodies and sometimes falling in over their heads they were in great danger of perishing although the robustnesse of my body carried mee through on my feete relieving also divers times some of these Friers and Pilgrimes that were almost choaked and over-whelmed with Sand but not for lacke of Wine Even in the middest of this turmoyling paine the night being darke the unwelcomed Arabs environed and invaded us with a storme of Arrows which they sent from the tops of little hard hils whereupon they stood for knowing the advantage of the ground they took opportunity to give the more fearfull assaults yet they prevailed nothing although they wounded some of our souldiers such was the resolute Courage of our valorous Defendants True it is that in all my travailes I was never so sore fatigated nor more fearefully indangered as I was that night A little after midnight these Savages leaving us and we leaving our troublesome way wee accoasted the Lake of Sodome and marched along the marine shoare above nine miles before we came to Iordan This Lake is caled Lacus Asphaltites it yieldeth a kinde of 〈◊〉 named Bitumen Asphaltum the which bituminous savour no living thing can indure And now Mare mortuum a Sea because it is salt and mortuum or dead for that no living thing breeds therein and more properly for this cause called the dead Sea because of it selfe it is unmoveable such is the Leprosie and stability of the water It is also called so because if a Bird flie over it she presently falleth downe therein dead And as Salomon reporteth of it Wisdome 10. 7. it smoketh continually from whence proceedeth filthy Vapours which deforme the fields lying about for certaine miles as it were blasted scorched and made utterly barren this smoake I take onely to be but the exhalation of Iordan For this River falling into it and there ending his course the two contrary natures cannot agree the one being a filthy puddle and the other a pure water as I shall more approbably record This Lake is foure score miles in length and according to its intervalling Circuite sometimes two three foure or five miles in breadth yet the body thereof bending directly South-west keepeth a glassie course till it salute the austere conspicuosity of the fabulous and stony Desarts being compassed with the Rockes of Arabia Petrea on the South On the North with the sandy Hils of the Wildernesse of Iudea on the West with the steepy Mountaines of Arabia deserta and on the East with the plaine of Iericho How commeth it to passe therefore that the fresh running flood of Iordan falling evermore into this bounded Sea that the Lake it selfe never diminisheth nor increaseth but alwayes standeth at one fulnesse neither hath it any issuing forth nor reboundeth backwards on the plaine of Iericho which is one of the greatest Wonders in the World Wherefore as I have said it must needs either exhale to the Clouds or otherwise runne downe to Hell for if it ranne under the Rockes and so burst in the Desarts it would soone
left arme his body fast to the Rock keeping strongly my right shoulder to the same place For I could not have saved my selfe and letting him fall but he would have caught me head-long with him over the Rock And yet the Germans cried still to me Lascia ti quel furfanto cascar alla fondo conil Diavolo esalva caro fratello la vita vostra viz. Let that Villaine fall to the ground with the Divell and save O deare brother your own life But I neither would nor durst at last his feare by my incouragement having left him I suffered him to slide sâ—ftly down between my arme and the Roâ—k to the solid path Where by and by hee fell downe upon his knees and gave me a thousand blessings vowing for this hee would do me a great good deed before I left Ierusalem At last towards the afternoon wee safely arrived at the foot of the Mountaine and having saluted the Guardian and all the rest who then were ready to take journey the Frier told his Reverence how I had saved his life Whereupon the Guardian and the other Friers did imbrace mee kindly in their arms giving mee many earnest and loving thanks And now the Souldiers and we being advanced in our Way as wee returned to Ierusalem wee marched by an old Ruinous Abbey where say they Saint Ierome dwelt and was fed there by wilde Lions Having travailed sore and hard that afternoone wee arrived at Ierusalem an houre within night for the Gate was kept open a purpose for us and our Guard and entring our Monastery wee supped and rested our selves till midnight having marched that halfe day more then 34 miles A little before midnight the Guardian and the Friers were making themselves ready to go with us to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre called Sancto Salvatore where we were to stay Good-friday and Saturday and Easter-Sunday till mid-night They tooke their Cooke with them also to dresse our Diet carrying Wine Bread Fishes and Fruits hither in abundance Mean while a Iew the Trench-man of the Turkish Sanzacke came to the Monastery and received from every one of us Pilgrimes first two Chickeens of Gold for our severall heads and entry at Ierusalem and then nine Chickeens a piece for our in going to the Holy Grave and a Chickeen of gold a man to himselfe the Iew as being due to his place Thus was there twelve Chickeens from each of us dispatched for the Turke And last one and all of us behoved to give to the Guardian two Chickeens also for the Waxe Candles and Fooleries he was to spend in their idle and superstitious Ceremonies these three aforesaid nights which amounted in all to every one of us to fourteen Chickeens of gold six pounds six shillings sterling So that in the whole from the six Germans foure Frenchmen and nine commercing Franks in Cyprus and Syria Venetians and Ragusans and from my selfe the summe arose for this nights labour to a hundred and twenty six pounds sterling This done and at full mid-night wee came to the Church where wee found twelve Venerable like Turkes readie to receive us sitting in the Porch without the Doore who forthwith opened at randon the two great Brazen halfes of the Doore and received us very respectively We being within the doore made fast and the Turks returned to the Castle the first place of any note wee saw was the place of Unction which is a foure squared stone inclosed about with an iron Revele on which say they the dead body of our Saviour lay and was imbalmed after hee was taken from the Crosse whiles Ioseph of Arimathea was preparing that new Sepulcher for him wherein never man lay from thence wee came to the holy Grave Leaving Mount Calvary on our right hand toward the East end of the Church for they are both contained within this glorious edifice The Holy Grave is covered with a little Chappell standing within a round Quiere in the west end of the Church It hath two low and narrow entries as wee entred the first doore three after three and our shooes cast off for these two roomes are wondrous little the Guardiano fell downe ingenochiato and kissed a stone whereupon hee said the Angell stood when Mary Magdalen came to the Sepulchre to know if Christ was risen on the third day as he promised And within the entry of the second doore wee saw the place where Christ our Messias was buried and prostrating our selves in great humility every man according to his Religion offered up his prayers to God The Sepulcher it selfe is eight foote and a halfe in length and advanced about three foote in height from the ground and three foote five inches broad being covered with a faire Marble stone of white colour In this Chappell and abâ—ut it I meane without the utter sides of it and the inward incirclings of the compassing Quiere there are alwayes burning above fifty Lampes of oyle maintained by Christian Princes who stand most of them within incircling bands of pure Gold which is exceeding sumptuous having the names of those who sent or gave them ingraven upon the upper edges of the round circles each of them having three degrees and each degree depending upon another with supporters of pure Gold rich and glorious The fairest whereof was sent thither by King Iohn of England whereon I saw his Name his Title and Crowne curiously indented I demanded the Guardiano if any part of the Tombe was here yet extant who replied there was but because said he Christians resorting thither being devoutly moved with affection to the place carried away a good part thereof which caused S. Helen inclose it under this stone whereby some relicts of it should alwayes remaine I make no doubt but that same place is Golgotha where the holy Grave was as may appeare by the distance betweene Mount Calvary and this sacred Monument which extendeth to forty of my paces This Chappell is outwardly decored with 15 coupell of Marble Pillars and of 22 foote high and above the upper coverture of the same Chappell there is a little six-angled Turret made of Cedar wood covered with Lead and beautified with sixe small Columnes of the same tree The chappell it selfe standeth in a demicircle or halfe Moone having the little doore or entry looking East to the great body of the Church and to Mount Calvary being oppâ—site to many other venerable monuments of memorable majesties The forme of the Quier wherein it standeth is like unto the ancient Rotundo in Rome but a great deale higher and larger having two gorgeous Galleries one above another and adorned with magnificent Columnes being open at the top with a large round which yeeldeth to the heavens the prospect of that most sacred place In which second Gallery we strangers reposed all these three nights we remayned there whence wee had the full prospect of all the spacious Church and all the Orientall people were there at this great
fields and their horses standing tyed to a bush beside them whereat being greatly moved I approached them and perceiving the bodies to be richly clad with silken Stuffes easily conjectured what they might bee My host having told mee the former night that these two Barons were at great discord about the love of a young Noble woman and so it was for they had fought the combat for her sake and for their own pride lay slaine here For as fire is to Gun-powder so is ambition to the heate of man which if it be but touched with self-love mounteth aloft and never bendeth downeward till it bee turned into ashes And here it proued for that Ladies sake that troppâ— amore turnd to Presto dolore Upon which sight to speake the trueth I searched both their pockets and found their two silken purses full loaded with Spanish Pistols whereat my heart sprung for joy and taking five rings off their foure hands I hid them and the two purses in the ground halfe a mile beyond this place And returning againe leapt to one of their horses and came galloping backe to Saramutza where calling up my host I told him the accident who when he saw the horse gave a shout for sorrow and running to the Castle told the Lady the Barons Mother where in a moment shee her children and the whole Towne runne all with mee to the place some clad some naked some on foote and some on horse where when come grievous was it to behold their wofull and sad lamentations I thus seeing them all mad and distracted of their wits with sorrow left them without good night And comming to my Treasure made speedy way to Castello Francko where bearing them the like newes brought them all to the like distraction and flight of feet Well in the mutability of time there is aye some fortune falleth by accident whether lawfull or not I will not question it was now mine that was last theirs and to save the thing that was not lost I travailed that day thirty miles further to Terra nova Whence the next morning beeing earely imbarked for Malta and there safely Landed I met with a ship of London called the Mathew bound for Constantinople lying in the Road where indeed with the company I made merry a shoare for three dayes and especially with one George Clerke their Burser who striving to plant in my braines a Maltezan Vineyard had almost perished his owne life Upon the fourth day they hoysing sayle and I staying a shoare it was my good luck within eight dayes to find a French ship of Tolon come from the Levant and bound for Tunneis by the way in going home With whom desirously consorted within three dayes wee touched at our intended Port. And now to reckon the gold that I found in the aforesaid purses it amounted to three hundred and odde double Pistols and their Rings being set with Dyamonds were valued to a hundred Chickeens of Malta eight shillings the peece which I dispatched for lesser But the gold was my best second which like Homers Iliads under Alexanders pillow was my continuall vade mecum Tunneis is the Capitall seat of its owne Territory and of all the East and lower Barbary containing ten thousand fire-houses And it is the place where old Carthage stood that was builded by the Tyrians and Phenicians of the Holy Land some threescore twelve yeares before Rome and had twenty miles in circuite Which City in these times was the soveraign Queen of Affrick and the onely envy and predominiant malice of the Romans being more then Romes rivall mate in greatnesse glory and dominion Neverthelesse in end it was taken sackt and burnt by Scipio the Affrican Roman some six hundred and two yeares after Rome was first founded her ruines large Territories without made subject to the ambition of Rome After which detriment desolate Carthage was rebuilded by Caesar and a Colony of Italians transported there flourished for a time till it was destroyed and over-runne by the Gothes and Vandals And lastly subdued by the Sarazens and Moores it was by them transmitted to the Turkish power who now is Master of it being no way answerable to the six part of the greatnesse it had before This Towne is situate in the bottome of a Creeke where the Sea for a mile having cut the bosome of the Land maketh a large and safe resting place for ships and galleys which Haven and tâ—wne is secured from Sea invasions by the great and strong Fortresse of Galetto builded on a high Promontory that imbraceth the Sea and commandeth the mouth of the Bay where in a Turkish Bassaw and a strong Garrison of Souldiers remain the Fort it self being well provided with armes men artillery and munition The Kingdome of Tunnies comprehendeth once the whole Countrey that the ancients called property Afâ—rick 〈◊〉 little Affrick being the old Numidia and was divided then in these five Provinces Bugia Constantine that of Tunneis Tripoly and Ezzebba In the Towne of Bugia lying half way twixt Tunneis and Algier and 40 leagues from either being now called Arradetz there was ancient beautifull Temples Colledges magnifick buildings Hospitalls and convents after their fashion but the Towne being taken and razed Anno 1508 by Peter King of Navarre it hath remained ever since without beauty or ornament save a few rustick Inhabitants The province of Constantine lyeth twixt Tunneis and Bugia the Towne Constantine now Abiroâ—h being Capitall and was surnamed Cortes and Iulia It is begirded with Rockes and ancient walles contayning eight hundred fire-houses wherein are the relicts of an Arke triumphant formerly built by the Romans and in this Province sixteene leagues within land was the Towne of Hippo now Bosen whereof St. Augustine was Bishop The Territory of Tunneis lyeth betwene the borders of Abirouh Westward and the limits of Tripoly Eastward being of length foâ—rescore miles and on this Sea-coast lieth the Towne Biserta adorned with a commodious Haven and sixe Gallies the most sâ—elerate of condition and celerous in flying or following of all the cursares in Turkie Tripoly in Barbary commonly called so was once drouned by the Sea but now its situation was transported safely a little more Southward which sometimes was beautified with merchants of Genoa Ragusa and Venice but now become a den of theeves and Sea-pirats and so are all the marine Townes twixt Aegypt and Morocco The last province of the kingdom of Numidia is Ezzebba lying East from Tripoly and confining with Cyreno a pendicle of Aegypt The chiefest part whereof is Messaicke being twenty foure Leagues from Tripoly contayning many Villages and Townes on the plaines and Mountaines abounding in Silkes cornes and divers Fruites All these five Maritine Provinces have but narrow Inlands not advancing South-ward from the Sea coast above forty miles Here in Tunneis I met with our English Captaine generall Ward once a great Pyrat and Commander at Seas who in despight of his
Spaniard rideth like a Monkey mounted on a Camell with his knees and heeles alike aside sitting on the sadle like to a halfe ballast ship tottering on top-tempestous waves And the French man hangeth in the stirrop at the full reach of his great toe with such a long-legged ostentation pricking his horse with neck-stropiat spurs and beating the winde with his long waving limbes even as the Turkes usually doe when they are tossed at their Byrham hanging between two high trees reciprocally waving in the ayre from the force of two long bending ropes The women ride here stradling in the saddle and if double the man sitteth behind the woman The women also after the death of their friends keepe a ceremonious mourning twice a day for a moneths space with such yelping howling shouting and clapping of hands as if all Sicilia were surprised by the Moores Yet neither shedding teares nor sorrowfull in heart for they will both hollow and laugh at one time The same custome for the dead the Turkes observe and all the Oriental people of Asia This Island finally is famous for the worthy Schollers shee once produced Archimedes the great Mathematician Empidocles the first inventer of Rhetorick Euclide the textuary Geometrician Diodorus Siculus that renowned Historian and Aeshilus the first Tragedian of fame who being walking in the fields and bald through age by chance an Eagle taking his bald pate for a white rocke let a shel-fish fall on it of that bignesse that it beat out his braides But to proceede in my itinerary relation having twice imbarked at Messina for Italy from Asia and Africke I have choosed the last time double experience deeper knowledge for the discourse of my departure thence After a generall surueigh of this Island and Monto Bello arriving at Messiua Anno 1616 August 20 I encountred with a worshipfull English Gentleman Mr. Stydolffe Esquire of his Maiesties body accompained with my Countrey man Mr. Wood now servant to Iames Earle of Carlile who instantly were both come from Malta the generous affability of which former Gentleman to mee in no small measure was extended meeting also afterward at Naples as in the one place shall be succinctly touched Here I found some 60 Christian Gallies assembled to the Faire of Messina which holdeth every yeare the 17 of August Wherein all sorts of Merchandize are to be sold especially raw Silke in abundance thirty of which Gallies went to scoure the coasts of Greece Messinai foure miles distant from Rhegio in Calabria and two miles from the opposite Maine This Regium was that Towne where Saint Paul arrived after his shipwracke at Malta in his voyage to Rome it was miserably sacked by the Turkish Gallies of Constantinople Anno 1609 but now by the Spaniards it is repared with stronger walls and new fortifications sufficiently able to gaine-stand any such like accidentall invasions In this time of mine abode here their happily arrived from Italy my singular good friend Mr. Mathew Dowglas his Majesties Chirurgion extraordinary being bound also for the Levant in the same voyage of the Christian incursions against the infiedls whose presence to me after so long a sight of Hethnike strangers was exceeding comfortable and did there propine him with this Sonnet which I made on Aetna as the peculiarbadge of my innated love High stands thy top but higher looks mine eye High soares thy smoake but higher my desire High are thy rounds steepe circled as I see But higher far this brest whilest I aspire High mounts the fury of thy burning fire But higher far mine aimes transcend above High bends thy force through midst of Vulcans ire But higher flies my sprite with wings of love High presse thy flames thy Christiall aire to move But higher moves the scope of my engine High lieth the sâ—ow on the proud tops I prove But higher up ascends my brave designe Thy height cannot surpasse this cloudy frame But my poore soule the highest heavens doth claime Meane while with paine I climb to view thy tops Thy hight makes fall from me ten thousand drops Here in Messina I found the somtimes great English Gallant Sir Francis Verny lying sick in a Hospitall whom sixe weekes before I had met in Palermo Who after many misfortunes in exhausting his large patrimony abandoning his Countrey and turning Turk in Tunneis he was taken at Sea by the Sicilian Gallies In one of which he was two yeares a slave whence hee was redeemed by an English Iesuit upon a promise of his conversion to the Christian faith When set at liberty hee turned common Souldier and herein the extreamest calamity of extreame miseries contracted Death Whose dead Corpes I charitably interred in the best manner time could affoord me strength bewailing sorrowfully the miserable mutability of fortune who from so great a Birth had given him so meane a Buriall and truly so may I say Sic transit gloria mundi After sixteene dayes attendance for passage there fortunately accoasted heere twelve Neapolitan Gallies come from Apulia and bound for Naples in the one of which by favour of Marquesse Dell Sancta Cruce the Generall I imbarked and so set forward through the narrow Seas which divide Italy and Sicilia The strait whereof is 24 miles in length in bredth 6 4 and 2 miles This Sea is called the faro of Messina and fretum Siculum at the West end whereof we met with two contrary chopping tides which somewhat rusling like unto broken Seas did choake the Gallies with a strugling force Incidit in Scyllam Cupiens vitare Charibdim Who strive to shunne the hard Calabrian coast On sandy Scilla wrestling they are lost Yet of no such eminent perill or repugnable Currents as be in the fifth of Stronza Westra especially Pentland firth which divideth Katnes from Pemonia the maine Land of Orknay wherein who unskilfully looseth from eyther sides may quickly loose sight both of Life and Land for ever As we entred in the Gulfe of Saint Eufemit we â—etched up the little Isle of Strombolo This Isolet is a round Rock and a mile in Compasse growing to the top like to a Pomo or Pyramide and not much unlike the Isolets of Basse and Elsey through the toppe whereof as through a Chimney arriseth a continuall fire and that so terrible and furiously casting forth great stones flames that neither Galley nor Boate dare Coast or boord it South from hence and in sight thereof on the North Coast of Sicily lie the two Islands Valcan Maior and Minor whereof the lesser perpetually burneth and the greater is long since consumed On the fourth day we touched at Ischa the greatest Isle belonging to Naples and 20 miles in Circuite being strongly begirded with Rockey heights The chiefe Towne is Ischa whither Ferdinando of Naples fled being thrust out of his Kingdome by Charles the eight There is a Fountaine here of that incredible heate that in short time will boile any fish or flesh put
in it and the tast agreeable to disgestion Departing from thence and coasting the maine shoare we had a Moorish Frigot in Chafe where seizing on her we found 16 Moores therein and sixe Christians three Men two Women and a Boy whom they had taken up in going betwene two Townes by the Sea side The Peasants were set at liberty and the Moores immediately preferred to chaines of Iron bloody lashes tugging of Gally oares and perpetual slavery Neere the marine and in sight of Naples wee boorded close by the foote of the Hill Vesuvio which in time past did burne but now extinguished It was here that the elder Pliny who had spent all his time in discovering the secrets of Nature pressing neer to behold it was stifled with the flame so that he dyed in the same place which is most excellently described in the Booke of his Epistles by his Nephew the younger Arriving at Naples I gave joyfull thankes to God for my safe returne to Christendome and the day following I went to review the ancient Monuments of Putzolo or Puteâ—li Which when I had dilligently remarked in my returne halfe way to Naples I met the aforesaid English Gentleman and Mr. Wood who neeedes would have mee turne backe to accompany them hither When come wee tooke a Guide and so proceeded in our sights the first thing of any note we saw was the stupendious Bridge which Caius Caligula builded betwene Putzolo and Baia over an arme of the Sea two miles broad Some huge Arches Pillars and fragments thereof remaine unruined to this day The next was the new made Mountaine of Sand which hath dryed up Lago Luâ—rino being by an Earth quake transported hither at the foote of this â—abulous Hill we saw the remnants of Ciceroes Village Thence wee came to the Temple of Apollo standing on the East side of Lacus Avernus the Walles whereof and pendicles the Tecture excepted are as yet undemolished This Lake Averno is round and hemb'd in about with comely heights being as our Guide reported infinitely deepe and in circuite a short mile The West end whereof is invironed with the Mountaine of Cuma whither Aeneas arrived when hee fled from Dido Queene of Carthage and sister to Pigmalion King of Tyrus Advancing our way along the brinke of the Lake we came to Sybillaes Cave the entry being darke because of the obscure passage between out and cut through the maine Rocke our Guide strooke fire and so with a Flambo marched before us The first passage was exceeding high Cimâ— and the further end stopped with moulding earth Inclining to our right hand wee passed through a very strait and low passage and so arrived in Sybillaes Chamber which is a delicate Roome and Artificially decored with Mosaicall Worke Here it is said the Divell frequented her Company and where shee wrot her Prophecies From thence hee conducted us through a most intricate and narrow way wherein wee were forced to walke sidling in to a large and vast Room The Rockey vault whereof was hanging full of loose and long stones many of which were fallen to the bottome This great Cell or Hall is a yard deepe of blackish Water and was the dining Room of Sybilla In which hearing toward the further end ascriking noise as if it had beene the croaking of Frogs the hissing of Serpents the bussing of Bees or snarling of Wolves we demanded our Guide from whence such a sound proceeded Who answered they were Dragoris and flying Serpents praying us to Returne for the fellow was mightily affraid Whereat I laughing Replyed there was no such matter and Mr Stydolffe desirous to know it hee onely and I leaving the other two behind us adventured the tryall Having more then halfe way entered in this Sale stepping on huge stones because of the Water and I carrying the Flambo for lacke of aire being so far under ground the light perished Whereupon wee hollowed to our Guide but the Reverberating Eccho avoyded the sense of our words neither would he nor durst hee hazard to support us Meanewhile it being Hell-darke and impossible to find such a difficult way backe and tendering as by duty the worthy Gentleman I stepped downe to my middle thigh in the water wrestling so along to keep him on the dry stones Where indeed I must confesse I grew affrighted for my legs fearing to be interlaced with water Serpents and Snakes for indeede the distracting noise drew nearer and nearer us At last falling neare the voice of our guide who never left shouting wee returned the same way wee came in and so through the other passages till wee were in open fields Here indeede for my too much curiosity I was condiginly requited being all bemired and wet to the middle yet forthwith the vigorous Sunne disburdned mee quickly thereof from thence to be briefe wee came to the Bagni the relicts of Pompeis Village to the fort of Baja and the Laborinth of Ciento Camarello into the admirable fish ponds of Lucullus the coverture of which is supported by 48 naturall pillars of stony earth to the detriments of Messina Mercato sabbato and the Elisian fields Thence wee returned by the sepulcher of Agricula the mother of cruell Nero who slit up her belly to see the matrix wherein he was conceived and by the two decayed Temples of Venus and Mercury Crossing over in a boat to the Towne of Putzolo the chiefe monument wee saw was the ancient Temple of Iupiter who serveth now for their Domo or Parochial Church the latter Idolatry of which is nothing inferiour to the former Meanwhile here arrived the French Gallies fetching home Chevalier du Vandum the Prior of France from Malta Who scouring the coast of the lower Barbary their fortune was to fall upon a misfortunate English ship belonging to Captain Pennington which they as a Cursaro or man of warre confiscated Their Anchors fallen I boorded the Queenes Galley where to my great griefe I found a Countrey-man of speciall acquaintance George Gib of Burowtownnes who was Pilot to the English fast chained to an oare with shaven head and face Who had his owne shippe twice seased on by the Turkes at Mamora which ship he lastly recovered at the Isle Sardinia and sold her at Naples being miserably worme eaten To whose undeserved miseries in my charitable love I made a Christian oath that at my arrivall in England I should procure by the helpe of his friends his Majesties letters to the Duke of Guyse Admirall for hindeliverance But soon thereafter being of a great spirit his heart broak and so died in Marseiles Tempora labuntur tacitisque senescimus annis Et fugiuunt fraeno non remorante Dies Times slide away grey heires come postring on No reyne can hold our days so swiftly gon Departing from Putzolo we came to the Selphatara where the fine Brimstone is made which is a prety incircling Plain standing upon a moderate hight having three vents through two of which the
smoaking flame ariseth the other produceth no fire but after an excessive raine surgeth six foote high with black boyling water which continueth so long as the raine lasteth From thence our Guide leaving us we came to Grotto di cane wherein if a Dogge be cast he well suddenly die and taken thence and cast in the Lake he will forthwith revive this Grotto or Cave standeth on the side and root of a sulphure hill the brinke of Lago di Avagno We desirous to make triall of a Dog and finding the fellow that purposely stayeth there somewhat extortionable I adventured in stead of a Dog to make tryall of my selfe Whereupon Master Stydolffe holding up the quarrered doore I entered to the further end thereof bringing back a warme stone in each hand from thence whereat the Italians swore I was a Divell and not a man for behold say they there was a French Gentleman the former yeare who in a bravado would needes goe in whereupon he was presently stifled to death and here lyeth buried at the mouth of the Grotto to serve for a caveat to all rash and unadvised strangers to doe the like The relation indeede was true put I counting nothing of it would needes sore against the Gentleman and Master Woods will goe in againe where entred to the bottome being ten paces long the moyst and choaking heat did so suffocate and benumbe my senses that with much adoe I returned backe where receiving the fresh aire and a little Wine I presently forgot my former trance which when the Dog-keeper saw hee for an easie composition made triall of his Dog and having tyed a string to his hinder leg he cast the Dog scarce halfe way in the Cave where immediately his tongue hanging out he fell downe dead And forthwith his Master repulling him backe cast him in the Lake powring in water in his eares but hee never could recover his life Whereupon the poore man cryed out alas I am undone what shall I doe the Dog that wonne my daily foâ—d is dead in compassion whereof the worthy Gentleman doubled his wages In our way and returne to Naples we passed through Virgils Grot being halfe a mile long and cut through a the maine body of a Rocke whereby the Mountaine of Cataja by the Sea-side is made passable at the East end whereof neare the Cyme of the vault is Virgils Tombe and arrived at Naples Mr. William Stydolffe reporting to divers of his Countrey Gentlemen and mine of mine adventure in Grotto di Cane they could hardly be perswaded to believe it But when avouched they all avowed I had done that so did divers Neapolitans which never man had done before me reserving life Bidding farewell to my generous friends I marched through Terra di lavora and in the way of Saint Germane and Mount Cassino to Rome within ten miles of Capua I found the poorest Bishop Nomen sine re the world affoordeth having no more nor never had he nor any before him than dui Carolini or Iuletti twelve pence a day to spend So is there many a Marquesse Earle Baron and Knight in Italy who is unable at one time to keepe a foote-man at his heels a Dog at his foote a Horse betweene his legs a good suit of clothes on his backe and his belly well â—ed so glorious are their stiles and so miserable their revenewes Touching at Rome I secretly borrowed one nights lodging there and at the breake of day another houres sight and conference with my Couzen Simeon Grahame who ere the Sunne arose crossing Ponto flamingo brought mee on in my journey till a high way Taverne like a jayle held us both fast where leaving our reciprocall loues behind vs wee divided our bodies East and West And now ere I leave Rome I thinke it best to let our Papists here at home see the shamefull lives cruell deaths of most of their Popes beyond Seas which their own best Authors in France Italy and Spain having justly and condignely avouched and recorded authorized also to light by their prime powers civil spirituall The Papists generally hold that in their popes is all power Super omnes Potestates tam Coeli quam Terrae above all powers both in Heaven and Earth They terme him Alter Deus in Terris a second God upon the Earth Deus mortalis in terris ei immortalis homo in Coelis a mortall God upon the Earth and an Immortall man in the Heavens Some of them have allotted that hee is Non Deus non homo sed utrunque neither God nor man but both The popes former title was Servus servorum Dei and they call him Rex Regum Dominus Dominantium King of Kings and Lord of Lords Paul the third entering Tolentino in the vale of Ombria joyning with Tuscany had this salutation Paulo tertio Maximo in terris Deo to Paul the Third the best and greatest God on earth Then since they will have them Gods above the God of Gods tel me I pray you what a May pole Dauncer was Iohn 12 alias 13 of 18 yeares old who made the Lateran their great Church in Rome a plaine Stew or Brothel house What a pope-boy of twelve yeares old was Benedict the ninth and after wrought by inchantments Another Pope they had whom they called Vnum pecus in eo quod de mane faciebat gratiam de sero revocabat A very Asse for in the morning hee would grant many great kindnesses and at night revoke them all againe What a thiefe was pope Boniface the seventh who robbed St. Peters Church what a Sodomiticall Pope was Sixtus the fourth who builded Stews of both kindes granting his Cardinalls the use of Sodomy for three whole moneths What an Atheisticall pope was Leo the tenth who called the Gospel a Fable What a Hereticall pope was Honorius the first who by sixe generall Councels was condemned for a Monothelite What a perjured Pope was Gregory the twelfth and openly forsworne What a Negromancer was Silvester the second who gave himselfe both soule and body to the divell to attain the Popedome What was Pope Iohn the eleventh but a bastardly brat to pope Sergius What a sorcerer Charmer and Conjurer was Hildebrand called Gregory the seventh given to all beastlinesse and diabolicall practices this was hee that threw the Sacrament in the fire what was Innocent the third who was branded with this black mark non est Innocentius imo nocens vere he is not innocent but very nocent What a wicked and cruell murtherer was Iohn the twelfth a Romane borne who caused to cut off the nose of one Cardinall and the thumbe of another Cardinall onely because they had wrote the whole tract of his abominable vices to the Emperour Otho What an inhumane and homicidious Pope was Stephanus the seventh who after hee had cancelled the decrees of his predecessor Formosus caused to deterre his dead body cut off his fingers and lay him in the
verdict for Heauens Ode Ascribd this clause commit thy worke to God O sacred Motto Bishop Sinclairs straine Who turned â—iffes Lord on Scotlands foes agayne Loe here 's the Armes of Cathnes here 's the Stock On which branch'dâ—boughes relye as on a Rocke But further in I foundlike Armes more patent To kinde Sir William and his line as latent The Primier Accade of that noble race Who for his vertue may reclayme the place Whose Armes with tongue and buckle now they make Fast crosse signe ty'd for a faire Leslyes sake The Lyon hunts o're Land the Ship the Sea The ragged Crosse can scale high wals wee see The wing-layd Gally with her factious oares Both Havens and Floods command and circling shoares The featherd Griffon flees O grim limbd beast That winging Sea and Land vpholdâ— this Creist But for the Pelicans life sprung kind Story Makes honour sing Virtute et Amore. Nay not by blood us she her selfe can do But by her paterne feeding younglings too For which this Patrones Crescent stands so stay That neither Spight nor Tempest can shake Maij Whose Cutchions cleave so fast to 〈…〉 Portends to mee his Armes shall ever bide So Murckles Armes are so except the Rose Spred on the Crosse which Bothwels Armes disclose Whose Vtetine blood he is and present Brother To Cathnes Lord all three sprung from one Mother Bothwels prime Heretrix plight to Hepburnes Race From whom Religious Murckles Rose I trace This Countries instant Shrieve whose Vertue rais'd His honourâ—d worth his godly life more prais'd But now to rouze their Rootes and how they Sprung See how Antiquity Times triumph Sung This Scaller worth them blâ—nch'd for endeavour And Service done to Englands Conquerour With whom from France they first to Britaine came Sprung from a Towne St. Claire now turn'd their name Whose Predecessours by their Val'rous hand Wonne endlesse Fame twice in the Holyâ—Land Where in that Christian Warre their blood beene lost They loath'd of Gaule and sought our Aâ—bion Coast. Themselves to Scotland came in Cammoires Raigne With good Queene Mâ—rgret and her English traine The Ship from Oâ—knay sayl'd now rul'd by Charles Whereof they Sinclairs long time had beene Earles Whose Lord then William was by Scotlands King Call'd Robert Second First whence Stewarts Spring Sent with his second Sonne to France cross'd Iames Who eighteene yeares liu'd Captivate at Thames This Prisner last turn'd King call'd Iames the First Who Sinclairs Credit kept in Honours thirst The Galley was the Badge of Cathnes Lords As Malcome Cammoirs raigne at lenght Records Which was to Magnus given for Service done Against Mackbaith vsurper of his Crowne The Lyon came by an Heretrix to passe By Marriage whose Sire was surnam'd Dowglas Where after him the Sinclair now Record Was Shriefe of Dumfreis ' and Nidsdales Lord Whose wife was Neece to good King Iames the Third Who for exchange twixt Wicke and Southerne Nidde Did Lands incambiat whence this Cathnes Soile Stands fast for them the rest their Friends recoile Then Circle-bounded Cathnes Cinclairs ground Which Pentland Firth invirones Orknayes sound Whose top is Dunkanes Bay the Root the Ord Long may it long stand fast for their true Lord And as long too Heavens grant what I require The Race of Maij may in that Stocke aspire Till any Age may last Times glasse be runne For Earths last darke Ecclipse of no more Sunne Forsaking Cathnes I imbraced the trembling Surges at Dungsby of strugling Neptune which ingorgeth Pentland or Pictland Firth with nine contrarious Tides eath Tide over-thwarting another with repugnant courses have such violent streames and combustious waves that if these dangerous Births be not rightly taken in passing over the Passengers shall quickely loose sight of life and land for ever yea and one of these tides so forciâ—le at the backe of Stromaij that it will carry any Vessell back ward in despight of the winds the length of its rapinous current This dreadfull Firth is in breadth betweene the Continent of Cathnes and the I le of South Rannaldshaw in Orknay twelve miles And I devote this credibly in a part of the Northwest end of this Gulfe there is a certaine place of sea where these destracted tydes make their rancountering Randevouze that whirleth ever about cutting in the middle circle a devalling hole with which if either Ship or Boat shall happen to encroach they must quickly either throw over some thing into it as a Barrell a peice of timber and such like or that fatall Euripus shall then suddenly become their swallowing Sepulcher A custome which these bordering Cathenians and Orcadians have ever heretofore observed Arriv'd at South Rannaldshaw an Ile of five miles long and thwarting the I le of Burray I sighted Kirkwall the Metropâ—le of Pomonia the mayne Land of Orknay and the onely Mistresse of all the circumjacent Iles being thirty in number The chiefest whereof besides this tract of ground in length twenty sixe and broad five sixe and seven miles are the Iles of Sanda Westra and Stronza Kirkwall it selfe is adorned with the stately and magnifick Church of St. Magnus built by the Danes whose Signiory with the Iles lately it was but indeed for the time present more beautified with the godly life of a most venerable and religious Bishop Mr. George Grahame whom now I may tearme Soveraignity excepted to be the Father of the Countries government then an Ecclesiasticke Prelat The Inhabitants being left void of a Governour or solid Patron are just become like to a broken battell a scattered people without a head hauing but a Burges-Shreiue to administer Iustice and he also an Aliene to them and a Resider in Edenburgh So that in most differences and questions of importance the Plaintiues are inforced to implore the Bishop for their Iudge and hee the aduerse Party for redresse But the more remote pâ—rts of this auncient little Kingdome as Zetland and the adiacent Iles there haue found such a sting of deâ—ccular gouerment within these few yeares that these once happy Iles Which long agoe my feet traded ouer are Metamorphosed in the Anatomy of succourlesse oppression and the felicity of the Inhabitants reinuolued within the closet of a Cittadinean cluster But now referring the whole particulars and diuidual descriptions of these Septentrion Iles the mayne continent and the Gigantick Hebridian Iles to my aforesayd worke to be published intitulated Lithgows surueigh of Scotland I send this generall verdict to the world Now having seene most part of thy selfe glore Great Kingdomes Ilands stately Courts rich Townes Most gorgeous showes pomp-glory deckt renownes Hearbagious fields the Pelage-beating shoare Propitious Princes Prelats potent Crownes Smoake shadow'd times curst Churles Misers Clownes Impregnate Forts devalling floods and more Earth-gazing heights Vayle curling Plaines in store Court-rasing honours throwne on envies frownes Worme-vestur'd workes Enamild Arts wits lore Masse-marbled Mansions Mineralls coynd Ore State-superficiall showes swift-glyding Moones I â—oath thy sight pale streames staine watry