long as they could hold their breath without harme but not without signes of working passions whether of diuine inspiration or reluctation of the naturall forces No lesse maruellous then the dampe of the ayre is the hardning qualitie of the waters which being hot doe harden themselues into a kinde of stone Warner mentioneth the like in Hungarie and Acosta in Peru Those Galli heere mentioned with Priests of Cybele so called of Gallus a Riuer in Phrygia the waters whereof temperately drunken did exceedingly temper the braine and take away madnesse but being sucked in largely caused madnesse These Priests drinking heereof vnto madnesse in that fury gelded themselues and as their beginning so was their proceeding also in madnesse in the execution of their rites shaking and wheeling their heads like mad-men Volateran out of Polyhistur reporteth that one Gallus the companion of Attys both gelded imposed this name on the Riuer before called Teria Of Cybele and Attys we haue spoken before I adde that after some this Attys was a Phrygian youth which when hee would not listen to Rhea in her amorous suites gelded himselfe so consecrating his Priesthood vnto Rhea or Cybele others affirme that shee preferred him to that Office first hauing vowed perpetuall chastitie and breaking his Vow was punished with madnesse in which hee dismembred himselfe and would also haue killed himselfe but that by the compassionate Goddesse hee was turned into a Pine-tree That the Fable this the History that these gelded Priests wore also long womannish attire played on Tymbrels and Cornets sacrificed to their Goddesse the ninth day of the Moone at which time they set the Image of the Goddesse on an Asse and went about the Villages and Streets begging with the sound of their sacred Tymbrell corne bread drinke and all necessaries in honour of their Goddesse as they did also in the Temples begging money in her name with some musicall Instruments and were therefore called Matragyrtae Thus did the Priests of Corona also begge for the maintenance of their Goddesse with promises of good fortune to their liberall contributors Lucian in his Asinus relateth the like knaueries of the Priests of Dea Syria Concerning his Image Albricus thus purtrayeth it A Virgin sitting in a Chariot adorned with varietie of gemmes and metals Shee is called Mother of the Gods and Giants these Giants had Serpentine feet one of which number was Titan who is also the Sunne who retayned his Deitie for not ioyning in conspiracie against the Gods with his brethren This Chariot was drawne with Lions Shee wore on her head a Crowne fashioned like a Tower Neere her is painted Attys a naked boy whom in iealousie shee gelded Macrobius applies this to the Sunne Boccace to the Earth Mother indeed of the Ethnike Deities which were earthly sensuall deuilish who addeth to that former description of Albricus a Scepter in her hand her garment embroydered with branches and herbs and the Galli her gelded attendants with Trumpets The interpretation whereof they which will may reade in him as also in Phornutus Fulgentius and others with many other particulars of her Legend Claudian calls her both Cybele and Cybelle which name Stephanus thinketh she receiued of a Hil of that name in Phrygia as doth Hesychius likewise so was shee called Dyndimena of the Hill Dindymus I could weary the Reader with long narrations out of Pausanias Arnobius Lilius Gyraldus and others touching these things but in part wee haue before shewed them in our narrations of Adonis in Phoenicia of the Syrian goddesse to which Phornutus referreth this and when we come to a larger handling of the Grecian Idolatries we shall finde more fit occasion It is now high time to leaue this properly called Asia and to visit LYCIA washed by the Sea two hundred miles wherein the mount Taurus ariseth hence stretching it selfe Eastward vnder diuers appellations vnto the Indian Sea They were gouerned by common Councell of three and twentie Cities till the Romans subdued them Here was Cragus a Hill with eight Promontories and a Citie of the same name from whence arose the Fables of Chymaera At the foot of the Hill stood Pinara wherein was worshipped Pandarus and a little thence the Temple of Latona and not farre off Patara the worke of Patarus beautified with a Hauen and many Temples and the Oracles of Apollo no lesse famous if Mela bee beleeued for wealth and credit then that at Delphos The Hill Telmessus was here famous for Southsayings and the Inhabitants are accounted the first Interpreters of Dreames Here was Chymaera a Hill said to burne in the night PAMPHYLIA beareth Eastwards from Lycia and now together with CILICIA of the Turkes is called CARAMANIA Herein was Perga neere whereunto on a high place stood the Temple of Diana Pergaea where were obserued yeerely Festiuals Sida had also in it the Temple of Pallas There remaine of this Chersonessus ARMENIA minor and Cilicia Armenia minor called also Prima is diuided from the Greater or Turcomania by Euphrates on the East it hath on the West Cappadocia on the South Cilicia and part of Syria on the North the Pontike Nations It was sometimes reckoned a part of Cappadocia till the Armenians by their inuasions and Colonies altered the name As for their rites I finde little difference but they either resemble the Cappadocians or their Armenian Ancestors CILICIA abutteth on the Eastern borders of Pamphylia and was diuided into Trachea and Campestris now hath in it few people many great Mesquitaes and well furnished the chiefe Citie is Hamsa sometime called Tarsus famous for the studies of learning herein saith Strabo surmounting both Athens and Alexandria but most most famous for yeelding him to the world then whom the whole world hath not happily yeelded any more excellent that was meerely a man that great Doctor of Nations who filled these Countries and all Regions from Ierusalem euen to Illyricum now full of barbarisme by preaching and still filleth the world by his writings with that truth which hee learned not of man nor at Tarsus the greatest Schoole of humanitie nor at Ierusalem the most frequented for Diuinitie but of the Spirit of Truth himselfe who both was at first from Heauen conuerted and after in the third Heauen confirmed in the same Strabo mentioneth the Temple and Oracle of Diana Sarpedonia in Cilicia where being inspired they gaue answeres The Temple of Iupiter also at Olbus the worke of Aiax From Anchiale a Cilician Citie Alexander passed to Solos where hee sacrificed with prayses to Aesculapius for recouery from a strong Feuer gotten before in the waters of Cidnus and celebrated Gymnicall and Musicall Games The Corycian and Triphonian Dennes or Caues were held in much veneration among the Cilicians where they sacrificed with certaine Rites They had their Diuination by Birds and Oracles Of the Corycian Denne or Caue so called of the Towne Corycos almost compassed with the
Assertion The Arke was too little forsooth for so many creatures and their prouision for a yeare Wee need not seeke for shifts from helpe of the Geometricall Cubite knowne to Moses in his Egyptian Learning of three sixe or nine foot to the Cubite as Origen and Hugo doe nor of the sacred Cubite imagined twice as much as the common nor of the larger stature and Cubites of men in those youthfull times and age of the World The length hereof three hundred Cubites and the breadth fiftie doe make of square measure by common Rules of Art fifteene thousand Cubites Three floores or roomes were therein of that quantitie each contayning ten foot in height As for the beasts a floore of fifteene thousand Cubits might yeeld fifty Cubits square to three hundred seuerall kinds many more then are knowne by relation of the most Writers Aristotle Plinie Gesner c. which scarce reckon halfe that number and but fortie kinds or thereabouts that would take vp any great roome The height might yeeld commodious roomes for the fowles on Perches and all this might one roome or floore affoord Iudge then whether two other roomes of equall bignesse might not be sufficient for all other necessary employments Besides the roofe is not to be thought vnproportionable fitted for so long and tempestuous stormes and therefore not vnfitted with roome for diuers necessaries And if any accuse me for adding this of the roofe to Moses description I say that so it is translated by some Et in cubiti longitudinem consummato eius fectum superne vnderstanding those words not of the window as many doe but of the roofe it selfe which else is no where described which should ouer-hang the Arke a Cubite breadth to defend it the safer from raines as in our houses the eues and slope roofes are commodious both for roome within and against the weather without But if any would entertaine longer dispute about this he may among others that haue handled this question resort vnto Goropius Becanus his Gigantomachia whom in this point I would rather follow then in many other his Becceselanical Paradoxes Noah and his Family with this their retinue being entred the fountaines of the great deepes were opened and the windowes of Heauen the two store-houses of waters which GOD had separated in the Creation beeing in a manner confounded againe the Seas breaking their sandie barres and breaking vp by secret vnderminings the priuie pores and passages in the Earth the Cloudes conspiring with the Waters and renuing their first league and naturall amitie to the confusion of Nature and the World The heauenly lights hid their faces from beholding it and clothed themselues with blacke as bewayling the Worlds Funerall the Ayre is turned into a Sea the Sea possesseth the Ayrie Region the Earth is now no Earth but a myrie lumpe and all that huger World is contracted into a briefe Epitome and small abridgement in the Arke euen there but a few inches distant from death Thus do all Creatures detest Sinne which hath made them subiect to Vanitie thus would the Elements wash themselues cleane from it and the committers thereof but the Arke preuaileth ouer the preuailing waters a figure of the Church the remnant of the elder and Seminarie of the new World This drowning of the World hath not beene quite drowned in the World but besides Moses many other Writers haue mentioned it the time thereof being referred to that which in each Nation was accounted most ancient as among the Thebans to Ogiges in Thessalia to Deucalion among the Americans although Mercator thinke that the Floud drowned not those parts because they were not yet peopled and because the beasts there are most-what differing kinds from these in our World the people haue retayned the tradition hereof Mnaseas among the Phoenicians Berosus a Caldaean Hieronimus Aegyptius Nicolaus of Damascus the Poets Greeke and Latine adding Fables to the Truth which without some ground of truth they could not haue added all mention the Floud howsoeuer confounding the lesse and later with this first and vniuersall I might adde the testimonies of Eupolemus Molon Abidenus Alexander Polyhistor out of Eusebius Iosephus and others Lucian in his Dea Syria telleth the opinion of the Hierapolitans but a little corrupted from Moses Narration that Countrey wherein Noah liued most likely retayning firmer memorie of this Miracle so plainly doth he attribute to his Deucalion the Arke the resort and safe-gard of the Lions Bores Serpents and Beasts the repairing of the World after this drowning thereof which he ascribeth to periurie crueltie and other abominations of the former people That Berosus which we now haue is not so much as the ghost or carkasse and scarce a few bones of the carkasse of that famous Caldaean Author mentioned by the Ancients but the Dreames of Annius no new thing in this last Age coined for the most part in his name Some fragments of Berosus wee haued cited in other Authours that conuince this Bastard Among others somewhat of the Floud hath escaped drowning his testimonie whereof set downe in Polyhistor and Abidenus is in Eusebius He affirmeth that Saturne gaue warning to Sisuthrus of this Deluge and willed him to prepare a great Vessell or Ship wherein to put conuenient food and to saue himselfe and his kindred and acquaintance which hee builded of length fiue furlongs of breadth two After the retyring of the waters hee sent out a Bird which returned after a few dayes he sent her forth againe which returned with her feet bemired and being sent the third time came no more with other things to like purpose which Polyhistor there and Abidenus citeth out of Berosus Plutarch hath also written of this Doue sent by Deucalion out of the Arke which returning was a signe of tempest and flying forth of faire weather CHAP. VIII Of the re-peopling of the World and of the diuision of Tongues and Nations NOw GOD remembred Noah saith Moses not that GOD can forget but that hee declared his Diuine Power whereby Noah might know hee was not forgotten Then did the Heauens remember their wonted influence in the Elements then did the Elements remember their naturall order GOD made a winde to passe in Commission and as a common Vmpire to end their vnnaturall strife forcing the Waters into their ancient precincts aboue and beneath the Firmament Ambrose interpreteth this Winde of the HOLY GHOST Rupertus of the Sunne The most of a wind which yet naturally could not be produced from that wateris masse but by the extraordinary hand of God Then did the Earth remember first inheritance beeing freed from the tyrannicall inuasion and vsurpation of the Waters And what could then forget or be forgotten when GOD remembred NOAH and all that was with him in the Arke And in the seuenth Moneth the seuenteenth day of the moneth the Arke rested vpon the Mountaines of Ararat This fell out
to hee called Iewish as brought by them from their Babylonish Captiuitie but the Canaan or Phoenician Letters which the Samaritans still vse and wherein Moses had innouated nothing as some will haue him neyther in the Letters nor in the Language but vsed them as 〈◊〉 were long before his times Warres and Traffique could not but further alter those Languages in continuance of time which appeared most after the Captiuitie when the Iewes spake not Hebrew but Syrian and that also in likelihood more and more by time altered Perhaps it was with these three Languages as with the Frankes Language when they first seated themselues in Gallia and that which is now called French or the Saxon and the present English for there were no lesse mutations and transmutations by times and Warres in those parts then in these It seemeth therefore probable that at the first diuision of Languages they that most disagreed did furthest separate themselues and they that spake eyther the same or neere in likenesse to the same speech obserued the same Neighbour-hood of Nation as of speech which the names and words of the Phoenician Syrian Persian Arabian and Egyptian Languages testifie The diuision of Tongues was about an hundred yeares after the Floud Anno Mundi a thousand seuen hundred fiftie seuen as Caluisius and Buntingus account Now that wee haue spoken of the first Authours of the principall and first Nations let vs suruey the Lands and Inheritance which GOD gaue vnto them which was the habitable Earth This Earth together with the Waters make one Globe and huge Ball resting on it selfe supported by the Almightie hand of GOD to the roundnesse whereof the high Mountaines in comparison of the whole can bee small impediments and are but as a few motes of dust sticking to a Ball Possidonius Eratosthenes Hipparchus Plinie Ptolomey and others skilfull in Geographie haue endeauoured by Art to finde out the true quantitie hereof and although there appeare difference in their summes yet that is imputed rather to the diuersitie of their furlongs which some reckoned longer then others then to their differing opinions But neuer had they so certaine intelligence of the quantitie of the Earth as in our time by the Nauigations of Spaniards English and Dutch round about the same is giuen vs Art and Experience consulting and conspiring together to perfect the Science of Geographie For whereas the Ancients deuided the World into three parts Asia Africa and Europe and yet neuer knew the East and North parts of Asia nor the South of Africa nor the most Northerly parts of Europe not onely these three are by Land and Sea farre more fully discouered but also three other parts no lesse if not much greater then the former are added to them namely America Mexicana and America Peruuiana and Terra Australis or the Land lying toward the South Pole As for the seuenth part which some reckon vnder the North Pole because we haue no relation but from a Magician a Fryer of Oxford called Nicholas de Linna which might with as good conscience lye to vs as by Art-Magicke take view of those Parts otherwise it is not certainly knowne whether it be ioyning to Asia or whether it bee Land or Sea I therefore leaue it out in this diuision Europe is diuided from Africke by the Mediterranean Sea from Asia by the Egean and Euxine Maeotis Tanais and a Line from the Fountaines thereof North-wards on the North and West parts washed with the Ocean which running by the Staights of Gibralter floweth along the Coasts of Africke to the Cape of Good Hope and thence passeth all alongst on the East-side thereof into the Arabian Gulfe where by a Necke of Land it is encountred This Necke the Mediterranean and Ocean doe limit the bounds of Africa The rest of the old World is Asia America Mexicana or North and the South called Peruniana are seuered by the narrow straights of Dariene in other places compassed by the Sea The South Continent is very little knowne and contayneth the rest of the World not bounded in the former limits But in their particular places wee shall heare of each of them more fully It cannot be without some great worke of GOD thus in the olde and decrepit Age of the World to let it haue more perfect knowledge of it selfe which wee hope and pray may be for the further enlargement of the Kingdome of CHRIST IESVS and propagation of his Gospell And as in former times in those then discouered parts the Iewes were scattered some violently some willingly through ASIA AFRICA and EVROPE to vsher the Gospell into those parts and make way for that which the most of themselues reiected who knoweth whether in the secret Dispensation of Diuine Prouidence which is a co-worker in euery worke able euen out of euill to bring good the Donations of Popes the Nauigations of Papists the preaching of Fryers and Iesuites may be fore-runners of a further and truer manifestation of the Gospell to the new-found Nations for euen alreadie it is one good step of an Atheist and Infidell to become a Proselyte although with some soyle and againe the Iesuites there cannot play the Statesmen as in these parts yea themselues in their Relations being witnesses they rather take Euangelical courses of those which heere they count Heretikes and by laying open mens sinne through the fall and Diuine Iustice onely by CHRIST satisfied doe beate downe Infidelitie with diligent Catechising although vpon that golden foundation they build afterward their owne Hay and Stubble with their racke of Confession and rabble of Ceremonies and the most dangerous to new Conuerts an exchanged Polytheisme in worshipping of Saints Images and the Host But if GOD shall once shew mercy to Spaine to make them truly Catholike and as a diuine Inquisitor condemne that Deuillish Inquisition to perpetuall exile how great a window may by that meanes be opened vnto this new World for their conuersion and reformation And why may not the English Expedition and Plantation in Virginia and the Nauigations of other Protestants helpe this way if men respected not their owne pride ambition and couetousnesse more then the Truth and Glory of GOD But hee that by Fishers conuerted the olde World and turned the Wisedome of the World into foolishnesse subdued Scepters by preaching the Crosse yea by suffering it in himselfe and in his members is able of those stones to rayse vp Children to Abraham and that by the mouth of Babes and Sucklings by weakest meanes when it pleaseth him Let vs therefore pray the Lord of the Haruest to send forth Labourers into these wide and spacious fields ripe thereunto But to returne to our parts of the World whence this Meditation hath with-drawne me The ancient Geographers were ignorant of a great part of that three-fold diuision as appeareth by their owne Writings The vse of the Load-stone found out by Iohn Goia of
Melfi an Italian or as Bellonius obserueth by one Flauius but Albertus Magnus was the first that writ of the Nature of it was a great and necessary helpe to further Discoueries especially after that Henrie sonne of Iohn the first King of Portugall beganne to make Voyages of Discouerie vpon the Coast of Africa and Iohn the second seconded that Enterprise and vsed the helpe of Mathematicians Roderigo and Ioseph his Physicians and Martin Bohemus by whom the Astrolabe was applyed to the Art of Nauigation and benefit of the Mariner before vsed only in Astronomie This Iohn also sent men of purpose into Arabia and Aethiopia and other Countries of the East to learne further knowledge thereof From these beginnings daily increasing hath Nauigation first in Portugall and by degrees in other Europaean Nations by the helpe of Astronomicall Rules growne to her present perfection and by it Geographie And if the longitude of places might as easily be found out as the latitude which our Countriman Master Linton made promise of wee should yet grow to better knowledge in those Sciences and of the World by them Moreouer as the Expedition of Alexander and those flourishing Monarchies in Asia brought some knowledge thereof to the Ancients So the Histories of later times but especially the great Trauels by Land of Marcus Paulus Odoricus Will de Rubruquis Ioannes de Plano Carpini our Countriman Mandeuile and others before this skill of Nauigation haue giuen much light to the knowledge of the In-land Countries of Asia which wee are first to speake of As for the Circles the Aequinoctiall which parteth the Globe in the middest the Tropickes of Cancer and Capricorne in twentie three degrees and a halfe from either side of the Aequinoctiall the Arctike and Antarctike Circles in twentie three degrees and a halfe from the North and South Poles or not much differing which are vsually set in Maps with red or double lines for distinction The Meridians which are Circles passing ouer our heads in what part of the World soeuer we be and also through both the Poles the Horizon which diuideth the vpper halfe of the World which we see from the nether halfe which wee see not the Parallels of Latitude from the Aequinoctiall towards either Pole The Climes or Climates which are the spaces of two Parallels Also the tearmes of Poles which are two the Arctike and the Antartike and the Axletree of the World a right line imagined to passe from the one to the other through the Centre of the Earth the Degrees containing sixtie miles or after Cornelius de Iudaeis sixtie eight thousand ninetie fiue paces and an halfe and after other Authors otherwise according as they haue differed in opinion touching the measure of the Earth or touching the furlongs miles and degrees which they vsed in their computation the variety whereof both auncient and moderne among the Greekes Romans Arabians Italians Spaniards and others Master Hues our Countriman hath studiously collected into ninetie of which degrees euery fourth part of the world is diuided amount in the whole to three hundred sixtie Also the Geographicall tearmes of Litius Fretum Insula Sinus Continens Promontorium Isthmus that is Shores straits Islands Bayes Continent Capes or Headlands Neckes of Land and such like All these I say and other things of like nature needfull to this kind of knowledge the studious shall find in those Authors which teach the Principles of Astronomy and Geography with the vse of Globes or Mappes as Master BLVNDEVILE Master HVES and others My intent is not to teach Geography but to bestow on the studious of Geographie a History of the World so to giue him flesh vnto his bones and vse vnto his Theorie or Speculation whereby both that skill may be confirmed and a further and more excellent obtained Geographie without Historie seemeth a Carkasse without life and motion History without Geographie mooueth but in moouing wandreth as a Vagrant without certaine habitation And whereas Time and Place are Twinnes and vnseparable companions in the chiefe Histories to set downe the true time of chiefe Accidents will adde much light to both a great taske in one Country but to take vp the whole World on my shoulders which haue not the strength either of Atlas or Hercules to beare it and in the whole to obserue the description of Places order of times and the History of Actions and Accidents especially Religions olli robur as triplex thrice happy hee that could happily atchieue it I confesse beyond my abilitie exactly to performe but with the wisest I hope that the haughtinesse of the attempt in a thing so full of varietie and hardnesse shall rather purchase pardon to my slips then blame for my rashnesse And how can I but often slip that make a perambulation ouer the World that see with others eyes that tell of matters past so many ages before I had a Beeing Yet such is the necessitie of such a History either thus or not at all But as neere as I can I purpose to follow the best euidence and to propound the Truth my fault where it is worst shall be rather mendacia dicere then mentiri and yet the Tales-man shall bee set by the Tale the Authors name annexed to his Historie to shield me from that imputation And first we must begin with ASIA to which the first place is due as being the place of the first Men first Religion first Cities Empires Arts where the most things mentioned in Scripture were done the place where Paradise was seated the Arke rested the Law was giuen and whence the Gospell proceeded the place which did beare Him in his flesh that by his Word beareth vp all things HONDIVS his Map of ASIA ASIA ASIA after some is so called of Asia the daughter of Oceanus and Thetis which was wife to Iapetus mother of Prometheus Others fetch this name from Asius the sonne of Manaeus both with like certaintie and credit It is greater then Europe and Africa yea the Islands thereof are larger if they were put together then all Europe It is compassed with the Easterne Indian and Scythian Oceans on three parts on the West it hath the Arabian Gulfe that Necke of Land which diuided it from Africa the Mediterranean Aegean Pontike Seas the Lake Maeotis Tanais with an imagined line from thence to the Bay of S. Nicholas Some make it yet larger and make Nilus to diuide it from Africa but with lesse reason Taurus diuideth it in the middest On the North side is that which is called Asia interior on the South is Asia exterior More vnequall is that diuision into Asia the greater and the lesse this beeing lesse indeed then that it should sustaine a member in that diuision Io. Barrius diuideth it into nine parts Ortelius into fiue Maginus into seuen which are these First That part of Tartaria betwixt Muscouia the Northerne Ocean the Riuer Ob and the Lake Kytai and
therefore enioyne thee to desist from these attempts otherwise be thou cast out from all Israel But he proceeded neuertheles till Zinaldin a Turkish King subiect to the Persian corrupted his Father in Law with ten thousand peeces of Gold who accordingly with a Sword slew him in his bed And thus ended Dauid but not his designes for the Iewes in Persia were forced by many talents af gold to buy their peace with the King About the same time Rambam tells of another which tooke him to bee the Messenger of the Messias which should direct his way before him preaching that the Messias would appeare in the South To him resorted many Iewes and Arabians whom hee led alongst the Mountaines professing to go meete the Messias who had sent him Our Brethren in the South countrey wrote to me a long Letter hereof declaring the innouations he made in their Prayers and his preachings amongst them asking my aduice And I writ a booke saith Rambam for their sakes touching the signes of the comming of the Messias This Seducer was taken after a yeeres space and brought before one of the Kings of the Arabians which examined him of his courses who answered that he had so done at the commandement of GOD in witnesse whereof he bad him cut off his head and he would rise againe and reuiue which the King caused to be done without any such miraculous effect ensuing The like telleth Isaac Leuita of one Lemlen a Iew in the yeere 1500. as also of R. Dauid which about the same time was burned for like cause The Iewes haue Legends as that of Eldad translated by Genebrard of multitudes of Iewes in Aethiopia whom when wee come thither we will visit But alas it is small comfort being burned in the fire to make themselues merry with smoke Of their miseries sustained in all places of their abode all histories make mention And yet their superstition is more lamentable then their dispersion as also their pertinacie and stubbornenesse in their superstition And certainely me thinks that euen to him that will walke by sight and not by faith not oblieging his credit to meete authoritie as the case standeth betwixt vs and the Scriptures but will be drawne by the cords of Reason onely and Sense euen to such a one me thinks this Historie of the Iewes may be a visible demonstration of the Truth of Christian Religion Not onely because the truth of the Prophesies of Iaacob of Moses of Esay and other the Prophets is fulfilled in them and because Gods iustice still exacteth the punishment of the betraying and murthering that iust one but especially in this that the bitterest enemies cruellest persecutors and wilfullest Haters that euer were of the Christian truth are dispersed into so many parts of the World as witnesses of the same Truth holding and maintayning to death the Scriptures of Moses and the Prophets then which euen Reason being Iudge as is said before we will not desire sounder and fuller proofes of our profession Neither is our Gospell wherein we differ from them any other then the fulfilling of their Law and Christ came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill the same the same truth being deliuered in both veyled in the one and reuealed in the other In him the Promises in him the figures in him the righteousnesse of the Law righteousnesse in Doctrine righteousnesse in practice righteousnesse of Doing righteousnesse of Suffering to satisfie the debt to merit the inheritance are the witnesses that in him they are all yea and Amen haue receiued their perfect being and accomplishment But the vayle is ouer their hearts eyes they haue and see not eares and heare not They hold out to vs the light of Scripture themselues walking in darkenes and reserued to darkenesse like to a Lampe Lanthorne or Candlesticke communicating light to others whereof themselues are not capable nor can make any vse §. IIII. Of the Miserable Dispersions of the Iewes WE haue shewed how they were vtterly cast out of their countrey And Italie and the Empire was filled with Iewish slaues Nor was this their first dispersion but as the Assyrians had carried away the other ten Tribes So the Babylonians carried away the two Tribes remayning which might haue returned vnder the Persian Monarchie but many remained in those Countries till the dissolution of that Iewish state and after They had there diuers famous Vniuersities and that at Bagdet endured till the yeere of Christ one thousand three hundred so writeth Boterus At which time they fleeing the persecutions of the Arabians dispersed themselues into India where many are found at this day These through continuall conuersing with the Gentiles and Christians haue small knowledge of the Law and lesse would haue but for other Iewes that resort thither out of Egypt Before that time also if we beleeue the Ethiopian History twelue thousand Iewes of each Tribe a thousand went with the Queene of Sabaes Sonne which they say she had by Salomon into that Country and there remaine their posteritie to this day Thus is ASIA and AFRIKE fraught with them but EVROPE much more Adrian banished fiue hundred thousand into Spayne where they multiplied infinitely and founded an Vniuersitie at Corduba about the yeere of our Lord one thousand And at Toledo was a Schoole of twelue thousand Iewes about the yeere of our Lord one thousand two hundred thirty and sixe as writeth Rabbi Mosche Mikkatzi from hence it seemeth they swarmed into England and France Anno 1096. innumerable numbers of men and women of diuers Nations according to the zeale of those times trauelling to Ierusalem compelled the Iewes in places whereby they passed to be baptized euery where making terrible massacre and slaughter of such as refused may of the Iewes also killing themselues in zeale of their Law At Mentz they slew of them 1014. of both sexes and fired the greatest part of the Citie The rest rested not long in their imposed Christianitie but willingly renounced that which against their wils they had accepted Auentinus numbreth 12000. Iewes slaine in Germanie in this irreligious quarrell Otto Frisingensis attributes these Iewish slaughters to the zealous preaching of Rodolph a Monke which furie was appeased by the preaching and authoritie of Saint BERNARD These Pilgrims saith Albertus Aquensis which then liued being a gallimaufry of all Nations in pretence of this holy quarrell against the Turkes gaue themselues to all vnholy and filthy courses amongst themselues and against the Christians where they passed may whoores attending and following the Campe to which they added excesse in dyet robberies especially all cruelties against the Iewes chiefly in the kingdome of Lorraine thus beginning the rudiments of that war against the enemies of the Faith First they destroyed them and their Synagogues in Collen and taking two hundred of them flying by night to Nuis they slue and robbed them all At Mentz the Iewes committed
then biggest when they haue nothing but wind to fill them Euen their glorious Titles so much insisted on in this Discourse then seeme to haue had beginning or at least to be in greatest vse when they were neere the end and Sun-set of their glorie and since haue encreased to this rabble of Rabbinicall stiles here deliuered and that which in these dayes is of greatest reckoning the Title Morenu our Doctor hath beene hatched saith Buxtorfius in Germany within these two hundred yeeres and thence passed into Italy in imitation of our Academicall degree of Doctors say some or else as others it was ordayned to be a speciall Title of honour with a kind of Iurisdiction ouer other R R. to preuent their lauish loosenesse in granting Bils of Diuorce that this power should bee appropriated to the Morenu The first which enioyed this Title in this proper sense for in a common it was common before as in Rambams Moreh Nebuchim appeares were Maharasch and his Scholer Maharil who dyed Anno Dom. 1427. §. IIII. Of the Scriptures and their Interpretations BEfore we shake hands with the Learned Writers of the Iewes it is not vnmeete in my opinion heere to meete with some question which some haue mooued concerning them and their dealing in and with the Scriptures For since that the Councell of Trent hath decreed in the yeere 1546. both the diuine authoritie of Scriptures Canonicall to the Apocrypha-bookes which the Iewes receiue not nor euer did and hath made the vulgar Translation Authenticall in publike Lectures Disputations Preachings and Expositions that none vnder any pretence whatsoeuer shall presume to reiect it it is wonder to see how eagerly that I say not impudently diuers of them haue sought to slander the originall Text and haue blamed as Authors thereof in the New Testament Heretikes and in the Old Iewes couering their malice to vs with pretence of the malice of Heretikes and Iewes and forgetting the true Rule That it is a shame to belie the Diuell Thus haue Canus and Pintus and Gregorius de Valentia Sacroboscus and others traduced the Iewes in this behalfe themselues refuted by their owne which yet by consequent ouerthrow that former Decree Sixtus Senensis Ribera Cardinall Bellarmine himselfe Andradius Andreas Masius Arias Montanus Isaac Leuita c. Besides of ours many and especially our owne learned Countrimen Whitaker Reynolds Morton c. Bellarmine hath both taught vs the vanitie of their opinion that hold That the Scriptures were all lost in the Babylonian Captiuitie and were by Ezra renewed miraculously who is rather commended for his industrie in interpreting and obseruing them and for ordering and compacting them in one Volume then for such needlesse reuelation to finde that which was neuer lost an Author rather as Hierome hath obserued of the present Hebrew Letters then of their ancient Scriptures and hath also prooued the absurditie of their conceit that imagine the Hebrew Fountaines corrupted First by the Argument of Origen and Hierome That such corruption must haue beene either before or after Christ if that Christ would haue reproued and not commended the Scriptures to their search if this how commeth it that the Testimonies cited by him and his Apostles are found now in Moses and the Prophets as they were then cited Secondly out of Augustine That it is not likely they would put out both their eyes in depriuing their Scriptures of truth that they might put out one of ours nor was it possible that such a generall conspiracie could be made Thirdly from their more then reuerent estimation of their Scriptures for which they would die if it were possible an hundreth deaths and euen still as Isaac answereth B. Lindan his Scholler they proclaime a Fast to expiate if by some accident that Booke but falls to the ground Fourthly some places in the Hebrew are more strong against the Iewes then our Translations are and the Prophesies which make most against them remaine there vncorrupted And lastly the prouidence of GOD would neuer herein faile his Church but hath left them with their bookes to bee dispersed through the world to beare witnesse to that Truth which they hate and persecute These are Bellarmines Arguments which because they are the Truth are also ours and therefore we haue beene bold with the Reader to insert them Leuita addes that the Hebrew Texts concerning Christ are more cleere and perspicuous then in any translation whatsoeuer who affirmes also of himselfe that reading the fiftie third Chapter of Esaias 1000. times by which he was conuerted to the Christian Faith and comparing it diligently with many translations he found a hundred times more touching the mysterie of Christ in that then in these Many Prophesies are in the Hebrew which make for the Christians and yet in the 70. are omitted The Iewes hold it a crime inexpiable to alter any thing therein which if any say they should doe but in one word of ignorance or malice it would bring the whole world in danger of perishing They will not lay their Bible but in a pure place nor touch it but with pure hands and are not religious alone but superstitious also in respect thereto As for that Emendation or Correction of the Scribes which Galatinus mentioneth wherein they haue corrupted the Text hee proueth it to bee a late dreame of the Talmud and answereth the Arguments of his fellowes herein not so Catholike as himselfe Now although this may seeme more then enough to conuince that folly yet it shall not bee impertinent to adde out of Arias Montanus somewhat touching the same because it openeth another mysterie touching the Hebrew Learning and the Masoreth When the Iewes saith he returned into their Country after the Captiuitie threescore and ten yeeres in Babylon it befell them partly by occasion of their long troubles which did distract their mindes partly by corruption of their Natiue Tongue which was growne out of kinde first into the Chaldee and afterward into the Syriacke that they neither knew nor pronounced so well the words of the Scripture written as the manner was without vowels Whereby it came to passe that in the writing of them there crept in some fault either through iniurie of the Times or by reason of troubles which fell vpon the People or by negligence of some Scriueners But this inconuenience was met withall afterward by most learned men such as Esdras was and afterward Gamaliel Ioseus Eleazar and other of great name who prouided by common trauell with great care and industrie that the Text of Scripture and the true reading thereof should bee preserued most sound and vncorrupt And from these men or from their instruction being receiued and polished by their Schollers in the Ages following there came as wee iudge that most profitable Treasure which is called Masoreth that is to say a Deliuerie or Traditionall because it doth deliuer aboundantly and faithfully all the diuers Readings that
entering into the houses of the richer beg prouision for the Feast And if any be exceeding poore the Rabbines make him a licence to beg therein testifying of his honestie and Iewish saith wherewith hee wandereth through the Countrey visiting all the Iewes he can finde And if hee come to a place where are many Iewes hee sheweth his licence to the chiefe Rabbi or to the Clarke which calls men to the Synagogue or to the Elders or Ruler of the Synagogue which is as their Consull or to the Ouer-seers of the poore and craueth their fauour which granted hee standeth with two others at the doore of the Synagogue and beggeth or else those two goe from house to house and beg for him The like is done when a poore Iew hath a daughter marriageable to beg for her dowrie When poore Iewes trauell they may turne into another Iewes house where their prouerbe is the first day hee is a ghest the second a burthen the third a fugitiue The falling sicknesse is vsuall among the Iewes and they vse to imprecate it to each other in their anger as they also doe the plague In a generall pestilence they write in their Chamber strange characters and wonderfull names which they say are the names of the Pest-Angels And I once saw sayth our Author Adiridon Bediridon and so on the word Diridon riding on quite through the Alphabet written with great letters in their houses as a present remedie for the Plague The Leprie they haue seldome which may bee attributed to their dyet Now the Sword and Scepter is taken from them in stead of other penalties they inflict sharpe penances according to the nature of the crime Thus the Adulterer satisfieth for his hot lust in cold water wherein hee is inioyned to sit some winter dayes and if the water be frozen the Ice is cut and hee set therein vp to his chinne as long as an Egge is roasting In Summer time hee is set naked in an Ant-hill his nose and eares stopped and after washeth himselfe in cold water If the season bee neither cold not hot hee is inioyned a certaine kinde of fasting in which he may not eate any thing till night and then onely a little bread and water is allowed him and yet hee must after endure the Ant or water-penance In Médrasch is written that Adam sate vp to the nose in water an hundred and thirtie yeeres till he begate Seth for eating the forbidden fruit If the penance seeme lighter they enioyne him further to runne thorow a swarme of Bees and when the swelling of his bodie through their stinging is abated he must doe it againe and againe according to the measure of his offence If hee hath often that way offended hee is bound to endure that penance many yeeres yea sometimes a three yeeres fast together eating bread and water at supper otherwise nothing except hee rather chuse to redeeme this with fasting three whole dayes together in each yeere without tasting any refection at all as Queene Esther did When any hath lyen with a woman in her vncleannesse hee incurreth the penance of fortie dayes fast and twice or thrice euery of those dayes to receiue on his bare backe with a leather thong or girdle nine blowes to eate no flesh or hot meate nor drinke any wine but on the Sabbath If a man kisse or embrace his menstruous wife the case is alike A Robber is adiudged three yeeres banishment to wander three yeeres thorow the Cities where Iewes dwell crying aloud I am a Robber and suffer himselfe to bee beaten in manner aforesaid He may not eate flesh nor drinke wine nor cut the hayre off his head or beard hee must put on his change of garments and shirts vnwashed He may not wash himselfe euery moneth once he must couer his head hee must weare his arme wherewith he committed murther fastened to his necke with a chayne Some are enioyned that where they sleepe one night they may not sleepe the next that they may wander ouer the world like Cain Some are constrained to weare an yron brest-plate next their skinne and some to throw themselues downe before the doore of the Synagogue that they which goe in may treade on him That Iew which accuseth another before a Christian Magistrate is accounted a Traytor and neuer made reckoning of after But why doe I tyre the Reader to whom I feare I haue beene ouer-tedious But in this matter of Religion of whom is it fitter to protract discourse then of them whom the old world yeelded the only example of Truth and the present age a principall example of falsehood and superstition Let it not grieue the Reader to performe the last office of humanitie to our Iew and as hee hath seene his birth his Synagogue-Rites and home superstitions so to visit him on his Death-bed and helpe lay him in his graue and examine his hope of the Resurrection and of their Messias and wee will end our Pilgrimage in this Holy Land §. VII Of their visitation of the sicke And funerall rites WHen a man lieth sicke the Rabbines visit him and if he be rich order is taken for his Will and then they exhort him to perseuere constantly in their Faith They aske him if hee beleeue that the Messias is yet to come Hee maketh his confession on his bed saying I confesse before thee my God and Lord God of my parents Lord of all Creatures that my health and death is in thy hand I pray thee grant me recouery of my former health and heare my praier as thou didest Hezekiah in his sicknes And if the time of my death be come then grant that death may bee a remission of all my sinne which of ignorance or knowledge I haue committed euer since I was a man grant that I may haue my part in Paradise and the world to come which is reserued for the iust grant that I may know the Way of euerlasting life fill mee with the ioy of thy excellent countenance by thy right hand for euer and euer Blessed bee thou O GOD which hearest my prayer Thus they which refuse the merits of Christs death ascribe remission of sinnes to their owne When he giueth vp the ghost all the standers by rend their garments but in a certaine place of the same where they doe no great harme about a hand-breadth They lament the dead seuen dayes They presently after his death powre out all the water in the house into the streete they couer his face that it may no more bee seene they bow his thumb in his hand framing a resemblance of the Hebrew name Schaddai his other fingers are stretched out to testifie a forsaking of the world they wash him with hot water and hauing anointed his head with wine and the yolke of an Egge mixed together they put on him a white vestment which he vsed to weare on the Feast of Reconciliation When they carry him out of the house they
insinuate with them and therfore sought by alliance to winne their better liking taking some of their daughters to his wiues of which he had at one time eleuen and in all his life fifteene besides two slaues Heraclius at that time fauouring the Heresie of the Monothelites neglecting the affaires of the Empire Mahomets proiects tooke better effect Hummar also and Mauchia caused all Soria and Iudaea and Egypt to rebell Sergius at that time a Nestorian Monke of Constantinople thence for that Heresie excommunicated resorting to Mahomet kindled these sparkes into a great fire perswading him to countenance his Rebellion with the pretence of Religion the rather now that Heraclius had offended the Christians by his exactions and Heresies and the Iewes by new cruelties because by Magicke he had beene warned to beware of the Circumcised Nation Thus some male contented Iewes and some hereticall Christians being called to counsell it was agreed that hee should professe himselfe to be chosen in this turbulent state of the world to bring vnto the same a New Law appointed hereunto by Diuine authoritie to the Iewes affirming himselfe their expected Messias to the Christians promising amiddest so many Heresies The rule of Truth to the excommunicate Heretikes restitution of their persons and goods to seruants libertie to subiects immunity from tribute And thus hee caused himselfe of Sergius to bee baptized and to bee circumcised also of Abdalla a Iew hauing before beene a Paynime After hee got himselfe into a Caue two miles from the Towne called Garbe continuing there two yeeres in companie of Sergius and Abdalla which acquainted him with the Christian and Iewish Principles and in the night resorted to his wife whom he peswaded to this vaine beliefe by Zeidinus his seruant rewarding him therefore with freedome and proclaiming as by an Edict from Heauen the like libertie to all seruants of all sorts which would follow him This rout resorting to him and by their numbers strengthening his faction their masters not a little aggrieued gaue out a rumour that Mahomet was mad and possessed of a Divell and that an euill end would befall him and his followers And although they might haue gotten him into their hands yet in regarde of his nine vncles and some noble Families linked him in kindred viz. the Corasists the Hassinists the Benitamines they abstained from further rigour Thus with the helpe of Sergius and Baira a Iacobite and Cillenus in the caue with the fauour of his two vncles Hanza and Alaben at Mecca with his elder brother that tooke his daughter Fatima and Eubocara a chiefe man of that place afterwards his father in-law he composed after his and their pleasure Constitutions and Canons and published the same at Mecca with protestation that the Angell Gabriel had been sent to him from God as in old times to the Prophets to teach him these things And in the first place commanding them to beleeue in God the Creator of heauen and earth the causer of raines and fruites that inflicteth death on men and after raiseth them vp to giue them either in reward of their good workes Paradise or of their bad Hell and such other things neuer before heard of among these simple Idolatrous Inhabitants of Mecca he grew in great estimation For in Persia and Arabia before this time some worshipped a Tree which they called Putulangua offering sacrifices thereto some an Idoll called Bliomum and some the Sunne and others vsed other Idolatries spred by the so many sonnes of Ismael and therefore the ruder multitude astonished with these Propheticall and Angelicall titles were easily bewitched And by degrees he published his intended wickednes not sparing outragious villanies as the stealing of a Camell the murthering of a Iew sleeping vnder a tree Yea hee pretended not humane infirmitie but diuine authority to his most mischieuous designments For example being lustfully affected to Zamech the daughter of Gaissi the wife of Zaidi he writ in his Law That after vow or promise of marriage it was lawfull for him to enioy her and if he pleased to take her to his wife And being reprehended that Aissa his wife was dishonest with Zaphagam the son of Almuthathum the Angell forsooth said she was chast And being found by his wiues with Mary the wife of Macobe the King of the Iacobites he in another Chapiter is absolued of his oath and free to lye with any woman not being able to containe himselfe notwithstanding he had sworne so to do And by the same authority he enioyned them penance for blaming the Prophet And willing to diuorce one of his wiues but fearing the greatnesse of her kindred hee frameth one Chapiter blaming him for fearing man more then GOD. Meeting once with a woman on the way hee would haue abused her but she refusing he set vpon her Asse Lettice befitting his lippes affirming that that woman had more sinned then if shee had slaine an hundred men And the Saracens to this day saith Petrus Alfonsi deplore that fact of this Saracen woman He wanteth not his miracles also in his Legend As he iourneyed in the heate of the day with his Camels a Cloud couered his head from the scorching heate of the Sunne about the seuenteenth yeere of his age And when hee first entered the Caue he saw the Angell Gabriel in his proper shape with white wings on a seate of gold betwixt Heauen and Earth who brought him his Prophecie and going to Mecca to tell his wife the Beasts Trees Stoues and Hearbs saluted him with the name of a Prophet and a messenger of God and the trunke of a Tree standing in the way diuided it selfe for him to passe betweene and then after closed againe Hee also to satisfie his incredulous vnckle Bugellinus caused the Moone to descend from heauen which entred into his sleeue and after parted it selfe in two and then ascended againe To satisfie the peoples doubtings he caused a Bull taught before to come at his call to bring on his hornes a Chapiter which hee there had tyed to testifie the truth of Mahomet But while the fame of this Propheticall Function filled the mouthes of the vulgar with acclamations it no lesse filled the hearts of the Nobles of Mecca with disdaine who sought therefore to apprehend him but hee closely fled to Ietrib or Medina with his followers where he liued with the name of a Prophet thirteene yeeres From this flight they begin the computation of their Hegira the word Hegirathi signifieth a persecution for Religion Wherein Mahomet imitated the Christians of those parts who accounted their yeeres from the persecution of Dioclesian That his flight hapned on the sixteenth of Iuly An. Dom. 622. on Friday Therefore doe they keepe holy the Friday And because then the Moone shewed her new hornes that became a sacred ensigne to the Mahometans and on Towers where they watch to obserue the new Moone they set vp an horned Moone as Christians on
the Aethiopian and Calliata Ellecedi which vpon emulation composed also euery one an Alcoran glory of those their Workes containing more honestie and truth Neither hath it pleased any noble or wise man but the rude vulgar of which sore the wearie Labourers gladly gaue eare to his promise of Paradise the poore delighted to heare of Gardens in Persia and Bankrupts and Felons easily listened to securitie and libertie The language is vulgar Postellus also testifieth and without all Art of Grammar such as is obserued of their learned Writers without all bounds of reason or eloquence The Method is so confused that our Arabian Author who liued before it was so generally embraced and in freer times saith That hee had heard euen good Saracens affirme with griefe that it was so mixed and heaped together that they could finde no Reason in it Bad Rime as you haue heard and worse Reason Hierome Sauanorola hath the like saying That no man can finde herein any order Nor could so confused and foolish a Worke proceed from any naturall or supernaturall light It is yet craftily contriued when hee hath set downe some wicked doctrine presently to lace and fringe it with precepts of Fasting Prayer or good manners alwayes taking away things hard to bee beleeued or practised and where it deliuereth any truth it is maymed with defect eclipsed with obscuritie and serueth for a stale to falshood Erpenius hath translated the Chapiter of Ioseph containing a hundred and eleuen Verses the second of which calls it Coran and the next Alcoran the Article added His Annotation is Per verbum Dei intelligunt legem suam qua Coranus ipsis dicitur quam Muhamed ijs persuasit coelitus ad se demissam And although the matter bee absurd and impious yet he saith others perhaps haue of zeale said otherwise that this Coran is composed with such puritie of speech accurate analogie and expressed with perfection of writing that deseruedly it is to them the matter and rule of Grammar They call it Koran of a word which signifies to read as a reading Lecture or collection of Chapiters as the learnedst Arabs will haue it It is not much lesse then the New Testament in words The Arabs extoll it aboue all creatures and ranke it next to God and thinke him vnworthy to liue which toucheth it vnreuerent as a contemner of God They vse it therefore with all reuerence nor will permit a Christian or a Iew to touch it to sit on it is a grieuous crime capitall to Iewes or Christians Nor may they themselues touch it vnwashed and therefore write on the couer thereof Let no man touch it but he which is cleane In it are one hundred and fourteen Chapiters of vnequall quantitie that of Ioseph the twelfth the second as large as the last fortie The first is but of six Verses and therefore not reckoned a Chapiter by our Country-man Robert of Reading who also diuides the fiue following into more by tenne that the seuenth is his seuenteenth Euery Chapiter hath the name of the first word or of the subiect as this is called Ioseph the first opening because it presents it selfe at the opening of the booke It was composed out of diuers papers of Muhamed found at his house which hee professed to receiue from Gabriel at diuers times by Abubecr his father in law the Numa of that Saracen Empire Each Chapiter is called Souraton and with the Article Assurato whence the Latine call it Azoara z. for ss and o. a for o. u as in the word Alcoran it is not to be construed vultus but gradus a degree or step for these steps the whole is passed and each of these was a lesson also to be conned of children and of his disciples After these fancies had caused him to bee expelled Mecca he fled ten dayes off to Iatfrib and there diuulged the rest This is called Medina and Medinatalnabi the Citie of the Prophet and hence some Chapiters haue title of Mecca some of Medina This flight was the fifteenth of Iuly at night A. 622. which is their Aera or computation of their yeeres reckoned by the Moone so that their 1026. began the twentie ninth of December A. D. 1616. Euery Chapiter consists of Verses very vnequall and lame affected rithmes Yea sometimes a sentence is patched in to make vp a rithme Before euery Chapiter is prefixed Bismillahirrahmanirrahimi for so they read it coined together with Articles as if it were all one word the signification is In nomine Dei miseratoris misericordis that is In the name of God shewing mercie mercifull which is as much as summè misericordis exceedingly mercifull or mercifull in Act and Nature To these words they ascribe innumerable mysteries and vertues so that they thinke that almost no worke can haue good successe vnlesse they preface it with this sentence Therefore in the beginning of their bookes they vse it and whatsoeuer businesse they goe about if it be to mount their horse or set forth to rowe a boat c. as I haue beene told Also there are in the beginning of Chapiters fourteene mysticall words of the signification whereof the Arabs professe their vncertaintie and Abubecr was wont to say That in euery booke God kept somewhat secret to himselfe which in the Alcoran were those mysticall beginnings of Chapiters Diuers haue diuersly deuised to hunt out Cabalisticall senses and state-periods with other vanities from them They hold that all the Alcoran was sent in one night which they call therefore nox demissionis nox potentiae and lest it might breed a contradiction that some parts were deliuered at Mecca for so it must be written not Mecha they say that Muhamed receiued them by pieces of the Angell as occasions required but hee from God all in one night and so they will haue the name signifie also a booke sent from heauen Thus much Erpenius in his Annotations on that Chapiter wherein also he blameth the old translation of Robert Reading as in other things so in that that when his mistresse brought Ioseph before other women they were all saith the translation menstruous and cut their hands saying hee was rather an Angel then a man He translates for menstruate sunt magnificarunt eum they magnified him adding concerning that cutting off the hand that it is still an vse of the Arabs Persians and people of the East to expresse loue My friend Mr. Bedwel fortie yeeres studious of Arabike hath told mee that that translation of Reading is generally reasonable well done nor is so faultie as some will haue it or much reading supply that way As for other supply it needs a sword like that Gordian knot rather then a penne that as by the sword it hath beene obtruded on the world as a iust punishment of ingratitude to the Sonne of God the eternall Truth and not by reasons or Scriptures which it corrupts mingles mangles maimes as the Impostors obliuion sometimes sometimes
stones which they binde in an handkerchiefe and carry to that place of Mina where they stay fiue dayes because at that time there is a Fayre free and franke of all custome And in this place are other three Pillars not together but set in diuers places Monuments of those three Apparitions which the Deuill made to Abraham an to Ismael his sonne for they now a dayes make no mention of Isaac as if he had neuer beene borne They say that when as Abraham at Gods command went to offer his sonne Ismael the deuill dehorted him from the same but seeing his labour lost he went to Ismael and bid him pittie himselfe But Ismael tooke vp stones and threw at him saying I defend me with God from the Deuill the offender These words the Pilgrimes repeate in their visitation of these Pillars hurling away the stones they had gathered From hence halfe a mile is a Mountaine whither Abraham went to sacrifice his sonne In the same is a great den whither the Pilgrimes resort to make their prayers and there is a great stone separated in the middest by the knife of Ismael they say at the time of this sacrifice Barthema reporteth that heere at Mecca he saw two Vnicornes which I mention because since that time I haue not found any Author which hath testified the like sight They were sent to the Seriffo for a present by an Aethiopian King The Carouan departing for Medina as soone as they come in sight thereof they call the place The Mountaine of Health they alight and going vp the hill shout with loud voyces and say Prayer and health be vnto thee O Prophet of God Prayer and health be vpon thee O beloued of GOD. They proceed on their iourney and lodge that night within three miles of Medina and the next morning are receiued with solemnitie of the Gouernour Medina is a Citie two miles in circuit with faire houses of lime and stone and a square Mosquita in the middest lesse but more sumptuous then that of Mecca This is called Medina Tal Nabi that is the Citie of the Prophet in Barthemaes time it contained about three hundred houses and was very barren one garden of Dates excepted but now they haue store of fruits This Temple is square an hundred paces in length fourescore in breadth It hath in it an I le made Arch-wise supported with foure hundred Pillars and supporting as he saith three thousand Lampes In one part of this Mosquita was a Librarie of fortie fiue Mahumeticall bookes Also within the same in a corner thereof is a Tombe built vpon foure Pillars with a Vault exceeding in height the Mosquita being couered with Lead and the top all inameld with gold and an halfe Moone vpon the top wrought within verie artificially with gold Below there are round about great yron staires ascending vp to the middest of the Pillars and in the middest lyeth buried the bodie of Mahumet not in an yron chest attracted by Adamant at Mecca as some affirme Or to say the truth neither here nor at Mecca can they shew this Seducers bodie For the Captaine of that Carouan of Damasco in which Barthema went on this Pilgrimage offered to the chiefe Priest of that Mosquita three thousand Saraffi of gold to shew him the bodie of the Nabi or Prophet that saith he being the onely cause of my comming The Priest answered proudly How can those eyes wherewith thou hast committed so much euill in the world see him by whom GOD hath created Heauen and Earth The Captaine replied True Sir but doe me that fauour to let me see his bodie and I will presently plucke out mine eyes The Priest answered O Sir I will tell you the truth It is true that our Prophet would die heere to giue vs good example for hee might haue died at Mecca but such was his humilitie for our instruction and presently after hee was dead he was carried by the Angels into heauen And where saith the Captaine is Iesus Christ the Sonne of Marie The Priest answered At the feet of Mahomet In the night time by some fire-workes in the steeple they would haue gulled the credulous people with opinion of miracle vsing out-cryes in the night saying Mahomet would rise againe and when the Mamalukes could see no such light shine forth of Mahomets Tombe as they rumoured they said It was because they were slaues and weake in the faith and could not see heauenly sights To returne to the discouery of this supposed Sepulchre Ouer the bodie they haue built a Tombe of speckled stone a brace and halfe high and ouer the same another of Legmame foure-square in manner of a Piramis Round about the Sepulchre there hangeth a curtaine of silke which hideth the Sepulture from their sight that stand without Beyond this in the same Mosquita are other two Sepulchres of Fatma and Hali who yet as some say was buried at Massadalli neere Cusa others say hee neuer died but his comming is still expected The attendants on these Sepulchres are fiftie Eunuches white and tawnie of which three onely of the eldest and best esteemed white Eunuches may enter within the Tombe which they doe twice a day to light the Lampes and for other seruices The other attend on the Mosquita and those two other Sepulchres Where euery one may goe and touch at his pleasure and take of the earth for deuotion as many doe The Captaine with great pompe presenteth that Pyramid-like Vestment whereof you haue heard for the Tombe the Eunuches taking away the old and laying on the new and after this other vestures for the ornament of the Mosquita And the people without deliuer vnto the Eunuches each man somewhat to touch the Tombe therewith which they keepe as a Relique with great deuotion Here is a stately Hospitall built by Cassachi or Rosa the wife of great Soliman richly tented and nourishing many poore people A mile from the Citie are certaine houses in one of which they say Mahomet dwelt hauing on euery side many Date-trees amongst which there are two growing out of one stocke exceeding high which their Prophet forsooth grafted with his owne hands The fruit thereof is alway sent to Constantinople for a Present to the Grand-Signior and is said to be the Blessed fruit of the Prophet Also there is a little Mosquita wherein three places are counted holy The first they affirme their Prophet made his first prayer in after hee knew God The second is that whither he went when he would see the house of Abraham Where when he sate downe to that intent the Mountaines opened from the top to the bottome to shew him the house and after closed againe as before The third is the middest of the Mosquita where is a Tombe made of Lime and Stone fouresquare and full of sand wherein they say was buried that blessed Camell which Mahomet was alway wont to ride vpon Euen still as one Mr. Simons a Merchant and beholder thereof
by some is ascribed to them but falsely Adam Caine Noah and others were in this before them Astronomie also is not their inuention but taught them by Abraham Geometrie is more like to bee theirs driuen to seeke out this Art by Nilus ouer-flowing Idolatrie to the Starres was first heere practised saith Lactantius for lying on the roofes of their houses as yet they doe without any other Canopie then the Azure skie first they beheld then studied lastly adored them Gaudentius Brixiensis applyeth the destroying of the Aegyptian first-borne to the perishing of Idolatrie through the light of the Gospell the Egyptians saith hee being the first which worshipped the Images of dead men Magicke is also ascribed to them of whose timely professours Iannes and Iambres are an instance Physicke is fetched also from hence and Writing both after the vulgar sort as also that of the Priests Hieroglyphicall whereof Horopollo an Egyptian Pierius Goropius Michael Mayerus Curio Schualenberg besides Mercerus and Hoeschelius with others haue written Aelianus accounteth Mercurie the first inuenter of their Lawes The Women in Egypt did performe the offices which belonged to the Men buying selling and other businesse abroad the men Spinning and performing houshold-taske Claud Duret hath expressed besides a Discourse of their Region and Learning two Egyptian Alphabets if any desire to see the forme of their Letters which some thinke that the Phenicians borrowed from Egypt and lent by Cadmus to the Graecians But I am not of their minde This Elogie or commendation is giuen them by Martial Niliacis primum puer hic nascatur in oris Nequitias tellus scit dare nulla magis From Aegypt sure the boyes birth may proceed For no Land else such knauerie can breed And Propertius Noxia Alexandria dolis aptissima tellus The place where Alexandria doth stand Is noysome and a Conie-catching land Wee may heere adde out of Flauius Vopiscus a testimonie of the qualities of the Aegyptians They are saith hee inconstant furious braggarts injurious also vaine licentious desirous of nouelties euen vnto common Songs and Ballads Verfifiers Epigrammatists Mathematicians Wizards Physicians both for Christians and Samaritanes and alway things present with an vnbridled libertie are distastefull to them Hee bringeth also for witnesse of this assertion Aelius Adrianus who in an Epistle to Seruianus affirmeth thus I haue learned all Aegypt to bee light wauering and turning with euery blast of fame They which worship Serapis are Christians and euen they which call themselues Bishops of Christ are deuoted to Serapis No Ruler is there of the Iewish Synagogue no Samaritan no Christian Priest which is not a Mathematician a Wizard a Chirurgion or anointer of Champions This kinde of men is most seditious most vaine most injurious the Citie Alexandria rich wealthie fruitfull in which none liues idle Goutie men haue somewhat to doe Blinde men haue somewhat to doe or haue somewhat which they may make nor are the goutie-fingred idle They haue One GOD him doe the Christians him doe the Iewes him doe they all worship I wish them nothing else but that they may bee fedde with their owne Pullen which how they make fruitfull I am ashamed to tell Thus much Adrianus The Pullen hee speaketh of it seemeth are such as euen to this day they vse to hatch not vnder the Henne but in Furnaces of dung and ashes wherein thousands of Egges are layd for that purpose That which hee speaketh of the Christians is either of some Heretickes or luke-warme Time-seruers to bee vnderstood or else remember that it was Adrian an Ethnike whose intelligence was from such as himselfe in those times hating the Christians of whom through blinde zeale of their Idolatry what did they What did they not faine and deuise Euen more odious then here is expressed as Ecclesiasticall Histories shew The Iewes had giuen Adrian cause by their Treasons to hate them and flatterers opportunitie to belie them Let him that loues mee tell my tale But a man would maruell to heare Adrian blame the Aegyptians so much for that for which himselfe in Authors is so much blamed namely Superstition and Sorcerie For hee made Images of Antinous which he erected almost in all the world saith Dion This Antinous was in high estimation with him some thinke his Minion Hee dyed in Aegypt either drowned in Nilus as Adrian writeth or which is the truth was sacrificed For whereas Adrian was exceeding curious and addicted to Diuinations and Magicall Arts of all kindes in the hellish rites whereof was required the soule of such a one as would die voluntarily Antinous refused it not and therefore was thus honoured and had a Citie in Aegypt newly repaired from the ruines and dedicated in his Name Yea hee reported he saw a new Starre which forsooth was the soule of this Antinous The Greekes made a God of him and a giuer of Oracles whereof Prudentius singeth Quid loquar Antinoum coelesti sede locatum c. Adrianique dei Ganimedem Cumque suo in Templis vota exaudire Marito And Iustin Martyr Antinoum qui modo extitit omnes metu coacti pro deo colere cum quis vnde esset scirent Hee caused money to bee coyned with the picture of the Temple of Antinous which Adrian had erected and a Crocodile vnder it Choul expresseth diuers formes of these Antinoan Coines and one with inscription of Marcellus the Priest of Antinous Ammianus Marcellinus ascribeth to the Egyptians a contentious humour addicted to lawing and quarrels Assuetudine perplexius litigandi semper laetissimum Their vanitie and superstition may further appeare by that which Diophantes recordeth of one Syrophanes a rich Egyptian who doting on his Sonne yet liuing dedicated an Image in his house vnto him to which the seruants at any time when they had displeased their Master betooke themselues adorning the same with Flowers and Garlands so recouering their Masters fauour Some make the Egyptians first inuenters of Wine which they say was first made in the Egyptian Citie Plinthis and of Beere to which end they first made Mault of Barley for such places as wanted Grapes When a man proued more in shew then in substance as hypocrites whom the Truth it selfe calleth Whited Tombes the Prouerbe termed him an Egyptian Temple because those buildings were sumptuous and magnificent for matter and forme to the view but the Deitie therein worshipped was a Cat Dogge or such other contemptible creature The naturall furie and crueltie vsed amongst the Egyptians hath made them infamous among Authors both Prophane and Diuine And Stephanus Bizantinus saith that they which practised close subtile craftie couzenages were said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to play the Aegyptians Aeschylus also the Greeke Poet makes them Mint-masters therein and perhaps those Rogues which wander ouer so many Countries and liue by their wits and thefts were therefore called Egyptians rather then for the
him King who excelled in strength or in person or in husbandry of cattell or in wealth Their Priests enioyed the chiefe ranke of honour who sending their Herald or Messenger enioyned the King his death and set vp another in his roome At length a certaine King abolished this custome and rushing with his armed Souldiers into their Temple where was a golden Chappell slue all those Priests This was at Meroe the head Citie of the Iland where Pausanias sayth they shewed the Table of the Sunne and that they were the iustest men of all the Ethiopians Concerning that Table and the expedition of CAMBYSES into these partes HERODOTVS related that CAMBYSES designed at once three inuasions against the Carthaginians the Ammonians and Macrobians all in Africa These last haue their names of their long liues which they draw forth farre beyond the vsuall course Hee placeth them on the South shores of Africa but Mela in Meroe Seneca Plinie and Solinus beyond That Table of the Sunne Herodotus and Mela thus describe Neere to the Citie was a place alwayes furnished with varietie of rosted meates there set in the night by the Magistrates and eaten on the day by such as listed and therefore of this open feasting called the Suns Table whom the ignorant people also thought to be the Cater of these dainties Cambyses sent an Embassage vnto the King with presents but principally to espie the Countrey whom the Ethiopian requited with a Bow and bade that the Persians should then inuade the Macrobians when they were able to shoot in such Bowes thanking God that hee was contented with his owne And because he had sent him golden Chaines he asked to what vse they were they said for ornaments hee answered with smiling thinking them to bee Chaines for punishment That he had stronger fetters then those The like account hee made of his Purple Robes Oyntments and Wine and asked further what the Persians eate and when they told him bread made of Wheate the nature whereof they declared and withall that the oldest Persians exceeded not fourescore yeeres hee said that it was no maruell of their short life that fed vpon dung neither could they liue so long were it not for that drinke of Wine which they vsed it was not extraordinary there to attaine to a hundred and twenty yeeres their meate was boyled flesh and their drinke Milke Hee brought them to a Fountaine wherein being bathed they smelled as of Violets it was so subtile that nothing could swimme thereon not wood or other lighter matter this water was supposed to lengthen their liues He brought them also to the Prisons where they saw many manacled and bound with Chaines of Gold Lastly hee shewed them their Sepulchres made of Glasse in this manner After they haue embalmed the dead Corps they anoint it with a kind of pargetting mortar and then put it in a case or coffin of Glasse through which it shineth and is apparant without any ill sauour This they keepe one yeere in the house offering thereto Sacrifices and the first fruits of all things and then carrie it out of the Citie Thus farre Herodotus Wherein that which some Penny-father would most admire their golden setters how common and rife is it in another sort with vs euery couetous Miser manacling fettering strangling himselfe with his Gold in shew his ornament in affect his God in effect his Deuill Iaylor Chaines and Hell The Macrobij Mela addeth vsed Brasse for honour Gold for punishments Of the Table of the Sunne before mentioned thus writeth Friar Luys de Vrreta in that his large History which hee hath composed in Spanish of Ethiopia that the King in a curious brauerie and sumptuous vanitie caused there to bee set by night in a certaine field store of white bread and the choysest Wines hanged also on the Trees great varietie of Fowles rost and boyled and set on the ground Mutton Lambe Veale Beefe with many other dainties ready dressed Trauellers and hungry persons which came hither and found this abundance seeing no bodie which prepared or which kept the same ascribed it to Iupiter Hospitalis his bounty and hospitality shewing himselfe a Protector of poore Trauellers and called this field the Table of the Sunne The report hereof passed through the World and brought many Pilgrims from farre Countries to visit the same King Cambyses sent his Embassadors to see it Plato the Prince of Philosophers hauing trauelled through Asia as farre as Caucasus and gone also to the Brachmanes to see and heare Hiarchas in a Throne of Gold amongst a few Disciples disputing of Natures Mysteries and discoursing of the Starres and Planets returned by the Persians Babylonians Arabians and other Nations and entred into Aethiopia led with desire to see this renowmed Table and to eate of those delicacies The Aethiopians since their Christianity in zealous detestation of Idolatry will not so much as name this field and these ancient Rites and giue in charge to the Priests at this day that they handle not or create of the like vanities because they were inuentions of Idolaters Caelius Rbodiginus affirmeth that this Table of the Sunne grew into a Prouerbe to signifie a House well furnished and prouided Thus farre Fryer Luys I doubt farther then wee may safely follow in that of Plato's Pilgrimage hither Of the Pillar of Semiramis is before spoken out of the relation of Xenophon de Aequiuocis concerning which and his other companions and brethren howsoeuer Posseuinus Goropius and others doe reproue Annius for abusing the World with those glorious Titles and Ancient names and proue them to bee counterfeit yet in my mind that of Xenophon seemeth to fauour of some truth whether of antiquity or no I meddle not and that more then others of the same Edition In that Pillar consecrated to the memory of Ninus the Inscription testifieth that Cush or Cuz was the Aethiopian Saturne as C ham the Egyptian and Nimrod the Babylonian When Cush was dead they say Regma his Sonne succeeded in the Aethiopian Kingdome and after him Dodan after whose time is no record of certaine succession Diodorus sayth they chose him which was most comely of personage for their King Memnon is chanted by Homer and the Poets which lost his life at Troy in defence of Priamus and was some say King of Aethiopia Of the speaking Image of Memnon yee haue seene in our Egyptian Relations As for the wife of Moses whereof Iosephus sayth That the Aethiopians hauing ouer-runne and almost subdued Egypt and none daring to make head against them Mose whom Thermutis Pharaohs daughter had brought vp was chosen Generall of the Egyptian Army which he conducted into Aethiopia and comming to the siege of Saba Tharbis the Aethiopian Kings daughter fell in loue with him and sent her Seruants to intreat of a Marriage with him which hee accepted vpon condition of deliuering the Towne vnto him and that being done married her all this seemeth rather
circumcised Both sexes are circumcised at eight dayes old and the males fortie dayes after the females fourescore vnlesse sicknesse hasten the same are baptized As for the rites of their Christianitie it belongeth not to this place to expresse Their circumcision Zabo saith is not obserued as if it made them more worthy then other Christians for they thinke to bee saued onely by Faith They vse this and distinctions of meates and Mosaicall rites yet so as he that eateth should not despise him that eateth not and not condemning others that refuse them but yet thinking that neither Christ nor the Apostles nor the Primitiue Church had disannulled them interpreting also the Scriptures to their purpose Of their agreeing with other Churches in the most points of substance the Author of the Catholike Traditions hath written and when I make a Christian Visitation of these parts it shall bee further discouered The succession is not tyed to the eldest but to him whom the father appointeth For Dauid which sent his Embassage to Portugall was the third sonne in order and for modestie in refusing to sit in his fathers Throne which in the same triall his other brethren had accepted was preferred to that which he had refused the other reiected for their forward acceptation The King offered the King of Portugall an hundred thousand drammes of gold and as many Souldiers towards the subduing of the Moores besides other things meete for the warre It seemes the difference of the Ethiopian and Popish superstition was the chiefe hinderance in this businesse neither partie being able if willing to reconcile their long-receiued differences from each other and the truth Eugenius the Pope and the King then named The Seed of Iacob had written to each other and Aluarez yeelded obedience to the Pope in the name of the Prete at Bologna in the presence of Pope Clement the seuenth and Charles the fift But all this sorted to none effect For Pope Paul the fourth sent an Ambassage to Claudius then the Abassine Emperour employing in the same thirteene Iesuites one of which was made Patriarke and two Bishops in their hopefull Ethiopian Hierarchie Ignatius the Founder of the Iesuites wrote a long Letter also which Maffaeus and Iarric haue inserted at large Thus in the yeere 1555. Iohn the third King of Portugall vndertooke the charges to conuey them thither and sent Consaluus Roterigius to prepare them way by a former Ambassage to Claudius whose eares hee found fast closed to such motions Whereupon the new Patriarke stayed at Goa and Ouiedus one of the Bishops with a Priest or two went thither where when they came they found Claudius slaine and his brother Adamas a cruell man and an Apostata sometimes from his Faith in the Throne Hee cast the new Bishop into bands and drew him into the warres with him where the Emperour was discomfited and he taken and stripped of all and at last miserably dyed and with him the hope of Romish Abassia Iohn Nounius Barretus the designed Patriarke refused as Maffaeus saith the Archbishoprick of Goa where his brother was Vice-roy and remayned subiect to the Iesuiticall Societie to his death In the yeere 1559. Ioannes Bermudesius returned to Lisbone He wrote a discourse of his Ambassage from the Ethiopian Emperour to Iohn the third King of Portugall and of his aduentures in those parts befallen him In which he relateth that Abuna Marcos being at the point of death An. 1535. the Emperour willed him to nominate his Successor whereupon hee appointed this Bermudez and ordered him with all sacred Orders which hee accepted vpon condition of the Popes confirmation whereto the Emperour consented desiring him to goe to Rome to giue obedience to the Pope and from thence to Portugall to conclude Tagazano so he calleth him his Ambassage Paul the third confirmed him Patriarke of Alexandria Hee apprehended Tagazano as Onadinguel enioyned and clapt Irons on him His Emperours request was a marriage to be had with the Kings sonne of Portugall the Ethiopian succession to remayne his Dowrie also to send men against Zeila and Pioners to cut thorow a Hill thereby to bring Nilus to annoy Egypt Foure hundred and fiftie were sent accordingly by Garcia of Noronya But Onadinguel was dead and Gradeus was Emperour who ouer-threw the Moores and slue the Kings of Zeila and of Aden This Emperour fell out with the Portugals and sent to Alexandria for another Abuna whose name was Ioseph so that none acknowledged Bermudez but the Portugals Sabellicus saith hee had conference with some Ethiopians which said that their Lord ruled ouer threescore and two Kings They called him Gyam which signifieth Mightie They wondered why the Italians called him a Priest seeing hee neuer receiued Orders onely he bestowed Benefices and is neither called Iohn nor Ianes but Gyam Some report of him things incredible as one Web an English man in his Tales of his Trauels Hee hath gold enough shut vp in a Caue to buy the moytie of the world as L. Regius affirmeth and can rayse an Armie of ten hundred thousand saith Sabellicus Yet the Pesants are not employed in militarie seruice but onely the Cauas which are men brought vp thereto They warre not in the Lent except against themselues with extremitie of fasting so weakning their bodies that the Moores make that their Haruest of Abissine captiues Of this their fasting Aluares saith that they begin their Lent ten dayes before vs and after Candlemasse fast three dayes in remembrance of Niniuehs repentance many Friars in that space eating nothing and some women refusing to suckle their children aboue once a day Their generall fast is bread and water for fish is not easily had they being farre from Sea and ignorant to take it Some Friars eate no bread all Lent long for deuotion some not in a whole yeere or in their whole life but feede on herbes without oile or salt that I speake not of their girdles of Iron and other their hardships which my pen would willingly expresse if my method forbade mee not This fasting as exposing their State to hostile inuasions and insolencies may finde place and mention here Their Friars and Priests in Lent eate but once in two dayes and that in the night Queene Helena that sent her Ambassadour to King Emanuel was reported to eate but three times a weeke on Tuesday Thursday and Saturday On Sundayes they fast not In Tigray and Tigremahon they fast neither Saturday nor Sunday and they marry because they haue two moneths priuiledge from fasting on Thursday before our Shrouetide They that are rich may there marry three wiues and the Iustice forbids them not onely they are excommunicated from entring the Church Some affirme that the Princes of Egypt haue time out of minde payed to Prester Iohn a great tribute continued by the Turkes which Luys saith is three hundred thousand Zequis euery Zequi being sixteene
Abassens and that these are more lately planted or ingrafted into the Ethiopian stock or stemme Yea for their Christianitie also howsoeuer the Eunuch of Candace was conuerted and the Apostolicall labours in Ecclesiasticall Histories mentioned might sort to good effect in this Ethiopian Haruest yet it seemeth the conuersion of this Nation was not generall till the dayes of Iustinian For so Nicephorus Callistus writeth That Dauid the King of the Axumite Indians why he calls them Indians you haue heard warring vpon the Homerites which professed the Iewish Religion vowed to the God of the Christians to become one of his followers if hee obtayned the victorie which accordingly he did For taking Danmus the Homerite King aliue he sent to Iustinian to further him in the performance of his vow who sent thither a holy Bishop which baptized the whole Nation It might be that the Ethiopians had before receiued the Gospell after which time the Abassens out of Arabia might conquer them and retayning their heathenish superstitions vpon occasion of this warre might bee conuerted as we reade of Clodoueus the first christned King of France and of the French notwithstanding the Galli had long before receiued Christianitie which might also bee paralleld in the Britans and Saxons inhabitants of this Land Howsoeuer it is likely that euer since this Nation hath continued Christian Of Hellesthaeus you haue seene before Procopius his testimonie As for their owne reports of themselues Zaga Zabo tells one tale Aluares another Friar Luys a third that we neede none other testimonie against them Their exceeding store of zeale and defect of learning with the good intents of piae fraudes to whet deuotion by any meanes and that selfe-loue which each both Person and Nation beares to it selfe haue made no doubt readie Inuenters and Receiuers of fables ascribing to themselues the stories of both the Queenes mentioned in the Old and New Testament the Sabaean and Ethiopian Antiquities and a world of other fancies which neuer in the world were done whereto the names of later Workes Cities Temples Orders and other occurrents haue beene applyed But it is time for our Pilgrim to passe further where yet he is like to speed worse and to find little truth of Ciuilitie or Religion CHAP. VII Of other Countries betweene the Red Sea and Benomotapa §. I. Of Adel Adea Zanzibar and Melinde EThiopia Exterior or Inferior is that Southerly Tract of Africa which to Ptolemey and the Ancients was vnknowne It comprehendeth all that great wedge of Land such is the forme which beginning in the West at the Countries aboue Zaire stretcheth to fiue and thirtie degrees of Southerly latitude and from thence Northwards to the entrance or mouth of the Arabian Gulfe all this way besieged and enuironed with the Ocean Maginus diuideth it into fiue parts Aian Zanguebar Benomoptapa Cafraria and Congo but Congo is here taken in a very large sense Aian after the Arabians account contayneth all that Region which lyeth betweene the mouth of the Red Sea and Quilimanci being for the most part on the Sea-coast inhabited by the said Arabians but in the In-land parts thereof are people which are a blacke heathenish Nation It comprehendeth two Kingdomes Adel and Adea the former of which extendeth from that mouth of the Sea before mentioned to the Cape Guardafu by Ptolemey called Aromata South and West it bordereth vpon the Dominions of Prete Ianni about the Kingdome of Fatigar The chiefe Citie is Arar Zeila also before spoken of and Berbora pertayne to this Kingdome Cities without the Streit on the Sea much frequented with Merchants Zeila is situate in eleuen degrees where Ptolemey placeth the Aualites It is stored with varietie of merchandize and yeeldeth some representation of Antiquitie in the buildings thereof consisting of lime and stone The King is a Moore and esteemed a Saint among the superstitious Mahumetans for his continuall warres with the Christian Abassines whence he transporteth innumerable slaues to the Arabians and Turkes receiuing in exchange armour and other helpes for his warres Anno 1541. Gradaameth the King before mentioned or Gradagna by the helpe of some Portugals which Claudius the Abassine had in his warres was slaine and his Armie ouerthrown but his successor An. 1559. slue Claudius in battaile and got as Iohn de Castro affirmeth the greatest treasure of the world the Moore acknowledging diuine assistance in this victorie triumphed on an Asse Zeila was burnt and sacked by the Portugals An. 1516. as Andrea Corsali who was then present in the action testifieth Adea is situate betweene Adel Abassia and the Sea The Inhabitants are Moores descended of the Arabians who many hundred yeeres agoe partly by their rich traffique and especially by force of armes became Lords not onely of Aian but of all the Sea-coast to Cape dos Corrientes which is somewhat to the South of the Southerly Tropicke In all which space before the Portugall Discoueries that part of the Cities which lay open to the Sea was open and vnfortified but toward the Land were walled for feare of the In-land people Adea payeth tribute to the Abassian In this Kingdome is Magadazzo being it selfe a petite Kingdome of the Moores which are of an oliue colour Braua was a free Towne which with Pate and Gogia were taken by the Portugals vnder Tristan de Cugna All the Countries adioyning to Prester Iohn as Dauid the Emperor in his Letter to King Emanuel relateth are either Moores or Gentiles of which some worship wood and fire some the Sunne others Serpents c. Zanzibar or Zanguebar is a name by the Arabians and Persians giuen to that Tract extending from the Riuer Qualimanci which Ptolemey calls Raptus to the borders of Benomotapa Some in a larger extent include Benomotapa and Cafraria Sanutus affirmeth That it is a lowe fenny and woody Countrie with many Riuers which by extremitie of moysture cause the ayre to bee intemperate From the waste vpwards they goe naked Herein are contayned the Territories of Melinde Mombaza Quiloa Mosambique and others Melinde is the name of a Kingdome and of the chiefe Citie thereof the Inhabitants especially neere to the Sea are Moores and build their houses after the manner of Europe The women are white and the men of colour inclining to white notwithstanding the situation vnder the Line They haue black people also which are Heathens for the most part Of like condition is Mombaza which is said to haue some resemblance with Rhodes but enemie to the Christians and was ruinated by Thomas Cotigno in the yeere 1589. for receiuing Alebech the Turke as Ampaza in the same Coast by Alphonso Mello a yeere or two before §. II. The Portugals exploits in Mombaza and of the Imbij THis Expedition deserues mention because it giues light to the knowledge of other parts adioyning The Portugals holding in manner all these Nations which inhabit from the Cape of Good Hope hitherto either in termes of
an Iland fourteene leagues from Zacotora from whence it is fifteen leagues to Cape Guardafu At Tamarind they had no raine in two yeers together Two small Iles lie to the North of Socotera called the two Sisters the Inhabitants of an oliue colour without Law among themselues or commerce with others There are also those two Iles the one of men the other of women which wee mentioned in our fift booke a matter how true I know not but very strange They are Christians subiect to the Bishop of Socotera and he to the Zatoia in Baldach Many other Ilands there bee of no great name in that Sea called Sinus Barbaricus as of Don Garcia the three and the seuen brethren of Saint Brandon Saint Francis Mascarenna Do Natal Comoro and many other besides those of Quiloa Mosambique and some other for their vicinitie to the Land before handled The I le of Saint Laurence so called by the Portugals by themselues Madagascar is meetest in all those parts to entertayne the Readers obseruation as being one of the greatest Ilands of the world It contayneth in breadth foure hundred and fourescore miles in length a thousand and two hundred M. Polo saith the Inhabitants were Saracens and were gouerned vnder foure Lords eate Camels flesh vse merchandize or artes Thus farre did the Great Can stretch his Tartarian Dominion and sent hither to spie the Land That which Polo saith he heard of a bird in this Iland called Ruch so bigge as it could take vp an Elephant hath no likelihood of truth He calls it Magascar It is situate from seuenteene to six and twentie ½ of Southerly latitude Onely vpon the coast they are Mahumetans within Land Idolaters black and like the Cafres the soile yeeldeth Cloues Ginger and Siluer It deserueth to haue better Inhabitants if Linschoten iudge rightly hauing many faire and fresh Riuers safe Harbours plentie of fruits and cattell therein are foure gouernments each fighting against other They vse not themselues to trade with others nor suffer others to traffique with them The Portugals haue some trade with them but goe not on land In the first discouerie of them by the Portugals 1506. they shewed themselues in hospitall and trecherous rewarding receiued kindnesse in their Canoas or Boats made of the body of a tree with shot There are said to bee some white people supposed to be of Chinian off-spring Of the people of Madagascar the Hollanders report that they are of colour blacke strong and well made they couer their priuities with cotton they haue large holes in their eares in which they weare round sticks They acknowledge one Creator and obserue Circumcision but know nothing of praying or keeping festiuals They haue no proper names whereby to distinguish one day from another neither doe they number weekes moneths or yeeres Nor doe they number aboue ten They are exceedingly afraid of the deuill whom they call Tiuuaddes because he vseth often to afflict them They liue most-what on fishing They marrie but one wife their time of marriage is for the men at twelue the women at ten yeeres of age Adulterie and Theft are punished with death The men vse to hunt abroad the women spin their Cottons at home whereof they haue trees yeelding plentie If any man kill any of his Kine all his neighbours may challenge part Cornelius Houtman saith they are sweet-spoken men They haue a kinde of Beanes or Lobos growing on trees the cod whereof is two foot long They haue a kind of seed whereof a little makes foolish a greater quantitie kils herewith they betrayed and killed threescore and eight Hollanders with their Captaine The English haue had some knowledge of this Iland to their cost as those of the Vnion before mentioned But not trusting them too farre they here finde good refreshing Captaine Downton arriued there in the Bay of Saint Augustine Aug. 10. 1614. and bought of them diuers Beeues at a reasonable rate The people are tall and swart their haire smooth and finely plaited their weapons are darts neatly headed with Iron Their cattell fairer then any I haue seene hauing on their fore-shoulders a lumpe of fat like the pomell of a saddle Here were Tamarin trees with greene fruit vpon them the pulpe whereof boyled cured our men of the Scorbute They haue store of cotton whereof they make striped cloth of diuers colours Another then in companie reports them to bee a strong actiue people not fearefull of gunnes or other weapons ciuill honest and vnderstanding their weapons small Lances Bowes Arrowes and Darts their Kine sold at three foure or fiue shillings a peece as sweet and fat as ours That bunch on the shoulder is very sweet in taste And as one reporteth he had seene the skin that compassed one of them contayned six or eight gallons Here are many Crocodiles The Vnion comming to Gungomar in the North-west corner of Madagascar was assaulted by a Nauie of an hundred Canoes by water arranged in order of a halfe moone the King trecherously assaulting them out of the woods and tooke Captaine Michelborne with other Merchants In Saint Marie an Iland by Madagascar they met with the King which was obserued of his subiects with great reuerence Here they buried one of their dead men the Ilanders being present who signified by signes that his soule was gone to heauen and would haue had them to cut off his legs by the knees The I le of Cerne they called Maurice Iland They found excellent Ebon trees there the wood whereof is as black as pitch and as smooth as Iuorie inclosed with a thick barke They found of the same kinde some red some yellow There were Palme-trees like the Cocos They found store of birds whereof they might take some in their nests with their hands There were no people inhabiting In the I le of Bata our men killed a Bat as great as a Hare in shape like a Squirrill with two flaps of skin which hee spred forth when he leaped from tree to tree which they can doe nimbly often holding only by their tailes The Hollanders in the Bay of Anton Gil Southwards from Madagascar in sixteene degrees saw the King blacke or hue wearing two hornes on his head and many chaines or bracelets of Brasse on his armes This place is fertile the people valiant In the channell betweene the firme land and Madagascar are many Ilands great and small all inhabited by Mahumetans the chiefe of which is S. Christopher more Northwards against Mombaza and Melinde are three Ilands Momsid Zanzibar and Pemba inhabited with Mahumetans of white colour In the time of M. Polo Zenzibar was Heathenish The inhabitants he saith very grosse and deformed and likewise the women Neere the Cape of Good Hope are the Isles of Don Aluares and Tristan d' Acunuha but of no great note The deepenesse of these Seas make them vncapable of many Islands CHAP. XII Of
of Columbus his Companions by his example inuited made new Discoueries and Vespucius and Cabota and many other euery day making new searches and plantations till the World at last is come to the knowledge of this New World almost wholly The particulars will more fitly appeare in our particular Relations of each Countrey §. III. Of the Beasts Fowles and Plants in America AFter this Discourse of the men in those parts let vs take some generall view of the other Creatures especially such as are more generally disperst through the Indies I haue before noted that America had very few of such Creatures as Europe yeeldeth vntill they were transported thither and therefore they haue no Indian names for them but those which the Spaniards that brought them giue vnto them as Horse Kine and such like They haue Lions but not like in greatnesse fiercenesse nor colour to those of Africa They haue Beares in great abundance except on the North parts They haue store of Deere Bores Foxes and Tygres which as in Congo are more cruell to the Naturals then to the Spaniards These beasts were not found in the Ilands but in the Continent and yet now in those Ilands Kine are multiplyed and growne wilde without other Owner then such as first can kill them the Dogges likewise march by troupes and endammage the Cattle worse then Wolues Their Swine did multiply exceedingly but as an Enemy to their Sugars a great commoditie in Hispaniola where Anno 1535. Ouiedo reckons almost thirty Ingenions the number daily increasing they were forced to root out this rooting kind of beasts This Iland hath stored the other about it with store of Horse and Mares which are sold very cheape For Kine the Bishop of Venezuola had sixteene thousand head of that kind of beasts and more others possessed thousands also and some killed them only for their Hides of which were shipped from hence for Spaine Anno 1587. 35444. and from New Spaine 64350. as Acosta relateth The Lyons are gray and vse to clime Trees The Indians hunt and kill them The Beares and Tygres are like those in other parts but not so many Apes and Monkies they haue of many kinds and those admirably pleasing in their Apish tricks and imitations seeming to proceed from Reason A Souldier leuelling at one of them to shoot him the silly beast dyed not vnreuenged but hurling a stone as the other aymed at him depriued the Souldier of his eye and lost his owne life They haue Monkies with long beards Acosta tels of one Monkie that would goe to the Tauerne at his Masters sending and carrying the pot in one hand and money in the other would not by any meanes depart with his money till he had his pot filled with wine and returning home would pelt the boyes with stones and yet haue care to carie his Wine home safe to his Master neither touching it himselfe till some were giuen him nor suffering other They haue a monstrous deformed beast whose forepart resembleth a Fox the hinder part an Ape excepting the feet which are like a mans beneath her belly she hath a receptacle like a purse wherein she bestowes her yong vntill they can shift for themselues neuer comming out of this naturall nest but to sucke Sheepe haue much encreased and by good husbandry in that plenty of pasture would be a great commoditie but in the Islands the wilde Dogges destroy them and therefore they that kill these Dogges are rewarded for it as they which kill Wolues in Spaine The Dogges which the Indians had before were snowted like Foxes they fatted them to eat and kept them also for pleasure but they could not barke Such Dogges we haue shewed are in Congo Their Stagges and Deere in the South parts of America haue no horns They haue store of Conies The Armadilla is an admirable creature of which there bee diuers kinds they resemble a barded Horse seeming to be armed all ouer and that as if it were rather by artificiall Plates opening and shutting then naturall scales it digs vp the earth as Conies and Moules The Hogs of the Indies haue their nauill vpon the ridge of their backs They go in heards together and assaile men hauing sharpe talons like razors and hunt their Hunters vp the tops of trees whence they easily kill these enraged Sainos so they call them biting the tree for anger The Dante 's resemble small Kine and are defended by the hardnesse of their hydes The Vicugne somewhat resembleth a Goat but is greater they sheare them and of their fleeces make Rugs and Couerings and stuffes In the stomacke and belly of this beast is found the Bezar-stone sometimes one alone sometimes two three or foure the colour of which is blacke or gray or greene or otherwise it is accounted soueraigne against poisons and venemous diseases It is found in diuers sorts of beass but all chew the cud and commonly feed vpon the snow and Rockes The Indian sheepe they call Lama it is a beast of great profit not onely for food and raiment but also for carriage of burthens they are bigger then sheepe and lesse then Calues they will beare a hundred and fifty pound weight In some places they call them Amydas and vse them to greater burthens Hulderike Schmidel affirmes that hee liuing in the parts about the Riuer of Plate being hurt on his legge rode fortie leagues vpon one of them They will grow restie and will lye downe with their burthen no stripes nor death able to asswage their mood onely good words and faire dealing with gentle entreatie sometimes diuers houres together can preuaile Of fowles they haue many kinds which we haue as Partridges Turtles Pidgeons Stock-Doues Quailes Faulcons Herons Eagles and a World of Parrots which in some places fly by flockes as Pidgeons There are also Estridges Hens they had before the Spaniards arriued They haue other kinds peculiar The Tomineios is the least in quantitie the greatest for admiration and wonder I haue oftentimes doubted saith Acosta seeing them fly whether they were Bees or Butter-flyes but in truth they are Birds Thenet and Lerius call it Gonambuch or Gonanbuch They affirme that it yeelds nothing in sweetnesse of note to the Nightingale and yet is not bigger then a Beetle or Drone-Bee One would say Vox os praeterea nihil but so could not any truely say for euen otherwise it is almost miraculous Nature making this little shop her great store-house of wonder and astonishment and shewing her greatest greatnesse in the least Instruments The Prouinciall of the Iesuites in Brasil affirmeth as Clusius testifies that the Brasilians called it Ourissia which signifyeth the Sun-beame and that it was procreated of a Fly and that he had seene one partly a Bird and partly a Fly first coloured blacke then ash-coloured then rose-coloured then red and lastly the head set against the Sunne to resemble all colours in most admired varietie