That such parts of Armenia as the Saracens now possessed and the Tartars should recouer from them might returne to the Crowne of Armenia Mangu-Can answered after deliberation with his Nobles to the first That himselfe would bee a Christian and perswade other his subiects but force none thereunto and to the rest in order that his requests in all should be fulfilled and to that end hee would send his brother Haolon into those parts as is before alreadie shewed Thus was Mangu baptized by a Bishop then Chauncellor of Armenia and all his houshold and many Nobles of both sexes But before Ierusalem could bee recouered Mangu died and Cobila or Cublai Can succeeded in whose time M. Paulus was an eye-witnesse of the Tartarian proceedings who affirmeth That this Cublai exceeded in power not his predecessours onely but all the Kingdomes of Christians and Saracens although they were ioyned in one Before hee obtained the Soueraigntie hee shewed himselfe a valiant Souldier but after hee was Emperour hee neuer fought field but once against Naiam his vncle who was able out of the Prouinces wherein he gouerned to bring together foure hundred thousand Horse to whom Caidu should haue added a hundred thousand Horse more These both conspired against their Master and Lord Cublai but before their forces were ioyned Cublai stopping the passages that none might passe to carrie newes suddenly assembled within ten dayes iourney of Cambalu three hundred and threescore thousand Horse and an hundred thousand Footmen With this power riding day and night he came suddenly on his enemies and hauing first consulted with his Diuiners after their manner gaue the on-set and tooke Naiam prisoner whom hee strangled betwixt two Carpets lest the Earth should drinke or the Sunne should see the bloud of that imperiall family Naiam had beene secretly baptized and now also had the Crosse for his Banner which occasioned the Iewes and Saracens to scoffe at the Christians but Cublai vnderstanding hereof called them all before him and said that the Crosse would not helpe such wicked men as Naiam who was a Traitour to his Lord say yee not therefore that the GOD of the Christians is vniust to forsake his followers for hee is the chiefe Bountie and Iustice Cublai by his Captaines conquered the Kindomes of Mien Bengala Mangi c. HONDIVS his Map of TARTARIA TARTARIA CHAP. XII A Continuation of the Tartarian Historie and the question discussed whether Cathay and China be the same and the iourney of BENEDICT GOES by land from Labor §. I. Of the Tartarian Succession to our dayes AFter Cublai can succeeded Tamor Can sonne to Cingis the eldest sonne of Cublai in whose time Haithon which then liued saith That there were besides three great Tartarian Princes but subiect to the great Can Chap◠which ruled in Turquestan who was able to bring into the field foure hundred thousand Horsemen armed Hotchtay in the Kingdome of Cumania who was able to arme six hundred thousand horsemen to the wars but not so resolute as the former Carbanda the third ruled in Tauris able to assemble an Army of three hundred thousand Horse well prouided And all these liued in the Westerne bounds of the Tartarian Empire euerie way inferiour in wealth and numbers to the Southerly and Easterly parts thereof Tarik Mircond a Persian in his Catalogue of the Cans or Tartarian Emperours calleth Cublai by a transposition of the syllables Vlaku For thus doth hee recite their names with the yeeres of their coronations Chinguis in the yeere of the Hegira 602. Otkay Khaon 626. Gayuk Khaon 643. Manchu Khaon 644. Vlaku Khaon 657. Haybkay Khaon 663. Hamed Khan or Nicudar Oglan 680. Argon Khon 683. Ganiaru Khon 690. Budukhan 693. Gazunkhan 694. Alyaptukhan 703. Sulton Abuzayd Bahader Khan 716. These from Cublai or Vlaku are the Cans or Vice-royes of Persia and those parts adioyning and not the great Cans themselues But of these and of Tamerlane and his issue wee haue before related at large in the fourth Persian Dynastie I haue seene the transcript of a letter sent by King Edward the Second written 1307. in the first yeere of his reigne October 16. to Diolgietus King of the Tartars against Mahomet and in behalfe of William Liddensis Episcopus and others to preach to his people But these Tartars it seemeth were of the neerer Mahumetans and not the great Can of Cathay Since Tamor Can we haue not so continued a Historie of their Empire and Emperours as before and yet wee haue had succeeding testimonies a long time of their State and Magnificence but neither so diligent obseruers nor so exact Writers as the former besides that their Histories seeme in some things more fabulous Of this later sort are Odoricus a Frier which liued three yeeres in the Emperors Court and trauelled as farre as Quinsay who died in the yeere 1331. Sir Iohn Mandeuile our Country-man spent many yeere in those Countries a few yeeres after Odoricus and writ the Historie of his Trauels in the reigne of Edward the third of England Echiant Can being then Emperour of the Tartars in which if many things seeme not worthy credit yet are they such as Odoricus or some others not of the worst Authors had before committed to writing and haply by others after his time in those dayes when Printing wanted foisted into his booke Once hee setteth downe the distances and passages of Countries so exactly as I thinke he could not then haue learned but by his owne Trauels After his time Nicholo di Conti a Venetian trauelled thorow India and Cathay after twentie fiue yeeres returning home and going to Eugenius the fourth then Pope to bee absolued because hee had denied the Christian Faith to saue his life his enioyned penance was truly to relate to Poggius tht Popes Secretarie his long peregrination This was in the yeere 1444. About the same time Iosafa Barbaro a Venetian in the yeere 1436. had learned of a Tartarian Embassadour which had beene at Cambalu and returning by Tana was entertained of the said Iosafa some particulars touching the great Cham and Cathay some part whereof he heard after confirmed by the mouth of Vsun-cassan the mightie Persian King in the yeere 1474. So that from the yeere 1246. thus farre we haue continued succession of the Cathayan Historie besides that which an Arabian hath written in this Historie of Tamerlane now extant in English §. II. The question discussed whether Cathay be the same with China I Am the more curious in naming these Authors lest any should thinke that which is written of this people to bee fabulous all these in a manner concurring in the most substantiall things and because many confound the Countries and affaires of China and Cathay The cause of both which opinions may bee because that in these last hundred yeeres and more in which more of the World then euer before hath been discouered yet nothing of moment is found out of this
but halfe words beeing surprized with his feare a passion which is the betraying of the Succours that Reason offereth Cubo commanded that hee should bee stripped of his Bonzian habite in a publike Congregation by other Priests together with his Companions laden meane while with insolent words and blowes After this they and eleuen more of their Sect aboue twentie in all were bound and ledde vp and downe this Citie and other the chiefe Cities of Iapan in which before hee had Preached Lastly all of them were carried backe to Miaco and Carted the Preacher had his Eares and Nose cut off the rest their Noses and the matter taken vp by the King of Fingo which followed Xaca obtayned this Conclusion that all the Foquexus should by their publike writing confesse that the Founder of their Heresie which first taught the worshippers of Amida to bee damned was an Impostor and that Xaca neuer had taught so Thus hath this Emperour dealt with the Iaponian Sects nor is hee equall to the Iesuites Christianitie For in Yendo so the Iesuites call that Imperiall Citie of the Prince Ours Eddo and Edoo Proclamation was made that None of the Nobles should become Christian And many inferiour Kings persecuted the same specially Michael an Apostata the King of Arima which had before vsed bad meanes to remoue his Father so to become his vntimely Successour This his Father Iohn had a little before beene employed against the Portugals Ship of Macao The reason was some quarrels at Macao betwixt the Portugals and Iaponians who being seuerely enquired into by the Portugall Magistrate fledde home and acquainted Cubo with the businesse Hereupon this ship arriuing in Iapan at Nangasach Hee sent this King of Arima against them in which fight the Portugall Ship long preuayling by casualtie was fired and by themselues casting fire into the Gunners-roome blowne vp to the losse of a Million of goods This Iohn vsing indirect meanes to obtaine part of the Kingdome of Fyen his hopes increased by the marriage of the Emperours Neece to his Sonne Michael notwithstanding his former wife The issue was that whiles the Father entertayned one policie the Sonne had two the one for that Land of Fyen the other to supplant His Father who seemed to forget the Iaponian custome in their age to relinquish the Gouernment to the Sonne or Successour This at last hee effected by his Fathers banishment first and soone after his death and now becomming of his wiues Religion persecuted the Christians and banished the Iesuites Hee burnt or roasted rather eight of his Subiects after Saint Lawrence his example And the Emperour himselfe hath much distasted the Iesuites The reason is not mentioned by the Iesuites But Captayne Saris then in Iapan affirmes that a Ship of the Portugals comming from Macao Ogashasama sent to haue some rarities bought for his vse The Gouernour I know not whether it were the King of Firando moued the Iesuites to effect the Emperours pleasure They said they were Religious men this belonged to the Captayne of the Ship Hee being sollicited said it belonged to the Master the Master was asked and answered The Iesuites ruled herein Thus was the businesse wound in a Circle they seeking it seemes to heighten the price and the Gouernour to whom the Emperour had sent accused the Iesuites as beeing vnder the Cloake of Religion Merchants Hereupon He caused their Temples to be pulled downe and all remoued to Nangasacke and prohibited any Masse-saying within fiue leagues of the Court which whiles some presumed in their zeale to transgresse saying Masse in an Hospitall of Lepers within that Compasse they were Crucified therefore Captayn Saris in his journey to Sorunga met with some of their Churches thus taken downe diuers Iunkes being laden with them For such is the Iaponian building with joynts in their Timber and without nayles that it may easily be remoued The Reliques of these crucified persons were reserued as great Holies as great Follies I should haue said And since Master Cockes hath written that the Iesuites are all banished Iapan and their Churches puld downe and burnt The Iesuites had some goodly Colledges as at Meaco one as large as the Tower-Hill whither the Children resorted daily to their Schoole And before these dayes the Kings of Bungo Arima and Omur sent their Embassadours to the Pope then Gregorie the thirteenth with Letters of deuotion to his Holinesse and had audience in the Consistorie the three and twentieth day of March Ann. 1585. This was the Iesuites policie saith Linschoten to make the Iaponites to know the magnificence of Europe and by that meanes principally to enrich themselues with Gifts and Priuiledges Howsoeuer the Iaponites thought themselues hereby much obliged to the Pope as by the Letter of Don Sancio the King or Lord of Omur and Protasius of Arima to Pope Xistui 1590. appeareth But for a farewell to these Iaponian Iesuites I like their being there so well that I could wish all of that societie were Preaching in that Iland or acting the Scripture-stories vpon the Stage which is one way of instructing the Iaponites or if you like that rather a whipping themselues in their vaine-glorious Processions which is another of their Iaponian Lectures that so they might in some measure expiate the crimes of their European brethren or any way else so that our Europe were well ridde of such vermine Coray is a hundred leagues from Iapan by Sea which is so troublesome that in the fiue yeeres warres betweene the Iaponites and the Corayans it swallowed aboue fiue hundred Ships This Kingdome of Coray is an hundred leagues long and threescore broad tributary to China and confining vpon the Tartars They are good Archers but not so good Souldiers as the Iaponians nor so well weaponed but better prouided of Ships Taicosama warred vpon it both to make it his way as was thought to China and especially that hauing subdued it he might place the Kings his vassals in Iaponia there so to possesse all that Iaponian state immediately himselfe There are to the North of Iapan neere to Sassuma certaine plentifull Ilands called Liuquiu the Portugals name them Sechies which by the King of Sassumas indeuour Cubo hath conquered the King Nobles and a rich bootie taken Formosa is a great barren Iland betwixt Macar and Iapan not farre from China to which it is tributary betwixt whom and the Iapanders haue beene late quarrels Lewis Frois speaketh of a great Nation of wilde people to the North of Iapan three hundred leagues from Meaco which are cloathed with Beasts skinnes with great beards and mustachoes a people giuen to Wine valiant dreadfull to the Iaponites they worship the Heauen and other Religion they haue not Captayne Saris was told at Edoo of an I le called Yedzo North-west from Iapan by one which said hee had beene there twice * that the people are hayrie as Monkeys and that further North there were small
apprehended at Sea by a mighty and tedious storme wherewith after many dayes they were brought to Estotiland aboue a thousand miles West from Frisland vpon which one of the Boats was cast away and sixe men that were in it were taken and brought to a populous Citie where one that spake Latine and had beene cast by chance vpon that Iland in the name of the King asked them what Country-men they were and vnderstanding their case he acquainted the King there with They dwelt there fiue yeeres and found it to bee an Iland very rich being little lesse then Iseland farre more fruitfull One of them said he saw Latine Bookes in the Kings Librarie which they at this present doe not vnderstand They haue a peculiar Language and Letters or Characters to themselues They haue Mines of Gold and other Metals and haue trade with Engroneland They sow Corne and make Beere and Ale They build Barks but know not the vse of the Compasse and haue many Cities and Castles The King sent these Fisher-men with twelue Barkes Southwards to a Countrey which they call Drogio in which Voyage escaping dreadfull Tempests at Sea they encountred with Canibals at Land which deuoured many of them These Fishers shewing them the manner of taking Fish with Nets escaped and for the presents which they made of their fish to the chiefe men of the Countrey were beloued and honoured One of these more expert it seemeth then the rest was holden in such account that a great Lord made warre with their Lord to obtayne him and so preuayled that he and his company were sent vnto him And in this order was he sent to fiue and twenty Lords which had warred one with another to get him in thirteene yeeres space whereby hee came to know almost all those parts which hee said was a great Country and as it were a New World The people are all rude and void of goodnesse they goe naked neyther haue they wit to couer their bodies with the Beasts skins which they take in hunting from the vehement cold They are fierce and eat their Enemies hauing diuers Lawes and Gouernours Their liuing is by hunting Further to the Southwest they are more ciuill and haue a more temperate Ayre They haue Cities and Temples dedicated to Idols where they sacrifice men and after eate them and haue also some vse of Gold and Siluer He fled away secretly and conueying himselfe from one Lord to another came at length to Drogio where hee dwelt three yeeres After this time finding there certaine Boates of Estotiland he went thither with them and growing there very rich furnished a Barke of his owne and returned into Frisland where hee made report vnto his Lord of that wealthy Countrey Zichumi prepared to send thither but three dayes before they set forth this Fisherman dyed Yet taking some of the Mariners which came with him in his stead they prosecuted the Voyage and encountred after many dayes an Iland where ten men of diuers Languages were brought vnto them of which they could vnderstand none but one of Island He told them That the Iland was called Icaria and the Knights thereof called Icari descended of the ancient pedigree of Dodalus King of Scots who conquering that Iland left his Sonne there for King and left them those Lawes which to that present they retayned And that they might keepe their Lawes inuiolate they would receiue no stranger Onely they were contented to receiue one of our men in regard of the Language as they had done those ten Interpreters Zichumi sayling hence in foure dayes descried Land where they found abundance of Fowle and Birds Egges for their refreshing The Hauen they called Cape Trinity There was a Hill which burning cast out smoake where was a Spring from which issued a certaine water like Pitch which ranne into the Sea The people of small stature wilde and fearefull hid themselues in Caues Zichumi built there a Citie and determining to inhabit sent Antonio backe againe with the most of his people to Frisland This History I haue thus inserted at large which perhaps not without cause in some thinges may seeme fabulous not in the Zeni which thus writ but in the Relations which they receiued from others Howsoeuer the best Geographers are beholden to these Brethren for that little knowledge they haue of these parts of which none before had written nor since haue there beene any great in-land Discoueries §. II. Discoueries made by SEBASTIAN CABOT CORTREGALIS GOMES with some notes of Groenland SOmewhat since there hath beene discouered by Gasper Corteregale a Portugall Stephen Gomes a Spaniard and Sebastian Cabot and more by later Pilots of our Nation but little of the disposition of the In-land people Yea it was thought to be all broken Ilands and not inhabited but at certayne seasons frequented by some Saluages which come thither to fish Such as we can in due order we here bestow Sebastian Cabot reported to Ramusio that in the yeere 1497. at the charge of King Henry the Seuenth he discouered to the 67. degree and a halfe of Northerly latitude minding to haue proceeded for the search of Cathay but by the mutiny of the Mariners was forced to returne The Map of Sebastian Cabot cut by Clement Adams relateth That Iohn Cabot a Venetian and his Sonne Sebastian set out from Bristoll discouering the Land called it Prima Vista and the Iland before it Saint Iohns The Inhabitants weare beasts skinnes There were white Beares and Stags farre greater then ours There were plenty of Seales and Soles aboue a yard long He named sayth Peter Martyr certaine Ilands Boccalaos of the store of those fish which the Inhabitants called by that name which with their multitudes sometimes stayed his ships The Beares caught these fish with their clawes and drew them to land and ate them In the time of Henry the Seuenth William Purchas being then Maior of London were brought vnto the King three men taken in the New-found Iland these were clothed in beasts skins and did eate raw flesh But Cabot discouered all along the Coast to that which since is called Florida and returning found great preparations for wars in Scotland by reason whereof no more consideration was had to this Voyage Whereupon he went into Spaine and being entertayned by the King and Queene was sent to discouer the Coasts of Brasill and sayled vp into the Riuer of Plate more then six score leagues He was a made Pilot Maior of Spaine and after that Anno 1549. was constituted Grand Pilot of England by King Edward the Sixt with the yeerely Pension of an hundred threescore and sixe pounds thirteene shillings foure pence Where in the yeere 1553. hee was chiefe dealer and procurer of the Discouery of Russia and the North-east Voyages made by Sir Hugh Willoughby R. Chancelour Stephen Burrough and prosecuted by Pet Iackman and others towards Noua Zemla Persia Tartaria as in Master Hakluits first
Kingdome Kings and City of Marocco ibid. § II. Of the Kings of the Seriffian Family p. 695 § III. Of the ciuill Wars in Barbary and of some other parts of that Kingdome pag. 697 CHAP. XII OF the Arabians populations and depopulations in Afrike and of the Naturall Africans and of the beginnings and proceedings of the Mahumetan Superstition in Africa of the Portugals Forces and Exploits therein pag. 701 CHAP. XIII OF Biledulgerid and Sarra otherwise called Numidia and Libya pag. 706 CHAP. XIIII OF the Land of Negros pag. 709 § I. Of the Riuer Niger Gualata Senaga and Guinea ibid. § II. Obseruations of those parts out of Cadamosta and other ancient Nauigators pag. 712 § III. Other obseruations of later Times by Engglishmen and others pag. 715 § IIII. Of the Marriages Manners Religion Funerals Gouernment and other Rites of the Guineans collected out of a late Dutch Authour pag. 717 § V. Obseruations of the Coast and Inland Countries out of Barrerius and Leo and of the cause of the Negroes blacknesse pag. 721 THE SEVENTH BOOKE Of Aethiopia and the African Ilands and of their RELIGIONS CHAP. I. OF Aethiopia Superior and the Antiquities thereof pag. 725 § I. Of the name and diuision of Aethiopia ibid. § II. Of the Nations neere the falls of Nilus and of Meroe pag. 727 CHAP. II. A Continuation of the Aethiopian Antiquities and of the Queene of Saba p. 730 CHAP. III. OF Presbyter Iohn and of the Priest-Iohns in Asia whether that descended of these pag. 734 CHAP. IIII. RElations of the Aethiopian Empire collected out of Aluares Bermudesius and other Authors pag 738 CHAP. V. RElations of Aethiopian rarities collected out of Frier Luys a Spanish Authour pag. 743 § I. Of the Hill Amara ibid. § II. His liberall reports of the Library and incredible Treasures therein pag. 744 § III. Of the Princes of the bloud there kept and of the Election of the Emperour pag. 745 § IIII. Of their Schooles and Cities pag. 747 CHAP. VI. RElations of Aethiopia by Godignus and other Authors lately published seeming more credible pag. 749 § I. The seuerall Countries of Abassia their Scituation Inhabitants Riuers and Lakes ibid. § II. Of the Soile Fruits Creatures Seasons and Climate pag. 750 § III. Of their Customes in Priuate Life and Publike Gouernment and their late Miseries pag. 751 § IIII. Of the Sabaeans and their Queene which visited Salomon pag. 753 CHAP. VII OF other Countries betweene the Red Sea and Benomotapa pag. 754 § I. Of Adel Adea Zanzibar Melinde ibid. § II. The Portugals Exploits in Mombaza and of the Imbij pag. 755 § III. Of Quiloa Sofala and Ophir pag. 756 § IIII. Of Monoemugi the Moores Baduines Caphars in these parts pag. 757 CHAP. VIII OF Benomotapa and the parts adioyning pag. 759 § I. Of the Empire of Monomotapa ibid. § II. Of Caphraria the Cape of Good Hope and Soldania pag. 761 CHAP. IX OF the Kingdome of Congo and the other Kingdoms and Nations adioyning p. 765 § I. Of Angola ibid. § II. Of Congo pag. 766 § III. Of their Heathenish Rites also of their strange Trees and of the I le Loanda pag. 768 CHAP. X. OF Loango the Anzichi Giachi and the great Lakes in those parts of the World pag. 770 § I. Of Loango ibid. § II. Of the Anzigues pag. 772 § III. Of the Giacchi or Iagges ibid. § IIII. Of the Lakes and Riuers in these parts of Africa pag. 773 CHAP. XI OF the Seas and Ilands about Africa the ancient and moderne obseruations Nauigations and Discoueries pag. 775 § I. Of the Red Sea and why it is so called ibid. § II. Of the chiefe Townes and Ilands in the Red Sea pag. 777 § III. Of Socotora Madagascar and other Ilands on the Easterne Coast of Africa pag. 778 CHAP. XII OF the Ilands of Africa from the Cape hitherwards pag. 781 § I. Of Saint Helena Thomee Cape de Verd and diuers others betwixt them and of the Weeds and Calmes of those Seas ibid. § II. Of the Canaries Madera and Porto Santo pag. 783 § III. Extracts taken out of the obseruations of the Right Worshipfull Sir Edmund Scory Knight of the Pike of Tenariffe and other Rarities which he obserued there pag. 784 § IIII. Of Malta and the Nauigations about Africa pag. 788 AMERICA THE EIGHTH BOOKE Of New France Virginia Florida New Spaine with other Regions of America Mexicana and of their Religions CHAP. I. OF the New World and why it is named America and the West Indies with certaine generall Discourses of the Heauens Ayre Water and Earth in those parts pag. 791 § I. Of the names giuen to this part of the World and diuers opinions of the Ancients concerning the Torrid Zone ibid. § II. Of the nature of Metals in generall of Gold Siluer Quicksiluer and the plentie and Mines thereof in America pag. 795 CHAP. II. OF the first Knowledge Habitation and Discoueries of the New World and the rare Creatures therein found Beasts Birds Trees Herbs and Seeds pag. 798 § I. Whether the Ancients had any knowledge of America and whence the Inhabitants first came ibid. § II. Of Christopher Colon or Columbus his first Discouerie and three other Voyages pag. 801 § III. Of the Beasts Fowles and Plants in America pag. 804 CHAP. III. OF the Discoueries of the North parts of the New World and toward the Pole and of Greene Land or New Land Groen-Land Estotiland Meta incognita and other places vnto New France pag. 807 § I. Of the Discoueries made long since by Nicolo and Antonio Zeni ibid. § II. Discoueries made by Sebastian Cabot Cortregalis Gomes with some notes of Groenland pag. 809 § III. Discoueries by Sir Martin Frobisher pag 811 § IIII. Discoueries by Iohn Dauis George Weymouth and Iames Hall to the North-west pag. 813 § V. Of King IAMES his new-New-land alias Greene-land and of the Whale and Whale-fishing pag. 814 § VI. Of Hudsons Discoueries and death pag. 817 § VII Of Buttons and Baffins late Discoueries pag. 819 CHAP. IIII. OF New-found-land Noua Francia Arambec and other Countries of America extending to Virginia pag. 821 § I. English Discoueries and Plantations in New-found-land ibid. § II. The Voyages and obseruations of Iaques Cartier in Noua Francia pag. 823 § III. Late Plantations of New France and Relations of the Natiues pag. 825 CHAP. V. OF Virginia pag. 828 § I. The Preface Sir Walter Raleighs Plantation and the Northerne Colonie ibid. § II. Of the Southerne Plantation and Colonies and many causes alleaged of the ill successe thereof at the first pag. 831 § III. Of the Soyle People Beasts Commodities and other obseruations of Virginia pag. 834 § IIII. Of the present estate of Virginia and the English there residing pag 836 CHAP. VI. OF the Religion and Rites of the Virginians pag. 838 § I. Of the Virginian Rites related by Master Hariot pag. ibid. § II. Obseruations of their Rites by Captaine Smith and others pag. 839 §
the Mountayne and left a spacious way by which they with all their substance passed Westward Hence it is that the Tartars ascribe some happinesse to the number of nine and hee that will offer a present to any Tartarian Signor must offer nine things which custome they vse in their tributes vnto this day as Master Ienkinson found by experience to his cost Cangius after many aduentures and many lawes which of him were called Iasack Cangis Can hauing first perswaded his twelue sons wherein I thinke his nephewes were also reckoned to concord bidding each of them to bring him an arrow which together none of them ; asunder the least of them might easily breake hee dyed This Historie of Cingis or Cangius I haue thus fully related for knowledge both of the beginnings of their State and Religion and if these Visions seeme fabulous yet might Cingis in his subtilty deale with them as Mahomet with his Arabians or Numa with the Romans the one making Gabriel the other Aegeria Authors of their policies and what hee in part pretended might by Fame and Time be augmented Although I see not but that this History of Cingis may as well be credited as that of Alexander in Iosephus to whom appeared one in the habite of the Iewish High Priest commanding him to vndertake that enterprise with promise of assistance for which cause he whom the World worshipped as a King and as a God did worship himselfe prostrate before Iaddus the High Priest And the same Author also saith that the Pamphylian Sea diuided it selfe to giue way vnto his Macedonian Souldiers hauing no other way to destroy the Empire of the Persians To returne to our Fryer with whom we began he reporteth that Cingis after his victorie against the Naimani warred vpon the Kythayans where hee was ouerthrowne and all the Nobles except seuen slaine Hauing breathed himselfe a while at home hee inuaded the Huyri a Christian people of the Nestorian Sect whom they ouer-came and receiued of them Letters of which before they were ignorant After them he subdued the Saroyur Karanites and Hudirat This done he waged Warre against the Kythayans or Cathayans whose Emperour he shut vp into his chiefe Citie where Cingis besieged him till that Victuall fayling in his Campe he commanded that they should eate euery tenth man of the Armie They of the Citie fought valiantly with Engines Darts Arrowes and when Stones wanted they threw Siluer especially molten siluer But by vnder-mining the Tartars made way from the Armie into the middest of the Citie where they issued vp and opened the gates by force and slew the Citizens This is the first time that the Emperour of the Kathayans being vanquished Cingis Cham obtayned the Empire The men of Kaytay are Pagans hauing a speciall kinde of writing by themselues and as it is reported the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament They haue also recorded in Histories the liues of their fore-fathers and they haue Eremites and certayne houses made after the maner of our Churches which in those dayes they greatly resorted vnto They say that they haue diuers Saints also and they worship one God They adore and reuerence Christ Iesus our Lord and beleeue the Article of eternall life but are not baptized They doe also honorably esteeme and reuerence our Scriptures They loue Christians and bestow much almes and are a very courteous and gentle people They haue no beards and they agree partly with the Mongals in the disposition of their countenance There are not better Artificers in the world Their Countrey is exceeding rich in Corne Wine Gold Silke and other commodities Of their writing Fryer Bacon from the Relations of W. Rubruquis which liued in his time and Rubruquis himselfe as in the Manuscript thereof appeareth testifie that it was done with pencils and in characters as the Chinois and Iaponites still vse The Iugres write from the top to the bottome of the page and from the left hand to the right the men of Tebeth as wee doe those of Tangat from the right hand to the left but multiply their lines vpwards The Cathayans saith Rubruquis are little men and speake thorow the nose They are good artificers the sonne succeeding in the fathers trade Their Physitians deale with hearbes but not with vrines There were amongst them Nestorians who had a Bishop residing in Segni Their bookes were in Syriake themselues ignorant of that tongue They were drunkards vsurers and some of them had many wiues They washed their lower parts when they entred their Churches they feast and eat flesh on Fridayes as the Saracens Their Bishop visits them scarce once in fiftie yeeres And then all their Males euen infants also are ordred Priests The Idolaters amongst them are more moderate some of which weare yellow broad cowles some are Eremites and leade an austere life in woods and hills Cathaya had not then any vines but they made drinke of Rise wherewith they also tooke a kinde of Apes which would drinke themselues drunken with that pleasant liquor out of whose neckes they tooke the bloud wherewith they died purple After the conquest of Cathay Cyngis sent his sonne Thossut Can for so they termed him also against the people of Comania whom hee vanquished Another sonne he sent against the Indians who subdued India Minor These Indians are the blacke Saracens which are also called Aethiopians Thence hee marched to fight against Christians dwelling in India Maior whose King was commonly called Presbyter Iohn who by a stratageme repelled them out of his dominion In trauelling homewards the said Armie of the Mongals came vnto the Land of Buirthabeth the inhabitants whereof are Pagans and conquered the people in battaile This people haue a strange custome When any mans father dieth hee assembleth all his kindred and they eat him They haue no beards but with an iron instrument plucke out the haires if any grow Cyngis himselfe went vnto the Land of Kergis which they then conquered not And in his returne home his people suffered extreme famine and by chance finding the fresh entrailes of a beast they cast away the dung sod it and brought it before Cyngis and did eate thereof Heereupon Cyngis enacted That neither the bloud nor the entrailes nor any other part of a beast which might bee eaten should be cast away saue onely the dung Hee was afterward slaine by a thunderclap leauing behind him foure sonnes the first Occoday the second Thossut Can the third Thiaday the name of the fourth is not knowne §. III. Of OCCODAY the next Emperour and CVINE CAN. CYNGIS being dead Occoday was chosen Emperour He sent Duke Bathy his nephew the sonne of Thossut Can against the Countrey of Altisoldan and the people called Bisermini who were Saracens but spake the Language of Comania whom hee subdued Thence they marched against Orna a Port Towne on the Riuer Don where were many Gazarians Alanians Russians and Saracens which he drowned
is but the beginning of another our penance endureth all the way neyther haue we hope of Pardon and Indulgence from some seuerer Poenitentiaries and Censours whose greatest vertue is to find or seeke faults in Others Had the Muses beene propitious and the Graces gracious we would haue had some Musicall and gracefull harmony at least in Phrase and Method but euen the Muses which whilome so graced that Father of History Herodotus that each of them vouchsafed if yee vouchsafe it credit to bestow that Booke on him which hee entitled with their names seemed afraid of so tedious a iourney nor would the Graces grace vs with their company Many indeed offered themselues with their Rules Methods and Precepts of Histories as Bodinus Chytraus Posseuinus Mylaeus Folietta Viperanus Zuinger Sambucus Riccobonus Patritius Pontanus Foxius Robertellus Balduinus and Others which haue written Treatises of that argument but I thought such attendance would be chargeable especially to a Traueller and their many Rules would not haue added wings to my Head and Feet as the Poets paint their Mercury but rather haue fettered my Feet and made my weake Head forget it selfe with their remembrances I therefore followed Nature both within me and without me as my best guide for matter and manner which commonly yeeldeth Beauties as louely if not so curious as those which bankrupt themselues with borrowing of Art the issues of our bodies and minds herein being like Quas matres student demissis humeris esse vincto pectore vt gracilae sint saith Cherea in the Comedy Tametsi bona est natura reddunt curatura iunceas To conceited curiositie may hide rather then commend Natures bounty which of it selfe is alway more honest if not more honourable Neuer could the Persian Court parallel the goodlinesse of Ester and Aspatia which yet neglected the Persian delicacies Once I haue had sufficient burthen of the businesse in hand enough it was for me to goe though I did not dance vnder it But it is time to leaue this idle discourse about our course in this Asian History and bethinke vs of our African Perambulation RELATIONS OF THE REGIONS AND RELIGIONS IN AFRICA OF AEGYPT BARBARIE NVMIDIA LIBYA AND THE LAND OF NEGROS AND OF THEIR RELIGIONS THE SIXT BOOKE CHAP. I. Of Africa and the Creatures therein §. I. Of the Name and Limits of Africa WHether this name Africa bee so called of Epher or Apher the sonne of Midian and nephew of Abraham by his second wife Keturah as Iosephus affirmeth alleaging witnesses of his opinion Alexander Polyhistor and Cleodemus or of the Sunnes presence because it is aprica or of the colds absence of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Festus saith or of the word Feruca which in the Arabian tongue signifieth to diuide wherupon they call this part of the world Ifrichia because it is saith Leo diuided by Nilus and the Sea from the rest of the world or of Ifricus an Arabian King which chased by the Assyrians here seated himselfe or of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aphar the Hebrew word which signifies dust as Aphra the Syriake also fitly agreeing to the sandie and parched Soile or if any other can giue more probable Edymologie of the Name I list not to contend Nor is it meet for me to be religious in these questions of names in this Quest and Inquirie of Religions It is a great Peninsula by one Isthmus or necke of Land betweene the Red Sea and the Mediterranean ioyned to the Continent which with the Red Sea aforesaid is the Easterne limit of Africa as the Mediterranean on the North and elsewhere the Ocean For Nilus is a 〈◊〉 obscure and vncertaine Vâ—â— pâ—rn Some diuide the World into two parts Asia and Europe accounting Africa a part of Europe which opinion Vâ—â—râ— ascribeth to Aratosthenes Salust Lucan and Aethicus with Simlerus mention it It is twice as bigge as Europe and yet not so much peopled Nature hauing made here her soliâ—â—â—ie place or retyring accended by scorching heats and showres of sands as a counterfeit of those heauenly raines and mouing waters which the Aire and Seas affoord in other places Such are the many Desarts in Africa onely fertile in barrennesse although in other parts it is both fruitfull 〈◊〉 populous The Equinoctiall Circle doth in manner diuide it in the middest And yet old Atlas neuer sheddeth his inowie hairts but hath alwayes on his huge and high tops vnmolten snow whence sometime it is dispersed as from a store-house in such incredible quantitie that it couereth Carts Horses and the tops of Trees to the great danger of the Inhabitants and the Fountaynes are so cold as a man is not able to endure his hand in them Mount Atlas aforesaid stretcheth from the Ocean bearing name of him almost to Egypt Other Mountaynes of name are those of Sierra Leona and the Mountaynes of the Moone c. One Lake Zembre yeeldeth three mightie Riuers disemboking themselues into three seuerall Seas Nilus which runneth Northwards fortie degrees from hence in Astronomicall reckoning Cuama which runneth into the Easterne and Zaire into the Westerne Seas of which Riuers and of other like the Reader shall finde more in due place spoken AFRICAE DESCRIPTIO Some parts of Africa are beyond admiration for barrennesse some for fertilitie Plinie mentions a Citie in the middest of the sands called Tacape in the way to Leptis which hath a Spring of water flowing plentifully and dispensed by course amongst the Inhabitants There vnder a great Date-tree groweth an Oliue vnder that a Figge vnder that a Pomegranate vnder that a Vine vnder that Wheat Pease Herbs all at once The Vine beares twice a yeere and otherwise very abundance would make it as bad as barren Somwhat is gathered all the yeere long Foure cubits of that soile square not measured with the fingers stretched out but gathered into the fist are sold for so many Denarij This Budans sommes and proportions by the Acre after the Roman measure and saith that an Acre of that ground after that rate is prised at 12800 Sestertij nummi which maketh 320. French crownes not reckoning the defect of the cubic which bring added wâ—des much to the summe The Romans reckoned sixe Prouinces in Africa Ptolemey numbreth twelue But then was not Africa so well knowne as now Iohn Leo a Moore both learned and experienced hauing spent many yeeres in trauell diuideth Africa into foure parts Barbaria Numidia Libya and the Land of Negros Numidia he calleth Biledurgerid or the Region of Dares and Libya he calleth Sarra for so the Arabians call a Desart But he thus excludeth Egypt and both the higher and lower Aethiopia which others adde hereunto and make vp seuen parts of Africa §. II. Of the Beasts wilde and tame MAny are the Creatures which Africa yeeldeth not vsuall in our parts Elephants are there in plentie and keepe in
other beasts wherevpon by the peoples entreatie who had learned the storie of him he was freed and the beast giuen him which followed him with a Line in the streets the people pointing and sayingt Hic est homo Medicus leonis Hic est leo hospes hominis One Elpis a Samian performed a cure on another Lion pulling a bone out of his throat at the Lions gaping and silent moane and in remembrance hereof built a Temple at his returne to Bacchus at Sango whom before hee had inuoked before in feare of a Lion Plinie and Solinus among other African beasts mention the Hyaena which some thinke to be Male one yeere and Female another by course This Aristotle denyes This beast hath no necke ioynt and therefore stirres not his necke but with bending about his whole body He will imitate humane voyce and drawing neere to the sheepe-coates hauing heard the name of some of the shepheards will call him and when hee comes deuoure him They tell that his eyes are diuersified with a thousand colours that the touch of his shaddow makes a dogge not able to barke By engendring with this beast the Lionesse brings forth a Crocuta of like qualities to the Hyaena Hee hath one continued tooth without diuision throughout his mouth Some thinke this Hyaena to bee the Lycanthropos or Man-wolfe some the Ciuet. Cat some a fable howsoeuer old and late Philosophers Physitians and Historians mention it Something perhaps told of it is fabulous But it is absurd to denie the eye-sight of so many witnesses He that will reade a pleasant storie of the taking them let him reade Buibequius his Epistles if an entire storie Banhinus his second booke De Hermaphroditis In Africa also are wilde Asses among which one Male hath many Females a iealous beast who for feare of after encroching bites off the stones of the young Males if the suspicious Female preuent him not by bringing forth in a close place where hee shall not finde it The like is told of Beuers which being hunted for the medicinable qualitie of their stones are said to bite them off when they are in danger to be taken paying that ransome for their liues It cannot be true that is reported of the Hyaeneum a stone found in the Hyaena's eye that being put vnder the tongue of a man bee shall foretell things to come except hee foretell this That no man will beleeue what our Authour before hath told The Libard is not hurtfull to men except they annoy him but killeth and eateth dogges Dabuh is the name of a simple and base creature like a Wolfe saue that his legges and feete are like to a mans so foolish that with a song and a taber they which know his haunt will bring him out of his den and captiue his eares with their musicke while another captiuateth his legs with a rope Scaliger thinkes this is the Hyaena which the Turkes call Zirtlan and take with a rope fastened to the legge he that goes in professing he is not there till they be there sure of him The Zebra of all Creatures for beautie and comelinesse is admirably pleasing resembling a Horse of exquisite composition but not all so swift all ouer-laid with partie-coloured Laces and gards from Head to Taile They liue in great Heards as I was told by my friend Andrew Battle who liued in the Kingdome of Congo many yeeres and for the space of some moneths liued on the flesh of this Beast which hee killed with his Peece For vpon some quarrell betwixt the Portugals among whom he was a Sergeant of a band and him he liued eight or nine moneths in the Woods where hee might haue view of hundreds together in Heards both of these and of Elephants So simple was the Zebra that when hee shot one he might shoot still they all standing still at gaze till three or foure of them were dead But more strange it seemed which he told me of a kinde of great Apes if they might so bee tearmed of the height of a man but twice as bigge in feature of their limbes with strength proportionable hairie all ouer otherwise altogether like Men and Women in their whole bodily shape except this that their legges had no calues They liued on such wilde fruits as the Trees and Woods yeelded and in the night time lodged on the Trees Hee was accompanied with two Negro-Boyes and they carried away one of them by a sudden surprise yet not hurting him as they vse not to doe any which they take except the Captiue doe then looke vpon them This slaue after a moneths life with them conueyed himselfe away againe to his Master Other Apes there are store and as Solinus reporteth Satyres with feete like Goates and Sphynges with brests like women and hairie whereof Pierius saith hee saw one at Verona and a kind of Conies also at the same time foure times as bigge as the ordinary and which is more incredible had each of them foure genitall members Philippo Pigafetta speaketh in his Relation of Congo of other Beasts in Africa as of the Tygre as fierce and cruell as Lions making prey of Man and Beast yet rather deuouring blacke men then white whose Mustachios are holden for mortall poyson and being giuen in meates cause men to die madde The Empalanga is somewhat like to an Oxe Their Sheepe and Goates neuer bring forth lesse then two and sometimes three or foure at a time They haue Wolues Foxes Deere Red and Fallow Roe-buckes Ciuet-cats Sables and Marterns The Riuer-horse seemes peculiar to Africa a beast somewhat resembling a Horse shorter-legged with great feet and a very great head with horrible teeth so fearefull by Land that a Child may affright them and in the Water as their proper element though their aliment be Grasse Corne in the blade and other like from the earth they are audacious and daring But of this and many other African Creatures too long heere to relate the Reader may informe himselfe more fully in my Voyages in Iobson Battell Santos Aluares Iohn Leo and others there published §. III. Of Crocadiles Serpents and other strange Creatures THey haue Snakes and Adders whereof some are called Imbumas fiue and twentie spannes long liuing in Land and Water not venemous but rauenous and lurke in Trees for which taking purpose Nature hath giuen it a litle horne or claw within two or three foot of the Taile waiting for their prey which hauing taken it deuoureth hornes hoofes and all although it bee a Hart. And then swolne with this so huge a meale it is as it were drunke and sleepie and vnweldie for the space of fiue or sixe dayes The Pagan Negroes roast and eate them as great dainties The biting of their Vipers killeth in foure and twentie houres space Africa for monsters in this kinde hath been famous as in the Roman historie appeareth Attilius Regulus the Romane Consul in the first Punicke
eighteene Cubits depth whereinto the water of Nilus is conueyed by a certaine sluce vnder the ground in the midst whereof is a Pillar marked also with eighteene Cubits to which Officers for the purpose resort daily from the seuenteenth of Iune to obserue the increase which if it amount to fifteene Cubits and there stay it doth portend fertilitie and how much ouer or vnder so much lesse abundance In the meane time the people deuoutly exercise Prayer and Almes-giuing And after the price of victuals especially of Corne is proportionably appointed for the whole yeere The Cities and Townes of Egypt whiles this inundation lasteth are so many Ilands Master Sandys writes that it begins to arise with the arising Sunne on the seuenteenth of Iune swelling by degrees till it mounts sometimes foure and twenty Cubits but that the vttermost Heretofore seuenteene was the most that it attayned to presented by that Image of Nilus hauing seuenteene children playing about it brought from hence by Vespasian and dedicated in his Temple of Peace still to bee seene in the Vatican at Rome That yeere when he was there it did rise at Cairo three and twentie Cubits about two miles aboue the Citie at the end of old Cairo in the beginning of August they cut the bankes for sooner it would destroy the vnreaped fruits the Bassa himselfe in person giuing the first stroke a world of people attending Boates or in Pauillions on the shoare with night triumphs and reioycings welcoming in the Riuer into the Land diuers dayes together The Bassa feasts three dayes in the Castle of Michias In the nights their many lights placed in buildings erected of purpose for this solemnity make a glorious shew These lights are said to succeed the Deuillish Sacrifices of a young Man and a Mayd wonted to be offered at this time to Osiris and Isis euery night they haue fire-workes Euery Turke of account hath a gallant Boat adorned with Streamers Chambers and the Lights artificially set to represent Castles Ships Houses or other formes in the day making Sea-fights others practising like exercises on land The soyle is sandy and vnprofitable the Riuer both moystening and manuring it Yea if there dye in Cairo fiue thousand of the plague the day before yet on the first of the Riuers increase the plague not only decreaseth but meerely ceaseth not one dying the day after which we haue elsewhere ascribed to the Sunnes entrance into Leo. The land is otherwise a very Desart as appeared two yeeres together when Cleopatra raigned Nilus not ouer-flowing and in Iosephs seuen yeeres of famine the Riuer being part of Pharaohs Dreame by which he stood and out of which the fat and leane Kine ascended And thus sayth Herodotus The Land of Egypt doth not onely owe the fertility but her selfe also vnto the slimy increase of Nilus for raine is a stranger in this Countrey seldome seene and yet oftner then welcome as vnwholesome to the Inhabitants Pharus by Homer mentioned farre off in the Sea is now adioyning to the Continent The mouthes or falls of Nilus numbred by the Prophet Esay and other in old times seuen and after Plinie who reckoneth the foure smaller eleuen are now as Willielmus Tyrius out of his owne search testifieth but foure or as other Writers but three worthy of consideration Rosetto Balbicina Damiata where the saltnesse of the earth and shels found in it may seeme to confirme Herodotus opinion that Nilus hath wonne it from the Sea which Goropius laboureth to confute Aristotle g doth not onely auerre the former opinion with Herodotus but addes that all the mouthes of Nilus except that of Canopus may seeme to be the labour of men and not naturall Channels to the Riuer HONDIVS his Map of Egypt AEGYPTUS §. II. The diuision of Aegypt and the great workes of their Ancient Pharaos EGypt was anciently diuided into Thebais Delta and the Region interiacent and these subdiuided into sixe and thirty Nomi which we call Shires whereof Tanete and Heliopolite were the assignement of Iacobs Family them called Goshen from whence Moses after conducted them into Canaan as Strabo also witnesseth The wealth of Egypt as it proceedeth from Nilus so is it much increased by the fit conueyance in the naturall and hand-laboured channels thereof Their haruest beginneth in Aprill and is threshed out in May. In this one Region were sometimes by Herodotus and Plinies report twenty thousand Cities Diodorus Siculus sayth eighteene thousand and in his time three thousand He also was told by the Egyptian Priests that it had beene gouerned about the space of eighteene hundred yeeres by the Gods and Heroes the last of whom was Orus after whom it was vnder Kings vntill his time the space almost of fifteene hundred yeeres To Herodotus they reported of three hundred and thirty Kings from Menas to Sesostris The Scripture whose Chronology conuinceth those lying Fables calleth their Kings by one generall name Pharao which some interprete a Sauiour Iosephus saith it signifieth authority and maketh ancient mention of them in the dayes of Abraham Some begin this Royall computation at Mizraim If our Berosus which Annius hath set forth were of authoritie hee telleth that Cham the sonne of Noah was by his father banished for particular abuse of himselfe and publike corruption of the World teaching and practising those vices which before had procured the Deluge as Sodomie Incest Buggerie and was therefore branded with the name Chemesenua that is Dishonest Cham in which the Egyptians followed him and reckoned him among their gods by the name of Saturne consecrated him a Citie called Chemmis The Psalmes of Dauid doe also thus intitle Egypt The land of Cham which name was retayned by the Egyptians themselues in Ieromes dayes Chemmis after Diodorus was hallowed to Pan and the word signifieth Pans Citâ—â—'s in Herodotus his time it was a great Towne in Thebais hauing in it a Temple of Perseus square and set round with Palme-trees with a huge porch of stone on which were two great statues and in it a Chappell with the Image of Perseus The Inhabitants want not their miraculous Legend of the Appatitions of their god and had a relique of his a sandale of two cubits which hee sometimes ware they celebrate festiuall games in his honour after the Greeke manner Herodotus also mentioneth an Iland called Chemmis with the Temple of Apollo in it Some say Thebes was called in their Holies Chemia or Chamia and all Egypt was sometime called Thebes Lucan saith the Egyptians were the first that had Temples but their Temples had no Images Their first Temples are reported to haue beene erected in the time of Osiris and Isis whose parents were Iupiter and Iuno children to Saturne and Rhea who succeeded Vulcan in this Kingdome They built a magnificent Temple to Iupiter and Iuno and two other golden Temples to Iupiter Coelestis and
their Religion is lost Concerning their marriages in these parts we reade that the Bride is carryed not on her feet but in the armes of two yong men with her eyes closed and being marryed is in like sort without stirring her eyes or feet conueighed to the Bridegroomes house where she enters first with the right foote in token of prosperitie the left foote first touching ground would portend sinister successe as proceeding from a certayne Constellation and ineuitable destinie with musicke shee is entertayned and conducted to the Bride-chamber where shee sits downe as taking possession of her house all the other women standing about her after which shee is led with great pompe by women to the Hall the men accompanying the Bridegroome to another roome The Bride is set on a bed couered with a white veile the women standing by and many gifts and presents are offered to her two women being her instructers in the rites and ceremonies which shee is to obserue called Magitae to whom the Bride giueth the money which is offered The men which offer if they bee of neere kinne may vpon request see her face her eyes still closed Neither may shee speake but by those Magitae is shifted and gallantly adorned and brought to banquet with the women They haue a dinner and a supper furnished with exceeding varietie of dishes of Honey and Raysins diuersly compounded their flesh is not tasted before oyle be powred on it There are neere as many pots boyling as guests and much superstition is obserued in killing their flesh towards the Sunne with pronouncing certaine wordes or else all is cast on the dung-hill The Bride being conueyed to bed may not signifie any griefe for smart or losse there sustayned The next morning before day the husband riseth not saluting his wife and taking a pot for water and a vessell for meate at his returne beates vpon the doore with a stone many times till shee then first speakes to him and ordering the said meate and water beginnes to looke to her houshold-charge The Magitae presently come and congratulate her last nights dalliance and desire issue thereof and then cut her haire hanging downe on her backe euen with her neck that it should not hinder her husbands embraces The gouernment of these parts is as is said Turkish The Boglerbog hath chiefe title but the Diuano hath chiefe power of Iudgements and Iurisdiction The Corasan or Captaine of the Ianizaries being in many matters as great as the Beglerbeg The Beglorbegs of Algier and Tunis make their principall profits of their places which they hold three yeers hauing first bought them at a deare rate by their piracies which with ioynt consent they exercise on these Seas all in manner being fish that comes to net if they meete them conueniently notwithstanding any league or peace holden with the Grand Signior They also giue entertainment to such Pirats of other places as resort to them either to sell their ill-gotten goods or to ioyne their strength with them As of late Dansker and Warde haue beene famous in this infamie the first after his seruice with them and for them receiuing his reward by them suddenly killed at Tunis where he was knowne notwithstanding his disguising himselfe with purpose to haue surprised their fleet the other a shame to our Countrey of which he was grew so rich by his Piracies that hee shewed at one time to the Authour of these reports Iohn Pountesse a bagge of Iewels contayning almost halfe a bushell besides his other purchases And at last that the end might manifest the wickednesse of these proceedings he became an Apostata and Renegado from his faith and soone after as some haue reported for others say he is still aliue and Captaine of the Turkes Gallies dyed at Tunis leauing his goods for his goodnesse he had left before vnto the Turks his body vnto a forren sepulchre and his soule let pirats and robbers if they think they haue any soule say whither Algier was by Barbarussa subiected to the Turke about the yeere 1534. Tunis An. 1574. Three and twentie yeeres after that Tripoli in Barbarie another Cage of like birds and seat of a Boglerbeg was taken from the Knights of Malta by Sinan Bassa These Kingdomes the Turke hath in Africa besides the great kingdome of Egypt and what hee hath taken from Prester Iohn In Egypt are said to be an hundred thousand Timariots or Horse-mens fees which for that tenure of their Land without any charge to the great Turke are to serue where it pleaseth him to employ them In this kingdome of Algier are fortie thousand CHAP. X. Of the Kingdome of Fez part of Mauritania Tingitana §. I. Of the Poeticall and Historicall Antiquities and part of Temesma MAuritania Tingitana so called of Tingis now Tanger at the mouth of the Streits is by Ptolemey bounded on the West with the Westerne and Atlantike on the North with the Mediterran Seas on the East with the Riuer Muluia or Malua which diuideth it from Casariensis on the South with the inner Nations of Libya Niger saith it was after called Setinensis of the Citie Setia more truly Sitiphensis of Sitiphis which Procopius saith was the mother Citie of Tingitana In this Prouince are now the famous kingdomes of Fez and Marocco The ancient Inhabitants besides the Maurusij of which wee haue spoken were the Massaessuli Autololes Bannurri and the Gaetulians which liued here and in other parts of Africa as the Tartars doe in Asia and the Arabians in Africa remoouing their dwellings if Tent-wandring may bee so called as their pastures faile them So Silius writeth of them Nulla domus plaustris habitant migrare per arua Mos atque errantes circumuectare Penates House they haue none but wandring still in Waynes They cart their houshold-gods about the Playnes The westerly point of Mauritania Pomponius beginneth at the Promontorie called of their store of Vines Ampelusia now Cabo de Cantero as Oliuarius affirmeth In it was a Caue sacred to Hercules and beyond the same Tingi supposed to bee built by Antaeus for proofe whereof they shew his Target made of an Elephants hide too huge and vnweildy for any man of later times and holden in great veneration Next to this Tingi which gaue name to the Countrey after by Claudius Caesar who sent a Colonie thither called Traducta Iulia was a high Mountayne called Abyla to which on the Spanish coast was opposed Calpe which two Hills bare the name of Hercules pillars Hercules himselfe if wee beleeue fabulous antiquitie making there a passage to the Ocean and Mediterran Seas for mutuall view and entertainment They are now called Seuta on that side and Gibraltar on this side A little hence was Iulia Constantia a Colonie of Augustus and Lixus a Colonie of Claudius In this was Antaeus his Palace and his combate with Hercules and the Gardens of the Hesperides which some as is said
yards arme and at his returne dealt the like dole to the King of Zibit subiecting their States vnder treacherous pretences to his Great Master Scaliger tells of Samaritans dwelling in an Iland of the Red Sea which when any man landed there would religiously forbid to touch them but wee haue before mentioned both them and their Letters supposed the most ancient in the world howsoeuer Postellus calleth the present Hebrew letters eternall and faith that the Law was written in them but that they were sacred and not publikely knowne till the time of Ezra who excommunicated the Samaritans and their Letters first publishing not inuenting those which now are in vse The Ascension ascended into the Red Sea Anno 1608. to Moha which is a Citie of great Trade And Anno 1612. diuers English ships were together in the same Sea where they somewhat auenged themselues for such wrongs as by the Turkes and Mogolls or Mogors had beene formerly offered to Sir Henrie Middleton and other English men as you haue read before in our first Booke as likewise of their finding the good Road of Assab on the Abassine shoare and of the King of Rehita which came riding to them on a Cow with a Turbant and a Cuttle shell on his forehead was drunken with Aqua-vita but kinde to the English and also of the strong Currents and strange shining in the night by Cuttle-fish not meete to bee repeated §. III. Of Socotora Madagascar and other Ilands on the Easterne coast of Africa IN the Ocean without the Strait neere to the African shore are not many Ilands mentioned by the Ancients Arrianus in his Periplus speaks of seuen Ilands called Pyralaon of another great Iland neere to them called Menuthesias or Menuthias now called Madagascar Saint Laurence some take it for the Iland of Iambolus whereof Diodorus hath largely related and Ramusius hath discoursed thereon other seeke for that Iland in Somatra That Iambolus was a Merchant which trading in Arabia for spices was taken by theeues and made a shepheard after carried away by Ethiopians who tooke these forrainers according to their Rites to expiate their Countrey For they were enioyned by Oracle to make such expiation once in six hundred yeeres with two men that were forrainers For the fulfilling whereof they were put in a Boat fit for two men with six moneths victuall and commanded to saile southwards and they should came to a happy Iland where the men liued a blessed life And if they came safe thither their Countrie should enioy prosperitie six hundred yeers if they turned back they should bring vpon them much trouble The Ethiopians meanewhile kept holy-dayes and offered sacrifices for their good voyage which in foure moneths they atchieued and were exceeding courteously vsed and entertayned of the Ilanders These were foure cubits higher then other men very nimble and strong The reports of this his voyage sauour more of an Vtopia and Plato's common-wealth then of true Historie Yet is it thought as Ramusius discourseth not altogether fabulous but that he was indeed in some remote Iland to which he applyed such fancies as Diodorus reporteth To leaue there the certaine fictions and vncertaine coniectures of Antiquitie and come to more certaine Relations the onely Iland of name without the Streit is Socotora in thirteene degrees of which we haue spoken largely alreadie speaking of the Ilands of Asia yet if any will suffer vs to remember it againe amongst these of Africa for it lies betweene both we may here mention what others and somewhat otherwise haue related Sanutus calls it Zacotora and affirmeth that the Sands on the tops of the high Hills therein haue no exemption from the windes that the people are Nestorian Christians which obserue the Crosse with much deuotion otherwise wanting Christian both Baptisme and Doctrine and are circumcised that the Moores say it belonged to the Amazons in testimonie whereof the women still weare the breeches and gouerne amongst them Corsali thinkes it vnknowne to Ptolemey which others suppose to be his Insula Dioscoridis hee saith that it was inhabited of Christian shepheards which liued on milke and butter their bread was of Dates like to the people of Prester Iohn but their haire was longer clothed with one onely peece of cloth about their priuities the Land barren as in all Arabia foelix and the Sea-coasts gouerned by the Arabians Hence commeth and is named the Aloe Socotrina They are Iacobites and haue Churches with Altars and obserue the Crosse with great reuerence they enter not their Churches but stand in the Church-yard or Porch Their Abuna or Priest ruleth them Other Gouernour they haue none of their owne The Portugals haue two Townes there Coro and Benin They hold opinion that Saint Thomas here suffered shipwrack and that of his ship was built an ancient Church which is yet to be seene walled about with three partitions and three doores They liue for the most part in cabbins of boughs or in caues their women are as good Souldiers as the men They are much addicted to magick and bring to passe matters incredible although the Bishop excommunicate such as vse it They will with contrarie winde hinder men that indamage them from sayling away Conceited they are exceedingly of their owne excellence The English haue often traded in this Iland Master Downton writes that Mully Amore Bensaide hath long gouerned there as Vice-roy to his father the King of Fartac in Arabia not farre from Aden His strength consists in his Arabs the rest being slaues which haue beene banished people In August they make their Aloes Socotriua of an herbe like Semper viua in Spaine but bigger about a tun in a yeere Their bread is Dates This Iland saith Beniamin Day is in twelue degrees barren all rocks and stones almost no greene thing in the whole Iland but Date-trees and some few shrubs and small trees and Aloes Out of the barke of a small tree being cut issueth a red gum called Sanguis Draconis The people the most obedient that euer he saw all the profits of the Iland is the Kings Hee seemes kinde to the English but no great trust if we trust Captaine Saris to be reposed in him as falsifying both word and weight They bought Goats there which they found after to bee abused by the buggering-beastly people They bought Aloes 2720. pounds as Master Pring reporteth at thirtie Rials of eight their hundreth which makes of ours but 97. pounds This was An. 1614. This Iland hee saith is twentie leagues long their Kine at ten Rials of eight their Goats Sheepe Hens all very leane The Inhabitants of a Mulla to colour and some Negros apparelled with a peece of Calico about their wastes and Turbants on their heads The King in Turkish habit He had fiue Camels and fiue Horses which were all in the Iland Tamarin and Delisha are harbours and places of Trade there Abadalenry is
flat hearth against a wall and there they toaste their meate rather then roast it The decency of their streets in commendable for when you are in the centre of the City your eye reacheth almost to the extreamest parts thereof They haue no want of water The City hath its name from a great standing Lake at the West end of it vpon which there are cōmonly diuers sorts of fresh water-fowles The haggard Falcons doe euery euening flye vpon this Lake and the Negros with slings beate them which is the noblest sport of that kind in the world for the stoopings are many and at one time and the Hawkes the strongest and best mettalled of all other of a greater kind then the Barbary Falcons The Viceroy being one euening to see this naturall sport and he demanding of me what I thought thereof and I iustly commending the strength and mettall of the Hawkes assured me vpon his honour that a Falcon bred in that Iland which hee had formerly sent to the Duke of Lermo did at one flight except she rested vpon ships by the way passe from Andaluzia to Tenariff which is 250. Spanish leagues and was there taken vp halfe dead with the Dukes Varuels on And the time from her going out to her being taken vp exceeded not sixteene houres c. But I dare not dwell any longer with this industrious Gentleman in these Canaries and had need borrow the wings of one of these Hawkes to make a swift flight to some other African Ilands where next you shall find vs within the Mediterranean §. IIII. Of Malta and the Nauigations about Africa WIthin the Straits are no great Ilands belonging to Africa Pennon or the Rock against Velles de Gumera the I le of Gerbi some others Malta is the most famous where in old time was the Temple of Iuno spoyled by Verres supposed to be that Melita where Paul suffered shipwrack although there be another Melita in the Adriatike Sea neere to Dalmatia Polybius calleth it Melytusa as Volaterranus writeth Ptolomie and Cicero name Melita now called Malta in this I le of Malta This Malta is distant from Sicilia 60. miles from Africa 190. It hath bin sometime subiect to the Carthaginians as may appeare by diuers Monuments with Inscriptions of Carthaginian Letters and the Ilanders it our Authour say truely can vnderstand that Scene in Plautus before mentioned Eloi Effetcha Cumi words vsed in Scripture are likewise vsed in the Maltese Their manner of life is Sicilian But we may not dwell here Some ascribe Pauls shipwracke to Melita in the Adriatike neere to Dalmatia whom Beza learnedly confuteth : and prooueth it to bee that Malta which now the Knights hold against the Turke whose valour and successe in resisting that mighty Turkish Aduersary Curio and Io. Antonius Viperanus in their Bookes of that Argument Knolles in his Turkish History Ri. Carre and others relate at large It was An. 1565. That which deceiueth those Men in Malta is the name of the Adriatike Sea which now is giuen to the gulfe of Venice but then as Beza Aretius shew out of Strabo l. 3. was giuen to the Ionian Sea also and further Southwards where Mal a standeth and Ortelius out or Ouid and others proueth the same as doth also that Epitome of all Learning Io. Scaliger That learned Gentleman M. Sandys in the fourth Book of his Iournall hath largely related of this Iland It contayneth after his description sixty miles in circuit a Countrey altogether champaine being no other then a Rock couered ouer with earth but two foot where deepest hauing few trees but such as beare fruit whereof all sorts plentifully so that their wood they haue from Sicilia Yet there is a great Thistle which together with Cow-dung serues the Countrey people for fewell the lesse needfull by the immoderate heate there exceeding far any other seated in the same parallel yet sometimes tempered by the winds to which it lies open Riuers here are none but sundry Fountaynes The soyle produceth no graine but Barley bread made of it and Oliues is the Villagers ordinary dyet and with the straw they sustayne their Cattle Commin-seed Annis-seed and Hony they haue here in abundance and an indifferent quantity of the best Cotton Wooll The Inhabitants dye more by Age then Diseases and heretofore were reputed fortunate for their excellency in Arts curious weauing This Iland was giuen by Charles the Fift to the Knights Hospitalers after their losse of Rhodes whose first seat was the Hospitall of S. Iohn in Ierusalem built by one Gerard at such time as the Holy Land became famous by the successeful expeditions of the Christians whose rites are recorded by many Authors but by vs to be reserued for another taske There are sixty Villages in the Iland vnder the command of ten Captaines and foure Cities Old Malta supposed the worke of the Phoenicians is seated on a Hill in the mids of the Iland kept with a Garrison though of small importance In it is a Grot of great veneration because they suppose that Paul lay there after his shipwracke The other three Cities if they may so bee termed are about eight miles distant and not much without a Musket shot each of other neere the East end and on the North side of the Iland where there is a double Hauen diuided by a tongue of a Rock On the top of this tongue stands the Castle of S. Hermes after 20000. shot and the losse of 10000. liues taken by the Turks But so could they not that of S. Angelo which onely Burgo escaped their fury in that their siege After their departure when the Knights had thought to haue abandoned the Iland by the helps of the Pope Florentine and especially the Spaniard they were furnished with prouisions for new fortifications and added a new strong City called Valetta in honour of him that then was their Great Master Iohn de Valetta The Great Masters Palace is a princely structure the market place spacious the Church of S. Paul magnificent as that also of S. Iohn the houses vniforme of free stone two stories flat roofed S. Iohns Hospitall giues entertaynment to all that fall sick the attendants many the beds ouer-spred with faire Canopies euery fortnight hauing change of linnen serued by the Iunior Knights in siluer and euery Friday by the Great Master accompanied with the great Crosses a seruice whereto they are obliged as their name of Hospitular Knights also importeth It is victualled for three yeeres supplied from Siçilia The Iland hath not of liuing soules aboue 20000. Their expeditions are vsually but for booties The people almost as tawny as Moores the heat makes them sleep at noone These Votaries haue store of Curtizans for the most part Greeks which sit playing in their doores on Instruments by their eyes bewitching vnstable soules their vow rather prohibiting if the practice interpret Mariage then incontinencie
bigger and white which bite like Dogs they termed Margaulx Although it be 14. leagues from the Mayne yet Beares swim thither to feast with these Birds One they saw as great as a Kow saith Cartier and as white as a Swan which they did kill and eate and the flesh was as good as of a two yeere old Calfe About the Port of Brest they found so many Ilets as they were impossible to bee numbred continuing a great space The Iland of Assumption by the Sauages called Natiscotec standeth in 49. degrees The Sauages dwell in houses made of Fir-trees bound together in the top and set round like a Doue-house This as before is said is at the entry of the Riuer into the Gulfe of Saint Lawrence The bankes of this Riuer are inhabited of people that worship the Deuill and sometimes sacrifice to him their owne bloud Francis the first King of France sent thither Iames Breton and Henry his Sonne Nicolas Villaegagnon but the greatest riches they found were the Diamonds of Canada and those of small value for their brittlenesse Thus Boterus Iaques Cartier made three Voyages into these parts First in the yeere 1534. Then was hee gladly welcommed of the Sauages singing dancing and expressing other signes of ioy as rubbing his armes with their hands and then lifting him vp to Heauen giuing all to their naked skin though all were worse then nothing for the trifles hee gaue them They went naked sauing their priuities which were couered with a skin and certaine old skinnes they cast vpon them Some they saw whose heads were altogether shauen except one bush of haire which they suffer to grow vpon the top of their crowne as long as a Horse-tayle and tyed vp with leather strings in a knot They haue no dwelling but their Boats which they turne vpside downe and vnder them lay themselues along on the bare ground They eate their flesh and fish almost raw only a little heated on the coales The next yeere Captaine Cartier returned and carried backe two Sauages which hee before had carried into France to learne the language He then passed vp to Hochelaga They found Rats which liued in the water as bigge as Conies and were very good meate Hochelaga is a Citie round compassed about with timber with three course of Rampiers one within another framed sharpe about two rods high It hath but one gate which is shut with piles and barres There are in it about fifty great houses and in the midst of euery one a Court in the middle whereof they make their fire Before they came there they were forced to leaue their boats behind because of certaine fals and heard that there were three more higher vp the streame towards Sanguenay which in his third Voyage were discouered Concerning the Religion in these parts of Canada euen amongst the Sauages wee finde some tracts and foot-prints thereof which neither the dreadfull Winters haue quite frozen to death nor these great and deepe waters haue wholly drowned but that some shadow thereof appeareth in these shadowes of Men howsoeuer wild and sauage like to them which giue her entertainment This people beleeueth saith Iaques Cartier in one which they call Cudruaigni who say they often speakes to them and tels them what weather will follow whether good or bad Moreouer when hee is angry with them hee casts dust into their eyes They beleeue that when they die they goe into the Stars and thence by little and little descend downe into the Horizon euen as the Starres doe after which they goe into certaine greene fields full of goodly faire and precious trees flowres and fruits The Frenchmen told them Cudruaigni was a Deuill and acquainted them with some mysteries of the Christian Religion whereupon they condescended and desired Baptisme the French excused and promised after to bring Priests for that purpose They liue in common together and of such commodities as their Countrey yeeldeth they are well stored They wed two or three wiues a man which their husbands being dead neuer marrie againe but for their widowes liuery weare a blacke wood all the dayes of their life besmearing their faces with coale-dust and grease mingled together as thicke as the backe of a Knife They haue a filthy and detestable vse in marrying their Maydens first putting them being once of lawfull age to marry in a common place as Harlots free for euery man that will haue to doe with them vntill such time as they find a match I haue seene houses as full of such Prostitutes as the Schooles in France are full of children They there vse much misrule riot and wantonnesse They dig their ground with certaine pieces of wood as big as halfe a Sword where they sow their Maiz The men also doe much vse Tobacco The women labour more then the men in fishing and husbandry They are more hardy then the beasts and would come to our ships starke naked going vpon Snow and Ice in which season they take great store of beasts Stags Beares Marternes Hares and Foxes whose flesh they eate raw hauing first dryed it in the Sun or smoke and so they doe their fish They haue also Otters Weasils Beauers Badgers Conies Fowle and Fish great varietie and one fish called Adhothuis whose bodie and head is like to a Greyhound white as Snow Their greatest Iewel is Chains of Esurgnie which are shel-fishes exceeding white which they take on this manner When a captiue or other man is condemned to death they kill him and then cut slashes in his most fleshie parts and hurle him into the Riuer Cornibots whence after twelue houres they draw him finding in those cuts these Esurgnie whereof they make Beads and Chaines They are excellent for stanching of bloud Thus much out of Cartier In the yeere 1542. Monsieur Roberual was sent to inhabit those parts He saith that he built a Fort faire and strong the people haue no certayne dwelling place but goe from place to place as they may find best food carrying all their goods with them It is more cold in that then in other places of like height as Iohn Alphonse of Xanctoigne affirmeth because of the greatnesse of the Riuer which is fresh water and because the Land is vntilled and full of Woods We may adde the cold vapours which the Sunne exhaleth in that long passage ouer the Ocean the abundance of Ice that commeth out of the North-seas and the winds which blow from them and from the cold snowie hils in the way §. III. Late Plantations of New-France and Relations of the Natiues SAmuel Champlain made a Voyage to Canada 1603. and encountred with a banke of Ice eight leagues long in 45. degrees two third parts with infinite smaller The Streits mouth from Cape Ray to the Cape of Saint Laurence within the Gulfe of Canada is eighteene leagues He obserued a Feast made by Anadabijon the great Sagamo in his Cabin in which eight or ten
Kettles of meat were set on seuerall fires sixe paces asunder The men sate on both sides of the roome each hauing a dish made of the barke of a tree one appointed to diuide to euery man his portion Before the meat was boyled one tooke his Dogge and danced about the Kettles from one to another and when he came before the Sagamo cast downe his Dogge and then succeeded another in the like exercise After their Feast they danced with the heads of their enemies in their hands some singing Their Canoas are of the barke of Birch strengthened within with little circles of wood eight or nine paces long fit for actiue and passiue carriage Their Cabins are low like Tents couered with the said barke the roofe open a foot space vncouered to let in light with many fires in the middest ten housholds sometimes together the lye vpon skinnes one by another and their Dogges with them After a certaine Feast the Algoumequins one of these three Nations in league went out apart and caused all their women and maids to sit in rankes themselues standing behinde singing suddenly all the women and maids cast of their Mantles of skinnes and stripped themselues naked not ashamed of their shame keeping on still their Matachia which are Pater-nosters and chaines enterlaced made of the haire of the Porkespicke dyed of diuers colours Their songs ended they cryed with one voice Ho ho ho and then couered themselues with their Mantles which lay at their feet and after a while renued their former songs and nakednesse Their Sagamo sate before the Virgins and Women betweene two staues whereon were hanged those enemies heads and hee exhorted the Mountainers and Estechemains to the like significations of ioy which then cryed all together ho ho ho. When hee was returned to his place the great Sagamo and all his company cast off their Mantles their priuities only remaining couered with a little skin and tooke each what they thought good as Matachias Hatchets Swords Kettles Flesh c. which they presented to the Algoulmequins After this two of each Nation contended in running and the best runners were rewarded with presents They are well set of Tawnie or Oliue colour by reason of their paintings they are lyers giuen to reuenge without law When a maid is fourteene or fifteene yeares old she hath many louers and vseth carnall filthinesse with whom she pleaseth so continuing fiue or sixe yeares and then takes whom she likes for her husband liuing with him chastely all her life after except for barrennesse he forsake her The husband is iealous and giues presents to her parents When one dies they make a pit and therein put all his goods with the corps couering the same with earth and setting ouer it many pieces of wood with one stake painted red and set vp on end They beleeue the immortalitie of the Soule and that the dead goe into farre Countries to make merry with their friends Monsieur Champlein discoursed with certaine Sauages yet liuing of whom hee learned touching their Religion that they beleeue in one God who hath created all things that after God had made all things he tooke a number of Arrowes and did sticke them into the ground from whence Men and Women sprung vp which haue multiplyed euer since Touching the Trinitie being asked a Sagamos or Gouernour answered There was one onely God one Sonne one Mother and the Sunne which were foure Notwithstanding that God was ouer and aboue all the Sonne was good and the Sunne also but the Mother was naught and did eate them and that the Father was not very good Being asked if they or their Ancestors had heard that God was come into the World He said that he had not seene him but that anciently there were fiue men who trauelling toward the setting of the Sun met with God who demanded of them Whither goe ye They answered We goe to seeke for our liuing God said You shall finde it heere but they not regarding passed further and then God with a stone touched two of them who were turned into stones And hee said againe to the three other Whither goe yee They answered and hee replyed as at first they yet passing further he tooke two staues and touched therewith the two formost and transformed them into staues Asking the third man whither he went he said to seeke his liuing whereupon he bade him tarry and he did so and God gaue him meat and he did eat and after he had made good cheere he returned among the other Sauages and told them all his tale . This Sagamos also told that at another time there was a man which had store of Tobacco and God came and asked him for his pipe which the man gaue him and he dranke much of it and then brake the pipe The man was offended hereat because he had no more pipes but God gaue him one and bade him carry it to his Sagamos with warning to keepe it well and then he should want nothing nor any of his Since the said Sagamos lost the pipe and found famine and other distresse this seemeth to be the cause why they say God is not very good Being demanded what Ceremony they vsed in praying to their God he said that they vsed no Ceremonie but euery one did pray in his heart as hee would They haue among them some Sauages whom they call Pilotoua who speake visibly to the Diuell and hee tels them what they must doe as well for warre as for other things And if hee should command them to put any enterprise in execution or to kill a man that they would do it immediately They beleeue also that all their dreames are true So farre Champlein In the yeere 1604. Monsieur de Monts according to a Patent granted him the yeere before for the inhabiting of Cadis Canada and other parts of New-France from the fortieth degree to the sixe and fortieth rigged two ships and bare with those parts that trend Westward from Cape Breton giuing names to places at pleasure or vpon occasion One Port was named Saualet of a French Captain who was there a fishing and had made his two and fortieth voyage hither another was named of Rossignol whose ship was confiscated for trading there with the Sauages a poore preferment to leaue name to a Port by his misery another was named Port-Moutton and within a great Bay they named another Port-Royall where after they fortified The inhabitants of these parts were termed Souriquois From them Westward are the people called Etechemins where the next Port after you are passed the Riuer of Saint Iohn is Saint Croix where they erected a Fort and wintered Threescore leagues West from thence is the Riuer Kinibeki and from thence the Land trendeth North South to Malabarre Authors place in that former extention of Land betwixt East and West a great Towne and faire Riuer called Norombega by the Sauages called Agguncia These French
so many Deuils their feet alwayes and only agreeing in one stroke Landing at Kecoughtan the Sauages entertayned them with a dolefull noyse laying their faces to the ground and scratching the Earth with their nayles The Werowance of Rapahanna met them playing on a Flute of a Reed with a Crowne of Deeres haire coloured red fashioned like a Rose with a Chaine of Beads about his necke and Bracelets of Pearle hanging at his eares in each eare a Birds claw The women are of a modest proud behauiour with an Iron pounce and raze their bodies legges thighes and armes in curious knots and pourtraytures of Fowles Fishes Beasts and rub a painting into the same which will neuer out The Queene of Apametica was attired with a Coronet beset with many white bones her eares hanged with Copper a Chaine thereof six times compassing her necke The Maids shaue their heads all but the hinder part the Wiues weare it all of a length the Men weare the left locke long as is said already sometimes an ell which they tye when they please in an artificiall knot stucke with feathers the right side shauen The King of Paspahey was painted all blacke with hornes on his head like a Deuill He testifieth of their hard fare watching euery third night lying on the bare cold ground what weather soeuer came and warding the next day a small Can of Barley sodden in water being the sustinance for fiue men a day their drinke brackish and slimy water This continued fiue moneths The Virginians are borne white their haire blacke few haue beards and they plucke out the haires which would grow the women with two shels are their Barbers they are strong nimble and hardy inconstant timorous quicke of apprehension cautelous couetous of Copper and Beads they seldome forget an iniury and seldome steale from each other lest the Coniurers should bewray them which it is sufficient that these thinke they can doe They haue their Lands and Gardens in proper and most of them liue of their labour The cause of their blacknesse Master Rolph ascribes to their Oyntments which in their smokie Houses they vse euen as Bacon with vs is so coloured this within doores they vse against the fire abroad against the Sunne Master Wingfield sayth they would bee of good complexion if they would leaue painting which they vse on their face and shoulders He neuer saw any of them grosse or bald they would haue beards but that they pluck away the haires they haue one wife many Loues and are also Sodomites Their elder women are Cookes Barbers and for seruice the younger for dalliance The women hang their children at their backes in Summer naked in Winter vnder a Deere-skin They are of modest behauiour They seldome or neuer brawle in entertayning a stranger they spread a mat for him to sit downe and dance before him They weare their nailes long to flay their Deere they put Bow and Arrowes into their Childrens hand before they are sixe yeeres old In each eare commonly they haue three great holes whereat they hang Chaines Bracelets or Copper some weare in those holes a small Snake coloured greene and yellow neere halfe a yard long which crawling about his necke offereth to kisse his lips Others weare a dead Rat tied by the taile Their names are giuen them according to the humour of the Parents Their women they say are easily deliuered they wash in the Riuers their young Infants to make them hardie The women and children doe the houshold and field-worke the men disdayning the same and only delighting in fishing hunting warres and such manlike exercises the women plant reape beare burthens pound their Corne make baskets pots bread and doe their Cookery and other businesse They easily kindle fire by chasing a dry pointed sticke in a hole of a little square piece of wood Powhatan had aboue thirty Commanders or Wirrowances vnder him all which were not in peace only but seruiceable in Captaine Smiths Presidencie to the English and still as I haue beene told by some that haue since beene there they doe affect him and will aske of him Powhatan hath three Brethren and two Sisters to whom the Inheritance belongeth successiuely and not to his or their Sonnes till after their death and then the eldest Sisters Sonne inheriteth He hath his treasure of Skins Copper Pearles Beades and such like kept in a house for that purpose and there stored against the time of his buriall This House is fifty or threescore yards long frequented onely by Priests At the foure corners of this House stand foure Images as Sentinels one of a Dragon another of a Beare a third of a Leopard and the fourth of a Gyant He hath as many women as he will which when he is weary of he bestoweth on whom he best liketh His Will and Custome are the Lawes He executeth ciuill punishments on Malefactors as broyling to death being incompassed with fire and other tortures The other Werowances or Commanders so the word signifieth haue power of life and death and haue some twentie men some fortie some an hundred some many more vnder their command Some were sent to inquire for those which were left of Sir Walter Raleighs Colonie but they could learne nothing of them but that they were dead Powhatan was gone Southwards when our men came last thence some thought for feare of Opochancanough his younger Brother a man very gracious both with the people and the English iealous lest Hee and the English should conspire against him thinking that he will not returne but others thinke hee will returne againe His second Brother is Decrepit and lame His age is not so great as some haue reckoned the errour arising from the Virginian computation of yeeres they reckoning euery Spring and euery Fall seuerall yeeres So did Tomocomo at his comming into England marke vp his time accounting each day and because they sayled in the night when hee thought they would haue anchored by the shore each night another day CHAP. VII Of Florida §. I. Of the Acts of the Spanish and French in Florida And of the Soyle and Cities NExt to Virginia towards the South is situate Florida so called because it was first discouered by the Spaniards on Palme Sunday or as the most interprete Easter day which they call Pasqua Florida and not as Theuet writeth for the flourishing Verdure thereof The first finder after their account was Iohn Ponce of Leon in the yeere 1512. but wee haue before shewed that Sebastian Cabota had discouered it in the name of King Henrie the Seuenth of England This Region extendeth to the fiue and twentieth degree It runneth out into the Sea with a long point of Land as if it would eyther set barres to that swift current which there runneth out or point out the dangers of these Coasts to the hazardous Mariners Into the Land it stretcheth Westward vnto the borders of New Spaine and those other Countries
which are not fully knowne otherwhere it is washed with a dangerous Sea which separateth Chichora Bahama and Lucaia from the same Iohn Ponce aforesaid hearing a rumour of a prodigious Well which as the Poets tell of Medea would make old men become young againe plaid the yongling to goe search it sixe monethes together and in that inquiry discouers this Continent and repayring into Spaine obtayneth this Prouince with the title of Adelantado He returned with a Nauy and band of Souldiers but at his landing was so welcomed by the Floridians that many of his men were slaine and himselfe wounded vnto death Pamphilo de Naruaes had no better successe hee entred Florida 1527. Aluaro Nunnez called Capo di Vacca or Cabeca de Vaca and some of his company after long captiuitie escaped Pamphilo carried with him sixe hundred men about the Riuer of Palmes his ships were wracked and most of the Spaniards drowned A few escaped drowning but twelue fell mad and like Dogges sought to woorrie each other Scarcely tenne returned into Spaine These comming to Mexico reported that they had restored three dead men to life I rather beleeue saith Benzo that they killed foure quicke men Don Ferdinando de Soto enriched with the spoiles of Atibaliba King of Peru in which action he was a Captain and Horseman heere found place to spend that which there hee had gotten For hauing obtained the gouernment of Florida and gathered a band of sixe hundred men for that Expedition in it he spent fiue yeares searching for Minerals till hee lost himselfe Iulian Samado and Ahumada made sute for the like grant but could not obtaine it Fryer Luys de Beluastro and other Dominicks had vndertaken by the way of preaching to haue reduced the Floridians to Christianity and the Spanish obedience and were sent at the Emperours charge but no sooner set foot on shore then hee and two of his companions were taken by the Sauages and cruelly slaine and eaten their shauen scalpes being hanged vp in their Temple for a monument This hapned in the yeere 1549. In the yeere 1524. Francis the first the French King had sent Iohn de Verrazano hither but because hee rather sought to discouer all along the Coast then to search or settle within Land I passe him ouer In the yeere 1562. That Worthy of France Chastillon Champion of Religion and of his Countrey sent Captaine Iohn Ribault to discouer and Plant in these parts which his Voyage and Plantation is written by Rene Laudonniere one employed therein Hee left Capt. Albert there with some of his company who built a Fort called Charles Fort but this Albert was slaine in a mutiny by his Souldiers and they returning home were so pursued by Famine the Pursuiuant of Diuine Iustice that after their Shooes and Leather Ierkins eaten their drinke being Sea-water or their owne Vrine they killed and ate vp one of their owne company Laudonniere was sent thither againe to inhabite Anno 1564. and the next yeere Ribault was sent to supply his place But vncouth Famine had so wasted and consumed the French before his arriuall that the very bones of most of the Souldiers pierced thorow their starued skinnes in many places of their bodies as if they would now trust the emptie hands no longer but would become their owne Purueyers and looke out for themselues And yet better it is to fall into the hands of God then of mercilesse men Famine being but a meere Executioner to Gods Iustice but these executing also a Diuellish malice Such were the Spaniards who were sent thither vnder the conduct of Don Pedro Melendes which massacred all of euery sexe and age which they found in the fort and Ribault being cast by shipwracke on the shore and receiued of Vallemandus the Spaniard with promises of all kindnesse was cruelly murthered with all his company except some few which they reserued for their owne employments The manner of it is at large handled by Laudonniere by Morgues by Challusius which were as brands by diuine hand plucked out of the Spanish combustion The Petition or Supplication put vp by the Orphanes Widowes and distressed kindred of that massacred number to Charles the Ninth mentioneth nine hundred which perished in this bloudy deluge The Spaniards hauing laid the foundations of their habitation in bloud found it too slippery to build any sure habitation thereon For their cruelties both to the French and Floridians were retorted vpon themselues in the yeere 1567. by Monsieur Dominique de Gorgues and his Associates assisted by the Natiue inhabitants and Florida was left destitute of Christian Inhabitants Thus hath Florida beene first courted by the English wooed by the Spanish almost wonne by the French and yet remaines a rich and beautifull Virgin waiting till the Neighbour Virginia bestow on her an English Bridegroome who as making the first loue may lay the iustest challenge vnto her Her riches are such that Cabeza de Vaca who was one of Naruaes wracked companie and Sotos Corriuall in this Floridian sute and had trauelled thorow a great part of the In-land affirmed to Charles the Emperour that Florida was the richest Countrey of the World and that he had therein seene Gold and Siluer and Stones of great value Besides there is great varietie of Trees Fruits Fowles Beasts Beares Leopards Ounces Wolues wilde Dogges Goats Hares Conies Deere Oxen with woolly hydes Camels backs and Horses manes Sir Iohn Hawkins his second Voyage published by Master Hakluyt mentioneth Vnicornes hornes amongst the Floridians which they weare about their necks whereof the French-men obtained many pieces and that they affirme there are many of those beasts with one horne which they put into the water before they drinke Haply this might be a tale of the French to sell such pieces deare to the English or the horne of some other beast or of the Sea-Vnicorne Our Discourse hath most right vnto their Rites For their many Cities the manner of their building the manners of their Inhabitants I would not bee so long Morgues hath let vs see them in the Pictures They wall or impale them with posts fastned in the ground the circle as of a Snaile comming within that point where it began and leauing a way but for two men to enter at either end of that double empaling or entrance stand two Watch-towres one within the other without the Citie where Watch-men alway are set for defence their houses are round their apparell nakednesse except a beasts skin or some ornament of Mosse about their secret parts They paint and raze their skins with great cunning the smart makes them sicke seuen or eight dayes after they rubbe ouer those rased workes with a certaine herbe which coloureth the same so as it cannot be done away They paint their faces and their skins cunningly this Morgues a Painter being Iudge euen to admiration They let the nailes on their toes and fingers
Hegira Siahir the Persian tooke Ancyra from the Romans and the I le of Rhodes captiuing the Inhabitants In the second Cosroes Sonne of Hormisda persecuted all which contradicted his Religion thorow his Kingdom imposing grieuous tributes and destroying all the Temples of Syria and Mesopotamia carrying away all their Gold Siluer and goods euen to the Marble into his Countrey In the third yeere Siahriar besieged Constantinople but departed frustrate The same yeere Cosroes oppressed the Ruhans and caused them to forsake the Orthodoxe Sect and to become Iacobites For his Physician named Ionan a Iacobite perswaded him that so long as they were Orthodoxe â— they would incline to the Romans He therefore decreed that they should either bee slaine or else become Iacobites which they all did In the fift yeere of the Hegira Cosroes was depriued by his Subiects for his tyrannies after he had reigned thirty eight yeere and his Sonne Kâ—bad set in his place called also Syroes the Sonne of Mary Daughter of Mauritius the Roman Emperour which carried himselfe well and was renowmed for Iustice but after eight moneths Raigne he and most of his people perished by Pestilence His Sonne Ardsijr succeeded and after fiue moneths was slaine In the sixt yeere Siahriar not of the Royall race obtained the Persian Souereigntie whereupon a woman of Royall bloud laid wait and slue him when he had raigned two and twentie dayes Cosroes Nephew of Hormisda succeeded who after three monethes was slaine at Chorosan After him Turana Daughter of Cosroes raigned a yeere and halfe In the fourth yeere of the Hegira Siahriar had subiected himselfe to Heraclius because Cosroes on some complaints had written to Marzuban to entrap and kill both him and his Sonne the Commander of the Armie which Letter and Carrier being intercepted by Heraclius and by him presented to Siahriar he and the other Captaines subiected themselues to Heraclius who thereupon inuaded Persia and writ to Chacan King of Harari to helpe him with forty thousand Horsemen promising him his Daughter in marriage Thus Heraclius preuayled in Syria Egypt and Armenia against the Cities and forces of the Persians there Cosroes made Marzuban called also Zurabhar his Generall who marched into the Prouince of Mausil Heraclius had at Ruha three hundred thousand Horsemen and from the tract of the Harari forty thousand were comming to him which stayed in the Prouince of Aderbigiana by his command till hee came thither Hauing subdued Armenia he went to Niniue Zurabhar and hee fought a great battell and the Persians had the worse aboue fiue hundred thousand of them being slaine with Zurabhar himselfe Hereupon Cosroes forsooke Machura and Medaijn Cities presently possessed by Heraclius and burned enioying the Kings treasures After this Syroes Sonne of Cosroes got out of Prison and slaying his Father succeeded him as before is related Heraclius came to the Village Themanin which Noah of holy memory builded after he passed out of the Arke and that he might see the place of the Arke he ascended the mountaine Giudi which is high ouer all those lands Thence he passed into Amida where Syroes made peace with him conditioning to restore to the Romans all which his Father had taken from them Heraclius returned to Ruha and commanded the Christians to returne from the Iacobite Sect to the Orthodoxe which they did Ardsijr hauing succeeded Cosroes was slaine by Siahriar against whom Marzuban gathered forces and the Persians were diuided in two parts Siahriar was slaine and Cosroes succeeded and when he was slaine Turana to whom Giasiansed Sonne of Cosroes his Vncle succeeded who being deposed Azurmis daughter of Cosroes obtayned which after a yeere and foure moneths was poysoned Perchozad Sonne of Cosroes succeeded and was shortly slaine In the seuenth of the Hegira the Sunne was so ecclipsed that the Stars were seene by day Abubecr the Iust or Abdalla Sonne of Otsman Abucahaf Sonne of Amir Sonne of Omar Sonne of Caab His mothers name was Asma daughter of Sachar Sonne of Amir Sonne of Omar Sonne of Caab He was created Chalifa the same day on which the Prophet dyed The men of Medina assembled to inaugurate Saad Sonne of Obad one of themselues and some of them said let vs haue an Emperour of vs and make you an Emperour of you O Fugitiues But when Abubecr of happy memory had praysd God and celebrated he said to them O men of Medina take whether of these you will and laid hold on Omar and Abuobeid But with multiplied cries and words Omar said to Abubecr stretch forth thy hand that we may sweare fealty to thee which hee did and both the Medina men and fugitiues sware to him Ali only and the Hasiemites excepted which would not by striking of the hand approue his Empire which yet at last seeing themselues forsaken they did The same yeere Heg. 11. the Arabians rebelled and some refused to pay tribute and Museilema the false Prophet prospered Taliha also the Sonne of Chowailet said he was a Prophet and was followed by the Asedites Newes came also of the death of Aswad Ibsua a false Prophet which was Abubecr his first victory He chased also the Absites and Dibans and returned to Medina Hee sent to warre against the Rebels and deliuered eleuen Banners for eleuen Tract Chalid Sonne of Walid was sent against Taliba and his Complices the Gatfanites Taijtes and Asedites and ouercame them Thegiagis also daughter of Harith professed herselfe this yeere a Prophetesse amongst the Taalabites and went to Museilema and was married to him but when she had staid with him three dayes she returned home Abubecr sent Ikirma Sonne of Abugiabl against Museilema with others They met in Iaman The Muslims were forty thousand which had the worse at first but after preuayled and slue Museilema with ten thousand of his followers the rest returned to Islamisme He sent Alau against the Rebells of Bahrain who chased them forced some to returne and slue those which continued in their Apostasie Alau passed also the Sea and slue all the Inhabitants of Darina In the twelfth yeere Abubecr writ to Chalid to goe to Irac who made a peace with them and the Inhabitants of Sawad on condition of tribute which was the first tribute brought to Medina He fought many battels and slue a great multitude of Infidels and got innumerable spoyles In the the thirteenth yeere Abubecr sent forces into Syria and sent Amir into Palaestina Iesid and others into Balcaa and the higher Syria and Chalid Sonne of Said to Teimaa Chalid fought a battell in Syria with Mahan a Roman Commander and chased him to Damascus where the Romans in the Sapphire Valley slue his Sonne with many others Abubecr sent Muaui with fresh supplies and made Chalid Sonne of Walid ouer the Souldiers in Syria and commanded him to goe from Irac thither which hee did with nine thousand This yeere Bosra was taken the first of the Cities in Syria The same yeere died Abubecr of happy
King of Delly all Indostan is his patrimony and his countrey diuided by three famous high wayes Porrab Pachan Dekan W. Clarke f Allahoban g Sultan Peruis h M. Clarke which diuers yeeres serued the Mogol in his warres and was one of these Haddies saith 30000. i Others say 2. s. 6. d. others 2. s. 3. d. k 150. millions of crownes l M. Withington which liued a Factor diuers yeeres in the Countrey receiued of the Iesuites which reside there this same story of the Mogols treasures m See Chap. 7. n M. Clarke saith 50000. Selims Religion and Customes o The Kings of India sit daily in Iustice themselues and on the Tuesdayes doe execution Feasts Mogols Sepulcher Couert saith the matter is fine Marble the forme nine square the compasse two English miles about nine stories high and that the King protested he would bestow thereon one hundred millions Iarric Thes. rer Indic l. 5. c. 23. An. 1612. n Nic Bangam They had money of these Ships some 32000. rials of eight wherof the Rehemee payd 15000. M. Downton saith They had goods for goods to a halfe-penny Nic. Withington M T. Best M. Patrick Copland M. Nathaniel Salmon M. Withington Nunno d' Ancuna M. Withington o M. Copland p Ant. Starky Ex Relat. M.S. Gen. Nic. Downton Martin Pring Beniamin Day Iohn Leman William Masham c. Master Downton both buried his sonne and died himselfe in this Voyage which since we haue published with other our Pilgrims continued by M. Elkington and M. Dodsworth his successiue successour q N. Withington r Goga is a rich towne on the other side of the Bay Some say that there was not so much harme done Masham Inuention of Ordnance first vsed by the Venetians against the Genuous An. Dom. 1378. who besieged Fossa-Clodia a town of theirs inuented by a German Alchymist a Monke called Bertholdus Swartus Others say Constantinus Anklitzen Printing was also first inuented by a German the first Printed booke being Tullies Offices at Mentz by one Iohn Fust which some thinke to be the same with Gutemberg who had made triall of this Art before without any perfection This Booke is still at Augsburg printed 1466. Ram. P. Verg. Pancirol Salmuth c. d So doth another namelesse Copy which I haue seene I omit the names of the Captaines e Ben Day Another hath Sanedo Nic. Withington f See M. Terris Booke and Childs Iournal Sir Tho. Roe in my voyages g See Swans Iournall and letters of Blithe Browne c. h Let. of T. Wilson and also of Robert Smith i One Philips in the Richard was principall cause of that victory by his Manhood k Of Dutch and English vnkind quarrells see Relations of M. Cocke Tho. Spurway Captaine Courthop Rob. Haies Captaine Pring Iohn Hatch William Hord letters of Cas Dauid George Iackeson Ia. Lane G. Ball M. Willes Kellum Throgmorton Ric. Nash S. T. Dale Io. Iordan A. Spaldwin G. Muschamp W. Anthon. H. Fitzherbert Th. Knollos B. Church-man G. Pettys c. Rob. Couert Agra a Fatipore a Citie as bigge as London Ios. Salbank Indico b 12000. or 15000. within the Citie Still R. Still or Stell and I. Crowther March 17. T. Cor. his letter to M. L. W. c Vers Hosk d Flauius Iustinianus Alemanicus Gothicus Francicus Germanicus Anticus Alanicus Vandalicus Africanus for that which followes Pius Foelix Inclytus Victor ac Triumphator , semper Augustus I hope his friends in the Verses before his booke haue giuen him more prodigious and himselfe before he comes home must needs multiply further hauing such huge bundles of papers abreeding in so many places at Aleppo Spahan Asmere c. e R. Still Lahore Chatcha 3 Fort. m Still Couerts Trauels are extant in his Booke n Hee saith that he hath put to death his own sonne and done 1000 other tyrannies Iohn Crowther W. Nichols Iohn Mildnall Mic. Withington 88. Courses . 1601. Calwalla a Towne of filthy Women Desart Reisbuti S.R. Sherly M. Withington robbed Sinda Wormes dangerous to ships o Fitch to the South-East and to the East from Agra Nicols S.E. by Land Goes N. E. to China Couert N. and S. quite through Still to Lahor N. E. and to Persia N.N.W. Withington the Westerle parts to Sinda c. p W. Clarke q W. Payton r 20000. horse 50000. foot and a mountainous Countrey hardly inuaded and conquered M. Clarke b M. Withington R. Couert R. Couert M. Payton M. Withington c Narratio Reg. Mogor Lahor is 300 miles from Agra Å¿ R. Fitch T. Coryat a Maginus b Maff. lib. 40 c Ioseph Ind. Linsch l. 1. c. 270 d Pat. Copland e L. Vertom l. 4 f Od. Barbosa g Coel. Rhodig lib. 11. cap. 13. h Maff. lib. 11. i Cic. Offic. k Maff. Histor Ind. lib. 11. l This same man appeared before Solyman the Turkish General at the siege of Diu. Viag di vn Comite Venetiano Nic. di Conti saith hee saw a Bramane three hundred yeers old m Morison part 3. c. 3. saith the same of the Irish Countesse of Desmond mentioned also by S. W. Ral. and that she liued 140. yeeres n Io. Santos l. 4. deuan. hist de India orientali o Dam. Ã Goes op Di. Bell. Camb. p Linschot q Od. Barbos r Gotardus Arthus Hist. Ind. Orient cap 23. Bally cap. 18. k Xaholam that is Lord of the World a Title and not a proper name l Daquem m Ios. Scal. de Emana temp lib. 7. n Ios. Scal. Can. Isag. lib. 7. o Clarke Banians M. Withington Marriages solemnized betwixt infants R. Couert Anominus p N. Downton Ben. Day q L. verb. lib. 4. r Eman. Pinner Balby saith at other times they eate but one meale a day cap. 10. Å¿ An. Dom. 1595. k The Religious in Cambaia Pinner l Em. Pinner Banians m Onesicritus reporteth the like of the Gymnosophists n Arrian Perip Mar. Eryth u Linsch c. 37. Andrea Corsuli x Od. Barbosa y The like lowsie trick is reported in the Legend of S. Francis and in the life of Ignatius of one of the first Iesuitical pillars by Mâ—ffâ—eus z N. di Cont. a Gi. Bot. Ben. Maff. lib. 1. Linschot lib. 1. cap. 34. Iarric l. 3. c. 1. b Gio. Bot. Ben. Garcias ab Horto l. 2. c. 28. Linschot c. c Lins l. 1. c. 27. Iarric Thes. rerum Indic l. 3. No exact order can bee vsed in relating so confused Rites o Of Goa reade Arthus hist Ind. c. 15. Linschot Al. Valignan p Tizzuarin signifies thirtie villages for so many it seemes were then there q Dec. 1. l. 8. c. vlt. Dec. 2. l. 5. c. 1. r Lins l. 1. c. 28.29 30 31 32. Balb c. 23. Balb. c. 22. Å¿ Lact. l. 1. c. 20. Aug. de C. D l. 6. c. 9. Rosianus Antiq. 1. 2. t R. Fitch u Linschot Don Duart de Menezes He summeth the publike ordinary expences of the Port in India at 134 199. li. 5.
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
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