Selected quad for the lemma: state_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
state_n	great_a	king_n	secretary_n	1,238	5	9.7864	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14850	The rare and most vvonderfull things vvhich Edvv. VVebbe an Englishman borne, hath seene and passed in his troublesome trauailes in the cities of Ierusalem, Damasko, Bethlehem and Galely and in the landes of Iewrie, Egypt, Gracia, Russia, and Prester Iohn, vvherein is set forth his extreame slauery sustained many yeeres together in the gallies and warres of the great Turke, against the lands of Persia, Tartaria, Spaine, and Portugale.; Rare and most wonderfull things which Edward Webbe hath seene and passed.	Webbe, Edward, b. 1553 or 4.	1590 (1590)	STC 25152; ESTC S101834	15,304	30

of my troublesome trauel One thing did greatly comfort me which I saw long since in Sicilia in the citie of Palerms a thing worthie of memorie where the right honourable the Earle of Oxenford a famous man for Chiualrie at what time he trauailed into forraine countries being then personally present made there a challeng against all manner of persons whatsoeuer and at all manner of weapons as Turniments Barriors with horse and armour to fight and combat with any whatsoeuer in the defence of his Prince and countrie for which he was very highly commended and yet no man durst be so hardie to encounter with him so that all Italy ouer he is acknowledged euer since for the same the onely Chiuallier and Noble man of England This title they giue vnto him as worthely deserued Moreouer in the land of Egypt néere to the Riuer of Nilo within sixe miles of the gran Caer. There are seuen Mountaines builded on the out side like vnto the point of a Diamond which mountaines were builded in King Pharaos time to kéepe corne in and they are mountaines of great strength It is said that they were builded about that time when Ioseph did lade home his brethrens Asses with corne in the time of the great dearth mentioned in the scripture At which time all their corne lay in those mountaines In the riuer of Nilo there is long fishes of tenne or twelue foot long which swimmeth néere the shore they are called the fishes of King Pharao they are like vnto a Dolphin These fishes are so subtil that swimming néere the shore side they will pull men or women suddenly into the riuer and deuoure them In the citie of the gran Caer the houses are of a verie olde building all of lime and stone and in most of the houses the roofes are couered with fine golde in a very workmanly sort In Egypt there is small store of water because it neuer raineth in that countrie so that their water is very daungerous to drinke They haue no springs at all in that countrie and yet there falleth such a dew euery night as doth refresh and kéepe their hearbes and plants in due sort and makes them spring very fruitfully The people of those countries before mentioned are for the most part of a reasonable stature yet of a brounish and swart complexion their women goe muffled and generally in the land of Iewry they weare hye stéepled hats much like vnto the forme of a suger loafe The citie of Damasco is very fruitfull and greatly replenished with all maner of fruites whatsoeuer as Pombgranades Oringes Limons Apples Peares Plumbes Grapes and all other like fruites The Turkes are a people that at some time they will attempt to doe wonderfull thinges as going vpon Ropes and thrusting their swords into their naked flesh and sticke their swordes in their flesh like vnto a Scabbard and many other thinges of great daunger In Turkey no man may strike the gran Cadie that is their chiefest iudge if any man doo strike him he loseth his right arme for his labour without redemption At my comming ouer into England from Rome I was fame to steale away being then reteined in yéerly fée to the King of Spaine to be one of his chéefest Gunners And if the Ship wherein I came ouer had béen taken both they and I my selfe had died for that offence The old Citie of Ierusalem is a verie desolate place nothing to be séene but a litle of the olde walles which is yet remaining and all the rest is grasse mosse and wéedes like to a péece of ranke or moist ground They haue no tillage in those parts The Citie of Ierusalem where the Temple standeth is almost a mile from the olde walles of Ierusalem it is of a very old building and there standeth all the olde relikes preserued and kept as monuments of great treasure Now to returne where I left of and declare vnto you wherin I employed my selfe since my comming into England here I visited my friendes from May till Nouember and then departed into Fraunce where I had entertainment at the handes of the renowmed king and captaine of this age Henry of Burbon king of France and Nauarre who receiued me into pay and appointed me his maister Gunner in the field It is to be remembred that at this great battaile I made one shot of such an accustomed mixture that did slay the Kinges enimies in great aboundance whereat the enimies greatly wondered considering they could neither find bullet chaineshot nor could sée any other thing more then plaine pouder and yet the people straungely slaine out right and lay dead in great aboundance At my departure forth of Fraunce the Kinges Secretary gaue me certaine letters of cōmendation to beare with me to the States of England wherein was declared my good seruice and how willing he was still to haue employed me in his warres and would haue giuen mee sufficient rewardes if with him I would haue remained but being sent for to come againe into my natiue countrie to the intent to be employed in her Maiesties affaires I could doe no lesse but make hast towardes England to take in hand any seruice which I were able to performe At which time I being in the French Kinges Court and ready to depart towards England there came certain newes to the King from Roane that Monsieur de Lego Captaine of the Castle in the saide towne of Roane with sundry other Protestants being gentlemen and gentlewomen of good account had conspired against the traitorous Leagers that doe there rebelliously withstand the King and had yéelded vp the Castle with the keyes vnto a Captaine of great courage to the vse of the French King whereupon all the power this Captaine could make was not able to kéepe it aboue halfe a day for the Kings power lay farre from the same yet vpon the suddaine they made towards Roane so fast as they might But all they did was in vaine for before the Kings force could get within sixe myles of the saide towne the enimy had wonne it againe by force of cannon shot and tooke sundry persons as prisoners which they found in the said Castle and apprehended sundry other in the town which consented thereunto Among whom was a Lady and her thrée waiting gentlewomen who were by the leager and traitours to the King taken and imprisoned The Captaine of the saide Castle perceiving that the enimie would haue grieuously tormented him stoode vpon battelments of the said castle and fought very valiantly and would not yéeld nor suffer him selfe to be taken by no meanes but after he had slaine with his owne handes about fourtéene or fiftéene seuerail persons he séeing the enimie come in great aboundance vpon him thereby entending to take him suddenly flung his weapons at them and without any regarde of sauing his life wilfully flung him selfe headlong ouer the castle wall and thereby broake his necke The rest were grieuously tormented and put to death for consenting thereunto But it gréeueth me to reporte the extreame tyranny which those Traitorous Leagers inflicted vpon the Lady aforesaid and her three waiting Maides onely for deliuering the keyes which they had in their custody These were massacred in this manner first they were all stripped naked in a fielde wherein they were executed they were all seuerally by the hands and legges bound to the feet of foure sundry horses prouided for that purpose and euery one being made fast vpon a suddaine to the horses some whipped each horse forward and then with axes swordes and hatchets quartered them aliue which reporte when the King vnderstoode thereof hee vowed to reuenge their death vpon those tyrannous Tormentors Thus haue you heard the manner of my tedious and grieuous trauaile my miserie slauerie and captiuitie which I suffered therein the manner of some olde monuments and the customes of such as dwell in forraine Nations farre off and in places where our Sauiour and his Apostles were resident and preached vpon the earth my seruices done vnder the great Turke in Persia Tartaria Grecia and places of seruice I omit herein my seruice at the taking of Tunnys and what I did in the Royle vnder don Iohn de Austria and many other thinges which I could here discouer vnto you onely let this suffise that I shall be glad and do daily desire that I may be imployed in some such seruice as may be profitable to my Prince and Countrie FINIS