Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	grow_v	small_a	stalk_n	2,932	5	11.6145	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57948	The present state of the Morea, called anciently, Peloponnesus which hath been near two hundred years under the dominion of the Turks, and is now very much depopulated : together with a description of the city of Athens, islands of Zant, Strafades, and Serigo / faithfully described by Bernard Randolph, who resided in those parts from 1671 to 1679.	Randolph, Bernard, b. 1643.	1686 (1686)	Wing R235; ESTC R13431	15,138	30

in Vineyards The Vine-yards are planted most betwixt the City and the Sea The City is now not above Three Miles about Being Four Miles from Porto Lion which formerly was call Pirea having a Castle to the South The Houses are better built here than in any part of the Morea most having little Courts with high Walls in which are Arches with Marble Pillars few Houses above Two Story high They also patcht up with the Ruines of old Palaces and in most Walls are abundance of old Inscriptions The Governors are in the same manner as they be in other Cities under the Turks The Greeks live much better here than in any other part of Turky Scio excepted being a small Common-wealth amongst themselves They choose eight Magistrates who adjust all differences and appear in all Publick Matters Their Protector at the Port is the Grand Seigniors Chief Eunuch who hath the disposing of that Government The City is not Walled about but has Gates at the Streets end which every Night are shut to keep out Privateers who often Land and do much mischief Here is an Arch-Bishop whose House stands to the South West of the Town near unto the Mount Ariopagus He lives in great esteem amongst them Below his Palace towards the North stands intire the Temple of Theseus which is a fair and large Building all of White Marble having a Portico about it with Pillars The Temple is Seventy Three Foot long and Twenty Six in Breadth The Length of the Portico which goes round it is One Hundred Twenty Three Foot It is now a Greek Church and Dedicated to St. George To the South East part of the Castle are Seventeen Marble Pillars being the remainder of One Hundred and Twenty on which the Emperor Adrian had his Palace And upon some of the Pillars which stand towards the East is to be seen part of the Foundation These Pillars are of a pure White Marble with blewish Waves Schollop-work being Fifty Foot in heighth and Nineteen and a half round The Ground is very even about them which they say was formerly Paved with Marble Close to these Pillars Eastward is a square Piece of Ground which is Walled in with a low Wall being Green It is kept very smooth and free of Stones at the South End close to the Wall is a place raised with Two Steps about Two Foot high almost in Form of a Throne In the time of their Byram the Turks come to this place where their Emam or Priest sitting on the raised place Preacheth to them shewing them the Vanity of the World the Greatness of their Emperour and the Valour of the Ottoman Forces concluding with a Prayer for the Grand Seignior which is answered with Three Shouts from the Auditors with a loud Voice crying Amen The Castle stands on a Rock which is high and steep having but one way up and three Gates to pass through into the Body of it The Walls are much out of repair The Scituation makes it strong This Castle stood almost in the middle of Old Athens The Place most worth Observation in it is the Temple of Minerva which remains entire being esteemed by all who have seen it to be one of the Most Glorious Buildings in Europe It is all pure White Marble The Length of the Body of the Temple is One Hundred Sixty Eight English Feet and the Breadth Seventy One There are Seventeen Pillars at each Side and Eight at the Front The Circuit of the Pillars are Nineteen Foot and a Half The Length of the whole Temple Two Hundred and Thirty Feet The Temple is very dark having only some Lights to the Eastward The Greeks did Consecrate and Dedicated it to the Blessed Virgin Since that the Turks have perverted it with their Worship The Turks have White-wash'd the Inside notwithstanding it is all of pure Marble In and about Athens are Two Hundred Greek Churches most of which have been Temples but not one quarter of them are now used In the Plain and on most of the Hills there are many small Chappels The Ruines are above Six Miles about of which the Reader may have full satisfaction by reading the Travels of Sir George Wheeler who hath given a large and true Account of this City Some Geographers call it Settines which name was never known to the Inhabitants the Turks call it Atinna and the Greeks Athine The Air is very good The Soyl rich It hath a River to the South close by the Ruines of Adrians Palace called Illisus or Calleroy which is almost choaked up and in Summer is dry The Harbour of Porto Lione is very secure from the danger of any Wind but there is no Fortification so that it is frequented by Pyrats In all the Villages and Country about Athens the Inhabitants are most Albaneses and they are here more populous than in the Morea It affords the same Commodities and all Provision is as reasonable but their Wines in general are not so good The Island of ZANT formerly called ZACYNTHVS Is under the Venetians lying about 15 miles from the South West point of the Morea The West part is all Mountains and to the North East is another Mountain called Scopo between which it is very low land so as from the Southward at Sea it appears to be two Islands The chief Road hath the name of the Island The Town stretcheth it self above a mile along that Bay it is well built with Free-stone but the Houses are low by reason of the Earth-quakes which are very frequent To the West over the Town stands the Castle on a high and steep Hill and is a small City in it self The Wall is above a mile about The Governour is a Noble-man of Venice There is an Italian Bishop and three Italian Churches But the Greeks who are the chief Inhabitants have a Proto Papa and all Festivals are observed according to the old stile In the Island is above 30 Villages and more than 60000 Souls The Corn which grows here will not suffice above three months but in time of Peace with the Turks they are well supplied from the Morea and in time of War Corn is brought from Apuglia and other parts in the Gulph of Venice One year with another it produceth near 10000 Tun of Wine 200 Tun of Oyl and 2000 Tun of Currants and may be compared for pleasantness and richness with any Island of its bigness in the World The Currants grow on Vines and spread themselves on the ground like other Grapes In July they gather them and spread them on a very smooth part of ground where they lye until they are well dry'd then they fall off from the Stalks so are carry'd and put into Ware-houses where they are kept till the Merchants buy them STRAFADA Islands They are two small Islands which lye about 20 miles from Zant and 30 from the Morea On the bigger is a Monastery well built which hath a high Tower There is about 40 Priests of the Order of St. Basil They work the ground and have all sorts of Fruits and Sallating but their supply of Bread Oyl and Wine is brought them from Zant where they have possessions They never eat Flesh When any Pyrats come to molest them they shut themselves up in the Tower of the Monastery There is no Harbour for Ships so as seldom any come to trouble them PRODINO and SAPIENZA Islands Are not Inhabited but afford secure Harbours for Shipping especially the latter where the Venetians often lye to look out for Pyrats of Barbary who use to cruise about Navareene and Modon SERIGO formerly called CYTHERA Is under the Venetians and withstood the Turks Forces which Landed there several times the Inhabitants who are Greeks retired to the Castle which is strong yet the Turks might have taken it but thought it not worth the loss of his men there being no good Harbour for Shipping nor is the Land fruitful being most Stony The Governour is a Noble-man of Venice FINIS