except one Suburb in the Peninsula to which men passe by a bridge of boats euery night dissolued for feare of the Arabs or stormes whence through the bountie of an Italian Merchant Sir Victorio Speciero they escaped for they were not vnsuspected with a Carauan of Persian Pilgrims wich came from Mecca Thirtie dayes they were on the way to the Confines and fifteene from thence to Casbin where they staied a moneth attending the Kings arriuall being in the meane time well vsed vpon conceit that the King would like well of their comming the people otherwise are ill in themselues and onely good by example of their King and strict obedience to him For of the ancient Persians there are few these being the posteritie of those which haue been here seated by the transplantations of Tamerlane and Ismael not to mention any more ancient out of other Countries The King himselfe by our Authors Relation in his vertues and gouernment is as if some Philosopher should discourse of what should be rather then an Historian declare what is as did Xenophon sometimes in his Cyrus Of those imputations of Paricide and ambition not a word His order of attaining the Crowne is thus reported The Persian custome being that onely the elder brother ruleth the rest are made blinde by burning basons hauing otherwise all contentments fit for Princes children when Xa-Tamas was dead without issue his brother so hee calleth him contrary to our former relations and to that of Mirkond the Persian which I more maruell at Xa-Codabent was called Blind to the Kingdome He had issue Sultan Hamzire Mirza the eldest who succeeded him and this present King called Abas The eldest in his fathers life time administred all things which blindnesse made the other vnfit for but Abas at twelue yeeres of age vnder the gouernment of Tutors held the Prouince of Yasde where the loue of the people made him suspected to his Father who secretly resolued his death Abas by his friends hearing it fled to Corasan a Tartar people on the East of Persia both by their religion and dependance Turkish and of themselues otherwise vnquiet and addicted to spoyle This King honoured Abas as his sonne His father soone after dying Sultan Hamzire succeeded who was forced to renew his truce with the Turk by reason of the rebellion of the Turcomans whom by force he subdued beheaded their Princes for his securitie slew twentie thousand of the ablest amongst them for the wars And then wholly bending his thoughts against the Turk was by treason slaine by his Barber His Princes Authors of this fact shared his State amongst them euery one making himselfe Lord of that Prouince which he gouerned vniting their resolutions against Abas whom also the Turke which had his hand in the businesse had vndertaken should bee kept still in Corazan Abas neuerthelesse so wrought that the King of Corazan dismissed him with three thousand horsemen to winne possession of that State which since hath deuoured the Tartars and is growne terrible to the Turke being no lesse in Extent then the Turke hath in Asia and better both peopled gouerned and deuoted to their Soueraigne But it was not easily atchieued In Sistane one of the neerest Prouinces hee was encountred with twenty thousand his troupes cut in pieces himselfe forced to flee to the mountaines where he liued three moneths vnknowen amongst the heardmen flitting vp and downe with tenne or twelue followers Wearie of this life hee determined to shew himselfe in Yasd his quondam Prouince which so well succeeded that numbers come flocking to him and Ferrat Can also a great Prince discontent with the present State no part of which had falne to him hauing at that time no Prouince in his gouernement when the King was slaine resorted to him with his brother and tenne thousand followers They were welcome but hee much more as a great Souldier and a wise Prince With these forces hee ouerthrew his neerest enemies which caused those of Shyras Asphaan Cassan assisted by the Kings of Gheylan and Mazandran to gather mighty forces In the meane time the Turkes armed at Tauris and the Prince of Hamadan hauing called in a strength of the Courdines was marching towards Casbin Thus beset with Armies hee leaueth Ferrat Can with Zulpher his brother and fiue thousand men in Casbin himselfe with the rest of his power marched towards the Can of Hamadan Now did Ferrat Can according to former agreement betweene the King and him professe himselfe altered from the Kings part and writeth to the Rebells offering to ioyne his strength with theirs and to mutinie the Kings Armie also which was lodged in the Mountaynes in shew to keepe the straits indeede to expect the euent Thus the Cans assembled at Casbin and after long deliberation concluded that it was needelesse and not safe to call in the Turkes forces and dispatched a messenger and present to the Bassa of Tauris to reserue his fauour till a time more needfull Hereof Ferrat sent word closely to the King and of a banquet which should bee at his house a few nights after where the Principalls of the Army should meet Hither Abas bid himselfe a guest posting thither with fiue thousand of his best horse which he disposed in the mountaine couered with Ferrats troupe expecting the appointed signe which being giuen late in the night when the whole company was heauie with wine and sleepe the King was receiued into the house with three hundred men where without any vprore he slew seuentie And at the breake of the day the Kings people made as great shouts noyse as if all the Army had bin there whereat the Alarme being giuen all betooke them to their armes repairing to Ferrats lodging to their Princes whose heads laced vpon a string were there presented to them out of a Tarras vpon which the King presently shewed himselfe with Ferrat Can Zulpher hauing his fiue thousand men ready in a troupe in the great place All these things together so amazed them that they thought the Kings pardon a high preferment which he freely granted both them and the succours sent thither by the Kings of Cheylan and Mazandran The reports hereof made Hamadans Armie to vanish and the King tooke order presently by new Cans for the gouernment of those parts Hee led his souldiers to Hisphaan giuing out that the treasures of the Kingdome were there layd vp by the Rebels a good policie to winne it which with as much pretended indignation he rased for fayling of his seeming hopes To satisfie his Souldiers better he led them against the Kings of Gheylan and Mazandran where the entrances by Nature difficult thorow the vnpassable woods and hilles were made easie by the reuolt of those to whom the charge of keeping the Straits was giuen whose liues Abas had before spared at Casbin The successe was the two Kings were slaine and the souldiers enriched with the spoyle of a Countrey exceeding fertile thus subdued
and returned to Lahor losing many Elephants and Horses in the way both by Famine then oppressing the Countrey and the difficultie of the Passages the Elephants sometimes in the ascent of Hils helping themselues with their Trunkes leaning and staying themselues being burthened thereon as on a staffe The Prince which is now King was assaulted by a fierce Lionesse as he rode on a Female Elephant which yet hee wounded first with a Dart then with a Shot and lastly smote her with the hand-Gun it selfe wherewith being ouerthrowne a Souldier came in and slew her but with losse of his owne life The next yeere 1598. Echebar went to Agra chiefe Citie of a Kingdome which hee had also conquered a hundred leagues from Lahor towards the South passing that way to Decan Hee had eight hundred Elephants and seuen thousand Camels to carrie his Tents and Prouisions yea his Secretarie had at the same time seuen hundred Camels and seuentie Elephants for his owne furniture and therefore it is lesse maruaile of the Kings The King conducted in this Expedition aboue a thousand Elephants instructed to fight and a hundred thousand Soldiers Hee passed the Mountaines of Gate by almost impassable Passages spending sometimes a whole day in passing the space of a Musket-shot One of his Captaines went before with fiftie thousand who tooke one of the Decans strongest Holds and made easie way to the Conquest of the rest of Melics Dominions which hee left in the Gouernment of his sonne Brampore fell into his hands being destitute of defence This was Anno 1600. Miram the King thereof had forsaken it and betaken himselfe to Syra a strong Hold both by Nature and Art It was seated on the top of a Hill which reacheth fiue leagues enuironed with a triple Wall so built that one might bee defended from the next Within was a Well of running Water and all necessarie Prouisions for threescore thousand persons for many yeeres It had three thousand great Peeces of Ordnance In this Castle according to the Countrey custome the next of the Bloud Royall were kept with their Families nor might depart except the Throne emptie the next Heire was hence deliuered much after that which is written of Amara in the Abassens Countrey and it seemes borrowed from thence so many slaues of those parts being here entertained and some in the highest Employments At this time besides King Miram there were seuen of these Princes The Gouernour was an Abassine with seuen other Vnder-Commanders all renegado Mahumetanes The Mogoll layde siege thereto with almost two hundred thousand men but more preuailed as before in Melics Countrey with Bribes and Promises then Force Thus inuiting Miram to a Conference swearing By the Kings head accounted an inuiolable Oath as is that By their Fathers head that hee should bee permitted safe returne Some of his Councellours perswaded him to goe hee went with a kinde of Stole on his necke hanging to his knees in token of subiection And comming before the Mogoll bowed himselfe but was cast to the ground by some of his Captaines and forceably detained The Abassine Gouernour sent his sonne to demand performance of Achebar his promise who being questioned of his Father the Abassen and the hopes to obtaine the Castle freely answered for his Fathers fidelitie and that if Miram were not restored they should not want a Successour with which libertie he prouoked the Mogol to cause him to be slaine which his Father hearing strangled himselfe And the wals were soone after battered at least entred and a breach made through the open gates by golden shot none of these seuen for feare of treason daring to take the Royall Soueraigntie These with the King were dispersed into diuers parts of his Kingdome and maintenance allowed them Thus remained Echebar Lord of these parts and longed to adde the rest of India whatsoeuer is betwixt Indus and Ganges euen to the Cape Comori to his Dominion He writ a Letter about this time to the Vice-Roy of Goa beginning thus I mention it to shew you his Titles which he arrogated The Great and Mightie Lord of the Law of MAHOMET The Renowmed and Great King Vanquisher of the Kings his Enemies Obserued and Honoured of Great Men Exalted aboue other Kings in ample Honour and Dignitie The onely Man for Gouernment amongst all the Princes of the World His Ambassage to ARIAS DE SALDAGNA c. The ninth day of Frauard the first moneth of the yeere beginning at the Aequinoctiall Vernall in the fortie sixe yeere viz. of His Reigne At this time dyed the Gouernour or Vice-Roy of Lahor which left to the King who is Heire Generall and Successour of euery mans wealth three millions of Gold coyned besides other Gold Siluer Iewels Horses Elephants furniture and goods almost inualuable This also for a taste of the meanes accrewing to this Kings Treasure Echebar returning to Agra gaue libertie to the Iesuites to conuert as many as would to Christianitie The King of Candacar or Candahar not able to defend himselfe against Abduxa King of the Vsbechs surrendred himselfe and his Kingdome to Echebar The particulars of his other Conquests I cannot relate His last victory I know not whether to impute to his happinesse or not It was against his Sonne in which the griefe to haue such an enemy could not but be more then the glory of the exploit This happened Anno 1602. Echebar being forced to giue ouer his Decan Conquest by his Sonnes vntimely challenge of the Scepter who weary of his Fathers long life stiled himselfe King and his Father the Great King Armies were gathered on both sides on both sides were sent Letters and Messengers The Mother of Echebar being nintie yeeres old laboured a peace but not preuailing fell sicke which caused him to returne from this expedition against his Sonne But her body not able to ouercome the disease yeelded to death Her Sonne shaued his head beard and eye-browes and mourned after the Country fashion in blue his Nobles doing the like three dayes Her huge Treasure which shee had bequeathed to her children and Nephewes the King seized on The Prince was perswaded to come to his Father without an Army which he did and after some rebuke was reconciled and remained content with the Kingdome of Cambaia or Guzzerat He seemed much addicted to the Iesuites and obtained his Fathers Licence for a Temple at Agra to the building whereof hee gaue a thousand pieces of Gold On the twentie seuen of October Anno 1605. Echebar dyed in the Climactericall yeere 63. of his age and fiftie of his reigne In his sicknesse Selim the Prince whom some suspected of dealing as the Turkish Selim had done with his Father Baiazet came not into the Presence and much consultation was amongst the Great ones to conferre the Succession vpon Cussero his sonne But the issue was that vpon his Oath to maintaine the Law of Mahomet and of full pardon to his Sonne
and all his Partakers hee was brought into his Fathers presence Echebar was past speech but made signes that hee should take the Royall Diademe and gird himselfe with the sword hanging at his beds head The Prince performed the solemne Iordam or Rite of Adoration with the head bowed to the Earth and his Father signing with his hand that hee should depart did so as did his Father presently after out of the world His body was carried on the shoulders of his Son and Nephew out of the towre where he lay the wall being broken after the fashion for passage and a new gate there erected and being brought into his Garden a league from thence was interred with small attendance neither the King nor his Nobles except Cossero and a few others wearing mourning habite So little was He in his West a little before the great Terrour of the East Eight dayes after Echebars death the Prince entred the Palace and seated himselfe in the Throne the people crying Pad iausa or Padasha lamat GOD saue the King His first endeauours were to giue contentment to the Mahumetans causing their Moschees to bee purged and their Rites to bee established yea hee tooke a new Name NVRDIN MOHAMAD IAHANVIR that is the Splendour of MAHOMETS Law Subduer of the World And by this Name IAHANVIR or as our Countrey-men lately come from thence pronounce it IAHANGERE hee is vsually called and not by his ancient Name SELIM In Aprill after his sonne rebelled and taking the Title of SVLTAN IA that is Sultan the King brought into his partie two Great Men and so went to Lahor which not being admitted entrance hee besieged eight dayes or as others say presented himselfe with his Forces about twelue thousand before it without any great hostilitie offered him His Father in person pursued him which being rumor'd so dismayed the sonne that he fled hauing euen then put some of the Kings men to rout For by a notable stratageme hee lost the day the aduerse Generall sending many with flying tales into the Princes Armie buzzing the neerenesse and Greatnesse of the Kings power and seconding the same like GIDEONS Policie with multitude of Trumpets and Drummes scarred them and notwithstanding the Princes gaine-saying hee was by his owne almost compelled to flight Hee tooke his way towards Cabul and being to passe a Riuer the Captaine of the place caused all Boats to be taken away and commanded the rowers that if the Prince came they should fasten the Boat as by mischance on a Shelfe or Iland of sand in the middle of the Riuer which being done they should seeme to call for helpe and so giue notice This was done and the Gouernour came and after due reuerence promising all fidelitie and securitie wherein hee was vnfaithfully faithfull brought Him into the Castle and sent the King word thereof who sent presently and brought Him in fetters together with his company The King bitterly checked him committed him to prison Some adde that hee sealed vp his eyes Others say that his eyes were put out But their eyes were not put in onely cares put on that say so for hee hath lately beene freed and hath the vse also of his eyes as I haue beene tolde from the eyes of diuers His two great Captaines had a strange punishment the one sowed vp close in an Oxe-skinne the other in an Asse-skinne both new flayed that drying they might withall straightly pinch in their Prisoners in a close and narrow Little-ease The next day they were carried through the Citie on Asses their faces to the taile-wards the one conspicuous with his Oxe-hornes the other with his Asses-eares The shame and ignominy so pierced one of them that hee fell downe dead his head was cut off and the pieces of his dismembred bodie were set vp in diuers places The other by way of fauour was permitted to haue water powred on his hide which brought a worse euill by the heate of so neere a Sunne causing a filthy stinke and multiplication of Vermine till at last his pardon was procured Two hundreth of the Princes Souldiers were set on both sides the way as hee should passe to be executed He caused his second Sonne to be proclaimed Prince as his Father had before transferred the Title from him to This his Son There was a famous Prophet of the Ethnikes named Goru esteemed there of his Sectaries as the Romish Pope is of the Popish Romanists with him as a man famous for Sanctimony did the Prince consult who in adulation adorned his head with a Diadem which in an Ethnike to a Mahumetan was strange but hee coloured it with the Gentilisme of the Princes Mother Vpon this Goru was committed but vpon promise by an Ethnike of 100000. pieces of Gold to bee payd to the King hee was pardoned Hee that vndertooke this hoped on the Kings pardon or that Goru would procure this summe which failing hee seized on all hee had not sparing his wife and children adding tortures also to extort money from him and taking away his meate thinking him rather a miser then a begger Thus in varietie of misery the flattering Prophet lost his life and his Suretie also thinking to escape by flight was taken and slaine his goods all confiscate This King at first made great shew of zeale to Mahomet which since is cooled and his Religion seemes to bee the same with Echebars Contrary to the Mahumetan practice hee delighteth much in Images as of CHRIST the Virgin and other Saints with which his chambers and publike roomes are stored and to all his Letters and Charters besides the Kings Seale addes the Images of CHRIST and the Holy Virgin engrauen in a paire of tongs as it were of Emeralds with which hee seales his Letters on both sides the pendent waxe The last newes that wee haue from the Iesuites of whom wee haue borrowed almost all the former Relations is of Captaine Hawkins comming to the Court and kind entertainment of the King who made him say they a Gentleman of foure hundred Horse and assigned him thirtie thousand Rupies stipend adding other reports of his pride obstinate heresie and supplantation by the Portugals with other things of Him and those of the Ascension were wracked partly true partly false I haue thought good to set before you in the next seruice some of Captaine Hawkins obseruations whiles hee staied there and after of other our Countrey-men which now haue a settled trade in these vast Dominions Obserue by the way that the Iesuites to the last doe accuse Captaine Hawkins of his obdurate heresie contrarie to the calumnies of some that say hee became deuoutly Popish at their perswasion §. III. The Relations of Captaine HAWKINS Embassador there MAster William Hawkins being Captaine in the Ship called the Hector after a long and tedious voyage from March 1607. to the foure and twentieth of August 1608. arriued at Surat subiect to the Mogor or Mogol so he calleth him and after much
August September and October the raines are predominant which with their frequent violent and long cnntinuing showres cooles the Earth and reuiues the partcht Roots of the Sun burnt Plants of the Earth sometimes rayning so long together and with such fiercenesse that Houses loose their foundations in their currants and fall to the ground from whence also followes great Land-flouds to this Countrey no lesse commodious then the inundation of Nilus to the Egyptians by receiuing the Flouds into their Rice grounds and there retayning it vntill the Earth drinking it in becomes the better enabled to endure an eighth moneths abstinence for in eight moneths it neuer rayneth Nouember December Ianuary and February they account their cooler times and are so indeed compared to the former yet as hote as it is here in England in May. From which constant heate all Trees are heere continually greene and their Fruites ripe in their seuerall Seasons The Earth in some places affoords two Croppes of Rice in a yeere rarely three Croppes and in most places but one yet there with very great increase they so we other sorts of Pulse different from ours and farre vp into the Country they haue good Wheate but not much for it is little eaten of the Gentiles Rootes they haue of most sorts which we haue heere and good store of Potatoes yet but few Hearbs or Flowres which defect they supply in their Betele whose frequent vse amongst them many haue already discoursed In briefe it is a very fruitfull Countrey and occasioned by many of the Inhabitants abstinence from any thing that hath life all kind of victuall are very cheape and plentifull as eight Hens for twelue pence a Goate or Sheepe for ten pence and for eighteene pence or two shillings a very good Hogge the like of fish and all other prouisions in the Towne but in the Countrey much better cheape This Kingdome as most others in India receiueth its denomination from the chiefe City or Residence of the King called by the Natiues Golchonda by the Moores and Persians Hidraband distant from Musulipatnam eight and twentie Gentiue leagues euery such league contayning nine English miles and in the common course of trauel ten dayes iourney A Citie that for sweetnesse of ayre conueniencie of water and fertility of soyle is accounted the best situated in India not to speake of the Kings Palace which for bignesse and sumptuousnesse in the iudgement of such as haue trauelled India exceedeth all belonging to the Mogull or any other Prince it being twelue miles in circumference built all of stone and within the most eminent places garnished with massie Gold in such things as we commonly vse Iron as in barres of Windowes bolts and such like and in all other points fitted to the Maiesty of so great a King who in Elephants and Iewels is accounted one of the richest Princes of India He is by Religion a Mahumetan discended from Persian Ancestors and retayneth their opinions which differing in many points from the Turkes are distinguished in their Sects by tearmes of Seaw and Sunnes and hath beene at large and truly to my knowledge particularized in your Pilgrimage whereunto I onely adde in confirmation of their mutuall hatred what in conference I receiued from a Meene one of Mahomets owne Tribe if wee may beleeue his owne Heraldry who openly professed hee could not finde in his heart to pray for a Sunnee for in his Opinion a Christian might as easily bee saued a Charitie well befitting his Religion that would not pray for those hee might not pray with This King as all other his Predecessors retaines the title of Cotubsha the original whereof I remember to haue read in Linschoten He maried during my being in his Country the daugter of Adelsha King of Viziapore and hath besides her three other Wiues and at least 1000. Concubines a singular honour and state amongst them to haue many women and one of the strangest things to them I could relate and in their opinions lamentable that his excellent Maiesty our Gracious Souereigne should haue three Kingdomes and but one Wife The Cotubsha Adelsha and Negaim Sha oppose the Mogull in a perpetuall league of mutuall defence yet so as their yeerely Presents proue their best weapons chusing rather to buy peace then to hazard the euent of war against so mighty an Enemy His Reuenewes are reported to bee fiue and twenty Lackes of Pagodes a Lacke beeing an 100000. and a Pagoda equall in weight and alloy to a French Crowne and worth there seuen shillinge six pence sterling which huge Treasure ariseth from the large extent of his Dominions 〈◊〉 Subiects being all his Tenants and at a rackt Rent for this King as all others in India is the onely Free-holder of the whole Countrey which being deuided into great gouernments as our Shires those againe into lesser ones as our Hundreds and those into Villages the Gouernment is farmed immediately from the King by some eminent man who to other inferiours farmeth out the lesser ones and they againe to the Countrey people at such excessiue rates that it is most lamentable to consider what toyle and miserie the wretched soules endure For if they fall short of any part of their Rent what their Estates cannot satisfie their bodies must so it somtimes happens they are beaten to death or absenting themselues their Wiues Children Fathers Brothers and all their Kindred are engaged in the debt and must satisfie or suffer And sometimes it happeneth that the Principall fayling with the King receiues from him the like punishment as it befell to one Bashell Raw Gouernour at Musulipatnam since the English Traded thither who for defect of full payment was beaten with Canes vpon the backe feet and belly vntill hee dyed Yet hold they not these their Gouernments by Lease for yeerely in Iuly all are exposed in sale vnto him that bids most◠from whence it happeneth that euery Gouernour during his time exacts by Tolles taken in the way and other Oppressions whatsoeuer they can possibly extort from the poorer Inhabitants vsing what violence within their gouernments they shall thinke fit for in them during their time they reigne as petty Kings not much vnlike the Bashawes and ◠the Turkish Monarchy There are in the Confines and heart of this Kingdome sixtie six seuerall Forts or Castles all of them commanded by Naicks and guarded by Gentiles Souldiers of the Countrey vnto which Souldiery these is allowed but foure shillings the moneth and that also ill payd they are for the most part situated vpon very high Rockes or Hils vnaccessible but by one onely way three of which I haue seene viz. Cundapoly Cundauera and Bellum Cunda Cunda in that Language signifying a Hill and in the Towne of Cundapoley hauing occasion to visit the Gouernour it was so curious as to require the sight of the Castle who replyed that euen himselfe although the Gouernour of
agreeth the iudgement of Aquinas Praeceptum de sanctificatione Sabbathi ponitur inter praecepta Decalogi in quantum est praeceptum morale non in quantum est ceremoniale The Precept of sanctifying the Sabbath is set amongst the Precepts of the Decalogue as it is a morall not as a ceremoniall Precept It hath pleased him saith M. Hooker as of the rest so of Times to exact some parts by way of perpetuall homage neuer to bee dispensed withall nor remitted The Morall law requiring therefore a seuenth part throughout the age of the whole world to bee that way employed although with vs the day bee changed in regard of a new reuolution begun by our Sauiour Christ yet the same proportion of time continueth which was before because in reference to the benefite of Creation and now much more of renouation thereunto added by him which was Prince of the world to come wee are bound to account the sanstification of one day in seauen a dutie which Gods immutable Law doth exact for euer Thus farre Hooker This indeed in the Sabbath was Iewish and Ceremoniall to obserue onely that last and seuenth day of the weeke and that as a figure and lastly with those appointed Ceremonies and that manner of obseruation Thus saith Aquinas Habere aliquod tempus deputatum ad vacandum diuinis cadit sub praecepto morali Sed in quantum c. To haue some set time for the seruice of God is morall but so farre this Precept is ceremoniall as in it is determined a speciall time in signe of the Creation of the World Likewise it is ceremoniall according to the Allegoricall signification in as much as it was a signe of the Rest of Christ in the graue which was the seuenth day And likewise according to the morall signification as it signifieth a ceasing from euery act of sinne and the Rest of the mind in God Likewise according to the Anagogicall signification as it prefigureth the Rest of the fruition of God which shall be in our Countrey To these obseruations of Thomas we may adde that strictnesse of the obseruation That they might not kindle a fire on the Sabbath and such like And howsoeuer some testimonies of the Fathers be alledged against this truth and to prooue that the Sabbath was born at Mount Sinai as of Tertullian Iustin Martyr Eusebius Cyprian Augustine which deny the Sabbatizing of the Patriarkes before that time and account it typicall Why may not we interpret them of that Sabbath of the Iewes which we haue thus distinguished from the Morall Sabbath by those former notes of difference Broughton in his Concent alleadgeth the Concent of Rabbins as of Ramban on Gen. 26. and Aben Ezra vpon Exod. 10. That the Fathers obserued the Sabbath before Moses And Moses himselfe no sooner commeth to a seuenth day but he sheweth that God rested blessed sanctified the sume It resteth therefore that a time of rest from bodily labour was sanctified vnto spirituall deuotions from the beginning of the world and that a seuenth dayes rest began not with the Mosaicall Ceremonies in the Wildernesse as some men will haue it but with Adam in Paradise That which is morall say some is eternall and must not giue place I answer That the Commandements are eternall but yet subordinate There is a first of all the Commandements and there is a second like to this like in qualitie not in equalitie and in euery Commandement the Soule of obedience which is the obedience of the soule taketh place of that body of obedience which is performed by the body Mercie is preferred before sacrifice and charitie before outward worship Paul staieth his preaching to heale Eutychus Christ patronizeth his Disciples plucking the eares of Corne and affirmeth That the Sabbath was made for Man and not Man for the Sabbath Although therefore both rest and workes of the Sabbath giue place to such duties which the present occasion presenteth as more weightie and necessary to that time yet doth it not follow that the Sabbath is not morall no more then the Commandement of Almes is not morall because as Barnard obserueth the prohibitiue Commandement of stealing is of greater force and more bindeth And in a word the Negatiue Precepts are of more force and more vniuersally bind then the affirmatiue A man must hate his Father and Mother for Christs sake and breake the Sabbaths rest for his Neighbour in cases of necessitie And therefore such scrupulous fancies as some obtrude vnder the name of the Sabbath esteeming it a greater sinne to violate this holy Rest then to commit Murther cannot be defended Pardon this long Discourse whereunto the longer Discourses of others haue brought me But now me thinkes I heare thee say And what is all this to Adams integrity Doubtlesse Adam had his particular calling to till the ground his generall calling also to serue GOD which as he was spiritually to performe in all things so being a body he was to haue time and place set apart for the bodily performance thereof And what example could hee better follow then of his Lord and Creator But some obiect This is to slacken him running rather then to incite and prouoke him to bind and not to loose him cannot be a spurre but a bridle to his deuotion But they should consider that we doe not tie Adam to the seuenth day onely but to the seuenth especially wherein to performe set publique and solemne worship Neither did Daniel that prayed thrice a day or Dauid in his seuen times or Saint Paul in his iniunction of praying continually conceiue that the Sabbath would hinder men and not rather further them in these workes Neither was Adams state so excellent as that he needed no helps which wofull experience in his fall hath taught God gaue him power to liue yea with euerlasting life and should not Adam therefore haue eaten yea and haue had conuenient times for food and sleep and other naturall necessities How much more in this perfect yet flexible and variable condition of his Soule did he need meanes of establishment although euen in his outward calling he did not forget nor was forgotten Which outward workes though they were not irkesome and tedious as sinne hath made them to vs yet did they detaine his body and somewhat distract his mind from that full and entire seruice which the Sabbath might exact of him Neither doe they shew any strong reason for their opinion which hold the sanctification of the Sabbath Genes 2. to be set downe by way of anticipation or as a preparatiue to the Iewish Sabbath ordained 2453. yeares after If any shall aske Why the same seuenth day is not still obserued of Christians I answer This was figuratiue and is abolished but a seuenth day still remaineth Lex naturalis est coniunctam habens ceremonialem designationem diei saith Iunius The Law is naturall hauing adioyned thereto the ceremoniall
they after obtained Eusebius in the first booke of his Chronicle attributeth the originall of Idolatry to Serug the Father of Nahor Beda saith In the daies of Phaleg Temples were built and the Princes of Nations adored for gods The same hath Isidore Epiphanius referreth it to Serug and addeth That they had not grauen Images of Wood or Metall but pictures of men and Thara the Father of Abraham was the first Author of Images The like hath Suidas Hugo de S. Victore saith Nimrod brought men to idolatrie and caused them to worship the fire because of the fiery nature and operation of the Sun which errour the Chaldaeans afterwards followed These times till Abram they called Scythismus The reason of their Idolatrie Eusebius alleageth That they thus kept remembrance of their Warriours Rulers and such as had atchieued noblest enterprises and worthiest exploits in their life time Their posteritie ignorant of that their scope which was to obserue their memorials which had been Authors of good things and because they were their forefathers worshipped them as heauenly Deities and sacrificed to them Of their God-making or Canonization this was the manner In their sacred Bookes or Kallenders they ordained That their names should bee written after their death and a Feast should be solemnized according to the same time saying That their soules were gone to the Isles of the blessed and that they were no longer condemned or burned with fire These things lasted to the dayes of Thara who saith Suidas was an Image-maker and propounded his Images made of diuers matter as gods to be worshipped but Abram broke his Fathers Images From Saruch the Author and this Practice Idolatry passed to other Nations Suidas addeth specially into Greece for they worshipped Hellen a Gyant of the posterity of Iapheth a partner in the building of the Tower Not vnlike to this we reade the causes of Idolatry in the booke of Wisdome supposed to be written by Philo but because the substance is Salomons professing and bearing his name which of all the Apochrypha-Scripture sustaineth least exception attaineth highest commendation When a Father mourned grieuously for his sonne that was taken away suddenly he made an Image for him that was once dead whom now he worshippeth as a God and ordained to his seruants Ceremonies and Sacrifices A second cause hee alleageth viz. The tyrannie of men whose Images they made and honoured that they might by all meanes flatter him that was absent as though hee had beene present A third reason followeth The ambitious skill of the workeman that through the beauty of the worke the multitude beeing allured tooke him for a God which a little before was honoured but as a man The like affirmeth Hierome Cyprian and Polydore de inuentoribus LACTANTIVS as before is shewed maketh that the Etymologie of the word Superstitio Quia superstitem memoriam defunctorum colebant aut quia parentibus suis superstites celebrabant imagines eorum domi tanquam deos penates either because they honoured with such worship the suruiuing memory of their dead Ancestors or because suruiuing and out-liuing their Ancestors they celebrated their Images in their houses as houshold gods Such Authors of new Rites and Deifiers of dead men they called Superstitious but those which followed the publikely-receiued and ancient Deities were called Religious according to that Verse of Virgil. Vana superstitio veterumque ignara deorum But by this rule saith Lactantius wee shall find all Superstitious which worship false gods and them only religious which worship the one and true GGD The same Lactantius faith That Noah cast off his sonne Cham for his wickednesse and expelled him Hee abode in that part of the Earth which now is called Arabia called saith he of his name Canaan and his Posteritie Canaanites This was the first people which was ignorant of GOD because their Founder and Prince receiued not of his Father the worship of GOD. But first of all other the Egyptians began to behold and adore the heauenly bodies and because they were not couered with houses for the temperature of the Ayre and that Region is not subiect to clouds they obserued the Motions and Ecclipses of the Starres and whiles they often viewed them more curiously fel to worship them After that they inuented the monstrous shapes of beasts which they worshipped Other men scattered through the World admiring the Elements the Heauen Sunne Land Sea without any Images and Temples worshipped them and sacrificed to them sub dio til in processe of time they erected Temples and Images to their most puissant Kings ordained vnto them Sacrifices Incense so wandering from the knowledge of the true GOD they became Gentiles Thus farre Lactantius And it is not vnlike that they performed this to their Kings eyther in flatterie or feare of their power or because of the benefits which they receiued from them this beeing saith Plinie the most ancient kinde of thankefulnesse to reckon their Benefactours among the gods To which accordeth Cicero in the Examples of Hercules Castor Pollux Aesculapius Liber Romulus And thus the Moores deified their Kings and the Romanes their deceased Emperours The first that is named to haue set vp Images and worship to the dead was Ninus who when his Father Belus was dead made an Image to him and gaue priuiledge of Sanctuary to all Offenders that resorted to this Image whereupon mooued with a gracelesse gratefulnesse they performed thereunto diuine honours And this example was practised after by others And thus of Bel or Belus beganne this Imagerie and for this cause saith Lyra they called their Idols Bel Baal Beel-zebub according to the diuersitie of Languages Cyrillus calleth him Arbelus and saith that before the Floud was no Idolatrie amongst men but it had beginning after in Babylon in which Arbelus next after whom raigned Ninus was worshipped Tertullian out of the Booke of Enoch before mentioned is of opinion That Idolatrie was before the Floud Thus to continue the memorie of mortall men and in admiration of the immortall heauenly Lights together with the tyrannie of Princes and policies of the Priests beganne this worshipping of the creature with the contempt of the Creator which how they increased by the Mysteries of their Philosophers the fabling of their Poets the ambition of Potentates the Superstition of the vulgar the gainfull collusion of their Priests the cunning of Artificers and aboue all the malice of the Deuils worshipped in those Idols there giuing answeres and Oracles and receiuing Sacrifices the Histories of all Nations are ample Witnesses And this Romane Babylon now Tyrant of the West is the heire of elder Babylon sometimes Ladie of the East in these deuotions that then and still Babylon might bee the mother of Whoredomes and all Abominations To which aptly agree the Parallels of Babylon and Rome in Orosius the Empire of the one ceasing when
very learned and somewhat was added as wee may well coniecture to their learning by him who by Nabuchodonosor was set ouer them For besides the gifts wherewith hee was enriched and the ciuill authoritie wherewith he was dignified he was exalted also to this Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction ouer the Schooles of the Wise-men as after Iunius and Osiander D. Willet hath obserued as it were their Superintendent which though Caluin thinketh hee refused yet it appeareth by the title which the King after gaue him that hee accepted it In which his Superintendentship sayth our Author such laudable sciences as might safely be learned he promoted and furthered such corruption and superstitions as were practised among them he corrected and reformed but such abuses as could not be taken away hee forbare and kept himselfe free from them And here haue we a testimonie of their Hierarchie which Nature taught these and all people contrarie to the Noueltie of Paritie In the dayes of Hezechiah when the Sunne went backwards it appeareth how studious the Chaldaean Nation was in that their Princes sent their Ambassadours into Iudaea to enquire thereof Yea the Delphian Oracle as Theodoret citeth it out of Porphyrie ascribing the finding out of that learning which leadeth to the gods not to the Greekes but to the Aegyptians Phoenicians Chaldaeans and Hebrewes in which the Chaldaeans as that Father out of Daniel obserueth were furthered by the Hebrewes Some doe call the Babylonian Priests Magi but because they were by this name best knowne and most esteemed among the Persians which in that vicinitie of Regions had as neere Neighbourhood in Religions wee will speake of these Magi in our Persian Relations And it is thought that the Persian Magi came from these Chaldaeans Mornaeus reckoneth among the Chaldaean opinions that of Oromases Mitris and Ariminis that is to say GOD Mind and Soule which hee applieth to the Christian doctrine of the holy Trinitie The Oracle of Apollo pronounced the Chaldaeans and Hebrewes to bee onely wise The Chaldaean opinion concerning iudiciall Astrologie was not receiued of all the Chaldaeans as Strabo reporteth And Bardesanes Syrus the best learned of the Chaldaeans it is Eusebius testimonie doth at large confute that opinion which yet many Wisards carkasses of Christians still follow He affirmeth that in those things which a man hath common with a beast eating sleepe nourishment age c. a man is ordered by Nature as the beasts are But man hauing also a reasonable soule and freedome of will is not subiect to that naturall seruitude which at large hee prooueth by the diuers customes of men both in diuers and in the same countries in diet gouernment and Religion as the Reader willing to reade so worthie a discourse may find related at large in Eusebius Alexander Polyhist out of Eupolemus telleth that in the tenth generation after the floud in Camyrine a Citie of Babylonia which other call Vr Abram was borne which excelled all in knowledge and was the inuentor of Astrologie among the Chaldaeans Hee by diuine precept went into Phoenicia and taught the Phoenicians the course of the Sunne and Moone and when the Armenians warring vpon the Phoenicians had taken his brothers sonne prisoner hee by a band of his seruants recouered him and freely dismissed the captiues which he had taken Hee after liued with the Priests at Heliopolis in Egypt and taught them Astrologie confessing that he had receiued that Art by succession from Enoch Hee added that Belus raigned the second in Babylon and was called Saturne the father of a second Belus and Canaan which Canaan was the father of the Phoenicians and the Aethiopians brother of Mizraim the Author of the Egyptians with many other things not much differing from the Diuine Historie Astronomie in all likelihood was knowne to Abraham to whom the heauenly starres might be Remembrancers of that promise so shall thy seed bee his countrie also where it was practised might therein further him and the excellencie of the science in it selfe But this star-gazing destinie Iudiciall Coniecturall Genethliacall Astrologie Reason and experience GOD and Man haue condemned Vr signifieth light which agreeth to the Fire the Chaldaeans deitie which the Persians and Chaldaeans fained to haue receiued from heauen and kept euer burning as the Vestals in Rome They held Water and Fire to be the beginning of all things They made a chalenge of their fiery god to contend with any other gods of the godlesse Heathen an Egyptian encountred and ouercame them thus he caused his Canopus to be made full of holes stopped with waxe and hollow in the middle which hee filled with water and the Chaldaeans putting their fire vnder the waxe melting opened a quiuer of watrie arrowes that cooled the heat of their deuouring god and deuoured him They had yet a more foolish god euen an Onyon which they worshipped They obserued diuers wicked Sciences of diuining by Fire Aire Water Earth consulting with the dead and with wicked spirits Chaldaea vocatis Imperat arte dijs sayth Claudian Euery day the King offered a Horse furnished vnto the Sunne as did also the Persians Philostrat. sayth that it was a white Horse of the Nisaean race sumptuously trapped lib. 1. cap. 20. They obserued a feast in Babylon Athenaeus citeth it out of Berosus on the sixteenth Calends of September which continued fiue dayes in which the Masters were subiect to their seruants and one of them royally attired was caried out of the house whom they called Zoganes Baruch cap. 6. in the Epistle of Ieremie Apocrypha rippeth vp their idolatrous Rites Idols Processions bearing Idols on mens shoulders the people before and behind worshipping their Priests collusions to make gaines of the Idoll-offerings together with their Priests shauen heads and beards their rent cloaths their roaring before the Idoll their Temples wherein they stood with scepters axes or other weapons in their hands hauing candles lighted before them with other such rites that in the reading one would thinke hee were telling the discourse of the mysteries of mysticall Babylon in the West so euenly they accord The Chaldaeans inuocate their Belus to doe miracles also sayth hee inuocating a dumbe Idoll to giue speech vnto another which himselfe wanteth But aboue all one Beastly rite was in vse among them The women sayth hee sit in the wayes girded with k cords of rushes and burne straw and if one of them be drawne away and lie with any such as come by shee casteth her neighbour in the teeth because shee was not so worthily reputed nor her cord broken Thus was their glorie their shame Herodotus will yeeld vs a Commentarie on this place The Babylonians haue an abominable law sayth he that all their women once in their life doe sit at the Temple of Venus to haue familiaritie with strangers the richer sort comming in chariots richly furnished and attended to this vngodly purpose Their
of Berosus and other ancient Authors he sayth the Tyrians and Sydonians called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Greekes made Belus and so Mr. Selden also is of opinion that these names 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 differ onely according to the proprietie of the language and not indeed for the Grammarians obserue that the Chaldee words often lose that middle letter Elias in his Thesbi obserueth that Baal signifieth the act of generation which may well agree with those beastly Baal-rites before mentioned Baal is read in the foeminine gender Tob. 1.5 Rom. 11.4 In Photius is mentioned that the Phoenicians and Syrians called Saturne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 EL and Bel and Bolathes Lilius Giraldus out of Seruius affirmeth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Assyrian language signifieth the Sunne from whence the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is deriued some attribute this to the Phoenician tongue in which Hal signifieth GOD. The Assyrians named Saturne and the Sunne Hel. The Indians called that Hercules which Tully de Nat. Deor. numbreth the first Belus But we find no end of these Labyrinths D. Willet in his Comment vpon Daniel hath these words The Chaldaeans had fiue Idols three gods and two goddesses Their first god was Bel a name contracted of Behel which commeth of Bahal which signifieth a Lord to whom was built that Temple before mentioned The second was the Sunne which they called Rach that is a King because he is chiefe among the Planets and the Persians call him Mithra as Iustinus Martyr sayth Dialog in Triphon The Priests of this Idoll were called Raciophantae Obseruers of the Sunne Their third god was Nego the Fire so called of the brightnesse this was carried about among them the Priests were called Ortophantae Their first goddesse was Shacha which was the Earth worshipped also of the Romans vnder the name of Tellus and Opis of the Syrians called Dorcetha In the honour of this goddesse they vsed to keepe a feast fiue dayes together in Babylon during which time the Masters were vnder the dominion of their seruants one of which was vsually set ouer the rest and royally clothed and was called Sogan that is great Prince our Lords of Mis-rule seeme to deriue their pedigree from hence This festiuall time was called Shache whereof Babylon was called Sheshach of keeping this Feast Ierem. 25.27 and 51.41 Their other goddesse was Mulitia which was Venus whose Priests were called Natitae or Natophantae But the chiefest of their Idols was Bel. Hee also interpreteth those words Dan. 1.4 Whom they might teach the learning and tongue of the Chaldaeans of Schooles wherein youth was brought vp in good letters to bee after employed in the State So among the Egyptians they had the like vse where Moses was taught the learning of the Egyptians Among the Israelites eight and fortie Cities were appointed for the Leuites which were as the common Schooles and Vniuersities for the whole Kingdome Samuel and Elizeus had their Schooles and Colledges of Prophets yea the rude Indians had their Gymnosophistes and the Romans had their Colledges of Augures This Bel or Baal Idolatrie passed out of Asia into Europe euen as farre as these parts of Britaine For the Celtae and Britanni worshipped Abellio Belenus or Belinus as appeareth by inscriptions in Lipsius and Scaliger and our famous Antiquarie Mr Camden mentioneth an Altar in Cumberland inscribed Deo sancto Belatucadro And on the Coynes of Cunobelinus the Brittish King was stamped Apollo or Belenus which in heathen mysteries are the same with the Sunne playing on a Harpe and the name Cunobelinus makes euidently to our purpose Heliogabalus is another Syrian idolatrous title for the Sunne as appeareth by an inscription Soli Alagabalo for so also is that name written Neither is Gabalus from any other deriuation the name of the Romane Emperour Priest of that god whose name he vsurped deriued from the Hebrew Ahgol-Baal that is the Round or Circular Lord either in respect of the Sunnes Circular bodie and iourney or of that round stone which the Syrians conceited as the Troians of their Palladium and the Ephesians of their Diana to haue diuinely descended Such stones as Mr Selden in relation of those things obserueth were the Baetaelia or Betuli of the Ancients dedicated to diuers deities somewhat of fashion like fire round and sharpe vpwards the beginning of which Baetuli some deriue from Iacobs stone at Bethel In the seuenteenth Chapter of the second Booke of Kings is mentioned Succoth Benoth an Idoll of the Babylonians Beda interpreteth it the Tabernacles of Benoth and so the word Succoth vsed Amos 5.25 is by Saint Stephen Act. 7.43 interpreted And so doth the Glosse on that part of the Kings interprete where Lyra according to the signification of the words a Tabernacle of wings relateth out of Rab. Sal. that this Idoll was made like to a Hen brooding her chickens which Idols the Babylonians framed in worship of that constellation called by the vulgar the Hen and chickens and of the learned Pleiades as others did to the Sunne others to the Moone Some applie it to the mysterie of their Idoll which Christ the Trueth truly sayth of himselfe protecting his worshippers as a Hen her chickens My learned friend Mr Selden hath gathered by the signification of Succoth Benoth the Tabernacles of the daughters that thereby is meant the Temple of Venus Mylitta or Vrania where the daughters of the Babylonians sate as before is said to performe their filthie deuotions yea by an easie deduction hee deriueth the name of Venus from this Benoth B and u easily exchanged the moderne Iewes pronounce θ like σ Venos Suidas also calls her Binos And in Africa was a Citie called Sicca Venerea a name transported by the Punikes from this Siccuth or Succoth Benoth where was a Temple of like nature in which the women purchased their marriage-money by prostituting their bodies It seemeth the Idolatrous Priests carried the Tabernacle of their Idoll on their shoulder in apish imitation of the true Priests and Leuites for so Amos sayth Yee carried Succoth or Sicchuth your King Chiun your Images which Drusius interpreteth Moloch and Hercules In the fourteenth Chapter of Daniel as the Latines read is a large historie both of Bel a dead statue and of a liuing Dragon which the Babylonians worshipped The Priests of Bel were seuentie besides their wiues and children whose fraud and coozenage Daniel detected making it manifest by their foot-steps in the ashes which hee had strewed in the Temple that they were the deuourers of that huge portion of fortie sheepe twelue measures of meale and sixe great pots of wine daily consecrated for Bels breake-fast He after slew the Dragon also for which the Babylonians forced the King to lodge him sixe dayes among the Lions But howsoeuer generally more authoritie is to bee ascribed to the
swelling ouerflowed part of the Citie and cast downe twenty furlongs of the walls Whereupon despayring as seeming to see GOD and man against him he which before had chambered himselfe with women and accustomed himselfe to the distaffe in a womans both heart and habite now in a manly resolution if it may not more fitly be called a Feminine Dissolution which thus runneth from that danger which it should encounter gathered his treasures together and erecting a frame in his Palace there burnt them himselfe his wiues and Eunuches together The Ashes vnder pretence of a Vow thereof made to Belus Belesus obtained of Arbaces the new Conquerour and Monarch to carry to Babylon But the coozenage being knowne and Belesus condemned for the treasures which with the ashes hee had conueyed Arbaces both gaue them and forgaue him adding the praefecture of the Babylonians according to promise Some say that Belesus whom they call Phul Beloch shared the Empire with him Arbaces raigning ouer the Medes and Persians the other ouer Niniue and Babylonia following herein the forged Metasthenes who as Annius maketh him to say out of the Susian Librarie penned his Historie hauing before fabled a Catalogue out of Berosus of the ancient Kings contrary to that which out of the fragments of the true Berosus before is deliuered Sardanapalus is written saith Scaliger in his Notes vpon Eusebius with a double ll Sardanapalus a name fitting to his effeminate life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie the same whence are those words of Cicero 3. De Repub. Sardanapalus ille vitijs multo quam nomine ipso deformior Sardanapalus built Tarsus and Anchiale saith Eusebius at the same time the one famous for the most famous Diuine that euer the Sunne saw except the Sunne of Righteousnesse himselfe PAVL the Apostle and Doctor of the Gentiles The other for the Authors Monument and stony Image with this Assyrian Epigramme Sardanapalus the sonne of Anacyndaraxis built Anchiale and Tarsus in one day and thou O stranger eate drinke play And Verses were annexed which I haue thus Englished Mortall thou knowst thy selfe then please thine appetite With present dainties Death can yeeld thee no delight Loe I am now but dust whilome a Prince of might What I did eate I haue and what my greedy mind Consum'd how much alas how sweet left I behind Learne this O man thus liue best wisdome thou canst find This his Legacie hee hath bequeathed to all Epicures the liuing Sepulchres of themselues breathing graues not of so many Creatures onely better than themselues which they deuour but of Reason Nature Religion Soule and if it were possible of GOD which all lie buried in these swine couered with the skins of Men. Let vs eate and drinke for to morrow we shall die Who knoweth whether Paul did not allude to this speech of the Founder of his Citie This subuersion of the Assyrian Empire was Anno Mundi 3145. after Buntingus account Of the Medes see more in their proper place The Babylonian Empire renewed by Nabonassar continued till Cyrus of which times we haue little record but in the Scripture as neyther of those Assyrian Kings which before had captiued Israel and inuaded Iuda Senacherib is famous euen in the Ethnike history although they had not the full truth For thus Harodotus telleth that Senacherib King of the Arabians Assyrians warred on Egypt where Sethon before Vulcans Priest then raigned who being forsaken of his Souldiers betooke him to his deuotion amiddest the which hee fell asleepe And the god appearing promised ayde which hee performed sending an Armie of Mice into the Armie of Senacherib which did eate his Souldiers quiuers and the leathers of their shields and armour insomuch that the very next day they all fled In witnesse whereof the Image of the King made of stone standeth in the Temple of Vulcan holding a Mouse in his hand vttering these words Hee that looketh on mee let him bee Religious This Historie the Aegyptians in vanity and ambition had thus peruerted and arrogated to themselues Funccius of Osiander made Nabopollasar and Nabuchodonosor to bee one and the same and diues Commenters vpon Daniel hold the same opinion whom Scaliger and Caluisius confute at large Nabopollasar is supposed to begin his raigne Anno Mundi 3325. which hee continued nine and twentie yeeres in his seuenteenth yeere Nebuchadnezzer so the Masorites misse-call him saith Scaliger or Nabuchodonosor his sonne was sent by him to subdue the rebellious Aegyptians Iewes and Palestinians at which time he carried away Daniel into captiuitie He beganne his raigne Anno Mundi 3354. and in the yeere 3360. destroyed Ierusalem In the yeere 3386. Euilmerodach his sonne succeeded him whom Neriglossoorus as Scaliger affirmeth slew thereby to aduance his owne sonne the Nephew of Nabuchodonosor called Laborosoarchadus to the Scepter which himselfe swaied as Protector in the minoritie of his sonne But he being dead and his sonne more fit for a chamber then a Throne Nabonidus conspired against him and slew him This Nabonidus sayth he is Darius Medus and Laborosoarchadus is that Baltasar mentioned by Daniel after Scaligers interpretation of the Prophet out of Berosus and Megasthenes It is a world to see how the Catholickes so they call themselues sweat in finding out that Nabuchodonosor mentioned in Iudith 1. Pintus would make it a common name to the Babylonian Kings as Pharao to the Egyptians Pererius will haue two of the name others will haue him to be Cyrus others Cambyses Artaxerxes Ochus Once Babel is a Mother of confusion to her children and makes them babble while they will Canonize Apocrypha-Scriptures Cyrus ended the Babylonian Monarchie and hauing wonne Babylon and taken Darius Medus at Borsippa he gaue him his life and the gouernment of Carmania An. Mund. 3409. As Nabuchodonosor had by Edict proclaimed the GOD of Daniel so Cyrus ended the captiuitie of his people giuing libertie to such as would to returne But many Iewes abode there still and thence sent their yeerely offerings to the Temple In the time of Artabanus the Parthian when Caligula tyrannized at Rome Asimaeus and Anilaeus brethren of the Iewish Nation grew mightie and haughtie withall forgetting GOD and themselues which caused the Babylonians to conspire against them and after the death of the brethren with thousands of their partakers and slew in Seleucia fiftie thousand of the Iewish Nation Neerda and Nibisis were then much peopled by the Iewes And thus Religion partly held the ancient course partly was mixed according to the custome of Conquests with the Persian Macedonian Parthian besides the Iewish and Syrian vntill the Apostles preached here the Christian veritie About the same time Helena and her sonne Izates King of Adiabena which is in these parts of Assyria became Iewish Proselytes Seleucia built by Seleucus as it were the marriage-Chamber of Euphrates and Tygris which there meete and mixe their waters Nature being
as if he had touched a stranger They liue long feare not death not by any tortures of the Romans could be compelled to transgresse their lawes but derided their tormentors rather beleeuing to receiue their soules againe presently holding the bodies to be corruptible and the prisons of the immortall soules which if they haue been good haue a pleasant place assigned them beyond the Ocean but the euill to be in tempestuous stormie places of punishments Some of these Essens also foretell things to come And another sort is of them which allow of marriage but make a three yeeres tryall first of the woman and if by a constant purgation they appeare fit for child-bearing they wed them not for pleasure but procreation and therefore after conception do not accompanie with them These women when they wash haue their sacred linnen garments also as the men Thus far Iosephus who in his Antiq. addeth to these their opinions of Gods prouidence ruling all things and that they thinke their Ceremonies more holy then those of the Temple and therefore send thither their gifts but do not there sacrifice but by themselues following the same course of life which the Plisti do amongst the Dacians Some of these Essees liued solitarie like to Hermites as is said before Happily that Baenus was of this sort to whom Iosephus resorted for imitation He liued in the wildernesse cloathing and feeding himselfe with such things as the trees and plants of their owne accord yeelded him and with often cold washings in the night and day cooling the heate of lust with him Iosephus abode three yeeres §. VI. Of the Scribes THE Gaulonites or Galilaans had their beginning of Iudas elsewhere hee calleth him Simon a Galilaean whose doctrine was That Only GOD was to be accounted their Lord and Prince In other things they agreed with the Pharises but for their libertie they would rather endure any the most exquisite tortures together with their kindred and friends then call any mortall man their Lord Theudas happily mentioned Act. 5. and that Egyptian Act. 21. were of this rebellious and trayterous Sect and those Sicarij which wore short weapons vnder their garments therewith murthering men in assemblies That Egyptian Iosephus cals a false Prophet who vnder pretence of Religion and name of a Prophet assembled almost thirtie thousand men to Mount Oliuet hee was defeated by Foelix the Gouernour Such were their Zelotae in the siege of Ierusalem vnder the mantle of Religion all of them harbouring and cloaking Treason and villanie The Scribes are not a Sect but a function of which were two sorts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the one expounders of the Law the other publike Notaries or Actuaries Recorders Secretarie Epiphanius maketh difference betwixt the Scribes that were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Teachers of the Law and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Lawyers which prescribed formes of Law Law-cases and taught Ciuill actions But these are often taken one for the other Ezra is called a Scribe whose Pulpit is mentioned Nehem. 8. and Moses Chaire was the Seate of the Scribes that is they taught the Law of Moses which they vsed to do sitting as Christ also did Math. 5.2 Their expositions Epiphanius saith were of foure sorts one in the name of Moses the second in the name of their Rabbine Akiba he is said to haue liued a hundred and twentie yeeres and to be standard-bearer to Barchozba the third in Andan or Annan the fourth after the Assamonai But little is to bee said of these Scribes more then what is before said of the Pharises this being not a differing Sect but an Office or Ministerie wherof the Pharises also were capable and are for false teaching blamed by our Sauiour together with the Scribes The Scribes are said in their expositions to haue beene more textuall the Pharises more in their Glosses and Traditions The Scribes had chiefe reputation for learning the Pharises for holinesse taking more paines saith our English Iosephus to goe to hell The Scribes professed both disputation and obseruation of many things saith Arias Montanus but not so exact as the Pharises For the Pharises though not so learned as the other thought themselues more holy then them because they obserued not onely those things which in the common opinion were thought meete but those things which were least which the people obserued not which others had added This they were ambitious of as of some great perfection for there was a threefold state of men The Doctors Pharises and people of the Land The Prouerbe was The people of the Land are the foote-stoole of the Pharises And this The people of the Land is not holy and they discerne not the Law nor wisedome yea saith the booke Musar hee shall not take the daughter of the people of the Land because they are abomination and their wiues are abomination and of their daughters it is said Cursed be hee that lyeth with a beast Thus did these proud Doctors and Pharises treade the way to the Popish Clergie in contemning the Laytie as vnworthie of the Law and Scripture which in an vnknowne tongue was sealed from them and feasted them at high Feasts with an halfe Sacrament and in their ordinarie priuate Masse with none at all Were not these faire reasons The Laytie might if they had a whole Communion touch the Cup and some of them haue beards and some haue the palsie and their dignitie is inferior to the Priestly c. The Booke Aboth sheweth how the people of the Lord required this supercilious generation talking of them and scoffing at them for their obseruations When I was of the people of the Land R. Aquiba there saith I said Who will giue me a Disciple of the wise I would bite him as an Asse for that insolence and because they would not suffer themselues to be touched of them The people were tyed to obserue the precepts mentioned or by necessitie of consequence drawne out of the Bible The Pharises as is said added their Traditions The Scribes manner of teaching was colde and weake consisting in certaine arguments which rather afflicted then affected the mindes of the hearers in certaine niceties and scrupulous questions and sometimes inextricable And therefore the people heard Christ as speaking with authoritie and not as the Scribes But to let passe these Schoole-men and those Canonists let vs come to their other Sects and sorts of professions §. VII Of many other Iewish Sects and Heresies THe Hemerobaptists are numbred by Epiphanius among the Iewish heresies which saith hee in other things differ not from the Scribes and Pharisies but in their doctrine of the resurrection and in infidelitie are like to the Sadduces And euerie day in all times of the yeere they are baptized or washed whence they haue their name But this custome of daily washing saith Scaliger was common
the next Chalife enioyed it but nine moneths his sonne Almostancer Byla seuenteene yeeres in whose time the Mogoles or Tartarians wanne some Prouinces but by him were diuers time defeated Almostacem or Musteatzem Byla Abdula was the fiftie eight others reckon but fiftie foure and the last of the Chalifaes of Bagadet the thirtie seuen of this family which had commanded about fiue hundred twentie three yeeres in the Persian Chronicles of Mirkond and others esteemed as Kings thereof Hee dyed A. H. 655. I confesse Zacuth and Mirkond doe not fully agree in names times and relations nor yet much disagree I haue heere most obserued the later as the larger Not long before one Bada professing himselfe a Prophet sent of GOD had of the scumme of all Nations gathered an Armie wherewith hee committed much excesse and slaughter in Asia both of Iewes and Christians In the time of this last Chalife the Tartar King Chita made his brother Halacho King of Irak and Mesopotamia who besieged and sacked Bagded and slew Musteatzem This Chalipha was starued by his commandement in the middest of his treasures because hee would not employ the same through niggardise for his owne defence From that time there hath been no Chaliph saith this Arabian Historie in Bagdet In him ended the Abasian line of which had beene fiue and thirtie Chaliphaes §. IIII. Of their Titles Greatnesse and Learning AFter Mahumet or Muhammed the false Prophet the first Captaines of warre were called Emirelmumenim that is to say Praefecti orthodoxorum the Captaines of the Sound-beleeuers and after because vnder cloake of Religion they seized on the Primacie and tyrannie spirituall and temporall they named themselues Caliphes that is Vicars Bedwell interprets successours The first Emirelmumenim was Abubecher When by his successours Gouernours were sent into Spaine and Africa they for a time held the same as Deputies although to their power nothing lacked but the Tytle of a King yet they professed to doe all in the name of the Emirelmumenim vntill afterwards they tooke that Tytle also themselues and became absolute Whence all the pettie Kings of Spaine and the African Potentates were called Emireelmumenim and the Kings of Barbarie are so stiled at this day euen as the French King is called Christianissimus the Spaniard Catholicus The Legats of the Chalipha were called Naibin which also signifieth the same that Chalipha but this was made peculiar to those Saracen tyrants which vsed both Swords to speake in the Romish language supreame in matters Diuine and Humane Thus obserueth Ioseph Scaliger of these names whereby appeareth that Emire elmumenim was not giuen onely to Abedramon and his successours in Africa as is before obserued out of Curio Beniamin Tudelensis nameth the Chaliph which in his time ruled in Bagded Amir Almumanin Alghabassi which Montanus translateth The Prince of the beleeuers which liue in penance or heauinesse But I rather encline to Mr. Seldens coniecture that it is Emirelmumenim of the Abazian race or kindred for so Beniamin adds after that the proper name of this great King was Al-ghabassi Hhaphtsi whom I take to bee the same which is before called Moktaphi the first sillable in that name being common as you see to many of them and Ktaphi or Chaphtsi not so vnlike as many names proue in their transmigration from one language to another He reports that he had a Palace of three miles compasse within the Citie within which was a wood or groue of Trees of all sorts both barren and bearing Beasts also of all sorts for game and in the middest thereof a great lake with plentie of Fish neither wanted there Fowles for varietie of disport He was skilfull of the Hebrew and well respected that Nation He had imposed this rule on himselfe not to vse any meate or apparell which hee had not first earned to which purpose hee made fine Mattes which being sealed with his owne Seale were by his Courtiers solde the great men buying them for their vse None of the Ismaelites so he calleth the Mahumetans might see his face and the Pilgrimes which came from Mecca in the Land of Eliman and passing this way desired to see him vsed to enter the Palace and there cryed out O Lord Light of the Ismaelites and Sun-beame of our Law shew vs the brightnesse of thy face But hee answered them nothing as not seeming to regard them Then his Courtiers and great Attendants sued for them saying O our Lord spread thy peace ouer these men which come from farre Countries c. Then would hee let out at the window a skirt of his garment which they deuoutly kissed and when one of those great men had said Goe in peace returned full of gladnesse to their home where they were receiued almost with veneration for so happie an exploit Euery of the Princes which attended on him had their seuerall Palaces within the great Palace and were duely obserued wearing also yron chaynes because they had once conspired to set vp his brother But they had the reuenues of Townes and Cities belonging to them brought them by their Officers notwithstanding Thus did hee conserue his Maiestie with the people and securitie with his owne I omit the Edifices and pillars of gold and siluer adorned with Gemmes which he mentioneth in that Palace Out of which the Chaliph came but once in the yeere in the moneth Ramadan or their Easter solemnitie at which time they resorted thither out of farre Countries to see him as if hee had beene Mahomet He was then carryed on a Mule royally apparelled and crowned with a Diadem of vnspeakable price on which he ware a blacke cloth in token that the day of death would obscure all that pompe and splendor The Princes of Arabia Media Persia Tuboth did attend him and thus he went to the great Temple built in the gate Bosra The people men and women all cloathed in silke purple salute him Peace be on thee our Lord King He resaluting them with his hand or mouing his garment Being thus conueyed to the Porch with musicke also of all kindes and dances he ascendeth a Tower of wood and there maketh a Sermon of his Law the wise-men of the Ismaelites applauding his learning the people answering Amen After this hee giueth them all his blessing and a Camell is brought to him which hee killeth for the Paschall Feast and causeth the Princes to distribute pieces of the flesh of the beast which himselfe had slaine this they esteeme a great gift This done they depart the King returning by another way by the bankes of Tygris alone the Princes passing in the Riuer vnto the Palace Hee had built a Palace on the other side of Tygris on a branch of Euphrates which floweth by one side of the Citie in which hee had raysed great Houses Hospitals for the sicke and for the poore and for mad men with all prouision for them at his charge This I haue beene bold to
seuen gates thereof c. where as in the place fittest for him wee will leaue him The booke of the vertues of Mahomet saith That in glorying of his strength hee would boast that hee had knowne his eleuen wiues successiuely in one houre One of their Chronicles telleth of his Martiall affaires This Chronicle reckoneth from Adam to Noe one thousand two hundred fortie and two yeeres From thence to Abraham one thousand and fourescore Hence to Moses fiue hundred and fifteene After him to Dauid fiue hundred threescore and nine and from this time to Christ one thousand three hundred and fiftie from whence to Mahomet is numbred six hundred and twentie in all fiue thousand three hundred threescore and sixteene from Adam to Mahomet All the Prophets were in number an hundred and twentie thousand and the Messengers of GOD three hundred and fifteene whereof Adam Seth Esdrik Noe Abraham were Hebrewes Huth Schale Ishmael Schaib Mahomet were Arabians If this Historie of Mahomets life be long and tedious I thought good out of an Arabian Chronicle to adde this Epitome thereof His Mother dyed in a iourney to Mecca when he was fourescore yeeres old and his Nurse restored him to his Grand-father Abdalmutalif with whom hee liued eight yeeres The Seraphim preserued him but was neuer seene After that Gabriel was his Guardian of whom hee receiued the Law which he kept close three yeeres communicating it onely to some of his owne opinion by whose helpe hee became Priest and Prince of the Arabians and Saracens and about eighteene moneths after was carried into Heauen and being returned into the Earth he tooke Eubocara Ali and Zaid to be his companions in this enterprise He went to Zaif or Atharf and preached publikely and thence to Mecca ten yeeres going from place to place And of his Conuerts he chose some for guard of his Person who sware the obseruance of his Law to the number of fortie who now with Word now with the Sword set forward this Doctrine After ten yeeres Mecca was peopled onely with beleeuers and all Arabia was conuerted without difficultie Then hee sent to the neighbouring Kings to become of his Religion to the King of Persia to the Roman Emperour to King Cinna to the Lord of the two Seas to the King of Aethiopia c. After he returned to Ietrib and on Tuesday the twelfth of Rab in the eleuenth yeere dyed His Sepulture was appointed by GOD in the house of Aisca his Wife in the chamber where hee was wont to sleepe where at this day is a Temple of bricke His bodie was wrapped in three white clothes without any pompe His seale was a siluer Ring with this inscription Mahomet the Messenger of God He went twise on Pilgrimage and nineteene times conducted an Armie The place of his buriall is at Medina surnamed of him Talnabi that is of the Prophet not as some write at Mecca Neither doth his corps hang in the ayre by force of Load-stones drawing vp his yron Coffin or Chest but lieth buried in the ground if any where as Ludouicus Verttomannus by his owne view hath obserued Of this place and of Mecha we shall speake more in relating the Rites of the Pilgrims that visit them Some relate otherwise of the death of Mahomet as that hee dyed at fortie yeeres of age being poysoned by one of his disciples called Albunor to make triall of his boasting Prophesie that he would rise againe within three daies after his death This Albunor after comming to see him found his bodie torne in pieces and deuoured of dogs whereupon gathering together the bones that remained into a Coffin hee caused them to bee buried Which in my minde is not so probable as the former report The day of his death Scaliger accounteth the tenth yeere of the Hogira on Munday the twelfth of Rabie 1. or rather the euening before that is the sixteenth of Iune in the yeere of our Lord 631. and was borne the fifth of May An. Dom. 570. on the same day and moneth sixtie three Arabike yeeres before Vnto this which hath been spoken I haue thought good to adde out of Arabike Authors collected by Gabriel and Iohn the Maronites this which followeth Mahomed was borne at Mecca and in the fortieth yeere of his age and as Ben-Casem hath in the 933. of Alexander the Great began to vtter his doctrine first priuily after that publikely whereupon hee was banished the Citie in the fiftie two of his life or according to Abdillatif Ben-Iusof the fiftie three and fled to Iathreb from which flight which they call Hegeraton or Hegera which hapned A. B. 622. or thereabouts And although this yeere 1623. bee to them 1032. Yet because they reckon according to the yeeres of the Moone which they say consist of three hundred fiftie foure dayes the Moones course hath in this space exceeded that of the Sunne some moneths aboue thirtie one yeeres Whereupon their moneths are vncertaine In this Citie by subtile hypocrisies Mahomed became Politicall and Ecclesiasticall Prince and beganne to procure the friendship of many and to promulgate his lawes by degrees In the second yeere of his flight he enacted his lawes of Fasting in the third forbade wine and swines-flesh and so proceeded with the rest that within eight yeeres hee brought into subiection Mecca whence he had beene expulsed and Muna and went forward with his law and conquest As concerning his wiues Ben-Casem saith he had foure hee is also reported to haue many harlots and concubines and in this Chapiter Surato-lbaqra or de vacea hee bids them marrie one two three or foure wiues a man and to take as many concubines as they are able to keepe Ben-Sidi Ali saith That he gloried that he had the power of ten Prophets in copulation giuen him by God yea he ascribed all his villanies to God by ministerie of the Angell Gabriel His first wife was named Chodaige by whom he had two sonnes and foure daughters Zainab Fatema whom Ali married Om Kalihum the third and Rakia the fourth both which Abu-beer married His second wife was Aifee daughter of Aba-Becr the first Chalifa which was but six yeeres old Ben-Casem is our Author when Mohamed tooke her to wife the Moslemans call her The Mother of the faithfull who besides the knowledge of tongues perused diligently the Arabike histories loued exceedingly and alway praised Mohamed The third was named Mary which brought forth to Mohamed Ebrahim sirnamed Casem whence Mohamed is often called Abulcasem though Ben-Abdilatif will haue Ebrahim to be one and Casem another but Ben-Casem saith he had but three sons of which Ebrahim Casem dyed at eighteene moneths and Taiheb and Taher his sonnes by Codaigre dyed both in their cradles Mohameds last wife was Zainab whom also they call the Mother of the faithfull before the wife of Zaid Ben-Harteh Mohameds Master who diuorced her whereupon Mohamed gladly tooke her to wife He had foure Councellors or
is carryed to Church with a long speare borne before him hauing a torch on the top worth a crown more or lesse according to the state of the partie adorned with roses and garlands which with the speare is left a gift to the Church the fees of the Priest all the way they sound on instruments after the sonne followeth the father the kindred and the rest of the friends that sometimes there are a hundred horse at Church they alight and accompany the childe to the Priest which wayteth for them Here one of the friends sitteth downe and on his lap the child is set presently another pulleth off his shooes another holdeth his hands and others his feet and many hold him in talke with words and these are the Gossips The Priest seeing all things readie taketh the end of the skinne of his yard and draweth it out and nippeth it with siluer Pinsers so to mortifie it and cut it off with lesse paine then making him beleeue he will deferre it till the next day he ariseth the other holding him fast and after as if he had forgot somewhat to be done about it with sizzers which he holdeth closely in his hand suddenly cutteth it off and another layeth thereon a certaine powlder to ease the paine and in fiue and twentie dayes they looke to the curing of it laying on it salt and marmalade of Quinces and thence forwards he is called a Musulman But his name is not then giuen him but at his birth and that according to their qualitie Bellonius writes that they must answere the Circumciser to certaine questions somewhat like it seemes to that which in the Baptisme of elder persons is performed by themselues of younger by their Godfathers and therefore they are so old before they bee circumcised Hee also affirmeth that it is neuer done in the Meschit wherein none vncircumcised may enter but in the house The name Mussulman Mussliman or Muslim signifies an Orthodoxe Mahometan as Christian or Catholike with vs Verus Turca saith Bellonius Saluatus or sanae fidei homo after Cantacuzenus After the childe is loosed who to shew himselfe of courage smileth and lifting vp his greatest finger saith those former words of their profession and is againe mounted all the company after a little prayer and offering at the Church with like pompe conueigh him home where is great feasting prouision some feast it three dayes together Amurath circumcised his sonne Mahomet at sixteene yeeres old Vnto which solemnitie many Christian Princes were solemnly inuited who sent thither their Ambassadors with Presents who had there their scaffols prepared for them and furnished according to their states The solemnitie lasted fortie dayes and fortie nights in the great Market-place of Constantinople And to end these solemnities Mahomet the Prince was circumcised not publikely but in his Fathers chamber by Mechmet one of the inferiour Bassaes sometime the Emperour Solymans Barber And it is done of other Turkes also most commonly in the Fathers house not in the Church The women-children about the same age among other women without other solemnity say ouer those words La illah c. and likewise the renegado-Iewes but the Christian renegadoes are carried about the streets of the Cities with much solemnity and many gifts giuen them besides freedome from tribute many blinded by couetousnesse offer themselues to this circumcision But if any for blasphemie against Mahomet or iniurie to a Turke be by force circumcised they haue no such gifts which punishment the Cadilescher by the testimony of two accusing Turkes inflicteth And therefore to preuent the same the Christians obtaine the Grand Seigniors safe conduct that in cases of conscience they may not be iudged of any except they were accused at the Court before the foure Bassaes and the Cadilescher of Constantinople and that by the witnesse of Priests onely which had not in twelue yeeres drunke wine CHAP. XII Of the Sepulchres Funerall-Rites and Opinions touching the Dead among the Turkes NOw if you be wearie of viewing their Temples and their Prayers and other Ceremonies seeme tedious I haue thought fit to present you with another sight and to conclude with that which is the conclusion of all flesh a discourse of their Funerals When a Turke is sicke and like to die his friends visite him and putting him in minde of his sinnes aduise him with a penitent heart to bewayle them Then doe certaine of their Priests or one of his kinsmen read some Psalmes and Prayers And if the pangs of death doe still continue they bring him the Alcoran or Curaam wherein is one Legend called Thebara Echelezi which they read seuen times and if hee shall die of that sicknesse they thinke hee will die before they haue thrice read it and if they see breath still remaine they read another Psalme called Iasinnel Curanil Hecin to the end that the Deuill cause no impediment to his soule When hee is dead they lay him forth in the middest of the house vpon Carpets and place him on his right side with his face towards the South Then doe assemble certaine Priests to buy him who bring with them a string of Beades such as the Papists vse in mumbling and numbring their deuotions being a thousand of them of lignum aloes and there with compasse the bodie and then say to euery one Sababan alla that is God haue mercie on him and turne it about foure or fiue times After this their Priests which are twentie or more carrie the corps into the Garden and lay it on a Table two hands breadth from the ground taking away his shirt and couering his shame with a new cloth made of fine bombast with warme water and sope washing him from top to toe Then do they take two sheets of bombast in which they wrap the corps wetting the same with Rose-water perfumes and odoriferous things and laying him on the Beere couer him quite ouer with his best garments placing his Turbant at the head thereof all bedecked with flowers This done the Priests begin their deuotions and some of the company take vp the Beere carrying the same with the head forwards to the Meschit the kinsmen follow and the women remaine at home weeping and make readie to eate for the Priests When they come to the Church they set him downe without doores and goe and make an end of their seruice After that they carry him forth of the City to the buriall place for it is not lawfull to bury in their Cities Some prouide their Sepulchres in their life time some haue them made after by their friends either in their Gardens or some solitarie place They haue also common buriall places as are our Church-yards wherein are many Tombes of Marble Brick or other matter according to the qualitie of the person If the deceased were a man of high condition his horses are led with his corps and his Tombe is adorned with many Epitaphs And if he were a great
Nannacus which was exceeding old Many antiquities are told of their gods whose Theologie thus is recited by Eusebius The Phrygians tell that Meon was the most ancient King of Phrygia the Father of Cybele who inuented the pipe called Syrinx and was named the Mountaine mother beloued of Marsyas But when as Attis had raised her belly her father slaying him and his fellowes shee enraged with madnesse ranne vp and downe the countrey Marsyas roamed with her who after being ouercome in a Musicall contention of Apollo was slayed quicke After these things did Apollo loue Cybele with whom she wandred to the Hyperboreans and by his command the bodie of Attis was buried and Cybele obtained diuine Honours Hence it is that euen to this day the Phrygians bewayle the young mans death In Pessinus a City of Phrygia after reckoned to Galatia they erected a Temple to Attis and Cybele After the death of Hyperion the children of Coelus parted the Kingdome amongst them the most famous of which were Atlas and Saturne to the first of which befell the parts adioyning to the Ocean He had great skill in Astronomy Of his seuen daughters were procreated many of the Gods and Heroes and of Maia the eldest and Iupiter was Mercury begotten Saturne the sonne of Atlas being couetous and wicked married Cybele his sister and had by her Iupiter They tell of another Iupiter brother of Coelus and King of Crete but there and here they are so intangled with Fables that the least inquirie hath most ease and no lesse certaintie This Cretan held the Empire of the World and had ten Sonnes whom they call Curetes his Sepulchre they shew to this day Saturne the Brother of Atlas reigned in Italy and Sicilia till Iupiter his Sonne dispossessed him who proued a seuere Prince to the wicked and bountifull to the good Thus much Eusebius of the Phrygian Diuinitie out of their owne Legends the Mysteries whereof he after vnfoldeth Other Tales they had as that Minerua killed there a fire breathing beast of Philemon and Baucis and such like mentioned by the Poets Meander making Warres with the Pessinuntians vowed for Sacrifice whatsoeuer he first met after hee returned with Conquest which he performed on Archelaus his Sonne ouercomming saith one Pietie with Pietie Impious is that Pietie which destroyeth Humanitie and Deuillish crueltie both in the Idoll and Idolater as appeared also in the euent if our Story bee true the father rewarding such Pietie with greater Impietie on himselfe and casting himselfe into the riuer left his name therunto The like is told of the Riuers Sagaris and Scamander Hercules when he went with the Argonautes to Colchos came on shoare on Phrygia to amend his Oare and being thirstie sent his sweeting Hylas to the riuer for water who falling therein was drowned whereupon he leauing his cōpanions wandred in the woods bemoning his Hylas About these times Tantalus liued in these parts a man besides other vices exceedingly couetous not sparing the Temples of the Gods Hence arose the Fable that he was punished in Hell with perpetuall hunger and thirst whiles pleasant waters and dainty fruits did offer themselues to his mouth but when he would haue tasted them fled from him So indeed doth Mammon torment his followers making them to want as well that which they haue as that which they haue not the Medicine being the increaser of the Disease as when fire is quenched with Oile like Gardners Asses laden with good herbs a burthen to them food for others themselues glad to feed on Thistles And how many Tantali do we daily see enduring a hunger and thirst in the midst of their abundance a monstrous and vnnaturall sicknesse to hunger after that which they haue yet cannot yet will not feed on a Dropsie-thirst saue that they dare not drinke that which they haue and thirst Vnworthy of that life which he sacrificeth to that which neuer had the dignitie to be mortall vnworthy that body which he pineth with plenty or that soule which he damneth for a fancie of hauing or that nature of man which he confineth to the Gallies to the Mynes in the seruice of a piece of earth vnworthy of the name of Christian whose Christ was to one of his Fore-fathers worth thirty pence but now this will sell him for three halfe pence for a piece of bread yea like Aesops Dog for the shadow of a piece of Bread vnworthy of any thing saue that his couetise to be his Tempter his Tormentor his Fury his Deuill Once pitty it is that hee prizeth a Halter so deare else would he rid the World of a burthen and himselfe of his worthlesse life But whither hath Tantalus carried me Take heed Reader he doe not carry thee further or thou him beyond words They say he would haue sacrificed his Sonne Pephilops had not Diuine power releeued him thou art like to find him Tantalus still What the Poets tell of Ganymedes euery one knowes of Niobe famous for her sonnes daughters which she lost all in one day of Midas another Tantalus whose couetousnesse became a new Alchymie to turne all into Gold And how doth this two-fold Alchymie gull the world the one making with vaine hopes a rich estate become poore the other with ful haps making all Gold but the Man onely the Romane Alchymist is Master of that Art which the former professe that turnes so easily a little Lead into so much good Gold onely the wiseman wise in the latter to be Master of himselfe his wealth not a slaue to passion or pelfe And yet Midas in a publike calamity hapning by an Earthquake which swallowed vp Houses warned by an Oracle to cast into those gaping jawes of the earth that which was most precious hurled therein much treasure what could hee thinke more precious and how much more easily would many a Mydas haue hurled in himselfe But the Earth not yet satisfied would not close vp her mouth till his sonne Anchurus esteeming man to be most precious leaped in and the reconciled Element receiued an Altar in witnesse of his haughty courage There were many Phrygian Kings named Midas The Phrygians sacrificed to the riuers Meander and Marsius they placed their Priests after death vpon a stone ten cubits high They did not sweare or force others to an oath they were much addicted to diuination by Birds Macrobius applyeth their Tales of Cybele and Atis to the Sunne Silenus is reckoned among the Phrygian Deities whom Goropius fercheth out of Scythia and maketh him Midas his Master in Geography and Philosophy The diligent attendance of the Scholer was occasion to that Fable of his long eares the learning of the Master gaue him diuine Honours In Phrygia on the riuer Sangarius stood Gordie or as Arrianus calleth it Gordion of which he reporteth that when Alexander came thither he had a great desire to see the Tower in which was the palace of Gordius Midas
with the Riuer running thorow the Citie turning it out of the chanell Thence they passed into Russia and made foule hauocke there destroying Kiou the chiefe Citie They proceeded against the Hungarians and Polonians and in their returne inuaded the Morduans being Pagans and conquered them in battaile Then they marched against the people called Byleri or Bulgaria magna and vtterly wasted the Countrey From hence they proceeded towards the North against the people called Bastarci or Hungaria magna and hauing conquered them subdued also the Parossitae and Samogetae thence proceeding vnto the Ocean Sea At the same time Occoday sent Cerpodan against Kergis who subdued them in battaile These are Pagans hauing no beardes at all They haue a custome when any of their fathers die in token of lamentation to draw as it were a Leather thong ouerthwart their faces from one eare to the other Hence hee marched with his forces Southward against the Armenians which they conquered with part of Georgia receiuing tribute of the other part and from thence into the Dominions of the mightie Soldan called Deurum whom they vanquished in fight And to be short they went on further sacking and conquering euen vnto the Soldan of Aleppo whose Countries they subdued They marched against the Caliph of Baldach and exacted at his hands the daily tribute of foure hundred Byzantines besides Baldakines and other gifts Thus farre of their Conquests out of Frier Iohn aforesaid who was in person with Bathy or Baydo and at the Court of Cuine the Emperour Haithon calleth Baydo the second sonne of Occoday or Hoccota Can affirming That hee sent his three sonnes Iochi into the West as farre as Tygris Baydo towards the North and Chagoday towards the South Hee sent also one Baydo whither the same or another with thirtie thousand horse against the Soldan of the Turks whose Realme hee subdued in the yeere 1244. He addeth That Baydo hauing conquered Cumania which hee confineth on the East with the Corasmians on the West with the Euxine on the North with Cassia haply Casan on the South with the Riuer Etil he subdued Russia Gazaria Bulgaria and so passing into Austria following the streame of his victories in the passage of a great streame was there drowned His heires succeeded him in the places which he had conquered which Seignorie Tochay possessed in Haithons time This Historie of Baydo his death is not likely For Yvo of Narbona in an Epistle to the Archbishop of Burdeaux recorded by Matth. Paris in the yeere 1243. saith That in the same present summer they had departed out of Hungarie and laid siege to Neustat wherein this Yvo then was and in the yeere 1246. Frier Iohn was with the said Baydo who also rehearseth that Hungarian Expedition and his returne vnto those parts about Volga or Etil Likewise William de Rubruquis a Frier Minorite was sent to Baatu so he calleth him from Lewes the French King in Anno 1253. And to this agreeth Mathias a Michou in his Sarmatian Historie who witnesseth That in the yeere 1241. the Tartars vnder Bathu came into Russia and destroied Kiou a Citie before stately and beautifull hauing in it three hundred Churches and more very faire of which some remaine to this day among the shrubs and briers receptacles for wilde beasts It was the Seat of the Metropolitan who had vnder him many Bishops thorow Moldauia Valachia Russia and Muscouia Hee sent Peta into Polonia who destroied the Countrey and on Ashwednesday turned Cracouia into ashes abandoned before both of the Prince and People and after ouerthrew Duke Henrie and other Noblemen with the forces of the Countrie assembled against them together with Pompo the great Master of the Dutch Order in Prussia in which battaile a certaine Tartarian Standard-bearer carrying in a great Standard the Greeke letter X and on the top of the staffe a blacke and terrible Image with a long beard began with inchantment strongly to shake the head of the Image whereupon a smoake and cloud of intolerable stinke was presently dispersed ouer the Polonians and they became heartlesse and vnable to fight Duke Henrie and Duke Boleslaus and Pompo with the flower of their Nobility were heere slaine and the Countrie miserably spoiled From hence they went into Morauia where they put all to fire and sword more then a moneth together and thence to Hungary to Bathy who entred Hungarie with 500000. souldiers where first ouerthrowing those forces which King Bela had sent to prohibite them passage they after chased the King himselfe with the power of his Kingdome opposing himselfe against them out of the field who fled into Austria and after into Sclauonia leauing his Countrey a prey to the Tartars who making spoile on that side of Danubius the next Winter passed ouer the Riuer then frozen and filled all with bloud and slaughter Bathy sent Cadan to pursue the King into Sclauonia still fleeing before him who wasted Bosna Seruia and Bulgaria And after two yeeres sackage in Hungarie they passed by the fennes of Maeotis into Tartaria and haply had returned to make fresh spoiles in Europe if the Embassage of Pope Innocent had not diuerted their purpose or rather that Occaday their great Chan being about that time poisoned they were to expect a new Commission from his successour which was Cuine who when he was installed euen in the presence of Fryer Iohn the Popes Legat erected a Banner against all Kingdomes of the Christians except they would bee subiect to him for their intent was to subdue all the world as Cyngis Cham had ordained and the superscription of his Seale was God in Heauen and Cuine Chan vpon Earth the strength of God the Seale of the Emperour of all men Hee kept his Court vsually in the land of Naymans the plaines whereof were extended like to the Sea without the rising of any hill The cold most eager and sharpe till March little winde nor snow except in the end of Aprill At Caracarum Rubruquis met with an English man borne in Hungaria which was expert in many languages his name was Basilius Heere hee found two Mosches and one Church §. III. Of MANGV CAN and his successor CVELAI BVt Cuine in short time after died and left the Empire to Mangu Can to whom Aytonus the Armenian King went voluntarily in person about the yeere 1257. and receiuing gracious entertainement made vnto him seuen petitions first That he and his people should become Christians secondly That there should be perpetuall peace betweene the Tartars and Christians thirdly That in all Countries conquered by the Tartars the Churches and Clergie-men of the Christians should bee free from seruitude and tribute fourthly That hee would redeeme the Holy Sepulchre and the Holy Land from the Saracens fifthly That hee would destroy the Caliph of Baldack sixthly That himselfe might haue aid as neede should require in his defence of such Tartars as were neere vnto Armenia seuenthly
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
Citie Royall Now for custome of both whereas in China theeues and malefactors are seldome executed and none hath power to execute any without speciall Commission from the King but either they die by stripes hunger or imprisonment except some few once in a yeere Marcus Paulus and Iosafa Barbaro from the relation of eye-witnesses affirme That in Cambalu was such sudden and rigorous execution of Iustice that one taking a iarre of Milke from a womans head and beginning to drinke vpon the womans out-cry was apprehended and presently with a sword cut in sunder that the bloud and milke issued together a Tartarian Embassador affirming both this and that he had seene the like execution vpon another for taking a piece of Bayes from a woman so chopped in twaine But the relation of the Chinian and Cathayan differing Rites will further yeeld scruples in this case As for the name of Cathay ascribed to China by the Moores I answere That William de Rubruquis who was in the Court of Mangu Can supposeth Cathay to be Serica Regio described by Ptolomey farre more Northerly then the Iesuite reporteth China to bee by his owne Astrolabicall obseruation And to these Seres Ptolemey ioyneth the Sinae or Chinois on the South and our later Geographers generally concurre in this opinion Hee also which readeth Ioannes de Plano Carpini shall finde that the Tartars conquered the Kara-Kitai or blacke Cathayans and then the Emperour of Kithai be vndermining his Citie as is said in the daies of Cyngis and yet a great part of Kitai remained still vnconquered and withstood his forces and namely that part which is neerest the Sea And this wealthy countrie of great Cathaya hath many Prouinces the more part whereof doe yet withstand the Moals or Tartars it is the last Printed period in William de Rubriquis I hence gather that the name Kitai was applied to a great part of the North-East of Asia happily no lesse generall to many Regions on that side then India to the Southerly parts And why may not the name of Kathay as well by the Mogores and Persians bee giuen to the North parts of China one parcell of the North-East of Asia as the name of India not onely to so great a part of Asia but to America also which was called India because the first Discouerers thought they had encountered the Indian Continent And these parts of China may much fitter retaine the name of Cathay to which Empire it had so long been subiect and by the Cathayan conquest was first knowne to our world Since my first Edition I met with the other part of Rubruquis which Master Hakluit then whom I know none in this kind more industrious copied out of an entire booke in the Librarie of Bennet Colledge in Cambridge Where betweene Cataya and India he placeth a Sea which fitly agreeth to the Chinian Map made by the Chinois themselues who paint a great Bay or Gulfe of the Sea betwixt the Northern parts of China which we reckon to Cathaia and the Southerne which may be accounted to India Further hee addeth That all the Nations of Great Cathaya which Epithete is not a little to bee obserued are situate amongst the Caucasean hils on the North side euen to the Easterne Sea But they knew no countrie else so named True for the Lawes of the Cathayans forbidding egresse of the Natiues and ingresse of Aliens and a more forcible law of Mountains and Desarts wilde beasts and wilder men the manifold smaller and more beggerly Segniories betweene euerie one challenging their ninth if not themselues confiscating or theirs robbing all now in so long a space may burie euen the name and knowledge of the Great Can whereas neither Armes of Princes nor traffique of Subiects can open any new or retaine the olde notice of Nations What dreames did the West conceiue of the East in Asia and South in Africke till the Armies first and Merchants after of the Carthaginians Macedonians and Romanes discouered them And yet how did those flouds of barbarous people afterwards drowne with barbarous ignorance the knowledge of all Arts and this of Geographie amongst the rest And till the Tartarians like a terrible thunder-clap with the lightning and noyse of their Armies brought a more sudden then welcome knowledge of themselues to the world who euer in Persia or Assyria had heard of their names or of diuers people else and these Cathayans among the rest first knowne by their conquests Further the Iesuite himselfe to Paquin ascribeth iust fortie degrees and Marcus Paulus his Father and Vncle went from Boghar the altitude whereof Master Ienkinson at his being there obserued to be thirtie nine degrees and ten minutes or as Abilfada Ismael placeth it thirtie nine and an halfe North and North-East to goe into Cathay The like course did the same men hold going into Cathay from Armenia afterwardes with Marcus himselfe sempre alla volta di Graeco Tramontana whereas a course directly East or inclining to the South must haue beene taken if China had beene Catai Neither is is likely that their iourney would haue beene so much letted by Frosts and Snowes The same may be gathered out of the discourses following in Marcus Paulus where he abutteth the countries in succeeding linkes to Cathay from the East to the Northwards and from the North-East declining Westward in reckoning from thence And whereas Pantogia raiseth the most Northerly part of China but to fortie two degrees at the most wherein as to an eye-witnesse wee yeeld him credit How can it stand with reason how can it be likely that in those temperate climes the world can yeeld but a few Nations and those base Moores and Ethnikes when as a good part of Spaine halfe Italy Greece all France Germanie and Hungarie to omit other welthy parts of the world are subiect to the same parallels And indeed herein Pantogia hath well helped vs whereas our moderne Maps haue caused no small scruple to a diligent obseruer in placing Cathay a countrie reported to bee so fertile and ciuill in so Northerly a clime very indiscreetly raising Cambalu to the height of sixtie degrees and paralelling Cathay with Norwey which cannot stand with other things thereof reported howsoeuer the Tartars themselues were happily of a more Northerly climate then this mentioned Others go not so farre yet they place Cambalu too farre within land which Paulus saith is within two dayes iourney of the Sea It seemeth that now this great Tartarian Prince if there be any such hath no strength at Sea and therefore is lesse knowne And herein participate other great and mightie Princes Prester Iohn so called of Aethiopia in Africa and the Sophi and great Mogor in Asia ranked iustly amongst the greatest Emperours of the world who hauing some part of their Dominion adioyning to the Sea make little or no vse thereof Abilfada Ismael a Syrian Prince who wrote an exact Geographie in Arabike
about three hundred yeeres since placeth Cambalu in 144. 8. Long. and 35.25 Latit it may happily bee 45. degrees in Latitude one Figure being falsified or else inuerted for 53. And as this Latitude disagreeth from that of Paquin so the Longitude a great deale more this confirming this opinion further that Chaggi Memet Mar. Polo Mandeuil Odoricus Nicolo di Conti and others eye-witnesses speake of China or Mangi and of Cathay as diuers Countries And Farfur King of Mangi possessed his Countries now knowne by the name of China in peace till An. 1269. being counted a richer Countrie then Cathay it selfe which was conquered before if wee vnderstand it properly and Cambalu seemeth to bee the Citie wherein Cingis the first Cham besieged and tooke the Cathayan Emperour Paulus also mentioneth among the greatest Cities of Mangi Panghin and Nanghin reporting further that Mangi alone had in it a thousand and two hundred great rich and illustrious Cities as much as is reported of whole China and more and that after Cublai Can had conquered that State he diuided it into nine tributarie Kingdomes gouerned by so many Vice-royes vnder him And these Cities hee fortified with Garrisons not of the Naturall inhabitants but of Cathay And these things are reported by him who long liued in these parts non interfuit solum sed etiam praefuit quorum pars magna fuit possessing the place of Gouernour vnder the Can three yeeres according to the Tartarian custome in Iangui one of the chiefe Cities of Mangi hauing vnder it twentie seuen other Cities and the whole Prouince of Mangi hee placeth South-East from Cathay And wherefore doth the King of China alwayes abide in Paquin in the Northerly part of his Kingdome but as all which write here of affirme because of the Tartars which from those parts conquered the Kingdome which if they were so base a people as Pantogia affirmeth could not be so dreadfull to the Chinois that their King for their sakes should there make his residence in the skirts and borders of the Kingdome Alhacen a learned Arabian wrote the Historie of Tamerlanes life wherein hee telleth of the great Cham of Cambula and the King of China as diuers Princes of diuers Countries one of which accrewed to Tamerlaine by marriage of the Chams onely daughter and the other by conquest What needed such a wall which I my selfe haue seene drawne in a Map of China of a verie large forme and made in China it selfe with Chinian characters hanging in Master Hakluits Chamber at Westminster made by the Chinois if the Tartars were not mightie neighbours especially themselues being so mightie and populous But it is vnknowne And who knew that there was such a Kingdome as China an hundred yeeres agoe Or who hath sayled that way to seeke this since And how long was it before it was knowne in our world that there was such a Prince in the world as the great Negus aboue mentioned in Aethiopia especially hee hauing no Ships for Warre or Merchandize nor many scarce any good Hauens by Sea to make himselfe knowne and within land Nature hath as it were imprisoned him barring vp the passages with Mountains and Desarts which seemeth now to be the case of the Cathayan furthered by the iealousie of many great Princes not to admit any Forreiner in or licence any of theirs to passe our for feare of innouation Sed plenum aleae est saith SCALIGER de ijs aliquid statuere quae nobis per caliginem duntaxat nota sunt It is hard to determine in these mistie mysteries Euen as in Nature it falleth out that the Sunne shineth there many houres before it ariseth to vs so in Historie it may happen that there may shine a Tartarian Sun in Cathay when as a darke night in this long iniquitie of distance hideth him from our eyes Thus haue I argued the question and well know not which way to determine If this could any thing further the Iesuiticall vow to the Papacie I could then suspect this opinion of Noueltie they indeed being the Nouatores a word which Serarius so delights to fixe vpon vs or Veteratores as Scaliger answeres him quibus nihil antiquius quà m antiquare antiquitatem as H. Stephanus obiects to some Lypsian Mimikes but in matters of Geographie wee may follow him more safely then in Ouranographie as neerer of kinne to that Great Compasser of the Earth I know not how to answere many obiections against this Chinian Cathay but by deniall of truth in Trauellers assertions some taking too Hyperbolicall and Diabolicall authoritie or in the coniectures of Saracens which seeing Paganisme in China so conspire with Popish Imagerie in selfe-imagined worship with whites lights funerall rites and other blacke darke dead deuotions wherein the Chinois and Iesuits seemed alike thought them of one religion the Iesuites owne coniecture or that Time the consumer of all things hath deuoured Cities Peoples and Religions or what else soeuer If any respect my opinion in this controuersie I confesse the iournall of Goes lately published and hereafter inserted hath made mee make a new search and take a neerer view and though Time the Father of Truth must determine the question more fully yet this is for the present my iudgement if I may so stile it That neither they which confound Cathay with China nor they which wholly separate them are to be followed Medio tutissimus ibis They seeme in this altercation to let truth fall betweene them which in my conceit is this that the present Kingdome of China comprehends the best part of Cathay besides the ancient Chinian limits by Polo called Mangi For Mangi which is the true China was by the great Can diuided into nine Prouinces or Kingdomes as Paulus which assisted in that Conquest relateth But when Humvu expelled the Tartars out of China hee indeuoured the same in all the best parts of Cathaya now the Northerly parts of the Chinian Kingdome where the Tartars were strongest and had kept their residence These Northerly parts were gouerned by Yunlo his Nephew and Generall of his Forces who after Humvu his death dispossessed his Sonne and fixed his vsurped Imperiall seat at Paquin or Pequim in the North as being better secured there of his friends and against the Tartars also his practising neighbours This Citie hee called Pequim that is the Northerne Court in relation to Nanquim or Nanquin which signifieth the Southerly Court where Humvu had before resided both which continue Royall Cities or supreme Courts to this day The same which in respect aforesaid they call in China language quim the Tartarian founders called in their Idiome Cambalu Citie of the Prince which name the Tartars and Saracens as you haue heard continue But that all Cathay is not included in these sixe Prouinces subiect to China our reasons before out of Rubruquis are sufficient And that there is yet a Grand Can in those parts Lord of
afraid the most will deeme too much let him resort to the large reports of Vincentius in his three last Bookes an Author I confesse otherwise fabulous and monkish but herein to be beleeued as receiuing his Reports from the eye-witnesses CHAP. XIIII Of the festiuall Solemnities and of the Magnificence of the Grand Can. WEe haue alreadie spoken of the solemne sacrifice obserued on the eight and twentieth day of August we reade in our Author Marcus Paulus an eye-witnesse of these his Relations of other the Grand Cans grand solemnities Of which two are principall one on his birth-day which in Cublai Cans time was the eight twentieth of September On which himselfe was royally clothed in cloth of gold and twentie thousand of his Barons Souldiers were all apparelled in one colour and like excepting the price to himself euery one hauing a girdle wrought of gold and siluer and a paire of shooes some of their garments richly set with pearles and jewels which they weare on the thirteene solemnities according to the thirteene Moones of the yeere On this day all the Tartars and seuerall Princes subiect present him with rich gifts and all sects of Religions pray vnto their gods for his health and long life But their chiefe feast is on the first day of their yeere which they begin in February celebrated by the Grand Can and all the Countries subiect to him in which they are all arrayed in white a colour in their estimation portending good lucke And then he is presented with many Clothes and Horses of white colour and other rich presents in the same religiously obseruing the number of nine as nine times nine Horses if they bee able and so of pieces of Gold Cloth and the rest Then also the Elephants which are aboue fiue thousand are brought forth in sumptuous furniture and Camels couered with Silke And in the morning they present themselues in the Hall as many as can the rest standing without in their due order First those of the Imperiall progenie next the Kings Dukes and others in their due place Then commeth forth a great man or Prelate which cryeth out with a loud voyce Bow downe your selues and worship which they presently doe with their faces to the earth This Prelate addeth GOD saue and preserue our Lord long to liue with ioy and gladnesse They all answere GOD grant it The Prelate againe GOD increase his Dominion and preserue in peace all his subiects prosper all things in all his Countries Whervnto they answere as before Thus doe they worship foure times After this the said Prelate goeth to an Altar there richly adorned on which is a Red Table with the name of the Great Can written in it and a Censer with Incense which he incenseth in stead of them all with great reuerence performed vnto the Table This done they returne to their places and present their gifts and after are feasted When Cublai had ouerthrowne Naiam his vncle as before is said vnderstanding that the Christians obserued their yeerely solemnitie of Easter hee caused them all to come vnto him and to bring the Booke of the foure Gospels which he incensed often with great Ceremonies deuoutly kissing it and caused his Barons to doe the like And this he obserueth alway in the principall Feasts of the Christians as Christmasse and Easter The like he did in the chiefe Feasts of the Saracens Iewes and Idolaters The cause he said was because of those foure Prophets to which all the world doth reuerence IESVS of the Christians Mahomet of the Saracens Moses of the Iewes and Sogomambar Can the first Idoll of the Pagans and I saith he doe honour to them all and pray him which is the greatest in Heauen and truest to helpe me Yet hee had best opinion of the Christian Faith because it contained nothing but goodnesse and would not suffer the Christians to carrie before them the Crosse on which so great a man as Christ was crucified Hee also sent Nicolo and Maffio the Father and Vncle of Marco Paulo our Author in Embassage to the Pope to send him a hundred wise men which might conuince the Idolaters that boasted of those there Magical wonders whereas the Christians that were there were but simple men not able to answere them which if it had beene effected he and his Barons would haue beene baptized Thomas à Iesu a Iesuite in his second booke of Procuring the conuersion of all Nations reporteth that Clement the fifth ordained Iohn à Monte Coruino a Minorite Archbishop of Cambalu and nine other of the same Order he consecrated Bishops and tooke order for the successour of the Archbishop when he died Whether these went or no is vncertaine Great pitie it is that the Iesuites men of so refined wits and such mightie miracle-mongers our world must witnesse the one and the East and West the other were but of yesterdaies hatching and that Ignatius had not broken his legge before those times These had been if they then had been the onely men to haue remoued those obiected scandals of the simplicitie of Christians and to haue confronted these Magicall Montebankes as the Can here required But these were reserued to times more fatall to the Pope to helpe at a dead list by peruertings here and conuertings there to hold vp the supposed sanctitie of the triple Diademe But looke wee to our Tartars Odoricus saith that in his time the Can celebrated besides the former the Feasts of his Circumcision Marriage and Coronation But before the Conquest of Cathay they obserued not any day at all with festiuall solemnities Cublai Can was of meane stature of countenance white red and beautifull He had foure wiues which kept seuerall Courts the least of which contained at least ten thousand persons He had many Concubines euery second yeere hauing a new choice of the fairest Maidens in the Prouince of Vngut most fertile belike of that commoditie which passe a second election at the Court and the fairest and fittest of them are committed to Ladies to proue and to instruct them Their parents hold it a great grace so to haue bestowed their children and if any of them proue not they impute it to their disastrous planet They hold it for a great beautie to haue their noses flat betweene the eyes In December Ianuary and February hee abideth at Cambalu in the North-East part of the Prouince of Cathay in a Palace neere to the Citie builded on this manner There is a circuit walled in foure square each square containing eight miles hauing about them a deepe ditch and in the middle a gate A mile inwards is another wall which hath sixe miles in each square and in the South side three gates and as many on the North. Betwixt those wals are Souldiers In euery corner of this wall and in the middest is a stately Palace eight in all wherein are kept his Munitions There is a third wall within this containing foure miles square
great herds together The Giraffa or Camelopardalis a beast not often seene yet very tame and of a strange composition mixed of a Libard Hart Buffe and Camell and by reason of his long legs before and shorter behinde not able to graze without difficultie but with his high head which hee can stretch forth halfe a pikes length in height feeds on the leaues and boughs of trees The Camels in Afrike are more hardie then in other places and will not onely beare great burthens but continue to trauell fiftie dayes together without carrying with them any corne to giue them but turne them out at night to feede on thistles boughs and the little grasse they find and no lesse patient are they of thirst being able to endure fifteene dayes without drinke vpon necessitie and fiue dayes ordinarily The Arabians in Africa count them their greatest wealth for so they describe a mans riches saying Hee hath so many thousand Camels and with these they can liue in the Desarts without dread of any Prince Sixe hundred waight is his ordinarie load yet will hee carry a thousand In lading or vnlading hee lyes on his belly and when hee is laden proportionably to his strength will rise not suffering more to bee laid on him For satisfying his thirst they say in his often belchings he rayseth vp a bladder wherewith he moystneth his mouth and throat They are say some the onely that ingender backward which others haue affirmed also of the Lion Tygre Elephant Rhinoceros and Ounceâ— and some denis it not of those alone but euen of the Camell who voydeth vrine backward but by a strange worke of Nature is said in that act to shoot forward Of Camels they haue three sorts the first called Hugiun of huge stature and strength able to carry a thousand pound waight the second lesse with two bunches on the backe fit for carriage and to ride on called Becheti of which they haue onely in Asia The third sort called Raguahil is meagre and small able to trauell for they are not vsed to burthens aboue an hundred miles in a day And the King of Tombuto can send messengers on such Camels to Segelmesse or Darha nine hundred miles distant in seuen or eight dayes without stay or change by the way Their Camels also are docible they will more be petswaded to hold on a iourney further then ordinarie by songs then blowes In the Spring they are mare-wood and mad of copulation in which time they are very readie both to hurt their followers and to kill their masters or any that haue whipped or hurt them Of Horses they haue both wilde which they entrap by subtiltie and tame of which the Barbarie horse is famous in Europe and Asia highly prized The Lant or Dant is a kinde of wilde Kine but swifter then almost any other beast They haue also wilde Kine and wilde Asses The Adimmain is as bigge as an Asse otherwise resembling a Ram. They haue other sheepe whose tayles weigh twentie pound and sometime fourescore or more carried on little carts behind them But those Adimmain are found in the Desarts and kept to profit yeelding them milke and cheese The females onely haue hornes The Lions in cold places are more gentle in hotter are more fierce and will not flee the onset of two hundred horse-men armed Master Iohn Vassall a friend and neighbour of mine told me that he brought out of Barbarie a Lions skin which from the snowt to the top of the taile contayned one and twentie foot in length a thing seeming incredible a raritie and prodigie also to those Barbarians and I could almost doubt whether memorie fayled not for otherwise the Relator I know to be otherwise wise and honest Strange it is that a Lionesse by shewing her hinder parts to the male should make him runne away In time of their coupling eight or ten will follow one female with terrible and bloudie battels amongst themselues They spare such men as prostrate themselues and prey rather on men then women and not at all on Infants except compelled by hunger Plinie tels that Alexander set thousands on worke by hunting hawking fishing or other meanes to take and learne the natures of Creatures that Aristotle might be by them informed thereof who wrote almost fiftie Treatises of that subiect whereof it seemeth most are lost He citeth out of him that Lions bring forth small deformed lumps at the first time fiue and euery yeere after one lesse after the fift burthen remayning barren It cannot stirre till it be two moneths old nor goe till it be sixe if you beleeue him The Libyans beleeue that the Lion hath vnderstanding of prayers and tell of a Getulian woman which lying at the Lions mercy besought him so noble a beast not to dishonour himselfe with so ignoble a prey and conquest as shee a weake woman was The like is told c of a Spanish dogge of one Didacus Salazar a Spaniard This man according to the bloudie practice of that Nation minding to fill his dogs belly with an old womans flesh which was his captiue gaue her a letter to carry to the Gouernour and so soone as shee was a little past loosed his Mastiffe who presently had ouer-taken her The woman terrified prostrates her selfe to the dogge and sues for her life Good master Dogge master Dogge saith shee in her language I carry this letter to the Gouernour and shewes it him Be not fierce on me master Dogge The dogge hauing changed it seemes with his Master his doggednesse for the others humanitie made a stay and lifting vp his legge onely pissed on her and departed to no small wonder of the Spaniards that knew him But to returne to the King of beasts His tayle seemeth to be his Scepter whereby he expresseth his passion Hee shrinkes not at danger except some couert of woods shroud him from witnesses and then hee will take the benefit of flight which otherwise hee seemes to disdaine Mentor a man of Syracusa was encountred with a Lion which in stead of tearing him fawned on him and with his dumbe eloquence seemed to implore his aide shewing his diseased foot wherein Mentor perceiued a stubbe sticking which he pulled out The like is reported by Gellius out of Polyhistor of a fugitiue seruant who hauing performed this kind of office to a Lion was by him gratified for a long space with a daily portion of his prey But after this the man was taken and presented to his Master a Roman Senator who exhibited games to the Romans wherein seruants and condemned persons were exposed to the furie of the beasts amongst whom he placed this seruant and by a wonderfull Fate this Lion also was a little before taken and bestowed on him for this solemne spectacle The beasts running with violence to their bloudie encounter suddenly this Lion stayed and taking little better view fawned on this his guest and defended him from the assault of the
Hia falling and many of his followers vpon him till a certaine Alcayde knowing him cryed that Bomobali that is the King of clouts or rags was slaine whereupon all forsooke him and fled his other troupes now also comming to the flight which before his indiscretion and impatience would not suffer him to vse in the fight Thus died this glorious vainglorious Saint a man of great valour which hee had tryed in thirty seuerall Battailes and skirmishes in which he obtained the better both against Sidan and the Mountayners whose Corne-fields he burnt destroyed their Vineyards and in two or three daies had cut down sixty thousand Oliue-trees The place of this battle betwixt Hamet and Hia was in or neere the Gardens which are said to extend foure miles from Marocco the time in October 1613. Alcuid Azus was then in Marocco with the Sonne of Hamet both which vpon this disaster fled with abundance of Treasure but by the Larbies were taken and Azus his head presently smitten off as the supposed contriuer of many policies to their detriment Hamets Sonne was carried to Marocco and presented to Sidan where after diuers contumelies opprobriously carried on an Asse diuers dayes he was at last slaine When Side Hia had slaine Hamet hee grew suspected to Sidan because hee did not then presently proclaime him nor durst he aduenture to the City till Hia had remooued his forces further The City meane while sustayned diuers abuses by the Souldiers as before by the Vsurper in so much that Sidan wept when hee entred and saw the beauty of his Palace defaced which some say is comparable in greatnesse and statelinesse to the best in Christendome and kept within doores three moneths or more After this comming forth hee brake his Couenant with Hia and those which before he had pardoned were now put to death and some also grieuously tortured Whereupon Hia tooke armes againe and came neere to Marocco with a great Power which suddenly he was forced to disperse and to returne home for feare of Treason by Side Lassan a great man in his Armie which was reported to hold intelligence with Sidan and to haue written to him Thus barbarous and miserable is the present State of Barbary Sidan the only Suruiuer of the Brethren possessing Marocco Fez acknowledging no Souereigne but the City gouerned by the Magistrates thereof and in the Countrey each Cast or Tribe by it selfe Mully Abdela the Sonne of Mully Shek liues sometimes at Micanes sometimes at Alcasar little respected maintayning himselfe by spoyle and robbery and Side Hia enioying the Royall profits of the Kingdome of Sus. He liues commonly at Taradant holds the Countrey subiect but arrogates not the title of King His word is Lanserel hoc layenore Side Hia that is Let the Truth liue and Side Hia flourish A late Letter from thence signifies the feare that Sidan had of Hia's third approch to Marocco in which respect he sent two thousand Souldiers into the Countrey of Draa thence to enter into Sus if such inuasion happened But we haue beene too tedious Actors of this Barbarian Tragedie Wee must forward on our Pilgrimage and now hauing glutted our eyes with bloud let vs take more quiet view of the other parts of this Kingdome Agmet was sometimes called a second Marocco from whence it standeth foure and twenty miles The Hils and Valley about it adorned with Gardens and Vineyards a faire Riuer and fertile fields yeelding fiftie fold encrease haue assembled Natures Forces to ioyne with Arte if Magicke may be so termed and the Histories write true for the common good of Agmet and Marocco The Riuer runneth as is thought to Marocco vnder the ground which secret passage is attributed to the Wizards of Ioseph Founder of Marocco lest the water course should be cut off from the City This fruitfull Agmet in Leo's time was peopled onely with Foxes and wild beasts sauing that a certaine Heremite held the Castle with a hundred of his Disciples The Mountaynes are very rude according to their rough and cold places of habitation many of them couered continually with Snow In Nififa they gaze and wonder at strangers in Semede they forced Leo to play the Iudge and Notarie accepting no excuse eight dayes and then set him in a Church-porch and after a certaine Prayer presented themselues with their presents before him Cockes Hens Nuts Garlike and some of the better sort a Goat which all he gaue his Host money they had none for him In Secsina there is at all times of the yeere Snow There are many great Caues wherein they winter their beasts in Nouember Ianuary and February They weare no shooes but certaine Sandals and are lustie men at ninety or a hundred yeeres old Temnella is an Hereticall Hill and Towne which hath a faire Temple They are of Elmaheli his Sect and challenge any stranger which comes amongst them to dispute In Hantera are many Iewes of the Carraim Sect The fourth Region of this Kingdom is Guzzula confining with the Hill Ilda on the West Atlas on the North Hea on the East They haue no walled Townes but great Villages neither haue they King or Gouernour the cause of Ciuill Warres amongst them yet doe they obserue three dayes in a Weeke truce when euery man may trauell or batter safely A certaine Heremite who was reputed a Saint was Authour of this three dayes truce in each weeke Hee had but one eye I my selfe sayth Leo saw him and found him to bee trustie courteous and liberall Duccala the fifth Region lyeth betweene Tensift and the Ocean Habib and Omirabih At Azaphi the Prince was in Leo's time murthered at Church while he was in his deuotions by a subiect who was chosen Gouernour but the Portugals obtayned the place Azamur a Citie exceedingly addicted to Sodomie was also punished with Portugall slauerie and most of the Countrey thereabouts In the Hill called Greene-hill liue many Heremites of the fruits onely there growing Here are many Altars and Saints after the Mahumetan fashion Mahumet King of Fez in the yeere of our Lord 1512. passed this way with his Armie and at euery Altar made a stand and there kneeling would thus say My God thou knowest that my intent of comming to this wilde place is onely to helpe and free the people of Duccala from the wicked and rebellious Arabians and from our cruell enemies the Christians and if thou doest not approue it let thy scourge light onely on my person for these people that follow me deserue not to be punished Hence he sent me Ambassadour to Marocco Hascora the sixt Region of Marocco is situate betweene the Riuer Tensift and Quadelhabid . Alemdio in Hascora was conquered to the King of Fez by a Merchant whose Paramour the Prince had taken away for which adulterie he was by the Iudges condemned to be stoned The Prince of Temcenes was so addicted to Arabian poetrie that hee gaue Leo then a youth of sixteene yeeres old
of the Ancients which is part of Barbary but more Southerly nor hath this Libya of Leo the same bounds with that of the ancient Geographers The Easterne border is Ehoacat a Citie distant one hundred miles from Aegypt the Westerne is the Atlantike Ocean the Northerne Atlas the Southerne Libya This is the basest part of Africa the Cosmographers not deigning it the name of a Kingdome the inhabitants thereof are in many places so farre distant from any other As for example Tesset a Citie of foure hundred Housholds is seperated from all other habitations three hundred miles Some places thereof are better peopled The Numidia described by Ptolomey Mela and Plinie is of a farre lesse bounds and is rather a part of Barbary then of this which wee heere describe called saith Plinie Metagonitis and famous for nothing but Marble and wilde beasts The Numidae called Nomades of their Pastorall life and change of Pastures carrying their houses on their Carts The Cities whereof were Cyrtha called now Constantina and Iol now as some write Bugia The Numidians are notorious for excessiue Venerie For the Religion of these whom Leo tearmeth Numidians hee saith That in olde time they worshipped certayne Planets and sacrificed to them and were like to the Persians in worship of the Sunne and the Fire to both which they built Temples and like the Vestals in Rome kept the fire continually burning Christian Religion began to quench this Fire as is thought in the Apostles dayes which after was peruerted by Arrianisme subuerted by Mahometisme Iewish Religion had heere some footing also before that Christianitie was Preached to them The Numidians liue long but lose their Teeth betimes sowre sauce for their sweet Dates and their eyes also pay vntimely tributes to the Sands which the windes very busily and often send as their Searchers and Customers till at last they can see to pay them no more In all Numidia the French disease as wee terme it is vnknowne and in Libya I haue knowne saith Leo an hundred persons that haue beene cured of that maladie onely by passing ouer Atlas and breathing this ayre This disease was not heard of in Africa till King Ferdinand expelled the Iewes out of Spaine and the Moores by lying with the Iewes wiues got the same and generally infected Barbary calling it therefore the Spanish disease The Plague also infecteth Barbary once in ten fifteene or fiue and twentie yeeres and destroyeth great multitudes because they haue little regard or remedie for it In Numidia it is scarce knowne once to happen in an hundred yeeres and in the Land of Negroes neuer Worse diseases then Pox or Plague possesse the Numidians namely ignorance of Diuine Morall and Naturall knowledge Treason Murther Robberie without all respect of any thing If any of them are hired in Barbary they are employed in base Offices Scullians Dung-farmers and what not Neither are the Libyans or Negroes much better Of the Numidians and Libyans are fiue peoples Zenaga Guenzaga Terga Lemta and Berdeua and liue all after the same manner and order that is without manners or order at all There garments of base cloath scarce couer halfe their bodie The Gentlemen Gentlemen must pardon me the abasing of the Name to bee distinguished from the rest weare a jacket of blew Cotton with wide sleeues Their Steeds are Camels on which they ride without Stirrops or Saddles and vse a goad in stead of Spurres and a leather fastened in a hole bored thorow the gristles of the Camels nose serues them for a Bridle Mattes made of Rushes are their Beds and Wooll growing on their Date-trees yeelds matter for their Tents Their food is often-times patience with an emptie belly which when they fill bread or meate after any sort is absent Onely they haue their Camels milke whereof they drinke a dish-full next their heart and certaine dry flesh sodde in Butter and Milke euery one with his hands raking out his share of these dainties after drinking the broath and then drinke vp a cup of Milke and Supper is done Whiles Milke lasteth they care not for water especially in the Spring-time all which season some neuer wash hands or face because they neuer goe to the places where they may haue Water And the Camels haue ioyned with their masters in this neerenesse not regarding water whiles they may feed on grasse All their life or that space rather before they dye not worthy the name of life is spent in Hunting and robbing their enemies not staying aboue three or foure dayes in a place as long as the Grasse will serue their Camels They haue ouer euery Tribe One in manner of a King whom they honour and obey Very rarely is a Iudge found amongst them and to him such as are litigious ride sometimes fiue or sixe dayes iourney Him will they amply reward with a thousand Duckats more or lesse by the yeere As for Letters Arts Vertue they dwel not in these Desarts They are very jealous which is the death of many Yet are they liberall after their manner to Strangers as I my selfe it is Leos report can testifie For going ouer the Desarts with a Carauan of Merchants the Prince of Zanaga encountred vs with fiue hundred men on Camels and caused vs to pay our Customes and then inuited vs to his Tents There did hee kill many Camels to feast vs both young and old and as many gelded and Ostriches which they had taken in the way And when the Merchants shewed themselues loth that hee should make such slaughters of them he said That it were shame to entertaine them with small Cattell onely being strangers So wee had Roast and Boyled and Bread of Panike very fine and Dates great plentie Hee honoured our companie with his presence but he ate together with his Nobles seperate from vs and had with him certaine Religious and Learned men to sit with him which all the Meale-time touched no Bread but onely Flesh and Milke the reason the Prince gaue vs because they were borne in the Desarts where no Corne grew Onely they ate Bread on certaine solemne Feasts as at Easter and day of Sacrifices Thus did this liberall Prince spend on vs ten times the value of his Customes After this manner also liue the Africans called Soana The Tracts of Numidia most in name are these Data which extendeth it selfe two hundred and fiftie miles in length where are great store of Date-trees whereof some are male and some female the first brings forth onely Flowers the other Fruit And they take a flowred bough of the male and engraft it in the female otherwise the Dates proue nought and almost all stone They feed their Goates with the stones of the Dates beaten and therewith they grow fatte and yeeld store of Milke Segelmesse was built if any list to beleeue Bicri an African Cosmogropher by Alexander the Great Heere were certaine Colledges and Temples The people of the Countrey liued on Dates
it was harder for a Christian to bee saued then a Negro because God was a iust God and Lord who had giuen to vs many good things in this World to them nothing in comparison who should therefore in the other World haue their Paradise which heere they wanted Easily might he haue beene turned to Christianity but for feare of losing his State His Wiues prouide him his dyet as it is vsuall among the Negros and none but his Priests and some principall men eate with him which is after a beastly sort lying on the ground the dish set in the middest and all taking out the meate with their hands They eate little at once but eate often foure or fiue times a day From October to Iune it raines not there They haue great Serpents and many which they vse to charme and the Prince when hee would poyson his Weapons did as was reported make a great Circle and enchanted by his Charmes all the Serpents thereabouts thereinto and then killed that which seemed to him most venemous letting the rest goe with the bloud thereof and the Seed of a certaine Tree he tempered a poyson for that purpose with which a Weapon infected drawing neuer so little bloud did kill in a quarter of an houre They haue great store of Parrats which are instructed by a maruellous naturall cunning to preuent the Serpents which would else destroy their nests They build therefore on high trees and on the end of some tender bough thereof they fasten a Bul-rush which hangs downe two spannes thereunto weauing and working their nest in such sort that the Serpents for feare of falling dare not aduenture to deale therewith The Negros came about Cadamosto with wonder to see his apparell and the whitenesse of his colour neuer before had they seene any Christian and some of them with spittle rubbed his skinne to see whether his whitenesse were naturall or no which perceiuing it to bee no tincture they were out of measure astonished They would then giue nine or sometimes fourteene slaues for a Horse furnished And when they buy a Horse they wil bring some of their Enchanters which make a fire of herbes and set the Horse ouer the smoke vttering certaine words and after that anoint him with a thin oyntment and shut him vp twenty dayes that none may see him hanging certaine trumpery about his necke thinking that hereby they are more secure in battle Gunnes seemed to them for their hideous noyse to be of the Deuill Lag-pipes they thought to be a liuing creature that thus sang in variable accents But when they were suffered to handle them they thought them to bee some heauenly thing that God had made with his owne hands to sound so sweetly They beheld the Shippe with great curiositie and eyes that were carued in the Prow of the Shippe they tooke to bee eyes indeed by which it saw how to direct the course at Sea They said the Christians that could thus make Voyages by Sea were great Enchanters and comparable to the Deuill themselues had enough to doe to trauell by Land Seeing a Candle burne in the night they which knew not to make any light but their fires esteemed it wonderfull Honey they haue which they sucke out of the Combes but the Waxe they hurled away till they were instructed how to make Candles thereof Senega Boterus saith comes from the Lakes Chelonidi Sanutus affirmeth that Senega is the same which Ptolemey cals Darandus Gambea or Gambra that which hee cals Stachie and Rio Grande is Niger Cadamosto doubled the Promontorie called Cape Verde or the greene Cape because of the greene trees which the Portugals which had first discouered it in the yeere before found there growing in abundance as Cape Blanco or the White Cape was so called of the White Sands there The Inhabitants they found were of two sorts Barbacini and Sereri They haue no Prince They are great Idolaters and haue no Law but are very cruell They poyson their Arrowes with which and the situation of their Countrey they haue preserued themselues from the Kings of Senega In Gambra they were some Idolaters of diuers sorts some Mahumetans They were also great Enchanters Their liuing as at Senega saue that they eate Dogges flesh Heere the Prince hunted an Elephant and gaue them to eate the flesh is strong and vnsauoury The Elephants delight in mire like Swine They hunt them in the Woodes for in the Plaines an Elephant would without running soone take and kill the swiftest man whom yet they hurt not except they be first prouoked if with comming and often turning hee bee not disappointed Here was a kind of fish Cadomosto calleth it Cauallo and his Latine Interpreter Piscis Caballinus I take it for the Hippopotamus or Riuer-horse which is sayth he as bigge as a Cow his legges short with tuskes like to a Bores but so great that I haue seene one of two spannes and longer clouen-footed and headed like a Horse hee liueth on both Elements sometimes in the Water other-whiles on the Land The women vpon their brests neckes and armes had certaine workes done with a Needles point heated in the fire in manner as with vs they worke hand-kerchiefes This being done in their youth would neuer out The like flesh-branded workes they vse at Cape Sagres as Pietro de Sintra a Portugall obserued vpon their bodies and faces The Inhabitants there are Idolaters and worship Images of Wood to whom they offer some of their Meate and Drinke when they goe to their meales The goe naked couering their priuie parts with the barkes of trees This is in Guinea A little from thence they found men who vsed as great brauery in their eares which they bored full of holes and weare therein Rings of Golde in rowes or rankes They weare one great Ring in another hole bored thorow their Nose like to Buffles in Italy which when they eate their meate they tooke away The men and women of sort weare such Rings also in their lips in like sort as in their eares an Ensigne of their Nobility and greatnesse which they put in and out at pleasure Beyond the Riuer of Palmes they found others thus beringed and for greater gallantry weare about their neckes certaine Chaines of teeth seeming to bee the teeth of men They tooke a Negro whom they carried into Portugall who affirmed if a woman which onely could vnderstand him did interpret him rightly that in his Countrey were Vnicornes HONDIVS his Map of Guinea GVINEA §. III. Other Obseruations of later times by Englishmen and others ANd these Countreyes haue since beene sought to by French Flemish and many of our English Merchants In the yeere 1553. Thomas Windham and Anthony Pindeado a Portugall in two English ships traded alongst those Coasts as farre as Benin where they presented themselues to the King who sate in a great Hall the wals whereof were made of Earth without windowes the roofe of thinne boards open in
them prisoners that one Sunne onely may shine in that Ethiopian Throne It is situate in a great Plaine largely extending it selfe euery way without other hill in the same for the space of 30. leagues the forme thereof round and circular the height such that it is a daies worke to ascend from the foot to the top round about the rock is cut so smooth and euen without any vnequall swellings that it seemeth to him that stands beneath like a high wall wheron the Heauen is as it were propped and at the top it is ouer-hanged with rocks jutting forth of the sides the space of a mile bearing out like mushromes so that it is impossible to ascend it or by ramming with earth battering with Canon scaling or otherwise to win it It is aboue 20. leagues in circuit compassed with a wall on the top well wrought that neither man nor beast in chase may fall downe The top is a plaine field onely toward the South is a rising Hil beautifying this Plaine as it were with a watch-tower not seruing alone to the eye but yeelding also a pleasant spring which passeth through all that Plaine paying his tributes to euery Garden that will exact it and making a Lake whence issueth a Riuer which hauing from these tops espied Nilus neuer leaues seeking to finde him whom he cannot leaue both to seeke and finde that by his direction and conueyance hee may together with him present himselfe before the Father and great King of waters the Sea The way vp to it is cut out within the Rooke not with staires but ascending by little and little that one may ride vp with ease it hath also holes cut to let in light and at the foote of this ascending place a faire gate with a Corpus du Guarde Halfe way vp is a faire and spacious Hall cut out of the same Rocke with three windowes very large vpwards the ascent is about the length of a lance and a halfe and at the top is a gate with another guard The aire aboue is wholesome and delectable and they liue there very long and without sicknesse There are no Cities on the top but palaces standing by themselues in number foure and thirtie spacious sumptuous and beautifull where the Princes of the Royall bloud haue their abode with their Families The Souldiers that guard the place dwell in Tents There are two Temples built before the raigne of the Queene of Saba one in honour of the Sunne the other of the Moone the most magnificent in all Ethiopia which by Caudace when shee was conuerted to the Christian faith were consecrated in the name of the Holy Ghost and of the Crosse At that time they tell Caudace ascending with the Eunuch whose proper name was Iudica to baptize all of the Royall bloud which were there kept Zacharie the eldest of them was in his baptisme named Philip in remembrance of Philips conuerting the Eunuch which caused all the Emperours to be called by that name till Iohn the Saint who would be called Iohn because he was crowned on Saint Iohns day and while they were busie in that holy worke of baptizing the Princes a Doue in fierie forme came flying with beames of light and lighted on the highest Temple dedicated to the Sunne whereupon it was afterwards consecrated to the Holy Ghost by Saint Matthew the Apostle when he preached in Ethiopia Those two Temples were after that giuen to the Monasticall Knights of the Militarie Order of Saint Anthonie by Philip the seuenth with two great and spacious Couents built for them I should lose both you and my selfe if I should leade you into their sweet flourishing and fruitfull gardens whereof there are store in this Plaine curiously made and plentifully furnished with fruits both of Europe plants there as Peares Pippins and such like and of their owne as Oranges Citrons Limons and the rest Cedars Palme-trees with other Trees and varietie of herbes and flowers to satisfie the sight taste and sent But I would entertayne you onely with rarities no where else to be found and such is the Cubayo tree pleasant beyond all comparison in taste and whereunto for the vertue is imputed the health and long life of the Inhabitants and the Balme tree whereof there is great store here and hence it is thought the Queene of Saba carried and gaue to Salomon who planted them in Iudaea from whence they were transplanted at Cairo long after The plentie of Graines and Corne there growing the charmes of birds alluring the eares with their warbling Notes and fixing the eyes on their colours ioyntly agreeing in beautie by their disagreeing varietie and other Creatures that adorne this Paradise might make me glut you as sweet meates vsually doe with too much store Let vs herefore take view of some other things worthy our admiration in this admired Hill taking the Friar for our guide whose credit I leaue to your censure §. II. His liberall reports of the Librarie and incredible treasures therein SVch is the stately building of the two Churches aforesaid with their Monasteries the pillars and roofes of stone richly and cunningly wrought the matter and the workmanship conspiring magnificence that of Iasper Alabaster Marble Porphetie this with painting gilding and much curiositie the two Monasteries contayning each of them 1500. religious Knights and Monkes each hauing also two Abbots one of the militarie Knights the other spirituall of the Monkes inferior to the former In the Monasterie of the Holy Crosse are two rare peeces whereon Wonder may iustly fasten both her eyes the Treasurie and Librarie of the Emperor neither of which is thought to be marchable in the world That Librarie of Constantinople wherein were 120000. bookes nor that at Pergamus of 200000. nor the Alexandrian Librarie wherein Gellius numbreth 700000. had the fire not beene admitted too hastie a Student to consume them yet had they come short if report ouer-reach not of this whereof wee speake their number is in a manner innumerable their price inestimable The Queene of Saba they say procured bookes hither from all parts besides many which Salomon gaue her and from that time to this their Emperors haue succeeded in like care and diligence There are three great Halls each aboue two hundred paces large with bookes of all Sciences written in fine parchment with much curiositie of golden Letters and other workes and cost in the writing binding and couers some on the floore some on shelues about the sides there are few of paper which is but a new thing in Ethiopia There are the writings of Enoch copied out of the stones wherein they were engrauen which entreat of Philosophy of the Heauens and Elements Others go vnder the name of Noe the subiect whereof is Cosmography Mathematikes Ceremonies and Prayers some of Abraham which he composed when he dwelt in the Valley of Mamre and there read publikely Philosophy and the Mathematikes There is very much of Salomon a great number passing
of the Election they had been inclosed to kisse his hand and sweare fidelity cloathed in the habite of the Knights of St Anthony the same oath is giuen also by the Kings his Vassals foure of which are present at the Election the Counsellors Prelates and others according to their place After this fires are made on the Towres of the Mount to giue notice of this Election which being seene by the neerer Cities they also by the like fires as it were proclaime the same in a moment through all the Empire which is confirmed by Posts sent thence on Dromedaries by the Abbot of the Abbey of the Holy Ghost one of the Electors and the Councell vnto the Citie of Saba and the mother of the New-Elect if she be liuing and to his neere kindred to come and reioyce with him The next day the Emperour goeth in black habite to the Palace where the Princes are and saluteth them with kinde embracements one by one with his Bonnet in his hand which is done in the next place by the Prelates whom in honour of their Ecclesiasticall dignities the Princes re-salute standing with their heads vncouered The tributarie Kings follow not with embracements but kissing their hands rendring their salutations and after them the Embassadors The Emperour hauing remained sometime in priuate talke with them goeth to the Abbey of the Holy Ghost and putting off his black habite is clothed in Scarlet and being on horsebacke attended with his Family the Abbots and Counsellors passeth to the Abbot of the Holy-Crosse where the two Abbots of that Abbey meet him and after oath giuen to preserue the ancient customes present him with the keyes of the Treasurie and Library the Emperour bestowing as much of the said Treasure as he pleaseth After all other ceremonies the Counsellors of the Court come to the hill with 12000 Knights of Saint Anthonies Order which are the Emperours Guard and the eldest Sons of the King to conuey him solemnly to Zambra the Citie where Court and Councell reside where with all solemnity and magnificence he is likewise receiued and conducted into the Palace and placed on his Throne of twelue steps with acclamations of long life and happinesse on all hands Fiue dayes Festiuall being here passed in al publike reioycings he goeth to Saba to take the oaths of all his subiect Kings in person whereof onely foure had been present at the Election and one holding the Crowne another the Scutchion of the Armes of that tributarie King he sweareth on the Scepter which is a golden crosse true fidelitie and obedience and the Emperour puts on the Crowne againe on his head and the said Scutcheon with his Armes he giueth into his hand and licenceth him to depart to his Pauillion without the Citie These Kings are truely Kings and succeed in the inheritance of their Fathers receiuing the tribute of the subiects of their seueral Kingdomes and are not Deputies or Vice-Royes at the meere pleasure of the Emperour but if one bee vpon iust cause displaced his sonne succeedeth and therefore the Prete is called King of Kings The eldest sonne of euery of the Kings attend alwayes on the Emperour and haue attending on them ten seruants of the sonnes of the Nobles of their Kingdomes The Emperour is bound by ancient custome to take a wife of the posteritie of those three Magi which adored Christ in his infancie whom the Aethiopian and Romane Tradition calleth Kings by the names of Gaspar Melchior Balthasar of which the Aethiopians say that Melchior was of Arabia and Balthasar of Persia which being forced by persecution of Arrians came into Aethiopia in the time of Iohn the Saint which raigned after Philip the 7 and receiued of his hands the Kingdomes of Fatigar and Soa the former giuen to the posterity of Balthasar the other to the linage of Melchior The Fryer addeth That all the legitimate descendents of these three Families are born with a starre on one of their sides and that at the Jubile in the time of Gregory the thirteenth 1575. there were three of those three Families at Rome with that naturall ensigne of the supernaturall miraculous Star Yea the legitimate Mahumetans in Arabia Persia remaining of those kindreds haue the same signe as Don Iohn sware to him that he had seene The Councell gouerneth according to the 127. Statutes made by the first Philips and Iohn the Saint Nothing is punished with death but treason vnder which name they also comprehend murther adultery of this mortall sentence the Lyons are the Executioners which in euery Citie are kept for that purpose Some Italians had been found guilty of the sin against Nature a thing for which the Aethiopians as some of the ancients for Parricide had no Law as not thinking any would so far degenerate and therefore knew not how to punish them but it was committed to the Latine Councell which adiudged them to bee burned a punishment not knowne before in those parts yet fitting to those vnnaturall burnings The fault and punishment being of equall trangenesse the Emperour would not haue it executed there but sent them to Goa to the Portugall Viceroy for that purpose Heresie and Apostasie are likewise punished with death That Latine Councell was instituted by Alexander the third for causes and persons of Europe to be tryed and iudged by Iudges of their owne resident at the Court as the Grand Councell is and chosen of each Nation two of the Venetians Florentines and Portugals the two former come thither by the way of Cairo Andrew Ouiedo a Iesuite sent thither by the Pope with the title of Bishop of Hierapolis and after Barretus his death his Successor in the Patriarch-ship of Aethiopia was Author and Counseller to the Emperour of this Institution and by him made President of the same This man Botero Maffaeus and others say had miserable entertainment with the residue of his society but by Fryer Luys from the relation of Don Iohn tels That he liued and dyed in great honour amongst them as he doth elsewhere magnifie exceedingly their respect to the Romane Papacy and Religion Credat Iudeus Apela Cui bono is the rule of my faith to Fryers and Iesuites in their Relations In Naturall and Morall Histories which serue not to the building of Babylons Towre I receiue them with attention with thanks and if need be with admiration in some things but when them come with Slime in stead of Morter and would get Rome a Name I remember their Vowes and Profession and yeeld no further attendance That Claudius which was then Emperour and his Successor Adamas were of Scismaticall and Tyrannicall quality as other Historians affirme Frier Luys not onely denies but extolleth their good parts He which now is Emperour was elected An. 1606. and called himselfe Zaraschaureat a sprout or bud of the linage of Dauid assister of Saint Peter and Saint Paul He is a man haughtie and valorous and was therefore chosen
came to his Ships side such aboundance of Fish of all sorts that they might therewith haue fraught themselues for their returne if Hudson had not too desperately pursued the Voyage neglecting this oportunitie of storing themselues with fish which hee committed to the care of certaine carelesse dissolute Villaines which in his absence conspired against him in few dayes the fish all forsooke them Once a Sauage visited them who for a knife glasse and beads giuen him returned with Beuers skins Deeres skins and a Sled At Hudsons returne they set sayle for England But in few dayes their victuals being almost spent and hee out of his despaire letting fall some words of setting some on shore the former Conspirators the chiefe whereof was Hen. Greene none of their allowed Company but taken in by Hudson himselfe and one Wilson entred his Cabin in the night and forced him the Master together with his sonne Iohn Hudson Tho. Widowes Arn. Ludlo Sidraoh Fauor Ad. Moore Hen. King Mic. Bute to take Shallop and seeke their fortune But see what sinceritie can doe in the most desperate tryals One Philip Staffe an Ipswich man who according to his name had beene a principall staffe and stay to the weaker and more enfeebled courages of his Companions in the whole action lightening and inlightening their drooping darkened spirits with sparkes from his owne resolution their best Purueyor with his Peece on shore and both a skilfull Carpenter and lusty Mariner on boord when hee could by no perswasions seasoned with teares diuert them from their diuellish designes notwithstanding they entreated him to stay with them yet chose rather to commit himselfe to Gods mercy in the forlorne Shallop then with such Villaines to accept of likelier hopes A few dayes after their victuals being spent the ship came aground at Digges Iland and so continued diuers houres till a great floud which they by this accident tooke first notice of came from the Westward and set them on flote Vpon the Cliffes of this Iland they found aboundance of Fowles tame whereof they tooke two or three hundred and seeing a greas long Boat with forty or fifty Sauages vpon the shore they sent on Land and for some of their toyes had Deeres skinnes well dressed Morse-teeth and some few Furres One of our men went on land to their Tents one of theirs remaining for hostage in which Tents they liued by hoords men women and children they are bigge-boned broad-faced flat-nosed and small-footed like the Tartars their Apparell of skinnes but wrought all very handsomely euen Gloues and Shooes The next morning Greene would needs goe on shore with some of his chiefe companions and that vnarmed notwithstanding some aduised and intreated him the contrary The Sauages entertained him with a cunning ambush and at the first onset shot this mutinous Ringleader into the heart where first those those Monsters of treacherie and bloody crueltie now payed with the like had beene conceiued end Wilson his Brother in euill had the like bloody inheritance dying swearing and cursing Perse Thomas and Moter dyed a few dayes after of their wounds Euery where can Diuine Iustice finde Executioners The Boat by Gods blessing with some hurt men escaped in this manner One Abacucke Pricket a seruant of Sir Dudley Digges whom the Mutiners had saued in hope to procure his Master to worke their pardon was left to keepe the Shallop where he sate in a gowne sicke and lame at the sterne vpon whom at the instant of the ambush the leader of all the Sauages leapt from a Rocke and with a strange kinde of weapon indented broad and sharpe of bright steele riueted into a handle of Morse-tooth gaue him diuers cruell wounds before hee could from vnder his gowne draw a small Scottish-Dagger wherewith at one thrust into his side he killed this Sauage and brought him off with the Boat and some of the hurt company that got to him by swimming Being got aboord with a small weake and wounded company they made from this Iland vnto the Northerne Continent where they saw a large opening of the Sea North-West-ward and had a great floud with such a large Billow as they say is no where but in the Ocean From hence they made all possible haste home-wards passing the whole Straits and so home without euer striking sayle or any other let which might easily haue made it impossible For their best sustenance left them was Sea-weeds fryed with Candles ends and the skins of the Fowles they had eaten Some of their men were starued the rest all so weake that onely one could lye along vpon the Helme and steere By Gods great goodnesse the sixt of September 1611. they met with a Fisherman of Foy by whose meanes they came safe into England §. VII Of BVTTONS and BAFFINS late Discoueries THis newes so incouraged the Aduenturers that by the gracious assistance of that Starre of the North Illustrious Sonne of Britaines brightest Sunne and in his presence shining with beauteous beames in this and euen to that further Hemisphere but with speedier setting raised aboue the Sunne and Spheres and Starres to discouer the Straits and passage to a better World there to shine with light vnspeakeable in the fruition of that light inaccessible with the Father of Lights and Sunne of Righteousnesse For how could a worldly Kingdome though the Kingdome of the World deserue so good so great a spirit to rule it But these my words are too short an Epitaph his owne Name euen after death speakes more and proclaimeth in a few Letters al humane Greatnesse Great Britaines great hope PRINCE HENRY the Aduenturers I say whom my weaker eyes dazled with this greater Light could scarce recouer by this Princely assistance pursued the action in more Royall fashion with greater shipping vnder the command of a Worthy Sea-man seruant to Prince HENRY Captaine Thomas Button whose Discouerie of a great Continent called by him new-New-Wales and other accidents of his Voyage I haue not seene onely I haue seene a Chart of those discouered places and I heare that he passed Hudsons Straits and leauing Hudsons Bay to the South sailed aboue two hundred Leagues South-West-Ward ouer a Sea aboue fourescore fathoms deepe without sight of Land which at length hee found to be another great Bay And after much misery of sicknesse in his wintering notwithstanding he was forced to quit the great ship hee beat and searched the whole Bay with very great industrie euen backe againe almost to Digges Iland neere which hee found the comming in of the great and strong tyde from the North-West which feeds both those huge Bayes This seemed strange that in this Voyage as he searched many Leaguee East West he found the variation of the Compasse to rise and fall in an admirable proportion as if the true Magneticall Pole might be discouered The comming in of the floud from the Northwest giuing them hopes of a passage in March 1614. Captaine
knowne and honourably entertayned I had now gotten foure or fiue Seruants Dutch and English The Burgomasters sent mee a Present of Fish Flesh and Wines taking notice of the fauours I had done to them and theirs diuers came with thankfull acknowledgement of their Redemption by my meanes and Purse from Moscouite and Tartarian Captiuity and presented me with a Boll couer guilt in it Ricks Dollers and Hungarian Duckets which Coyne I returned againe They brought mee their Towne Booke and prayed mee to write my Name and place of Birth and abode that they and their Posteritie might honour my Name in Record for euer At Hamburgh likewise they for like cause presented me their thankes and Present and the Burgomasters feasted me I landed at Harwich opened my Aquauitae Bottle which had beene girt close vnder my Caffocke by day and my best Pillow by night and tooke thence the Emperours Letters which I sweetned aswell as I could But yet the Queene smelt the Aquauitae-sauour I had accesse three or foure seuerall times and some discourse by meanes of my Lord Treasurer Sir Francis Walsingham and some honourable countenance of my Lord of Leister by Sir Edward Horsey my Kinsman his meanes I was well entertayned by the Muscouie Company to whom the Queene had giuen command to prepare those things for which the Emperour had giuen directions With which and her Maiesties Letters gracious fauour sworne her Seruant Esquire of the Body giuing me her Picture Hand to kisse I departed in company of twelue tall Ships Wee met with the King of Denmarke his Fleet of Shippes and Gallies neere the North Cape fought with them and put them to the worst and after arriued at S. Nicolas I posted ouer Vaga and came to Slobida Alexandrisca where I deliuered the Queenes Letters to the Emperour with her pleasure by word of mouth short of his expectation He commanded my silence commended my speed and businesse done for him gaue me allowanances and promised his goodnesse for recompence of my seruice He commanded also that those Commodities should be brought vp to the Musco and receiued into his Treasury viz. Copper Lead Powder Salt-peeter Brimstone c. to the value of 9000. pounds and ready mony payd for them He came to the Citie of Musco and cast his displeasure vpon some Grandes hee sent a Parasite of his with 200. Gunners to rob his Brother in Law Mekita Romanowich our next Neighbour which tooke from him all his Armour Horses Plate Mony Lands and Goods to the value of 100000. Marks sterling He sent the next day to the English House for as much course Cotton as would make himselfe and his children Gownes to couer them The Emperour sent likewise Simon Nagoy another of his Instruments to squeeze or spunge Andrew Shalkan a great bribing Officer who brought his faire young Wife Solumaneda out of her Chamber defiled her cut and gashed her naked backe with his Cemitar killed his trusty Seruant Iuan Lottish tooke all his Horses Goods and Lands and beat out of his shinnes 10000. Robles or Markes sterling in mony At that time did the Emperour also conceiue displeasure against the Dutchmen and Liuonians before mentioned to whom a Church and libertie of Religion had beene giuen by my meanes and appointed certaine Captaines with 2000. Gunners in the night to take the spoile of all they had who stripped them naked rauished and defloured the women and virgins carrying away diuers of the youngest and fairest to serue their lusts Some escaping came to the English house where they were cloathed and relieued not without danger of displeasure amongst whom was that daughter of the Gouernour of Osell in Liefland commended to my fauour whose freedome I also afterwards procured and conueyed her to her father His crueltie grew now ripe for vengeance and hee not long after falling out with his eldest Sonne for his commiseration to those distressed Christians and for greeuing at his Vnkles wrongs iealous also of the peoples affection to him gaue him a boxe on the eare as it was tearmed which he tooke so tenderly that hee fell into a burning Feuer and in three dayes departed this life Whereat the Emperour tore his haire and beard like a mad man lamenting too late for that irrecouerable losse not to himselfe so much as to the Empire whose hopes were buried with him being a wise milde and worthy Prince of three and twenty yeeres Hee was buried in Michala Archangell Church in the Musco with Iewels and Riches put in his Tombe valued at 50000. pounds watched after by twelue Citizens in course euery night deuoted to his Saint Iohn and Michael to keepe both body and Treasure till his Resurrection Now was the Emperour more earnest to send into England about his long conceited match his second Sonne being weake of wit and body without hope of ability for gouernment and the third not only young but disallowed in Sanctitie and according to the fundamentall Lawes illegitimate borne out of Wedlocke of the fift vnlawfull Wife not solemnised with the Rites of their Church but in the Church-yard by a depriued and excommunicated Prelate in which respect neyther she nor her Issue were capeable of the Crowne The Emperour peruseth the Queenes last Letters and addresseth one of his trustiest Seruants in Embassage Theodore Pissempskeie a wise Nobleman about the Lady Mary Hastings aforesaid and that her Maiesty would bee pleased to send some Noble Embassadour to treate with him therein This Embassadour tooke shipping at Saint Nicolas and arriuing in England was magnificently entertayned and admitted audience Her Maiesty caused that Lady to bee attended with diuers Ladies and young Noblemen that so the Embassadour might haue a sight of her which was accomplished in Yorke House Garden There was he attended also with diuers men of quality brought before her and casting downe his countenance fell prostrate before her and rising ranne backe with his face still towards her The Lady with the rest admiring at this strange salutation hee sayd by an Interpreter it sufficed him to behold the Angelicall presence of her which hee hoped should bee his Masters Spouse and Empresse seeming rauished with her Angelicall countenance state and beauty Shee was after that by her familiar friends in Court called Empresse of Mosconia Sir William Russell third Sonne to the Earle of Bedford a wise and comely Gentleman was appointed her Maiesties Ambassadour to the Moscoune but hee and his Friends considering of the businesse and not so forward thereto the Company of Merchants intreated for Sir Ierome Bowes mooued theretowith his presence and tall person He was well set forth most at their charge and with the Russian Embassadour arriued at S. Nicolas The Emperours Ambassadour posted ouer land and deliuered his Letters with the accounts of his Embassage which was ioyfully accepted Sir I. B. passed slowly vp the Dwina 1000. miles to Vologda The Emperour sends a Pensioner Michael Preterpopoue
well attended to meet him and make his prouisions At Yeraslaue another Querry of the Stable met him At Musco hee was honourably entertayned Knez Iuan Suetzcoie attended with 300. Horse brought him to his lodging Sauelle Frolloue the Secretary was sent to congratulate his welcome with many dishes of dressed meate and promise of best accommodating The next day the Emperour sent a Noble man Ignatie Tatishoue to visit him with faire words and promise of speediest audience which was on Satturday following About nine of the clocke the streets were filled with people and a thousand Gunners attired in yellow and blue Garments set in rankes by the Captaines on Horsebacke with bright Harquebuses in their hands from the Ambassadours doore to the Emperours Palace Knez Iuan Sitzcoie attended him mounted on a faire Gennet richly bedecked with a faire Gelding well furnished for the Embassadour attended with three hundred Gentlemen gallantly adorned The Embassadour being displeased that the Dukes Horse was better then his mounted on his owne Horse and with his thirty men liveried in Stamell Clokes well set forth each hauing a part of his Present being most Plate marched onward to the Kings Palace where another Duke met him and told him that the Emperour stayed for him He answered that hee came as fast as he could By the way the people ghessing at the vnpleasingnesse of his message cryed Carenke that is Cranes-legs in mockage of him whereat hee stormed much The passage stayres and Roomes thorow which hee was conducted were all beset with Merchants and Gentlemen in Golden Coats His men entred before him with their Presents into the Roome where the Emperour sate in his Robes and Maiesty with his three Crownes before him foure young Noble men called Ryndes shining in their Cloth of beaten Siluer with foure Scepters or bright Siluer Hatchets in their hands on each side of him the Prince and other his great Dukes and Nobles in rankes sitting round about him The Emperour stood vp and the Embassadour making his courtesies deliuers the Queenes Letters which hee receiued and put off his Imperiall Cap asking how his louing Sister Queene Elizabeth did His answere made he sate downe on a side forme couered with a Carpet and after some little pause and mutuall view was dismissed in manner as hee came and his Dinner of two hundred dishes of dressed meats sent after him by a Gentleman of qualitie I was forewarned by my secret and best friends not to intermeddle in those businesses Some secret and publike conferences passed but good note was taken that none of the great Family of the Godonoues were consulted with therein The King feasts the Embassadour grants great allowance of daily prouision and nothing would please him yea he made great complaints about friuolous matters The Merchants and the Emperours Officers were reconciled in their accounts grieuances remedied Priuiledges granted and an Embassadour to the Queene resolued on if Sir I. B. could haue conformed himselfe to the time any thing might haue beene yeelded yea he promised that if his Marriage with the Queenes Kinswoman tooke effect her issue should inherit the Crowne for assurance whereof he had a masse of ready treasure presently to be transported with his Embassadour vnto Queene Elizabeths trust The Clergy and Noblity especially the neerest allied to the old Empresse the Princes wife and her Family of the Godonoues found meanes to crosse all these Designes The King much distracted in fury caused many Witches Magicians or Wors presently to be sent for out of the North where there are many betweene Colmogro and Lappia Threescore of them were brought post to Musco where they were guarded dyeted and daily visited by the Emperours great Fauourite Bodan Belscoy to receiue from them their Diuinations or Oracles on the Subiects giuen them in charge by the Emperour Note that a great blasing Star and other prodigious sights were seene a moneth together euery night ouer Musco that yeere This Fauorite now sought to serue the turne of the rising Sunne wearied with the wicked disposition of the Emperour The Sooth-sayers tell him that the heauenly Planets and Constellations would produce the Emperours death by such a day But he not daring to tell the Emperour so much said to them that on that day they should be all burned The Emperour began grieuously to swell in his Cods wherewith he had offended so long boasting that he had deflowred thousands of Virgins and a thousand children of his begetting destroyed was carried euery day in his Chaire into his Treasury One day two dayes before the Emperour his death the Prince beckoned to me to follow and I aduenturously stood among the rest and heard him call for his Precious Stones and Iewels He then held discourse to the Nobles about him directing his eye and speech most to Boris Godouona of the nature and properties of his Gemmes of the World compassing Load-stone causing the Wayters to make a Chaine of Needles therewith touched of the Corall also and Turkesse whose beautifull colours sayd he layd on my arme poysoned with inflammation you see are turned pale and declare my death Reach out my Staffe Royall an Vnicornes Horne garnished with very faite Diamonds Rubies Saphires Emeralds and other Precious Stones it cost 70000. Markes sterling bought of Dauid Gowell of the Fulkers of Ausburge seeke out some Spiders caused his Physician Iohannes Eiloff to scrape a Circle thereof vpon the Table and put within it one Spider and after another which burst presently others without the Circle running away from it aliue It is too late it will not preserue me Behold these Precious Stones the Diamond most precious of all other I neuer affected it it restraines Fury and Luxury the powder is poyson Then he points to the Rubie this comforts the Braine and Memory clarifieth congealed bloud That Emerald of the nature of the Rainbow is enemy to all vncleanenesse and though a man cohabit in Lust with his owne Wife this Stone being about them will burst at the spending of Nature The Saphyre I greatly delight in it preserueth and increaseth Nature and Courage reioyceth the heart is pleasing to all the vitall Senses souereigne to the Eyes strengthens the Muscles Hee takes the Onyx in hand c. All these are Gods wonderfull gifts secrets in Nature reuealed to mans vse and contemplation as friends to grace and vertue and Enemies to vice I faint carry me away till another time In the afternoone he peruseth ouer his Will and yet thinkes not to dye His Ghostly Father dares not put him in minde of annointing in holy forme Hee hath beene witched in that place and often vnwitched againe He commands the Master of the Apotheke and the Physicians to prepare a Bath for his solace enquires the goodnesse of the Signe sends his Fauourite to his Witches to know their Calculations Hee tels them the Emperour will bury or burne them all quicke for their Illusions and Lyes the day is comne he is
the Emperours only Vnkle trusted in the third place for the gouernment in the old Emperours Will with Boris who could indure no Competitor two prime Princes made away was bewitched his speech taken suddenly from him I came to visit him hee set pen to paper and writ that hee was bewitched and by whom and should not liue The Protector told me also that Mekita Romanowich was not like to disturbe him long He dyed soone after and the silly Emperour his Nephew fearing his turne next desired he might be shorne a Fryer That Nobleman left three Sonnes of great hope Feodor the eldest for whom I had made aswell as I could a kind of Latine Grammer in the Sclauonian Tongue and Letters He was now enforced to marry and had a Sonne The Protector being iealous of him hee also not long after his Fathers death was made dead to the World and shorne a Fryer made Archbishop of Rostoua His next Brother of no lesse generous spirit not able to dissemble his discontents longer tooke opportunitie to stab the Protector though not so dangerously as hee intended and escaped into Poland where hee and Bodan Belscoy and others at home practised the vtter ruine of Boris and all his Family Meane while I procured many Priuiledges for the English Merchants with Releases Payments Ratifications c. The Protector iealous and fearefull sends Treasure Siluer and Gold Coyne to Sollauetzca Monastery on the Sea side neere the Davish and Swethen Confines that it might be ready as himselfe told me to transport into England holding that his surest refuge in case of necessity It was of infinite value and not pertayning to the Crowne I was now suspected by the discontented Nobility who shewed me not wonted countenance which caused mee to haste away hauing speeded my businesse and Instructions from the Counsell and Merchants Rich Presents were sent from the Emperour for the Queene and Boris sent with secret messages a curious Robe for me of Cloth of Siluer wrought without seame made in Persia with a faire imbroydered Tent wrought Handkerchiefes Shires Towels c. brought by his neere Kinsman I intreatell two fauours for a farwell the freedome of the Liuonian men women and children sent before to Nonogrod in displeasure a Catalogue of their names were taken and they freed by the Letter of Irenia the Empresse the other was the liberty of a Noblemans Sonne of Gilderland Here Sacarius Gilfenberg which neyther the King of Denmarks nor States Letters could before procure which his Mother well recompensed After rich allowance by the way honourably attended and ample prouisions added at Saint Nicolas I was shipped in the Centurion and after fiue weekes arriued in England at Pâ—eâ—imond had audience of the Queene deliuered the Emperours Letters and Merchants Priuiledges with Golden Spread-eagle Seales at them and account of my whole employment to her good satisfaction and approbation of me Shee obserued the Characters by the affinitie they had with the Greeke and asked if they had not such and such significations said shee could quickly learne it and bade my Lord of Ess learne it When the Ships with the Presents were comne I had a second audience her Maiestie much liking to handle the Presents After this I weary of Court Holy-water was willing to retire my selfe to a priuate life but by reason of my skill in those Languages a more dangerous employment was committed to me Frederike King of Denmarke had embarqued the English Merchants Ships in the Sound about Customes and they sued to the Queene for redresse likewise diuers in Poland which there had obtayned Priuiledges and Protection had refused to pay Debts to the English Merchants c. I was appointed to take Collen in the way where the Imperiall Dyee was appointed thither to accompany Sir Heratio Palauicine the Queenes Embassadour and Monsieur de Freze the French Kings Embassadour and thence I to the Dane and the Pole I came to Copenhagen had accesse to the King of Denmarke deliuered the Queenes Letters and after had audience and propounded what was giuen me in Commission The King of Denmarke answered with a sad countenance Our Sister the Queenes Maiestie of England requires at our hands too great a losse wee are possessed of forty thousand pounds and twenty tall Ships forfeited to our Crowne by the treachery and falshood of her Subiects c. But in fine he made his minde knowne to the Queene by his Letters requiring an exchange of certayne Ships of the Easterlings embarked in England for the freedome of the English Ships and goods This was beyond my Commission to conclude And I hasted away hauing dined with the King who bestowed on mee a Gold Chaine I returned to Lubek and thence to Danzik where Master Barker Deputy and other substantiall Merchants inuited my way by Meluin where they resided But I tooke my way by Torne and came to Warsonia where Sigismundus King of Poland then held his Court and after some disgusts at last obtained the Merchants Suite against diuers Debters which had their sought protection The great Chancelor Zameitscoy the principall Statesman of that Kingdome sent vnto me a friendly message offering also for my solace his Hounds Hawkes or any other pastimes for recreation I was inuited and dined with the King receiued his Letters Patents and Dismission and after feasted by the Lord High Chamberlaine Pan Lucas Obrosemone I also had sight of Queene Anne daughter to Sigismund the Third and Wife to King Stephen Batore but priuately hauing to that end put on one of my Seruants Liueries which notwithstanding I was discouered and had conference with the Queene who seemed much to magnifie Queene Marie and no lesse disaffected to Queene Elizabeth for the death of Storie Campion c. which I sayd had beene vnnaturall Subiects and practisers of Rebellion Shee then obiected But how could she spill the bloud of the Lords Anoynted a better Queene c. which I answered was done by the Parliament without her Royall consent She shooke her head with dislike and would haue replyed had not Posseuine the Popes Legate as they termed him whose skirts I had before pressed in Musco being there the Popes Nuncio comne in wherevpon I with a Glasse of Hungarian Wine which I refused till she had taken the same into her owne hand was dismissed On that Euening in which I departed from Warsonia I passed ouer a Riuer by the side whereof there lay a dead Serpent like a Crocodile with foure feet hard skales and in length about six or seuen foot which my men brake with Boare-speares the stench whereof so poysoned me that I lay sicke many dayes in the next Village When I came to Vilna the chiefe Citie in Lituania I presented my selfe and my Letters Patents from the Queene which declared my employment vnto the Great Duke Ragauil a powerfull Prince and Religious Protestant Hee gaue me great respect and sayd Though I had
his Sonne Mutadid succeeded in the gouernment being vested by his Vncle Mutamid and made partner of the Couenant deposing his owne Sonne Giafar That yeere beganne the Caramites a kind of Batin Heretikes One of the tract of Sawad fayned fasting and austerity of life saying that God had enioyned him fifty prayings euery day He said he would call a Prince and tooke of euery man a piece of Gold saying it was for the Prince He tooke twelue men which he sent to preach his Religion And when the people by multitude of his enioyned Prayers neglected their worke Haidam imprisoned him and kept the key vnder his head threatning to kill him A Mayde of his in pitie stole away the key let him out and layd the key vnder his head againe who opening the doore found him not Hereupon he tooke occasion to say that no man could hurt him Hee went into Syria and none knoweth what became of him His name was Carmat His Sect of Caramites encreased about Cufa Anno 279. Mutamid dyed hauing reigned three and twenty yeeres and three dayes Ahmed Abulabbas Mutadid Billa Sonne of Muaffic was on the day of Mutamids death created Chalifa An. 282. Hamaruias was killed by some of his Seruants in his bed and the Souldiers placed his Sonne Gieis in his steed some sayd they would haue his Vncle to gouerne whereupon he cut off his Vncles head and threw it to them An. 283. the Souldiers slue Gieis and his mother and spoyled his house and Haron his brother was made Gouernour of Egypt and Syria which promised to pay Mutadid fifteene hundred thousand pieces of Gold yeerely out of Egypt Hee payed him also for Kinnasrin and Awasim Gouernments foure hundred and fiftie thousand Abusaid a Caramite rebelled and tooke Hagiara An. 287. Mutadid sent Abbas against him whom the Caramite tooke and few of his men escaped An. 289. Mutadid dyed through immoderate vse of lust hauing reigned nine yeeres nine moneths and foure dayes Hee remitted the poll money and the tribute of Mecca and Medina and hauing great need of money for his warres he was told of a Magus one of the Persian Ethnike Religion dwelling at Bagdad which had store of money He sent for him to borrow money of him who answered my money is before thee take as much as thou wilt But how sayth Mutadid canst thou expect restitution Seeing God sayd the other trusts thee with his Seruants and his Lands and thou shewest thy selfe faithfull and executest iustice should I be afraid to trust thee with my money Wherevpon Mutadid weeping bid him goe away and sware he would borrow nothing of him yea if he needed our goods sayth he shall be thine Yet hee was bloudy and buried his Seruants quicke which had angred him Ali Abumuhammed Muotafi Billa Sonne of Mutadid Sonne of Muaffic Sonne of Mutewakkel was created Chalifa the same day that his father died An. 289. whiles hee was at Raka his Counsellour Casam procured his Inauguration at Bagdad which was reiterated when he came thither himselfe This Casam hauing intended to turne away the Chalifate from Mutadids Posteritie and knowing that Badir the brother of Muctafi knew it procured his death lest he should reueale it At that time Iahia a Caramite had many followers slue Siecr the Commander which Muctafi sent against him burned the Temple at Rusaf After that he went into Syria ouerthrew the forces of Taagi and besieged Damascus where he was slaine The Caramites substituted his brother Husein which gaue out himselfe to be Ahmed Sonne of Muhammed He besieged Emissa and tooke it and forced Damascus to composition He slue innumerable people at Maara Hamat Balabec Selmia where he entred on composition and slue notwithstanding both men children and beasts and spoyled all Syria with fire and sword An. 290. Muctafi sent Alaz against him which got the worse and after him other Armies An. 291. the Caramites were ouerthrowne and many taken which had their hands and feet and after their heads cut off He sent an Army also into Egypt which tooke it from the Posteritie of Telun An. 293. Muhammed Sonne of Ali possessed Egypt and seduced many but by Muctafis Army was taken and imprisoned Zacrunas the Caramite slue the Inhabitants of Basra and Adriat and spoyled the Cities and then repaired to Damascus and slue the Deputie but could not take it and was chased by another Army which Muctafi sent vnder Ioseph Son of Ibrahim to Sawan where in another battell the Caramites got the victory An. 294. Zacrunas assaulted the Pilgrimes slue the men captiued the women and spoyled the Gods but was soone after taken and killed An. 295. Muctafi dyed hauing reigned sixe yeeres sixe moneths and twentie dayes He was very rich and bare good affection to the Posteritie of Ali of happy memory Seleucia was taken An. 290. That yeere Nilus flowed but thirteene cubits and two fingers and men of all Religions made supplications to God for more water but preuayled not Giafar Abulfadl Muctadir Billa Sonne of Mutadid succeeded the day of his brothers death The same yeere dyed Mundir Sonne of Muhammed King of Spaine to whom succeeded in the Chalifate his Sonne Abdalla An. 296. Muctadir was deposed and Abdalla Sonne of Mutaz surnamed Abulabbas was inaugurated by occasion of the Souldiers assaulting and killing Abbas the Counsellour of Muctadir but he possessed it only one day and night and was strangled He was a rare Poet and author of Similitudes such as none before had giuen example of An. 298. the Posteritie of Fatima began to flourish and Muhammed at Segilmessa in the iurisdiction of Cairawan was saluted Emperour of the faithfull professing himselfe to bee descended of Ali Sonne of Abutalib He builded Mahdia and reigned ouer Africa Sicilia and the Westerne Prouinces He fought often against the Sons of Aglab expelled them A. 302. and then dyed and his Son Caijm succeeded after him his Son Almansor and after him his Sonne Muaz Lidinilla who was the first Egyptian Chalifa of the Fatimides A. 300. Abdalla died and his brother Abdurrahman Nasir Ladinilla succeeded in Spaine after whom I know nothing of that Ommian Spanish Race which ceassed about the yeere foure hundred An. 301. Abusaid the Caramite was slaine by his Seruant in the Bath and the Caramites exalted Said his Sonne in his place who with burning Pincers executed the Murtherer An. 302. Habas with a multitude of Magaribs tooke Alexandria and ouerthrew Maunas which was sent from Bagdad against him An. 309. Muctadir caused Husein to bee put to death and crucified by the aduise of the wise for certaine Verses in which he seemed to acknowlede an vnion of mans spirit with Gods Spirit As Wine with Water and with Amber Maske is mixed Thy spirit with mine Thou-I are are ioyntly fixed But God knoweth whether he had not some other meaning An. 310. Muhammed Abugiafar Sonne of Harir the Tabarite dyed the Author of
sacking of Bagdet 65 Haaziph or Azaereth a feast of the Iewes 112 Hadrian vide Adrian Hagags cruelties 74 Hagarens whence so called their habitation c. 229. 230 Hagiagies crueltie 1024 Haithon vide Aiton Haire consecrated at the Temple of Dea Syria 70. Why worne long on the crowne 93. Worne with a long locke on the left side as the Deuill appeares in Virginia 843 Hakems wickednesse 1039 Halicarnassus 81 Halyattis 261 Hali vide Ali. Doctour Hals commendation 81 Iames Hals Discouery 813. 814 Hamceu chiefe Citie of China 441. Whither Quinsay ibid. Hamath Earthquake 147 Hamith a Iewish Court 98 Hammientes 666 Hamet King of Barbary 695. seq Habet or Hamet Ben Abdela Propheticall King 696. Slaine 699 700 Hannos Discoueries 512 Haran Temple and the Pilgrimages thither 255 Harcourts plantation in Guiana 901. 902 Haron the 26. Chalifa his Acts Vistories Deuotion and loue of Learning 1028. 1029 Harpies 67 Hasen the sixt Emperour of the Muslims 1021. His holinesse ibid. Poysoned by his Wife ibid. Hasidaei and Hasidim why so called and when began 125. 126. Not a Sect but a Fraternitie their Rites ibid. Diuers of the Pharisees and Essees of the Fraterternitie ibid. Hassem and Sem 101 Hawkes worshipped 635 Captaine Hawkins his Iournall 520 521 Hea a Prouince 243 Head of the Captiuitie 131 Head of the Land of Israel 134 Heauen and Earth Gen. 1. What meant thereby 5. Three Heauens 6. Heauen of the blessed ibid. Of the Kabalist and Talmudist 161. 162. Of Mahomet 245. 246. Of Siamites 491. 492. Heauens of the Iaponites 587. Heauen worshipped of the Chinois 471 Hebrew the first Language 39. 40 Of Heber ibid. Why called Hebrewes 40. 95. The same Language at first with the Chaldaean ibid. Hebrew Accents and Letters 40 Not capeable of meetre 41 Hebrewes why abhomination to the Aegpptians 637 Hebrewes in a speciall sense 95 Hebrew Patriarchs and their Religion before the Law 95. 96. seq Hebrew Policy and Ciuill Gouernment 97. 98 Hecla a hill in Island by some supposed Purgatory 761 Heden 17 Hegira 243. The computation of the Mahometicall Hegira 246 1014 Heliogabilus 58. 79 Heliognosti worshippers of the Sunne 135 Hell a fire without light 71. The Alpha and Omega of wickednesse ibid. Why called Genenna 86. By whom escaped 314 Mahomets Hell 254. 262. 314 Siamites Hell 491 Hell-mouth 50 Helena Iland 781 seq Helena Queene of Adiabena 62 Of Aethiopia 781 Hellen a Giant worshipped 45 Hrllenists whence so called 124 Helle Hellespont 98 Hellenians or Helienians a Sect of the Iewes 135 Hemerobaptists Iewish Hereticks 133 Hendorones their Countrey and Rites 535 Henoch taken away 15. 30. 31 His Artes Pillars and Writings ibid. By the Greekes called Atlas 31 Henoch a Citie so called 29. Booke of Henoch 30. Very fabulous 31. A fragment of that Booke cited ibid. Henry Prince of Wales his Encomium 861 Henry of Portugall first Discouerer of the Coasts of Africa 619 Hennes Egges how hatched in Aegypt 627 Heptacometae a people of most beastly disposition 330 Hercules 77. 78. 336 Hercules of the Parthians 337 Of Heraclea 577 Hercules Pillars two Hills 680 Heraclea a Citie described 577 Heraclius his Acts 215. 242. 364 365 Heremites 277. 428. Mock-heremites 315. Famous Heremite in Africa 637. At Saint Helena 781 Herod Ascalonita 81. Hee slue the Seuenty 100. Built the Temple 102. 103 Herodians a Sect of the Iewes 134 Herules their Rites 400 Hessees vide Essens Hesperides 680 Hassissim a Nation neere to Mount Libanus 277. Their Prophet ibid. Hierapolis in Syria 68 Hierarchie and High Priesthood of the Chaldees 55. Of the Syrians 68. Phoenicians 79 Of the Israelites before the Law 98. Of Samaritans 138. 139. Of Aaron 121. Of Assasines 218. 219. Of Dogzijn 220. 221. Of the Turkes 319. 320. Of Cappadocians 326. Zelans 328 Armenians 342. Albanians 346. 347. Persians 395. 396 In Cathaya 404. 415. Of Tartars 416. 417. Of Thebeth 430. China 461. 466. Of the Brachmanes 479. Of the Siamites 491. Of the Bramenes 547. 548. In Cochin 552. In Iapon 592. In Ternate 605. 506. In Samatra 614. In Pegu 505. 506 In Aegypt 635 Hieroglyphicks 82 Hierotimus an Arabian King which had sixe hundred children by Concubines 229 Hierro one of the Canaries 783 Hillel 158. When hee flourished 160. His Disciples 165 Hippopotamus 714 Hiram his Acts 79 Hircania and the Hircanians 355. 356 Hisiam Sonne of Abdulmelie the seuenteenth Chalifa 1025. His two Sonnes Muaui and Suleiman in a Battell put the Romanes to slight and tooke Constantine the Emperour ibid. His great Wardrobes ibid. Hisphaham vide Isphaam Hispaniola described 955. seq Their Creatures Oracles Priests Dances Zemes 957 seq The Miracles Prophesies Feasts of their Zemes their Holy-bread Oracles Burials Marriages Punishments Traditions of the Creation and Spirits 958. Ceremonies about the sicke and dead 959. Tempests there ibidem Quite dispeopled of the naturall Indians 960 Histaspes Father of Darius his trauell to the Brachmanes 479 Historie helped by Geographie 44 Hoaquam the Name of a China Idoll which hath rule ouer the eyes 461 Hog a Phoenician Philosopher 82 Hogs with hornes 566. With teeth more then ordinary ibid. Hollanders Acts in the East Indies 483. seq Holy-land vide Iudaea and Palaestina the situation and Map thereof 91. seq Homicide punished in Kain 28 Homer 207 Homer worshipped 621 Hondura and the Rites there 886 Honey venemous 221 Horeb 211 Horse offered to the Sunne 56 Horse-flesh royall fare to the Tartars 33 Horses taken with Hawkes 392 Fatted and eaten in Cairo 653 Sir Edward Horsey 973 Horsey viz. Sir Ierome Horsey his Obseruations in Russia and other Countries 973. seq Hornes rooting in ground 587 Worne by some Kings and Priests 613. 884 Hosanna of the Iewes 112 Hospitall at Bagdat 237. 238 242. 243. Medina 272. Of Saint Iohn Baptist 337. In Persia 374. 375. Merdin 6â—â— Goa 545. 546. Cairo 653. 654. Of the Turkes 308 Hospitals for Beasts and Birds 529 Hospitular Knights 584 Hourdes of Tartars 422. 423 Houres equall and vnequall 106 Of Prayer ibid. Hudsons Voyages to the North Nothwest 817. His wintering and treachery of his men 818. Gods iustice on them ibid. Huiunsin the strange Story of him 461 Hungaria magna 404 Hungarie ouerrun by the Turkes 283. 284. By the Tartars 404 405 Huracanos 963 Hoseins Heresie 1034 Hydaspes Priest of the Sunne 730 Hydras 624 Hyaena 622 Hyperboreans 397. 400 Hyrcania the description thereof 355 I IAbbok 86 Iacapucaya a Brasilian Fruit 913 Iacobs twelue Sonnes 89. 90. Hee reformed his Family 95 Iacobites Sect multiplying 1017 Iagges vide Giacqui Iah the name of God 2 Iamaica described 954 Iamboli Insula 796 Iames King of Great Brittaine his commendation 837 King Iames his New New-land 814 King Iames his Cape 817 Ianambuxos a Sect in Iapan their Rites 594. 595 Ianizaries of the Turke 291 292 Iapheth Iapetus his Posteritie 36. The eldest Sonne of Noah ibid. Iapon the Historie thereof 586. seq Diuerse of
succeeded him who made himselfe a Mahumetan and called himselfe Hamed After whose short raigne Argonkhon Geniotukhon Badukhan Gazun he made Casbin his Imperiall Citie Alyaptu succeeded in order This last made himselfe Mahumetan kept his Court at Tauris and first brought in the custome of tribute children which he tooke from their parents Christians and Iewes to frame to his seruice Hee built Sultania His sonne and successour Abuzayd spend his summer at Sultania and his winter at Bagadet after whose death which happened A. H. 736. the Tartarians were diuided into Persia euery one making himselfe King of that which he held which continued till the time of Tamerlane Thus haue I out of Mirkond related these Tartar-Persian affaires But if I adde some what out of Haithon which liued in the middest of these times let it not seeme tedious first of a Paradise destroyed by the Tartar Haalon and then of the successors till his time nor mentioning some which ruled but a little while in Persia In the North-East parts of Persia which of this new Heresie they called Mulchet there was an old man named Aloadin a Mahumetan as all those parts then were which had inclosed a goodly Valley situate betweene two Hills and furnished it with all variety which Nature and Art could yeeld as Fruits Pictures rills of Milke Wine Honny Water Palaces and beautifull Damosells richly attyred and called it Paradise to which was no passage but by an impregnable Castell And daily preaching the pleasures of this Paradise to the youths which he kept in his Court sometimes he would minister a sleepie drinke to some of them and then conueigh them thither where being entertained with these pleasures foure or fiue dayes they supposed themselues rapt into Paradise And then being againe cast into a trance by the said drinke hee caused them to be carryed forth and after would examine them of what they had seene and by this delusion would make them resolute for any enterprise which he should appoint them as to murther any Prince his enemie For they feared not death in hope of their Mahumeticall Paradise But this Haolon or Vlan after three yeeres siege destroyed him and this his Fooles Paradise Some tell this of Aladeules in the time of Zelim the first Abaga succeded him in the gouernement of these parts Anno 1264. but not in the Christian Religion Tangodor the next became a Saracen and called himselfe Mahomet and at Tauris and other places destroyed the Churches of the Christians as Haolon had done of the Saracens he banished the Christians and peruerted as many Tartars as he could to Mahumetisme But Argonus the sonne of Abaga rebelled and taking him cut him asunder in the middle succeeding in his place Anno 1285. After him Regayto whom the Tartars slew placing in his stead Baydo a Christian who forbad the preaching of Mahumetisme among the Tartars and reedified the Churches of the Christians Casan succeeded in his Dominion and Deuotion and after his death Carbaganda who in his childhood had beene baptized and named Nicholas but when his Christian Mother was dead he became a Saracen Thus farre out of Haithonus in which History appeareth the vicissitude of diuers Religions sometime Tartarian sometime Christian sometime Mahumetan as in the Princes who gouerned these Countries vnder the great Cham or Can of the Tartars so also no doubt in a great part of the Countries themselues which vsually are of the Kings Religion This Carbaganda reigning about 1305. is the last Tartar Prince which ruled in the parts of Syria and in Persia the state was soone after diuided into many Soueraignties For as their Religion so also their Empire fayled the Egyptian Soldans preuayling in Syria the Ottoman Tukes in Asia and Gempsas in Persia This Gempsas was Soldan of the Parthians and about the yeere 1350. restored that Persian Kingdome to the Parthians Thus our Christian Historiographers Mirkond mentions him not Likely it is when all fell to sharing he got his part Of Tamerlan Mirkond relates that when Chingius sent Occoda into Maurenahar Carachar Nuyon was made his first Visier in which dignity hee and his posterity continued there till Teymur or Tamurlan the fifth from him with other great gouernments Teymur being Visier and Captayne Generall to Sciorgat Meckhom which raigned in Chagaty and dyed A. 1370. was proclaymed King in his steed He by his prosperous armes subdued Maurenahar Turquestan Koarrazm Karason Sistom Industan Hyerakhen Parc Kermon Mazandaron Aderbaion and Kusistam Bagadet Alep Damasco defeated Sultan Farache King of Egypt and after tooke Baiazet the great Turke prisoner He dyed Anno 1405. His victories are by others enlarged to Russia and China and the great Chams state settled on him Mirzab Charok his fourth sonne succeeded him in the Empire and after him Anno 1447. his sonne Mirzah Oleghbek but as after Alexander so after Tamerlan their hastie gotten Empire was much distracted among the great Souldiers his followers which held great shares to themselues making warre on their Masters sonnes And one of the descendants of them Abtelatife slew Oleghbek in the field Anno 1450. and was slaine of his Souldiers sixe moneths after Sultan Abusayd grand-child to Miromcha the third sonne of Tamerlan succeeded slaying Abdula the brother of Abdelatife But he also was slaine by Mirzah Yadigar Mahamed one of Acembec or Vsuncassans partakers who had before slaine Iooncha Contarini and Barbaro which were in Persia with Vsuncasan call him Iausa others I know not why Malaonchres others Demir after whose death Abusayd was called to the gouernment of Kermon Hierak and Aderbaion and being sollicited for peace by Asembelus Acembec or Vsuncassan aforesaid reiected it and so lost himselfe and left those parts of the Persian Empire to the Conqueror But in Maurenahar Sultan Hamed his sonne succeeded 28. yeeres and after him his nephew Babor the last of Tumberlans bloud there raigning Ichaybekan comming from Vsbek Anno 1500. and dispossessing him Yet did Babor possesse Gaznehen and some part of India till his death 1532. where his sonne Homayon succeeded him and to him his sonne Geluladin Akbar commonly called Melabdim Echbar the Great Mogol Father of him which now raigneth of whom in the next booke Yadigar that slew Abusayd was also of Tamerlans race the sonne of Mahamed sonne of Baysangor sonne of Mirzah Charok He by Acembecs helpe chased Ocem another of Tamerlans posterity by Hamar Cheque his third sonne King in Katason and Strabat out of those parts into Faryab and Mayman neere Balk whence hee suddenly returning with a small force by aduantage of Yadigar or Hiadigar his negligence slew him and recouered his Realme He dyed Anno 1506. Two of his sonnes succeeded him Bahady and Musafar whom Chaybec Vsbek chased out of their Kingdome Bahady fled to Ismael Sophy who gaue him the lands of Chambe Gazon in Tauris and tenne Scrafs of gold by the day thence he was
after carryed prisoner by the Turke to Constantinople where hee dyed Besides these of the posterity of Tamerlan there were other Princes in Persia and the parts adioyning as those of the factions of Blacke Sheepe and White Sheepe Of the former was Kara Issuf which conquered Tauris Sultania Casbin and the countries of Seruan and Diarbech but dying was spoyled to his shirt of his Souldiers yea they cut off his eares for his iewells and left him in the open field Charrok held long warres with Scander and Iooncha his sonnes the latter of which after many conquests was slaine by Acembec and Acen Aly his sonne and successour and thus the White Sheepe faction preuayled Ozun Acembec or Vusun-Casan the head thereof of the Tarcoman Nation heire of Diarbech and Lord of many Prouinces which hee conquered as before is noted but defeated by Mahumet the great Turke He dyed Anno 1471. His sonne Calil succeeded who was slaine by his brother Iacob or Yacub whose wife bearing dishonest affection to one of the Court sought by the murther of her husband to aduance this Courtier to her husbands bed and Empire And hauing conueyed venome into a golden cup presents her husband the same to drinke who somewhat suspecting her caused her to begin himselfe and his sonne following her both in dinking and dying And thus was Persia by the wickednesse of one woman made the Stage of ciuill warres whiles the chiefe Nobles sought each to possesse himselfe of the State which at last after fiue or sixe yeeres war befell to Alumut or Eluan-beg then being but fourteene yeere old who was slaine by Ismael in the yeere 1499. And thus yee haue had the succession of the Persian Kings in the first and second Dynastie of the Saracens you heard in the former Booke next after whom the Tartars and these here mentioned till Ismael obtayned the state whose posterity still hold it Beniamin Tudelensis telleth that Senigar then King of Persia had two and fortie Kingdomes subiect to him and that his Dominion extended foure moneths iourney and speaketh as though hee were not subiect to the Caliph in his temporalities Master Polo reckons eight Kingdomes of Persia Casibin Curdistan Lor Suolistan Spaan Siras Soncaia Timocaim not reckoning Hirak the chiefe Citie wherof was Tauris and diuers other Countries now and before his time subiect to the Persian And by most Historians it appeareth that Persia had before the dayes of Tangrolopix and till the Tartars conquest Sultans which yeelded small subiection to the Chaliphs §. III. Of Ismael Sofi first founder of the present Persian Empire or fifth Dynastie THe Historie of Ismael because it giueth much light both into the State and Religion of Persia is more fully to be reported After that Mustacen Mumbila or Almustacenbila Abdula the Caliph of Bagdet had bin by the Tartars done to death in the yeere after Haithonus account 1258. about the yeere 1369. there arose in Persia a Nobleman called Sophi Lord of the Citie Ardouil reporting himselfe to be of the bloud of Alle or Hali descended from Musa Cazin or Cersin one of the twelue sonnes as is said of Hocem thirteene descents distant This Sophi or as our Tarik Mirkond aforesaid calls him Cheque Safy had issue Cheque Mucha the father of Cheque Ali who begate Cheque Ebrahem and he Sultan Iuneyd father of Cheque Aydar who begate Ismael These continued their Hali-holies Our Authors mention none from Sophi to Iuneyd whom they make his sonne calling him Guinne otherwise written Guini Guine and Giunet Minadoi saith That Sexchiuni or more distinctly Siec Giunet was Authour of the Persian sect who vnder the name of So and of Siec that is of a wise man and an Author of Religion or rather vnder the pretence of holinesse began to perswade the people that the three first successors of Mahomet were vsurpers onely Ali ought to be named lawfull successor and ought to be called vpon in their prayers and by all meanes ro be honoured From this time forward the Sepulchre of Ali and his sonnes in Cafe grew in great credit and was visited euery yeere after the same sort that the Turks visit the Sepulchre of the other three and the Kings of Persia vsed there to bee crowned and girt with their sword and their great Calife there kept his residence Because this Case was neere Babylon hence grew the common error that these things were done at Babylon or Bagdet Iouius also is deceiued where he maketh Arduelle or Aidere author of the Persian faction Sofi is by Minadoi deriued of Sofiti a people subdued by Alexander but Scaliger more fitly Tzophi which in Arabike signifieth a man of pure Religion In this respect there is no lesse contention betweene these other Muhammedans then betweene the Samaritans and the Iewes so that the Persians are a kinde of Catharists or Puritans in their impure Muhammedrie Claudet Duret mentioneth another Etymologie that Sophi signifieth Wooll and that this profession in token of humilitie wearing nothing on their heads more precious then wooll were so called But the former deriuation is more probable Nic. Nicolai in his third Booke hath also that woollen deriuation and Geffrey Ducket saith that Sophi signifieth a Begger and that the King is not there in Persia so called but Shaugh which agreeth with their report which say that Ismael renewed or continued the name Sofi or Sofiti but his successors leauing that and the name of Siec haue retayned onely the Title of Saha which some write Shaugh some Xa a Royall title communicated by the head of this superstition to those Kings which participate with them therein Ioseph Scaliger saith that Sa or Scha is the same with Monsieur among the French and Don among the Spaniards The Iewes and Arabians write it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is sometimes set before the name as in the present King Scha Habas sometime comes after as Melixa for Melic-scha Barrius begins this pedigree at the father of Giunet or Guine so he calls him and not as Minadoi with Guinet himselfe He addeth That for the Ensigne Character or Cognisance of his Sect he ordayned that in the midst of their Turbant which they weare with many folds there should arise a sharpe top in manner of a Pyramis diuided into twelue parts in remembrance of Ali his twelue sonnes from the top to the bottome They vsed the colour Red on their heads saith Minadoi by ordinance of Arduelle and therefore were called Cheselbas that is Red-heads some write it Cuselbas Sophi as Mirkond affirmeth was holden in such reputation of holinesse by Tamerlane that he came to visit him as a Saint and at his request set free 30000. slaues which he had taken in the warres against Baiazat to whom Cheque Sophi gaue apparell and other necessaries and sent them home to their houses whereby hee wan great fame and affection Barrius