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
and Elementary bodies the Stoicall Fate the Chaldean Iewish and Arabian Fancies are now disclaymed euen by those Learned which maintayne in our dayes Iudiciall Astrologie or commend the same Neither can it agree with Christian Religion to subiect the will of Man to any externall naturall force nor with reason in matters contingent and casuall to make them naturall Arbiters nor will I easily beleeue that particular euents can be fore-told from generall causes especially in the affaires and fortunes of men Where the numbers substances faculties actions of these stars are weakly or not at al known vnto vs as hath beene shewed it is like as to say how many and what kind of Chickens a Hen will hatch when wee see not all nor scarce know any of the Egges vnder her The swiftnesse of the Heauens Wheele which euen in the moment of obseruing is past obseruing the vanitie of our Oracle-Almanacks which commonly speake doubtfully or falsely of the weather the infinitenesse almost of causes concurring which are diuersly qualified the weakenesse of those foundations on which this Art is grounded the force of hereditarie qualities descended from Parents of custome and education in forming mens manners the disagreements of the Astrologers among themselues the new from the old and all from the Truth as Experience in all ages hath shewed And lastly the prohibition of the same by Scripture Fathers Councels Lawes yea the learnedest of the Chaldeans and other Astronomers themselues as Eusebius reciteth of Bardanes and Rob. Moses ben Maimon hauing read all the Arabians workes hereof answereth the Iewish Astrologers are strong arguments against the Starre-gazers predictions But let Picus Mirandula his twelue Bookes against Astrologie and Ioseph Scaligers Preface before Manilius be well weighed of such as dote on or doubt of this Genethliacall ridiculous vanitie if not impious villany as those Authors and others prooue it not by the errors of some Chiefetaines and Champions onely but of the Arte it selfe and the whole Senate of Iewish Saracenical and Christian Astrologers together hatching a lye The signes and constellations which Astronomers obserue in and on each side the Zodiakes would be too prolixe in this discourse already tedious as likewise those alterations which some haue obserued in some starres But those two great Lights the two eyes of the Heauens the greater light to rule the day and the lesse to rule the night which is called great not so much for the quantitie wherein it is lesse then many starres as for the operation and seeming to the sense doe command mine eyes to take more speciall view of their beauties How willing could I be like Phaton to mount the Chariot of the Sunne which commeth forth as a Bridegroome out of his Chamber and reioyceth like a mightie man to runne his race King of Starres enthronized in the mids of the Planets heart of the World eye of the Heauens brightest gemme of this goodly Ring father of dayes yeeres seasons meteors Lord of light fountaine of heate which seeth all things and by whom all things see which lendeth light to the starres and life to the World high Steward of Natures Kingdome and liueliest visible Image of the liuing inuisible God And dazled with this greater light I would reflect mine eyes to that reflexion of this light in the sober siluer countenance of the silent Moone which whether it haue any natiue shining though weake as Zanchius and Bartholinus hold or whether it bee an aethereall earth with Mountaines and Vallies and other not elementary Elements compact of the dregs of the aethereal parts or whatsoeuer else reason fancie or phrensie haue imagined thereof is Queene of the Night attended with the continuall dances of twinckling starres Mother of Moneths Lady of Seas and moysture constant image of the Worlds inconstancie which it neuer seeth twice with the same face and truest modell of humane frailtie shining with a borrowed light and eclipsed with euery interposition of the earth But I am not Endymion nor so much in Lunaes fauour as to be lulled asleepe in her lap there to learne these mysteries of Nature and the secrets of that happy marriage between these celestial twinnes And it is high time for me to descend from these measures of time the lampes of the World and to behold the neerer works of GOD before our feet in the ayre and waters which GOD on the fift day created But the principall rarities to be obserued in these creatures we shall disperse in our scattered discourses through this Worke as occasion shall bee offered as likewise touching the beasts both Wilde and Tame and the creeping things created the sixth day Thus was the Ayre Water and Earth furnished with their proper inhabitants Sanctius his animal mentisque capacius altae Deerat adhuc quod dominari in caetera posset Natus homo est After he had thus prouided his cheere he sought him out a guest and hauing built and furnished his house his next care was for a fit Inhabitant Of this Moses addeth Furthermore God said Let Vs make Man But this will aske a longer discourse In the meane time wee haue this testimonie of Moses of the Creation of the World whose sense if I haue missed or misted in these many words I craue pardon And although this testimonie might suffice a Christian which must liue by faith and not by sight yet to preuent cauillers we haue other witnesses both of reason and authority That this World had a Beginning and that the Builder and Maker thereof was GOD. For doth not Nature both within and without vs in the admirable frame of this lesse or that greater World in the Notions of the one and the Motions of the other in the wise and mighty order and ordering of both lead men vnto a higher and more excellent Nature which of his goodnesse we call GOD When we behold the whole World or any part of it in the Elements such agreement in such disagreement in the Heauenly motions such constancie in such varietie in these compound bodies Being Liuing Sense Reason as diuers degrees diuersly communicated to so many formes and rankes of Creatures We can no more ascribe these things to chance than a Printers Case of Letters could by chance fall into the right Composition of the Bible which he Printeth or of Homers Iliads to vse Tullies similitude neither can any ascribe the Creation to the Creature with better reason then if by some shipwracke being cast on a desolate Iland and finding houses but seeing no people therein he could esteeme the Birds or Beasts all the Ilanders he seeth to be the framers of these buildings But thou mayest thinke it eternall Thou mayest as well thinke it to be GOD Infinite Vnchangeable in the whole and in all the parts Doth not the Land by seasons the Sea by ebbing and flowing the Aire by succeeding changes the Heauens by motions all
Steeples vse to erect the Crosse For then there was no new Moone day of there moneth Muharram but was the second day after the Iewish account and therefore the new Moone might then be seene But for the Friday it was obserued before Mahomets time as shall after be shewed Hee depriued a certaine Carpenters poore Orphans of their patrimonie and consecrated their House into a Temple This Citie being for most part inhabited with Iewes they asked a signe in confirmation of his Office He said That hee was not sent with miracles but denunciation of Armes heere and Hell hereafter and those which would not receiue his new Doctrine he expelled by force Being absolute Lord heere he aspired also to the Dominion of Mecca He sent thirtie Horse with Hanzeta to rob the Marchants trauelling thither but being then preuented hee sent foure yeeres after sixe hundred of his best Souldiers vnder Hugaida to assault Mecca but hee also was discomfited yet not desisting his enterprize seuen yeeres after he atchieued it and after eleuen battels entered and sacked the Towne and gaue the spoyle to his souldiers and for feare the neighbouring-Cities submitted themselues Mahomet here with encouraged assaulted the Persians and Aegyptians exchanging with those hee conquered his new Religion for their old wealth and libertie binding the Gouernours thereunto But now being old and through his intemperances weake and diseased also with the falling Sicknesse he coloured his often falling with pretext of Gabriels brightnesse and the vnsufferable splendour of his presence Hee was of meane stature large sinewes browne colour broad face with a cut lip and had one of his fore-teeth stricken out in one Expedition and in another his face wounded He had great head thinne haires long shankes not proportionable to his head He was of few words but deceitfull couetous and withall prodigall but of other mens goods and in deeds of lust equalling himselfe to fortie other men or as some say fiftie When hee was threescore and three yeeres of age he dyed of which he liued in trade of Marchandize thirtie eight and in the Caue two at Mecca ten in Medina thirteene He had commanded that they should not burie him for that on the third day after hee would ascend in bodie and soule into Heauen Meanewhile the Earth being poysoned with the stinke of his Carkasse they buryed him not at Mecca as some affirme but at Medina His Law in his life-time sustained many alterations Cellenus his Scribe writing what himselfe pleased and the seuerall parcels of the same being collected by Odmen one of his successours this Booke was thereupon called Alcaron that is a Summarie or Collection of Precepts Thus Mahomet aduantaged himselfe with the mutinous Rebels Fugitiues Vnthrifts Apostata-Iewes and hereticall Christians in that diseased State of the Empire the body wherof was afflicted on the East by the Persians on the West by the Gothes and other Barbarians and fretted within his owne bowels by intestine rebellions the Soule thereof being no lesse torne and rent by the Sects and Heresies of the Arians Donatists Nestorians Pelagians and others He fishing in these troubled waters set on foot his new Religion to bring light to the Gentiles and to mitigate to the Iewes and Christians the seueritie of the Law and Gospell But the Mahumetans themselues doe report otherwise fabling of this Fabler great matters as if hee had been the Promise and Hope of Nations and the most excellent personage of the World §. II. The Saracens storie of Mahomets life THey haue written a Booke of the generation of Mahomet to this effect The Booke of the generation of Mahomet the Messenger of God the Prayer and Saluation of God bee vpon him from Adam and Eue to the time when God brought him forth gracious perfect and fit for himselfe When as Kabachbar had learned out of the Scriptures and by Astrologie that this Prophet should be borne to the world hee heard That there was a man borne in Ieseras a Citie of Arabia hauing all such markes and tokens as hee had fore-seene by the Prophecies and his Art viz. A spot on his fore-head a print betweene his shoulders c. And to satisfie his desire hee went thither to see where finding those tokens fulfilled in young Mahomet hee thereupon expounded the darke mysterie of his farre-fetched Light learned of his Master Kabelmedi in this manner When Adam was newly created as he stood vp his braine shaked and made a noyse as the leaues doe which are shaken with the winde whereas Adam wondring GOD said vnto him The sound which thou hast heard is the signe of the Prophets and Messengers of my Commandements Take heed therefore that thou commit the Seed of Light onely to worthie Loynes and to a cleane Wombe And this Light of Mahomet that should be borne shined from the face of Adam as the Sun or Moone at the full And when hee had begotten Seth that Light passed instantly from the face of Adam into the face of Eue in so much that the birds of the Aire and beasts of the Earth wondred at her beautie Yea the Angels euery day saluted her and brought her odours out of Paradise till she brought forth Seth alone hauing before at euery burthen brought forth a brother and a sister Seth inherited this Light which remained betweene heauen and earth the Angels thereby ascending and descending vpon Seth and crying alwaies Reioyce thou Earth worthie of the Light of Mahomet on him be Prayer and Saluation of God Adam drawing neere to his end declared vnto him by his Testament the mysterie of that Light and the Genealogy of the Prophets Then descended Gabriel accompanied with threescore and ten thousand Angels bearing euery one of them a white leafe and a pen which signed the writing for the continuance of the order of the Propheticall generation Seth receiued this writing was cloathed with a double red garment shining as the Sunne as saft as the violet-flower From him it passed by succession to Noe and Sem then to Abraham at whose birth two lights from the East and West meeting in the middest lightned the whole world and the Angels were heard singing That it was the Light of the Prophet Mahomet who should be borne of his Seed whose Word should bee in the vertue of God This Light passed from Abraham to the face of Hagar being with childe and after to Ismael and God told him That the soule of Mahomet in the beginning of the Creation was mingled with his and that his name in Heauen should be Asmet in Earth Mahomet in Paradise Abualtrazim At this Sara grieued vntill three Angels comforted her with the promise of ISAAC From Ismael it remoued to Keidar his sonne who being indued with seuen Gifts married Nulia of the Land of Isaac but being warned by an Oracle he tooke to wife Algadira an Arabian and after by diuine warning carried the chest of this Light vnto Iacob Then was Hamel borne
of his Horse wherof hee dyed and asked where hee was most pained sayd in his Soule as guilty to himselfe of his former cruelties and couetousnesse This is the profit of vnsanctified and ill-sanctified Gold the one whereof we see in these Peruuian Temples thus spoyled by the Spaniards who in the other respect were more spoyled by this spoyle and purchase What golden dayes these were to the Spaniards this History in diuers places sheweth From one Palace of Cusco sayth Xeres they tooke seuen hundred plates of Gold each whereof weighed fiue hundred Castlins from another House the weight of two hundred thousand Two Houses of Gold hee speakes of the very thatch being counterfeit in Gold the strawes with the eares artificially wrought But euery where are these Relations wrought and embrodered with Cusco Gold Aluarados Armie which he brought into Peru had perished as Cieza relateth with drought but for certaine Canes as bigge as a mans legge which betweene the knots contayned a pottle of water extracted from the dewes for there fell no raine in those parts Giraua sayth that the Inhabitants of Anzerma were in their Warres armed with complete Harnesse of Gold and that about Quito there were Mynes whence more Gold was taken then Earth I tye no mans credit to these reports but sure it is that they had these Metals in abundance which the Spanish warres haue made our European World to feele more managed and mayntayned by Indian wedges then Spanish Blades But let vs come from their Mynes to their Minds which for heauenly things were as ful of drosse as the other were of purer Metals CHAP. X. Of the many Gods of Peru their opinions of the Creation Floud and end of the World §. I. Of their Gods THe Peruuians acknowledged a Supreme Lord and Authour of all things which they called Viracocha and gaue him names of great excellencie as Pachacamas or Pachayachachis which is the Creator of Heauen and Earth and Vsapu that is admirable and other the like Him they did worship as the chiefest of all and honoured him in beholding the Heauens Yet had they no proper name for God no more then the Mexicans but such as in this sort might signifie him by his attributes or workes and therefore are forced to vse the Spanish name Dios In the name of Pachacamac or Creator they had a rich Temple erected to him wherein they worshipped notwithstanding the Deuill and certaine figures The name of Viracocha was of the greatest sound in their deuotions and so they called the Spaniards esteeming them the Sonnes of Heauen Benzo alledgeth another cause of that name giuen to the Spaniards It signifieth saith he the froth of the Sea Vira is froth Cochie the Sea because they thought them ingendred of Sea froth and nourished therewith in regard of their couetousnesse and crueltie deuouring all things applying that name to them in respect of their wicked practices and not for Diuine Originall Yea they curse the Sea which sent such a cursed brood into the Land The Spaniards came thither by Sea as you haue heard If I sayth Benzo asked any of them for any Christian by that Title they would neyther looke on me nor answere but if I enquired for them by the name of Viracochie they would presently make answere And there would the Father point to the child goes a Viracochi In this they agreed with the ancient Grecian Ethnikes which termed the most inhumane Monsters of humanitie and the cruellest Tyrants the Sonnes of Neptune as procreated of the Sea Such were Procrustes Polyphemus and others To reconcile these two wholly is impossible not so to shew some reason why the same name might bee giuen both to their Idoll and the Spaniards These might bee so termed as comming thither at first by Sea and haply because at the first they thought somewhat more then humane to be in them and that which at first they gaue for honour may now bee continued in an Ironie or Antiphrasis whiles they thought them better then Men and found them little inferiour to Deuils Viracocha their great Authour of Nature may bee called by this Sea name for some especiall Sea Rites obserued in his honour or for the same cause that the Mythologians ascribe to Venus her Sea-generation For they pictured Venus swimming on the Sea as Albricus affirmeth and the Poet singeth Venus Orta Mari which the Mythologians apply to the motion and moysture required to generation and to that frothy nature of the Sperme So sayth Phornutus Venus è Mari nata perhibetur quòd ad omnium generationis causam motu humiditate opus sit Et fortè quòd spumosa sint animantium semina therefore sayth Fulgentius she is called Aphrodite for Aphros is Froth and so is Lust in regard of the vanitie and so is Seed in regard of naturall qualitie Perhaps also the first Master of Viracochas Mysteries which taught them first in Peru came thither by Sea But to returne to Acosta he telleth that the Ingua Yupangui to make himselfe more respected deuised that being one day alone Viracocha the Creator spake to him complayning that though hee were vniuersall Lord and Creator of all things and had made the Heauen the Sunne the World and Men and ruled all yet they did not yeeld him due obedience but did equally honour the Sunne Thunder Earth and other things giuing him to vnderstand that in Heauen where hee was they called him Viracocha Pachayachachia which signifieth vniuersall Creator promising also that hee would send men inuisibly to assist him against the Changuas who had lately defeated his Brother Vnder this colour he assembled a mightie Armie and ouerthrew the Changuas and from that time commanded that Viracocha should be held for vniuersall Lord and that the Images of the Sunne and Thunder should doe him reuerence And thenceforth they set his Image highest yet did he not dedicate any thing to him saying that hee being Lord of all had no need As for those inuisible Souldiers a conceit like that which wee haue mentioned of the Turkes he said that no man might see them but himselfe and since they were conuerted into stones and in that regard gathered a multitude of stones in the Mountaynes and placed them for Idols sacrificing them He called them Pururaucas and carried them to the warres with great deuotion making his Souldiers beleeue that they had gotten the victory through their helpe And by this meanes he obtayned goodly victories Next to Viracocha they worshipped the Sunne and after him the Thunder which they called by three names Chuquilla Catuilla and Intijllapa supposing it to be a man in Heauen with a Sling and a Mace in whose power it is to cause Raine Haile Thunder and other effects of the ayrie Region This Guaca so they called both their Idols and Temples was Generall to all the Indians of Peru and in Cusco they sacrificed to
their transitiue and forren effects are stinted and limitted to the modell and state of the Creature wherein the same effects are wrought Such an immanent worke we conceiue and name that Decree of GOD touching the Creation of the World with his prouident disposing all and euery part thereof according to the Counsel of his own will and especially touching the reasonable creatures Angels and Men in respect of their eternall state in Saluation or Damnation The outward works of GOD are in regard of Nature Creation and Prouidence in regard of Grace Redemption and Saluation in the fulnesse of time performed by our Emanuel GOD manifested in the flesh true GOD and perfect Man in the Vnitie of one Person without confusion conuersion or separation This is verie GOD and life eternall IESVS CHRIST the Sonne of GOD our Lord which was conceiued by the HOLY GHOST borne of the Virgin MARY suffered vnder Pontius Pilate who was crucified dead and buried descended into Hell rose againe the third day he ascended into Heauen where he sitteth at the right hand of GOD the Father Almightie from whence he shall come to iudge the quicke and dead And to such as are sonnes GOD doth also send the Spirit of his Sonne to renue and sanctifie them as children of the Father members of the Sonne Temples of the Spirit that they euen all the Elect may be one holy Catholike Church enioying the vnspeakeable priuiledges and heauenly prerogatiues of the Communion of Saints the Forgiuenesse of Sinnes the Resurrection of the Body and Euerlasting Life Euen so come LORD IESVS CHAP. II. Of the creation of the World THey which would without danger behold the Eclipse of the Sunne vse not to fixe their eyes directly vpon that bright eye of the World although by this case darkned but in water behold the same with more case and lesse perill How much fitter is it likewise for our tender eyes in beholding the light of that Light The Father of lights in whom is no darknesse to diuert our eyes from that brightnesse of glory and behold him as wee can in his workes The first of which in execution was the creation of the World plainly described by Moses in the booke of Genesis both for the Author matter manner and other circumstances Reason it selfe thus farre subscribing as appeareth in her Schollers the most of the Heathens and Philosophers in all ages That this World was made by a greater then the World In prouing this or illustrating the other a large field of discourse might be ministred neither doe I know any thing wherein a man may more improue the reuenewes of his learning or make greater shew with a little decking and pruning himselfe like Aesops Iay or Horace his Chough with borrowed feathers than in this matter of the Creation written of after their manner by so many Iewes Ethnickes Heretikes and Orthodoxe Christians For my part it shall be sufficient to write a little setting downe so much of the substance of this subiect as may make more plaine way and easier introduction into our ensuing History leauing such as are more studious of this knowledge to those which haue purposely handled this argument with Commentaries vpon Moses Text of which besides many moderne Writers some of which haue almost oppressed the Presse with their huge Volumes there are diuers of the Primitiue middle and decayed times of the Church a cloud indeed of Authors both for their number and the varietie of their opinions the most of them couering rather then discouering that Truth which can bee but one and more to beleeued in their confuting others then prouing their owne assertions Their store through this disagreeing is become a sore and burthen whiles we must consult with many and dare promise to our selues no surer footing yet cleauing as fast as we can to the letter imploring the assistance of the Creators Spirit let vs draw as neere as we may to the sense of Moses words the beginning whereof is In the beginning GOD created the Heauen and the Earth Wherein to omit the endlesse and diuers interpretations of others obtruding allegoricall anagogicall mysticall senses on the letter is expressed the Author of this worke to be GOD Elohim which word as is said is of the plurall number insinuating the holy Trinitie the Father as the Fountaine of all goodnesse the Sonne as the Wisdome of the Father the holy Ghost as the power of the Father and the Sonne concurring in this worke The action is creating or making of nothing to which is required a power supernaturall and infinite The Time was the beginning of time when as before there had neither been Time nor any other Creature The worke is called Heauen and Earth which some interpret all this bodily world heere propounded in the summe and after distinguished in parcells according to the sixe dayes seuerall workes Some vnderstand thereby the First matter which others apply only to the word Earth expounding Heauen to be that which is called Empyreum including also the spirituall and super-celestiall inhabitants Againe others whom I willingly follow extend the word Heauen to a larger signification therein comprehending those three Heauens which the Seriptures mention one whereof is this lower where the birds of the Heauen doe flye reaching from the Earth to the Sphere of the Moone the second the visible Planets and fixed Starres with the first Moueable the third called the Heauen of Heauens the third Heauen and Paradise of GOD together with all the Host of them By Earth they vnderstand this Globe consisting of Sea and Land with all the creatures therein The first Verse they hold to be a generall proposition of the Creation of all Creatures visible and inuisible perfected in sixe dayes as many places of Scripture testifie which as concerning the visible Moses handleth after particularly largely and plainly contenting himselfe with briefe mention of those inuisible creatures both good and bad as occasion is offered in the following parts of his Historie In the present he omitteth the particular description of their Creation lest some as Iewes and Heretikes haue done should take occasion to attribute the Creation to Angels as assistants or should by the excellencie of that Nature depainted in due colours be carryed to worshipping of Angels a superstition which men haue embraced towards the visible creatures farre in feriour both to Angels and themselues Moses proceedeth therefore to the description of the first matter and the creatures thereof framed and formed For touching those inuisible creatures both the Angels and their heauenly habitation howsoeuer they are circumscribed and haue their proper and most perfect substance yet according to the interpretation of Diuine their nature differeth from that of other creatures celestiall or terrestriall as not being made of that first matter whereof these consist Let vs therefore labour rather to be like the
Father of Lights himselfe thus conuinceth vs of darknesse Where is the way saith he where light dwelleth And By what way is the light parted And if we cannot conceiue that which is so euidently seene and without which nothing is seene and euident how inaccessible is that Light wherein the Light of this light dwelleth Euen this light is more then admirable life of the Earth ornament of the Heauens beautie and smile of the World eye to our Eyes ioy of our Hearts most common pure and perfect of visible creatures first borne of this World and endowed with a double portion of earthly and heauenly Inheritance shining in both which contayneth sustayneth gathereth seuereth purgeth perfecteth renueth and preserueth all things repelling dread expelling sorrow Shaking the wicked out of the Earth and lifting vp the hearts of the godly to looke for a greater and more glorious light greatest instrument of Nature resemblance of Grace Type of Glorie and bright Glasse of the Creators brightnesse This Light GOD made by his Word not vttered with sound of syllables nor that which in the beginning and therefore before the beginning was with GOD and was GOD but by his powerfull effecting calling things that were not as though they were and by his calling or willing causing them to be thereby signifying his will as plainly and effecting it as easily as a word is to a man That vncreated superessentiall light the eternall Trinitie commanded this light to bee and approued it as good both in it selfe and to the future Creatures and separated the same from darknesse which seemes a meere priuation and absence of light disposing them to succeed each other in the Hemisphere which by what motion or reuolution it was effected the three first dayes who can determine Fond it is to reason a facto ad fieri from the present order of constitution to the Principles of that institution of the Creatures whiles they were yet in making as Simplicius and other Philosophers may I terme them or Atheists haue absurdly done in this and other parts of the Creation And this was the first dayes Worke THE SECOND DAYES WORKE IN the second GOD said Let there bee a Firmament The word Rakiah translated Firmament signifieth expansum or expansionem a stretching out designing that vast and wide space wherein are the watery clouds here mentioned and those lights which follow in the fourteenth Verse by him placed in expanso howsoeuer some vnderstand it only of the Ayre The separating the waters vnder this Firmament from the waters aboue the Firmament some interprete of waters aboue the Heauens to refresh their exceeding heat or of I know not what Chrystaline Heauen some of spirituall substances whom Basil confuteth Origen after his wont Allegorically Most probable it seemeth that Moses intendeth the separation of those waters here below in their Elementarie Seat from those aboue vs in the clouds to which Dauid alluding saith Hee hath stretched out the Heauens like a Curten and laid the beames of his Chambers in the waters This separating of the waters is caused in the Ayrie Region by the Aethereall in which those forces are placed which thus exhale and captiuate these waters That matter before endued with lightning qualitie was now in this second day as it seemeth attenuated extended aboue and beyond that myrie heape of Earthywaters and both the Aether and Aire formed of the same first matter and not of a fift Essence which some haue deuised to establish the Heauens Eternitie both Twins of the Philosophers braines And wherein doe not these differ from each other touching the Celestiall Nature Roundnesse Motion Number Measure and other difficulties most of which are by some denyed Diuersitie of motions caused the Ancients to number eight Orbes Ptolemie on that ground numbred nine Alphonsus and Tebitius ten Copernicus finding another motion reuiued the opinion of Aristarchus Samius of the Earths mouing c. Others which therein dissent from him yet in respect of that fourth motion haue added an eleuenth Orbe which the Diuines make vp euen twelue by their Empyreall immoueable Heauen And many deny this assertion of Orbes supposing them to haue beene supposed rather for instructions sake then for any reall being And Moses here saith expansum as Dauid also calleth it a Curtaine which in such diuersitie of Orbes should rather haue beene spoken in the plurall number The Sidereus Nuncius of Galilaeus Galilaeus tels vs of foure new Planets Iupiters attendants obserued by the helpe of his Glasse which would multiply the number of Orbes further A better Glasse or neerer sight and site might perhaps find more Orbes and thus should we runne in Orbem in a Circular endlesse Maze of Opinions But I will not dispute this question or take it away by auerring the Starres animated or else moued by Intelligentiae A learned Ignorance shall better content me and for these varieties of motions I will with Lactantius ascribe them to GOD the Architect of Nature and Co-worker therewith by wayes Naturall but best knowne to himselfe Neither list I to dance after their Pipe which ascribe a Musicall harmonie to the Heauens THE THIRD DAYES WORKE ANd thus were the Aethereall and Ayrie parts of the World formed in the Third Day followeth the perfecting of the two lowest Elements Water and Earth which as yet were confused vntill that mightie Word of GOD did thus both diuorce and marry them compounding of them both this one Globe which he called Dry Land and Seas I call it a Globe with the Scriptures and the best Philosophers for which respect Numa built the Temple of Vesta round Neither yet is it absolutely round and a perfect Spheare but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rather Strabo affirmeth hauing saith Scaliger 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 depressed Vallies extended Plaines swelling Hillockes high-mounting Mountaines long courses of Riuers and other varieties of Nature and Art which all in so huge a masse rather beautifie the roundnesse then take it away The Eclipse of the Moone later seene in the East then in the West the round shaddow of the Earth which darkeneth it the rising of the Sunne and Starres sooner in the East then West the vnequall eleuation of the Pole and the Northerne Constellations appearing to vs the Southerne continually depressed all these obseruing due proportions according to the difference of places and Countries yea the compassing of the Earth by many Mariners argue the round compasse thereof against Patritius his difformitie or that deformitie which other Philosophers haue ascribed thereto The equalitie or inequalitie of dayes according to the neerenesse or farrenesse from the Equinoctiall holding proportion as well by Sea as Land as doth also the eleuation of the Pole and not being longer wher 's a quarter of the World is Sea then if it were all Earth doe confute the
beyond Taurus After this hee was slaine exhibiting in himselfe a true example of the worlds falshood that playeth with Scepters and vyeth Diadems vsing men like Counters or Figures in numbring and casting accounts where the same with a little difference of place is a pound shilling or penie one ten or an hundred And yet as earthly happinesse herein comes short of heauen that it is neuer meere and vnmixed but hath some sowre sauce to rellish it so falleth it as farre short of hell that not onely hope but the most miserable hap hath some glimpse of comfort But to come to our Historie Antiochus his sonne sur-named Epiphanes and after Epimanes for his furious insolence who beganne his raigne Anno mundi 3774. was first sent to Rome in hostage for securitie of his fathers faith and after that Seleucus his brother which sent Heliodorus to rob the Temple at Ierusalem had a while warmed the Throne succeeded in the Syrian Kingdome Of him and his tyrannie Daniel had long before prophesied in the interpretation of Nabuchodonosors Image whose legs are interpreted to be this Syrian and the Egyptian kingdomes both heauie and hard neighbours to the Church in Iudea lying betwixt them but more especially in his Visions in the seuenth Chapter Where after other things he fore-telleth of the ten hornes which are the eight Kings afore-named and two Egyptian Ptolemus Euergetes and Philopater in their times preuayling in Syria and infesting Iudea And the last shall subdue three Kings which were Ptolemie of Egypt driuen out of Syria Seleucus his brother and Demetrius to whom after Seleucus the right of the Scepter belonged His policie and blasphemie and tyrannie are also by Daniel plainely fore-signified and in their euent as fully in the Historie of the Machabees related There you may reade his wicked life and wretched death He tooke Ierusalem Anno mundi 3781 and slew fourescore thousand people robbed the Temple of eighteene hundred talents and of the holy Vessels polluted the Temple forbade the Sacrifice named it the Temlpe of Iupiter Olympius forced men by tortures from their religion with other execrable outrages which would require a iust volume to describe As he was thus madde and raging against the true Religion so Athenaeus sheweth his vanitie in his owne whose pompous solemnitie at the Daphnean Feast hee thus relateth Antiochus in emulation to Paulus Aemilius proclaimed this solemne festiuitie in the Cities of Greece and performed it at Daphne First passed in order fiue thousand men armed after the Roman manner next followed fiue thousand Mysians and three thousand Cilicians with Crownes of gold of Thracians three thousand of Galatians fiue thousand of whom some had shields of siluer Twentie thousand Macedonians and fiue thousand with shields of brasse after these two hundred and fortie couples of champions which should fight in single combate There followed one thousand Pisaean horse-men and three thousand of the Citie the most whereof had Crownes and Vials of gold other trappings of siluer Next came the band called Socia nothing inferiour in pompe or number then a thousand extraordinarie and another thousand in the band called Agema Lastly the barded horses fifteene hundred all these in purple vestures which many had embroidered or embossed with gold Chariots drawne with sixe horses one hundred and fortie drawne by foure one drawne by Elephants attended with six and thirtie other The rest of the pompe is incredible and tedious eight hundred youths with golden crownes a thousand fat oxen and three hundred persons to attend the sacrifices eight hundred Elephants teeth There were also the Images of all the gods and Heroes that can be reckoned some gilded some clothed with golden vestures their fabulous histories being with great pompe annexed After all these the Images of Day Night Earth Heauen Morning and Noone Then came a thousand Boyes each hauing a piece of plate of a thousand drams sixe hundred with vessels of gold eightie women were carried in chaires footed with gold and fiue hundred in others footed with siluer very sumptuously attired two hundred of them out of basons of gold strewed odours These spectacles lasted thirtie dayes A thousand and sometimes twelue hundred Halls or dining roomes were furnished for bankets the King himselfe affecting too officious familiaritie therein visiting the tables of the baser people yea and that as a base Minstrell with musicke not of the best instruments but such as the poorer sort vsed for want of better as learned Casaubonus hath on that place of Athenaens obserued So base is the Pride of Ambition tempering a confused distemper according in a strange harmonie the harshest discord of proud-aspiring and deiected basenesse where a base and seruile mind begetteth pride and pride produceth a seruil basenesse a changeling which the doting World fathereth on Humility Of the death of this Antiochus the former and second bookes of Machabees seeme to disagree and which is more strange the second booke in the first chapter saith hee and his company were destroyed in the Temple of Nanaea in Persia and in the ninth chapter saith that in Media at Echatana hee was smitten with an vncouth disease and a fall from his Chariot whereof he died Some that would haue this history Oanonicall apply it to two Antiochi as Lyra and Rupertus and after them Canus but Bellarmine seeing that they will not agree with the times of any other but Epiphanes proueth himselfe Epimanes and runneth mad with loue of that Trent-Minion affirming that in the Temple of Nanae a he fell but escaped as the King of Sodome is said to fall when Lot was captiued and yet was not slaine and after perished as in the after part of the historie is expressed whereas it is there said that they shut the dores on him and cut him and his fellowes in pieces and made them shorter by the heads who yet after this forsooth could goe into Media and there haue a fall from his Chariot They must haue no delicate stomacks that wil be Iesuits any thing must down when they will vp especially if Trent or the Vatican command though manifest reason and sense that I say not Religion countermand I enuie not the red Hat with these labels Wel fare that modestie of the Author that confesseth his weakenesse but Anathema to their Anathema's that enact contradictions to be Canonicall I omit the successors of Antiochus to wit Antiochus Demetrius Alexander who tooke away the golden Image of Victoria out of the Temple at Antioch in his necessitie iesting that Iupiter had sent him Victorie and when hee would haue added Iupiter to his sacriledge was chased away by the multitude and after slaine by Gripus The rest with the times of their raigne are before expressed Pompey set an end to these Seleucidan Kings and the Romans enioyed the Countries of Syria till the Saracens dispossessed them whose history you may reade in their
part festiuall fittest for that purpose as the fruits of the Earth being now inned The first day of this moneth was besides the ordinarie Kalends or Festiuall New-Moone the Feast of Trumpets in respect of that rite then obserued of sounding Trumpets being their New-yeeres day after the ciuill account the institution is read Leuit. 23. and Num. 29. Whether as some of the Rabbines will haue it for Isaaks deliuerance that in remembrance of that Ramme these Rams-horne Trumpets should be sounded or in regard of the wars or in respect of that spirituall war-fare which continueth our whoie life or that this was so festiual a moneth or the beginning of their yeere for ciuill accounts and for the Sabbaticall and Iubilee yeeres or for some other cause let the wiser Reader iudge On tht tenth day of this moneth was the Feast or Fast of Reconciliation or Expiation a day of publike penance fasting and afflicting themselues described in Leuit. 16. throughout the Chapter and Chap. 23. wherein is liuely in that type shewed the Office of Iesus Christ the eternall high-Priest who hath alone wrought our atonement entred into the Holy place of Heauen and laid our sins on the Scape-Goate bearing them and satisfying for them in his owne person on the Crosse and by the sprinckling of his blood sanctified vs for euer to God his Father Paul Heb. 9. doth vnfold the misterie of this dayes rites wherein onely the high Priest alone might enter into the holy-place and himselfe alone performe the other Offices of Expiation The Iewes thought that this fasting and afflicting themselues was in respect of their Idolatrie with the golden Calfe and therefore it seemed that in Theodorets time they did not afflict themselues but sported rather in obscure and prophane manner The Sacrifices are set downe Num. 29.8 9 10 11. The next Feast was that of Tabernacles in remembrance that howsoeuer they now dwell in strong Cities goodly houses c. yet their fathers liued in Tents in the wildernesse where GOD by a cloude in the day time and fire in the night protected that people It is expressed Leu. 23. Num. 29. Deut. 16. It was obserued from the fifteenth to the one and twentieth the first and last of them being as at the Passeouer more solemnely festiuall with abstinence from labor and a generall Conuocation They were the first day to take boughes and branches of Trees and to make therewith Booths and to dwell in booths seuen daies This was neglected from the time of Iosuah till the dayes of Nehemiah when he and Ezra solemnized this feast seuen dayes with booths on their house-tops and in their Courts and streetes with Lectures euery day out of the Law and a solemne assembly on the eight day The Hebrews report that they made them bundles of that matter which they carried euery day of the seuen vp and downe in the morning before they might eate whereupon it was called the Feast of Palmes or Willowes The seuenth day saith Paulus Fagius they compassed the Altar with these boughes seuen times in remembrance of the fall of Iericho Andrew Osiander affirmeth that they vsed this carrying about boughes euery day especially the seuenth in which they obserued a kinde of Procession or Letanie singing Ana Iehoua Hosanna ana Iehoua hatz elicha-na first reckoning vp a great number of the names of God then of his attributes thirdly of the things which they wish to be saued then of themselues and other things interlacing euery particular of these with singing Hosanna like their Ora pro nobis in the Popish Letanie Then they altar it in another forme Pray redeeme the Vine of thy planting Hosanna c. then in another As thou sauedst the strong in Aegypt when thou went'st out for their deliuerance so Hosanna c. Then in a longer forme of prayers with this foote of the song Hosanna and lastly all rings Hosanna Hosanna and hereupon the later Iewes called this feast Hosanna as also those bundles of boughes and although that the later Iewes haue now added much the Iewes of Italie differing from them of Germanie yet in Christs time the acclamations of Hosanna when he came riding on an Asse into Ierusalem testifie some such obseruation then amongst them The Sacrifices of euery day are designed Num. 29. The first day thirteene bullocks the second twelue and euery day one lesse to the seuenth in all seuentie as the Rabbines interpret it according to the number of the seuentie languages of the Nations which shall be subdued to the Messias and ninetie eight Lambs in respect of so many curses in the Law against the transgressing Israelites The eight day was the Feast which they called Haaziph and Azareth that is Collection called also the great day of the feast in the two and twentieth day of this moneth Tisri In this they were to contribute to the continuall Sacrifices and publike thanksgiuing was made for the stuites of the Earth and the first fruites of the latet fruites were offered Ieroboam in an irreligious policie remoued the feast of Tabernacles from the seuenth moneth to the eight from Tisri to Marchesuan The seuenth yeere was appointed a Sabbaticall yeere wherein they were neither to sowe nor to reape but to leaue that which should voluntarily grow in their fields and yards to the poore and secondly should not exact debt of their brethren of the same Nation but remit it Deu. 15. Exod. 23. Leuit. 25. and the obseruation hereof is expressed in the time of Nehemiah After seuen times seuen yeeres which make fortie nine they were to reckon Iobel or yeere of Iubilee Leu. 25. beginning on the day of Reconciliation Wherein seruants were freed debts remitted possessions that had beene alienated returned the law allowing no further sales proclaimed with sound of a Trumpet of a Rammes-horne and therefore called Iobel which signifieth a Ramme or Rammes-horne Touching this yeere of Iubilee is much controuersie The ancient Authors account it the fiftieth yeere Scaliger refuseth their authoritie herein Many moderne writers hold the same opinion as Hospinian Melanchton Fabritius Paduanus c. Caluisius hath at large disputed this question against Crentzhemius and Bucholcerus by diuers arguments prouing that the Iubilee was but fortie nine yeeres complete and that the fiftieth yeere was the first onwards of another Iubilee or Sabbath of yeeres Yet is this space reckoned by fiftie as Ouid calls the Olympiad quinquennis Olympias Aristophanes and Ausonius affirming the like and yet the Olympiad is but foure yeeres complete and reckoned from the fift to the fift exclusiuely Otherwise they should haue had two Sabbatticall yeeres together namely the fortie ninth being the seuenth yeere and the next which was the fiftieth yeere As for the later Writers they might be deceiued by following the streame and beguiled by the Popish Iubilee which Boniface the eight before called Benedictus and yet neither was good sayer nor
the Babylonian dispersion The Asian Iewes were most of this Babylonian sort to these Saint Peter wrote from Babylon which therefore he nameth not in the inscription The Hellenists were so called of hellenizing or vsing the Greeke tongue in their Synagogues in which they had the Scriptures translated in Aegypt Greece and Italie By reason of this translation the Hebrews and Hellenists often disagreed for the Hebrewes called it a backward reading because it is read from the left hand to the right which sometime brake forth into open violence R. Eleazar assaulted the Synagogue of the Alexandrians at Ierusalem and committed therein much outrage And Christian Charitie could scarce combine them as Luke mentioneth Act. 6.1 This Greeke translation was vsed by them throughout Europe they had it in Hebrew Letters as Tertullian testifieth in the Serapium at Alexandria Thus Philo and other of these learned Hellenists were ignorant of the Hebrew Likewise of those Hebrewes there was small reckoning had of the Galilaeans by their supercilious and superstitious brethren of Iudaea as the Gospell hath taught vs §. II. Of the Karraim and Babbinists and of the Hasidai THE opinions of the Iewes may be reduced into these two generall heads the one were such as contented themselues with the Law of God and were called Karraim or Koraim of which sort there are diuers at this day in Constantinople and other where The other Rabbinists Supererogatorie as Doctor Hall calls them and Popish Iewes called Hasidim professing a more strict holinesse then the Law required Yet at first these both pleased themselues and did not by opposition of Science displease each other and disagreeing in opinion they yet in affection agreed But when these voluntarie seruices beganne to bee drawne in Canons and of arbitrarie became necessarie they were rent into sundrie Sects Of these and their originall let vs heare Scaliger speake There were saith he before the times of Hasmonaei two kinds of Dogmatists men holding differing opinions among the Iewes the one onely accepting the written Law the other Tradition or the addition to the Law Of the former kinde arose the Karraim of whom came the Sadduces of the latter the Pharises These Pharises were the issue of the Hasidees The Hasidees were a Corporation Guild or Fraternitie which voluntarily addicted themselues to the Offices of the Law 1. Macchabees chap. 2. verse 42. Their originall was from the times of Ezrah or Esdras Haggai and Zacharie the Prophets being Authors of this Order These in regard of their institution were called Holy Hasidin and in regard of their Combination Hasidaei And besides that which the Law enioyned which is iust debt they supererogated and of their owne free accord disbursed vpon the Temple and Sacrifices They professed not onely to liue according to the prescript of the Law but if any thing could by interpretations and consequences be drawne thence they held themselues bound to satisfie it and when they had done all to seeme to haue done nothing but accounted themselues vnprofitable seruants notwithstanding Euery one paid a tribute to the reparations of the Temple from the times of Esdras and Nehemias The Hasidaeans added further of their owne free-will to the Sanctuarie Walles and Porches neuer almost going from the Temple which they seemed to hold peculiar to themselues and by which they vsed to sweare By this Habitacle or By this house Which the Pharises their posteritie also did as likewise they learned of them to build the Sepulchres of the Prophets They were therefore called Hasidim either because their Colledge was instituted of the Prophets or of their holy and religious workes and the sacred buildings by them eyther repaired or reared from the foundations And therefore when wicked Alcimus had killed threescore men of this Corporation or Guild the people thought their death was prophesied in the Psalme such reputation was there of their holinesse These Hasidaei were not in proper sense a Sect but a Fraternitie which euery day assembled in the Temple and offered in daily Sacrifice a Lambe which was called the sin offering of the Hasidim One day was excepted the eleuenth of Tisri in which that Sacrifice was omitted They offered not themselues for they were not Priests but the Priests in their name Abraham Zacuth saith That Baba the son of Buta daily of his owne accord offered a Ram for a sin-offering except one day which was the day after the Expiation And this was called the Sacrifice of the Saints for Sin And he sware By this Habitacle that is the Temple Of this kinde or much like thereto Scaliger thinketh the Rechabites were which Ieremia mentioneth whose immediate father he accounteth Ionadab not him which liued in the daies of Iehu but another of that name and that their austere order began but a little before it ended namely in the same Prophets time quickly ending because of the captiuitie After the Captiuitie these sonnes of Ionadab renuing their former obseruations were called Hasidaei which went not from the Temple and obserued the orders aboue mentioned so Scaliger interpreteth Ieremies Prophesie that Ionadab should not want one to stand before the Lord that is to minister attend holy duties in the temple like to Anna the Prophetes This saith he is the true beginning of the Hasidaei which abstained from wine as did also the Priests as long as they ministred in the temple Thus much Scaliger As for that which Serarius hath writtē against Scaliger and Drusius in this argument both in his Trihaeresium and his Mineruall or elsewhere I refer the Reader to himselfe choosing rather to expresse what I thinke probable then entertainmen with long vnnecessarie disputes Drusius proueth that diuers of the Pharises and Essees also were of these Hasidaei wherby it appeareth that it was rather a Brotherhood as Scal. calleth it then a Sect He sheweth their Rites and Discipline out of Iuchasin They spent 9. houres of the day in praier They beleeued that a man might sin in thought therfore they had care thereof their will was not without the will of Heauen that is of God Ten things were peculiar to them Not to lift vp their eyes aboue ten cubits 2. Not to goe bare-headed 3. To establish three refections 4. To dispose their hearts to Prayer 5. Not to looke on eyther side sixtly To goe about that they might not bee troublesome to any companie Seuenthly Not to eate at the Tables of great men eightly If they had angred any man quickly to appease him ninthly To haue a pleasant voyce and to descend to the interpretation of the Law tenthly to accustome themselues to their Threads and Phylacteries Rab one of his Fraternitie did not lift vp his eyes aboue foure cubits Tenne or twentie daies before their death they were diseased with the Collicke and so all cleare and cleane they departed into the other life To returne vnto Scaliger touching the originall
persons were there whose touch might pollute them They washed also Cups and Brasen vessels and Beds not Chamber-beds to lie on Drusius expoundeth but dining-beds which they vsed in stead of Tables They would not eate with Publicans or sinners yea they accounted themselues polluted with their touch Their hypocrisie in prayer Christ mentioneth that it was long and open in the streetes c. It was thrice in the day at the third sixt and ninth houre Their words submisse and softly as of Hannah 1. Sam. 1. and toward the Temple They Tythed all Luke 18. Math. 23. euen the smallest matters For Tythes saith Akiba are the Hedges of thy Riches And another Prouerbe learne it Tythe that thou maist be rich Epiphanius addeth they paid first fruits thirtieths and fiftieths Sacrifices and Vowes Their Phylacteries or Seruatories Defensiues so the word signifieth in Hebrew Totaphoth they vsed as Preseruatiues or Remembrancers of the Law and ware them larger then other men Hierome calls them Pittaciola resembling to them herein some simple superstitious women wearing little Gospels and the wood of the Crosse and such like of zeale not according to knowledge strayning a Gnat and swallowing a Cammell This superstition then complayned of by Hierome yet remaineth saith Scaliger among Christians and Mahumetans which weare about them the Gospell of S. Iohn Christ condemneth not the Rite but their ambition for dilating not for wearing them to which all the Iewes were bound and all the Iewes and Samaritans obserued They vsed the like ambition in their Fringes or twisted Tassels which the Iewes call Zizis and vse them still as after shall appeare Their Oathes were By Ierusalem the Temple the Heauen Earth their Head by the Law Fagius obserueth that the Iewes in swearing lay their hand on the booke of the Lawe at this day Other Oathes are little esteemd Hence it seemeth came our corporall oathes on a book The Iewes saith Capito thinke it no Oath if one forsweare by Heauen or Earth vnlesse he say by him which dwelleth there c. And none is subiect to that Curse in which the name of God is not added That of Corban pertayneth to this place mentioned Math. 15.5 Marke 7.11 which some interprete as if a Iew should say to his Parents That he had alreadie dedicated all that to God to whom vowes are to be performed wherewith he might haue helped them Doctor Rainolds saith That the Iewes as they were prone to vngodly vowes so this was an vsuall vow amongst them and they would binde it with an Oath That such or such a man should haue no profit by them The Oath which they herein vsed as most solemne was By the Gift for so they were instructed That if any sware by the Altar it was nothing but if by the Gift he was a debtor The Pharises therefore taught if any had said to his father By the Gift thou shalt haue no profit by me then he might in no case doe them any good against the Commandement Honour thy Father c. The Iewes vsed to binde their vowes with a curse as they which vowed Paules death vsing yet to suppresse the curse it selfe as If they shall enter into my rest So these By the gift if they haue any profit by me meant they should haue none Thus the Talmud saith he the Booke of their Canon Law and Schoole-Diuinitie saith That a man is bound to honor his Father vnlesse he vow the contrary Masius explaineth it thus That they did consecrate by saying Corban all where-with they should haue benefited their parents as if they had said Let it be Anathema or deuoted whatsoeuer it be with which I may profit thee And therefore those Rabbines vnder pretext of Religion allowed not to spend on his parents that which he had thus vowed to God Scaliger thus interpreteth the place as if a sonne being by his parents admonished of his dutie should put them off with this exception vnlesse that which I haue offered for thee free me of this burthen But let the more curious reade it in himselfe and what Masius Serarius and others haue written hereof The Pharises were esteemed pitifull The Sadduces more cruell They were much addicted to Astrologie and the Mathematikes whose names of the Planets Epiphanius rehearseth as also the twelue Signes There were seuen sorts of the Pharises which the Talmud reckoneth first Sichemita which measure pietie by honour and profit as the Sichemites which for the marriage of Dina endured circumcision Secondly Nacphi which lifted not his feete from the ground the third Kisai Draw-blood which smiteth his head to the wall to cause the bloud to come and also shutteth his eyes that he behold not a woman The fourth that standeth on his perfection called Mahchobathi What is my sinne as if there wanted nothing to his Righteousnesse The fift Meduchia which goe lowly and stooping The sixt The Pharisee of Loue which obeyeth the Law for loue of vertue or reward The seuenth the Pharisee of Feare which is holden in obedience by feare of punishment This they call Iobs Pharisee the former Abrahams Epiphanius describeth their strict obseruations Some saith he prescribed to themselues ten yeeres or eight or foure yeeres continence Some lay on plankes which were onely nine inches broad that when they slept they might fall to the pauement so to be awakened againe to prayer and keepe themselues waking Others put stones vnder them for the same end by pricking to awake them Others lay on Thornes for that purpose Scaliger reproueth Epiphanius for affirming that the Pharises ware womans attire as not agreeing to their austeritie which despised all beds beate themselues against walles and put thornes in the fringes of their garments to prick them he thinketh him deceiued by some Iewes report and addeth that the moderne Iewes haue little or no knowledge of those ancient Pharises but as they learne it of the Christians or of Pseudo-Gorionides so hee calleth the Hebrew booke ascribed to Ioseph Ben Gorion whom Drusius esteemeth and Scaliger proueth to be a counterfeit wherein Serarius and Ribera concurre with them The Pharises in a selfe-conceit and singularitie called all but themselues in a disgracefull scorne Other men so said he Luke 18. I am not as other men whereas they accounted themselues Masters of others on whom also they bound heauie burthens in their Rules and Cases the breach whereof they iudged Sinne in the people but yet held not themselues bound thereto For example Euery Israelite ought euery day by their Rule to say ouer the ten Commandements and that in the first Watch which might not be deferred for danger of sinne and yet amongst themselues they esteemed it lawfull at any houre of the night But vpon the Proselytes they imposed more then on the other Israelites all which they were bound to in their censure vnder paine of Hell fire and therefore
by the finger of God being more ancient giuing confirmation to the Scripture not subiect to wresting and containing all truth whereas poore Scripture for no better defending of the Iesuiticall Iebusiticall Iezabelicall assertions is condemned first of her meane originall as being written but by the Apostles not the finger of God Secondly as a later vpstart and thirdly as receiued vpon the Churches authoritie and fourthly a dead letter written in paper or parchment with Inke subiect to wresting like a sheath which admits any blade whether of leade wood or brasse as well as the true one And lastly not containing all the mysteries of Religion explicitly as being not therefore giuen to prescribe an exact forme of Faith but written by some vpon some occasions to some Churches and therefore in controuersies as of Images Inuocation of Saints and the like where Scripture seemes to speake for heretikes wee must haue recourse to the other kind of Scripture written in the heart of the Church as Interpreter of all Scriptures Iudge of all opinions and whatsoeuer else foule-mouthed blasphemie with faire pretext can arrogate to this or derogate from the other O that men would therefore hate that Whore which these impudent Panders prostitute thus decked with the spoyles of diuine Scriptures which haue another testimonie of themselues and therefore the testimonie of God that All Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for reproofe for correction for Instruction in righteousnesse yea and hereunto sufficient that the man of God whose men whose emissaries are these gaine-sayers may bee perfect throughly perfected vnto all good workes But leaue wee Simeon and Leui brethren in euill together Yet before wee leaue their Talmud though highly esteemed amongst them I thought meet also to speake more largely both of that and of their learned Rabbins out of Petrus Galatinus Sixtus Senensis Paulus Ricius Rambam and others that write thereof The Traditionall Law they call Tora scebealpe that is the Law which is in the mouth or deliuered by word of mouth Rabbi Moses Aegyptius telleth the passages thereof thus Ioshua receiuing it of Moses deliuered it to Phineas the sonne of Eleazar the Priest Phineas to Heli the Priest hee to Samuel the Prophet Samuel to Dauid hee to Achias the Prophet who deliuered the same to Elias the teacher of Elisha Elisha or Elisaeus to Ioiada the Priest this Ioiada to Zacharias Zacharias to Hosea and hee to Amos Amos to Esay of whom Micheas receiued it and of him Ioel Nahum from him and from him againe Habacuck who taught it Sephanie the Instructer of Ieremie of whom Baruch the Scribe learned it Baruch taught it Ezra Vntill this time the Iewes had none other but the written Scripture Now for their Scriptures they call the same Arbaa Veefrim that is the foure and twentie of the number of the bookes after their computation all which they reduce to foure parts The first of which they call Tora the Law or Humas the Pentateuch or fiue bookes and they call euery booke after the first words in the beginning thereof The second part hath foure bookes Ioshua Iudges Samuel and Kings The third part comprehendeth foure other which they call the last Prophets Esay Ieremie Ezekiel and the booke of the twelue smaller Prophets The fourth part is called Chettuuim and hth eleuen bookes Paralipomenon or Chronicles the Psalmes the Prouerbes Iob Ruth Ecclesiastes Lamentations Canticles Ester Daniel Ezra which they make one with Nehemia Ecclesiasticus Iudith and Tobias and the first booke of Maccabees they haue but reckon not among the foure and twentie The third and fourth bookes of Ezra I haue not seene saith Galatinus in Hebrew but some of them say that they are lately found at Constantinople but the second of Maccabees and the Booke of Philo called the Wisedome of Salomon I neuer saw but in Greeke nor those additions to Daniel But after the Babylonian captiuitie Ezra writing out the Law which had beene burned in the destruction of the Citie other Wisemen writ out the Exposition of the Law lest if another destruction should happen the same might perish And from that time all the Wise-men which are called the men of the Great Synagogue in their teaching the Law deliuered the same both in word and writing vntill the Talmud was written It was then saith Picus in seuentie bookes after the number of the seuentie Elders These mens authoritie hath the next place to the Prophets And are in this order mentioned in their Talmud Ezra deliuered the same to Simon the Priest called Iaddus who was honoured of Alexander This Simon deliuered this explaination to Antigonus Antigonus to Iosephus the sonne of Iohn and to Iosephus the sonne of Iehezer They to Nuaeus Arbulensis and Ioshua the sonne of Peratria whose Auditor the Iewes falsly affirme that Iesus our blessed Sauiour was which liued an hundred and ten yeers after Those two deliuered the same to Iuda the son of Tibaeus and Simon the sonne of Sata These to Samaia and Abatalion and they to Hillel and Samaeus Hillel flourished an hundred yeeres before the destruction of the second Temple and had eightie Schollers or Disciples all of excellent wit and learning thirtie of them for their excellence had the Diuinitie descending vpon them as Moses and other thirtie obtained that the Sunne should stand still for them as Ioshua the rest were accounted meane Of these the greatest was Ionothas sonne of Vziel the least Iohn the sonne of Zacheus which yet knew the Scripture and Talmud and all things else to the examples of Foxes and Narrations of Diuels Hillel and Samaeus deliuered this explaination to this Iohn and to Simeon the Iust sonne of the said Hillel who after receiued Christ in his armes and prophesied of him in the Temple Rabbi Moses proceedeth and saith that Simeon taught Gamaliel Pauls Master and Gamaliel instructed his sonne Rabban Simeon who was slaine of Hadrian the Emperour after he had taught his sonne Iudas whom the Iewes for his Learning and Holinesse call Rahbenu Haccados that is our holy Master of which honourable name there had beene another in the time of the Roman Consuls These for the most part besides almost infinite others of their hearers haue left many things written of the explaination of the Law of which the Talmud was compacted Of the vnreasonable absurdities and impious blasphemies of the Talmud howsoeuer abominable in themselues yet let it not be irkesome to the Reader to see some mentioned therein to obserue the depth of diuine vengeance which in this blinded Nation wee may heare and feare For who would thinke it possible that any could entertaine in his heart that which there they haue written of GOD as that before the creation of this world to keepe himselfe from idlenesse hee made and marred many other worlds that he spends three houres euery day in reading the Iewish law that Moses one day ascending to Heauen
found him writing accents therein that GOD euery day maketh deuout prayers that GOD hath a place a-part wherein hee afflicteth himselfe with weeping for bringing so much euill on the Iewes that euery day hee putteth on their Tephilin and Zizis and so falleth downe and prayeth that as oft as hee remembreth their miseries hee lets fall two teares into the Ocean and knocks his brest with both his hands that the last three houres of the day hee recreateth himselfe in playing with the Fish Leuiathan which once in his anger he slew and powdred for the feast whereof you shall after heare that hee created the Element of fire on the Sabbath day that the RR. one day reasoning against R. Eliezar because GOD with a voyce from a heauen interposed his sentence for for Eliezer the other RR. anathematized GOD who thereat smiling said My children haue ouer-come me But I am weary to adde the rest of their restlesse impieties against the Almightie Neither haue the Creatures escaped them Thus the Talmud telleth That GOD once whipped Gabriel for a great fault with a whip of fire that as Adam before Eue was made had carnally vsed both Males and Females of other Creatures So the Rauen which Noe sent out of the Arke was iealous of Noah lest hee should lye with his Mate that Iobs storie was fayned that Dauid sinned not in his murther and adulterie and they which thinke hee did sinne are Heretikes that vnnaturall copulation with a mans wife is lawfull that he is vnworthy the name of a Rabbine which hateth not his enemie to death that GOD commanded them by any manner of meanes to spoyle the Christians of their goods and to vse them as beasts yea they may kill them and burne their Gospels which they entitle Iniquitie reuealed Iniquitie reuealed indeed is the declaration of these things as of their opinion of the soule if it sinne in one body it passeth into a second if there also into third if it continue sinning it is cast into Hell the soule of Abel passed into Seth and the same after into Moses the soules of the vnlearned shall neuer recouer their bodies Two RR. euery weeke on Friday created two Calues and then did eate them Nothing ought to be eaten by euen numbers but by vneuen wherewith GOD is pleased Perhaps they had read in Virgil Numero Deus impare gaudet but this is common to all Magicians And what doe I weary you and my selfe anticipating the following discourse wherein wee shall haue further occasion to relate the like absurdities which yet if any deny they say hee denyeth GOD. §. II. Of the ancient Iewish Authors and their Kabalists AFter the Times of Christ Philo and Iosephus are famous and after the Resurrection of Christ the Iewes were of three sorts some true beleeuers others absolute denyers the third would haue the Christian Religion and the Iewish Ceremonies to bee conioyned in equall obseruation against which third sort the first Councell Act. 15. was summoned The moderne Iewes insist principally on the litterall sense of Scripture the Elder sought out a spirituall and mysticall sense accounting this a great matter the literall but small like to a candle of small value with the light whereof the other as a pearle hidden in a darke roome is found The Talmudists followed the allegoricall sense the Cabalists the Anagogicall As concerning this Cabala in olde times they communicated not that skill to any but to such as were aged and learned and therefore nothing thereof or very little is found written of the Ancient except of Rabbi Simeon Ben Iohai But the Doctors of the later Iewes lest that learning should perish haue left somewhat thereof in writing but so obscurely that few know it and they which doe account it a great secret and hold it in great regard So saith Elias in the bookes of the Kabala are contained the secrets of the Law and the Prophets which man receiued from the mouth of man vnto our Master Moses on him be peace and therefore it is so called and is diuided into two parts Speculatiue and Practike But I am not worthy to explaine this businesse and by reason of my sinnes haue not learned this wisedome nor knowne this knowledge of those Saints The word Cabala signifieth a receiuing and in that respect may bee supplyed to all their Traditionall receipts but in vse which is the Law of speech it is appropriated to that facultie which as Ricius describeth it by the type of the Mosaicall law insinuateth the secrets of diuine and humane things and because it is not grounded on reason nor deliuered by writing but by the faith of the hearer receiued it is called Cabala Or if you had rather haue it in Reuchlines words it is a Symbolicall receiuing of diuine Reuelation deliuered to the wholesome contemplation of GOD and of the seperated formes and they which receiue it are called Cabalici their Disciples Cabalaei and they which any way imitate them Cabalistae The Talmudists therefore and the Cabalists are of two faculties both agreeing in this that they grow from Tradition whereunto they giue credite without rendring any reason herein differing that the Cabalist as a super-subtill transcendent mounteth with all his industrie and intention from this sensible World vnto that other intellectuall but the grosser Talmudist abideth in this and if at any time hee considereth of GOD or the blessed Spirits yet it is with relation to his workes and their functions not in any abstract contemplation bending his whole study to the explaination of the Law according to the intent of the Law-giuer considering what is to bee done what eschewed whereas the Cabalists most indeauour themselues to contemplation leauing the care of publike and priuate affaires to the Talmudists and reseruing onely to themselues those things which pertaine to the tranquillitie of the minde As therefore the minde is more excellent then the body so you must thinke the Cabalist superiour to the Talmudist For example In the beginning God created Heauen and Earth saith Moses Heauen here after the Talmudist is all that part of the World which is aboue the Moone and all beneath it Earth also by Heauen hee vnderstandeth forme and by Earth matter the composition whereof hee effected not by labour of the hand but by that nine-fold Oracle of his word for so often is it mentioned and God said likewise hee findeth the foure Elements in those words Darkenesse Spirit Waters drie Land But the Cabalist frameth to himselfe two Worlds the Visible and Inuisible Sensible and Mentall Materiall and Ideall Superiour and Inferiour and accordingly gathereth out of the former words God created Heauen and Earth That hee made the highest and lowest things meaning by the highest the immateriall by the lowest this materiall and this is gathered out of the first letter Beth which in numbring signifieth two and insinuateth there these two Worlds Yea they also
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
goe cheerfully before their Synagogue they haue an Yron fastned to make cleane their shooes according to Salomons counsell Keepe thy foote when thou goest into the house of God He that hath Pantofles must put them off as it is written For the place where thou standest is holy ground At the entrance in at the doore he pronounceth some things out of Dauids Psalmes they must enter with feare and trembling considering whose presence it is and for a while suspend their praying for the better attention And euerie Iew must cast in a halfe-penie at least into the Treasurie as it is written I will see thy face in righteousnesse that is in almes as they interpret it In this attention they bow themselues towards the Arke in which is the booke of the Law and say How faire are thy Tents O IACOB and thy dwellings O Israel And I will enter into thy house in the multitude of thy mercie I will bow downe in thy holy Temple in thy feare And O Lord I haue loued the habitation of thy house and the place of the Tabernacle of thy glorie and diuers other verses out of the Psalme After these things they begin to pray as is contained in their common Prayer-booke and because these prayers are verie many therefore they runne them ouer hee that cannot reade must attend and say Amen to all their prayers These prayers are in Hebrew rimes Their first prayer is The Lord of the World which raigned before any thing was created at that time when according to his will they were created was called King to whom shall bee giuen feare and honour He alway hath beene is and shall remaine in his beautie for euer Hee is One and besides him there is none other which may bee compared or associated to him without beginning and end with him is rule and strength He is my GOD and my deliuerer which liueth He is my Rocke in my need and time of my trouble my Banner my Refuge my Hereditarie portion in that day when I implore his helpe Into his hands I commend my Spirit Whether I wake or sleepe hee is with me therefore I will not be afraid This done they say then their hundreth benedictions one after another which are short and twice a day repeated First for the washing of their hands that if hee then forgot it he might now in the Congregation recite it Then for the creation of man and for that hee was made full of holes whereof if one should bee stopped he should dye then a confession of the Resurrection then for vnderstanding giuen to the Cocke as you haue heard to discerne day and night a sunder and with his crowing to awaken them and in order Blessed c. That he hath made me an Israelite or Iew Blessed c. That hee hath not made me a seruant Blessed c. That he hath not made me a woman The women heere say that he hath made me according to his will Blessed c. That exalteth the lowly Blessed c. That maketh the blind to see which they should say at their first wakening Blessed c. That rayseth the crooked at his rising Blessed c. That cloatheth the naked at his apparelling Blessed c. That raiseth them vp that fall Blessed c. That bringeth the prisoners out of prison Blessed c. That stretcheth the world vpon the waters when hee setteth his feet on the ground Blessed c. That prepareth and ordereth the goings of man when hee goeth out of his chamber Blessed c. That hath created all things necessarie to life when he puts on his shooes Blessed c. That girded Israel with strength his girdle Blessed c. That crowneth Israel with comelinesse when he puts on his hat Blessed c. That giueth strength to the wearie Blessed bee thou God our Lord King of the world who takest sleepe from mine eyes and slumber from mine eye-lids Then adde they two prayers to be preserued against sinnes euill spirits and men and all euill After this humbling themselues before GOD they confesse their sinnes and againe comfort themselues in the couenant made to Abraham Wee are thy people and the children of thy Couenant c. O happie wee how good is our portion how sweet is our lot how faire is our heritage Oh happie we who euery morning and euening may say Heare Israel The Lord our Lord is one God Gather vs that hope in thee from the foure ends of all the earth that all the inhabitants of the earth may know that thou art our God c. Our Father which art in Heauen be mercifull vnto vs for thy names sake which is called vpon vs and confirme in vs that which is written At that time will I bring you and gather you and make you for a name and praise among all the people of the earth when I shall turne your captiuities saith the Lord Then follow two short prayers for the Law giuen them And then they goe on to the Sacrifices which because they cannot execute in action out of the Temple they redeeme with words reading the precepts concerning sacrifices according to their times comforting themselues with the saying of HOSE We will sacrifice the calues of our lippes Then repeat they an Historie of Sacrifice and a Prayer of the vse of the Law and how many wayes it may bee expounded This done they with a still voyce that none can heare pray for the re-edifying of the Temple in these words Let thy will bee before thy face O GOD our Lord Lord of our Fathers that the holy house of thy Temple may bee restored in our dayes and grant vs thy will in thy Law After rising with great ioy and clamour they sing a prayer of prayse in hope hereof and sitting downe againe they reade a long prayer gathered heere and there out of the Psalmes and some whole Psalmes and part of 1. Chron. 30. And lastly the last words of Obadiah The Sauiours shall ascend into Mount Sion to iudge the Mount of Esau and the Kingdome shall bee the Lords Which they speake in hope of the destruction of the Christians whom they call Edomites and of their owne restitution In some of their close writings which they will not suffer to come into the hands of Christians they say that the soule of Edom entered into the bodie of Christ and that both hee and wee are no better then Esau They proceed singing And God shall bee King ouer all the earth In that day GOD shall bee one and his name one as it is written in thy Law O GOD Heare Israel GOD our GOD is one GOD And these words in their next Prayer they repeat resounding that last word One by the halfe or whole houre together looking vp to Heauen and when they come to the last letter thereof Daleth d. they all turne their heads to the foure corners and windes of the World signifying that GOD
new opening of hell for the returne of the soules or else to keepe them from swowning at the departure of one of their soules For they are of opinion that themselues haue a superfluous Sabbatharie soule which on that day is plentifully sent into them to in large their heart and to expell care and sorrow Antonius Margarita affirmeth that they dreame of three soules in each man besides the Sabbatharie soule two of which leaue him in his sleepe one mounting to Heauen where it learneth things to come the other called brutish contemplating sinne and vanitie The viewing of their nailes at the candle is in remembrance of Adams nakednesse all sauing where the nailes couered his fingers and toes ends The wine they powre on the ground to refresh Corah and his complices vnder the ground For their Sabbath-workes they are determined Rabbinically a horse may haue a halter or a bridle to leade but not a saddle to lade him and he that leadeth him must not let it hang so loose that it may seeme he rather carrieth it then leadeth the horse A Henne may not weare her hose sewed about her legge but this marke must on friday be taken off And if any cattell fall into a pit yet may they not helpe it out on the Sabbath so spitefully haue their Talmudicall Rabbins endeuoured to make where they could not finde a falshood in the wordes of Christ testifying the contrary But from the beginning it was not thus The Iew may not milke his cattell nor eate of the milke when he hath procured a Christian to milke them except he first buy it but at his owne price A Taylor may not weare a needle sticking on his garment The lame may vse a staffe the blind may not Clogges or Pattens to keepe them out of the durt they may not burthen themselues with It is lawfull to carrie a plaister on their sores but if it fall off they may not lay it on againe nor may they binde vp a wound a new nor carry money in their purses or garments nor rubbe their durtie shooes against the ground though they may wipe it off against a wall nor wipe their hands fouled with durt on a Towell but with a Cowes or Horse-taile they may doe it If a Flea bite hee may remoue it but not kill it a Lowse hee may But their Doctors disagree in this lowsie question for R. Eluzer saith One may as well kill a Camell If a File light on meate or a Spider runne thereon it may not bee remoued they will let men take their money vpon pawnes but not deliuer it themselues as the Franciscan hath his boy to take your almes which his vow will not suffer his holy fingers to touch He must take heede of leauing more corne to fowles that day then they shall eate if it be in an open place lest it may there grow and hee be said to sowe corne on the Sabbath To whistle a tune with his mouth or play it on a instrument is vnlawfull as also to knocke with the ring or hammer of a doore and therefore the Clarke knocks with his hand when he calleth them to the Synagogue To knocke on a Table to still a childe to draw a Letter in dust or ashes or a moystned Table is vnlawfull in the ayre not so Of these Sabbath-labours they haue nine and thirtie chiefe Articles whereto the smaller as these are referred with much ridiculous nicetie as the first Article is of tilling ground wherein is reserued digging filling vp ditches c. and to this going ouer a fallow rubbing his durtie shooe on the ground c. T is time this ditch be now filled and wee proceed further CHAP. XVIII The Jewish Passe-ouer as they now obserue it and other their Feasts and Fasts §. I. Of their Passe-ouer OF the Iewish Feasts as they were celebrated before the comming of Christ wee haue alreadie spoken In these dayes they blindly and stubbornly persist in like Obseruation of times though with some variation of ceremonie Their Talmud reckoneth foure New-yeeres dayes one in March and another in September whereof wee haue spoken The first of August beginneth their yeere of breeding Cattell accounting from thence their time of Tything In Ianuarie the first or as R. Hillel would haue it the fifteenth began their new yeere for Trees in reckoning the time of lawfulnesse to eate or tythe their fruit Their moneths and moueable feasts are guided by the Moone of which they tell this storie The Moone say they expostulated with God because the Sunne shined with her whereas no Kingdome could endure a partner whereat God being angry darkened her light that from the fourth day wherein shee was created till man was made on the sixth she shined not Hence it comes to passe that at the change in two dayes space she is neuer seene This is the Rabbinicall custome if they cannot vntie the knot they haue not a cutting-sword as Alexander for that Gordian but some leaden Legend or fable Rabbinic-all-ly to determine it Hieronimus a s Fide who about two hundred yeeres since was the Popes Physician and turned from Iudaisme to Christianitie thus relateth it The Moone before equall with the Sunne expostulated with God for the reason aboue recited and therefore was commanded to goe lessen her selfe Shee like some shrewish Iewesse replyed she had wrong and had spoken but reason hee to satisfie her said the Sunne should not shine by night and yet should she appeare in the day What saith she is a candle before the Sunne He then promised that his people Israel should obserue their solemne festiuals according to her designement But when all this would not content her as yeelding himselfe guiltie hee enioyned a peculiar meate-offering euery New-Moone for indulgence of that sinne Thus doe they both dreame ridiculously and blaspheme also beyond all names of impietie in their Talmudicall Tract Holyn And this they prooue out of Num. 18. as truely as in another place out of Esa 40. that God hauing polluted himselfe with burying of Moses purged himselfe with fire the water not being sufficient thereto The richer Iewes prepare thirtie dayes before for their Passe-ouer dentem non mentem good Wheate for their vnleauened Cakes The Sabbath before the Passe-ouer is solemne and sacred wherein they haue a Sermon concerning the Paschall Lambe Two or three dayes before the Passe-ouer they scowre their houshold implements of Wood and Mettall with much curiositie and varietie of Rites For hee that in this Feast vseth an impure vessell is as he that hath layne by an vncleane woman The night before the Feast the good-man of the house with a Waxe Candle a Dish and Wing beginneth his search for vnleauened bread and with other men or boyes to helpe him after their Amen to his blessing with Waxe Candles in their hands they leaue not a Mouse-hole vnsearched and hide that bread which they meane to eate that night lest they
goe vnto Armillus with three hundred thousand Ephraimites carrying with him the booke of the Law and when he comes at him hee shall reade out of the same this sentence I am the Lord thy God thou shalt haue none other Gods in my sight Armillus shall reply that there is no such sentence in their Law and therefore they should acknowledge him for God as well as the Gentiles Then shall Nehemias ouerthrow two hundred thousand of Armillus his Armie whereat Armillus shall bee so wrathfull that hee shall assemble all his forces into a deepe valley and there shall destroy with many other Israelites this Nehemias But the Angels shall take and hide him that Armillus may not know of his death lest hee should not leaue one of Israel liuing All Nations shall then expell the Israelites and such affliction shall befall them as neuer since the beginning of the world At this time shall the Angell Michael come foorth and seperate the wicked from Israel as writeth Daniel They which remaine shall flye into the desart and for fiue and fortie dayes space liue with grasse and leaues and hearbes but all the wicked Israelites shall dye Armillus shall after subdue Aegypt and shall turne thence against Ierusalem and seeke againe to waste it These things after their manner they fable out of the eleuenth and twelfth of Daniel The eighth Miracle is the arising of Michael who three times shall winde his great horne Es 27.23 and Zach. 9.14 At the first sound the true Messias Ben Dauid and Elias the Prophet shall shew themselues to those deuout Israelites in the desarts of Iuda who shall then gather courage and all the Iewes in the world shall heare this sound and shall confesse GODS deliuerance and all that haue beene led captiue into Assyria shall assemble together The same horne shall strike feare and diseases into the Christians and other people Now shall the Iewes make great iourneyes towards Ierusalem and together with Elias and Messias shall come thither with ioy Armillus hearing this in his proud furie shall re-assemble his Christians against the Messias and Ierusalem But GOD not suffering his people to fall out of one trouble into another shall say to the Messias Come place thy selfe at my right hand and to the Israelites Bee still and wait for the great succour of the Lord this day And then shall GOD rayne fire and brimstone from Heauen as Ezekiel reporteth wherewith Armillus and his Armie shall dye and The house of Iacob shall bee as fire and the house of Ioseph as a flame and the house of Esau the Idumaean Atheists which destroyed GODS house as stubble At the second sound or blast of this horne of Michael the graues at Ierusalem shall open and the dead arise and Messias Ben Dauid with Elias shall reuoke into life that Messias Ben Ioseph and the Israelites shall send Messias Ben Dauid into all Countries of the Iewes dispersion to cause them to come to Ierusalem and the Nations with whom they are shall bring them in their Chariots and on their shoulders The last Miracle is the third time of Michaels winding his horne when GOD shall bring foorth all the Iewes which are by the Riuers Gosan Lachbach Chabor and in the Cities of Iuda and they without number or measure shall with their Infants enter into the Paradise of Moses and the ground before them and behind them shall be meere fire which shall leaue no sustenance to the Christians And when the ten Tribes shall depart out of the Nations then the piller of the cloud of Diuine glory shall compasse them and GOD shall goe before them and shall open to them the fountaines flowing from the tree of Life Esa 49.10 I might adde to these miracles that of the Asse which Abraham rode on when hee went to sacrifice his sonne which Moses also vsed when he returned into Aegypt and some say Balaams Asse was the same this shall the Messias ride on according to Zacharies Prophesie Zach. 9.5 Against these ten miraculous signes fore-shewing Messias his comming the most being full of troubles they haue ten consolations first The certaintie of Messias comming secondly That hee shall gather them from all places of the dispersion Ierem. 31.8 but the Lame there mentioned shall bee so cured that They shall leape as Harts c. thirdly GOD will raise vp the dead fourthly GOD will erect a third Temple according to the figure of that in Ezekiel 41. fiftly That the Israelites shall then raigne ouer all the earth Esa 60.12 yea all the world shall bee subiect to the Law Soph. 3.9 sixtly GOD will destroy all their enemies Ezek. 25.14 seuenthly GOD will take from them all diseases Esa 33.24 eightly GOD will prolong their liues that they shall liue as long as an Oake Esa 65.22 and as in the times from Adam to Noe ninthly They shall see God face to face Esa 40.5 and They all shall Prophesie Ioel. 2.28 tenthly GOD shall take away from them all euill concupiscence and inclination to euill Ezek. 36.26 Thus farre out of the booke Abhkas Rochel §. II. Iewish tales of monstrous Birds Beasts Fishes and Men. THeir cheere in these dayes shall bee the greatest Beasts Birds and Fishes which GOD ouer created and no other wine then that which grew in Paradise and was kept in Adams Celler till that time the great Oxe Behemoth mentioned in Iob and Psal. 50.10 All the Beasts of the wood are mine and the beasts feeding on a thousand hills that is Behemoth which euery day feedeth on a thousand hills But lest this deuouring beast should consume all the hills in the world they tell you that hee is a stalled Oxe still abiding in the same place and what hee eateth in the day groweth againe in the night The huge Whale Leuiathan or as they pronounce it Lipiasan must honour also this Feast of this they write in the Talmud that to preuent filling the world with these huge monsters GOD gelded the male Leuiathan and the female is slaine and preserued in pickle for the iust to be eaten in the times of the Messias Esay 27. The male Behemoth was gelded also and the female was stored vp for this feast Elias Leuita reporteth of a huge huge Bird also called Bariuchne to bee rosted at this feast of which the Talmud saith that an egge sometime falling out of her nest did ouerthrow and breake downe three hundred tall Cedars with which fall the egge being broken ouerflowed and carryed away sixtie Villages Wee will haue the Whetstone before we part R. Barchannah saw a Frogge as big as Akra a village of sixtie housholds then came a huger Serpent and swallowed that huge Frogge Lastly the hugest hugest Crow that euer the Rabbine saw flew and deuoured these both and flying away sate on a tree which tree sure could not be lesse then the three hundred Cedars before mentioned if this Crow were but as bigge as
hee saith of Frankincense In Panchaea is the Citie Panara whose Inhabitants are called the Ministers of Iupiter Tryphilius whose Temple is thence distant threescore furlongs admirable for Antiquitie Magnificence and nature of the place it is two hundred foot long the bredth answerable hauing in it large Statues and about it the houses of the Priests Many fountaines there springing make a nauigable streame called the water of the Sunne which is medicinable to the bodie The Countrey about for the space of two hundred furlongs is consecrated to the gods and the reuenue thereof spent in Sacrifices Beyond is a high mountaine called the seate of heauen and Olympus Triphylius where Coelus is said to haue instituted the Rites there yeerely obserued The Priests rule all in Panchaea both in ciuill and religious cases and liue very deliciously attired with linnen Stoales and Mitres and party-coloured Sandals These spend their time in singing Hymnes and recounting the acts of their gods They deriue their generation from the Cretan Iupiter They may not goe out of their sacred limits assigned them if they doe it is lawfull to kill them The Temple is enriched with gifts and offerings The doores excell for matter and workemanship The bed of the god is six Cubits long and foure broad all of gold faire wrought The Table stands by nothing inferiour In the middest is another bed of gold very large grauen with Aegyptian letters in which are contained the gests of Iupiter Coelus Diana and Apollo written by Mercurie Thus farre Diodorus Iustine mentioneth Hierotimus an Arabian King which had six hundred children by Concubines Some are of opinion that the Wise-men which by the ancient conduct of a Starre came to Ierusalem the first fruites of the Gentiles came out of Arabia Scaliger mentioneth a conquest antiently made and holden by the Arabians in Chaldaea Philostratus saith the Arabians are skilfull in Auguries or Diuinations because they eate of the head and heart of a Dragon That they eate Serpents Solinus affirmeth Athenaeus saith That the Arabians vsed to maime themselues if their King hapned to bee maimed and that in the same member and in another place hee citeth out of Heraclides Cumaeus the delicacies of this Arabian King and his quiet or idle course of life committing matters of iudgement to Officers and if any thinke himselfe wronged by them hee pulls a chaine fastned to a window in the highest part of the Palace Whereupon the King takes the matter into his hand and whether part hee findeth guiltie dyeth for it His expences were fifteene Babylonian Talents a day The Arabians kill Mice as a certaine supposed enemy to the gods a custome common to them with the Persians and Aethiopians The women couer their faces contented to see with one eye rather then to prostitute the whole face They kill not vipers but scarre them away with Clappers from their Balsame-trees saith Pausanias when they gather that commoditie because they thinke them consecrated to those Balsame-trees vnder which they liue and feed of that liquor with which also they cure themselues if they are bitten of them The Arabike tongue is now the common language of the East especially among such as embrace the Mahumetan Religion this language in the first diuision of tongues according to Epiphanius was begun in Armot the first speaker and Author thereof It is now the most vniuersall in the world as Bibliander Postellus Scaliger Aldrete and Claude Duret in his late Historie del ' Origine des Langues de cest vniuers doe proue at large from the Herculean pillars to the Molluccas and from the Tartars and many Turkes in Europe vnto the Aethiopians in Afrike extending it selfe which was neuer granted to any other language since that first confusion and babbling at Babel CHAP. II. Of the Saracene Name Nation and proceeding in Armes and the succession of their Chalifaes §. I. Of the Saracens before MAHOMETS dayes THe Arabians are distinguished by many sir-names the chiefe whereof saith Scaliger are the Hagarens so called of Hagar the hand-maid of Sara whom the Arabians call Erabelhagiari and Elmagarin and the Saracens still called by their neighbours Essarak that is theeuish The Hagarens were more ciuill whose chiefe hold was Petra and their Princes were all entituled Aretae as the Egyptians Ptolemaei Hierome in many places affirmeth that the Ismaelites and Hagarens are the same which now are called Saracens so in his Commentarie on the second of Ieremie Cedar saith he is the Region of the desart and of the Ismaelites whom now they call Saracens And on the twentie fiue of Ezekiel the Madianites Ismaelites and Agarens are now called Saracens And on Esay twentie one he extendeth their desart from India to Mauritania and to the Atlantike Ocean Epiphanius likewise affirmeth That the Hagarens and Ismaelites in his time were called Saracens Plinie mentioneth that the Saracens placing them neere to the Nabathaeans Ptolemey likewise nameth the Scenites so called of their tents which with themselues their flockes and substance they remoued vp and downe from place to place Posteritie hath called all these Tent-wanderers saith Scaliger out of Ammianus Marcellinus Saracens and so doth Ptolemey in the next words call the next adioyning people seating them in the Northerly bounds of Arabia Foelix In the same Chapter he setteth downe Saraca the name of an Arabian Citie Some Authors haue written that because Ishmael was sonne of Hagar a bond-woman his nicer posteritie haue disclaimed that descent and deriued their pedegrece and name from Sara Peruersonomine saith Hierome assumentes sibi nomen Sarae quòd scilicet de ingenua domina videantur esse generati Iosephus Scaliger in his Annotations vpon Eusebius Chronicle after that hee hath cited the former testimony of Ammianus and of Onkelos on the thirtie seuen of Genesis addeth the authoritie of Stephanus who affirmeth Saraka to bee a Region of Arabia neere the Nabathaeans of which hee thinketh that the Saracens borrowed their name Wee know saith Scaliger that the Arabian Nomades are so called for SARAK in Arabike soundeth as much that is furaces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 theeuish or robbers such as the Cosak-Tartars bordering on the Turkes the Bandoliers in the Pyrenaean hills and the Borderers sometimes betwixt England and Scotland De Sara peridiculum To call them Saracens of SARA is ridiculous for then either they must bee called SARAEI or shee SARACA Mr. Brerewood saith that Sarra signifies a Desart and Shakan to inhabit in the Arabike and therefore as they are called Scenites of their Tents so might they also of the Desarts their not habited habitation be called Saracens Booke of Lang. c. 13. And Erpenius saith that this name is vnknowne to themselues but all the Muhammedans generally call themselues Muslimos or Muslemans which signifieth Beleeuers as if all else were Infidells or Heretikes Marcellinus thus writeth of them this people
insinuate with them and therfore sought by alliance to winne their better liking taking some of their daughters to his wiues of which he had at one time eleuen and in all his life fifteene besides two slaues Heraclius at that time fauouring the Heresie of the Monothelites neglecting the affaires of the Empire Mahomets proiects tooke better effect Hummar also and Mauchia caused all Soria and Iudaea and Egypt to rebell Sergius at that time a Nestorian Monke of Constantinople thence for that Heresie excommunicated resorting to Mahomet kindled these sparkes into a great fire perswading him to countenance his Rebellion with the pretence of Religion the rather now that Heraclius had offended the Christians by his exactions and Heresies and the Iewes by new cruelties because by Magicke he had beene warned to beware of the Circumcised Nation Thus some male contented Iewes and some hereticall Christians being called to counsell it was agreed that hee should professe himselfe to be chosen in this turbulent state of the world to bring vnto the same a New Law appointed hereunto by Diuine authoritie to the Iewes affirming himselfe their expected Messias to the Christians promising amiddest so many Heresies The rule of Truth to the excommunicate Heretikes restitution of their persons and goods to seruants libertie to subiects immunity from tribute And thus hee caused himselfe of Sergius to bee baptized and to bee circumcised also of Abdalla a Iew hauing before beene a Paynime After hee got himselfe into a Caue two miles from the Towne called Garbe continuing there two yeeres in companie of Sergius and Abdalla which acquainted him with the Christian and Iewish Principles and in the night resorted to his wife whom he peswaded to this vaine beliefe by Zeidinus his seruant rewarding him therefore with freedome and proclaiming as by an Edict from Heauen the like libertie to all seruants of all sorts which would follow him This rout resorting to him and by their numbers strengthening his faction their masters not a little aggrieued gaue out a rumour that Mahomet was mad and possessed of a Divell and that an euill end would befall him and his followers And although they might haue gotten him into their hands yet in regarde of his nine vncles and some noble Families linked him in kindred viz. the Corasists the Hassinists the Benitamines they abstained from further rigour Thus with the helpe of Sergius and Baira a Iacobite and Cillenus in the caue with the fauour of his two vncles Hanza and Alaben at Mecca with his elder brother that tooke his daughter Fatima and Eubocara a chiefe man of that place afterwards his father in-law he composed after his and their pleasure Constitutions and Canons and published the same at Mecca with protestation that the Angell Gabriel had been sent to him from God as in old times to the Prophets to teach him these things And in the first place commanding them to beleeue in God the Creator of heauen and earth the causer of raines and fruites that inflicteth death on men and after raiseth them vp to giue them either in reward of their good workes Paradise or of their bad Hell and such other things neuer before heard of among these simple Idolatrous Inhabitants of Mecca he grew in great estimation For in Persia and Arabia before this time some worshipped a Tree which they called Putulangua offering sacrifices thereto some an Idoll called Bliomum and some the Sunne and others vsed other Idolatries spred by the so many sonnes of Ismael and therefore the ruder multitude astonished with these Propheticall and Angelicall titles were easily bewitched And by degrees he published his intended wickednes not sparing outragious villanies as the stealing of a Camell the murthering of a Iew sleeping vnder a tree Yea hee pretended not humane infirmitie but diuine authority to his most mischieuous designments For example being lustfully affected to Zamech the daughter of Gaissi the wife of Zaidi he writ in his Law That after vow or promise of marriage it was lawfull for him to enioy her and if he pleased to take her to his wife And being reprehended that Aissa his wife was dishonest with Zaphagam the son of Almuthathum the Angell forsooth said she was chast And being found by his wiues with Mary the wife of Macobe the King of the Iacobites he in another Chapiter is absolued of his oath and free to lye with any woman not being able to containe himselfe notwithstanding he had sworne so to do And by the same authority he enioyned them penance for blaming the Prophet And willing to diuorce one of his wiues but fearing the greatnesse of her kindred hee frameth one Chapiter blaming him for fearing man more then GOD. Meeting once with a woman on the way hee would haue abused her but she refusing he set vpon her Asse Lettice befitting his lippes affirming that that woman had more sinned then if shee had slaine an hundred men And the Saracens to this day saith Petrus Alfonsi deplore that fact of this Saracen woman He wanteth not his miracles also in his Legend As he iourneyed in the heate of the day with his Camels a Cloud couered his head from the scorching heate of the Sunne about the seuenteenth yeere of his age And when hee first entered the Caue he saw the Angell Gabriel in his proper shape with white wings on a seate of gold betwixt Heauen and Earth who brought him his Prophecie and going to Mecca to tell his wife the Beasts Trees Stoues and Hearbs saluted him with the name of a Prophet and a messenger of God and the trunke of a Tree standing in the way diuided it selfe for him to passe betweene and then after closed againe Hee also to satisfie his incredulous vnckle Bugellinus caused the Moone to descend from heauen which entred into his sleeue and after parted it selfe in two and then ascended againe To satisfie the peoples doubtings he caused a Bull taught before to come at his call to bring on his hornes a Chapiter which hee there had tyed to testifie the truth of Mahomet But while the fame of this Propheticall Function filled the mouthes of the vulgar with acclamations it no lesse filled the hearts of the Nobles of Mecca with disdaine who sought therefore to apprehend him but hee closely fled to Ietrib or Medina with his followers where he liued with the name of a Prophet thirteene yeeres From this flight they begin the computation of their Hegira the word Hegirathi signifieth a persecution for Religion Wherein Mahomet imitated the Christians of those parts who accounted their yeeres from the persecution of Dioclesian That his flight hapned on the sixteenth of Iuly An. Dom. 622. on Friday Therefore doe they keepe holy the Friday And because then the Moone shewed her new hornes that became a sacred ensigne to the Mahometans and on Towers where they watch to obserue the new Moone they set vp an horned Moone as Christians on
to him and receiued the same Light in which succeeded Thebicht Hamiessa Adeth Aduve Adne Machar Nizar Musar Aliez Madraca Horeima Knieua Anofra Melic Falhrem Luie Galiben Kab Murran Cudai Abdamenef Hesim a man by diuine testimonie free of all vncleannesse To him did all Kings offer their daughters in marriage and among the rest Constantine which he refused and married Seline the daughter of Zeit and had by her Abdalmutalib whose Light caused raine in drought To him an Elephant postrated himselfe and said with mans voice Saluation be on you and on the Light that shineth out of your Reines Dignitie Fame Honor and Victorie bee on you and that there should proceede from him a King greater then all the Kings of the earth Another time as hee slept on the stone which was placed by Abraham in his Oratorie at Mecca hee dreamed of a chaine reaching East and West and to Heauen and to the Depth which was presently conuerted into a flourishing hearb Noe and Abraham presented themselues interpreters of this Dreame Abdalla his sonne the father of Mahomet had a Tutor giuen vnto him to defend him from his enemies who seemed a man but was none Hee was preserued from the lying in waite of the Iewes by threescore and ten Angels which seemed Men. Hee wedded Ermina and therefore two hundred Women perished for his loue some hanging some burning themselues When the prescribed time was come in the moneth Dulheia on a Fryday-night GOD bad Ariduvan to open the gates of Paradise that the innermost of his secret might be manifested for it pleaseth mee saith hee this night to transport the Light of my Prophet from the reines of Abdalla into the wombe of Ermina and that it come into the world This being done as Abdalla the Iudge and Lord of the Arabians went into the house of Prayer hee perceiued a great light to lighten from his house vp toward Heauen and presently dyed On the twelfth day of Rab on a Tuseday Mahomet was borne circumcised and all frolik And then all Idolls fell and became blacke All Kingdomes were destroyed and not one stood vp-right Lucifer was cast into the bottome of the Sea and in fortie dayes could not get out and then called his fellowes and told them that Mahomet was borne with the power of the sword who would take away all their power The same also GOD caused to bee proclaimed in Heauen and Earth His mother said that she was deliuered of him without paine and Angelicall Birds came to nourish the child and a man clothed in white presented him with three keyes like to Pearles which he tooke the key of Victorie the key of the Lawes and the key of Prophecie And after came three persons with shining faces presenting him a Cauldron of Emeralds with foure handles which Mahomet accepted as a signe of his rule ouer all the world The Birds Clouds Windes Angels contended for the nourishment of the childe But the cause was determined by heauenly voice affirming That hee should not bee taken from the hands of men An Asse almost famished worshipped him and receiuing him on her backe became Herald to this new Prophet with mans voyce proclaiming the worthinesse of her Carriage Three men carried him vp into a Mountaine of which one opened him from the breast vnto the Nauell and washed his entrailes with snow the second cleaued his heart in the middest and took out of it a black graine saying That it was the portion of the Deuill The third made him whole againe Seraphin nourished him three yeeres and Gabriel nine and twentie who gaue vnto him in the fortieth yeere of his age the Law and carried him to Heauen This his iourney is related by Frier Richard sometimes a studient in the Vniuersitie of Baldach Chapter 14. and in his life Gabriel with threescore and ten paire of wings came to Mahomet in the chamber of Aissa his best beloued wife and said That GOD would haue him to visit him where he is and brought with him the beast Elmparac or Alborach of nature betweene a Mule and an Asse This beast told Mahomet That hee would not take him on his backe till he had prayed to God for him His steps were as farre as one could see so that in the twinkling of an eye hee had brought Mahomet to Ierusalem Then Gabriel with his girdle tyed the beast to a Rocke and carried Mahomet on his shoulders into heauen where he knocked and the Porter opened Here Mahomet saw troupes of Angels and prayed twice on his knees for them and amongst the rest old Father Adam reioycing for such a Sonne and commending him to his prayers Then hee brought him to the second Heauen which was a iourney of fiue hundred yeeres and so forth on to the seauenth Heauen Heere hee saw the Angelicall people euery of which was a thousand times greater then the World and euery of them had threescore and ten thousand heads and euery head three-score and tenne thousand mouthes and euery mouth seuenteene hundred tongues praysing God in seuen hundred thousand Languages And he saw one Angell weeping and he asked the cause who answered That he was Sinne And Mahomet prayed for him Then Gabriel commended him to another Angell and he to another and so forth in order till he came before GOD and his Throne Then GOD whose face was couered with threescore and ten thousand cloathes of light and from whom Mahomet stood two stones cast below touched him with his hand the coldnesse whereof pierced to the marrow of his back-bone And GOD said I haue imposed on thee and on thy people Prayers When hee was returned as farre as the fourth Heauen Moses counselled him to returne back to obtaine case vnto the people which could not beare so many praiers which he did oftentimes till there remained but few thus returning to his Elmparac he rod backe to his house at Mecca All this was done in the tenth part of the night But when he was requested to doe thus much in the peoples sight he answered Praysed be GOD I am a Man and an Apostle The Booke Asear saith Bellonius telleth further That in this iourney Mahomet heard a womans voice crying Mahomet Mahomet but hee held his peace Afterwards another called him but he gaue no answere Mahomet asked the Angell who they were He answered That the one was shee which published the Iewes Law and if hee had answered her all his Disciples should haue beene Iewes the other was shee which deliuered the Gospell whom if he had answered all his followers had beene Christians The said Booke telleth That GOD gaue him a fiue-fold priuiledge First that he should bee the highest creature in heauen or earth Secondly the most execellent of the sonnes of Adam Thirdly an vniuersall Redeemer Fourthly skilfull in all languages Fifthly that the spoiles of Warres should be giuen him Gabriel after saith that Booke carryed him to Hell to see the secrets thereof and the
but those on the left hand in their left hands shall receiue the scroll or sentence of their condemnation And 79. In the last Iudgement the earth shall be ouerthrowne the heauen shall be powred forth 8. Angels shall beare vp the Throne of God And 80. The heauens shall vanish as smoke and the earth shall bee plucked as wooll And 111. There shall be set vp the ballance of Iudgement they to whom shall befall a light weight shall liue but they which haue a heauie weight shall be cast into fire The booke of bad Workes shall bee kept in the bottome of the earth the booke of good Workes in a high place In diuers places of the Alcoran the better to colour his filthinesse hee hath dispersed good SENTENCES like Roses scattered on a dung-hil and flowers in a puddle concerning Almes Prayer Tithing Iustice c. Others he hath of another sort establishing his owne Tyrannie and Religion Az. 26. Swines-flesh Bloud that which dieth alone and that which hath the necke cut off not in Gods Name is vnlawfull Be chaste euery where but with your owne wiues or such as are subiect to you and doe serue you Euery Adulterer shall haue an hundred stripes in the presence of many He which accuseth a woman of Adulterie not prouing it by foure witnesses shall haue eightie The iealous husband accusing his wife must sweare foure times that hee chargeth her truely and a fifth time curse himselfe if it bee otherwise The woman must doe the like to cleere her selfe 43. After a woman be diuorced from one any other may marrie her 19. Trust not a sonne or a brother except hee be of your owne Law 72. On Friday when they are called to prayer they must lay all businesse apart when prayers be ended they may returne to their commodities Redeeme captiues and thy sinnes by good workes About Circumcision I finde no iniunction in the Alcoran In the 3. 8 and 9. Az. Hee permitteth all licenciousnesse with all women which they haue of their owne but prescribeth washings after Venery and after naturall easements Loue not your enemies the women of another faith proue first and if they fauour the vnbeleeuers diuorce them 52. The women must couer their faces 43. Wilfull murther is prohibited Az. 10. But casuall killing is to be satisfied with redemption of some good man and the kindred recompenced except they forgiue it THE going on PILGRIMAGE and the perpetuall abode at the Temple of Haran that is vnlawfull because nothing but there holies are there lawfull we repute of equall merit They which loue it not or doe it iniurie shall sustaine grieuous euils Abraham founded this Temple Az. 6. and blessed it and cleansed it for them which abode there and for the Pilgrims Hee preached one GOD without partaker and the pilgrimage to this Temple that on the dayes appointed they might in naming GOD sacrifice beasts wherewith to feast themselues and the poore and might fulfill their vowes and goe in Procession round about the old Temple a worke which GOD will greatly reward Az. 32. and 19. In the times of fasting and pilgrimage hunting by land is vnlawfull except that so gotten bee bestowed on the poore at Mecca taking fish by Sea as they goe or returne is lawfull Az. 13. The vnbeleeuers are not worthy to visit the Temple Haran And these good Pilgrims are not equall to the good warriours 38. He entred into the Temple Haran with his head shauen Az. 2. We enioyne vnto you as to your Predecessors FASTING in the time thereto appointed and in a certaine number of dayes that is in the moneth Romadan in which this Booke which discerneth betweene good and euill was sent you from heauen Euery one must obserue it but the sicke and traueller and let them doe the same in the remainder of the time The rich vse to satisfie their fasting with almes let them doe both the one and the other He permitteth you the vse of your wiues in the night because it is hard and impossible to abstaine But let none vse their company in the Temples Fast all the day and when night is come eate and drinke as much as you please till the morning By the Moone is knowne the time of Pilgrimages and of Fastings whereby is knowne that you loue and feare GOD. Spend your money in the loue of GOD in Pilgrimage not despairing Hee that is impotent and that is not accompanied with his wife in the Pilgrimage must fast three dayes in the voyage and seuen after his returne To the sick fasting with almes is sufficient They which purpose this Pilgrimage let them not giue their mindes to any euill Let them not be ashamed to aske necessaries 2. Hold it for iust and good to enter the house at the doore not at the side or back-side thereof 35. Salute those which yee meete when ye enter into the house Ridiculous is the confirmation of this holy Law by such variety of OATHES as I am almost afraide to mention in regard of our Gull-gallants of these times who would sometimes bee at a set in their braue and brauing phrases if they should not haue variety of Oathes and curses to daube vp with such interiections all imperfections of speech and make smoother way for their current of their gallantrie But yet euen for their sakes let vs mention a few that they may see Mahomet had as braue a humor this way as they He induceth GOD swearing by lesse then himselfe as by the order of Angels by the Alcoran by the blowing Windes by the waterie Cloudes by the sayling Ships by the Mount Sinai the Heauen the Sea the euening Sarre the West his Pen and Lines the guiltie Soule the Deuils by the Morning ten Nights the Passeouer by the Figges and Oliues by the Dawning and Twilight and a World more of the like onely he saith Azoara 100. that he may not sweare by the earth nor by the Sonne like to the Father Yet he allowes not others to sweare or forsweare as after you shall see Az. 8. They which eate the inheritance of Orphans euerlasting fire shall eate them Be faithfull in keeping and deliuering their goods for GOD taketh knowledge of all accounts Let one Sonne haue as much as two Daughters In barganing vse no lying slaying your owne soule The couetous shall haue endlesse punishment he that killeth vnwillingly shall giue to the Kindred of the partie slaine another man or if he cannot doe that let him fast two monethes together he which killeth wilfully shall be cast into the fire Az. 70. It is no sinne to reuenge iniuries Salute him which saluteth thee for salutation is much pleasing to GOD. Az. 27. Worship one GOD alone Honour thy Father and Mother and doe them good Giue them no bad word when they are old Be subiect with all humility and pray GOD to pardon them Giue to the poore and to your kindred but not
were it not for sensualitie ignorance and the sword these Alcoran-fables would soone vanish CHAP. V. Other Muhameticall speculations and explanations of their Law collected out of their owne Commentaries of that Argument OF such writings as haue come to our hands touching Mahomets doctrine and Religion that seemeth most fully to lay them open which is called by some Scala a booke containing the exposition of the Alcoran in forme of a Dialogue translated into Latine by Hermannus Dalmata and made the twelfth Chapter of the first Booke of the Alcoran in Italian I haue therefore presumed on the Readers patience to those former collections out of the Alcoran it selfe to adde these ensuing as a further explanation of their opinions The Messenger of GOD so beginneth that booke was sitting amongst his fellowes the praier and salutation of GOD bee vpon him in his Citie Iesrab and the Angel Gabriel descending on him said GOD saluteth thee O Mahomet c. There came foure wise-men Masters in Israel to prooue thee the chiefe of whom is Abdia-Ben-Salon Mahomet therefore sent his cousin Hali to salute them and they being come to Mahomet after mutuall salutations Abdia telleth him that he and his fellowes were sent by the people of the Iewes to learne the vnderstanding of some obscurer places of their Law Mahomet asketh if he come to enquire or to tempt Abdia saith to enquire Then Mahomet giuing him full leaue he beginneth hauing before gathered out of the whole bodie of their Law an hundred most exquisite questions The principall dregs you shall here haue Abdia Tell vs O Mahomet whether thou bee a Prophet or a Messenger Mahomet GOD hath appointed me both a Prophet and a Messenger Ab. Doest thou preach the Law of GOD or thine owne Law Mah. The Law of GOD this Law is Faith and this Faith is that there are not Gods but one GOD without partaker Ab. How many Lawes of GOD are there Mah. One the Law and Faith of the Prophets which went before vs was one the Rites were different Ab. Shall we enter Paradise for Faith or Workes Mah. Both are necessarie but if a Gentile Iew or Christian become a Saracen and preuent his good Workes Faith onely shall suffice But if Gentile Iew or Christian doe good Workes not in the loue of GOD the fire shall consume both him and his worke Ab. How doth the mercie of GOD preuent his anger Mah. When before other creatures Adam rose vp he sucesed and said GOD be thanked and the Angels hearing it said The Pittie of GOD be vpon thee Adam who answered Amen Then said the Lord I haue receiued your Prayer Ab. What be the foure things which GOD wrought with his owne hands Mah. Hee made Paradise planted the tree of the Trumpet formed Adam and did write the Tables of Moses Ab. Who told thee this Mah. Gabriel from the Lord of the world Ab. In what forme Mah. Of a man standing vpright neuer sleeping nor eating nor drinking but the praise of GOD. Ab. Tell me in order what is one what is two what three foure fiue sixe c. to an hundreth Mah. One is GOD without Sonne partaker or fellow Almightie Lord of life and death Two Adam and Eue Three Michael Gabriel Saraphiel Archangels Secretaries of GOD. Foure The Law of Moses the Psalmes of Dauid the Gospell and Alfurcan so called of the distinction of the Sentences Fiue The prayers which GOD gaue mee and my people and to none of the other Prophets Six The dayes of the Creation Seuen Heauens Eight Angels which sustaine the Throne of GOD. Nine Are the Miracles of Moses Ten Are the Fasting-dayes of the Pilgrimes three when they goe seuen in their returne Eleuen Are the Starres whereof Ioseph dreamed Twelue moneths in the yeere Thirteene Is the Sunne and Moone with the eleuen Starres Fourteene Candles hang about the Throne of GOD of the length of fiue hundred yeeres Fifteene The fifteenth day of Ramadam in which the Alcoran came sliding from heauen Sixteene Are the Legions of the Cherubims Seuenteene Are the names of GOD betweene the bottome of the earth and hell which stay those flames which else would consume of the world Eighteene Interpositions there be betweeene the Throne of GOD and the ayre for else the brightnesse of GOD would blinde the World Nineteene Be the armes or branches of Zachia a Riuer in hell which shall make a great noise in the day of Iudgement Twentie The day of the moneth Ramadam when the Psalmes descended on Dauid The one and twentieth of Ramadam Salomon was borne The two and twentieth Dauid was pardoned the sinne against Vriah The three and twentieth of Ramadam Christ the Sonne of Marie was borne the prayers of GOD be vpon him The foure and twentieth GOD spake to Moses The fiue and twentieth the Sea was diuided The sixe and twentieth He receiued the Tables The seuen and twentieth Ionas was swallowed of the Whale The eight and twentieth Iacob recouered his sight when Iudas brought Iosephs coat The nine and twentieth Was Enoch translated The thirtieth Moses went into Mount Sinai Ab. Make short worke for thou hast done all this exactly Mah. Fortie are the daies of Moses his fasting Fftie thousand yeeres shall the day of Iudgement continue Sixtie are the veines which euery of the heauens haue in the earth without which varietie there would be no knowledge amongst men Seuentie men Moses tooke to himselfe Eightie stripes are due to a drunken man Ninetie the Angell said to Dauid This my fellow hath ninetie sheepe and I but one which he hath stollen from mee An hundred stripes are due to the Adulterer Ab. Well shew vs how the earth was made and when Mah. GOD made man of mire the mire of froth this was made of the tempests these of the sea The sea of darknesse the darknesse of light this of the word the word of the thought the thought of Iacinth the Iacinth of the commandement Let it be and it was Ab. How many Angels are set ouer men Mah. Two one on the right hand which writeth his good deeds another on the left which registreth his bad These sit on mens shoulders Their pen is their tongue their inke is their spittle their heart is the booke Ab. What did GOD make after Mah. The bookes wherein are written all things past present and to come in heauen and earth and the pen made of the brightest light fiue hundred yeeres long and eightie broad hauing eightie teeth wherein are written all things in the world till the day of Iudgement The booke is made of the greatest Emerald the words of Pearles the couer of pitie GOD ouer-looketh the same an hundred and sixtie times in a day and night The heauen is made of smoake of the vapour of the sea the greennesse of the sea proceedeth from the mount Kaf which is made of the Emeralds of Paradise and compasseth the world bearing vp the heauens The gates of heauen are of gold the
want of light nor is it without an euill smell Without the gate fiue paces is the Pond Zunzun that blessed Pond which the Angell shewed to Agar for her sonne Ismael Of their Feast Baraim is said alreadie About sixe daies after they be come hither to Mecca they celebrate another Feast called Bine Baraim that is the great Feast which is also called The Feast of the Ram. In those daies space they prepare themselues hereunto with due ceremonies First departing from the Carouan guided with such as are skilfull in the way they goe twentie or thirtie in a companie walking thorow a street which ascendeth by little and little till they come vnto a certaine gate whereon is written in Marble Babel Salema that is the gate of Health And from this place is descried the great Mosquita and twice saluted saying Peace to thee Messenger of God Then proceeding on their way they finde an Arch on their right hand whereon they ascend fiue steps vpon which is a great void place made of stone after descending fiue other steps and proceeding the space of a flight-shoot they finde another Arch like vnto the first and this way from the one Arch to the other they goe and come seuen times saying alwaies some of their prayers which they say the afflicted Hagar said whiles she sought and found not water for her sonne After this Ceremonie thy enter into the Mosquita and drawing neere vnto the house of Abraham they go round about it other seuen times alwaies saying This is the house of GOD and of his seruant ABRAHAM This done they goe and kisse that blacke stone abouesaid and then goe they to the Pond Zunzun and in their apparell as they be wash themselues from head to foot saying Tobah Allah Tobah Allah Pardon Lord Pardon Lord drinking also of that muddie vnsauourie water and thus returne they cleansed from all their sins Euerie Pilgrime performeth these Ceremonies once at the least the deuouter sort often An hundred yeeres since these Ceremonies were somewhat different after Barthemaes relation On the three and twentieth of May the people before day compassed that house of Abraham seuen times alway touching and kissing euery corner Ten or twelue paces from this house was another in manner of a Chappell with three or foure gates and in the middest thereof a pit of brackish water threescore and ten yards deepe Thereat stand sixe or eight men appointed to draw water for the people who after their seuen-fold Ceremonie come to the brink and say All this be for the honor of God and the pittifull God pardon me my sins Then doe those other powre vpon them three buckets full of water from the top of their heads to their feet be their garments neuer so costly The Carouan hauing abode at Mecca fiue dayes the night before the euening of their Feast the Captaine with all his company setteth forwards towards the Mountaine of Pardons called Iabel Arafata distant from Mecca fifteene miles This Mountaine or small Hill rather is in compasse two miles inuironed round about with the goodliest Plaine that a mans eye hath seen and that Plaine compassed with high Mountains Vpon the side towards Mecca there are many pipes of cleare fresh water wherewith the people refresh themselues and their cattell Adam and Eue when they were banished Paradise after they had beene separated fortie yeeres one in Nubia and the other in India as you heard before met at this pleasant place and here inhabited and built a little house which they call at this day Beyt-Adam the house of Adam Hither come also the same day the other Carouans of Arabia and Damasco and all the inhabitants for ten dayes iourney round about so that at one time here is to be seene aboue two hundred thousand persons and three hundred thousand cattell Now all this company meeting together the night before the Feast the three Hostes cast themselues into a triangle setting the Mountaine in the middest and fill Heauen and Earth with shouting singing hallowing gun-shot and fire-works all that night The next day being their Feast in silence they attend their sacrifices and prayers onely And in the euening they which haue horses mount thereon and approach as nigh vnto the Mountaine as they can others make the best shift they can on foot giuing euer vnto the Captaine of Cairo the chiefe place the second to the Captaine of Damasco and the third to the Captaine of Arabia And being all approached there commeth one of the Santones mounted on a Camell well furnished who at the other side of the Mountaine ascendeth fiue steps into a Pulpit made for that purpose and there maketh a Sermon to the people The Contents whereof are the benefits which GOD hath bestowed on them deliuerance from Idolatrie giuing them the house of Abraham and the Mountaine of Pardons adding that the mercifull GOD commanded his Secretary Abraham to build him an house in Mecca wherein his successours might be heard at which time all the Mountaines in the world came together thither with sufficiencie of stones for the building therof except that little low hill which for pouertie could not goe to discharge this debt for the which it became sorrowfull and wept thirtie yeeres at the end whereof God in compassion said vnto it Weepe no more my daughter comfort thy selfe I will cause all those that goe to the house of my seruant Abraham that they shall not be absolued from their sinnes vnlesse they first come to doe thee reuerence to keepe in this place their holiest Feast And this I haue commanded to my people by the mouth of my friend and Prophet Mahomet This said he exhorteth them to the loue of God to prayer and almes The Sermon ended at the Sun-setting they make three prayers first for the Seriffo second for the grand Signior the third for the people to which prayers all with one voyce cry Amin la Alla Amin Ia Alla Be it so Lord Barthema addeth to the Sermon the Cadi or Santones exhortation to weepe for their sinnes and knocke their breasts with inuocation of Abraham and Isaac to pray for the people of the Prophet and reporteth further that there were killed on the first day more then thirtie thousand Rams or Sheepe toward the West and giuen to the poore of which there were thirtie or fortie thousand Thus hauing had the Santones blessing and saluted the Mountaine of Pardon they returne the way they came in the middest of which way is a place called Mina and a little from thence foure great Pillars two on each side of the way If any passe not thorow the middest of these he loseth all the merit of his Pilgrimage And from the Mount of Pardons till they be passed these pillars none dare looke backeward for feare lest his sins which he hath left in the Mountaine returne to him againe Being past these Pillars euery one lighteth downe seeking in this sandie field fiftie or threescore little
after held cruell fight with twelue great Gallies full of Ianizaries and choice men whom he ouerthrew and tooke But the Ianizaries that were left cast their Scimaters ouer-boord least such choice weapons should come to the Christians hands Solyman conuerting his forces against the Venetians for the indignities mentioned had almost fallen into the hands of the Mountaine-Theeues which liued in the Acroceranian Hills who in a strange resolution had conspired to kill him in his Tent and had almost to the wonder of the world in a night by vnknowne wayes suddenly effected it had not the cracking of a bough discouered their Captaine who in a tree was taking view of the Campe how to bring to passe his desperate designes This their Captaine by name Damianus was after confession hereof torne in pieces and those wilde Mountainers liuing on robberie without Law or Religion were like wilde beasts hunted to destruction The Turkes inuaded Corfu whence they carried sixteene thousand of the Islanders captiues They likewise in their returne committed great spoyle in Zante and Cythera sacked Aegina Paros and other Ilands in the Archipelago bringing Naxos vnder tribute Barbarussa sacked Botrotus a Venetian Citie The like did Vstrif to Obroatium and the Castle of Nadin Nauplium also and Epidaurus were besieged But Ferdinand who had entituled himselfe King of Hungarie after Lewis his death receiued a greater disgrace in Hungarie by the Turkish forces then befell the Venetians in all their losses Cazzianer the Generall of the Christians shamefully flying and betraying his associates to the Turkish crueltie The next yeere 1538. Barbarussa chaseth the Christian Fleet in which the Emperours Venetians and the Popes forces were ioyned In the yeere 1541. Solyman againe inuadeth Hungarie professing himselfe Protector of the young King which Iohn late King of Hungarie who had held long warres with Ferdinand about that Title had left behinde him his heire and successor But vnder colour of protection hee maketh himselfe Lord of Buda the chiefe Citie turning the Cathedrall Church into a Meschit and maketh Hungarie a Turkish Prouince bestowing Transyluania and what he pleased on the Orphan Two yeeres after he reentereth Hungarie and taketh Strigonium turning the Christian Temples into Mahumetan sacrificing there for his victorie as he had done at Buda Hee entred also into Alba Regalis where the Hungarian Kings lye entombed another chiefe Citie of that Kingdome and slew the Magistrates I speake not all this while of the spacious Countries in Africa which from the Riuer Muluia hee added to his Dominions the Kingdomes of Algier Tremisen Tunes Tripoly c. being annexed to his Turkish Soueraigntie Howbeit Tunes by ayde of Charles the Emperour somewhat recouered her selfe but breathed out againe her last gaspe of libertie in the daies of Selym his sonne And thus was Solyman victorious and happy otherwhere victorious and vnhappy when he was forced to darreine battell against his owne bowels and hauing murthered Mustapha his eldest sonne the hopefullest branch in Turkish estimation that euer grew out of the Ottoman stocke hee warred against Baiazet another of his sonnes whom with foure of his children he procured to be done to death in Persia And after much domesticall trouble in his seuenth Expedition into Hungarie his Fleet in the siege of Malta being before with great disgrace repulsed he dyed at the siege of Zigeth the fourth of September 1566. §. II. Of SELIM the second and AMVRATH the third SELYM the onely sonne which the bloudie father had left aliue succeeded in the Throne not in the prowesse and valour of his father Neither hath any Turkish Sultan since his dayes led their forces in person but committed it to their Deputies and Generals except once when Mahomet the third had almost lost his Armie and himselfe Yet did this Selym by his Bassaes make him Lord of Cyprus and also of the Kingdome of Tunis But this sweet meate was sourely sauced by his exceeding losse in the Sea-fight betwixt Hali Bassa Admirall of the Turkes and Don Iohn of Austria Generall of the Fleet set forth by the Pope Spaniard and Venetian 1571. wherein an hundred threescore and one Gallies were taken fortie sunke or burnt and of Galliots and other small vessels were taken about threescore The Turkish Admirall was then slaine Wittily did a Turke descant vpon this losse of the Turkes and their gaine of Cyprus comparing this to the shauing of a mans beard which would grow againe that to the losse of an arme which once cut off cannot bee renued Lastly Tunes came in and Selym went out of this Turkish Soueraigntie both in manner together 1574. Amurath his heire began his Empire with the slaughter of his fiue brethren The mother of Solyman one of that number slew herselfe with a dagger for anguish of that losse He in viewing a new Gally by the breach of a Peece hardly escaped death thirtie of his company being slaine And because the Plague was exceeding hot hee by deuotion sought to appease diuine anger and therefore prohibited all vse of Sodomie Blasphemie and Polygamie and himselfe put out fiue hundred women out of his Seraile In a priuate habite hee visited the Markets and hanged vp the hoorders of corne He by the Tartars inuaded Polonia and Henry of France secretly leauing that Kingdome of Polonia hee wrote vnto him to chuse Stephen Battor for their King in which letters he called himselfe God of the Earth Gouernour of the whole World Messenger of God and faithfull seruant of the great Prophet which wrought so much with the Nobilitie that either they would not or durst not doe otherwise howsoeuer Maximilian had beene before by many of them chosen Tamas the Persian at the same time dying bequeathed his Crowne to Ismael his sonne whom Aidere his brother seeketh to depriue but is therefore himselfe depriued of that ambitious head which he sought to adorne with the Crowne and Ismael adding the slaughter of eight his younger brethren ascendeth the Throne which together with his life hee lost by vnnaturall trecherie of Periaconcona his sister the foure and twentieth of Nouember 1577. Mahomet his brother succeeded in this troublesome State which Amurath the Turke in these troubled waters thought fit time for himselfe to fish for Hereunto also helped the hatred and ciuill broyles in Persia for the head of Periaconcona presented to Mahomet with the haire disheuelled on a Launce and for other vncouth and bloudie spectacles Sahamal and Leuent Ogli two Georgian Lords seeking also innouations Amurath therefore in the yeere 1578. sent Mustapha Bassa which had lately conquered Cyprus with an Army of an hundred and tenne thousand into Persia who in the first battell he had with them slew fiue thousand and tooke three thousand Persians and to strike that Nation with terrour commanded a bulwarke to be framed of those heads but by an exceeding tempest which lasted foure dayes together whereby the Heauens seemed to melt themselues in teares for
Commander those horses are sadled the contrary way and richly furnished hauing certaine things hanged at their noses which cause them to neigh as it were lamenting the losse of their Master They carry also the truncheons of their Lances with their Standards and Ensignes trailing along the ground There are planted also about their Sepulchres violets and other pleasant flowers The common sort haue their Tombes of Marble engrauen with letters When they are come to the place with those sheets they let the corps into the graue couering him on euery side with boords only on the face they lay a little earth and there leaue him and returne home where they finde store of cheere there make a prayer for his soule Georgiouitz saith that they make ouer the graue the forme of an Altar lest the beasts should goe ouer it and defile it They also often repaire thither with teares and set on the Monument flesh bread wheat egs milke c. which is done for the dead mans soule in almes to the poore or to the birds or ants which they also account an act of mercy no lesse meritorious then the other The Priests haue fiue aspers a piece giuen them for their paines And if the partie be poore they gather money to pay the Priests and to discharge the funeralls They weare blacks eight dayes in token of mourning and those that are of great account three dayes at which time the friends of the dead assemble and vsing some words of mutuall consolation from thenceforth resume their wonted habite Howbeit their kindred specially of the female sexe often repaire to the graues to lament there Bellonius in his Obseruat obserueth that they sew not the sheet at the head nor at the feet The reason is their dreame of certaine Angels sent in commission presently after the buriall to examine the deceased partie into whom they say GOD hath then put a new spirit These Angels Menauino cals Nechir Remonchir who come with dreadful countenances and burning fire-brands and examine him of his life which if they finde wicked they scourge him with fierie whips if good they become goodly Angels and comfort him Bellonius a little otherwise telleth that those Angels which hee calleth Guanequir and Mongir come the one with an yron hammer the other with a hooke which set the corps vpon his knees and put a new soule into it and then aske if he haue beleeued Mahomet and obserued his precepts if hee haue done good workes kept their Lent paied his Tithes giuen Almes Of which if hee can giue good account they depart from him and two other Angels come in their places white as snow and one of them puts his armes in stead of a pillow vnder his head the other sits at his feet and defends him vntill the day of Iudgement But if hee satisfie not the demands of those blacke Angels hee with the yron mallet strikes him at one blow there with nine fadome vnder the ground and neither of them ceaseth the one with his hammer the other with his hooke to torment the deceased partie vntill the day of Iudgement For this cause the Turkes write vpon the dead carkasses the name Croco and make their Sepulchres hollow that they may haue roome to kneele and some lay boords ouer that no earth fall in The feare hereof makes them in their morning praier to say Lord God from the questioning of the two Angels the torment of the graue and euill iourney deliuer me Amin. Yea hence are the praiers which the Turkes men and women say at the graues of the dead for deliuerie from these Angels Concerning the day of Iudgement they hold that there is an Angel standing in Heauen named Israphil holding alway a Trumpet in his hand prepared against Gods command to sound the consummation of the World For at the sound thereof all Men and Angels shall die for so they finde it written in their Curaam which Booke is of high authoritie with them The Turkish Doctors would dissent from that opinion of the Angels mortalitie if this Booke would giue them leaue for to contradict the authoritie thereof is punished with fire or else their tongues are pulled out of their heads They hold that after this dismall sound shall bee a great Earthquake which shall tumble the Mountaines and Rockes from their places and grinde them to meale After this God will returne to make anew the light and the Angels as before and will cause to fall a pleasant raine called Rehemet sui that is the raine of mercie and so shall the earth remaine fortie dayes although those dayes shall bee of a larger size then these Many also hold that from thenceforth there shall bee no darknesse of the night as now but that it shall be most cleere neither shall there need any more sleepe for the sustentation of our bodies After fortie dayes God will command Israphil to sound his Trumpet the second time at which found all the dead shall bee raised againe by the will of God the dead euen from Abel to the end of the world throughout all the earth hearing the sound thereof and rising in manner as they were buried Amongst them shall be seene diuers faces and countenances some shining as the Sunne many like the Moone many as the Starres Others shall bee obscure and darke and others with hogges faces with swolne tongues Then shall euerie one crie Nessi Nessi that is Woe is me wretch who haue suffered my selfe to be ouercome with my filthy lusts The Angels shall with their fingers point at the faces which shine which are they that haue wrought good workes and shall shew them to one another The wicked shall haue enuy thereat They say that those with faces like hogs are such as haue beene Vsurers and those with the swolne tongues Liers and Blasphemers There shall be other trodden vnder foot to wit the proud persons of this world God say they will then demand account of the Kings Princes Emperors and Tyrants which vse oppression and violence Then shal God diuide this raised company into seuentie parts all which shall be examined presenting their sins before their eyes and all that they haue in this world done well or ill whereto hee shall need no testimony euerie member bearing witnesse against it selfe of the deeds yea and very thoughts There shall be also Michael the Angel holding in his hand the ballance of diuine Iustice and shal weigh soules and distinguish the good from the bad There shal be Moses with his Standard vnder which shall all the obseruers of his law bee assembled Neere to him shall be Iesus Christ the Sonne of the Virgin Mary with another great Standard and all his Christians the obseruers of his Faith On the other side shall be Mahomet with his Standard and faithfull Mahumetans they which haue done good shall be all gathered vnder the said Standards where they shall haue a pleasant shaddow the rest
Towne where they come And there this new numen and old impostor faining himselfe rauished in spirit pronounceth graue words and spirituall commandements at sundry times lifting vp his eyes to heauen and after turning to those his disciples willeth them to carry him from thence for some imminent iudgement there to be executed as is reuealed to him They then pray him to auert that danger by his prayer which he accordingly doth which the people deluded by their hypocrisies reward with a large beneuolence at which they after amongst themselues doe merrily scoffe They eate also of the herbe Matslatz and sleepe vpon the ground naked of clothes and shame and commit also abominable Sodomitrie And thus much of their misorderly orders of an irreligious Religion He that will read more at large of them let him read the Booke of the Policie of the Turkish Empire which out of Menauino discourseth more largely of these things and other the Turkish Rites Septemcastrensis telleth of certaine Saints of exceeding estimation for holinesse whose Sepulchres are much frequented of deuout Votaries as that of Sedichasi which signifieth a holy Conquerour in the confines oof Caramania Another is called Hatsehipettesch that is The Pilgrims helpe Another Ascik passa who helpeth in loue-matters and for children in barrennesse Another Van passa for concord and Scheych passa in trouble and affliction and Goi or Muschin or Bartschin passa inuoked for their cattle and Chidirelles for trauellers to whom he sometime appeareth as a traueller and any one that hath extraordinarily liued is reputed a Saint after his death They haue many whose names I remember not saith hee in like reuerence with them as are the Apostles with vs When they would seeke for things lost they go to one Saint when they are robbed they goe to another and for the knowledge of things secret they repaire to a third They haue their Martyrs and Miracles and Reliques Thus they tell of certaine religious men condemned wrongfully for suspition of treason to the fire which they entred without harme as those three companions of Daniel and their shooes were hanged vp for a Monument Their Nephes ogli that is soules or persons begotten of the holy Spirit such is their fancie without seed of man they hold in such reputation that they account themselues happy which can doe them any good yea that can touch them and if their haires be laid vpon any they say that their sicknesses are cured In this reputation of sanctitie they haue a certaine old woman which hauing a dog with her in her pilgrimage to Mecca readie to die for thirst made water in her hand and gaue it to the dog which charitable act was so highly accepted that a voyce was presently heard from heauen saying This day thou shalt be in Paradise And at the same time shee was caught vp bodie and soule into heauen and hereupon are they liberall to their dogs If this crosse an opinion which some Saracens hold that women come not to Paradise no maruell seeing falsehood is commonly contrarie both to the Truth and it selfe He that would read the miraculous tales which they tell of their Saints may haue recourse to that namelesse Author which of his Countrey is called and heere often cited by name Septemcastrensis who telleth of his Master and his Mistris their deuotion and vowes to Goi and Mirtschin for preseruation of their cattell sometimes miraculous so readie is the Deuill with his sauing destruction and destroying preseruation yea hee saith that the Deuill doth turne himselfe amongst them into an Angell of light with such effectuall illusions that there are seene or at least beleeued amongst them the dead raised to life diseases of all sorts cured secrets of the hearts disclosed treasures long before hidden in the ground reuealed and besides such ostentation and shew of dissembled holinesse that they may seeme not to come short of the Fathers and Apostles in that behalfe if bodily exercise were the triall of sanctitie Busbequius tells that they haue like conceit of one Chederles amongst them as some superstitious persons haue of St. George and the Turkes affirme to bee the same The Deruis haue a great Temple dedicated in his honor at Theke Thioi not farre from Amasia the chiefe Citie of Cappadocia The Countrey and both Legends agree for the killing of the Dragon deliuering the Virgin c. They say that hee trauelled many Countries and at last came to a Riuer the waters whereof yeelded immortalitie to the drinker and now cannot be seene Chederles heereby freed from death rides about euery where on his horse which thence also dranke in immortalitie and delighteth in battells taking part with the best cause and to make vp the tale they say hee was one of the companions of Alexander the Great they affirme that Alexander was Salomons chiefe Captaine and Iob his high Steward In that Moschee or Temple at Theke Thioi is a fountaine of water which they say sprang vp of the staling of Chederles horse Like Stories haue they of his horse-keeper and nephew whose Sepulchres they shew where deuout Pilgrims obtaine many blessings They shew for relikes the pieces of the shooes which Chederles his horse brake in that Dragon-fight vse the same in drinke against agues and head-aches These places are full of Dragons and Vipers Sultan Murat Chan or Amurath the second in a battell against the Christians vsed this prayer O righteous God giue vs strength and victorie O Muhamet O Mustapha the top of glory by abundance of miracles by the abundance of Gaiberenlers which are friends to the Musulmans and walke inuisible by the abundance of the Cheders grant vs victorie In the time of Vrchan or Orchanes the sonne of Ottoman they say these Gaib-erenlers appeared on white horses in a battell against the Christians and slew them These they say are friends to the Islams that is Catholike or right beleeuing Musulmans and are diuine protectors of the Imania or Mahumetan Law Such tales you may read in the Spanish relations of the West Indies as at the battell of Tauesco where a strange horse-man discomfited the Indians c. And our inuocation of God and Saint George is rather Turkish then truely Christian For God alone is our strength which teacheth our hands to fight and our fingers to battell and whom haue I in heauen but thee and I haue desired none in earth with thee As for George and Chederles I know them both alike in matter of Inuocation saue that it is worse to abuse to impietie a Christian name then a Turkish and King Edward the third seemed to inuoke Edward as much as George Ha Saint Edward Ha Saint George saith Thomas Walsingham But that of George is rather an Embleme of euery Christian as not onely the Heroique Muse of our Spencer in Poeticall fiction but the Diuiner of great Diuines in their iudiciall censure haue manifested It seemeth
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
as Pequin now and Nanquin are the situation South-east from Cinczianfu and fiue and twentie miles from the Sea the high houses and shops vnderneath the exceeding trade reuenue pastimes by water multitudes fairenesse and length of the streets all so conspiring to proue this Han or Hamceu to bee that Quinsay of Paulus True it is that Quinsay was then greater being as Venetus sayth an hundred miles about But the euerting of that Farfur and his Familie then raigning the diuerting of the Court to Cambalu by the Tartars and after to Nanquin by Humvn and neuer returning hither might lessen the same And might not warres in that long siege by the Tartars in the recouerie thereof by the Chinois easily circumcise her superfluitie Besides who knoweth whether all this huge Lake might be contained in that account of Paulus still compassed about with buildings Or before those warres the Lake it selfe might as Suceu now is be builded on which Time and Warre hath consumed nor since the remoue of the Court were so necessarie Mandeuile mentions warres at Quinsay in his time Nicolo di Conti which was here about the yeere 1440. saith Quinsay was in his time new built of thirtie miles compasse Or if any like better that Suceu it selfe to which also many of these arguments agree should be this Quinsay I contradict not That which somtimes I haue thought that Quinsay after so long a sicknesse and consumption of warres died bequeathing her Land-greatnesse to Nanquin her Sea-treasures to Suceu both arising out of the ashes of that Quinsay-Phenix I finde cannot I meane for Nanquin agree with the distance betwixt Suceu and Nanquin aboue foure dayes iourney Of this Quinsay let the Reader take a large and leasurely view in Marcus Paulus which but for tediousnesse I could hither haue transcribed Whether Hanceu or Suceu bee it or whether both these Paradises doe now succeed that Citie of heauen or wheresoeuer else it be it was which these are the wonder of the world reported saith Paulus to haue 12000. bridges 1600000. housholds in which was a rich Mart of all commodities of the world there was spent euery day 9589. pounds of Pepper it had ten principall Market-places square each square halfe a mile the chiefe streets leading thereto being fortie paces wide and running strait from one end of the Citie to the other these Market-places foure miles asunder But I forbeare the rest this Citie had twelue principall Companies or Arts each of which had 12000. shops the adioyning Countrey reckoned the ninth part of Mangi paide sixe millions and 400000. Duckats to the Great Chan yeerely for custome of Salt made of the Sea-water by the heate of the Sunne in large plaines besides sixteene millions and 800000. Duckats otherwise But let vs looke on some of the meaner Cities one of those called Hien is Scianhai in the Prouince of Nanquin in 29. degrees ouer-against Cerra and within foure and twentie houres sayle of Iapon and therefore is defended with a Garrison and a Nauie it hath about 40000. housholds and the iurisdiction adioyning seemes a continued Citie with Gardena intermixed payes to the King 300000. Duckats there is great store of Rice and Cotton and in this Citie and the Suburban liberties are 200000. Weauers thereof the aire wholsome and they liue ordinarily to a great age some to fourescore and fourescore and ten and many to a hundred yeeres The keyes of Cities are euery night brought to the Gouernours and thousands appointed to watch to preuent theeues themselues being the worst they ring bells at certaine spaces to each other These Cities of China ordinarily want that elegance and magnificence which stately Temples and sumptuous building doe affoord vnto our Cities of Europe Their houses are lowe without the ornament of Porches Galleries Windowes and prospect into the streets Besides these habitations they haue many which dwell not on land but in their ships For their shipping is of two sorts one for sayle another for habitation also and these meanes or fairer according to the wealth of the owners In the one side they carrie their families in the other side their passengers Many Barques are as victualling houses by the way and likewise as shops of merchandize Many of the poorer water-dwellers get their liuing by labour on land their wiues ferry ouer passengers and vse meanes to get fish They bring vp thousands of Duckes hatched with artificiall heate in dung which hauing fed with a little Rice in the morning they put out at a doore into the water which presently swim on land and eate the weedes which growe among the Rice these weeders thereby procuring some wages of the husband-men to their owners and at night are called home with a Tabor each resorting to their owne Barque They haue certaine Sea-crowes or Cormorants wherewith they fish tying their gorges that they cannot swallow the fishes which they take till their Masters turne being serued they are suffered to hunt for themselues which one in this Citie of London hath lately imitated and effected In the winter they haue store of Ice and Snow whereby the Riuers are frozen euen about Nanquin They haue abundance of all things necessarie to the life of man fruits flesh and fish with prices correspondent They haue two and somewhere three haruests in the yeere Few Mountaines but Plaines of an hundred leagues Wine they make of Rice They eate thrice a day but sparingly There drinke be it water or wine they drinke hot and eate with two stickes of Iuorie Ebonie or like matter nor touching their meate with their hands and therefore little napery serueth them Their warme drinkes and abstinence from fruits are great preseruatiues of their health which for the most part they enioy and none of them haue the stone which some say is with vs caused by cold drinkes but let vs take more full view of their persons and conditions §. IIII. Of their Persons Attire and many strange Rites SOme of the Chinois haue faces almost square many in the Prouinces of Canton and Quamsi haue two nayles on their little toes a thing common to all the Cauchin Chinois Their women are all of lowe stature and account small feet their greatest elegance and therefore binde and swaddle them so from their infancy all their liues that they seeme in going stump-footed which seemes to be by deuice of some to keepe them within doores Neither men nor women euer cut off their haire which is generally blacke and other colour a deformitie they let it growe on their crownes only till fifteene yeeres of age after that all their heads ouer loose on their shoulders till twentie yeeres when they put on their virilis pileus the cap of manhood and then gather it vp the men into caules or hats hollow at the top for the haire to passe thorow which the women vse not but trimme vp their haire on knots with gold siluer stones and flowers eare-rings also at their
in pompous Processions through the streets which the chiefe Inhabitants at certaine times obserue at the common cost of the Neighbours all about This Sect hath a Prelate called Ciam which dignitie these thousand yeeres together hath descended by inheritance and seemes to haue receiued originall from a Southsayer which liued in a Caue in the Prouince of Quiamsi where his posteritie still continue and with them his iuggling sorceries This their Prelate liue for the most part at Paquin in estimation with the King being admitted into the Palace for hallowings and chasing away ill spirits Hee is carryed through the Citie in a chayre otherwise accomplished as the chiefe Magistrates and receiues a large salarie of the King I haue heard that in these times the Prelates are so ignorant that they know not their owne Deuillish charmes and rites This Prelate hath no iurisdiction ouer any but those of his profession Many of these doe worke by Alchimy to obtaine the Precepts of longer liuing of both which their Saints they say left certaine rules There are the three Sects of the Chinois which are since by their vaine Sectaries so diuersifyed that they may seeme rather three hundred Hum-vu that raised his now raigning Family to the Scepter was himselfe professed Religious in one of these Sects and authorised all three Sects admitting onely the first to the Gouernment Hence it is that One seekes not the ruine of the Other Sect and the Kings themselues foster all as they see occasion building and repairing their Temples The Queenes are more prone to the Idoll Sects and bestow much almes on the Priests maintaining whole Monasteries to be helped by their prayers The multitude of Idols is seene not onely in the Temples but in priuate houses in a place appointed after the fashion of the Countrey in the Market-place in Streets Ships publike Palaces and yet it is certaine that few beleeue their Legends but thinke if these things do them no good they yet will doe them no harme The wisest in these times thinke that all these three Sects may concurre and bee all obserued together and esteeme varietie most acceptable From this hotchpotch vniting and separating perhaps haue risen those confused and various reports of these confusions and varieties of rites wherin if any haue like pleasure in varietie and be wearie of hearing Ricius and Trigautius the latest spectators I will not defraud them of those things which out of former Authors I had more confusedly before gathered They haue if Mendoza be not mendar many Monasteries of foure differing orders of Religion distinguished by the seuerall colours of their habit black yellow white and russet These foure Orders are said to haue their Generalls whom they call Tricon which reside in Paquin These ordaine Prouincials who againe haue subordinated to them the Priors of seuerall Houses or Colledges in those their houses acknowledged chiefe The Generall is clothed with silke in his owne colour and is carryed on mens shoulders in an Iuorie chaire by foure or six men of his habit They liue partly of reuenues giuen them by the King partly by begging which when they do they carry in their hands a certaine thing wherein are prayers written whereon the almes are laid and the giuer thereby cleered of his money I should haue said of his sinne They are shauen vse beades eate together and haue their Cells assist at burialls arise two houres before day to pray vnto the Heauen and Sinquian who they say was the inuenter of that their manner of life and became a Saint in which their deuotion they continue vntill breake of day singing and ringing of bells They may not marry in the time of their Monkish deuotion but they may acquainting the Generalls therewith at there pleasure relinquish their vow The eldest sonnes may not enter into Religion because they are bound to sustaine their aged Parents At the admittance of any is a great feast made by their friends At the lanching of any ship they dedicate the same to the Moone or some Idoll and besides there resort thither these Monkes to make sacrifices in the poope and reuerence the Deuill whom they paint in the fore-castle that he may doe them no harme Else would shee make an vnfortunate voyage The people weare long haire in combing whereof they are womanishly curious these hoping by their locks to be carryed into Heauen the other professing a state of greater perfection refuse any such helpe There be of their religious more austere which liue in desarts and solitary places the liues of Hermites with great abstinence and austeritie of life Nancan is a Citie at the foot of Mount Liu on which are many Anchorets which haue each a house by himselfe and there exercise themselues in voluntary chastisements There are said to be as many of those houses on this Hill as are dayes in the yeere they obserue it as a prodigie that when it is elsewhere cleere sun-shine there it is cloudie and mystie alway so that the Hill cannot be seene from a Lake neere it which Lake also deserues mention being great and as farre as the eye can discerne crowned with innumerable Townes Castles and Habitations They haue Hils consecrated to Idols whither they resort in heapes on pilgrimage hoping hereby to merit pardon of their sinnes and that after their death they shall be borne againe more noble and wealthy Some of these will not kill any liuing creatures especially such as are tame in regard of this their Pythagorean opinion of the transanimation or passage of soules into beasts The Iesuites conuerted one man neere vnto Nanquin which had thirtie yeeres together obserued a fast not strange among the Chinois neuer eating flesh or fish and on other things feeding temperately Vsurers are punished in China with the losse of that money so imployed Their fast is not a totall abstinence but from flesh and fish Of their Priests is before shewed that they haue both secular and regular the one weareth long hayre and black clothes and hath priuate habitation the other liue in Couents and are shauen Neither may marrie though both doe and not here alone farre worse They much commend in their bookes the consideration and examination of a mans selfe and therefore doe esteeme highly of them which sequester themselues from humane societie to diuine contemplation that as they say they may restore themselues to themselues and to that pristine state wherein the Heauen created them And therefore haue not onely Colledges of learned men who leauing the affaires of state and secular distractions doe in priuate Villages liue together obseruing these contemplations with mutuall conferences but euen women also haue their Nunneries liue a Monastical life vnder their Abbesses after their manner although euen such as are marryed liue closely enough their feet to this end so straitly swadled in their infancie that they grow but little and to haue little feet is with them great
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
Christian Faith especially the Trinitie and Incarnation Hee hath addmitted the Iesuites there to preach and would haue had them by miracle to haue proued those things to him which they elswhere so much boasting of Miracles wisely refused For hee demanded that the Mulla's or Priests of the Mogores and they should by passing thorow the fire make tryall of their Faith Hee hath many Bookes and Images which the Christians there doe vse and seemeth to haue great liking to them vsing the same with great reuerence But his Religion is the same it seemeth with that of Tamerlane his predecessor to acknowledge One God whom varietie of Sects and Worshippings should best content Hee caused thirtie Infants to bee kept like that which is said of Psammetichus King of Egypt setting certaine to watch and obserue that neither their Nurses nor any else should speake vnto them purposing to addict himselfe to that Religion which they should embrace whose Language these Infants should speake which accordingly came to passe For as they spake no certaine Languge so is not hee setled in any certaine Religion Hee hath diuers Idols sometime brought before him among which is one of the Sunne which early euery morning and three other times a day at noone euening and in the night he worshippeth He worshipped also the Image of CHRIST and our LADY which hee set on the crowne of his head and wore Relikes about him He is addicted to a new Sect as is said wherein he hath his followers which hold him for a Prophet The profit which they haue by his gold addicteth them to this new Prophet Hee professeth to worke Miracles by the water of his feet curing diseases Many Women make Vowes vnto him either to obtaine children or to recouer the health of their children which if they attaine they bring him their vowed Deuotions willingly of him receiued yea euery morning as he worshipped the Sunne so he delighted to be worshipped himselfe of the people to whom hee made shew of himselfe at a window and they kneeling performed like Ceremonie to him as to their Idols and he was thought to entertaine men skilfull in diuers Sects and Religions that of euery one he might take somewhat to the constitution of a new one He hath three sonnes Sciec the eldest which is honoured with the title Gio and called Sciecigio that is the Soule or Person of Sciec he much fauoureth the Iesuites the second Pahari Dan or Daniel is the youngest Some call them by other names His Presents are exceeding besides his Tributes and Customes Hee mentions One which in their presence offered his Vassalage and withall a Present valued at two hundred thousand crownes and more a Horse with furniture of Gold and Iewels two Swords and the Girdles of like worke Camels Carpets c. taking himselfe dignified in the acceptation of his Present Himselfe after often bowings and touching the ground with his head comming neerer was searched whether hee had any weapons and then was admitted to touch his foot Echebar laying his hand on his necke and allowing him to stand with his other Nobles The Kings sonne Sultan Morad at the same time offered a Present of fiftie Elephants worth a hundred and fiftie thousand Duckats one Chariot of Gold another of Siluer others of Mother of Pearle with other things of great value The Vice-Roy or Gouernour of Bengala followed with another Present esteemed worth eight hundred thousand Duckats viz. three hundred Elephants Almost dayly hee receiueth such Presents especially at a certaine Feast called Nerosa in which one Great Man was thought to present him with neere the worth of one Million of Gold §. II. Of the Conquests and death of ECHEBAR and of his Sonne and Successour SELIM now reigning OVr Relations of Echebar or Achebar his Rites Humane and Diuine as also of his Possessions and Greatnesse wee haue alreadie seemed long yet cannot be so satisfied without further satisfaction to the Reader if he be such as he of whom wee write curious and desirous to know remote Affaires and farre distant Occurrences Great Echebar added vnto that Greatnesse which his Father left him the Kingdome of Caxemir of Sinda of Guzzarat of Xischandadan and a great part of Decan with all the Tract of Bengala Such was his felicitie that it grew into a Prouerbe As happie as ECHEBAR seldome attempting any thing without prosperous successe I speake of worldly happinesse Euen in Natures treasures hee was rich both Wit and Memorie this so happie that of many thousands of Elephants which hee had hee knew the names yea of his Horses to each of which hee gaue names of his wilde Beasts and Harts that hee kept in a place appointed and euen of his Pigeons which hee kept for sport Yet was not this happinesse so perpetuall but that he had some especially domesticke Crosses His second sonne Sultan Morad being sent into Guzzarat against Melic King of Decan sometime Lord of Chaul was slaine with many other Commanders which newes was then brought to Echebar when hee was celebrating their New-yeeres Festiuall the day that the Sunne enters into Aries whereupon hee sent thither another of his sonnes Another time when hee was solemnizing the Sunnes Festiuall on Easter day 1597. about which time the King of China sustained the like Casualtie Fire fell from Heauen vpon his Tent richly adorned with Gold and Iewels and consumed it to ashes with all the Tents adioyning together with his Throne of solide Gold valued at 100000. Duckats consumed or melted from whence it proceeded to the Palace which being of Timber was for the most part brought into ashes Some millions of Treasure there reserued could not bee there preserued from this flame which made a Streame of Gold and Siluer mixed with other Metalls runne alongst the streets For this cause hee forsooke Lahor where hee had built the Iesuites a Church and where hee kept his Court as hee did before at Fatepore and sometimes at Agra and went to Caximir or Cascimir a Kingdome which a little before he had subdued This yeelds not to any Indian Region in goodlinesse and wholesomenesse being encompassed with very high Mountaines couered most part of the yeere with Snow the rest a delicate Playne diuersified with Pastures Fields Woods Gardens Parkes Springs Riuers euen to admiration It is coole and more temperate then the Kingdome of Rebat which adioyneth to it on the East Three leagues from Caximir is a Lake deepe and beset round with Trees in the midst thereof an Iland and thereon hee built a Palace The Countrey hath store of Rice Wheat and Vines which they plant at the foot of the Mulburie the same Tree seeming to beare two Fruits Had they not beene at Contentions amongst themselues hee could neuer haue conquered so strong a Kingdome In times past they were all Gentiles but three hundred yeeres before this the most of them became Mahumetane This Countrey he left when Summer was past
dye Experience thereof was the sixt of August 1599. when the Moone was eclipsed about eight of the clocke at night they euery way by crying out by strange gestures praying and beating their Basons and Drummes expressed a lamentable passion of griefe for the feare aforesaid And the eclipse being past when they see that neither the King nor any other is dead they obserue the next day solemnely ly festiuall with publike Procession of old and young of all sorts They esteemed it a Miracle when the Hollanders told them that there were in their Country which could prognosticate of Eclipses long before Columbus vsed the like simplicity of the Iamaicans to his preseruation for when they forsooke him hee threatned vnto them the anger of God whereof they should see an euident token in the darkening of the Moone within two dayes which according to the naturall reuolution of the Heauens knowne to Columbus comming to passe the Ilanders with dread and feare shewed all readinesse to his Seruice The conceits of the Moones Eclipse haue beene diuers some Indians thinking that shee was whipped by the Sun till the bloud followed the Greekes attributing the same to Thessalian Charmes for remedy whereof they vsed to beat on Instruments of Brasse and lighted Torches and cast fires vp towards Heauen And the Athenians persecuted naturall Philophers and Meteorlogians as aduersaries to Diuinitie as appeareth in Diagoras Protagoras and Socrates till Plato brought them to another mind Plutar. Nicias The water about Ternate is so cleere that they fish by the eye and can see the Anchors in the bottome of the water at sixteene or seuenteene fathome deepe as if it were but a foot and espy euery fish which passeth to no small aduantage of their fishing When the King goeth to the Mesquit a Boy goeth before which beareth his Sword on his shoulder and in the other hand a Kid after him follow the Kings Souldiers After them another with a Censer Next to whom commeth the King with a Tiresold ouer his head to keepe off the Sunne When they are come to the doores there are vessels of water to wash their hands and feete before they enter and then the floore is couered with white cloth whereon they prostrate themselues with their faces to the earth softly mumbling their Mumpsimus-deuotions In the middest is a Pulpit spread with white cloth In stead of a Bell they haue a great Drum hanged vp which they beate with Clubs They haue in euery Temple also one Bell but without a clapper All come at that peale or sound with their weapons armed The Moluccians are better proportioned then other Indians haue more beard which the elder men nourish and weare long for their greater authority browne of colour and meane of stature For valour they haue not their like in all India especially those of Ternate chusing rather to dye then flee and esteeming it a great credit to fight against greater multitudes Their shields are of wood two spans broad and 4. foot long They are exceedingly addicted to sloth and ease none working in any Handicraft their houses are of Timber and Reeds without one nayle in them which their slaues build and doe also their other labours They haue no money and the siluer which they haue is employed to vessels of plate Their riches are their Cloues wherewith they prouide them of other necessaries They neuer see their wiues till they are married nor the wiues them Makian and Moher are now subiect to the King of Ternate Tidore and Batian haue their peculiar Kings This people haue the power to elect their King so that they choose one of the Royall and ancient Family The King of Ternate calleth himselfe King of Gilolo whereof hee hath but a part and that by conquest The birds of Paradise saith this Authour haue two feet as well as other Birds but as soone as they are taken they are cut off with a great part of their body whereof a little is left with the head and necke which being hardned and dryed in the Sunne seeme to be so bred The Moores made the Ilanders beleeue that they came out of Paradise and therefore call them Manucodiata or holy Birds and haue them in religious account They are very beautifull with varietie of feathers and colours Amboyna bringeth forth Orenges Citrons Lemmons Cloues Coquos Bonanas Sugar-canes and other fruits being a very fertile Iland The Inhabitants are simple liue sparingly and are attired like other the Moluccans They spend much Rice whereof they make loaues like Sugar-loues They haue Gallies after their manner formed like Dragons which they row very swiftly they call them Karkolleu The Admirall came to the Hollanders with three of these full of armed men which rowed round about them expressing manifold signes of ioy with Songs and Drummes the slaues singing as they rowed They had three Peeces of Ordnance in euery Galley which they discharged answered in that kinde by the Hollanders But two of the Holland ships not finding sufficient store of Commodities for them all went to Banda passing by Poel Setto an Iland not inhabited bearing North-west from Banda fiue Dutch miles They say it is inhabited of Deuils and whosoeuer must passe by maketh all possible haste to be gone much affrighted eyther by selfe-fancies or Deuillish Impostures Banda is foure and twentie dutch miles from Amboyna and diuided into three parts which comprehend fiue miles The chiefe Citie is Nera In this Iland are more store or Nutmegs then elsewhere in the Moluccas for which cause they resort hither from Iaua China and Malacca They professe Mahumetisme so deuoutly that they neuer goe to their watches before they haue prayed in the Mesquit whereinto they enter being first washed after the Mahumetane manner but pray so lowd that they may bee heard a great distance their wordes of prayer are Stofferolla Stofferolla Ascehad an la Ascehad an la Ylla Ascehad an la Yll lolla yll lolla Mahumed die Rosulla At the pronouncing of which last wordes they stroke their hands ouer their face in which gesture they thinke is much holinesse Other prayers they mutter ouer very softly with little mouing their lips They stand vpon Mats and lift vp their eyes twice or thrice to heauen after which they kneele downe bowing their head twice or thrice to the earth Thus they doe often euery day both at home and in the streets They haue their publike meetings and bankets in their Temples very often euery one bringing his part of the cheere which sometimes they doe in the woods a hundred in a companie At these times they consult of publike affaires They haue ciuill warres Nera and Lantoor holding together against three other Townes Two little Ilands Polleruijn and Poelvunay take part with Nera and when occasion requireth come thither with their boates to consultation where they are entertayned in publike feasts the manner whereof is that they sit downe in order in stead of a table
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
Sacrifice of Men whereof they now sacrificed more then at other times for this was their solemnest Festiuall The Sacrifices being ended all the young men and Maydes came out of the Temple attired as before and being placed in order and ranke one directly against another they danced by Drummes which sounded in praise of the Feast and of their God To which Song all the ancientest and greatest men did answere dancing about them making a great Circle as the manner is the young men and Maids remayning alwayes in the middest All the Citie came to this spectacle and throughout the whole Land on this day of Vitziliputzli his Feast no man might eat any other meate but this paste with Honey whereof the Idoll was made and this should be eaten at the point of day not drinking till the afternoone the contrary was sacrilegious After the Ceremonies ended it was lawfull for them to eat any thing During the time of this Ceremony they hid the water from their little Children admonishing such as had the vse of reason to abstaine The Ceremonies Dances and Sacrifices ended they went to vnclothe themselues and the Priests and Ancients of the Temple tooke the Image of paste and spoyled it of all the Ornaments making many pieces of it and of the consecrated Rolls which they ministred in a kind of Communion beginning with the greater and continuing vnto the rest both men women and children who receiued it with teares feare reuerence and other both affects and effects of deuotion saying That they did eate the flesh and bones of their God Such as had sicke follies demanded thereof for them and carried it with great reuerence and veneration All such as did communicate were bound to giue the tenth part of this Seed whereof the Idoll was made The solemnity of the Idoll being ended an old man of great authority stept vp into an high place and with a loude voice preached their Law and Ceremonies This History deserueth the longer Relation because it so much resembleth the Popish Chimara and monstrous Conception of Transubstantiation and of their Corpus Christi Feast with other their Rites to which Acosta also the Relater compareth it blaming the Deuill for vsurping the seruice and imitating the Rites of their Church whereas their Church deserueth blame for imitating the Deuill and these his Idolatrous Disciples in their stupendious monsters of opinion and ridiculous offices of Superstition But you shall yet see a further resemblance Next to this principall Feast of Vitziliputzli was that of Tezcalipuca of chiefe estimation This fell on the nineteenth day of May and was called Tozcolt It fell euery foure yeeres with the Feast of Penance where there was giuen full indulgence and remission of sinnes In this day they did Sacrifice a Captiue which resembled the Idoll Tezcalipuca Vpon the Euen of this Solemnitie the Noblemen came to the Temple bringing a new garment like to that of the Idoll which the Priest put vpon him hauing first taken off his other Garments which they kept with great reuerence There were in the Coffers of the Idoll many Ornaments Iewels Eare-rings and other Riches as Bracelets and precious Feathers which serued to no vse and were worshipped as the God himselfe Besides that Garment they put vpon him certaine Ensignes of Feathers with Fannes shadowes and other things Being thus attired they drew the Curtayne from before the doore that all men might see Then came forth one of the chiefe of the Temple attired like to the Idoll carrying Flowre in his hand and a Flute of Earth hauing a very sharpe sound and turning toward the East hee sounded it and after that to the West North and South hee did the like This done he put his finger into the Aire and then gathered vp the Earth which hee put in his mouth eating it in signe of adoration The like did all that were present weeping and falling flat to the ground inuocating the darknesse of the night and the winds not to forsake them or else to take away their liues and free them from the labours they endured therein Theeues Adulterers Murtherers and all other Offenders had great feare and heauinesse whiles the Flute sounded so as some could not hide nor dissemble their offences By this meanes they all demanded no other thing of their God but to haue their offences concealed powring forth many teares with great repentance and sorrow offering great store of Incense to appease their Gods All the Martialists and resolute spirits addicted to the Warres desired with great deuotion of God the Creator of the Lord for whom we liue of the Sun and of other their Gods that they would giue them victory against their enemies and strength to take many Captiues for Sacrifice This ceremonious sounding of the Flute by the Priest continued ten dayes from the ninth of May to the nineteenth with eating of earth praying eueryday with eyes lifted vp to Heauen sighes and grones as of men grieued for their sinnes Yet did not they beleeue that there were any punishments in the other life but did these things to auert temporall punishments they accounted death an assured rest and therefore voluntarily offered themselues thereto The last day of the Feast the Priests drew forth a Litter well furnished with Curtaynes and Pendants of diuers fashions this Litter had so many armes to hold by as there were Ministers to carry it all which came forth besmeared with blacke and long haire halfe in tresses with white strings and attired in the Idols liuery Vpon this Litter they set the Image of Tezcalipuca and taking it on their shoulders brought it to the foot of the staires Then came forth the young men and Maydens of the Temple carrying a great cord wreathed of chaines of rosted Maiz with which they enuironed the Litter and put a chaine of the same about the Idols necke and a Garland thereof on his head The young men and Mayds weare chaines of rosted Maiz and the men Garlands the Maydes Mytres made of Rods couered with the Maiz their feet couered with Feathers and their armes and cheekes painted The Image being placed in the Litter they strewed round about store of the boughes of Manguey the leaues whereof are pricking They carried it on Procession two Priests going before with Incense in the circuit of the Court and euery time the Priest gaue Incense they lifted vp their armes as high as they could to the Idoll and the Sun All the people in the Court turned round to the place whither the Idoll went euery one carrying in his hand new cords of the threeds of Manguey a fadome long with a knot at the end wherewith they whipped themselues on the shoulders euen as they doe heere saith Acosta on Holy Thursday The people brought boughes and flowres to beautifie the Court and Temple This done euery one brought their Offerings Iewels Incense sweet Wood Grapes Maiz Quailes and the rest Quailes were the
forme as he appeareth to them which is of diuers sorts They offer Bread Smoke Fruits and Flowres with great deuotion Any one may cut off his arme which stealeth Mais Enciso with his Armie of Spaniards seeking to subdue these parts vsed a Spanish tricke telling the Indians That hee sought their conuersion to the Faith and therefore discoursed of One God Creator of all things and of Baptisme and after other things of this nature lesse to his purpose he told them That the Pope is the Vicar of Christ in all the world with absolues power ouer mens Soules and Religions and that hee had giuen those Countries to the most mightie King of Spaine his Master and hee was now come to take possession and to demand gold for tribute The Indians answered That they liked well what he had spoken of one God but for their Religion they would not dispute of it or leaue it And for the Pope he should be liberall of his owne neither seemed it that their King was mightie but poore that sent thus a begging But what words could not their Swords effected with the destruction of the Indians §. II. Of Vraba Carthagena and the Superstitions of Dabaiba THe soyle of Vraba is so fatned with a streame therein that in eight and twentie dayes the seeds of Cucumbers Melons and Gourds will ripen their Fruits There is a Tree in those Countries whose leaues with the bare touch cause great blisters the sauour of the wood is poyson and cannot be carried without danger of lift except by the helpe of another herbe which is an Antidote to this venomous Tree King Abibeiba had Palace in a Tree by reason of the moorish situation and often inundation of his Land Vasques could not get him downe till he began to cut the Tree and then the poore King came downe and bought his freedome at the Spaniards price Carthagena was so called for some resemblance in the situation to a Citie in Spaine of that name Sir Francis Drake tooke it The Indians thereabout vsed poisoned Arrowes the women warre as well as the men Enciso took one who with her owne hands had killed eight and twenty Christians They did eate the Enemies which they killed They vsed to put in their Sepulchres gold feathers and other riches Betweene Carthagena and Martha runneth a swift Riuer which maketh the Sea-water to giue place and they which passe by may in the Sea take in of this water fresh It is called of the Inhabitants Dabaiba the Spaniards haue named it Pio Grande and the Riuer of Saint Iohn it passeth with a Northerne discouerie into the Gulfe of Viaba before mentioned They which dwell on this Riuer obserue an Idoll of great note called by the name of the Riuer Dabaiba whereto the King at certaine times of the yeere sends slaues to be sacrificed from remote Countries from whence also is great resort of Pilgrims They kill the slaues before their God and after burne them supposing that odour acceptable to their Idoll as Taper-lights and Frankincense saith Martyr is to our Saints Through the displeasure of that angry God they said that all the Riuers and Fountaines had once failed and the greatest part of men perished with famine Their Kings in remembrance hereof haue their Priests at home and Chappels which are swept euery day and kept with a religious neatnesse When the King thinketh to obtaine of the Idoll Sunne-shine or Raine or the like he with his Priests gets vp into a Pulpit standing in the Chappell purposing not to depart thence till his suit be granted They vrge their God therefore with vehement prayers and cruell fasting the people meane-while macerating themselues also with fasting in foure dayes space not eating nor drinking except on the fourth day onely a little broth The Spaniards asking what God they worshipped thus they answered The Creator of the Heauens Sunne Moone and all inuisible things from whom all good things proceed And they say Dabaiba was the Mother of that Creator They call them to their Deuotions with certaine Trumpets and Bels of gold The Bels had clappers like in forme to ours made of the bones of Fishes and yeelding a pleasing sound as they reported which no doubt was a pleasing sound and musicke to the Spaniards couetous hearts howsoeuer it agreeth with the nature of that metall to ring in the eares One of them say they weighed sixe hundred Pensa Their Priests were enioyned chastitie which vow if they violated they were either stoned or burned Other men also in the time of that fast likewise contained themselues from those carnall pleasures They haue an imagination of the soule but know not what substance or name to ascribe vnto it to which yet they beleeued was assigned futured ioyes or woes according to their demerits pointing vp to Heauen and downe to the Center when they spake thereof Many of their Wiues for they might haue many followed the Sepulchres of their husbands They allow not marriage with the Sister of which they haue a riduculous conceit of the Spot which they account a Man in the Moone that for this Incest was thither confined to the torments of cold and moysture in that Moons-prison They leaue trenches on their Sepulchres in which they yeerely powre Mays and some of their Wine to the profit as they thinke of the Ghosts If a Mother die while she giueth sucke the poore nursling must not bee Orphan but bee interred with her being put there to her brest and buried aliue They imagined that the Soules of their great men and their familiars were immortall but not others and therefore such of their seruants and friends as would not be buried with them they thought should lose that priuiuiledge of Immortalitie and the delights of those pleasant places where was eating drinking dancing and the former delicacies of their former liues They renue the funerall pomps of these great men yeerely assembling thither with plentie of Wine and meats and there watch all night especially the women singing drerie lamentations with Inuectiues against his Enemies if he dyed in the warres yea cutting the Image of his Enemy in pieces in reuenge of their slaine Lord This done they fall to drinking of Mays Wine till they be weary if not drunken Yet after this they resume their Songs to his commendation with many dances and adorations When day appeareth they put the Image of the deceased into a great Canoa a Boat of one Tree capcable of threescore Oares filled with drinkes herbes and such things as in his life he had loued which some carrie vpon their shoulders in Procession about the Court and set it downe there againe and burne it with all the contents After which the women filled with Wine and emptied of all modestie with loose haire secrets not secret and varietie of Bacchanal gestures sometimes goe somtimes fall somtimes shake the weapons of the men and conclude with beastly sleeping on the ground The young men
where they were well refreshed But a disease worse then the French Poxe there warred vpon them called Pori Yet did Pizarro hold on his resolution he passed ouer to Puna where the Gouernour intreated the Spaniards well till the abusing of their Wiues caused the Indians to take Armes and so made their riches become a prey to the preuayling Spaniards There had Pizarro the first intelligence of Atabaliba The Gouernour of this Iland to satisfie his iealousie cut off the Noses the Members and the Armes of his Eunuches or Keepers of his women Pizarro sent to Tumbez sixe hundred Prisoners which the Gouernour of this Land had taken of the party of Atabaliba who at that time mayntained Warre against his Brother Guascar about the Souereigntie and this Gouernour had taken Guascars part This ciuill discord was much to the Spaniards aduantage Pizarro sent three Messengers to Tumbez to demand peace and safe entrance but they notwithstanding the freedome of their Captiues deliuered them to the Priests to bee sacrificed to their Idoll of the Sunne Hee taketh Tumbez and sacketh the Temple and Citie From thence he proceeded in his way to Caximalca and Guascar sent some vnto him with great promises to demand his aide against his Brother Atabaliba soone after Atabaliba sent one to him to charge him to returne to his ships Pizarro answereth That hee came not to hurt any but for their good as his Emperour had giuen him in charge nor could he now being the Embassadour of the Pope and Emperour Lords of the World returne without great dishonour before he had seene his Royall person and communicated to him such instructions as might be good for his body and soule As he passed the Prouince of Chira the Lords thereof prouoked him against Atabaliba who had lately conquered their Countries And on the Riuer of Chira hee founded the Colonie of Saint Michael for the safe keeping of his spoyles and for his ships Hee marcheth on to Caximalca and sendeth Messengers on horse-back to giue him notice of his comming This strange Beast made the Indians afraid but Atabaliba was nothing mooued therewith more mooued to see those bearded men giue him so little reuerence Atabaliba sent Pizarro a paire of shooes cut and gilded that as hee pretended he might know him others thought that hee might bee knowne and designed to imprisonment or slaughter The next day the King was carried as in solemne triumph vpon mens shoulders garded with fiue and twentie thousand Indians in rich pompe and magnificence Vincentius de Valle Viridi a Dominican Frier holding in one hand a Crosse in the other his Breuiarie or as some say a Bible came before him with great reuerence and blessing him with the Crosse said Excellent Lord it behoueth you to know that God in Trinity and Vnity made the World of nothing and formed a man of the Earth whom hee called Adam of whom wee all haue beginning Adam sinned against his Creator by disobedience and in him all his Posteritie except Iesus Christ who being God came downe from Heauen and tooke flesh of the Virgin Mary and to redeeme Mankind dyed on a Crosse like to this for which cause wee worship it rose againe the third day after forty dayes ascended into Heauen leauing for his Vicar in Earth Saint Peter and his Successours which wee call Popes who haue giuen to the most puissant King of Spaine Emperour of the Romans the Monarchy of the World Obey the Pope and receiue the faith of Christ and if yee shall beleeue it most holy and that most false which yee haue yee shall doe well and know that doing the contrary we will make warre on you and will take away and breake your Idols therefore leaue the deceiueable Religion of your false Gods This preaching of the Frier might well seeme strange to Atabaliba which it seemes hee learned of the Mahumetans and not of the Apostles He answered that hee was Free and would not become tributary to any nor did acknowledge any greater Lord then himselfe and for the Emperour he could be pleased to be the friend of so great a Prince and to know him but for the Pope he would not obey him which gaue away that which was not his owne and tooke a Kingdome from him whom hee had neuer seene As for Religion hee liked well his owne and neyther would nor ought to call it in question being so ancient and approued especially seeing Christ dyed which neuer befell the Sunne or Moone And how saith hee doe you know that the God of the Christians created the World Frier Vincent answered That his Booke told it him and gaue him his Breuiarie Atabaliba looked on it and in it and saying it said no such thing to him hurled it on the ground The Frier tooke it vp and went to Pizarro crying Hee hath cast the Gospels to the ground Reuenge it O Christians seeing they will not our friendship nor our Law or to vse the words of a Spanish Captain there present in his relation thereof Come forth Christians come forth and come to these Enemies Dogs that wil not accept the things of God and the Cacique hath cast our holy Law to the ground Francisco di Xeres who was Pizarroes Secretary writeth that the Frier would haue opened the book because Atabaliba could not and he in disdain smote him on the arme and obiected to the Spaniards their abuses and robbing of his Caciques saying hee would not depart thence till all were restored Pizarro commanded to bring forth the Standard and the Ordinance the Horsemen in three Bands assailed Atabaliba's people and slue many hee himselfe arriued with his Footmen which layed about with their Swords all charged vpon Atabaliba slaying them which carried him whose Roome was presently supplyed by other till at last Pizarro pulled him downe from his Litter by the clothes All this while not one Indian fought because they had no commandement or as Xeres sayth for feare and amazement to see their Cacique so vsed and therefore no Spaniard was slaine and many Indians perished vpon the thrust for so the Frier had bidden them fight for feare of breaking their Swords neither were any wounded but onely Pizarro by one of his owne thrusting at Atabaliba in his taking and wounding Pizarro therewith in the arme Thus are the Indians chased their King with other great spoyles remayning with the Spaniards of which Xeres reckoneth 80000. Castilians in hold and 7000. Markes euery Marke being eight ounces in Siluer of the houshold Plate of Atabaliba And in Caxamalca they rifled houses full vp to the roofe of Garments besides Armour and Weapons of which some were Axes and Pole-axes of Gold and Siluer §. II. The huge Treasures taken by the Spaniards THe next day the Spaniards scowred about for spoyle and found fiue thousand Women of the Kings with much treasure Atabaliba was much grieued with his imprisonment especially in regard of the chaine which they
where I with others saw him and he espying me called vpon Christ They threw him into a Dungeon where hee miserably ended his life He had liued in pompe and beene Authour of much mischiefe had conuayed much treasure out of the Countrey by way of England to Wesell in Westphalia where hee was borne though brought vp in Cambridge an Enemy alway to our Nation Hee had deluded the Emperour with tales of Queene Elizabeths youth and hopes by his Calculations of obtayning her But the Emperour out of hope hereof heard that there was a young Lady of the bloud Royall the Lady Mary Hastings daughter to the Earle of Huntington whom he now affected The Bishop of Nouogrod was condemned of coyning and sending money to Swethen and Poland of keeping Witches buggering Boyes and Beasts confederating with Bomelius c. All his goods were confiscated and himselfe throwne into a Dungeon with Irons on his head and legges where he made painted Images Combes and Beads liued with bread and water Eleuen of his confederate Seruants were hanged in his Palace gate at Mosco and his women Witches shamefully dismembred and burnt The Emperour passed ouer those which had beene accused and now consulted about marrying his second Sonne Chariwich Theodor being of great simplicitie the eldest hauing no issue But hauing his Prelates and Nobles together could not but euaporate some of his conceits from the former confessions of their Treasons being Ascension day on which before Musco had beene burned He spent some houres in Rhetoricall enlarging the dismalnesse of that day with great eloquence darting still with his eye at many Confederates in the late Conspiracie protesting to leaue them a naked disloyall and distressed people and a reproch to all Nations of the World The Enemies are at hand God and his prodigious creatures in the Heauens fight against vs Scarcity and Famine witnesse it and yet no Iudgements moue remorse in you The Originall is too long to recite Little was done but all prostrating themselues to his Maiesty and mercy desired God to blesse his holy purpose for the marriage of his Sonne for whom he chose Irenia daughter of Theodor Iuanowich Godonoue and after the solemnization of the marriage with great Feast dismissed the Nobles and Prelates with better words and countenance which was taken for a reconciliation But the Nuptials could not be performed by vsuall cohabitation which much distempered the King it is not decent to write the courses taken therein The Emperous Letters Instructions were ready himselfe his chiefe Secretarie Sauelly Frowlow whiles I was present closed them vp in one of the false sides of a woodden Bottle filled with Aquanitae to hang vnder my Horse-mayne not worth one penny appointed me foure hundred Hungarian Duckets in Gold to be sowed in my boots and quilted in some of my worst garments He said he forbare to tell me of some secrets of his peasure fearing left I passing thorow his Enemies Country might bee inforced to discouer what hee would not haue knowne The Bottle you carry with you shall declare what you shall say to Queene Elizabeth my louing Sister of which you must haue care as of your life vntill you come in safe place to open it In meane while and alway bee thou my sweet Sunshine Eremiska trusty and faithfull and thy reward shall be my goodnesse and grace from me hereafter I fell prostrate layd my head on his foot with a heauy heart to bee thus exposed to vnauoydable danger Doeafie Vlanon a Gentleman of good ranke and daily Wayter on the King attended me my Sled and Horse and twenty Seruants were ready at the posterne gate I posted that night to Otuer ninety miles where victuals and fresh Horses were prepared and so to Nouogrod and Plesco 600. miles in three dayes where entring into Liuonia my Gentleman and Seruants tooke their leaues and desired some token to the Emperour of my safe comming thither They left me with a poore guide only Within three houres after the Centinell tooke me vpon the borders and brought me to New house into the Castle before the State-holder or Lieutenant who straitly examined and searched me suspecting me as one comming from their enemies Country I said I was glad to come into their hands out of the vaile of misery the Moscouites Country not without losse On the third day vpon some mediation they appointed mee a Guide and suffered mee to passe The Guard expected gratuitie but I excused as pinched by the Russe I passed three dayes by Land and frozen Meares to Ossell in Liefland an Iland large and spacious vnder the King of Denmarke Raggamuffin Souldiers tooke me and vsed me roughly and carried me to Sowen Burgh and so to Orent Burgh the chiefe Townes and Castles in those parts and there deliuered me to the State-holders Lieutenant I attended his pleasure kept hardly as a Spie the Snakes creeping in my Lodging on Bed and board and Milke pans the soyle was such they did no harme I was called before the chiefe Gouernour a graue Gentleman in good fauour with the King many Halberds attending who examined me with many questions I answered I was a Subiect of the Queene of England who had peace with all Christian Kings specially with the King of Denmarke but was committed againe to custody whence hauing dismissed his company he sent for me againe by his Sonne and being priuate holding a Letter in his hand said I haue receiued sundry Letters from my friends and one of late from my daughter captiue in Mosco which sheweth of much friendship shee hath found at an English Gentlemans hand which negociates in that Court for the Queen of England My Lord said I is your daughter called Magdalen Vrkil yea Sir said he I answered I was the man that within these ten dayes she was well He sayd he could not procure her ransome and clasps me about the neck crying as did his Sonne likewise Gods Angell hath brought your goodnesse thus to me how euer disguised in this turbulent time that I might render you thankes and furtherance I desired free passe and safe conduct He feasted me ioyfully and made ready his Letters and Pasports to Captaines of Townes and Castles gaue mee a faire German striking Clocke offered his Sonne and Seruants armed to guard me out of danger which I could not accept of and commended his daughter to me I passed on to Pilton a strong Castle where King Magnus lay who vsed mee roughly because I could not drinke with him excessiuely Hee had riotously spent and giuen most of his Townes and Castles Iewels Plate c. to his followers and adopted daughters which hee receiued in Dowre with the Emperours Neece and not long after dyed miserably leauing his Queene and only daughter in very poore estate I roade thorow the Duke of Curlands Country and Prussia to Konninsburgh Meluin and Danzike in Polond Pomerania and Mickelburgh to Lubeck where I was