betweene Euphrates and Nilus he inuaded Persia where the Persians lost both their King Hormisda their State Religion and Name of Persians being conuerted into Saracens This victorious Homar made Ierusalem his Royall seat and while he was praying was murthered by his seruant Ozmen the succeeding Caliph sent a great Armie into Africa vnder the leading of Hucba who ouercomming Gregorius Patritius and destroying Carthage subiected all that Prouince to their Empire making Tunes the Mother-citie but soone after translated that honour to Chairoan which he built thirtie six miles from the Sea and a hundred from Tunes In the third yeere of his raigne Muauias the Deputie of Egypt with a Nauie of seuen hundred or as others say of a hundred and seuentie saile assailed Cyprus and taking Constantia wasted the whole Iland and hauing wintred his Armie at Damascus the next yeere besieged Arad in Cyprus and won it and dispeopled all the I le Thence hee inuaded the continent of Asia and carried away many prisoners and after in a Sea-fight with Constans the Emperour dyed the Lycian Sea with Christian bloud Hee wan Rhodes and sold to a Iew the brazen Colosse or pillar of the Sun which laded nine hundred Camels sometimes reckoned one of the worlds seuen wonders made in twelue yeeres space by Chares After this hee afflicted the Cyclides Ilands in the Archipelago and then sent his Fleet against Sicilia where they made spoile with fire and sword till by Olympius they were chased thence Muauias himselfe with an Armie by land entred into Cappadocia Iaid hauing ouer-run all the neighbouring Armenia vnto the hill Caucasus But meane while Ozmen besiged in his house by Ali his faction slew himselfe when hee had liued eightie and seuen yeeres and raigned twelue The Saracens could not agree about their new Prince Muaui and Ali with great armies being Corriuals of that dignitie and Ali being treacherously murthered by Muauias meanes in a Temple neere Cufa a Citie of Arabia was there buried and the place is of him called Massadalle or Alli his house for if you beleeue the Legend his corps being laid on a Camell which was suffered to goe whither hee would he staid at this place Of this Ali or Hali Mahomets Cousin the Persians deriue their sect and tell of him many Legendary fables Bedwell calls this place in his Arabian Trudgman Masged Aly that is the Mesged Mosque or Temple of Ali. Alhacem the sonne of Ali and Fatima Mahumets daughter was by Muauia his owne hands crowned and by him soone after poysoned Thus was Muaui sole Caliph who granted peace to the Emperour on condition that hee should pay him euery day tenne pounds of gold and a Gentleman-seruant with a horse Damascus was now made the Seat-Royall Of which Citie although wee haue said somewhat in our first booke yet let vs bee a little beholden to Beniamin Tudelensis to shew vs the Saracenicall face thereof In his time it was subiect to Noraldine as hee termeth him King of the children of Thogarma that is the Turkes The Citie saith hee is great and faire containing on euery side fifteene miles by it slideth the Riuer Pharphar and watereth their Gardens Amana is more familiar and entreth the Citie yea by helpe of Art in Conduits visiteth their priuate houses both striuing in emulous contention whether shall adde more pleasure or more profit to the Citie by Naaman therefore in the heate of his indignation preferred before all the waters of Israel But no where is so magnificent a building saith Beniamin as the Synagogue of the Ismaelites which is therein the people call it the Palace of Benhadad There is to be seene a wall of Glasse built by Art-Magicke distinguished by holes as many as the yeere hath dayes and so placed that euery day the Sunne findeth them fitted in order to his present motion each hole hauing therein a Diall with twelue degrees answering to the houres of that day so that in them is designed both the time of the yeere and of the day Within the Palace are Baths and costly buildings so rich of gold and siluer as seemeth incredible I saw there hanging a ribbe of one of the Enakims or Giants nine Spanish palmes long and two broad on the Sepulchre was written the name of Abchamaz After this in the time of Tamerlan the magnificence of their Temple was not quite extinct but as is reported it had fortie great Porches in the circuite thereof and within nine thousand Lamps hanging from the roofe all of gold and siluer For the Temples sake at first he spared the Citie but after prouoked by their rebellion he destroyed it and them Neither were the walls of Damascus rebuilded till a certaine Florentine for loue of the Gouernours daughter denying his faith became Mahumetan and after that both Gouernour and repairer of the Citie in the walls engrauing a Lyon the Armes of Florence He was honoured after his death with a Moskee and worshipped after the manner of their Saints the Saracens visiting his tombe and hauing touched the same stroking their beards with their hands There did our Author see a large house compassed with high walls which was inhabited with Catts The reason forsooth is this Mahomet sometime liuing in this Citie made much reckoning of a Cat which he carried in his sleeue by lucky tokens from her ordred his affaires From this dreame the Mahumetans make so much of Catts and hold it charitable almes to feede them thinking that he should prouoke the iudgement of God which should suffer a Cat to starue And many of them are found in the shambles begging or buying the inwards of beasts to nourish Catts a superstition more likely to descend from the Egyptians who for the benefit they receiued by Catts in destroying their vermine of which that Countrey yeelds store in a Heathenish superstition deified them But let vs returne to Muaui hee subdued the Sect of Ali in Persia and after inuaded Cil icia and sent to aide Sapores a band of Saracens which afflicted Chalcedon and sacked Armaria a City of Phrygia and with a Fleete inuaded Sicill tooke Siracuse and carried away with them the riches of Sicilia and of Rome it selfe lately fleeced by the Emperour and here horded Another Armie of Saracens ouer-running the Sea-coast of Africa led away eight hundred thousand prisoners Muamad and Caise on the other side subdued to Muaui Lydia and Cilicia and after with Seuus another Saracen Generall besieged Constantinople from Aprill to September and taking Cizicum there wintred their forces and in the spring returned to their siege which they continued seuen yeeres but by Diuine assistance and force of tempest they were chased thence And Constantine slew three hundred thousād Saracens in a battell not long after against Susia the Nephew of Muaui and compelled the Saracens to pay a great tribute Iezid raigned after the death of Muaui his father a better Poet then Souldier
strict orders they may not nourish Hennes because of their female Sexe To drinke Wine is punished in their Priests with stoning They haue many Fasts in the yeare but one especially in which the people frequent the Temples and their Sermons They haue their Canonicall houres by day and night for their holy things They hold that the World shall last eight thousand yeares whereof sixe thousand are passed and then it shall be consumed with fire at which time shall bee opened in Heauen seuen eyes of the Sunne which shall drie vp the Waters and burne vp the Earth In the ashes shall remaine two Egges whence shall come foorth one Man and one Woman which shall renew the World But there shall be no more Salt but fresh Riuers and Lakes which shall cause the Earth without mans labour to abound in plenty of good things The Siamites are the sinke of the Easterne Superstitions which they deriue to many Nations Gasper de Cruz testifieth that the Bramenes in Siam are Witches and are the Kings principall seruants They worship one god called Probar Missur which say they made Heauen and Earth and another called Pralocussur who obtained of a third named Praissur that power vnto Probar Missur Another called Praput Prasur Metrie Hee thinketh the third part of the Land to be Priests or Religious persons These Religious are proud the inferiour worshipping their superiours as gods with prayer and prostrating They are reuerenced much of the people none daring to contradict them so that when our Frier Gasper preached if one of those Religious came and said This is good but ours is better all his Auditors would forsake him They number in their opinion seuen and twentie Heauens holding that some of them are like Mahomets Paradise fraught with faire women with meates also and drinkes and that all liuing things which haue soules goe thither euen Fleas and Lice And these lousie heauens are allotted to all secular persons which enter not into their rule and habit of Religion They haue higher heauens for their Priests which liue in wildernesses ascribing onely this felicitie to them there to sit and refresh themselues with winde And according to the higher merits they assigne other higher heauens among their gods which haue round bodies like bowles and so haue these that goe thither They hold also that there are thirteene Hells according to the differing demerits of mens sinnes Of their Religious men some are supreme and sit aboue the King called Massauchaches a second Order they entitle Nascendeches which sit with the King and are as Bishops a third and lower ranke sit beneath the King named Mitires which are as Priests and haue the Chapuzes and Sazes two inferior degrees vnder them all reuerenced according to their place Except the Priests and Religious all are slaues to the King and when they die their whole state deuolueth to him how hardly soeuer the wife and children shift which was caused through a rebellion against the brother of the King which then reigned when the Frier writ this In the yeere 1606. Balthasar Sequerius a Iesuite landing at Tanassary passed from thence partly by goodly Riuers partly ouer cragged and rough Hills and Forrests stored with Rhinocerots Elephants and Tigres one of which tare in pieces one of their company before his eyes vnto Odia Conferring with the Talipoies or Religious men he learned their conceits That there was now no God in the world to gouerne it Three had beene before now dead and a Fourth is expected which deferreth his comming In the meane while lest this huge Frame should want a Ruler it is ordered by a certaine Bubble or Brooch which some of the Former Gods had left The vulgar people heare these bubbles bables and fables with great reuerence and silence holding vp their ioyned hands They obserue their Festiualls according to the course of the Moone and then open their Temples whither the people resort to doe their deuotions These are built strong and stately with Art and Beautie hauing their Porches Cloisters Quires and lower Iles great Chappels being annexed on both sides and large Church-yards In one of these hee saw a Statue of eighteene Cubites length dedicated to the great God They are of marueilous abstinence and thinke it a great sinne to taste wine In their Quires they haue singing men which after the Europaean fashion sing there especially in the shutting in of the Euening and about midnight Very early in the morning warning is giuen for them to goe to beg from doore to doore They haue their funerall Holies and Obits for the dead The carkasses are burned being put into painted Coffins with great solemnitie if they be great men with Musicke and dances and great store of victuals to be bestowed on the Talipoys Thus farre Sequerius The Inhabitants of this Kingdome are much giuen to pleasure and ryot they refuse the vse of Manuall Arts but addict themselues to Husbandry They haue publike Schooles where they teach Lawes and Religion in the vulgar Language other Sciences they learne in a more learned Tongue They worship innumerable Idols but especially the foure Elements according to which his Sect each man maketh choise of his buriall They which worshipped the Earth are therein buried the Fire burneth the dead carkasses of them which obserued it in the Ayre are hanged to feast the airy-winged people with their flesh those which adored the Ayre being aliue The Water drowneth those which had aliue beene drowned in that Waterie Religion Euery King at his first entrance to the Crowne erecteth a Temple which hee adorneth with high Steeples and innumerable Idols In the Citie of Socotay is one of mettell fourescore spans high The Kingdome of Siam comprehendeth that Aurea Regio of Ptolemey by Arrianus in his Periplus the Map whereof Ortelius set forth 1597. called Aurea Continens nigh to which is placed that Aurea Chersonesus then it seemeth by a necke of land ioyned to the Continent since supposed to be by force of the Sea separated from the same and to bee the same which is now called Sumatra which Tremellius and Iunius iudge to bee Salomons Ophir The Land trendeth long and narrow and containeth fiue hundred leagues of Sea-coast compassing from Champa to Tauay But of this space the Arabians or Moores haue vsurped two hundred with the Townes of Patane Pahan Ior and Malacca now in possession of the Portugals and the Kingdomes of Aua Chencran Caipumo and Brema haue shared also therein Odia is the chiefe Citie thereof containing foure hundred thousand housholds and serueth the King with fiftie thousand Souldiers and to the Riuer Caipumo on which it standeth belong two hundred thousand vessels This King hath nine Kingdomes subiect to him and thirtie thousand Elephants whereof three thousand are trained to the warres His Nobles hold their Lands in a kinde of Knights-seruice like the Turkish Timars yet onely for terme of life without the Kings pay serue him whensoeuer
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
put the rest to the Sword and hanged vp the Queene as they did also to Hiquanama the Queene of Hiquey Of all which cruelties our Author an eye-witnesse affirmeth that the Indians gaue no cause by any crime that had so deserued by any Law And for the rest that remayned after these Warres they shared them as slaues They which should haue instructed them in the Catholike Faith were ignorant cruell and couetous The men were spent in the Mines the women consumed in tillage and both by heauie burthens which they made them carry by famine by scourging and other miseries And thus they did in all other parts wheresoeuer they came In the Iles of Saint Iohn and Iamayca were sixe hundred thousand Inhabitants whereof then when the Authour wrote this there were scarcely left two hundred in eyther Iland Cuba extendeth furthest in length of any of these Ilands Here was a Cacique named Hathuey which called his Subiects about him and shewing them a Boxe of Gold said That was the Spaniards God and made them dance about it very solemnely and lest the Spaniards should haue it hee hurled it into the Riuer Being taken and condemned to the fire when he was bound to the stake a Frier came and preached Heauen to him and the terrors of Hell Hathuey asked if any Spaniards were in Heauen The Frier answered Yea such as were good Hathuey replyed hee would rather goe to Hell then goe where any of that cruell Nation were I was once present sayth Casas when the Inhabitants of one Towne brought vs forth victuall and met vs with great kindnesse and the Spaniards without any cause slue three thousand of them of euery Age and Sexe I by their counsell sent to other Townes to meet vs with promise of good dealing and two and twenty Caciques met vs which the Captaine against all faith caused to be burned This made the desperate Indians hang themselues which two hundred did by the occasion of one mans cruelty and one other Spaniard seeing them take this course made as though he would hang himselfe too and persecute them in the Regions of death which feare detayned some from that selfe-execution Sixe thousand children dyed sayth our former Author in three or foure moneths space while I was there for the want of their Parents which were sent to the Mynes they hunted out the rest in the Mountaynes and desolated the Iland Neyther did the other Ilands speed better The Lucaiae they brought to an vtter desolation and shipping multitudes of men for the Mynes in Hispaniola wanting food for them the third part commonly perished in the way so that an vnskilfull Pilot might haue learned this way by Sea by those floting markes of Indian carkasses This Spanish pestilence spred further to the Continent where they spoyled the shoares and the Inland Countries of people From Dariena to Nicaragua they slue foure hundred thousand people with Dogs Swords Fire and diuers tortures Their course of Preaching was to send vnder paine of confiscation of lands libertie wife life and all to acknowledge God and the Spanish King of whom they had neuer heard Yea they would steale to some place halfe a mile off the Citie by night and there publish the Kings Decree in this sort being alone by themselues Yee Caciques and Indians of this place or that place which they named Bee it knowne to you that there is one God one Pope and one King of Castile who is Lord of these lands Come quickly and doe your homage And then in the night while they were asleepe fired their houses and slue and tooke Captiues at their pleasure and after fell to search for Gold The first Bishop that came into these parts sent his men to be partakers of the spoyle A Cacique gaue the Spanish Gouernour the weight in Gold of nine thousand Crownes he in thankfulnes to extort more bound him to a post and put fire to his feet and forced him to send home for a further addition of 3000. They not satisfied persisted in their tormenting him till the marrow came forth at the soles of his feet whereof he dyed When any of the Indians employed by the Spaniards fayled vnder their heauy burthens or fainted for want of necessaries lest they should lose time in opening the Chaine wherein he was tyed they would cut off his head and so let the bodie fall out The Spaniard robbed the Nicaraguans of their Corne so that thirty thousand dyed of Famine and a Mother ate her owne childe fiue hundred thousand were carried away into bondage besides fiftie or sixtie thousand slaine in their Warres and now sayth Casas remayne foure or fiue thousand of one of the most populous Regions of the World Heere did Vaschus giue at one time foure Kings to be deuoured of Dogs In New Spaine from the yeere 1518. to 1530. in foure hundred and eighty miles about Mexico they destroyed aboue foure Millions of people in their Conquests by fire and sword not reckoning those which dyed in seruitude and oppression In the Prouince of Naco and Honduras from the yeere 1524. to 1535. two Millions of men perished and scarcely two thousand remayne In Guatimala from the yeere 1524. to 1540. they destroyed aboue foure or fiue Millions vnder that Aluarado who dying by the fall off his Horse as is before said complained when hee was asked where his paine was most of his Soule-torment and his Citie Guatimala was with a three-fold deluge of Earth of Water of Stones oppressed and ouer-whelmed He forced the Indians to follow him in his Expeditions in Armies of tenne or twentie thousand not allowing them other sustenance then the flesh of their slaine Enemies mayntayning in his Army Shambles of mans flesh In Panuco and Xalisco their state was much like one made eight thousand Indians wall about his Garden and let them all perish with Famine In Machuacan they tortured the King that came forth to meet them that they might extort Gold from him They put his feet in the Stockes and put fire thereto binding his hands to a Post behinde him and a Boy stood by basting his roasted feete with Oyle another with a Crosse-bow bent to his breast and on the other hand another with Dogges of these tortures he dyed They forced the Indians to deliuer their Idols hoping they had beene of Gold but their Golden hope failing they forced them againe to redeeme them Yea where the Fryers had in one place made the Indians to cast away their Images the Spaniards brought them some from other places to fell them In the Prouince of Saint Martha they had desolated foure hundred and fiftie miles of Land The Bishop wrote to the King that the people called the Spaniards Deuils or Yares for their Diabolicall practices and thought the Law God and King of the Christians had beene authors of this crueltie The like they did in the Kingdome of Venezuela destroying foure or fiue Millions and out of that firme Land carried
Angels in grace that we may be like vnto them in glory than prie too curiously into their Nature to our vnderstandings in manner supernaturall and endeauour more in heeding the way which leadeth to that Heauen of the Blessed than busie our wits too busily in describing or describing it Onely thus much wee may obserue thereof that it is beyond all reach of our obseruation in regard of substance not subiect to corruption alteration passion motion in quantitie many dwelling places most spacious and ample in quality a Paradise faire shining delightsome wherein no euill can be present or imminent no good thing absent a meere transcendent which eye hath not seene nor eare heard nor the heart of man can conceiue Where the Tabernacle of GOD shall be with men and he dwell with them and shall be all in all vnto them where the pure in heart shall see him and euen our bodily eyes shall behold that most glorious of creatures the Sunne of righteousnesse and Sonne of GOD Christ Iesus Embracing these things with Hope let vs returne to Moses his description of the sensible World who sheweth that that Heauen and Earth which now wee see were in the beginning or first degree of their being an Earth without forme and void a darkned depth and waters a matter of no matter and a forme without forme a rude and indigested Chaos or confusion of matters rather to be beleeued than comprehended of vs This is the second naturall beginning For after the expressing of the matter followeth that which Philosophers call a second natural Principle Priuation the want of that forme of which this matter was capable which is accidentally a naturall principle required in regard of generation not of constitution heere described by that part next vs Earth which was without forme as is said and void This was the internall constitution the externall was darknesse vpon the face of the deepe Which Deepe compriseth both the Earth before mentioned and the visible Heauens also called a Depth as to our capacitie infinite and pliant to the Almightie hand of the Creator called also Waters not because 〈◊〉 was perfect waters which was yet confused but because of a certaine resemblance 〈◊〉 only in the vniformity thereof but also of that want of stability whereby it could not abide together but as the Spirit of GOD moued vpon these waters to sustaine them and as the Hen sitteth on her egges to cherish and quicken as Hierome interpreteth the word so to maintaine and by his mightie power to bring the same into this naturall order Heere therefore is the third beginning or Principle in Nature That forme which the Spirit of God the third person in Trinitie not ayre or wind as some conceiue being things which yet were not themselues formed by that action framed it vnto and after more particularly effected This interpretation of the Spirit mouing vpon the Waters agreeth with that opinion which some attribute to the Stoikes That all things are procreated and gouerned by one Spirit Which Democritus called the soule of the world Hermes and Zoroaster and Apollo Delphicus call Fire the maker quickner and preseruer of all things and Virgill most elegantly and diuinely singeth seeming to paraphrase on Moses words Principio Coelum ac Terras camposque liquentes Lucentemque globum Lunae Titaniaque astra Spiritus intus alit totamque infusa per artus Meâ—s agitan molem magno se corpore miscet That is Heauen first and Earth and Watrie plaines Bright Moone of Starres those twinckling traines The Spirit inly cherisheth Loues moues great body nourisheth Through all infus'd this All containes The first creature which receiued naturall forme was the light of which GOD said Let there be light a lightsome and delightsome subiect of our Discourse especially hauing lately passed such a confused and darke Chaos But here I know not how that which then lightned the deformed matter of the vnformed World hath hidden it selfe some interpreting this of the Sunne which they will haue then created some of an immateriall qualitie after receiued into the Sunne and Starres some of a cloud formed of the waters circularly moued and successiuely lightning either Hemisphere of which afterwards the Sunne was compact from which they differ not much which thinke it the matter of the Sunne then more diffused and imperfect as the waters also were earthie and the Earth fluible till GOD by a second worke perfected and parted them And to let passe them which apply it to Angels or men others vnderstand it of the fiery Element the essentiall property of which is to enlighten Yet are we not here passed all difficulties whiles some perhaps not vniustly would perswade the world that Fire as it is ordinarily in schooles vnderstood of a sublunary element is with worse then Promethean theft stolne out of Heauen where it is visible imprisoned in this their Elementarie World whereas Anaxagoras Thales Anaximenes Empedocles Heraclitus Plato Parmenides Orpheus Hermes Zoroaster Philo and others the fathers of the Chaldean Aegyptian Iewish and Graecian Learning account the Heauens and heauenly bodies to be Ethereall fire to which our sense also will easily subscribe And Patricius affirmeth that Ocellus Lucanus one of Pythagoras his Schollers was first Author of that former opinion from whom Aristotle borrowed it if it bee not stealth rather whiles hee concealeth his name Diuers late Philosophers also seeme to haue conspired to burne vp that fiery Element or rather to aduance it aboue this sublunary Region into the Aethereal Throne Let the Philosophers determine this when they doe other doubts in meane while let vs if you please vnderstand this Light of the Fire whether Aethereall or Elementarie or both or neither as in diuers respects it may bee For neither was this Light then as it seemeth locally separated from that confused masse and by expansion which was the second dayes Worke eleuated into her naturall place and after that it possessed the Sunne Moone and Starres saith our sense which thence receiueth Light and there in the Aethereall Region seeth new Starres and superlunarie Comets compact of Aetherall substance as the most diligent Obseruers haue recorded both procreated and perishing so that that which before was neither Aethereall nor Elementarie whiles there was neither Aether nor Element perfected after became Aethereall-Elementarie as beeing happily the matter of the Sunne and Starres of old and of these later appearances and also filling the Aethereall World in the higher and lower Regions thereof both aboue and beneath the Moone with the Light here mentioned and that vigorous heat which as an affect or an effect thereof procreateth recreateth and conserueth the creatures of this inferiour World No maruell if the Philosophers are still dazeled and darkened in this light not yet agreeing whether it bee a substance or qualitie corporeall or incorporeall when the
pretended difformititie by Hils Dales Waters compared with the Diameter of this Globe is not so much as the inequalicie in an Apple or a carued Bowle or quilted Ball which yet we call round And this diuersitie serueth not onely for ornament but for more largenesse of Habitation varietie of Ayre and Earth and for pleasure and profit Thus doth this Globe swell out to our vse for which it enlargeth it selfe and seemeth large to vs being in respect of the Vniuerse lesse then little How much thereof is couered with waters How much not at all discouered How much desart desolate And now many millions are they which share the rest of this little among them And yet how many thousands glorie of the greatnesse of their possessions All this Globe is demonstrable to be but a point and in comparison nothing to that wide wide Canopie of Heauen a mans possession but a point and as nothing to the Earth a man of possessions but a point and in a manner nothing to his possessions and as Socrates said sometimes to Alcibiades few can shew their Lands in an vniuersall Map where a whole Region occupieth a small roome and yet how couetous how proud is dust and ashes of dust and earth not withstanding the little we haue while we liue and that lesse which shall haue and possesse vs in a Prison of three Cubits being dead Well did one compare this our grosser and drossier World to an Ant-hill and men the Inhabitants to so many Pismires in the varietie of their diuersified studies toyling and turmoyling themselues therein Scipio seemed ashamed of the Romane Empire as seeming but a point of the Earth which it selfe was but a point And yet how readie are many to sell Heauen for Earth That largenesse and continuance beyond all names of time and place for this momentany possession of almost nothing although they haue Hell and Deuill and all in the bargaine Let this morall obseruation entertaine our Reader perhaps tyred in these rigid Disputes and now let vs returne to the naturall disposition and constitution of this Globe in which the Earth was couered with varietie of Plants and Fruits which had beene before couered with slimy waters God commanded and the Waters which yet oppressed and by their effusion and confusion did tyrannize rather then orderly subdue and gouerne this inferiour myrie masse were partly receiued into competent channels and there also gathered on swelling heapes where though they menace a returne of the old Chaos both by their noyse and waues yet hath GOD stablished his Commandement vpon it and set barres and doores and said Hitherto shalt thou come and no further and here shall it stay thy proud waues Otherwise The Deepes which then couered it as a Garment would now stand aboue the Mountaines At his rebuke they flee who with fetters of sand to shew his power in weaknesse with a Miracle in Nature chaineth vp this inraged Tyrant that the Creatures might haue a meet place of Habitation Thus did not only the dry Land appeare but by the same hand was enriched with Herbes and Trees enabled in their mortall condition to remayne immortall in their kinde And here beginneth Moses to declare the Creation of compound bodies hitherto busied in the Elements THE FOVRTH DAYES WORKE NOw when ehe Lord had made both Plants Trees and Light without the influence yea before the being of the Sunne Moone or Starres he now framed those fiery Balls and glorious Lights whereby the Heauens are beautified the Ayre enlightned the Seas ruled and the Earth made fruitfull Thus he did the fourth day after those other things created lest some foolish Naturalist should binde his mightie hand in Natures bands seeing these Lights now become the chiefe Officers in Natures Court That shining before dispersed was vnited in these bodies whether by refraction of those former beames by these solid Globes or by gathering that fiery substance into them or by both or by other meanes I leaue to others coniectures Many are the Dreames of Philosophers some esteeming them Fire some Earth others Clouds and others Stones fired Heraclides and the Pythagoreans deemed each starre a World They are commonly holden Round simple lucide bodies the most compact and condensate parts of their Orbs or of that Aethereall Region of and in which they are bright flames not of this our fire which deuoureth and consumeth for the whole Ocean would not serue the Sunne alone for a Draught nor the Earth with all her store for a Breake-fast but quickning and nourishing Let vs a little consider of their Greatnesse Swiftnesse Number Influence For the first Ptolomey measured the Sunnes greatnesse 1663 8 times as much as the whole Terrestriall Globe Copernicus whom Scaliger calleth Alterum aeui nostri Ptolomeum 162. Tycho Brahe 140. The Moone is holden by Ptolomeus 39. times lesse then the Earth by Copernicus 43. by Tycho 42. Albategnius and Alfraganus haue added their opinions of the rest therefore diuiding them into sixe rankes or formes of differing magnitudes wherein as they somewhat differ from each other so much more from Tycho Brahe that Learned Dane whose costs and paines in this Science are admirable But Salomon wiser then they all had fore-told that the Heauens in height and the Earth in deepnesse and the Kings heart none can search out that is exactly and absolutely as appeareth in the differing opinions both of the Earths Circuit and Diameter and of the Altitude of the Heauens and consequently of the quantitie of the Starres which must presuppose the former They agree not in the order of the Planets nor how many Semi-diameters of the Earth the Heauen is eleuated which after Ptolomeys Hypotheses are 20000. after Tychos reckoning 14000. Hence it is that the quantitie and the swiftnesse is much more after the former then after this later opinion which doth better salue the incrediblenesse thereof then fayning a Giant-like labour as Ramus calleth it of the Earths continuall rolling The number of Starres some haue reckoned 1600. others 1022. and Tycho Brahe more The Iewes out of their Cabalists reckon 290160. Galileus his Glasse hath made them innumerable in descrying infinite numbers otherwise not visible to vs and especially the Galaxia full of them Yea God himselfe propounds it to Abraham whom Iosephus cals a great Astronomer as a thing impossible to number them It is his owne Royall Prerogatiue He counteth the number of the Starres and bringeth out their Armies by number and calleth them all by their names The end why GOD placed them in the Firmament Moses expresseth To separate the Day from the Night and to be for signes and for seasons and for dayes and for yeares and for lights in the Firmament of the Heauen to giue light vpon the Earth Their influence and effects are in Scripture mentioned neither can any iustly deny the same in the Elements
our inheritance for actuall sinnes are our owne purchase and improuement and yet bought with that stocke which our Parents left vs Our first Parents are to bee considered not as singular persons onely whereby they defiled themselues but as the roote of Mankind which had receiued Originall Righteousnesse to keepe or to lose to them and theirs as a perpetuall inheritance As in the Bodie Politike the Act of the Prince is reputed the Act of the whole the consent of a Burgesse in Parliament bindeth the whole Citie which he representeth and as in the naturall Bodie the whole bodie is lyable to the guilt of that fact which the head or hand hath committed as a root to his branches a Fountaine to his streames doth conuey the goodnesse or badnesse which it selfe hath receiued So stands it betwixt vs and Adam our naturall Prince the Burgesse of the World the Head of this humane Bodie and Generation the Root and Fountaine of our Humanitie When hee sinned hee lost to himselfe and vs that Image of GOD or that part of the Image of GOD which he had receiued for himselfe and vs not the substance nor the faculties of bodie or soule but the conformitie in that substance and faculties to the will of GOD in righteousnesse and holinesse of truth Not so much therefore are wee here to consider the ordinary course of Nature wherein the soule that sinneth it shall dye as the Ordinance of GOD who appointed the first Adam the Wel-spring of Nature which he receiued incorrupted the second of Grace that as men we all by Generation are of the first and with the first one old man in whom we all sinned of and with the second Adam we are all one new man in the Lord euen one bodie one Spirit one Seed one Christ in whom and with whom wee as members of that Head obeyed the Precepts and suffered the curse of the Law Other sinnes of Adam are not our naturall but his personall because he could be no longer a publike person then while he had somewhat to saue or lose for vs all being alreadie forfeited in this first sinne The Authour then of Originall Sinne is the Propagator of our Nature his actuall sinne is originally ours the Guilt being deriued by imputation the Corruption by naturall generation First that Person corrupted Nature after Nature infected our Persons The matter of this Originall corruption in regard of the subiect is All and euery man and All and euery part of all and euery man subiect to all sinne that if all be not as bad as any and the best as the worst it must be ascribed to GODS restrayning or renewing not vnto vnequall degrees in this originall staine In regard of the Obiect the matter of it is the want of originall Righteousnesse and a contrary inclination to Euill The imaginations of our hearts being onely euill continually No Grapes can grow on these Thornes The forme of this corruption is the deformitie of our corrupted Nature not by infusion or imitation but by default of that first instrument by which this Nature descendeth It is the roote of actuall sinnes and whereas they as fruits are transient this still remayneth vntill Christ by his death destroyeth this death in vs But here ariseth another difficulty How this sinne can bee deriued by Generation seeing it is truely beleeued that God is Father of Spirits the For men of our Soules which doth by infusion create and by Creation infuse theme corruptible Elements beeing vnable to procreate an incorruptible substance or generation to produce in corruption Neither standeth it with reason that he which communicateth not the substance should communicate the accidents or with Iustice that an innocent Soule should necessarily be stayned by inuoluntary infusion into a polluted bodie I answere hereunto That although the Soule be not traducted as they terme it and by Generation conferred yet is it coupled to the body in that manner and order which GOD had appointed for the coniunction thereof though man had not sinned Neither was it the Soule alone in Adam or the body alone but the Person consisting of both which sinned Neither can we be partakers of Natures sinne till we be partakers of humane Nature which is not till the Soule and Body bee vnited Wee are not so much therefore to looke to the concupiscence and lust of the Parents in generation as Lumbard teacheth vs but to the Person which Scotus saith is filia Adae debitrix iustitiae originalis And although the Soule be not in the seed yet it is communicated to the Body saith Aquinas by a dispositiue preparatiue power of the Seed which disposeth and prepareth the Body to the receiuing of the Soule where it is receiued after the generall rule according to the measure and nature of that which receiueth The Father is then a perfect Father not because he begetteth the Soule but because he begetteth the Person or at least all whatsoeuer in the Person is begotten and though he doth not beget the substance thereof yet as it is such a subsistence he may be said to procreate it because his generation worketh towards the Vnion of the Soule and Body which Vnion is made by the Spirits Animall and Vitall And these Spirits are procreated by the Seed and consist of a middle nature as it were betwixt bodily and spirituall so that the production of the Soule and incorporating thereof may be counted in the middle way betweene Creation and Generation And therefore this originall corruption did not reach to Christ Iesus although hee were true Man because hee was the Seed of the Woman and did not descend of Adam by generation per seminatem rationem tanquam à principio actiuo saith Aquinas but was miraculously framed in the wombe and of the substance of the Virgin by the power of the Holy Ghost Thus haue I presumed to offer my crude and rude Meditations to the wiser World about the deriuation of Originall sinne which it selfe is the cause why we can no better see it as darkenesse hideth it selfe But the whole Citie of Mankind being here with set on fire it behoueth euery one to be more carefull to quench it then ouer-curiously to enquire how it came It is sufficient that nothing descended hereby to vs by corruption or was made ours by imputation which is not fully cured by Christ who is made vnto vs both by imputation of his actiue and passiue obedience and by reall infusion of his Spirit Wisdome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption if wee haue faith to receiue it and Charitie to expresse it an absolute renewer and perfecter of the Image of God beyond what wee had in our first Parents lost CHAP. VI. Of the Reliques of the Diuine Image after the Fall whereby naturally men addict themselues vnto some Religion and what was the Religion of the World before the Floud THis sinne of our first
also the first naming of the seuen Planets The Science of Astronomie they say was much furthered by Enoch who saith Eupolemon was by the Greekes called Atlas to whom they attributed the inuention thereof Plinie was of opinion that Letters were eternall Howsoeuer it is more then apparant that the Booke bearing Enochs name is very fabulous which because the Tales therein professe antiquity although they were later dreames I thought it not vnfit to borrow out of Scaliger somewhat of that which he hath inserted in his Notes vpon Eusebius the Greeke Copie being as the Phrase testifieth translated out of Hebrew which had beene the worke of some Iew the Antiquity appeareth in that Tertullian citeth it The words are these And it came to passe when the sonnes of men were multiplyed there were borne to them faire Daughters and the Watch-men so he calleth the Angels out of Dan. 4. lusted and went astray after them and they said one to another Let vs choose vs Wiues of the Daughters of men of the Earth And Semixas their Prince said vnto them I feare me you will not doe this thing and I alone shall be debter of a great sinne And they all answered him and said We will all sweare with an Oath and will Anathematise or Curse our selues not to alter this our minde till we haue fulfilled it and they all sware together These came downe in the dayes of Iared to the top of the Hill Hermon And they called the Hill Hermon because they sware and Anathematised on it These were the names of their Rulers Semixas Atarcuph Arachiel Chababiel Orammante Ramiel Sapsich Zakiel Balkiel Azalzel Pharmaros Samiel c. These tooke them Wiues and three Generation were borne vnto them the first were great Gyants the Gyants begat the Naphelim to whom were borne Eliud and they taught them and their Wiues Sorceries and Inchantments Ezael taught first to make Swords and Weapons for Warre and how to worke in Metals He taught to make Womens Ornaments and how to looke faire and iewelling And they beguiled the Saints and much sinne was committed on the Earth Other of them taught the vertues of Roots Astrologie Diuinations c. After these things the Gyants beganne to eate the flesh of men and men were diminished and the remnant cryed to Heauen because of their wickednesse that they might come in remembrance before him And the foure great Archangels Michael Gabriel Raphael and Vriel hearing it looked downe on the Earth from the holy places of Heauen and beholding much bloud-shed on the Earth and all vngodlinesse and transgression committed therein said one to another That the Spirits and Soules of men complaine saying That yee should present our Prayer to the Highest and our destruction And the foure Archangels entring said to the Lord Thou art GOD of GODS and Lord of Lords c. Thou seest what Ezael hath done hee hath taught Mysteries and reuealed to the World the things in Heauen c. Then the Highest said The Holy one The Great one spake and sent Vriel to the sonne of Lamech saying Goe to Noe tell him of the end approching and a floud shall destroy the Earth c. To Raphael hee said Goe Raphael and binde Ezael hand and foot and cast him into darkenesse and open the Wildernesse in the Desart of Dodoel and there cast him and lay vpon him sharpe stones to the Day of Iudgement c. And to Gabriel he said Goe Gabriel to the Gyants and destroy the sonnes of the Watch-men from the sonnes of men set them one against another in warre and destruction To Michael he said Goe Michael binde Semixa and the others with him that haue mixed themselues with the daughters of men vntill seuentie Generations to the hils of the Earth vntill the day of their iudgement till the iudgement of the World bee finished and then they shall bee brought into the confusion of fire and vnto tryall and vnto the Prison of the ending of the World and whosoeuer shall be condemned and destroyed from hence-forth shall be cast together with them till the finishing of their Generation c. And the Gyants which were begotten of the Spirits and flesh they shall call them euill Spirits on the Earth because their dwelling is on the Earth The Spirits that depart out of their bodies shall bee euill Spirits because they were engendred of the Watch-men and men But it were tedious to recite further The antiquity of it and because it is not so common and especially because some of the Ancients and of the Papists haue beene misse-led by these Dreames refused iustly by Ierome and Augustine interpreting the sonnes of GOD in Moses to be spoken of Angels as their Translation did read it haue moued me to insert those Tales Notable is the diligence of the Purgatorie Scauengers who in Viues notes vpon Aug. de Ciuit. Dei Lib. 15. cap. 23. haue in their Index Expurgatorius set the Seale of their Office vpon a testimonie alleaged out of Eusebius de Praep. Euang. Lib. 5. cap. 4. as if they had beene Viues his owne words to be left out in the Impression The words because they sauour of the former errour haue Theere placed Non ergo Deos neque bonos damonas Gentiles sed perniciosos solummodo venerantur Quam rem magis Plutarchus confirmat dicens fabulosas de dijs rationes res quasdam significare à daemonibus antiquissimis gestas temporibus ea quae de gigantibus ac de Titanibus decantantur daemonum fuisse operationes Vnde mihi suspicio saith Eusebius but Viues is fined for it nonnunquam incidit ne ista illa sint quae ante diluuium a gigantibus facta diuina Scriptura tetigit de quibus dicitur Cùm autem vidissent Angeli Dei filias hominum quia essent speciosae elegerunt sibi ex illis vxores ex quibus procreati sunt famosissimi gigantes à saeculo Suspicabitur enim fortasse quispiam illos illorum spiritus esse qui ab hominibus postea dij putati sunt pugnasque illorum tumultus bella esse quae fabulosè de dijs conscribebantur Lactantius saith that when the World was multiplyed GOD sent Angels to keepe men from fraudes of the Deuill to whom he forbade all earth contagion These were by the Deuill insnared with women therefore depriued of Heauen and their Progeny of a middle nature betwixt Men and Angels became vncleane Spirits so that hence grew two kindes of Daemones or Deuillish Spirits the one heauenly the other earthly which would now seeme to be keepers and are destroyers of men The Angels are sometimes called the sonnes of God but that name is communicated to men who by nature children of wrath by faith in the naturall and onely begotten Sonne of GOD haue this prerogatiue to bee the sonnes of GOD and fellow-heires with CHRIST But some of the children of the Kingdome shall bee cast out because they
drunke largely thereof the liquid pitch floateth on the top of the water like clouted Creame to vse his owne phrase The Countrie of Babylonia hath beene the most fruitfull in the world yeelding ordinarily two hundred and in some places three hundred increase the blades of the Wheat and Barley about foure fingers broad Plinie somewhat otherwise They cut saith he or mow their corne twice and seed it a third time in Babylonia otherwise it would be nothing but blade and yet so their barrener laud yeeldeth fiftie their best an hundred increase Tygris and Euphrates ouerflow it but bring not fatnesse to the soyle as Nilus in Egypt but rather cleanse that superfluous fatnesse which naturally it hath The soyle is of a rosennie clay sayth master Allen and would still retaine in likelyhood his ancient fertility if it were watered with like diligent husbandrie In digging it yeeldeth corrupt waters fauouring of that pitchie slime In the Citie anciently it seemeth that in euery Garden of any Citizen of sort were rils made out of the Riuer The ruines from the Tower aforesaid to Bagdat which some call Babylon and beyond on the other side of the Riuer containe twentie two miles yet to be seene which happily are the ruines not of old Babylon so much as of the Neighbour townes here built Seleucia Vologesocerta and Ctesiphon which I rather thinke because they reach beyond Tygris as well as on this side To returne to the religious places in Babylon Caelius Rhodiginas tels that in the Temple of Apollo was found a golden chest of great antiquitie which being broken by some accident thence issued a pestilent vapour that infected not those alone which were present but the neighbouring Nations as farre as Parthia Ammianus Marcellinus hath the like Historie of the Image of Apollo Chomeus at Seleucia which was brought to Rome and there placed by the Priests in the Temple of Apollo Palatinus and when as a certaine hole which the Chaldaean Wise-men had by Art stopped through the couetousnesse of certaine Souldiers breaking in thither for spoyle was broken vp the world was thence poysoned with a contagion from Persia as farre as France Philostratus reporteth but who will beleeue his reports of Apollonius that he saw at Babylon such stately Palaces as scarce agree with the state of Babylon in the time of Apollonius which was while Domician raigned amongst other things hee saw Galleries full of Greeke Images as of Orpheus Andromeda c. He came also into a Gallerie the roofe whereof was made bowing like the heauens and couered with Saphire so to resemble Heauen and the Images of their gods made of gold were there son From the roofe there hanged foure birds of gold representing the goddesse of Reuenge which they called the tongues of the gods I know not by what art or mysterie admonishing the King not to exalt himselfe CHAP. XII Of the Priests Sacrifices religious Rites and customes of the Babylonians THe Chaldeans saith Diodorus were of reputation in Babylon as the Priests in Egypt Chaldaean being a name sometime applyed to the whole Nation sometime appropriated to the Priests who spent their whole time in religious Seruices and in Astrologie Many of them by diuination foretold things to come as wee haue shewed before in the Historie of Alexander and the booke of Daniel witnesseth this their profession By their auguries or diuination by birds by sacrifices and enchantments they were accounted to doe good or harme to mankind They were most expert in their sacred Rites in the knowledge whereof they were brought vp from their child-hood and continued in that course of learning all their liues the child being instructed in his Fathers science They professed the interpretation of dreames and prodigious accidents in Nature Their opinions were That the world is eternall without beginning and end the order and furniture of all was done by diuine prouidence all heauenly things were perfected not by chance of their owne accord but by the determinate and firme decree of the gods By long obseruation searching the course and nature of the starres they foretold things to come But the greatest power they attributed to the fiue Planets and especially to Saturne They call them Mercuries because when others are fixed these haue their proper motion and shew future things as the Interpreters of the gods by their rising setting and colour Vnder their course they giue the title of gods to thirty other starres the one halfe aboue the other vnder the earth beholding all accidents And in tenne dayes one of the higher is sent to the lower as an Angell or Messenger of the Starres and one from them to the higher And this course they take eternally They hold twelue principall gods each of which hath his peculiar moneth and his signe in the Zodiake by which the Sunne and Moone and fiue Planets haue their motion These Planets they esteeme to conferre much good or euill in the generation of men and by their nature and aspect things to come may be foreknown Many things they foretold to Alexander Nicanor Antigonus Seleucus and to priuate men beyond the reach of men They number foure and twenty constellations without the Zodiake twelue towards the North and as many towards the South These Northernly are seene which they attribute to the liuing those Southernly are hidden and present they thinke to the dead which they hold the Iudges of all Concerning the site motion and Eclipse of the Moone they hold as the Greekes but of the Sunnes Eclipse they haue diuers opinions and dares not vtter their opinion thereof nor foretell the time The earth they conceiued to bee hollow like a boate R. Moses Ben Maimon out of a booke intituled de Aagricultura Aegyptiorum attributeth like things vnto them that they beleeued the Starres were gods and that the Sunne was the chiefe God and next to him the Moone that the Sunne ruleth the superiour and inferiour world And concerning Abraham that he was borne in a land which worshipped the fire which when he reproued and his Countrimen obiected the operations of the Sunne hee answered that the Sun was as the Axe in the hand of the Carpenter But at last the King cast Abraham into prison and when as there hee still continued the same disputes and opinions the King fearing hurt to his people banished him into the vtmost bounds of Chanaan hauing first spoyled him of all his good This contradicteth the Historie of Moses and of the old and new Testament which commend Abrahams faith in voluntary forsaking of his country at the commaund of GOD and not by compulsion of man although it reacheth not to the former absurbitie which ascribeth this to the time of Nimrod And whether Abraham was an Idolater before that his calling is handled else where But to returne to our Rabbine highly admired by a most admired Author he saith that hence Abraham grew renowmed through the
Capitolinus writeth that Verus a voluptuous Emperour spent foure Summers here and wintered in Laodicea and Antioch Seuerus more truly answering his name did to death certaine Tribunes by whose negligence the Souldiers here were suffered to riot The Oracles added renowne to the place which were deliuered out of these Daphnaean waters by a certaine wind or breath Adrian the Emperour is reported to haue hence receiued the facultie of Diuining by dipping a Cypresse leafe in the Fountaine Iulian resorted hither often for that purpose But his elder brother Gallus whom Constantius had called to be Caesar and after sayth Ammianus for his outrages executed had in the time of his abode at Antioch remoued the bones of Babylas their Bishop and other holy Martyrs his companions in suffering to this place where also he built a Church Now when as Iulian in his Persian expedition had sent others to visite all the other Oracles in the Roman Empire himselfe here consulted with Apollo an Apostata Emperour with an Apostata Angell about the successe of those warres But all his sacrifices obtained no other answere then that he could not answere by the countermand of a more diuine power there liuing in those dead bones Hereupon Iulian command the Christians to remoue those ill neighbours which they did sayth Theodoret with a solemne procession singing the Psalmes and dancing with the heart of Dauid making this the burthen and foot of each verse Confounded bee all they that worship grauen Images wherewith Iulian enraged persecuted the Christians Euagrius affirmeth that hee built a Temple in honour of Babylas how truely I knew not But the true God confounded both the Idoll and Idolater shortly after calling the one to giue account of his ill employed stewardship vncertaine whether by diuine or humane hand and for the other his Temple was consumed with fire from aboue together with the Image one pillar whereof remained in Chrysostomes dayes The Pagans attributed this fire to the Christians and no maruell for what did not that fire of blind Idolatrie kindled with zeale attribute to the innocent Christians herein testifying that it came from hell and must to hell againe by that hellish Character and impression of so great fire and as great darkenesse Such is Hell and such is ignorant Zeale a fire but no light Apollo's Priest by no torments could be forced to confesse any author thereof and the officers of the Temple affirmed it was fire from heauen which certaine Countrey-people confirmed by their owne sight Iulian to satisfie his rage caused some Temples of the Christians to be burned Nicephorus telleth of the continuance of this Daphnaean groue honoured with buildings and spectacles by Mammianus and Chosroes Apollo's Image was made of wood couered ouer with gold Theodosius forbad the cutting of any of those Cypresses Orontes is a Riuer which ariseth in Coelesyria and payeth tribute to all the three brethren it visiteth Pluto's Palace running with a long tract vnder the Earth and then heauing vp his head maketh his gladsom homage to Iupiter and after his custome payed to the Antiochians in fine powreth himselfe into ahe lappe of Neptune entring the Sea neere to Seleucia It was called Typhon vntill Orontes building a bridge ouer it caused it to be called by his name They had here a tale of Typhon a huge Dragon which diuided the earth as hee went seeking to hide himselfe and perished by the stroke of a thunderbolt Thus did he indent a passage for this Riuer Not farre hence was a sacred Caue called Nymphoeum also Mount Casius and Anticasius and Heraclia and nigh thereto the Temple of Minerua In Laodicea was this goddesse honoured to whom they offered in yeerely sacrifice in old time a maid after that in stead thereof a Hart. I may here mention also that which Tacitus reporteth of the Mount Carmel as hee placeth it betwixt Iudea and Syria where they worshipped a god of that name with Ethnicke rites They had not any Temple or Statue to this god and Altar onely and Reuerence was here seene Vespasian did in this place offer sacrifice where Basilides the Priest viewing the entrals foretold him of his good successe Damascius in the life of Isidorus mentioneth a Syrian goddesse named Babia of whom infants newly borne were by the Syrians especially at Damascus called also Babia perhaps they were esteemed vnder her tutelage and our English word Babes may hence borrow the originall CHAP. XVI Of the Syrian Kings and alteration in Gouernment and Religion in those Countries SYRIA quickly grew into Peoples and Kingdomes although Time hath long since deuoured both them and their memories Of Menon the husband of Semiramis mentioned by Diodorus is spoken before Adadezer was in Dauids time King of Aram Zoba which some take for Chobal in Syria some for Sophene in Armenia and some for the Nubei whatsoeuer they were Dauid made them tributarie Anno mundi 2903. Benhadad Hazael and others the Scripture also mentioneth but certaine succession we find not recorded of these Syrian Kings till the time of Alexander which conquering all from Macedonia to India by his inexpected death left his huge Empire to bee shared among his chiefe followers Seleucus the sonne of Antiochus a Macedonian first master of the Elephants then Tribune after that Deputie of the Babylonians at last obtained the Kingdome of Asia Anno Mundi 3638 of whom Appianus thus writeth The first King of Syria after Alexander was Seleucus called Nicator because he was of very great stature and as a wild bull had in a sacrifice of Alexander broken loose hee held him with both his hands Hee built sixteene Cities called by the name Antiochia of his father Antiochus and sixe Laodicea's in memorie of his mother Laodice nine Seleucia's of his owne name three Apamea's and one Stratonicea after the names of his two wiues He prospered in his warres tooke Babylon subdued the Bactrians pierced to the Indians which had slaine Alexanders Gouernours placed amongst them after Alexanders death He slew Lysimachus and seuen Moneths after was circumuented and slaine of Ptolomei whose sister Lysimachus had married being seuentie three yeeres old To him succeeded his sonne Antiochus sur-named Soter Anno 3667. who had obtayned Stratonice his mother in law of his father moued thereunto by his sonnes violent loue and his Physicians subtile perswasion His sonne Antiochus Theos was contrarie to his name poysoned by his wife whose sonnes Seleucus Callinicus and Antiochus succeeded and after them Antiochus Magnus the sonne of Callinicus who much enlarged his Empire adding thereto Babylonia Egypt and Iudea but inuading Graecia prouoked the Romans against him with whom he compounded on base and meane conditions Hee did yet comfort himselfe for his losse among his friends saying that he was beholding to the Romans that eased him of so weightie a burthen and lessened his cares of gouernment for they had cooped him in a corner of his Kingdome
themselues and theirs to the Bishop Rothard who bestowed them with their infinite masse of treasure in his owne house which yet could not protect them from the murthering and spoyling Souldier who entring by force slew seuen hundred of them adding also the like butcherie on their wiues and children The Iewes hereat Iewishly moued pardon the want of a fitter word layd violent hands on each other and slew their owne children wiues and brethren the tender mother eschewing the souldiers cruelty by a greater in cutting the throate of her owne childe and with obdurate concision preuenting the sword of the vncircumcised Laden with these spoyles they passed by the way of Hungary where for some outrages GOD punished both those and these with the Hungarian forces Their miseries here in our Land endured are by our Authors mentioned and you shall anon heare a particular discourse thereof by it selfe Out of France they were thrice banished by three Philips although in Auinion there still remayne some of them Being expelled France they sought habitation in Germany where Conradus the Emperor admitted them into the countrey of Sueuia and thence they flowed into other parts into Bohemia in the City of Prage are about fifteene thousand of them and into Austria and into Hungaria whence for the crucifying of a child they were banished by king Mathias as at Trent for the like fact and poysoning of Welles they sustained much trouble in Germany and many passed to Venice many also went from thence into Russia where the people cannot abide to here them named and Poland where Cassimere he Great for loue of an Hebrew Lasse gaue them many priuiledges They liue dispersed in the townes and Villages occupied in handi-crafts and husbandry They haue great Synagogues in Craconia Leopolis and at Trochi a towne of Lituania and Master Barkeley a Marchant of London who hath spent many yeeres in Liuonia Polonia and other of those cold countries told me That the Iewes farme the Custome of the Kings and at Samaiden in Cur-land one of these Iewish Customers beat out the braines of a Polonish Marchant for deferring to open his packe but in regard of the peoples hatred prouision is made vnder great penalties for their securitie and yet many Iewes were there executed by occasion of a murren procured as was suspected by Iewish exorcismes intending a plague to the men and not a murren to the beasts if their working had sorted but the Iewes said it was but a pretence to depriue them of their riches They were cast out of Spaine by Ferdinand and Isabella in the yeere 1492. It is thought that there went out of Spaine a hundred and twentie thousand families of them besides Moores and out of their kingdomes of Naples and Sicill Hence they passed Anno Domini 1539. into Tuscane and the Popes Dominions whence they were banished by Paul the fourth and Pius the fifth and receiued againe by Pius the fourth and Sistus the fifth Rome and Venice hauing great store of them This is the Popes holinesse he that would not willingly endure a Protestant in the World besides the Stewes vnder his Holinesse Nose can endure the Graecians yea and these Iewes Rome it selfe hauing ten thousand or after others reckoning twentie thousand of them priuiledged with heir fiue Synagogues Liturgies and publike Sermons and to straine vp their vsurie to eighteene in the hundred hauing also in some places it may be in all a peculiar Magistrate to decide controuersies betweene Christians and them with particular direction to fauour them in their trade Dulcis odor lucri ex re qualibet The beastly trade of Curtizans and cruell trade of Iewes is suffered for gaine these paying a yeerely rent for the heads they weare besides other meanes to racke and wracke them in their purses at pleasure they being vsed as the spunge-like Friers to suck from the meanest to be squeezed of the greatest insomuch that the Pope besides their certaine tribute doth sometimes as is said impose on them a Subsidie for ten thousand crownes extraordinarie for some seruice of State So well is the rule of Paul obserued by this Bishop not to be a louer of filthy lucre from filthie Stewes from filthie Iewes Out of Spaine they went into Barbarie and diuers other countries and some into Portugall where Iohn the second made them pay eight crownes for a poll and yet limited them short time of departure Emanuel his successor did the like 1497. except they would become Christians for which he assayed diuers meanes But not preuayling he caused their children vnder the age of foure and twentie yeers to be baptized some rather hurling their children into pits some killing themselues many for feare were baptized some went into Italie and abode in Ferrara Mantua Venetia in the name of Maranes and haue a Synagogue at Pisa But the greatest part of them went into the East to Constantinople and Salonichi in which two Cities there are about an hundred and sixtie thousand of them There are of them in all the chiefe Cities of traffike in the Turkish Empire Tyberias is wholly inhabited with Iewes which Citie Zelim gaue to Gratiola a Iewish Matron In Ierusalem there are about an hundred houses of them There abide not many because of a superstitious opinion That before the Messias shall come a great fire from heauen will consume that Citie and Countrie to purge it of the abomination committed there by prophane Nations At Zante they are so hated that from Maundie Thursday vntill Saturday noone they dare not come abroad for the people in a foolish zeale would stone them and some refuse to eate of their meate or bread The Turkes in their reproach vse such a kinde of imprecation If this be not true would God I might die a Iew. The old Testament is read of them in these parts in the Hebrew but their Kakamin and Cohens that is their wise-men and Priests preach in Spanish Onely at Salonichi anciently Thessalonica in Macedonia and at Safetta in the Holy Land two Vniuersities they speake Hebrew They will rather in blasphemie testifie their hatred of Christ then any abilitie to dispute §. V. Of the Estate of the Iewes and their dispersed Habitations in the time of Beniamin Tudelensis BENIAMIN TVDELENSIS a Iew of Nauarre who hauing trauelled Spaine France Italy Greece Natolia Syria and many other Countries of Asia Africke and Europe worthily reckoned one of the greatest Trauellers that euer liued at his returne into Spaine aboue foure hundred and fortie yeeres since related what Iewish Synagogues he had seene in the world one chiefe end as it seemeth of his trauels And because it appertayneth to this matter we haue in hand and the booke translated out of Hebrew by Arias Montanus is very rare I thought meete to adde here a briefe of those things which concerne the Iewes out of the same At Barchinon they found a populous Synagogue another but smaller at Gerunda
the very middle of the world That in the Messiahs dayes Wheate shall grow without renewing by Seed as the Vine But of these and the like more then enough in this booke following L. Carretus a Conuert from the Iewes setteth downe these size as the maine differences betwixt them and vs The Trinitie the Incarnation the manner of his comming whether in humilitie or royaltie the Law ceremoniall which the Iew holdeth eternall saluation by and for our owne workes which the Christian ascribeth to Faith in Christ crucified and lastly of the time of his comming whether past or present To these he thinketh all other may be referred But let vs examine the particulars CHAP. XIIII Of the Iewish opinions of the Creation their Ceremonies about the birth of a Child Of their Circumcision Purification and Redemption of the first-borne and Education of their Children §. I. Of their Exposition of Scripture a taste in Gen. 1.1 THeir Exposition of Scripture is so absurd that wee haue hence a manifest argument that as they denyed the Sonne that Eternall Word and Truth whose written word this is so that Spirit which indited the same the Spirit of Truth hath put a vayle on their heart and iustly suffered the spirit of errour to blind their eyes that seeing they should see and not vnderstand This will appeare generally in our ensuing Discourse but for a taste let vs begin with the beginning of Moses whereon R. Iacob Baal Hatturim hath left to the world these smoakie speculations The Bible beginneth with Beth the second letter in the Alphabet and not with Aleph the first because that it is the first letter of Beracha which signifieth blessing this of Arour that is a curse Secondly Beth signifieth two insinuating the two-fold Law written and vnwritten for Bereshith hath the letters of Barashetei first hee made secondly Lawes thirdly Bereshith the first word of Genesis hath as many letters as Aleph be Tishrei that is the first of Tishrei or Tisri on which the Iewes say the world began fourthly Bereshith hath the letters of Baijth roshe that is the first Temple which he knew the Iewes would build and therefore created the world fiftly it hath the letters of Iare shabbath that is to keepe the Sabbath for God created the world for the Israelites which keepe the Sabbath sixtly also of Berith esh which signifieth the Couenant of fire to wit Circumcision and the Law another cause of the creation seuenthly likewise it hath the letters of Bara iesh that is hee created as many worlds as are in the number Iesh that is three hundred and ten that the Saints might reioyce therein Now if I should follow them from these letters and spelling to their mysticall sententious exposition of greater parts of the sentence you should heare Moses tell you out of his first words that the world was created for the Talmudists for the sixe hundred and thirteene precepts because hee loued the Israelites more then the other people Againe that hee foresaw the Israelites would receiue the Law but hee is now an Asse saith he which beareth Wine and drinketh water There are in the first verse seuen words which signifie the seuen dayes of the weeke seuenth yeere of rest seuen times seuenth the Iubilee seuentimes seuen Iubilees seuen Heauens seuen lands of Promise and seuen Orbes or Planets which caused Dauid to say I will praise thee seuen times a day There are 28. letters in it which shew the 28. times of the World of which Salomon speaketh Eccles 3.1 There are in it sixe Alephs and therefore the world shall last sixe thousand yeeres So in the second verse The earth was without forme and voyde are two Alephs which shew the world should bee two thousand yeeres voyde now in the third verse are foure Alephs which shew other foure thousand yeeres two of which should bee vnder the Law and two vnder Messias §. II. Their Dreames of Adam NOw for the first man his body saith R. Osia in the Talmud was made of the earth of Babylon his head of the land of Israel his other members of other parts of the world So R. Meir thought hee was compact of the earth gathered out of the whole earth as it is written Thine eyes did see my substance now it is elsewhere written The eyes of the Lord are ouer all the earth There are twelue houres of the day saith R. Aha in the first whereof the earth of Adam or earthly matter was gathered in the second the trunke of his body fashioned in the third his members stretched forth in the fourth his soule infused in the fift hee stood vpon his feet in the sixt hee gaue names to the Creatures in the seuenth Eue was giuen him in marriage in the eighth they ascended the bed two and descended foure in the ninth hee receiued the Precept which in the tenth he brake and therefore was iudged in the eleuenth and in the twelfth was cast out of Paradise as it is written Man continued not one night in honour The stature of Adam was from one end of the world to the other and for his transgression the Creator by laying on his hand lessened him for before faith R. Eleazar with his head he reached a reacher indeed the verie firmament His language was Syriacke or Aramitish saith R. Iuda and as Reschlakis addeth the Creator shewed him all generations and the wise-men in them His sinne after R. Iehuda was heresie R. Isaac thinketh the nourishing his fore-skin He knew or vsed carnall filthinesse with all the beasts which GOD brought vnto him before Eue was made as some interpret R. Eleazar and R. Salomon but Reuchline laboureth to purge them of that sense who affirmeth that hee had an Angell for his Master or Instructor and when he was exceedingly deiected with remorse of his sinne GOD sent the Angell Raziel to tell him that there should be one of his progenie which should haue the foure letters of Iehouah in his name and should expiate originall sinne And heere was the beginning of their Cabala and also presently hereupon did hee and Eue build an Altar and offer sacrifice The like offices of other Angels they mention to other Patriarchs and tell that euery three moneths are set new watches of these watchmen yea euery three houres yea and euery houre is some change of them And therefore wee may haue more fauour of them in one houre then another for they follow the disposition of the starres so said the Angell Samael which wrestled with him vnto Iacob Let mee goe for the day breaketh for his power was in the night But let me returne to Adam of whom they further tell that he was an Hermaphrodite a man-woman hauing both Sexes and a double bodie the Female part ioyned at the shoulders and backe parts to the Male their countenances turned from each other This is proued by Moses his words So GOD created man
of those which haue since succeeded them in habitation in sinne in iudgement And where might wee better stay or what part of the world can yeeld such varietie and multiplicitie of obiects to both the eyes of the minde Curiositie and Deuotion No where such manifold alterations and diuisions of state so diuersified a Map of Nature so multiplied rites of Religion in such differing sects of Heathens Hebrewes Mahumetans Christians No where Antiquitie shewing a grauer countenance no where the Monuments of such mercies the spectacles of such iudgements such consolations such desolations such ambition of Potentates and forraine sutors from the East the West the North the South such Miracles such Oracles such confluence of Pilgrims looking as farre opposite as Sampsons Foxes with as fierie diuisions whether in differing heresies of one or differing names of diuers Deuotions both Catholike and Hereticall Iewes Saracens and Christians concurring in visiting adorning adoring these places with Titles and Rites of Holinesse How often hath this country emtied our Westerne world with Armes and Armies to recouer it and the Easterne in like manner to retaine it How often hath it brought Armies of Angelicall spirits out of the highest Heauens to couer these Hilles with Chariots and Horses of fire round about the holy men of GOD How oft But what speake I of Men or Angels GOD himselfe loued the gates of Sion more then all the dwellings of the world and IESVS CHRIST the Angell of the Couenant true GOD and perfect MAM here was borne here liued practised died ascended and hence he sent his Apostles to bee Fathers of men that the sonnes of men might bee made the heires of GOD co-heires with himselfe After the Iewes for reiecting him were reiected out of both the heauenly and earthly Canaan this countrey was inhabited partly by Roman Colonies there planted for securitie of the countrey by the Roman Emperours partly by such Syrians as submitted themselues peaceably to the Roman Empire both that Ethnike before Constantine and after in farre more flourishing estate vnder the Christian Emperours till the daies of vn-christian Phocas This was the murtherer of Mauritius his Lord the vsurper of the Empire the exalter of the Roman See vnto the Ecclesiasticall Supremacie with as good right as himselfe had to the state a monster of mankinde vnder whom the Empire was neere an vtter ouerthrow as by the Hunnes Auares and other Nations in the West so especially by the Persians in the East whose Emperour Chosroes ouerthrew that Armie which had conspired against Mauricius and in the fourth yeere of Phocas ouer-ranne Mesopotamia and Syria in the next yeere after carried much prey and many captiues out of all Syria Palestina and Phoenicia in the seuenth yeere of his raigne possessed Armenia Galatia Paphlagonia and spoiled all as farre as Chalcedon Yet saith Cedrenus Phocas did more harme at home then the enemy in the field At the same time the Iewes made a commotion at Antioch and slew besides many other Citizens Anastasius the Patriarch in despight also putting his priuitiues in his mouth But the Iewes paid much bloud for this butcherie and Phocas also himselfe the chiefe Butcher was most mercilesly butchered presently after by Heraclius his successour They tell of a Reuelation to a certaine Holy man that GOD had made Phocas Emperour because hee could not finde a worse man by whom to punish that people which I mention that the world might see what a good Mid-wife Rome then in trauel had to helpe her babe Antichrist into the world But to returne to the Storie Heraclius could not withstand the Persian insolence but lost in his first yeere Apamea and Edessa and in the next Caesarea from whence they carried many thousands into captiuitie in the fourth Damascus was taken and in the fifth Ierusalem where by reason of the Iewish crueltie who bought all the Christians they could to slaughter them there were slaine ninetie thousand Zacharias the Patriarch together with the holy Crosse and exceeding store of captiues and spoile were carried into captiuitie The next yeere they ouercame Egypt Africa and Ethiopia Chosroes neglects all ouertures of peace made to him by Heraclius except they would deny their crucified God and worship the Sunne He also caused the Christians in his dominion to become Nestorians the cause perhaps why almost all the farre Easterne Christians to this day are or at least are called Nestorians Against him Heraclius continued a six yeeres expedition in which hee ouerranne his countries ouerthrew his Armies sacked his Cities Castles and Palaces and at last assisted his eldest sonne Siroes whom Chosroes sought to dis-herit against him who tooke him and hauing before exposed him to all contumelious insultations and almost starued him in a darke prison and slaine all his other children in his sight with abominable tyrannie shot his tyrannicall father to death So died Chosroes a successour of Sennacherib in the dominion of many the same countries subiection to the like blasphemous impietie and reward by like parricide Heraclius in the ninteenth yeere of his raigne visiteth Ierusalem restoring the captiued crosse and Patriarch by restitution of Siroes He banished thence all the Iewes prohibiting by Edict that none should come neere it by three miles §. II. Of the Saracens and Turkes in Palestina THe Saracens had done good seruice in rhese wars against the Persians which in the time of Heraclius began a new Religion and Empire vnder Mahomet the founder of both the second after whom Omar ouerthrew Theodorus the brother of Heraclius in battell and after him another Theodorus and Boanes his Generals forced the Emperour to abandon Syria carrying the holy crosse from Ierusalem to Constantinople In the 26. of Heraclius hee entred Ierusalem hypocritically and pseudoprophetically clothed in a homely garment of Camels haire and sought out the place of Salomons Temple there to erect another subduing soone after the whole Persian State and a great part of the Roman Anno Dom. 641. did Homar build his Temple at Ierusalem with incredible costs in matter and workmanship enriching the same with many and large possessions and reuenues in the Musaike worke of the inner and outward part thereof expressing in Arabike letters the Author time and charges of the building The forme whereof is thus described by William Archbishop of Tyrus The Church-yard was square about a bow-shot in length and bredth compassed with a high wall hauing on the West square two gates one on the North and another on the East on the South was the Palace On euery of these gates and on the corners were high steeples on which at certaine houres the Priests after the Saracenicall manner called them to prayers In this compasse none were suffered to dwell nor to enter but with bare and washed feet Porters being assigned to that purpose In the midst of this square was another somewhat higher whereto they ascended by staires in two places on the West
shall be extremely scorched by the heat of the Sun according to the measure of their sinnes Thus shall both parts abide till God shall pronounce his eternall sentence When that doome is pronounced the Angels shall stand diuided into squadrons all like adorned the Seraphins on one side the Cherubins on the other of the which one part shal sound Instruments of diuers sorts other shall sing hymnes and many shall stand at the gates of Paradise singing and gratulating the blessed soules which haue obserued the diuine Precepts Christians Iewes Turkes and Moores being all of equall beautie and beatitude if they haue done well But sinners shall be knowne asunder They affirme also that God will giue those soules of Paradise a large space in heauen for their euerlasting habitation goodly and shining They shall also haue Barachi Sun-beames on which they may ride and take their view round about Paradise of the precious delights therein There shall they haue pleasant fruits and if they eate one apple two shall grow in the roome and to quench their thirst they shall haue riuers cleere as Crystall sweet as Sugar by drinking of which their sight and vnderstanding shall increase in such sort that they shall see from one Pole to the other The meates which they eate shall consume by a subtile kinde of sweat Further they say they shall haue their women called Vri that is shining which shall euerie day be Virgins with which they shall continue for euer Neither shall there be any danger of olde age the men alway being as of thirtie yeeres old the women of fifteen or twentie Those three Standard-bearers shall be the principall each of them hauing a peculiar part of Paradise assigned him for his dominion Those which for their bad deeds shall be condemned to hell shall be all knowne by proper names which they shall beare in their fore-heads and they shall beare the number and greatnesse of their sinnes on their shoulders Thus shall they bee led betweene two Mountaines where Hell is situate at the mouth whereof is a most venemous Serpent and from one Mountaine to another is a Bridge thirtie miles long which is so made that they ascend on the first part the other part is plaine the last descendeth This Bridge say they is made of thin yron and sharpe they call it Serat Cuplissi that is the Bridge of Iustice Vpon this shall passe the sinners with the heauie weight of their sinnes vpon their shouldiers and they which haue not beene altogether euill shall not fall into Hell but into Purgatorie but the other shall suddenly bee plunged into the bottome of Hell where they shall burne more or lesse according to the quantitie of the fire of their sins which they haue carried out of this world and after the burning they turne to bee refreshed and presently againe to the fire In the midst of Hell they say is a tree full of fruit euerie Apple being like to the head of a Deuill which groweth greene in the midst of all those flames called Zoaccum Agacci or the tree of Bitternesse and the soules that shall eate thereof thinking to refresh themselues shall so finde them and by them and their paines in Hell they shall grow madde And the Deuils shall binde them with chaines of fire and shall dragge them vp and downe through Hell Those soules which sometime shall name God in their aide they say after many yeeres shall goe into Paradise and none shall remaine in Hell but such as despaire of their saluation and Gods mercie Thus farre Menauino To this agreeth Bellonius and addeth that in the day of Iudgement they beleeue a resurrection of the Birds and Beasts and that the Rams which they kill at their Easter shall goe into Paradise and therefore though one would serue they kill many For the Booke of Zuna saith that those Rams shall pray for their Sacrificers in the day of Iudgement It telleth that the Starres are hanged in the ayre by golden chaines to watch lest the Deuils should learne the secrets of Paradise and reueale them to Sooth-sayers Also that the Ramme which Abraham offered in stead of his sonne was a blacke one which had been nourished fortie yeeres in Paradise that Mahomet shall be turned at the end of the world into a Ramme and the Turkes into Fleas whom hee shall carrie sticking to him out of Hell into Paradise and there shake them off where they shall againe receiue the formes of Turkes That hee shall wash them with the water of that Fountaine in Paradise to purge the blacknesse which they got by the scorching of Hell from whence hee will deliuer all good Turkes CHAP. XIII Of the Religious Votaries amongst the Turkes and of their Saints Sects Miracles and Hypocriticall holinesse TO proceed vnto the differences of opinions amongst the Turks Septemcastrensis who liued verie many yeeres amongst them saith that although they consent against Christ yet doe they much dissent among themselues wresting the Alcoran to their purposes and scarcely one of a hundreth agreeing with his fellow about Mahomet and their Law And besides their differences in Ceremonies there are saith he foure sects differing in maine grounds of Religion which would not be appeased without bloud if they feared not the higher power and were not thereby kept in awe One of these sects is that of the Priests holding that none can be saued but by the Law of Mahomet The second of their religious Dermschler reputed the Successors of the Saints the friends of GOD and Mahomet who are of opinion that the Law profiteth nothing but the grace of GOD and these ground their opinions on miraculous illusions of which he reporteth one in the time of Amurath the second who examining this contention betwixt these Seculars and Regulars and being purposed to giue sentence in the behalfe of the Priests and against the religious one of these Dermschler appearing to him in a Vision others also ground Faith on Visions and deliuering him out of a great danger altered his minde for going to stoole in the night the boords gaue way and he fell in staying on a crosse Timber where this religious man in their wonted habite appeared to him and bid him now vse the helpe of his Priests for his deliuerance This after so affected the King that himselfe became a religious man till the necessitie of State-affaires compelled him to resume his gouernment Hee that listeth may compare with this Dunstans deuices for his Regulars The third he calleth Czofilar speculatiue men which Sect is founded on Tradition holding that they are saued by Merit without Law or Grace These are verie earnest in praiers neuer ceasing and meeting in the night and sitting in a circle they begin to say Layla illalach with shaking their heads till they fall downe senselesse these three sorts are manifest to the people and as it were of equall esteeme with them The fourth are called Horife that is
that he might behold the shafts or beame of Gordius his Cart and the indissoluble knot fastned thereto For great was the fame thereof amongst the next adioyning people that Gordius was one of the ancient inhabitants of Phrygia hauing a little place of ground and two yokes of Oxen the one hee vsed to the plough the other to the Waine or Cart. And while he was one day at plough an Eagle sate vpon the yoke and there continued till euening Gordius astonished at so ominous a token went to the Telmissean Sooth-sayers for to the Telmissean both men and women this diuining science seemed hereditarie and there met with a Virgin whom hee acquainted with this accident she counselled him to returne thither and to sacrifice to Iupiter the King for the augury was good Gordius entreated her company with him that she might instruct him how to sacrifice which shee granted vnto him and afterwards her selfe also in Marriage These had betwixt them Midas a proper stripling Now a sedition hapning among the Phrygians they consulted with the Oracle which answered that a Cart should bring them a King that should end that sedition And whiles they were musing on this answere Midas came riding in his Cart with his parents into the throng and was by the Phrygians forthwith acknowledged King The Car in memory thereof was hanged vp to Iupiter in the Tower or Temple of Iupiter so Curtius calleth it with thankes for that Eagle Iupiters bird sent before to fore-signifie thus much to his Father The knot fastned vnto it was of the barke of the Cornell or dog-tree wouen with such Art that a man could neither finde beginning nor end thereof Bruted it was amongst the Phrygians that hee which could vntie it should be Lord of all Asia Alexander turning it to and fro and with vaine curiositie searching how to loosen it at last with his sword chopped it in sunder lest he should otherwise leaue some scruple in the hearts of his Souldiers Thus farre Arrianus In the LESSER PHRYGIA of a Hill therein called Idaea of a Riuer Xanthe of the Kings Troas Dardania c. stood that eye of Asia and Starre of the East called Ilium or TROY Of which all that I can say will but obscure the renowne and glory which all Heathen Antiquitie haue by an vniuersall consent of Poesie and History giuen to it And what Greeke or Latine Author hath not mentioned her ruines and done exequies to her Funerall Dardanus is named her founder after whom and his succeeding sonne Ericthonius Tros ruled who erected the Temple of Pallas and reedified the Citie leauing thereto his name To him succeeded Ilus and after him his sonne Laomedon whom Neptune and Apollo helped in repayring the Citie which Hercules sacked and Priamus restored but to a greater losse by the Grecians tenne yeeres siege and one nights spoyle Dares and Dictys supposed Historians of those times besides Homer and the Greekes and Latines his followers haue more then enough related the particulars Hesione sister to Priamus was by Hercules giuen to Telamon for the first entring the walls Her did Priam demand in vaine by Antenor and Aeneas his Ambassadours Paris otherwise called Alexander one of the fiftie children of Priamus and Hecuba was sent in the same businesse and returned with Helena the wife of Menelaus a Lacedemonian Prince who consulting with the other Grecian Lords for her recouery first Diomedes and Vlysses were sent to intreat after a thousand sayle of ships to force her restitution which after a tedious warre with much losse on the one side and vtter ruine on the other was effected The league of the Greekes was made by Calchas who diuiding a Boare in two parts caused the Princes with their swords drawne and be sprinkled with blould to passe betweene swearing destruction to Priamus and the Troians The like rites of solemne couenant we read obserued by GOD himselfe and by the Iewes The Religion of Phrygia and Troy and all these Grecian parts of Asia were little if little differing from the Greeke superstitions of which in our Europe-discoueries wee are to relate Therefore adiourning a larger discourse till then wee are a little to mention heere their deuotions In Troy were the Temples of Iupiter Hercaeus at whose Altar Priam was slaine of Iupiter Fulminator of Iuno Apollo Minerua Mercury Neptune To Neptune they which sayled did sacrifice a Black Bull and Oxen whose hinder parts were burnt the inwards they tasted Rams and Hogges were sacrificed also to him To Mercury clouen tongues hurled into the fire To Venus on the Hill Ida To Scamander to the Nymphes in caues To the dead also they sacrificed Black Sheepe ouer a ditch or hole in the ground with wine water and flower thinking that the soules dranke the bloud They had whole flockes sacred to the God vntouched by men They obserued auguries thunders dreames Oracles of Apollo and other superstitions The Troian Virgins when they were to bee married bathed themselues a little before in Scamander vsing these words to the Riuer Take O Scamander my Virginitie This gaue occasion to one Cimon to defloure Callirrhoe hauing hidden himselfe in the reeds and vpon that watch-word lifted vp his Reedie-head and forced his Maiden-head which caused the ceasing of that foolish and superstitious custome But of all their superstition the most famous was their fatall Palladium a name giuen to all Images which superstition beleeued not made with his hands was said to haue fallen from heauen a Pessinus or as Apollodorus witnesseth at Ilium at the prayer of Ilus when he built it For he hauing a pyed Oxe giuen him by the King of Phrygia and warned by him to build a Citie where that Oxe should lye downe followed him to this place where he built a Citie which hee called of his owne name Ilium and desiring Iupiter to send him some signe found this Palladium the next morning before his Tent. Some say Asius a Philosopher made it by Magicall Art Apollodorus addeth that it moued vp and downe holding in the right hand a Iauelin in the left a Distaffe It was three cubits long Apollo's Oracle fore-warned that that Citie should neuer be taken in whose walls it was kept They hid it therefore in a more secret part of the Tower that it should not be publikely knowne making many other like it to deceiue all future deceiuers A woman-Priest attended the holy things in honour thereof keeping fire continually burning It was vnlawfull with common hands or eyes to touch or see it And therefore when Ilus saued it from flames the Temple being on fire he was for his blind zeale punished with blindnesse of which soone after hee recouered by diuine indulgence Vlysses stole it from them And thus perished that famous Phrygian Citie if that may be said to perish which still continueth farre farre more famous by Homers pen then Priams Scepter or Hectors valour The ruines thereof are as yet very apparant
world All the world is of fire and water and earth and ayre Hee fastned a great company of not-wandring Starres and seuen wandring creatures ioyning fire to fire the earth in the midst and the water in the receptacles of the earth and the ayre aboue them Let the immortall soule lift her eyes vpwards not downewards into this darke world which is vnstable mad heady crooked alway emcompassing a blind depth hating the light of which the vulgar is carried Seeke Paradise The soule of man will after some sort bring God into it selfe hauing nothing mortall it is wholly rauished of God It resoundeth the harmony vnder which is the mortall body extending the fiery minde to the worke of pietie I desire not sacrifices and inwards these are playes flee these things if thou wilt open the sacred Paradise of piety where vertue and wisdome and the good law are gathered together If these things are harsh what would these obscurities be in his Theologie wherein he first placeth One beginning then a paternall profunditie of three Trinities euery of which hath the Father the Power the Minde Next in order is the Intelligible Iynx and after it Synocheus Empyraeus and Aetherealis and Materialis and after these the Teletarchae after which the Fontani Patres Hecate and such a rabble of names follow that the recitall would seeme to coniure the Reader into some Magicall maze or circle They which are curious of those inextricable labyrinths may resort to Psellus Patricius and the Platonikes which ascribe these things to the Assyrians and Chaldeans as they doe to Zoroaster also Delrio and Patricius finde sixe of the Zoroasters mentioned in Authors Goropius after his wont paradoxicall none at all the first of which was inuentor of this Magike a Chaldaean supposed to liue in the time of Abraham Berosus first and after Iulianus a Magician both Chaldaeans communicated these mysteries to the Greeks and diuers of those Heretikes in the prime age of the Christian Church were not a little sowred with this Magicall leauen as appeareth by Iraeneus Epiphanius Augustine and others that write against them Basilides his Abraxas the mysticall Characters of which name make three hundred sixtie fiue the number of dayes in the yeere and of heauens after his opinion is supposed the same with Mitbra the Persian Deitie and hence to haue deriued his Magicall descent which wee may note of others if this belonged not to another labour The Magi had one chiefe among them in their Societie called by Sozomene Princeps Magorum Cicero affirmeth that none might be Kings of Persia before they had learned the discipline of the Magi neither was it any more lawfull for euery one to bee a Magus then to be a King Such was their estimation in Persia Strabo tels that they vsed carnall company with their mothers and when they are dead are cast forth vnburied to bee a prey to the Birds Heurnius maketh Zoroaster Author of incestuous copulations of all sorts and of the not-burying rite but either to burne or cast forth the carkasse yea Authors write that he himselfe desired and obtained to be consumed with fire from heauen Nothing seemed to them more vnlucky signe of former lewdnesse then that no bird or beast would prey on their dead And the souldiers which sickned in their Armies were laid forth yet breathing with bread water and a staffe to driue away the beasts and fowles which yet when their strength failed them easily deuoured both the meat and keepers If any recouered and returned home the people shunned him as a ghost nor would suffer him to follow his former trade of life till he were expiated by the Magi as it were restored again to life The Romans in pittie passing thorow some part of Persia where they found a carkasse in the field buried it but the night following in a vision a graue old man in habit of a Philosopher reproued that fact willing them to leaue the naked bodie to the dogs and birds and the mother Earth saith hee will not receiue those which haue polluted their mothers Which in the morning they found verified the earth hauing vomited vp that carkasse which there lay on the top of the graue The Magi hereby appeare to haue had intercourse with the deuill as by their predictions also of Sylla Ochus Sapores and others mentioned by Paterculus Aelianus Agathias and other Historians Thus were the Magi buried in the bowels of beasts and birds Tully saith that the other Persians were wrapped in waxe and so preserued The Ostanae and Astrampsychi are by Suidas reckoned successours of the Magi. Hierome citeth out of Eubulus three kindes of the Magi the most learned of them liued onely on meale and hearbes Pausonias reporteth that in Lydia in the Cities Hierocesarea and Hypaepo he saw Temples hauing Persian surnames and in euery of those Temples a Chappell and Altar whereon were Ashes not like in colour to the ordinary sort The Magus entring into the roome layeth drie wood on the Altar after that hee hath set his mitre on his head and then at the name of a certaine God singeth barbarous hymnes which the Greeks vnderstand not out of the booke which being done the heape is fired and the flame breakes forth Diogenes Laertius relateth that these Magi spent their time in the seruice of their Gods offering vnto them prayers and sacrifices as if none but they might bee heard they disputed of the substance and generation of the Gods whom they reckoned to bee the Fire Water and Earth They reprehended Images especially such as made a differing sexe of Male and Female among the Gods They discoursed of Iustice To burne their dead bodies they held it impious but to lye with their owne mothers or daughters they accounted lawfull They practised Diuinations and fore-tellings affirming that the Gods appeared to them that the ayre was full of formes or shapes which subtilly and as it were by euaporation infuse themselues into the eyes They forbad outward ornaments and the vse of gold Their garments were white the ground their bed Hearbs Cheese Bread their food Aristotle saith that they held two beginnings a good spirit and an euill calling the one Iupiter and Oromasdes the other Pluto and Arimanius Empedocles translated this plant into Philosophy and long after Manes a Persian heretike into Diuinitie Theopompus addeth these opinions of theirs That men should againe be restored to life and become immortall and that all things consisted by their praiers Hecataeus that the Gods were begotten Clearchus that the Gymnosophistae descended from the Magi. Thus farre Diogenes Plutarch in his Treatise de Osir Isid citeth approueth and applyeth the opinion of the Magi vnto many others which they conceiued touching their two beginnings Arimanius and Orimazes for whereas they saw such a mixture of euill in euery good which made Salomon to brand them all with the title of
vanitie they gathering that good could not bee either cause or effect of euill found out this remedy worse then the disease to hold two Authors of all things calling Orimazes a God and Arimanius the fountaine of euill a deuill the one cause of light the other of darkenesse Betwixt these two they placed Mithres as Mediator or Intercessor Zoroastres was author of this opinion To the first of these was praise and vowes offered to the later mournfull deuotions For rubbing a certaine hearbe called Omomi they call on Dis Pater Orcus then they wash it with the bloud of a slaine Wolfe and carry it into a shadowie place where they powre it out They assigne plants partly to the good partly to the bad God as they doe also quicke creatures the earthly creatures to the good the watery to the bad and therfore esteem him happy that hath killed most of them Oromazes say they begotten of pure light and Arimanius the childe of darknesse warre one against another Tho first created six Gods Beneuolence Truth Politie Wisdome Riches Honest delight the later as many contrarie When Oromazes had thrice enlarged himselfe he was as farre beyond the Sunne as the Sunne is from the Earth and formed the Starres Of which one he fixed as a Gardian and Watch-man the Dogge-starre hee made other twentie foure Gods which hee closed in an Egge Arimanius did as much but his twentie foure brake their shell and so became good things and euill mingled But a fatall time shall come when Arimanius the Author of plague and famine shall perish and then shall bee one societie of all mankinde in happinesse vsing but one language Theopompus saith according to their opinion that one of these Gods shall raigne three thousand yeeres the other being discomfited and other three thousand they shall fight and labour to destroy one another at last Dis Pater shall be destroyed and men shall bee happy This opinion of the Magi the Chaldeans haue applied to their Astronomy in the seuen Planets making two good two bad three indifferent The Grecians to their Iupiter Dis Pater and Harmonia Empedocles to his Friendship and Discord Aristotle to his Forma Priuatio Pythagoras to his One and Two Plato to his Idem Alterum Manes to his deuilish heresie as before is said The Persians in this respect as some expound their mysteries called Mithra triplex as a third person and reconciler of the other two And there haue not wanted which ascribe this threefold Mithra to that threefold day as they interprete that Signe of the Sunnes going backe ten degrees in the dayes of Hezekiah which if there were houres made the day twice ten beside the ordinarie twelue houres But as in Hercules his generation a threefold night attends these mistie mysteries which I could as willingly construe of some misconstrued notice of the blessed Trinitie Dio Chrysostomus telleth of Zoroaster the Author of this science that enflamed with the loue of vertue hee forsooke the world and went apart into a mountaine And afterwards leauing that habitation he seemed to those to whom hee would shew himselfe which was onely to the Magi to shine with a fire which came downe from heauen vpon him This perhaps was borrowed and peruerted from the shining face of Moses Onely Persians saith Gramay were chosen into their number The name Magi is among Authors applied also to the Chaldeans which in Babylon professed the same Arts and superstitions the Disciples saith Lucian of Zoroastres of whose cunning in charmes you may reade in his Necromantia a pleasant discourse Mithrobarzanes a Chaldean Magus and Menippus whom hee washed twentie nine dayes in Euphrates by the Moone and in the morning sets him against the rising Sunne with long charmes after that spitting three times in his face hee brings him backe againe not once looking aside Their meate was Acornes their drinke Milke Mulse and the water of Choaspi their lodging on the wide field on the grasse After all this he brought him about midnight to Tygris where washing him hee purifieth him with a Torch and the herbe Squilla and other things c. which howsoeuer Lucian suteth to his scoffing humour yet I haue inserted as somewhat expressing their superstitions obserued in charming and diuinations CHAP. VII Of the religious and other rites of the ancient Persians §. I. Of their Gods and superstitions out of HERODOTVS LEauing these Magi let vs take a view of the Persian religious rites which Herodotus thus describeth The Persians neither erect Images nor Altars nor Temples and impute it to madnesse in such as doe therefore as I thinke because they are not of the Greekes opinion that the Gods haue risen from men Their custome is ascending vp the highest Hils to offer sacrifice to Iupiter calling the whole circle of heauen Iupiter They sacrifice to the Sunne and Moone and Earth to the Fire and Water and Winds to these onely they haue accustomed to sacrifice from the beginning They sacrifice also to Vrania which they haue learned of the Assyrians and Arabians The Assyrians call Venus Militta the Arabians Alitta the Persians Metra Their rites in sacrificing are these Being to sacrifice they neither set vp Altar nor kindle fire nor vse vestments pipes cakes or libaments but he which intendeth to sacrifice placing the sacrifice in a cleane place calleth vpon that God wearing their Tiara girded about with myrtle The sacrificer prayeth not for himselfe alone but generally for all Persians and especially for the King And after that the sacrifice is cut into small pieces he streweth vnder the sudden flesh small herbes chiefly Trisoly and setting the flesh in order thereon the Magus standing by singeth some hymnes of the generation of the Gods which they hold to be a most effectuall inchantment Without one of their Magi no sacrifice is accounted lawfull After all this the sacrificer vseth the flesh at his pleasure Of all daies euery man accounteth his owne birth-day to be most solemnly obserued and then maketh greatest cheare The richer sort then set whole Beeues Camels Horses Asses baked in an ouen or furnace on the Table the poorer smaller beasts The Persians are small eaters but in their drinking consult of the weightiest affaires Of which they deliberate fasting but pronounce sentence after they are well in drinke To vomit or make water openly is vnlawfull to them Those that are equall salute when they meete each other with a mutuall kisse which is fastened on the cheeke only if they be of vnequall degree They hold themselues the best of all men their neighbors so much better how much neerer them they dwell They are much addicted to Venerie with both sexes Next vnto Martiall valour they repute excellent the procreation of many Children the King allowing annuall presents to him who hath begotten most Children and therefore they vse many women The childe commeth not in his fathers sight till hee be fiue yeeres old
which hee might heare as hee passed and once also saw them the Eunuch purposely putting on a thinner cloth ouer his head there being of them some hundreds His wife had more accesse at Chan Channas Court whose daughter sometimes wife to the elder brother of this Mogol and liuing still a widdow had a desire to see the English-woman and Chan-Channa intreated her husband to permit it Shee was fetched in a close Chariot drawne by white Oxen attended by Eunuchs and was first brought into an open Court in midst of which was a Tanke or Well of Water where sate many women slaues to Chan-Channas daughter of diuers Nations and complexions some blacke exceeding louely and comely of person notwithstanding whose haire before did stand vp with right tufts as if it had growne vpward nor would ruffling disorder them some browne of Indian complexion others very white but pale and not ruddy many of them seemed goodly and louely all sitting in their slight but rich garments on the floore couered with carpets The Lady came forth in meaner attire whereat they all arose and did her reuerence with their faces to the ground Mistresse Steele made her three courtsies after the English fashion being also in English attire and deliuered her a Present without which there is no visitation of great persons and the Lady caused her to sit by her and after discourse entertained her with a Banket and began familiaritie with her continued and increased with often visitations and rewarded with many gifts as of womens vestments of of those parts some of which I saw the vpper garment like a smocke of thin Calico vnder which they weare a paire of breeches close aboue the neather parts very long and slender loosely ruffling about their legs of thin stuffe also the mans garment differing from the womans by the fastning on the side vnder the arme whereas the womans is fastened before both tyed with ribbands Chan Channa caused his Taylor to take view of Master Steele and without other measure hee made him a cloake of cloth of gold after the English fashion very comely which I also saw §. VI. Of the Rasboots and other people subiect to the Mogol and of their Countries Religion and Rites THus haue we delineated this huge Giantly Body of the Mogol Empire The Soule or Religion thereof is more inuisible What lurking places and labyrinths the breasts of the Kings haue had in their vnknowne curious vncertaine Faith yee haue heard and may there by guesse at the rest As the people are manifold so are their Rites some of which about Ganges and in other parts haue alreadie beene touched and some hereafter as the People and their Rites are diffused and dispersed in diuers Tracts of India we shall elsewhere mention Besides Christian Forreiners the principall Religion is Ethnike though that of the Prince be Mahumetan The Reisbuti Rasbootes or Rasbooches the ancient Inhabitants of the Countrey of Sinda are Gentiles How strong one of them is you haue heard Captaine Hawkins report His name as I haue since learned of Mr. Rogers Mr. Clarke and Mr. Withington is Ranna some of them affirming That hee is lately come in and hath sent his sonne a pledge to the Mogols Court who for this cause and his sake hath beene so long resident at Azmere But Mr. Clarke employed in these wars saith That it is not a subiection but voluntarie friendship and neighbourhood with acknowledgement of himselfe the Inferior A Rebell or Outlaw he cannot be called because hee was neuer subiect accounting the Mogoll Superior in power but not his Lord There are of these many Casts or Tribes each of which haue supreame and independent Lords Nature building them with little helpe of Art impregnable Fortresses or inaccessable Hils One of which called Dewras is said to haue very many populations able on the Hill tops to gather sufficient prouisions for themselues and the neighbour-Markets impossible without corruption to be conquered When any of these Casts or Tribes disagree the Mogoll interposeth himselfe professing to take part with the right Their Countrey lies in the direct way from Surat to Agra the wayes by Amadauar or by Brampore both much about yet frequented by Merchants for feare of them The Countrey people are rude naked from the waste vpwards with Turbants differing from the Mogol fashion Their Armes are Sword Buckler and Launce Their Buckler is great in fashion of a Bee-hiue in which they will giue their Camels drinke and Horses prouender Their Horses are good swift and strong which they ride vnshod and back at a yeere old A resolute people which the Mogoll saith knowes as well to die as any in the world They eate no Beefe nor Buffolo but haue them in superstitious respect The Rasbutche husband dying the wife is burned The manner is this The wise accompanies the dead bodie of her husband in her best array pompously attended with her friends and kindred and with Musick The fire being made she compasseth the same twice or thrice first bewayling her husbands death and then reioycing that she shall now liue with him againe and then embracing her friends sits downe on the top of the pyle taking her husbands head in her lap and bids them kindle the fire This done her friends throw Oyle and other sweet Perfumes on her shee enduring the fire with admirable patience loose and not bound I haue seene many it is M. Withingtons report the first at Surat the woman being but ten yeeres old and not yet a woman hauing not knowne her husband who was slaine in the wars and his clothes brought home Yet would she needs burne with his clothes and the Gouernour not permitting because shee was a Virgin her friends intreated and bribed him thereto shee seeming impatient of that delay and saying her husband was a great way before her with much blind ioy entring into endlesse sorrowes The kindred of the deceased husband doe not force this vnkind kindnesse but the wiues owne kindred holding it a disgrace to their family if shee refuse which she hath power to doe but few will and then shee must shaue her haire and breake her iewels and is not suffered to eate drinke sleepe or company with any bodie till her death If after purpose to burne impatient of the flame she leapes out her father and mother will bind and burne her perforce But such weaknesse seldome happens In some places they obserue it with Rites a little differing carrying the woman in great pompe on a Pageant and binding her to a stake all her kindred kneeling round about her and praying to the Sun and their other Idols Shee hath betwixt her legs and vnder each arme a bag of Gun-powder the fire made all of sweet Woods Wee shall mention other Rites in other places The Hendownes possesse the Countrey North from Asmere toward the Multans degenerate Gentiles and refusing no manner of Flesh or Fish They pray naked dresse and eat
exceed the due and iust proportion of her owne Globositie and thereby no lesse to excell the highest eleuation as wee may tearme it of the Sea then the Cliffes and Shores doe those Waters which approach them And what needs a conceit of miracle in the very ordinary constitution and conseruation of Nature though all Nature if wee regard it as a Creation by supernall power bee nothing else but miracle Some indeed dreame of I know not what proportion of the Elements wherby they would haue the Water to exceed the Earth as before is said and it is true that the vpper face and vtter superficies of the Waters for ought that is knowne to the contrary is as great as that of the Earth But if wee compare the depth of the Waters with the Diameter of the Earth we shall find that in most places the one is not so many Fathoms as the other is Miles Yea whoeuer soundeth at such depth And whereas the Diameter of the Earth is by some reckoned 8 11. Miles and by some more who euer cast Line and Lead into the Sea to measure a thousand Fathom Yea in Scaligers opinion the Earth is so much greater then the Water that if the Mountaines were cast downe into these watry receptacles and the Earth brought into a perfect roundnesse there would no place in it be left for the Water Record recordeth not so much as he yet holds the Earth almost ten thousand times as great as the Sea and all other waters And if wee receiue the Iewish Tradition mentioned by our Apocrypha Esdras this may bee more probable for hee saith that euen in the vtter face of the Globe the Waters were gathered into a seuenth part and sixe parts of the Earth kept drie Some imagine a bottomlesse depth passing quite thorow the Earth through which the Moone being in the other Hemisphere causeth the heightning of the Tides no lesse then when she is present in ours Which gaue no small helpe also in their conceit in the generall Deluge which if it be true addes a greater proportion to the Sea then wee haue obserued But because little reason and no experience can be shewed for this Assertion I will not insist in refutation But that Deluge being caused by breaking vp the Fountaines below and violent Stormes from aboue confute that opinion that the Sea should be higher then the Earth which then might haue effected the Floud without either of those former causes But why doe I drowne my innocent Reader with my selfe in these Depths of the Sea which some measure by the height of Hills others resemble those extraordinarie Land-heights to extraordinarie Whirle-Pooles but seeing the Sea is Tenant to the Earth which hath as before we haue said remoued it selfe in some sort to make way and roome for it the more ordinarie height and eleuation of the one may seeme to answere the more ordinary depth and descending of the other These bottomes of the Sea haue also their diuersified shape and forme as it were of Hillockes Mountaynes Valleyes with the Accliuities and Decliuities of Places as in the Shelues Shallowes Rockes Ilands appeareth And as the Land is not onely higher then the Sea at the shore so is it apparant that in remote places from the Sea the Land doth besides the exorbitant swellings of Mountaynes in the ordinary leuell exceed the height of Maritine regions which thence receiue those Riuers which require descent all the way of their passage which in some is one thousand in some two thousand miles And therefore is it likely also that the Sea answers in like proportion it being obserued to grow shallower neere the shoare and differently deeper in the farther recesse of the Maine §. II. Of the Saltnesse and Motions of the Sea THe saltnesse of the Sea some ascribe to the first Creation some to the sweat of the Earth roasted with the Sunne some to the saltnesse of the Earth especially in Minerals of that nature some to adust vapours parly let fall on the Sea partly raysed from it to the brinks and face thereof some to the motion of the Sea some to vnder-earth or vnder-sea fires of bituminous nature causing both this saltnesse and the motion also of the Sea and some to the working of the Sunne which draweth out the purer and finer parts leauing the grosser and baser behind as in this little world of our bodies the purest parts of our nourishment being employed in and on the body the vrine and other excrements remaining doe detaine a saltnesse I will not determine this question as neither that of the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea which some say is the breath of the world some the fires aforesaid boyling in and vnder the water some the waters in holes of the earth forced out by Spirits some the meeting of the East and West Ocean some ascribe it to the Moone naturally drawing water as the Load-stone Iron some to the variable light of the Moone a variable light they all giue vs They that send vs to God and his Decree in Nature haue said what is the true cause but not how it is by Naturall meanes effected Certaine it is that the Ocean and the Moone are companions in their motion vncertaine whether the Ocean hath a naturall power in it selfe or from the Moone so to moue which is made so much the more doubtfull by reason that they follow not the Moone in all places of the word alike Vertomanum writeth that in Cambaia the Tides are contrarie to the course they hold in these parts for they encrease not with the full but with the wane of the Moone and so the Sea-crabs doe likewise In the Iland of Socotora Don Iohn of Castro obserued many dayes and found contrary both to the Indian and our wont that when the Moone riseth it is high Sea and as the Moone ascends the Tide descends and ebbeth being dead-low water when the Moone is in the Meridian and this operation hee found continuall With vs also our highest Tides are two dayes after and not at the very Full and Change About Vaygats Stephen Borrough found it to flow by fits very vncertaine Scaliger saith that the full-Moones at Calicut cause the encrease of the water and at the mouth of Indus not farre thence in the same Sea the new-Moones But what exceeding difference of the Tides doe wee find in the Downes and other places on our owne Coasts both for time and quantitie that at once in the compasse of ones sight there should bee both floud ebbe and these differing in degrees and that on some places of our Coast it should rise one fathom in some two in the Thames three at or neere Bristoll ten and on some part of the French coast neere Saint Malos fifteene whereas our shoare ouer against it riseth but two The like differences may bee obserued betweene the Tyrrhene Sea and that on the opposite coast
euery one hath a peece of a leafe of the Bonanas Tree then is set before each a peece of Sagu bread after that a dish made of the leafe of another Tree with a little sodden Rice and Flesh-pottage which they hurle by handfuls into their mouthes deuouring rather then eating the same In the meanewhile the Gentlemen arise with their weapons and exercise themselues in Martiall games with Daunces The quarrell betwixt these Ilanders grew about the cutting of certayne Trees from whence it is come to cut and kill one another with cruell butcheries They exercise Sea-fights in their Caracorae or Galeots with great dexteritie with great showts and cryes the Gentlemen dancing on the hatches very actiuely They are very bloudie and barbarous yet bury the heads of their enemies with sweet odours If any of their friends die the women make a shrill and lowd crie to call him againe which not effected they prouide a great feast whereunto all the kindred and friends are inuited They burie them almost after our fashion in a white sheet the corps being carried on mens shoulders the men first and women after following A Censer is there left fuming all the day and might and in the night they keepe a light burning in a little house which they haue set ouer the graue In the morning and euening all of all sorts come and say their prayers a long while together at the graue and being asked wherefore they said that the dead should not arise againe They haue a play with the Ball exercised by many of them not as amongst vs with the hand but with their feete tossing the same vp into the ayre and taking it one of another with admirable sleight Thus haue we related from Dutch testimonies In Banda the Hollanders are reported to haue foure Factories and three Castles They are farre more feared of the Natiues then loued They raysed a Fort neere to one of their Mesgids or Temples to the prophanation as they thought of their holy ground and of the Sepulchres of their dead which for this cause they spared not Hence did the Bandeses burne with indignation which yet they concealed and with goodly protestations desired the Dutch Generall Verhauf which was there at that time with many ships to come into their House or place of Councell This was compassed with Trees and Bushes in the midst hauing a faire round place where they sate vpon Mats their chiefe Magistrate being the Sabandare Verhauf promised to come and when hee was by one of his Countrey-men that had long continued there admonished of the trecherie of this people Hee yet scorned to feare and with some three hundred followers at the appointed houre marched thither The Xeriff one of Mahomets kindred wearing as note hereof greene in his Turbant which had before inuited him to this assembly with all lowly semblance meetes him tells that in such armed troupes they shall not dare to speake their mindes He presently commands his Souldiers to stay tooke with him some two and fortie chiefe men entred and sate downe with the Bandese Senate crosse-legged a Bandese and a Hollander together and so through all the companie At the watchword each Bandese stabbed his neighbour Dutch and presently the Generals head was smitten off and carried out to his Souldiers now busie in playing or altogether idle their peeces lying on the ground and in this case they were suddenly assaulted by an ambush hidden there in the Thickets and were in great danger to haue lost their Fort. The English in their ships might see the fight In another place the Hollanders turned one of their Mesgids into a Fort. The offended Bandeses offered their slaues libertie to dispossesse them they refused till a Iauan Merchant then there with his Iunke offered his ten slaues aboard his Iunke to giue the onset Thus they went about three hundred each man with a fire-brand in one hand and a creese in the other aduentured on the shot and soone fired the Fort ouer their heads slaying euery man These Ilands of Banda are subiect as some but vntruely report to the King of Botone with whom one M. Richard Welding an Englishman was in great fauour The king had a sonne which was mad whom a certaine Italian vndertaking to cure was sent to attend him in the other World his patient dying vnder his hand M. Welding had serued him in his warres and gotten victories for him and honour for himselfe and his Nation It is reported that lately neere to the Hollanders Fort in Banda there issued a great fire out of the Sea which continued a good space and was likely to haue fired the Hollanders Fort the Natiues wayting for such oportunity but by shifting of the winde it escaped The Sea in that fired place was many many fathomes deeper then it had beene before But our English haue since this was published enioyed not only commerce but Forts and Dominion by voluntary subiection of the Bandaneses themselues the cause of great warres twixt the Dutch and ours the particulars whereof you may see at large in my Booke of Voyages The Hollanders and the Spaniards are in continuall warres for these Molucca Ilands They droue out the Portugals by force about ten yeeres since but the Spaniards haue succeeded in the quarrell which yet is managed on both parts so as the Natiues haue the worst For they both weare out the Country people in warres which betweene Tidore and Ternate are ancient by these bellowes kindled into continuall flames that there are scarsly sufficient to gather their Cloues Machian yeelds the most store in the third yeere which is most plentifull about 1800. Bahars on other yeeres almost eleuen hundred The Spaniards haue a Castle on Ternate another on Tidore in Gelolo also and Battachina two others but the Hollanders haue three in Terenate and as many in Tidore one in Amboyna one in Battachina in Batchame one in Botoone two Bulwarkes in Mechame three in Moutter one besides their other Indian Forts and all their Factories They haue their wiues also to helpe man if that name may bee giuen to women their Fortresses in some places Their Sea-force and Land-vices being added make them dreadfull to the Spaniard hatefull to the Indians and for their insolence distastefull to the English vnder pretence of I know not what conquest stiffely denying terribly threatning disgracefully deprauing the English vnder whose name they haue yet borne themselues in many places of the Indies and with mayne force and violence binding the Natiues to their owne trade and that at lower prices and harder conditions which makes them loue the more liberall though imperious and proud spirit of the Spaniard more then that accounted fordid dealing of the Flemming in the Moluccas and Banda Ilands Before we leaue these Moluccas and their dependant Ilands we may conclude with a Tragedy wherein blind superstition and beastly cruelty were principall Actors When Menesius was Gouernour of
and two before him in order partly bearing and playing on many Instruments of Musicke partly bearing Wax-lights and Torches the men also and after them the women and Maids following in like order and the fairest Virgins were busied with games and dances being naked from the nauell vpwards beneath couered with smockes of diuers colours their armes and eares adorned with Gold and Iewels Any man that should see it saith our Author would thinke our Westerne Monkes had hence borrowed their Ceremonies Their Images are in euery corner of the way which they adorne with flowers In Candy the chiefe Citie of that Kingdome were Pagodes innumerable The houses or Temples were of stone like the Temples in these parts some Statues were as high as the mast of a ship The people heere if they haue once touched meate which for quantity or quality they cannot eate they cast it to the dogs neither will any man be he neuer so meane eate that which another hath touched The women goe naked from the waste vpwards They marry as many wiues as they can keepe The King makes vse of their Superstition For pretending to build Temples he after leaues them vnperfect excusing himselfe that they had not contributed sufficient summes of mony and therefore exacteth a new There is one Statue of great stature with a Sword in his hand which by illusion of the Deuill if it be not the delusion of fabulous reports made as though he would strike the King with his Sword as he was entring the Temple and put him in great feare whereas before he had made a mocke of it The Singales or Natiue Inhabitants say that the World shall not perish as long as that Image continueth safe When any one is sicke hee sacrificeth to the Deuill hauing a Box hanging in his house to that end therein to gather somewhat for his Offering Some pray vnto the Image of an Elephants head made of wood or stone that they may obtaine wisdome whereof this prayer argues their great want some eate no quicke creature They eat no Beefe nor drinke any Wine they worship whatsoeuer first meeteth them in the morning George Spilberge was bountifully entertained of the King of Candy but Sebald de Weert was with diuers of his companions slaine after he had receiued much kindnesse of the King his importunitie to get the King into his ship making him suspect some trechery The King of Motecalo had eares adorned with Iewels and hanging downe the lappets of them were so stretched to his shoulders He was kind to the Hollanders but they incensed him against them by killing certaine Kine for some of them said that the soules of Kine slaine after that manner were hurled forthwith into Hell He obserued one Pagode to whole Feast he went while the Hollanders were there the solemnity whereof was to continue ten dayes till a new Moone with great concourse of deuout persons Of the Superstitions of Perimal and the worship of the Apes tooth celebrated in this Iland we haue already shewed in the Chapter of Narsinga The Cingalan language which they speake in this Iland is thought to haue beene there left by the Chinois sometimes supposed I thinke falsely Lords of Zeilan In Marcus Paulus his dayes the Tartarians had not pierced thus farre For the King then raigning refused to sell to Cublai Can then the greatest Monarch in the World at a price a Rubie which hee had left him by his Ancestors esteemed the richest Iewell in the World being as he saith a span long and as bigge as a mans arme cleere and shining as if it had bin a fire In this Iland were reckoned nine Principalities or Kingdomes but not long since their chiefe King was murthered by a Barber who draue the other Kings out of the Countrey and vsurped the Monarchy to himselfe practising hostility against the Portugals The Cingulas are very cunning Artificers in all Metals One of them presented the Archbishop of Goa with a Crucifix so cunningly wrought as if he had giuen life to the Image of one dead He sent it to the King of Spaine as a rare Iewell not to be equalled in Europe The Inhabitants heere are actiue and expert in Iuggling both men and women trauelling through India with their strange Hobby-horses to get money by this vanity The Sea-coast as in other Indian Ilands is inhabited with Moores the Inland with Pagans The Portugals haue a Fortresse at Colombo The Ilanders are not warriours they giue themselues to pastime and pleasure they goe naked from the girdle vpward they make wide holes in their eares which they stretch out with the weight of their Iewels to their shoulders Monfart relates that Zeilan hath whole Forrests of Cinamon and Mountaynes of Chrystall and that out of their Riuers they draw Pearles Rubies Saphirs and Cats-eyes that they worship the first creature they meet eat nothing that hath bloud make no more bread then will be eaten at a meale their Religion prohibiting them to eat any two houres old The Hollanders found exceeding both good and bad entertainment with the King of Candy Now for that question whether Zeilan or Samatra be that Taprobane of the ancient is very doubtfull yet that report in Pliny of Taprobane seemes more to encline for Zeilan For hee sayth That in Claudius time a seruant of Annius Plocamus which was Customer for the Red Sea was carried from the Coast of Arabia besides Carmania in fifteene dayes which I thinke could not possibly bee done to Samatra Likewise the excellency of the Elephants beyond all the Indian agrees to Zeilan and had Samatra beene so knowne at that time the other parts of India it is like had beene better discouered then they were in those times This Taprobane was discouered to bee an Iland by Onesicritus Alexanders Admirall of his Fleet in these parts It was then accounted another World and therefore shall be the period of our Pilgrimage and Perambulation in this Asian part of the World : which by the gracious goodnesse of his Almighty Guide the Pilgrime hath now passed and hath led the industrious Reader along with him §. III. The Conclusion of this Asian Pilgrimage THe Popish Pilgrimes were wont to beguile their weary steps with Musicke or pleasant tales according to the delicate deuotion of those times easie was their pardon and penance at their iournies end And in these our times Madonna de Loretto must giue entertainment to many Pilgrimes which as if Venus were become her Chamberlaine haue their Curtezan-consolations to solace their Pilgrim-paines the deuout Friers and Nuns themselues that haue defied the Deuill and denyed the World by a new Vow deuoted to the flesh disguise themselues in Lay-habits trauelling thither and from thence as Man and Wife only at Loretto couering all with their Cowles And if Confession discouer it hideth againe as a double couering But to vs Vowes Cowles and such salace-solaces are wanting the end of this labour
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
of his hands to the West the other to the East from which proceeded an hundred heads to Dragons his legges were entwined with rolles of Vipers which reached to his head filling the world with terrible hissings his body couered with feathers his eyes flaming with fire a flame streaming also out of his mouth Thus was hee armed and fought against Heauen and made the Gods runne away into Egypt and turne themselues into many formes with many tales more which I surcease to rehearse Of the Isiacall rites that brazen Table supposed to haue beene some Altar-couer after possessed by Card. Bembus full of mysticall Characters explained by Laurentius Pignorius in a Treatise of this Argument may further acquaint the desirous Reader Diodorus thinketh this the cause why they consecrated Goats and erected Images of Satyres in their Temples ; affirming that their Priests are first initiated in these bawdie Rites §. II. The causes of Consecrating their Beasts and the mysticall sences of their Superstitions THeir canonized Beasts of which the Aegyptians and Syrians saith Tully conceiued stronger opinions of Deuotion then the Romans of their most sacred Temples were Dogges Cats Wolues Crocodiles Ichnumods Rammes Goates Bulls and Lions in honour of Isis their sacred Birds were the Hawke Ibis Phoenicopterus besides Dragons Aspes Beetles amongst things creeping and of Fishes whatsoeuer had scales and the Eele Yea their reason did not onely to sensible things ascribe Diuinitie but Garlike and Onions were free of their Temples devided therefore by Iaâ—end Porrum coepe nofas violare frangere morsu O sanctas gentes quibus haec nascuntur in hortis Numina For this cause some thinke the Hebrewes were in such abhomination to the Aegyptians that they would not eate with them as eating and sacrificing those things which the other worshipped Example whereof Deodorus an eye-witnesse telleth That when Ptolemey gaue entertainment to the Romans whose friend hee was declared ; a Roman at vnawares hauing killed a Cat could not by the Kings authoritie sending Officers for his rescue nor for feare of the Romans bee detayined from their butcherly furie For such was their custome for the murther of those sacred Creatures to put to death by exquisite torments him that had done it wittingly and for the Bird Ibis and a Cat although vnwittingly slaine And therefore if any espie any of them lying dead hee standeth aloofe lamenting and protesting his owne innocencie The cause of this blinde zeale was the metamorphosis of their distressed Gods into these shapes Secondly their ancient Ensignes Thirdly the profit of them in common life Origen addeth a fourth because they were vsed to diuination and therefore saith hee forbidden to the Israelites as vncleane Eusebius out of the Poet citeth a fifth cause namely the Diuine Nature diffused into all Creatures after that of the Poet Deum namque ire per omnes Terrasque tractusque maris coelumque profundum God goes thorow Sea and Land and loftie Skies I might adde a sixth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or transanimation which Pythagoras it seemeth borrowed hence and from India Yea Aeneas Gazeus a Platonike in his Theophrastus or Dialogue of the Soules immortalitie affirmeth That Plato learned this opinion of the Egyptians and dispersed it through all his Bookes as did Plotinus and other his followers after him numbring amongst the rest Prophyrius and Iamblichus If I might with the Readers patience I would adde somewhat of their Mysterie of iniquitie and this mysticall sense of this iniquitie For as many haue sweat in vnfolding the mysteries of that Church which spiritually is called Sodome and Aegypt as Ambrosius de Amariolo Amalarius Durandus Durantus and others so heere haue not wanted mysticall Interpreters Porphirius Iambliochus Plutarch and the rest Such is the deepenesse of Sathan in the shallownesse of humane both reason and truth Water and Fire they vsed in all their Sacrifices and doe them deuoutest worship saith Porphiry because those Elements are so profitable to mans vse and for this vse sake they adored so many Creatures at Anubis they worshipped a Man But especially they held in veneration those creatures which seemed to hold some affinitie with the Sunne Euen that stinking Beetele or Scarabee did these more blinde then Beetles in their stinking superstitions obserue as a liuing Image of the Sunne because forsooth all Scarabees are of Male sexe and therefore also saith Aelian Souldiers wore the figure of the Scarabee in their Rings as thereby insinuating their masculine spirits and hauing shed their seed in the dung doe make a ball thereof which they rowle too and fro with their feete imitating the Sunne in his circular journey Iulius Firmicus inueigheth against them for their worship and supplications and superstitious vowes made to the Water and for that their fabulous Legend of Osiris Isis and Typhon vnfolding the Historie and Mysterie Eusebius followeth this Argument in the seuerall Beasts which they worship but to auoyd tediousnesse I leaue him to looke on Plutarchs paines in this Argument Hee maketh Isis to bee deriued of the Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to know as being the Goddesse of Wisedome and Knowledge to whom Typhon for his ignorance is an enemie For without Knowledge Immortalitie it selfe could not deserue the name of Life but of Time Their Priests shaued their owne haire and wore not woollen but linnen garments because of their professed puritie to which the haire of Man or Beast being but an excrement disagreed and for this cause they reiected Beeues Mutton and Porke as meates which cause much excrements Yea their Apis might not drinke of Nilus for this Riuers fatning qualitie but of a Fountaine peculiar to his holinesse At Heliopolis they might not bring wine into the Temple holding it vnseemely to drinke in the presence of their Lord They had many purifications wherein Wine was forbidden Their Kings which were also Priests had their sacred stints of wine and did not drinke it at all before Psammoticus time esteeming Wine to be the Bloud of them which sometime warred against the gods out of whose slaine carkasses Vines proceeded and hence proceedeth drunkennesse and madnesse by wine Their Priests abstaine from all fish they eate not Onions because they grow most in the wane of the Moone they procure also teares and thirst Their Kings were chosen either of the Priests or of the Souldiers and these also after their election were presently chosen into the Colledge of Priests Osiris signifieth many eyes in the Egyptian language Os is much and Eri an eye The Image of Minerua at Sai had this inscription I am all which is which hath beene which shall be whose shining light no mortall man hath opened Ammon they call Am the same as is before said with Ham or Cham the sonne of Noah in the vocatiue case as inuocating him whom they hold the chiefe God of the World to manifest himselfe They esteemed children
them prisoners that one Sunne onely may shine in that Ethiopian Throne It is situate in a great Plaine largely extending it selfe euery way without other hill in the same for the space of 30. leagues the forme thereof round and circular the height such that it is a daies worke to ascend from the foot to the top round about the rock is cut so smooth and euen without any vnequall swellings that it seemeth to him that stands beneath like a high wall wheron the Heauen is as it were propped and at the top it is ouer-hanged with rocks jutting forth of the sides the space of a mile bearing out like mushromes so that it is impossible to ascend it or by ramming with earth battering with Canon scaling or otherwise to win it It is aboue 20. leagues in circuit compassed with a wall on the top well wrought that neither man nor beast in chase may fall downe The top is a plaine field onely toward the South is a rising Hil beautifying this Plaine as it were with a watch-tower not seruing alone to the eye but yeelding also a pleasant spring which passeth through all that Plaine paying his tributes to euery Garden that will exact it and making a Lake whence issueth a Riuer which hauing from these tops espied Nilus neuer leaues seeking to finde him whom he cannot leaue both to seeke and finde that by his direction and conueyance hee may together with him present himselfe before the Father and great King of waters the Sea The way vp to it is cut out within the Rooke not with staires but ascending by little and little that one may ride vp with ease it hath also holes cut to let in light and at the foote of this ascending place a faire gate with a Corpus du Guarde Halfe way vp is a faire and spacious Hall cut out of the same Rocke with three windowes very large vpwards the ascent is about the length of a lance and a halfe and at the top is a gate with another guard The aire aboue is wholesome and delectable and they liue there very long and without sicknesse There are no Cities on the top but palaces standing by themselues in number foure and thirtie spacious sumptuous and beautifull where the Princes of the Royall bloud haue their abode with their Families The Souldiers that guard the place dwell in Tents There are two Temples built before the raigne of the Queene of Saba one in honour of the Sunne the other of the Moone the most magnificent in all Ethiopia which by Caudace when shee was conuerted to the Christian faith were consecrated in the name of the Holy Ghost and of the Crosse At that time they tell Caudace ascending with the Eunuch whose proper name was Iudica to baptize all of the Royall bloud which were there kept Zacharie the eldest of them was in his baptisme named Philip in remembrance of Philips conuerting the Eunuch which caused all the Emperours to be called by that name till Iohn the Saint who would be called Iohn because he was crowned on Saint Iohns day and while they were busie in that holy worke of baptizing the Princes a Doue in fierie forme came flying with beames of light and lighted on the highest Temple dedicated to the Sunne whereupon it was afterwards consecrated to the Holy Ghost by Saint Matthew the Apostle when he preached in Ethiopia Those two Temples were after that giuen to the Monasticall Knights of the Militarie Order of Saint Anthonie by Philip the seuenth with two great and spacious Couents built for them I should lose both you and my selfe if I should leade you into their sweet flourishing and fruitfull gardens whereof there are store in this Plaine curiously made and plentifully furnished with fruits both of Europe plants there as Peares Pippins and such like and of their owne as Oranges Citrons Limons and the rest Cedars Palme-trees with other Trees and varietie of herbes and flowers to satisfie the sight taste and sent But I would entertayne you onely with rarities no where else to be found and such is the Cubayo tree pleasant beyond all comparison in taste and whereunto for the vertue is imputed the health and long life of the Inhabitants and the Balme tree whereof there is great store here and hence it is thought the Queene of Saba carried and gaue to Salomon who planted them in Iudaea from whence they were transplanted at Cairo long after The plentie of Graines and Corne there growing the charmes of birds alluring the eares with their warbling Notes and fixing the eyes on their colours ioyntly agreeing in beautie by their disagreeing varietie and other Creatures that adorne this Paradise might make me glut you as sweet meates vsually doe with too much store Let vs herefore take view of some other things worthy our admiration in this admired Hill taking the Friar for our guide whose credit I leaue to your censure §. II. His liberall reports of the Librarie and incredible treasures therein SVch is the stately building of the two Churches aforesaid with their Monasteries the pillars and roofes of stone richly and cunningly wrought the matter and the workmanship conspiring magnificence that of Iasper Alabaster Marble Porphetie this with painting gilding and much curiositie the two Monasteries contayning each of them 1500. religious Knights and Monkes each hauing also two Abbots one of the militarie Knights the other spirituall of the Monkes inferior to the former In the Monasterie of the Holy Crosse are two rare peeces whereon Wonder may iustly fasten both her eyes the Treasurie and Librarie of the Emperor neither of which is thought to be marchable in the world That Librarie of Constantinople wherein were 120000. bookes nor that at Pergamus of 200000. nor the Alexandrian Librarie wherein Gellius numbreth 700000. had the fire not beene admitted too hastie a Student to consume them yet had they come short if report ouer-reach not of this whereof wee speake their number is in a manner innumerable their price inestimable The Queene of Saba they say procured bookes hither from all parts besides many which Salomon gaue her and from that time to this their Emperors haue succeeded in like care and diligence There are three great Halls each aboue two hundred paces large with bookes of all Sciences written in fine parchment with much curiositie of golden Letters and other workes and cost in the writing binding and couers some on the floore some on shelues about the sides there are few of paper which is but a new thing in Ethiopia There are the writings of Enoch copied out of the stones wherein they were engrauen which entreat of Philosophy of the Heauens and Elements Others go vnder the name of Noe the subiect whereof is Cosmography Mathematikes Ceremonies and Prayers some of Abraham which he composed when he dwelt in the Valley of Mamre and there read publikely Philosophy and the Mathematikes There is very much of Salomon a great number passing
and qualities of Newfoundland are related by Master Parkhurst Master Hayes Sir Geo. Peckham Stephen Parmenius Richard Clarke Master Christopher Carlile all whose Discourses and experiments hereof Master Hakluyt hath collected and bestowed on the World The North-part is inhabited the South is desart although fitter for habitation Besides the abundance of Cod heere are Herrings Salmons Thornbacke Oysters and Muskles with Pearles Smelts and Squids which two sorts come on shore in great abundance fleeyng from the deuouring Cod out of the frying-pan into the fire It is thought that there are Buffes and certayne that there are Beares and Foxes which before your face will rob you of your fish or flesh Before they come at Newfoundland by fifty leagues they passe the banke so they call certayne high ground as a veine of Mountaynes raysing themselues vnder the water about ten leagues in breath extending to the South infinitely on which is 30. fathome water before and after 200. Sir Hum. Gilbert tooke possession thereof by vertue of her Maiesties Commission Anno 1582. It is within Land a goodly Countrey naturally beautified with Roses sowne with Pease planted with stately trees and otherwise diuersified both for pleasure and profit And now our English Nation doe there plant and fixe a setled habitation a chiefe Actor and Authour of which businesse is Master Iohn Guy of Bristow who in the yeere 1608. sayled from Bristow in three and twenty dayes to Conception Bay in Newfoundland Of this Plantation and their wintrings and continuance there I haue seene diuers Relations with Master Hakluyt written by Master Guy William Colston c. In the yeere 1611. in October and Nouember they had scarsly sixe dayes frost or snow which presently thawed the rest of those moneths being warmer and dryer then in England December was also faire with some Frost Snow and Raine The winde in these three moneths variable from all parts Ianuary and February was most part Frost to mid March the wind most commonly Westerly and sometimes from the North. The Sunne often visited them with warme and comfortable rayes chasing away the Snow and not suffering the Brookes to be frozen ouer three nights with Ice able to beare a Dogge The Snow was neuer except in drifts aboue eighteene inches deepe They had there Filberds Fish Makerels Foxes in the winter Partridges white in the winter in Summer somewhat like ours but greater they are much afraid of Rauens They killed a Wolfe with a Mastiue and a Grey-hound Eastons piracies were some trouble to them Anno 1612. They found houses of Sauages which were nothing but poles set round and meeting in the top ten foot broad the fire in the middest couered with Deeres skins They are of reasonable stature beardlesse and in conditions like to those which Sir Martin Frobisher discouered broad-faced ful-eyed coloured on their faces and apparell with red Oaker Their Boats of Barke as in Canada twenty foot long foure and a halfe broad not weighing 100. weight made in forme of a new Moone which carry foure men and are by them carried to all places of their remoouings Their Patent was granted 1610. for Plantation betweene forty six and fifty two to bee gouerned by a Councell of twelue and a Treasurer There wintered 1612. 54. men six women and two children They killed there Beares Otters Sables sowed Wheat Rie Turneps Coleworts Their Winter till Aprill 1613. was dry and cleere with some frost and snow Diuers had the Scuruy whereto their Turneps there sowne were an excellent remedie no lesse then Cartiers Tree hereafter mentioned April was worse then the midst of Winter by reason of East-winds which came from the Ilands of Ice which the current bringeth at that time from the North. The same I haue seene confirmed by a letter of Thomas Dermer one of that Colony dated at Cupers Coue the ninth of September last 1616. In other moneths he saith the temperature is as in England He mentions Muske-cats and Musk-rats in those parts the fertilitie of the soyle in producing Pease Rie Barly and Oates probabilities of Metals with promises of more ful Relations hereafter Master Richard Whitborne hath lately published a Book of his Voyages to Newfoundland and obseruations there with certaine Letters also touching the new Plantations by English therein at the charges of Sir George Caluard written by Edward Winne N. H. c. §. II. The Voyages and Obseruations of IAQVIES CARTIER in Noua Francia NEere to Newfoundland in 47. degrees is great killing of the Morse or Sea-oxe In the I le of Ramea one small French ship in a small time killed fifteene hundred of them They are as great or greater then Oxen the Hide dressed is twice as thicke as a Buls hide It hath two teeth like Elephants but shorter about a foot long growing downwards out of the vpper iaw and therefore lesse dangerous dearer sold then Iuory and by some reputed an Antidote not inferiour to the Vnicornes horne The young ones are as good meate as Veale which the old will defend holding them in her armes or forefeet And with the bellies of fiue of the said fishes if so wee may call these Amphibia which liue both on land and water they make an Hogshead of traine Oyle Their skins are short-haired like Seales their face is like a Lions and might more fitly haue bin termed Sea-Lions then Sea-horses or Sea-oxen they haue foure feet no eares the hornes are about halfe an ell in length they vse to lye on the Ice a sunning and are soonest killed with a blow on the fore-head Some of our English shâ—ps haue attempted this enterprize for the killing of the Morse but not all with like successe nor with so good as reported of Cherry Iland At Brions Iland is such abundance of Cods that Master Leighs company with foure hookes in little more then an houre caught 250. of them Neere to the same in the Gulfe of S. Lawrence are three termed the Ilands of Birds the soyle is sandy red but by reason of many Birds on them they looke white The birds sit as thicke as stones lie in a paued street or to vse Iaques Cartiers comparison as any field or Medow is of grasse Two of these Ilands are steepe and vpright as any wall that it is not possible to clime them On the other which is in 49. degrees 40. minutes and about a league in circuit they killed and filled two Boats in lesse then halfe an houre Besides them which they did eate fresh euery ship did powder fiue or six barrels of them There are an hundred fold as many houering about as within the Iland Some are as bigge as Iayes blacke and white with beakes like vnto Crowes their wings are no bigger then halfe ones hand and therefore they cannot flye high yet are they as swift neere the water as other Birds they are very fat these they called Aponatz a lesser kind which there aboundeth they named Godetz A
vsed the like with all his seruants and ornaments they gaue him for the other world and lastly buried the ashes with great solemnitie The obsequies continued ten dayes with mournefull songs and the Priests carried away the dead with innumerable ceremonies To the Noble-men they gaue their honourable Ensignes Armes and particular Blazons which they carried before the body to the place of burning marching as in a Procession where the Priests and Officers of the Temple went with diuers furniture and ornaments some casting incense others singing and some making the Drums and Flutes to sound the mournfullest accents of sorrow The Priest who did the Office was decked with the markes of the Idoll which the Noble-men had represented for all Noble-men did represent Idols and carrie the name of some One The Mexicans honoured the best souldiers with a kinde of Knighthood of which were three Orders one ware a red ribband which was the chiefe the second was the Lyon or Tyger-knight the Grey-Knight was the meanest they had great priuiledges Their Knighthood had these funerall solemnities They brought the corps to the place appointed and enuironing it and all the baggage with Pine-trees set fire thereon maintaining the same with gummie wood till all were consumed Then came forth a Priest attired like a diuell hauing mouthes vpon euery ioynt of him and many eyes of Glasse holding a great staffe with which he mingled all the ashes with terrible and fearfull gestures When the King of Mexico sickened they vsed forthwith to put a Visor on the face of Tezcatlipuca or Vitzilivitzli or some other Idoll which was not taken away till hee mended or ended If he died word was presently sent into all his Dominions for publike lamentations and Noble-men were summoned to the funerals The body was laid on a Mat and watched foure nights then washed and a locke of haire out off for a relike for therein said they remained the remembrance of his soule After this an Emerald was put in his mouth and his body shrowded in 17. rich mantles costly and curiously wrought Vpon the vpper mantle was set the Deuice or Armes of some Idoll whereunto he had been most deuout in in his life time and in his Temple should the body be buried Vpon his face they put a Visor painted with foule and deuillish gestures beset with jewels then they killed the slaue whose office was to light the Lamps and make fire to the gods of his Palace This done they carried the body to the Temple some carrying Targets Arrows Maces and Ensignes so hurle into the funerall fire The High Priest and his crue receiue him at the Temple gate with a sorrowfull Song and after he hath said certaine words the body is cast into the fire there prepared for that purpose together with jewels also a Dog newly strangled to guide his way In the meane-while two hundred persons were sacrificed by the Priests or more to serue him as is said The fourth day after fifteene slaues were sacrificed for his soule and vpon the twentieth day fiue on the sixtieth three c. The ashes with the locke of haire was put in a Chest painted on the in-side with deuillish shapes together with another locke of haire which had been reserued since the time of his birth On this Chest was set the Image of the King the kinred offered great gifts before the same The King of Mechuacan obserued the like bloudy Rites many Gentlewomen were by the new King appointed their Offices in their seruice to the deceased and while his body was burning were malled with clubs and buried foure and foure in a graue Many Women slaues and free Maidens were slaine to attend on these Gentlewomen But I would not bury my Reader in these direfull graues of men cruell in like and death Let vs seeke some Festiuall argument if that may be more delightfull CHAP XIII Of the supputation of Times Festiuall Solemnities Colledges Schooles Letters Opinions and other remarkeable things in New Spaine §. I. Their Kalender and Conceits of Time and some of their Feasts THe Mexicans diuided the yeere into eighteene moneths ascribing to each twentie dayes so that the fiue odde dayes were excluded These fiue they reckoned apart and called them the dayes of nothing during the which the people did nothing neither went to their Temples but spent the time in visiting each other the Sacrificers likewise ceased their Sacrifices These fiue dayes being past the first moneth began about the twentie sixe of February Gomara sets downe their moneths names in order The Indians described them by peculiar Pictures commonly taken of the principall Feast therein They accounted their weeks by thirteene dayes they had also a weeke of yeeres which was likewise thirteene They reckoned by a certaine Wheele which contayned foure weekes that is two and fiftie yeeres In the midst of this Wheele was painted the Sunne from which went foure beames of lines in a Crosse of distinct colours Greene Blue Red and Yellow and so the lines betwixt these on which they noted by some Picture the accident that befell any yeere as the Spaniards comming marked by a man clad in Red The last night when this Wheele was run about they brake all their vessels and stuffe put out their fire and all the lights saying that the World should end at the finishing of one of these Wheeles and it might be at that time and then what should such things need Vpon this conceit they passed the night in great feare but when they saw the day begin to breake they presently beat many Drums with much other mirth and Musicke saying that God did prolong the time with another Age of two and fifty yeeres And then began another Wheele the first day whereof they tooke new fire for which they went to the Priest who fetched it out of a Mountaine and made a solemne Sacrifice and Thanksgiuing The twenty dayes of each moneth were called by seuerall names the first Cipactli which signifieth a Spade and so the rest a House a Dogge a Snake an Eagle a Temple and the like By this Kalendar they keepe things in memory aboue nine hundred yeeres since The Indians of Culhua did beleeue that the Gods had made the World they knew not how and that since the Creation foure Sunnes were past and that the fift and last is the Sunne which now giueth light vnto the World The first Sunne forsooth perished by water and all liuing creatures therewith the second fell from Heauen and with the fall slue all liuing creatures and then were many Giants in the Country the third Sunne was consumed by fire and the fourth by Tempest of ayre and wind and then Mankind perished not but was turned into Apes yet when that fourth Sunne perished all was turned into darknesse and so continued fiue and twenty yeeres and at the fifteenth yeere God did forme one man and woman who brought forth children and at the end of other ten yeeres
and the Piaces their Masters goe to them by night to teach them When this time of their solitary discipline is past they obtaine a testimoniall thereof and begin to professe in practice of Physick and Diuination Let vs bury the Cumanois and then we haue done Being dead they sing their praises and bury them in their houses or dry them at the fire and hang them vp At the yeeres end if he were a great man they renue the lamentation and after many other ceremonies burne the bones and giue to his best beloued wife his skull to keepe for a Relique They beleeue that the Soule is immortall but that it eateth and drinketh about in the fields where it goeth and that it is the Eccho which answereth when one calleth §. III. Of Trinidado and Paria IN the yeere 1497. some adde a yeere more Christopher Columbus seeking new Discoueries after the suffering of vnsufferable heats and calmes at Sea whereby the hoopes of his vessels brake and the fresh-water not able further to endure the hot indignation of that now-beleeued Burning-Zone fled out of those close prisons into the lap of that Father of waters the Ocean for refuge he came at last to Trinidado The first Land he incountred he called by that name either for deuotion now that his other hopes were dried vp with the heat or washed into the Sea by the violent showres aboue-boord and the lesse but not lesse dangerous which flowed from his Caske within or else for the three Mountaines which he there descried Once this discouery of Land so rauished his spirit by the inexpected deliuery from danger as easily carried his impotent thoughts into a double errour the one in placing earthly Paradise in this Iland to which opinion for the excellency of the Tobacco there found hee should happily haue the smokie subscriptions of many Humorists to whom that fume becomes a fooles Paradise which with their braines and all passeth away in smoke the other was that the Earth was not round like a Ball but like a Peare the vpper swelling whereof he esteemed these parts Hence Columbus sailed to Paria and found out the Pearle-fishing of which Petrus Alphonsus a little after made great commoditie by trade with the Sauages He was assailed with eighteene Canoas of Canibals one of which he tooke with one Caniball and a bound Captiue who with teares shewed them that they had eaten sixe of his fellowes and the next day he must haue gone to pot too to him they gaue power ouer his Iaylor who with his owne club killed him still laying on when his braines and guts came forth and testified that hee needed not further feare him In Haraia or Paria they found plenty of salt which the Fore-man in Natures shop and her chiefe worke-man the Sunne turned and kerned from water into salt his worke-house for this businesse was a large plaine by the waters-side Here the Sepulchres of their Kings and great men seemed not lesse remarkable they laid the body on a kinde of hurdle or grediron of wood vnder which they kindled a gentle fire whereby keeping the skinne whole they by little and little consumed the flesh These dried carkasses they held in great reuerence and honoured for their houshold Gods In the yeere 1499. Vincent Pinzon discouered Cape Saint Augustine and sailed along the coast from thence to Paria But why stand we here pedling on the coast for Pearles Salt and Tobacco Let vs rouze vp higher spirits and follow our English guides for Guiana Onely let me first haue leaue to mention concerning the Superstitions of these parts Northward from Guiana what it pleased Sir Walter Raleigh to impart vnto mee from the Relation of a very vnderstanding man of that Countrey whom he vsed for an interpreter These people worship the Sunne whom they imagine as the fabulous Grecians tell of his Charet and horses wherewith yong Phacton sometime set the World on fire to be drawne into a Chariot by Tigres which are the most fierie and fierce beasts amongst them In honour therefore of the Sunne and for sustenance of his Chariot-beasts they carefully wash the carkasses of their dead and lay them forth in the night for repast vnto the Tigres wearied with their long and late iourney in the day For so they beleeue that after Sun-set these beasts are to this end dismissed from their labour and that vicissitude wherein Dauid obserueth the wisedome of diuine prouidence that when it is night the wild beasts goe forth to seeke their prey which when the Sunne ariseth and calleth men forth of their houses to labour returne to their Dens is blindly by them applyed to this their superstition They likewise haue a Tradition amongst them that their Ancestors in times past neglecting thus to prepare the corpses of such as died for the Tigres diet or not washing them so neatly as behoued the Tigres made hereof a complaint to the Sunne as not able to doe his worke if not allowed their wonted cates whereupon the Sun sent one amongst them brandishing a terrible fierie sword and so dreadfully assaulting the places of their habitations and the soyle couered with long grasse that all fell on fire and an hundred thousand of the Inhabitants were destroyed a terrible warning hereafter to bee more diligent in these Tigre-deuotions which accordingly they performe to this day CHAP III. Of Guiana and the Neighbouring Nations on the Coast and within the Land §. I. Discouerie of Guiana by Sir WALTER RALEIGH IN the yeere 1595. Sir Walter Raleigh hauing before receiued Intelligence of this rich and mighty Empire set forth for the Discouery and on the two and twentieth of March anchored at Point Curiapan in Trinidado and searched that Iland which he found plentifull Hee tooke the Citie of Saint Ioseph and therein Antonie Berreo the Spanish Gouernour Leauing his ships hee went with an hundred men in Boats and a little Galley and with some Indian Pylots passed along that admirable confluence of Riuers as by the Corps du Guard vnto Orenoque as great a Commander of Riuers as the Emperour of Guiana of Souldiers And although wee haue before mentioned somewhat thereof yet this his peculiar place requireth some further consideration This Riuer Orenoque or Baraquan since of this Discouerie called Raleana runneth from Quito in Peru on the West it hath nine branches which fall out on the North side of his owne maine mouth on the South side seuen Thus many Armes hath this Giant-like streame to be his Purueyers which are alway filling his neuer-filled mouth seeming by this their naturall officiousnesse incorporate thereunto and to bee but wider gapings of the same spacious iawes with many Ilands and broken grounds as it were so many morsels and crummes in his greedy Chaps still opening for more though he cannot euen in Winter when his throat is glibbest altogether swallow these yea these force him for feare of choking to yawne his
brood hath taught especially the Spaniards whose they are and whom they serue a better Catholicisme let Arnauldus tell you he sayth that they haue indeed wrought Miracles amongst Indians among which he reckoneth conuerting the Pagans by butcherly subuerting and rooting them out In Hispaniola by keeping the husbands and wiues in diuers workes asunder the old generation being thus worne out and a new preuented In Peru they had publike places of torture within the Marches wherein they might put a thousand at once by tortures to draw forth confessions of their hidden treasures such as escaped hanged themselues in the Mountaynes and their wiues by them with their children at their feete By their Dogs at land they worried them and in their Pearle-fishing exposed them to the rauening Sharkes themselues more dogged and sharking then the brute creatures by fire and Sword consuming 20. Millions of the people I would giue the Deuill his due and therefore would not ascribe all this to those later Locusts the Iesuits who are yet accounted the most cunning and zealous Architects in setting vp the roofe of that aspiring Spanish Monarchie these and the like bloudie foundations notwithstanding and therefore may be called Accessories after As for the Spaniards we see them by testimonie of their owne accused of the same things And how the Ignatians wash their hands not from but in bloud our Europe can testifie What Deuill brought into America the Inquisition his faire Daughter much resembling his accursed presence I know not our Countrimen Philips Hortop and others knew it to their cost But what should we speake of the Spanish crueltie to others Looke on their dealing with each other in ciuill broyles thus dealt they with Columbus rewarding him with Chaines and sending him Prisoner to Spaine by that way which he first of all and for Spaine had discouered What Roldanus and his rebellious faction did in Hispaniola and Vaschus in the Continent Martyr relateth But the bloudiest butcheries passed in Peru where Couetousnesse which before had ioyned now diuorced the hearts of Pizarro and Almagro and after that that neerer coniunction of the head and body of Almagro reuenged in the persons of all the Pizarri which againe retorted the like vengeance vpon the Almagrists their Ghosts seeming or some hellish furies rather to be loosed on that Peruuian stage and to haue brought like mischiefes to the beholders and actors in this Tragedie Vengeance seemed to haue broken forth of Atabalibas Tombe armed with Sword fire halters chaines yea the Spaniards themselues offered themselues her officious Vassals to become cruell Executors of her bloudy Will in mutuall executions vpon themselues The awfull names of Vice-royes Gouernours and Captaines were no lesse subiected to imprisonment and death then the poorest Souldier But for these ciuill vnciuill cruelties amongst themselues they require a good Orator to describe them and those former tyrannies vpon the Indians are beyond all Oratory and description Thunders from Heauen had need be the voice to vtter such Hellish and vnheard-of Massacres Deuils from Hell were fittest Scribes with the fierie Characters of their infernall work-houses to register them the reading whereof might astonish the sense of the Reader amaze his reason exceed his faith and fill his heart with horrour and vncouth passions For mee I want fit words to paint them in their blacke colours my Hand with reluctation trembleth at the writing my Tongue faltereth in the speaking and wholly I seeme to my selfe surprized with distraction and not to bee my selfe whiles the view of this Spanish Medusa transformeth mee into a stone the rather when I thinke such should our English Conuersion haue beene if in that dismall yeere 1588. England had as well succeeded to them as the Indies or if since our Catholike Preachers had preuayled in their Powder-proiects in the yeere 1605. Who for a Temple chose a Vault that their workes of darknesse might be done in the darke and their Work-house might be neerer to Hell thence to borrow at hand supplies of Deuillish deuices and in neerer familiaritie to consult with the Deuill For words they had prepared a Sulphurous breath the smoke whereof might darken the Heauens the fire might rent the trembling and ashonished Earth the noyse might make the hearers past hearing and being together Once those Hellish Cerberi by such preaching had intended there to haue opened the mouth of Hell vpon vs which should haue swallowed our Lawes our Religion our Sun Moone and Morning Star the King Queene and Prince Our fairest Skie of fixed and well ordered lights then shining in their greatest splendour of Parliament-brightnesse The Giants of old were said to bee the sonnes of the Earth but these as they were engendred of Earth so had they incestuously violated that their Mother whether you vnderstand it in a literall or mysticall sense and begotten in her wombe this Hel-monster of their bloudie Catholicisme they had designed the time of her Trauell and themselues would haue beene the Mid-wiues the Deuils had bidden themselues as Gossips and at that opening of the Earths wombe in her fierie trauell would haue sent that way into the World to attend the Babe all the black-guard of Hell Treason Superstition Atheisme Ignorance Fire Sword and all confusion in a reuolution of a worse Chaos then that b Tohu and Bohu of old could haue effected Then should it haue beene no maruell if Rome France Spaine or any other had exercised tyrannie or crueltie seeing all must haue come short of the first crueltie which our English Catholikes had executed to open the floudgates of bloud vnto them And all this was the Catholike cause and these the Preachers or the Vshers rather to the Preachers for the Iesuits will bee angry if wee take from them their bloudie priuiledge of this new Catholicisme which the Deuill till now he is an older and cunninger Serpent had neuer learned himselfe nor could learne others before he had gotten Ignatian Vshers in his Hellish Schoole But whither is your Pilgrime transported Friend I draw neere my Port and leauing America behind mee still red with this bloud now also hauing England in sight which as from a greater height was neere to a more dangerous fall and in this subiect which is of the Spanish cruelties not written in hatred of their Nation because they are Spaniards but of their Pseudo-catholike Religion vnder shew whereof they there did and heere would haue executed those butcheries and for thankfulnesse to God for our later deliuerance of which the time when I relate these things being the returne of that very Day wherein those things should haue beene effected iustly demandeth my testimony I haue thus told out my Storie And now me thinkes I see the shoares of England from which my lingring Pilgrimage hath long detayned me I heare the Bels and see the Bon-fires with publike acclamations of thankfulnesse for that Deliuerance all singing their Hallelu-iahs and saying This is
sent a present to Spaine of two Butts of Negros noses which were slaine A. B. Iarric hath 1200000. f Thom. Turner g Andrew Battell was taken by the Portugals on the coast of Brasil and shipped ouer to Congo where and in the Countries adiacent hee liued very many yeeres and was Sergeant of a Band c. * This triall is called Motamba a Od. Lopez b Gi. Bot. Ben. part 1. l. 3. Andrew Battell * Od. Lopez * Historie of Congo translated by Abraham Hartwell * They call these patches of ground thus carryed in Zaire Balsa's The Riuer Zaire * Of the conuersion of Congo reade Io. di Barros Dot. 3. l. 3. cap. 10. and Osorius de reb Emanueli lib. 3. and Maffaeus Hist. Ind. lib. 1. and Lopez l. 2. and Got. Arthus Hist Ind. Orientalis cap 14 15 16 17. Iarric c. * Lopez a Maff hist Ind. l 3 15. b Arthus husâ— 25. Linschot lib. 2. Andrew Battell saith That the tree which thus strangely multiplyeth it selfe is called the Manga tree c Andr. Battell d Linschot l. â— Lopez These boats saith Andrew Battell are made of another tree for the Alicunde is of too spungie a substance for that purpose Monopolies a Lopez l. 1. c. 5. b Andrew Bat. c Recouerie of stolne goods a Tryall of suspected persons b This seemeth to be Red Sanders A Bat saith it is Logwood a Od. Lopez l. 1. cap. 5. b All the Heathen Nâ—tions in these parts of Africa are circumcised c Cap 10. d G. Bot Ben. part 1. l. 3. c Lopez l. 1. 13. l. 2. c. 9. e These Amazones are as we haue obserued doubted of in other places and And. Battel which trauelled neere to those parts denyeth this report oâ— Lopez as vntrue c Plin. l. 5. c 17. d Azimogli are the children of Christians taken from the Parents by the Turke the spawne of their Ianizaries The Sacrifices Ceremonies of the Iagges t Io. di Barros Dec 1 l. 3. c. 4. Od Lopez l. 2. c. 8. Pigafella u I auerre not this but set downe Lopez his opinion x Cap. 3. y F. Aluares c. 135. z Od. Lopez l. 2 cap. 9. G. Bot. Ben. part 1. lib. 3. a Plin. l. 6. c. 23 b Post. Orig. c Solin c. 41. d M. Varrâ— e Strabo l. 16. f Jo. di Barros Dec 2 l 8 c. 1. Al. Alboquerke g Io. di Castro h The Scripture often mentioneth this Sea but cals it as Tremel and Iun. translate mave algosum or after Vatablus Carectosum of the weeds plentifully growing therein Ex. 10.18 c. i See of this Luys de Vrreta hist Aethiop l. 1. c. 11. Marmol l. 10. c. 10. k A. Corsali let 2. l Liu. l. 45. Plin. l. 6. c. 24. n Arrian de reb. Alex. l. 8. o Arrian Perip Ortelius Tepidum Rubenti Tygrim immiscet freto Senec. Troas p Dam. a Goes op Dionsis Vtaggio di vn Venet. Comito alla Cit di Diu. Ramus part 1. q Oros l. 1. c. 10. r 1. Reg. 9.26 Å¿ 1. Reg. 22.48 t Ios. Antiq. l. 8. u Adrich p. 118 x Lib. 6. c. 33. y Phot. 250. R. Bret. etiam edidit Jo. di Cast M. St. ap Ramus Procop de bell Perf. Non. Cug ap Refond d G. B. B. Comito Venet. Ramus part 1. fol. 274. e Ptol. lib. 4. cap. 1. f Bar. Dec. 2. lib 8. g Ptol. l. 4. c. 8. h Ios. Scalig. Can. Is Post de Orig. i R. Couert k W. Hawkins l Lib. c. 14. §. 3. * Dio. Sic. lib. 3. cap. 13. a Ramus part 1. by Ortelius Map of Arrianus Periplus Iamboli Insula seemeth Iaua maier a Sir Thomas Mores Vtopia fayning a Countrey and Common-wealth in maner too good to bee true b Plat. de repub L. Sanut lib. 12. c A. Corsali let 2. was at Soquotera Anno 1516. Non. Cugna d Maginus e Pory before Leo cap. de Insulis Of these Ilands see my first part of Voyages in Sir Tho. Roe Master Payton Master Finch their Relations and Master Terry in the second Part. f M. Polo lib. 3. cap. 33 34. Sanut g Cap. 13. pag. 438. b Maginus c M. Polo lib. 3. cap. 35. d Maffaeus hist Ind. lib. 3. e Linschot lib. 1. cap. 3. l. 2. Paludanus f Osor lib. 4. g Ph. Pigafetta Congo lib. 2. c. 9. h De Bry. part 3. Ind. Or. i Mart. Pring k Ben. Day alius Anon. Nic. Downton S. Ed. Mich. Holl. Nau. 1595. g G. Bot. Ben. del Hole h M. Polo l. 3. cap. 36. i Linsc l. 1 c. 4. hist of China part 3. c. vlt. k Edm. Barker Hak. to 2. par 2. l S. Castleton m Nauigations all Isola di S. Thome Ramus pag. 1. fol. 116. n The windes which at other times refresh them are then by Nature imprisoned in 〈◊〉 homes o Holl. Nauig p Vid Sanut vbi supra q Sir Ant. Sher. Hak tom 3. pag. 600. r Sir Francis Drake Å¿ Linschot l. 1. cap. 95 Sam. Castleton They meet with it in sayling to Bermudas as Master Barkly told me and to the Indies also both East and West t Pat. Copland u Tho. Steuens Hak. tom 2. p. 2. x Lerij na in Brasil c. 3. y Pat. Copland z Nau. alâ— Isidi S. Thome a Mel. Peton Hak. part 2. * This name is supposed vulgarly to haue arisen from the small pâ—ick-eared dogges a Theuet c. 5. Sanuto 12. b Canary Birds c G. Bot. Ben. part 1 Vol 2. Bar. Dec. 1. l. 1. d A. Galuano Discoueries Luys Orda Anno 1334. assailed Gomera but in vaine And 1393 the Spaniards committed great spoils in this Iland Descrip Canar ap Caluetonem e Cadamosto f A Theuet new-found-New-found-World c. 5. g Tho. Nichols h Tho. Byam Some say it may be seene an hundred and fiftie Descrip. cah. Caluet Sanuto addes that it casts fire and is in the ascent 60. miles i M. Canus Loc theol. l 12. k Benzo Sanuto Ouiedo c. * A Galuano See Sanuto of these and many other Iles. a A. cadamosto b Palmi c Sanut l. 3. d Sir Am. Preston Hak. Iourney vp tho Pike and description thereof A Vulcan Goodly Country A cold ascent and hote top and bottome Rarity of the Sunne Hote breath Clouds beneath them No wind not raine Bald barren Fires Deuils Caldron Conceit of Hell Laguna Rockes Fertilitie Vineyards . Wines Fruits Trees Immortal tree Draco tree Ancient Inhabitants Their religion Baptisme Giants Apparell Dyet Mozans their Physicke Seed how sowne Feasts Marriages The gouernment Funerals Sancta Cruz. Refreshing wind Sport with Hawkes Strange flight of a Hawke c a Cic. in Ver. 6. b Melita so called of the store of Hony c Acts 28 1. d Polybius e Volaterran f Descrit di Malta g Ortel in Thesaur h Beza Annot. Aret. in Acta i Curio Bellum Melitense Viperanus Knols p. 796 k Ouid. Fast 4. Scribentem gelidis Adria vidit aquis So Statius
the Aethiopian and Calliata Ellecedi which vpon emulation composed also euery one an Alcoran glory of those their Workes containing more honestie and truth Neither hath it pleased any noble or wise man but the rude vulgar of which sore the wearie Labourers gladly gaue eare to his promise of Paradise the poore delighted to heare of Gardens in Persia and Bankrupts and Felons easily listened to securitie and libertie The language is vulgar Postellus also testifieth and without all Art of Grammar such as is obserued of their learned Writers without all bounds of reason or eloquence The Method is so confused that our Arabian Author who liued before it was so generally embraced and in freer times saith That hee had heard euen good Saracens affirme with griefe that it was so mixed and heaped together that they could finde no Reason in it Bad Rime as you haue heard and worse Reason Hierome Sauanorola hath the like saying That no man can finde herein any order Nor could so confused and foolish a Worke proceed from any naturall or supernaturall light It is yet craftily contriued when hee hath set downe some wicked doctrine presently to lace and fringe it with precepts of Fasting Prayer or good manners alwayes taking away things hard to bee beleeued or practised and where it deliuereth any truth it is maymed with defect eclipsed with obscuritie and serueth for a stale to falshood Erpenius hath translated the Chapiter of Ioseph containing a hundred and eleuen Verses the second of which calls it Coran and the next Alcoran the Article added His Annotation is Per verbum Dei intelligunt legem suam qua Coranus ipsis dicitur quam Muhamed ijs persuasit coelitus ad se demissam And although the matter bee absurd and impious yet he saith others perhaps haue of zeale said otherwise that this Coran is composed with such puritie of speech accurate analogie and expressed with perfection of writing that deseruedly it is to them the matter and rule of Grammar They call it Koran of a word which signifies to read as a reading Lecture or collection of Chapiters as the learnedst Arabs will haue it It is not much lesse then the New Testament in words The Arabs extoll it aboue all creatures and ranke it next to God and thinke him vnworthy to liue which toucheth it vnreuerent as a contemner of God They vse it therefore with all reuerence nor will permit a Christian or a Iew to touch it to sit on it is a grieuous crime capitall to Iewes or Christians Nor may they themselues touch it vnwashed and therefore write on the couer thereof Let no man touch it but he which is cleane In it are one hundred and fourteen Chapiters of vnequall quantitie that of Ioseph the twelfth the second as large as the last fortie The first is but of six Verses and therefore not reckoned a Chapiter by our Country-man Robert of Reading who also diuides the fiue following into more by tenne that the seuenth is his seuenteenth Euery Chapiter hath the name of the first word or of the subiect as this is called Ioseph the first opening because it presents it selfe at the opening of the booke It was composed out of diuers papers of Muhamed found at his house which hee professed to receiue from Gabriel at diuers times by Abubecr his father in law the Numa of that Saracen Empire Each Chapiter is called Souraton and with the Article Assurato whence the Latine call it Azoara z. for ss and o. a for o. u as in the word Alcoran it is not to be construed vultus but gradus a degree or step for these steps the whole is passed and each of these was a lesson also to be conned of children and of his disciples After these fancies had caused him to bee expelled Mecca he fled ten dayes off to Iatfrib and there diuulged the rest This is called Medina and Medinatalnabi the Citie of the Prophet and hence some Chapiters haue title of Mecca some of Medina This flight was the fifteenth of Iuly at night A. 622. which is their Aera or computation of their yeeres reckoned by the Moone so that their 1026. began the twentie ninth of December A. D. 1616. Euery Chapiter consists of Verses very vnequall and lame affected rithmes Yea sometimes a sentence is patched in to make vp a rithme Before euery Chapiter is prefixed Bismillahirrahmanirrahimi for so they read it coined together with Articles as if it were all one word the signification is In nomine Dei miseratoris misericordis that is In the name of God shewing mercie mercifull which is as much as summè misericordis exceedingly mercifull or mercifull in Act and Nature To these words they ascribe innumerable mysteries and vertues so that they thinke that almost no worke can haue good successe vnlesse they preface it with this sentence Therefore in the beginning of their bookes they vse it and whatsoeuer businesse they goe about if it be to mount their horse or set forth to rowe a boat c. as I haue beene told Also there are in the beginning of Chapiters fourteene mysticall words of the signification whereof the Arabs professe their vncertaintie and Abubecr was wont to say That in euery booke God kept somewhat secret to himselfe which in the Alcoran were those mysticall beginnings of Chapiters Diuers haue diuersly deuised to hunt out Cabalisticall senses and state-periods with other vanities from them They hold that all the Alcoran was sent in one night which they call therefore nox demissionis nox potentiae and lest it might breed a contradiction that some parts were deliuered at Mecca for so it must be written not Mecha they say that Muhamed receiued them by pieces of the Angell as occasions required but hee from God all in one night and so they will haue the name signifie also a booke sent from heauen Thus much Erpenius in his Annotations on that Chapiter wherein also he blameth the old translation of Robert Reading as in other things so in that that when his mistresse brought Ioseph before other women they were all saith the translation menstruous and cut their hands saying hee was rather an Angel then a man He translates for menstruate sunt magnificarunt eum they magnified him adding concerning that cutting off the hand that it is still an vse of the Arabs Persians and people of the East to expresse loue My friend Mr. Bedwel fortie yeeres studious of Arabike hath told mee that that translation of Reading is generally reasonable well done nor is so faultie as some will haue it or much reading supply that way As for other supply it needs a sword like that Gordian knot rather then a penne that as by the sword it hath beene obtruded on the world as a iust punishment of ingratitude to the Sonne of God the eternall Truth and not by reasons or Scriptures which it corrupts mingles mangles maimes as the Impostors obliuion sometimes sometimes
the memorie of his owne designes occasioned so by the sword and fire it may be rooted out of the world againe The first Surat or Chapiter which is the Pater noster or daily prayer of the Muhamedans I will transcribe out of Erpenius called by them Opening as before is said and the Mother of the booke foundation treasure and perfection In the name of God the shower of mercie mercifull Praise to God the Lord of the Creatures the shewer of mercie mercifull the King of the day of Iudgement Wee worship thee and we call vpon thee Direct vs into the right way the way of them who are gracious towards them without anger against them and not them which erring not Amen The Copies of the Alcaron were diuers and after Mahomets death made if it could be worse at least otherwise then he left them For Hali had one Copie left him by Mahomet which the Iewes corrupted adding racing changing at their pleasure and promised him their assistance if hee would professe himselfe a Prophet But Ozimen commanded all the Bookes to be brought and deliuered into the hands of Zeidi and Abdalla to bring all into one booke and where they dissented to reade after the Copie of Corais and to burne all the rest They thus composed the Alcoran whereof they left foure Copies which after were lost And yet Hali Abitalib and Ibenmuzod then refused to deliuer their Bookes Whereupon arose diuers Readings and afterward diuers Schismes which to compound others often endeuoured by like labours after but could not throughly perfect the same Neither doth that which we haue translated agree with those things which Frier Richard and others cite out of it in their confutations thereof The truth thereof is such in his deuisings of new and seeking and altering the old that it is not probable in Viues opinion that euer hee read the Old and New Testament For saith he though I thinke of him exceeding badly yet thinke I him not so mad to change and wrest the Scripture there especially where it made nothing against him but he had partly heard of such things partly was so perswaded by his fellowes Apostata-Iewes and Christians This riming harsh confused packing worke disagreeing each Copie from other and all from truth and honestie hath beene translated into Latine once by an English man Robertus Retinensis and after by Ioannes Segobiensis a Spaniard at the Councell of Constance and after out of Arabian into Italian published by Andraea Ariuabene The first and last of these that of Robert of Reading and the Italian translations are here by vs followed For the Arabike I vnderstand not nor can warrant this when so great a man as Scaliger findeth great fault with it He that vndertooke to mend the Latine stile marred the sense and the Italian beguileth the world in professing to haue translated out of the Arabike Thus Scaliger who mentioneth another translation then in hand which we are almost out of hope to see In the meane while such as we haue we giue to you It containeth Chapters or Azoara's 124. euery of them beginning In the name of the mercifull and pittifull God Euthymius Zigabenus mentioneth but 113. Mr. Bedwel saith that all the Arabike copies which euer hee saw whether written in the East or West amongst the Moores in Barbarie doe constantly with one consent reckon 114. The reason of this difference is this some Interpreters doe not account the first for any Chapiter but make it a kinde of Preface Robert of Reading of the second Chapter maketh foure of the third three of the fourth foure of the fifth two of the sixth three The first of these are the words of Mahomet and is called the Mother of the Booke and is as it were their Creede the rest are all deliuered as the words of GOD hee being induced as speaker The first is in this sense In the name of the mercifull and pittifull God Thankes bee vnto God the Lord of the World mercifull pittifull Iudge of the day of Iudgement Wee pray vnto thee wee trust in thee Lead vs into the right way the way of them whom thou hast chosen not of them with whom thou art angrie and of the Infidels Postellus thus translateth it In the name of God mercifull pittifull Praise bee to God King of the World mercifull and pittifull King of the day of Iudgement O let vs serue him and wee shall bee helped Direct vs in the right point the point of them with whom thou art well pleased without anger against them and they shall not erre This prayer is saith hee as common to them as the Lords Prayer to vs and is so ouer and ouer with battologies by some of them repeated that they will say ouer the same word or two or three words an hundred times saying Alhamdu lillah hamdu lillah hamdu lillah and so on with these and the other words in like manner And thus doth the Priest in their publike prayers which they say supplieth the defects of such as are negligent in praying some will say and repeat it in the fields till with wearinesse they fall downe Others with wheeling about their bodies till they be besides themselues and then in imitation of Mahomet vtter some ridiculous obscure phantasticall speeches They diuide it into seuen periods which they cal miracles as they are here by the points That which is before them In the name c. Mahomet vsed to vtter alwayes when hee arose from his sicknesse or traunce and therefore is prefixed to all the Chapters and by deuout Authors also in the beginning of their Philosophicall workes By these words the point and the right point they vnderstand the Alcoran Now let vs see the Doctrine contained in this booke which with much labour I haue thus reduced into Theologicall heads reducing that which therein is confusedly heaped and handled in diuers places to this Method naming the Chapter or Azoara where the Reader may finde each sentence §. II. The Doctrine of the ALCORAN brought into common Places OF GOD he writeth that he is One necessary to all incorporeall which neither hath begotten nor is begotten nor hath any like him the Creator long-suffering searcher of the heart true That he will confound inchantments that without his gift none can beleeue this his Alcoran that hee hath no sonne for hee needeth nothing and he which setteth a second in the place of GOD shall goe into hell Az. 31. and he hath no partaker 32. yet in Azoar 67. hee induceth God speaking thus To Christ the sonne of Marie wee haue giuen the Gospell that by him men may obtaine the loue and fauour of GOD and that the beleeuers amongst them Christians shall receiue a great reward as also in Az. 2. he saith Euery one whosoeuer liueth rightly be he Iew or Christian or if he leaueth his owne Law and embrace another if hee worship GOD and doe good shall vndoubtedly