on Edenbrugh and prosecuting the Tennor of a Regall Commission which partly beeing some-where obeyed and other-where suspended it gave mee a large sight of the whole Kingdome both Continent and Iles. The particular Description whereof in all parts and of all places besides Ports and Rivers I must referre to the owne Volume already perfected Inâ—iâ—ulaâ—ed Litâ—gâ—wes Surueigh of Scotland which this Worke may not Containe nor time suffer to publish till a fiâ—ter â—ccasion Only Commenting a little upon some generalls I hasten to be at Finis Traversing the Westerne Iles whose inhabitants like to as many Bulwarkes are abler and apter to preserve and defend their libertie and precincts from incursive invasions then any neede of Forts or Fortified places they have or can be required there Such is the desperate courage of these awfull Hebridians I arrived I say at the I le of Arrane Anno 1628. where for certayne dayes in the Castle of Braidwicke I was kindly intertayned by the illustrious Lord Iames Marquesse of Hammilton Earle of Arrane and Cambridge c. Whom GGD may strengthen with the liveliest Heart And fearelesse Minde of all ere fac'd that Art For Bohems Queene Heauens prosper His intent With Glorious Successe and a Braue euent That by a King beene Sped for a Kings Sake To helpe a King all Three from Him may take Auspicuous Seruice frienship faithfull Loue Gainst whom and his no time can breach improue Let then great God blest Sparkes of fauour fall On his Designes and Theirs our Friends and All And Angels Guard Him let Thy Mighty hand Partition-like twixt Him and dangers stand That Martiall ends and Victory may Crowne His happie Hopes his Life with Loue Renowne This I le of Arrane is thirty miles long eight in breadâ—h and distant from the Maine twenty foure Miles being sur-clouded with Goatfield Hill which with wide-eyes ouer-looketh our Westerne Continent and the Northerne Countrey of Ireland bringing also to â—ighâ— in a cleare Summers day the I le of Manne and tâ—e higher Coast of Cumberland A larger prospect no Mountaine in the World can show poynting out three Kingdomes at one sight Neither any like Isle or brauer Gentry for good Archers and hill-houering Hunters Hauing againe re-shoared the Maine I coasted Galloway euen to the Mould that butteth into the Sea with a large Promontore being the south-most part of the Kingdome And thence footing all that large Countrey to Dumfreis and so to Carlile I found heere in Galloway in diuerse Rode-way Innes as good Cheare Hospitality and Seruiceable attendance as though I had beene ingrafted in Lombardy or Naples The Wool of which Countrey is nothing inferiour to that in Biscai of Spaine prouiding they had skill to fine Spin Weaue and labour it as they should Nay the Calabrian silke had neuer a better luster and softer gripe then I haue seene and touched this growing wool there â—n sheepes backes the Mutton whereof excelleth in sweetnesse So this Country aboundeth in Bestiall especially in little Horses which for mettall and Riding may rather be tearmed bastard Barbes then Gallowediau Nagges Likewise their Nobility and Gentry are as courteous and euery way generously disposed as either discretion would wish and honour Command that Cunningham being excepted which may be called the Accademy of Religion for a sanctified Clergy and a godly people certainly Galloway is become more ciuill of late then any Maritine Country bordering with the Westerne Sea But now to obserue my former Summary condition the length of the Kingdome lyeth South and North that is betweene Dungsby head in Cathnes and the fore-said Mould of Galloway being distantâ— per rectam liâ—eam which my weary feet â—road ouer from poynt to poynt the way of â—ochreall Carrick Kyle Aire Glasgow Stirueling St. Iohns Towne Stormount the Blair of Athâ—ll the Brâ— of Mar Badeynoh Innernes Rosse Sutherland and so to the North Promontore of Cathnes extending to three hundred twenty miles which I reckâ—n to be foure hundred and fifty English miles Confounding hereby the ignorant presumption of blind Cosmographers whom their Mappes make England longer than Scotland when contrariwise Scotland out-strippeth the other in length a hundred and twenty miles The breadth whereof I grant is narrower than England yet extending betweene the extremities of both Coasts in diuers parts to threescore fourescore and a hundred of our miles But because of the Sea ingulfing the Land and cutting it in so many Angles making great Lakes Bayes and dangerous Firths on both sides of the Kingdome the true breadth thereof cannot iustly be coniectured nor soundly set downe Our chiefest fresh water Lakes are these Lochlomond contayning twenty â—oure Iles and in length as many miles divers whereof are inriched with Woods Deere and other Bestiall The large and long Lake of Loch Tay in Atholl the Mother and Godmother of Head-strong Tay the grâ—atest Riuer in the Kingdome And Lochnes in the higher parts of Murray the Riuer whereof that graceth the pleasant and commodious situation of Innerneâ— no â—rost can freize The propriety of which water wil quickly melt and dissolue any hard congealed lumps of frozen â—ce be it on Man or Beast stone or timâ—er The chiefest Rivers are Clyde Tay Tweed Forth Dee Spay Nith Nesse and Dingwells flood ingorging Lake that confirmeth Porta salutis being all of them where they returne their tributs to their father Ocean portable and as it were resting places for turmoyled seas and ships And the principall Townes are Edenbrough Perth Glasgow Dundie Abirdene St Andrewes Aire Stirveling Lithgow Dumfreis Innernes Elgin Minros Iedburgh Hadington Leith c. and for antiquity old Lanerk c. So the most delicious soiles of the Kingdome are these following first the bounds of Clyde or Cliddisdale betweene Lanerk and Dunbertan distanced twenty sixe miles and thence downeward to Rossay that kisseth the divulgements of the River the beginning whereof is at Arickâ— stone sixeteene miles above Lanerk whose course contendeth for threescore miles All which being the best mixed Country for Cornes Meeds Pastorage Woods Parks Orchards Castles Pallaces divers kinds of Coale and earth-fewell that our included Albion produceth And may justly be surnamed the Paradise of Scotland Besides it is adorned on both borders along with the greatest peeres and Nobility in the Kingdome The Duke of Lennox the Marques of Hammilton the Earle of Angus the Earle of Argile and the Earles of Glencarne Wigton and Abircorn And for Lord Barons Semple Rosse Blantyre and Dalliell The chiefest Gentry whereof are the Knights and Lairds of Luce Skell murelie Blâ—khall Greenock Newwark Houston Pook-maxwell Sir George Elpingston of Blythswood Minto Cambusnethen Calderwood the two Knights of Lieye and Castel-hill Sir Iames Lokharts elder yonger Lamington Westraw his Majesties Gentleman Sewer Blakwood Cobinton Stanebyres and Corhous c. All which in each degree as they illuminat the soile with grandure so the soyle reflecteth on them againe with beauty bounty and riches But least I partiall prove
auriti decem being the perfit mirrour and lively Portraicture of true understanding excelling farre all inventions whatsoever either Poeticke or Theorick And now to shunne Ingratitude which I disdain as Hell I thought it best to exhibit the profit of my painfull Travailes to the desirous World for two respects for as my dangerous adventures have beene wrought out from the infinite variety of variable Sights innumerable toyles pleasures and inevitable sorrowes so doth it also best simpathize with reason and most fitting that I should generally dispose of the same to the temperate iudgements of the better sort the sound and absolute opinions of the Judicious and to the variable censures of calumniâ—us Criticks who run at randon in the fields of other mens Labour but can not find the home-bred way in their owne close grounds and therefore the different disposition of the good and bad doe best concurre with the interchangeable occurrences of the matter Neverthelesse for thy more easier understanding I have divided this History into ten Parts and they also into three Bookes which being seriously perused doubtlesse thy Labour shall receive both profit and pleasure Accept them therefore with the same love that I offer them to thee since they cost thee nothing but the Reading how deare soever they are to me But understand me better I scorne to draw my Pen to the ignorant Foole for I contemne both To the Wise I know it will be welcome to the profound Historian yeeld Knowledge Contemplation and direction and to the understanding Gentleman insight instruction and recreation and to the true bred Poet fraternall love both in meane and manner Now as touching the hissing of snakish Papists a tush for that snarling Crew for as this Worke being fensed with experience and garnished with trueth is more then able to batter downe the stinging venome of their despightfull Waspishnes so also they may clearely see therein as in a Mirrour their owne blindnes and the damnable errours of their blind Guiders Deceiuers and Idolaters And aboue all the cruell infliction imposed vpon me by the mercilesse Inquisition of their profession in Malaga which for Christs sake I constantly suffered in Tortures Torments and Hunger And lastly they may perceive Gods miraculous Mercy in discovering and delivering me from such a concealed and inhumane murther And now referring the well set Reader to the History it selfe where satisfaction lyeth ready to receive him and expectation desirous of deserved thankes I come to talke talke with the scelerate Companion If thou beest a Villain a Ruffian a Momus a Knave a Câ—rper a Critick a Bubo a Buffon a stupid Asse and a gnawing Worme with envious Lips I bequeath thee to a Carnificiall reward where a hempen Rope will soone dispatch thy snarling slander and free my toylesome Travailes and now painefull Labours from the deadly poyson of thy sharpe edged calumnies and so goe hang thy selfe for I neither will respect thy Love nor regard thy Malice and shall ever and alwayes remaine To the Courteous still Observant And to the Criticall Knave as he deserveth William Lithgow To his singular friend Mr. William Lithgow THe double travaile Lithgow thou hast tane One of thy Feet the other of thy Braine Thee with thy selfe do make for to contend Whether the Earth thou 'st better pac'd or pend Would Malagaes sweet liquor had thee crown'd And not its trcachery made thy ioynts unsound For Christ King Country what thou there induâ—'d Not them alone but therein all injur'd Their tort'ring Rack arresting of thy pace Hath barr'd our hope of the worlds other face Who is it sees this side so well exprest That with desire doth not long for the rest Thy travail'd Countries so described be As Readers thinke they doe each Region see Thy well compacted matter ornat Stile Doth them oft in quicke sliding Time beguile Like as a Maide wandring in Floraes Bowers Confin'd to small time of few flitting howers Rapt with delight of her eye-pleasing treasure Now culling this now that Flower takes such pleasure That the strict time whereto she was confin'd Is all expir'd whiles she thought halfe behind Or more remain'd So each attracting Line Makes them forget the time they do not tine But since sweet future travaile is cut short Yet loose no time now with the Muses sport That reading of Thee after times may tell In Travaile Prose and Verse thou didst excell Patrick Hannay TO THE HIGH and mighty Monarch CHARLES By the Grace of GOD King of Great Brittaine France and Ireland c. Gracious SIR IF Loyall Duty may be counted presumption then doubtlesse the beâ—t of my meanest worth must begge pardon for claiming so Royall a Patronage Yet to whom should I prostrate my Pen and Pilgrimage if not unto your Sacred Majesty Nay none so able to Receive it none so powerfull to Protect it and none so justly to claime it as your Soveraigne Selfe The subject treateth of my tedious and curious Travailes in the best and worst parts of the world which being begunne in Your hopefull Infancy are now finally accomplished in the fulnesse of Your thrice blessed Majority The generall Discourse it selfe is most fixed upon the Lawes Religion Manners Policies and Gouernment of Kings Kingdomes People Principalities and Powers and therefore so much the more sit for your Majesty The defect resting onely in me the worthlesse Author in handling rare and plentifull Subject with a homely and familiar Stile no wayes fit for Soueraignty to peruse Yet Royall Sir vouchsafe to remember how thankefully Alexander received a small Cup of water and what a high Value was set upon the Widowes Mite If I have made vse of my poore Talent the profit redoundeth unto my Country which being shadowed vnder your auspicuous Fauour shall leaue a greater stampe to the worke and a deeper impression of future-knowledge to the curious Vnderstanders And how often wont your ever blessed Father graciously to peruse Lines of mine of far lesser note then these be Yea and viva voce the punctuall Discourse of all my three voyages which are now layd open to the Vulgar world and therefore I dare humbly expect a greater favour for a larger and more serious Taske So likewise your owne Princely adventures beyond Seas in measuring large Kingdoms the glassie face of the great Ocean have invited me to lay prostrate my painefull peregrinations at your Sacred feete Humbly beseeching your Regall goodnesse to remarke the matter and manner of this Worke howsoever the Gift the Giver be deficient And questionlesse as the Bee gathereth sweetest Hony out of sowrest Flowers your Royall vnderstanding may finde something to underprop the Defects of my nothing and my soule to exult in the smallest sparke of your Gracious Clemency And lastly the grievous Sufferings tortures and torments I sustayned in Malaga being taken as a Spye for your Late Fathers Fleete exposed against Algier and condemned to death by their bloody Inquisition for the Gospells sake These
the World Mine aforesaid Consort and I having spent ten dayes in viewing and reviewing this City and circumâ—acent Isles and my purpose reaching for Greece and Asia as hee was to recrosse the snowy Alpes my muse remembreth our sad departure Now friendly Arthur leâ—t me courts the maine Of pleasant Lombardy by Trent againe Beares through the Alpes in his 〈◊〉 wayes And past Bavaria where Danubâ—o strayes He fell on Rhyne and downe these curlings came Then ship'd for Albion neere to Roâ—terdame And coasting Isâ—s view'd that royall court Where once Appollo did in glory sport Fraught with Ambrosian Necâ—ar crown'd his dayes Oâ— Pindus tops to have Mecenas praise This light obumbrat Arthur courts the North And serv'd a noble Earle of ancient worth Full eighteene yeares till death that darts our woe First smote his Lord and then his Countesse so Now they are fled and he is left alone Till heavens provide his hopes some happy one Which if to his desert such fortune came A Princely service might his merit clayme Where wishing both his fate and worth to be I 'le Venice leave and visite Lombardy In the time of my staying here I went forth to Lombardy and visited the famous Cities of Padua Verona and Ferrarâ— The commendation of which is celebrated in these verses Extollit Paduam juris studiam medicinae Verona humanae dâ—t singula commoda vitae 〈◊〉 loculos ferrarea â—errea 〈◊〉 In Pâ—dua I stayed three moneths learning the Italian tongue and found there a Country Gentlemen of mine Doctor Iohn Wedâ—erburne a learned Mathematician 〈◊〉 now dwelling in Moravia who taught mee well in the Language and in all other respects exceeding friendly to me Padua is the most melancholy City in Europe the cause onely arising of the narrow passage of the open streetes and of the long Galleries and darke-ranges of pillars that goe alwhere on every hand of you through the whole streetes of the Towne The Schollers here in the night commit many 〈◊〉 against their privat adversaries and too often executed upon the stranger and innocent and all with 〈…〉 for beastly Sodomy it is as rife heere as in Rome Naples Florence 〈…〉 The Second Part. NOw step I o're the gulfe to th' Istrian shâ—are Dalmatia Slavonia Ilyria more Valona Albana Epyre in Greece And Morea fat where Iason hurt his fleece The Adriaticke and Ionean Iles And Lesinaes great monster Athens styles With Lacedemon sackt and Sparta rent From ancient worth Arcadia poore and shent Our gulfe Lepanto the Aetolian hight And all these coasts till Candy come in sight AFter my returne from Padâ—a to Venice 24. dayeâ— attendance devasted there for passage â— imbarked in a Carâ—â—esalo being bound to Zara Novo in Dalmatia scarcely had we lost the sight of Venice but we incountred with a deadly storme at Serocâ—e Lenante The Master had no compasse to direct his course neither was he expert in Navigation because they use commonly either on the South or North sides of the Gulfe to hoise up sayles at night and againe breake of day they have full sight of land taking their directions from the topped hillâ— of the maine continent The tempest increasing and the winds contrary we were constrained to seeke up for the Port of Parenzo in Istria Istria was called Giapidia according to Pliny Cato affirmeth it was called Istria of one Isirâ— but by the moderne Writers L'ultima Regione di Italia By 〈◊〉 it is said to bee of length 100. miles and forty large but by mine experience onely 80. long and 20. large Istria hath on the South Friuli and the Sea on the West Stria on the North Carniola on the East the Gulfe Carnarâ— or Quevâ—ro It is thought the Istrians were first a people of Colchis in Natolia who by King Aetâ—s being sent to persue Iason and the Argonaâ—ts who had stolne the golden Fleece and his daughter Medea either because of the long journey or feare of the Kings anger durst not returne and so remained in this Country where they enjoyed a long freedom til by many incursions of piracy still molesting the Venetians they lost many of their Townes Anno 938. afterward the whole Country made tributary by Duke Henry Gondolo about the yeare 1200. That part which bordereth with the Sea belongeth to the Venetians but the rest within land holds of the Emperour and the Arch Duke of Austria The Country it selfe aboundeth in Cornes wines and all kinds of fruites necessary for humane life Neere to this Haven wherein wee lay expecting roome windes I saw the ruines of old Iustinopoli so called of Iustinian the Emperour who builded it upon an Iland of eight miles length and three acres broad and to passe betwixt the City and the firme land there was seven bridges made It was anciently strong but now altogether decayed the principall Cities in Istria at this day are these Parenzo Humagâ— Pola Rouigo The windes favouring us we weighed Anchors and sayled by the Iles Brioni so much esteemed for the fine stones they produce called Istriennes which serve to beautifie the Venetian Palaces About mid-day I saw Mount di Caldaro on the foote of which the ancient City of Pola is situated having a harbour wherein small ships may lye True it is this Port is not much frequenâ—ed in respect of a contagious Lake neere to it which inâ—â—cteth the Ayre with a filthy exhalation I saw hard by this place the ruines of the Castle di Oriando the Arke Iriumphant and the reliques of a great Amphitheatre This Pola was called by Pliny Iulia pietas and it standeth in the South-east part of Istria Continuing our course we â—assed the perillous gulfe of Carnaro This gulfe or bay of Carnaro runneth in North and by 〈◊〉 50. miles within land at the narrow entry whereof it hath a part of Istria on the West and Dalmatia on the East The Venetians use to keepe alwaies certaine Gallies at the mouth of this bay on the Dalmatian side to intercept the cursary of the Scoks In the bottome of this Carnarian gulfe are placed Senna Gradisca and Novagard the chiefe Cities of Croatia the people which inhabit these Townes and the adjoyning Country are called Scoks a kind of Dalmatians being of a robust nature couragious and desperate Their weapons are broad two handed swords long Skenes carrying Targets at their girdles and long Gunnes in their hands they are marvellous swift on foote and daily annoy by land their neighbouring Turkes with inrodes fetching away great spoyles and booties of Cornes Cattell and Horses and by Sea with Frigots and Brigantines did ever and often vexe the Venetian commerce in their owne domesticke waters the great losses which from these incursive people the Venetians had from time to time received and the other dammages they inflicted upon the Turkes in their Trafficking with Venice for whom the Venetians are bound by former Articles of peace to keepe harmelesse within their owne
be rescued It is cut forth with many intricating wayes on the face of a little Hill joyning with Mount Ida having many doores and pillars Here it was where Theseus by the helpe of Ariadne the daughter of King Minos taking a bottome of threed and tying the one end at the first doore did enter and slay the Minâ—taurus who was included there by Dedalus This Minâ—taure is said to have bin begot by the lewd and luxurious Pasiphae who doted on a white Bull. Mount Ida is the highest Mountaine in Creta and by the computation of Shepheards feete amounteth to sixe miles of hight It is over-clad even to the toppe with Cypre trees and good store of medicinable hearbes insomuch that the beasts which feede thereupon have their teeth gilded like to the colour of Gold Mount Ida of old was called Phelorita by some Cadussa but modernely Madura It is said by some Historians that no venemous animall can live in this Ile but I saw the contrary for I kild on a Sunday morning hard by the Sea side and within two miles of Rethimos two Serpents and a Viper one of which Serpents was above a yard and halfe in length for they being all three rolling within the coverture of the dry sands my right legge was almost in their reverence before I remarked the danger wherefore many build upon false reports but experience teacheth men the truth Some others also Historize that if a Woman here bite a man any thing hard hee will never recover and that there is an hearbe called Allimos in this Iland which if one chaw in his mouth he shall not feele hunger for foure and twenty houres all which are meere fabulous such is the darkenesse of cloudy inventions Descending from this Mountaine I entred in a faire plaine beautified with many Villages in one of which I found a Grecian Bishop who kindly presented me with grapes of Maluasie and other things for it was in the time of their vintage To carry these things he had given me he caused to make ready an Asse and a servant who went with me to Candy which was more than fifteene miles from his house True it is that the best sort of Greekes in visiting other doe not use to come empty handed neither will they suffer a stranger to depart without both gifts and convoy I remember along this sassinous and marine passage I found three fountaines gushing forth of a Rock each one within a yard of other having three sundry tastes the first water was exceeding light and sweet the middle or second marvellous soure and heavy the third was bitter and extraordinary salt so that inso short bounds so great difference I never found before nor afterward Candy is distant from Canea a hundred Miles Rethimos being halfe way betwixt both so is Candy halfe way in the same measure twixt Rethimos and Scythia and Canea the like twixt Rethimos and Carabusa being in all 200 Miles Candy is a large and famous City formerly called Matium scituated on a plaine by the sea side having a goodly Haven for ships and a faire Arsenell wherein are 36. Gallies It is exceeding strong and daily guarded with 2000. Souldiers and the walles in compasse are about three Leagues In this time there was no Vice-Roy the former being newly dead and the place vacant the Souldiers kept a bloody quarter among themselves or against any whomsoever their malignity was intended for in all the time I stayed there being ten dayes it was nothing to see every day foure or five men killed in the streetes neither could the Rector nor the Captains helpe it so tumultuous were the disordered Souldiers and the occasions of revenge and quarrelling so influent This commonly they practise in every such like vacation which otherwise they durst never attempt without death and severe punishment and truely me thought it was as barbarous a governed place for the time as ever I saw in the world for hardly could I save my owne life free from their dangers in the which I was twice miserably involved Candy is distant from Venice 1300 Miles from Constantinople 700 from Famagusta in Cyprus 600 from Alexandria in Aegypt 500 from Tripoli in Syria 700 from Naples 900 from Malta 500 from Smyrna in Carâ—â—nia of Natolia 400 and from the City of Ierusalem 900 Miles The Candeots through all the Island make muster every eight day before the Seriant-Majors or Officers of the Generall and are well provided with all sorts of Armour yea and the most valorous people that hight the name of Greekes It was told mee by the Rector of Candy that they may raise in Armes of the Inhabitants not reckoning the Garrisons above sixty thousand men all able for warres with 54 Gallies and 24 Galleots for the Sea In all my Travells through this Realm I never could see a Greeke come forth of his house unarmed and after such a martiall manner that on his head he weareth a bare steele Cap a Bow in his hand a long Sword by his side a broad Ponyard overthwart his belly and a round Target hanging at his Girdle They are not costly in aparrell for they weare but linnen Cloathes and use no shoâ—es but Botes of white leather to keepe their legges in the fields from the pricks of a kinde of Thistle wherewith the Countrey is over-charged like unto little bushes or short shrubs which are marvellous sharpe and offensive unto the inhabitants whereof often a day to my great harme I found their bloody smart The Women generally weare linnen breaches as men doe and bootes after the same manner and their linnen coates no longer then the middle of their thighes and are insatiable inclined to Venery such is the nature of the soyle and climate The ancient Cretans were such notable lyers that the Heathen Poet Epimenides yea and the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to Titus did tearme them to have beene ever lyers evill beasts and slow bellies whence sprung these proverbes as Cretense mendacium cretisandum est cum cretensibus The Candiots are excellent good Archers surpassing all the Orientall people therein couragious and valiant upon the Sea as in former times they were and they are naturally inclined to singing so that commonly after meat Man Wife and Childe of each family will for the space of an houre sing with such an harmony as is wonderfull melodious to the hearer yea and they cannot forgoe the custome of it Their Harvest is our Spring for they manure the ground and sow the seed in October which is reaped in March and Aprill Being frustrate of my intention at Candy I was forced to returne to Canea the same way I went when come I was exceeding merry with my old friends the English-men Meane while there arrived from Tunnis in Barbary an English Runagate named Wolson bound for the Rhodes where after short acquaintance with his Natives and understanding what I was he imparted these words I have had
liberty and freedome which being done and he gone under my hand before divers Greekes I subscribed her libertie and hired her in the same Taverne for a yeare taking nothing from her for as little had she to give me except many blessings and thankefull prayers This French Gunner was a Papist and here you may behold the dregs of his devotion and what seven nights leachery cost him you may cast up the reckoning of 36 Duckets In Constantinople there have happened many fearefull fires which often have consumed to ashes the most part of the rarest Monuments there and the beauty of infinite Palaces as Zonoras the Constantinopolitan Historiographer in his Histories mentioneth And now lately in the yeare 1607. October 14. there were burned above 3000. houses of which I saw a number of ruines as yet unrepaired It is subject also to divers Earth-quakes which have often subverted the Towers Houses Churches and Walles of the City to the ground Especially in the yeare 1509 in the raigne of Bajazeth the ninth Emperour of the Turkes in which time more then 13000. persons were all smothered and dead and laid up in heapes unburied And commonly every third yeare the pestilence is exceeding great in that City and after such an odious manner that those who are infected before they die have the halfe of their one side rot and fall away so that you may easily discerne the whole intrailes of their bowels It is not licentiated here nor else where in all Turkie that any Christian should enter in their Moskies or Churches without the conduct of a Ianizary the tryall whereof I had when I viewed that glorious and great Church of Sancta Sophia once the beauty and ornament of all Europe and is now the chiefe place to which the Great Turke or Emperour goeth every Fryday their Sabbâ—th day to do his devotion being accompanied with 3000 Ianizaries besides Bashawes Chawses and Hagars Truly I may say of Constantinople as I said once of the World in the Lamentado of my second Pilgrimage A painted Whoore the mask of deadly sin Sweet fair without and stinking foul within For indeed outwardly it hath the fairest shew and inwardly in the streets being narrow and most part covered the filthiest and deformed buildings in the world the reason of its beauty is because being situate on moderate prospective heights the universall tectures a far off yield a delectable shew the covertures being erected like the backe of a Coach after the Italian fashion with gutterd tile But being entred within there is nothing but a stinking deformity and a lothsome contrived place without either internall domestick furniture or externall decorements of Fabricks palatiatly extended Notwithstanding that for its situation the delicious wines and fruits the temperate climate the fertile circumjacent fields and for the Sea Hellespont and pleasant Asia on the other side it may truly be called the Paradice of the earth Perah is over against Constantinople called of old Cornubizantii but by the Turkes Galata being both a quarter of a mile distant and the Thraick Bosphore dividing the two It is the place at which Christian Ships touch and where the Ambassadours of Christendome lie The number of the Christian Ambassadours that then lay there and now do were these first the Roman Emperours then the French thirdly the English fourthly the Venetian and lastly the Holland Ambassadours with whom often for discourses I was familiar although with Noble Sir Thomas Glover I was still domestick for twelve weeks whose Secretary for that time was my Countriman Mr. Iames Rollock who now as I take it is resident in Striveling he was the last Scotsman I saw till my returne to Malta after my departure from Constantinople From thence I went to the black Sea but commonly Mare Euxinum where I saw Pompeyes Pillar of Marble standing neer the shoare upon a rocky Island and not far from thence is a Lanthorne higher then any Steeple whereon there is a pan full of liquour that burneth every night to give warning unto ships how neer they come the shore It is not much unlike these Lanthornes of Ligorne and Genua The water of this Sea is never a whit blacker then other Seas but it is called blacke in respect of the dangerous events in darke and tempestuous nights which happen there and because of the Rockes and Sands which lye a great way from the main shore upon which many vessels many times are cast away The blacke Sea is not farre from Galata for I both went and returned in one day being forty miles out and in For I went by boate and not by land through the pleasant Euripus that runneth between the Euxine Sea and Hellespont And by the way I cannot but regrate the great losse Sir Thomas Glover received by the Duke of Moldavia who chargeably entertained him two yeares in his house and furnished him with great monies and other necessaries fit for his eminency This Duke or Prince of Bugdonia was derpaved of his Principalities by Achmet and fled hither to the Christian Ambassadours for reliefe To whom when all the rest had refus'd acceptance only Noble Sir Thomas received him maintaining him and seriously wrought with the Grand Signior and his Counsell to have had him restored againe to his Lands but could not prevaile In the end Sir Thomas Glovers five yeares time of Ambassadry being expired and the Duke hearing privately that Sir Paul Pinder was to come in his place as indeed he came too soone this Moldavian Prince stole earely away in the morning over to Constantinople and long ere midday turn'd Turke and was circumcised contenting himselfe onely for all his great Dukedome with a Palace and a yearely pension of twelve thousand Chickens of Gold during his life Which when we heard the Ambassadour and we were all amazed and discontented He was indebted to the Ambassadour above 15 thousand Chickens of Gold yet ere my leaving Galata I went twice over with Sir Thomas and saw him and found him attended with a number of Turkes who when he saw me took me kindly by the hand for wee had bin two moneths familiar in the Ambassadors house before The English Ambassador within halfe a yeare recovered the halfe of his moneys the other halfe he was forced to forgoe for divers importunate respects Nay I must say one thing more of this Knight hee relieved more slaves from the Galleys payd their ransomes and sent them home freely to their Christian stations and kept a better house than any Ambassadour did that ever lay at Constantinople or ever shall to the worlds end His mother was a Polonian who comming from Dansick to London was delivered of him upon the Sea Afterward he was brought up at Constantinople from a boy and spoke and wrot the Slavonian Tongue perfectly And thence returning for London he was the first Ambassadour King Iames of blessed Memory sent â—o Constantinople after his comming to the Crowne of England And thus
Virginities renewed as fast as lost They hold also this as a confident Article of their Beliefe there are seven Paradices in Heaven the pavements whereof are laid with gold silver pearles precious stones and garnished with stately buildings and pleasant Gardens wherein are all sorts of fruit and Princely Palaces through the which run Rivers of Milk Honey and Wine The first Paradice they call it Genete Alcholde the second Alfirduzy the third Anthinak the fourth Reduasch the fift Azelem the sixt Alcodush that is holy and the seventh Almega that is the greatest And that in the midst of this last Paradise there is a stately tree called Tubah the lease of which is partly of gold and partly of silver whose boughs extend round about the wals of this seventh Paradice whereon the name of Mahomet is written neere to the name of God in these words Alla illa he all ah Mahomet Rezul allah The which words are in such reverence amongst the Turks that if a Christian should happen unadvisedly to repeat them he is adjudged to a most cruell death or compulsed to renounce his Christian Religion Their Lent lasteth 30 days called Byrham some name it also Ramadan induring which time they eat nor drink nothing from Sun rising to its setting downe but when night commeth they gurmandize at their selfe pleasures Their moneth of Lent is our Ianuary where every day after their severall devotions they go to solemne plays and all kinde of prophane pastimes counting that best devotion which is most sutable to their dispositions allotting fancie to follow their folly and blindnesse to overtop the ignorance of Nature drawing all their drifts within the circle of destruction But indeed as they are blind in the true way of sacred worship yet are they masked with a wonderfull zeale to their devoted blindnesse surpassing far in shew and observations the generall Professors of Christianity and all the Ceremonies can be annexed thereunto Theirs running on with the flouds of ignorant affection and ours distracted with the inutile novelties of superfluous School questions which indeed doe more distemper the truth than render God to be rightly glorified As concerning their opinion of Hell they hold it to be a deepe Gulfe betwixt two Mountains from the mouth whereof are Drâ—gons that continually throw fire being large eight leagues and hath a darke entry where the horrible Fiends meet the perplexed sinners conveying them till they come to a Bridge that is so narrow as the edge of a Razor whereupon these who have not committed hainous offences may passe over to Hell but those who have done Buggery as the most part of them do and homicide shall fall headlong from it to the profoundest pit in Hell where they shall somtimes burne in fire and somtimes be cast into hot boyling waters to be refreshed And for the greater punishment of the wicked say they God hath planted a Tree in Hell named Sajaratash or Roozo Saytanah that is the head of the Devill upon the fruit of which the damned continually feed Mahomet in one of the Chapters of his Alcoran calleth this Tree the Tree of Malediction They also thinke the tormented soules may one day be saved providing they doe indure the scorching flames of Hell patiently Thus as briefly as I could have I laid open the opinions of the Turkes concerning their Heaven and Hell before the eyes of these who peradventure have never been acquainted with such a ghostly Discourse And now I think it not amisse to reckon you up in generall all the Roman and Greek Emperors that have been from the beginning to this present time both in the East and in the West with the number of the Turkish Emperours also Beginning now at Iulius Caesar the first Dictatour or Roman Emperour to Constantine the Great who transported the seat of the Empire from Rome to Constantinople hee was the three score and fourth Emperour And from Constantine the Great in the East to the first made Emperour in the West there were thirty nine Emperours of whom Constantine the sixth sonne to Leo the third with Irena his wife was the last sole Emperour and shee Empresse of East and West After whose death and overthrow Charlemaine was called into Italy to Danton the Lombards who had oppressed that Region and the peace of the Church for two hundred yeares He chased them from Rome Apulia and from all Italy and was therefore declared by Pope Leo the Roman Emperour of the West from Charlemain to this present Ferdinando that now reigneth Charlemaine being the hundred and fourth there were forty and one Emperours So in all with this Emperor Ferdinando lately Duke of Grasse the number amounts to of these Emperours counting from Iulius Caesar to Constantine the sixt the last sole Emperour of the East and after him from Charlemain the first Emperour of the West to this time their number have been a hundred and forty six Emperours Some whereof were Greekes which cannot perfectly be set down in regard some were Emperesses and others suddenly elected were as suddenly murthered or poysoned Now to reckon the Turkish Emperours I will first begin from the time that the Turks tooke a Monarchall name under the name of Ottoman even to Mahomet the Second the first Grecian Emperour beginning I say at Ottoman the son of Orthogule the first Emperour of the Turks and the first that erected the glory of his Nation there were nine Emperours to Mahomet the Second And from him to this present Amurath that now reigneth there have bin eleven Emperors The number of which are onely twenty and before they come to thirty they and theirs I hope shall be rooted from the earth The Originall of the Turkes is said to have been in Scythia from whence they came to Arabia pâ—tnea and giving battell oft to the Sarazens in the end subdued them and so they multiplyed and mightily increased the apparance of their further increasing is very evident except God of his mercy towards us prevent their blood-sucking threatnings with the vengeance of his just judgements The Sarazens are descended of Esau who after he had lost the blessing went and inhabited in Arabia Petrea and his posterity striving to make a cleere distinction betweene them the Ismaelites and Iewes called themselves as come of Sara Sarazens and not of Hagar the handmaid of Abraham of whom came the Ismaelites neither of the race of Iacob of whom came the Iewes But now the Sarazens being joyned with the Turkes their Conquerours have both lost their name and the right of their discent The Turkes which are borne and bred in the lesser Asia and East-parts of Europe are generally well complexioned proportionably compacted no idle nor superfluous talkers servile to their grand Signior excessively inclined to Venery and zealous in Religion their heads are alwayes shaven reserving onely one tuft in the top above by which they thinke one day to be caught to Heaven by Mahomet and covered
and inresolute defence could resist Here in this Country of Cilicia was Saint Paul borne in the now decayed Town of Tharsus who for antiquity will not succumbe to any City of Natolia being as yet the Mistris of that Province though neither for worth nor wealth All ancient things by Time revolve in nought As if their Founders had no founding wrought But thoâ— torn Tharsus brooks a glorious name For that great Saint who in thee had his frame So may Cilicians joy the Christian sort That from their bounds rose such a mighty Fort. Twelve dayes was I between Rhodes and Limisso in Cyprus where arrived I received more gracious demonstrations from the Islanders then I could hope for or wish being far beyond my merit or expectation onely contenting my curiosity with a quiet minde I red ounded thanks for my imbraced courtesies The people are generally strong and nimble of great civility hospitality to their neighbours and exceedingly affectionated to strangers The second day after my arrivall I took with me an Interpreter and went to see Nicosia which is placed in the midst of the Kingdome But in my journy thither extream was the heat and thirst I endured both in respect of the season and also want of water And although I had with me sufficiencie of wine yet durst I drinke none thereof being so strong and withall had a taste of pitch and that is because they have no Barrels but great Jars made of earth wherein their Wine is put And these Jars are all inclosed within the ground save onely their mouthes which stand alwayes open like to a Source or Cistern whose insides are all interlarded with pitch to preserve the earthen Vessels unbroke asunder in regard of the forcible Wine yet making the taste thereof unpleasant to liquorous lips and turneth the Wine too heady for the brain in digestion which for health groweth difficult to strangers and to themselves a swallowing up of diseases To cherish life and blood the health of Man Give me a Tâ—ast plung'd in a double Kan And spic'd with Ginger for the wrestling Grape Makes Man become from Man a sottish Ape Nicosia is the principall City of Cyprus and is invironed with Mountains like unto Florence in Aetruria wherein the Beglerbeg remaineth The second is Famogusta the chief strength and Sea-port in it Seliâ—a Lemisso Paphos and Fontana Morosa are the other foure speciall Towns in the Island This Isle of Cyprus was of old called Achametide Amatusa and by some Marchara that is happy It is of length extending from East to West 210 large 60 and of circuit 600 miles It yieldeth infinite canes of Sugar Cotton-wooll Oile Honey Cornes Turpentine Allom Verdegreece Grograms store of Metals and Salt besides all other sorts of fruit and commodities in abundance It was also named Cerastis because it butted toward the East with one horn and lastly Cyprus from the abundance of Cypresse trees there growing This Island was consecrated to Venus wherein Paphos shee was greatly honoured termed hence Dea Cypri Festa dies Veneris tota celeberrima Cypro Venerat ipsa suis aderat Venus au reâ— festis Venus feast day through Cyprus hallowed came Whose feasts her presence dignified the same Cyprus lyeth in the Gulfe betweene Cilicia and Syria having Aegypt to the West Syria to the South Cilicia to the East and the Pamphylian Sea to the North It hath foure chief Capes or Head-lands first Westward the Promontory of Acanias modernly Capo di santo Epifanio to the South the Promontory Phaeâ—ria now Capo Bianco to the East Pedasia modernly Capo di Graeco to the North the high foreland Cramenion now Capo di Cormathita these foure are the chiefest Promontores of the Island and Cape di S. Andrea in the furthest point Eastward toward Cilicia Diodore and Pliny say that anciently it contained nine Kingdomes and fifteene good Townes Ceraâ—â—a now Selina was built by Cyrus who subdued the nine petty Kings of this Isle Nicosia is situate in the bottome or plain of Massara and thirty foure miles from Famogusta and the Towne of Famogusta was formerly named Salamus I was informed by some of sound experience here that this Kingdome containeth about eight hundred and forty Villages besides the sixe capitall Towns two whereof are nothing inferiour for greatnesse and populosity to the best Townes in Candy Sycily or Greece The chiefest and highest mountaines in this Isle is by the Cypriots called Trohodos it is of height eight and of compasse forty eight miles whereon there are a number of Religious Monasteries the people whereof are called Colieros and live under the order of Saint Basile There is aboundance here of Coriander seede with medicinable Rubarbe and Turpentine Here are also mines of Gold in it of Chrysocole of Calthante of Allome Iron and exceeding good Copper And besides these mines there are divers precious stones found in this Isle as Emeraulds Diamonds Christall Corall red and white and the admirable stone Amiante whereof they make Linnen cloth that will not burne being cast into the fire but serveth to make it neate and white The greatest imperfection of this Isle is scarcity of water and too much plenty of scorching heat and fabulous grounds The inhabitants are very civill courteous and affable and notwithstanding of their delicious and delicate fare they are much subject to Melancholy of a Robust Nature and good Warriours if they might carry Armes It is recorded that in the time of Constantine the Great this Isle was all utterly abandoned of the Inhatants and that because it did not raine for the space of sixe and thirty yeares After which time and to replant this Region againe the chiefest Colonies came from Aegypt Iudea Syria Cilicia Pamphylia Thracia and certaine Territories of Greece And it is thought in the yeares 1163 after that Guy of Lusingham the last Christian King of Ierusalem had lost the Holy Land a number of French men stayed and inhabited here of whom sprung the greatest Race of the Cyprian Gentility and so from them are descended the greatest Families of the Phoenician Sydonians modernely Drusians though ill divided and worse declined yet they are sprung both from one Originall the distraction arising from Conscience of Religion the one a Christian the other a Turke The three Isles of Cyprus Candy and Sicily are the onely Monarchall Queenes of the Mediterranean Seas and semblable to other in fertilitie length breadth and circuit save onely Candy that is somewhat more narrow then the other two and also more Hilly and sassinous yet for Oiles and Wines she is the Mother of both the other Sicily being for Grain and Silks the Empresse of all and Cyprus for Sugar and Cotton-wooll a darling sister to both onely Sicily being the most civill Isle and nobly Gentilitate the Cypriots indifferently good and the Candiots the most ruvid of all The chiefe Rivers are Teneo and Pedesco Cyprus was first by Teucer made a
of snow Whence Rills do spring and speedy Torrents fall To loose scorch'd flowres that burning heat would thrall Here Herds frequent whose pleasant toyls do rest Of Mountains all on Liban onely best Where piping Pan and Silvan do accord To lurk with Ceres and make Bacchus Lord Pitch'd under silent shades whence Eden Town These bounds for Paradice dare firmly crown And last to count these colours here 's delight The fields are green Wines yellow Corns as white About the Village of Eden is the most fruitfull part of all Libanus abounding in all sorts of delicious fruits True it is the varietie of these things maketh the silly people thinke the Garden of Eden was there By which allegeance they approve the apprehension of such a sinistrous opinion with these arguments that Mount Libanus is sequestraâ—â—â—â—om the circumjacent Regions and is invincible for the height and strengths they have in Rocks and that Eden was still re-edified by the fugitive Inhabitants when their enemies had ransacked it Also they affirme before the Deluge it was so nominate and after the Flood it was repaired again by Iaphet the sonne of Noah who builded Ioppa or Iaphta in Palestina Loe there are the reasons they shew strangers for such like informations There are with this one other two supposed places of the earthly Paradice The one is by the Turks and some ignorant Georgians holden to beat Damascus for the beauty of fair fields gardens and excellent fruits there especially for the Tree called Mouflee which they believe hath grown there since the beginning of the World Indeed it is a rare and singular Tree for I saw it at Damascus and others also of the same kinde upon Nylus in Aegypt The growth whereof is strange for every yeare in September it is cut downe hard by the root and in five moneths the Tree buddeth up a pace again bringing forth leaves flowres and fruit The leafe thereof is of such a breadth that three men may easily stand under the shadow of it and the Apple is bigger then a football which is yeerly transported for Constantinople to the Great Turke and there is reserved for a Relict of the fruit of the forbidden Tree whence he surstiles himself keeper of the earthly Paradice But if he were not surer a greater Commander and Reserver of a large part of the best bosome of the earth than he is Keeper of that Adamian Garden his stiles of the Earth and mine of the World were both alike and that were just nothing save onely this two naked creatures living amongst naked people or otherwise if it were to be kept or seen certainly I would wish to be a Postillion to the great Porter the Turk but not his Pedagog farre lesse his Pilgrime The third place by these Chelfaines is thought to be in the East part of Mesopotamia neere to the joyning of Tygris and Euphrates where so they inhabit I have oft required of these Chelfaines what reason they had for this conceived opinion who answered mee they received it from time to time by the tradition of their Ancestors And because of the River Euphrates and other Rivers mentioned in the Scriptuâ—es which to this day detain their names in that Countrey Some hold that Garden of Eden extended over all the Earth But contrariwise it manifestly appeareth by the second Chapter of Genesis 2. 20. that this Garden which we call Paradice wherein Adam was put to dresse it was a certain place on earth containing a particular portion of a Country called Eden which boundeth on the River Eâ—phrates To this and all the rest I answer no certainty can be had of the place where Eden was either by reading or travelling because this River hath been oft divided in sundry streams And it is said that Cyrus when he wonne Babylon did turn the main channell of Euphrates to another course But howsoever or wheresoever it be I resolve my self no man can demonstrate the place which God for the sins and fall of man did not onely accurse but also the whole face of the Earth Many ancient Authors have agreed with the opinion of Plato and Aristotle constantly affirming that Mountains Islands and Countries have received great alteration by the inundation of Rivers and violence of raging Seas Thracia hath beene divided from Bythinia Nigroponti from Thessalia Corfu from Epire Sycilia from Italie The Isles Orcades from Scotland and many other Islands and Countries cut through so in divisions after the same forme Wherefore the more a man contemplate to search the knowledge of Eden and such high mysteries appertaining only to the Creator the more hee shall faile in his purpose offend God become foolish and fantasticall for his pains But to turne backe to mine itinerary relation after my returne to Tripoly I departed thence Eastward with a â—aravan of Tâ—â—kes to Aleppo being ten days journey distant In all this way leaving Scanderon on our left hand I saw nothing worthy remarking save onely a few scattered Villages and poore miserable people called Tâ—rcomanni living in Tents and following their flocks to whom I payed sundry Caffars who remove their women children and cattle where so they finde fountaines and good pastorage like unto the custome of the ancient Israelites Which in their vagabonding fashion did plainly demonstrate the necessitie they had to live rather then any pleasure they had or could have in their living They differ also in Religion from all the other Mahometans in two damnable points The one is they acknowledge that there is a God and that hee of himselfe is so gracious that hee neither can being essentially good doe harm nor yet will authorize any ill to be done and therefore more to beloved than feared The other is they confesse there is a Devill and that hee is a Tormentor of all evill doers and of himselfe so terrible and wicked that they are contented even for acquisting his favour and kindnesse to sacrifice in fire their first-born child to him soliciting his devillishnesse not to torment them too sore when they shall come into his hands And yet for all this they think afterwards by the mercy of Mahomet they shall go from Hell to Paradice In this immediate or aforesaid passage wee coasted neere and within six miles of the limits of Antiochia one of the ancient Patriarch Seas so called of Antiochus her first Founder and not a little glorying to this day that the Disciples of Iesus and Antiochians were first here named Christians Who notwithstanding of their grievous afflictions flourished so that in 40 yeares they grew a terrour to their enemies who suggested by the Devill cruelly affected them with ten generall Persecutions under the Emperours Nero anno 67. Domitianus anno 96. Trajanus 100. Maximinus 137. Marcus Antonius 167. Severus 195. Decius 250. Valerianus 259. Aureli anus 278. and Dioclesian anno 293 yeares Notwithstanding all which Massacres and Martyrdome yet this little graine of Mustard
where the Showse strook off his head putting it in a Box to carry it with him for Constantinople The dead corps were carried to Aleppo and honorably buried for I was an eye witnesse to that Funeral Feast And immediatly therafter the Showse by Proclamation and power from the Emperour fully possessed the sonne in his Fathers Lands Offices Bassawship and the authoritie of all the Easterne Syria part of Mesopotamia and the Assyrian Countrey for this Bassaw of Aleppo is the greatest in commandement and power of all the other Bassaws in the Turkes Dominions except the Bassa or Beglerbeg of Damascus and yet the former in Hereditary power farre exceedeth the other being a free Emeer and thereupon a Prince borne The force of his commandement reacheth to eighteene Sanzacks and thirty thousand Timariots besides Ianizaries and other inferiour Souldiers which would make up as many more This City is called in the Scriptures Aram-Sobab 2 Samuel 8. 3. and Aleppo of Alep which signifieth milk whereof there is a great plenty here There are Pigeons brought up here after an incredible manner who will flie betwene Aleppo and Babylon being thirty dayes journey distant in forty eight houres carrying letters and newes which are tied about their neckes to Merchants of both Townes and from one to another who onely are imployed in the time of hasty and needfull intendments their education to this tractable expedition is admirable the flights and arrivals of which I have often seene in the time of my wintering in Aleppo which was the second Winter after my departure from Christendome Syria hath on the East Armenia major On the South Mesopotamia On the North Cilicia and the sea On the West Gallilee and Phaenicia in the Bible the Syrians are called Aramites who were an obscure people subject to the Persians and subdued by Alexander after whose death this Countrey with Persia and other adjacent Provinces fell to the share of Seleucus Nicanor who also wrested from the successors of Antigonus the lesser Asia This Kingdome hath fuffered many alterations especially by the Persians Grecians Armenians Romans Aegyptians lastly by the Turkes and daily molested by the incursive Arabs In my expectation here and the Spring come being disappointed of me desired aimes I pretended to visite Ierusalem in my back-comming and for the furtherance of my determination I joyned with a Caravan of Armenians and Turks that were well guarded with Ianisaries and Souldiers of whom some were to stay at Damascus by the way and some mindful to the furthest marke And for my better safeguard being always alone which by all was ever much admired the Venetian Consull tooke surety of the Captaine that hee should protect mee safely from theeves cut throats and the exactions of tributes by the way delivering me freely into the hand of the Padre Guardiano at Ierusalem Which being done I I hired a Mule from a Turke to carry my victuals and so set forward with them The number of our company were about 600 Armenians Christian Pilgrimes men and women 600 Turkes trafficking for their owne businesse and 100 souldiers three Showsses and sixe â—anizaries to keep them from invasions Betweene Aleppo and Damascus wee had nine dayes journey in five of which we had pleasant travelling and good Canes to lodge in that had bin builded for the support of Travellers and are well maintained But when we passed Hamsek which is a little more then mid-way we had dangerous travelling being oft assailed with Arabs fatigated with Rocky Mountaines and sometimes in point of choaking for lacke of water The confusion of this multitude was not onely grievous in regard of the extreame heate providing of victuals at poore Villages and scarcity of water to fill our bottles made of Boare-skinnes but also amongst narrow and stony passages thronging we oft fell one over another in great heapes in danger to be smothered yea and oftentimes we that were Christians had our bodies well beaten by our couducting Turkes In this iourneying I remember the Turke who ought my Mule was for three dayes exceeding favourable unto me in so much that I began to doubt of his carriage fearefully suspecting the Italian Proverb Chi nri faâ—iglior che non cisuole Ingannato mi ha o ingannar mi Vuole He that doth better now to me than he was wont He hath deceiv'd or will deceive me with some sad affront But when I perceived his extraordinary service and flattery was onely to have a share of the Tobacco I carried with me I freely bestowed a pound there of upon him Which he and his fellowes tooke as kindly as though it had been a pound of gold for they are excessively addictted to smoake as Dutch men are to the Pot which ever made me to carry Tobacco with me to acquist their favour over and above their fials more then ever I did for my owne use for in these dayes I took none at all though now as time altereth every thing I am Honoris Gratia become a courtly Tobacconist more for fashion then for liking The Turkish Tobacco pipes are more than a yard long and commonly of Wood or Canes beeing joyned in three parts with Lead or white Iron their severall mouths receiving at once a whole ounce of Tobacco which lasteth a long space and because of the long pipes the smoak is exceeding cold in their swallowing throats At our accustomed dismounting to recreate our selues and refresh the beasts I would often fetch a walke to stretch my legs that were stiffed with a stumbling beast wherewith the Turkes were mightily discontented and in derision would laugh and mocke me For they cannot abide a man to walke in turnes or stand to eate their usage being such that when they come from the horse backe presently sit downe on the ground folding their feete under them when they repose dine and sup So doe also their Artizans and all the Turkes in the World sit all wayes crosse legged wrongfully abusing the commondable consuetude of the industrious Tailors In their houses they have no bed to lye on 〈◊〉 chaire to sit on nor table to eate on but a bench made of boords along the house side of a foot high from the floore spred over with a Carpet whereon they usually sitting eating drinking sleeping resting and doing of manuall exercises all in one place Neither will the best sort of Mahometans be named Turks because it signifieth banished in the Hebrew tongue and therefore they call themselves Musilmans to wit good believers where in deed for good it is a false Epithite but certainly for firm believers they are wonderfull constant and so are all ignorants of whatsoever profession even like to the Spaniard who in the midst of all his evils yet he remayneth alwayes fidele to all the usurpations the Hispanicall Crown can compasse They never unclothe themselves when they go to rest neither have they any bed-clothes save onely a coverlet above them I have seen
of the Drusians who being the off-spring of the Christians which under the Conduct of Godfrey Duke of Bulloine descended into these parts do still maintain their liberty against the Turkes The Signior whereof being threatned by the Great Turke fled to Cosmus Duke of Florence Anno 1612 leaving his two Sonnes behinde him the eldest to keepe Sydon and the yonger to remayn in a strong Fortresse on the West end of Mount Libanus The eâ—der brother forthwith yielded to the Great Turke the Signory of his Lands but the younger would never do it and so retaineth absolutely the Countrey of Libanus to this day making himselfe thereupon a mountainous Monarchall Prince Tyrus which is miserably brought to ruine Acre or Acon that hath yet some indifferent trade of Merchandize called formerly Ptolomeis Caipha called commonly Castello Pellegrino which hath nothing but the remnants of an ancient Abbey Caesarea who reserveth but onely the memory of ruines for there is no Hospitality in it except it be to savage Moores Ioppa or Iaphta is a Sea-port of small Barks but the decayed Towne containeth not one dwelling House save onely a high Tower which defendeth the Port from Cursares Here Ionah took ship to flie from God Here Peter raised Tabitha or Dorcas from death to life and where he lodging at the House of Simon the Tanner was in a Vision taught the conversion of the Gentiles And Baruti famous for so many Christian Armies that have besieged it is now composed of 800 fire-houses Lying Northeast of Sydon under Mount Libanus formerly called Iulia Foelix nigh unto which as fabulous stories report Saint George delivered the Kings Daughter by killing the Dragon It is also thought to be within Canaan standing in the Frontier of Phoenicia and is the bâ—st inhabited place of all the Holy Land Sydon and Ierâ—salem excepted Saturday morning before the break of day setting forward from Lydda through the curling playnes of fat-fac'd Palestine scarcely were wee well advanced in our way till wee were beset with more then three hundred Arabs who sent us from shrubby heights an unexpected shoure of Arrows to the great annoyance of all our Company For if it had not beene that our Souldiers shot off their Gunnes on a sudden and stood manly also to it with their Bows and Arrows for our defence wee had then miserably in the midst of their ravenous fury perished But the nature of the Arabs is not unlike to the Iackals For when any of them heare the shot of a Harquebuse they presently turn back with such speed as if the Fiends of the infernall Court were broken loose at their heels In that momentany conflict on our side there were killed nine Women five Men and about thirty persons deadly wounded which to our worthy Armenian Captayne and to the rest of our Heathnish Conductors bred no small griefe the mourning noyse among the multitude beeing also wondrous pittifull Till bright day came we stayed still in that same place expecting the dangerous mutability of our austere fortune and at our departure thence wee buried the slayne people in deep graves whereby Iackals should not open up their graves to eate their Corpes for such is the nature of these cruell beasts that they onely love to live on mans flesh these ravenous beasts as is thought are ingendred of a Foxe and a Wolfe Proceeding in our journy we entred about two of the clocke in the afternoone in the hilly Countrey of Iudea having two of their courses to Ierusalem which is about twenty English miles leaving Rhama on our right hand which contayneth some two hundred dwelling houses of one story high and ten miles distant from Ioppa from which it lyeth in the way to Ierusalem Here remayneth the Dragoman a Christian who receiveth and conveyeth the Pilgrimes to Ierusalem which land at Ioppa each Pilgrime paying seven Chickens of gold is furnished with an Asse to ride on all the way tributes at going and comming being discharged by their Conductor to whom they resigne this tributary mony Rhama is a Town inhabited by Christians Arabs and Moores not blacke Moores as the Affricans be but they are called Mori which are a kinde of Aegyptians and not naturally black but Sunne-burnt with the parching heate The whole Territory of Canaan is inhabited with these Moors some Turkes civill Arabs and a few Christians and scattered Iews The Arabians are for the most part Thieves and Robbers the Moores cruell and uncivill haâ—ing Christians to the Death the Turkes are the ill best of all the three yet all sworne enemies to Christ. But when they know how to make any gaine by strangers O what a dissimulate ostentation shall appeare in these detestable Villains whose out-sides onely they seem to affect but intirely the in-sides of their purses and that is their ayme and forcible end wherefore they both toile with all and conduct strangers through many perils as eminent to themselves as accessary unto our inevitable destinies Time discussing all and money over-mastering time for Coine is the thing they must have though necessity sometimes may not spare it About foure of the clock before night wee arrived at Berah called of old Beersheba being eleven miles distant from Ierusalem Having a little reposed there giving our Camels Mules and Asses some provender but could get nothing for our selves from these despightfull Moores for what we carried with us was all spent except a little Water Wee embraced our Mountainous way as cheerfully as wee could for wee were exceeding faint and travelled that day above forty three miles whereby we might arrive at Ierusalem before the Gates were shut sustaining great drought burning heate pinching hunger and not a few other the like inconveniences And now about halfe way betweene Berah and Ierusalem I and two Armenians advancing our way a flight shot before the Company Wee I say unhappily rancountred with foure Moorish fellows driving before them six Asses loaden with roots and shrubs of Wood to burne who seeing us they thought alone layd hands upon us robbed us of our pocket monies whereat I resisting one of them pulled forth a broad knife and holding me by the Beard thought to have cut my throate if it had not beene for one of his fellowes who swiftly stayed him Well they leave us and following their Beasts our Soulâ—iers instantly appeared unto us whereupon we shouting the Moores fled to the Rocks and our foot Souldiers following apprehended two of the chiefest and brought them to the Captaine One of which had my money which I presently received backe againe but mine associates money was with them that escaped the Captaine and Ianisaries meane while carried the two Moores along with them thinking to execute them at Ierusalem But their friends and neighbours following fast on Horse-backe and on foote relieved them from the Caravan restoring back again the two Armenians money Whereat all the Moores were exceding glad and wee no ways discontented for if they had
be participant of their doubtfull deliverance In the end pondering I could hardly or neuer escape their hands either there or by the way going up to Ierusalem leapt downe from the tree leaving my Turkish cloathes lying upon thâ— ground tooke onely in my hand the rod Shasse which I wore on my head and ranne starke naked above a quarter of a mile amongst thistles and sharpe pointed grasse which pittifully be pricked the soles of my feete but the feare of death for the present expel'd the griefe of that unlooked for paine Approaching on the safe side of my company one of our Souldiers broak forth on horsebacke being determined to kill mee for my staying behind Yea and three times stroke at mee with his halfe-pike but his horse being at his speede I prevented his cruelty first by falling downe next by running in amongst the thickest of the Pilgrimes recovering the Guardians face which when the Guardian espied and saw my naked body hee presently pulled off his gray gowne and threw it to me whereby I might hide the secrets of nature By which meanes in the space of an houre I was cloathed three manner of wayes First like a Turke Secondly like a wild Arabian And thirdly like a grey Frier which was a barbarous a savage and a religious habit The Captaine at last entring in parley with the Arabs by some contributing promiâ—es did mitigate their fury for their compounded acknowledgment was to be sent them from Ierusalem Whereupon wee marching toward Iericho reposed our selves under a cooling shade and dined there on the Wine and provision which we carried with us After Dinner wee arose and went to the House of Zacheus this was hee who sate uppon a Tree to see our Saviour as he passed by the Wals whereof stand to this day the tecture being onely demolished This new Iericho is now a poore Village onely of mine dwelling Houses inhabited by a kinde of Arabs which are in subiection under the Governour of Ierusalem but I saw many ruinous lumpes of the Wals and demolishings of the old Towne which is a little from this distant about a short quarter of a mile Here I saw two most dainty kinde of fruits the one was a little lesse then an Apple but more round whose colour was like gold without and within it was White as Snow and sweete like Sugar I would gladly haue eaten of them but the Friers forbade me saying they were the onely pest of Death unto a stranger The other Apple was like to a greene Lemmon long and full of knots of a reddish colour like to a Mellon being both delicate and wholesome of which wee did eate to satisfie the naturall appetite and so did all our Souldiers eate of them excessively their Treâ—s growing high and greene by a Brooke side of delicate Water that runneth from the fountaine of Elizeus From Iericho we set forward in the way of the Wildernesse our determination being such as to view the mountaine whereon Christ fasted forty dayes where arriued being laâ—e we durst not go up til morning Wherefore we pitched that night by the fountaine of Elizeus the Water of which was of old naturally bitter but by the prayers of that divine Prophet was restored to a sweet tast It is good for digestion and harmlesse for health and it is the lightest water the earth yeelds having on the morrow filled a Boares skin of it to carry with me to the mountain I found it so light that I had no weight nor pain in the bearing of it on my shoulders notwithstanding the way of it self was fastidious This mountain is called Quarantanam or Quaranto being of height by the computation of my painfull experience above sixe miles and groweth from the bottome still smaller and smaller till that the top is covered with a little Chappell not unlike to the proportion of a Pyramede There is no way to ascend upon this Hill save one which hath been hewen out of the Rock by the industry of men experimented in Masonry which was done at the cost of Queene Helen going up by the Degrees of forty five turns In all our Company there were onely one Frier foure Germans and I that durst attempt to climbe the Mountain Thursday early at the breake of day wee sixe made us for the Mountaine leaving our Souldies to guard the passage below lest some stragling Arabs should have stolne after us for our Destruction Where after divers turnings traversings and narrow foot passages having come with great difficulty to the top wee entred first into a umbragious Cave joyning to and under the Chappell where the Frier told us that in this place Christ did fast forty dayes and here it was where hee rebuked Sathan The Chappell which covereth the top of this high and steepy Râ—ck is covered and also beautified with an old Altar between the outward sides whereof and the craggy face of this Mountain two men may only go side to side Here wee diâ—ed and refresht our selves with water that I carried on my back hither From which place we saw the most part of all the Holy Land except the North parts of Iudea Palestine and Phoenicia and a great way in the two Arabiaes Petrea and Deserta and all the length of Iordan even from Sodom to Maronah At last in our Returne and fearfull descending there would none of us go down foremost For although the Frier led us freely upwards yet first downward for his life he durst not go and that because at the narrow end of every turning there was aye betweene the upper and the lower passage about my height and some were twice my height of the flat face of the Rocke whereon there was nothing but dimples and holes to receive our feet which in descending was perillous Now the greatest danger at every turn was in the down going of the foremost who was to receive them all one by one and foot their feet in the shallow dimples of which if any of them had missed his sliding down had miscarried them both over the Rock Now for the noble Germans sake two of whom were great Barons Signior Strowse and Signior Crushen and borne Vassalls to the Marquesse of Hanspauch I resolved to imbrace the danger Where downe I went receiving every one of them at every turne first leading their feet by my hands and then by inveloping them with mine arms Well having past halfe way downwards wee came to the most scurrile and timorous Discent of the whole passage where with much difficulty I set safe the foure Germans in our narrow Rode hewen â—ut of the craggie Hill and then was to receive the Frier Whence he comming downe from above with his belly and face to the Rocke holding his hands grumbling above the fellow fell on trembling and as I was placing his feet in the holes distempered feare brought him downe upon mee with a rushling hurle Whereupon straight I mainly closed with my
Arabicus whose length is 1600 miles This Sea is famous for the miraculous passage of the Israelites through it and the drowning of Pharaoh and his people and because of Spices that were brought from India and Arabia to Alexandria from whence the Venetians dispersed the same through all Europe and the Mediterran Coasts of Asia and Affricke But this Navigation is now discontinued by the Portugals English and Dutch which bring such Wares to their severall homes by the back side of Affricke So that the Trafficke of Alexandria is almost decayed and the Riches of the Venetians much diminished so is the vertue of the Spices much impaired by too much moysture contracted with the long and tedious carriage thereof This aforesaid Saleack is thought to be seated on the lower and Eastmost end of Gozan consisting of eight hundred dwelling Houses being walled and fencible against the Arabs and defended also with a Castle and ten troups of Horsmen being Ianizaries Here we rested and refreshed our selves two nights providing us fresh victuals for Grand Cayro being foure days journey distant and at our leaving of Saleack I saluted this new seen Countrey with a greedy conceit of more curiosities The seventh Part. NOw well met Egypt so our fate allots For we have appetite for thy Flesh-pots But ah the Season is too hot to eat Of any viand Kid Mutton or such meat Yet for thy Coffâ— made of Coave seed Wee 'l kindly drâ—â—k it feed upon thy bread And fat our selves with thy best herbs and fruits For like to our faint stomacks best besuits Then mighty Kingdom once the Royall Land Where Kings were first erect'd did longest stand And letters Hyrogliphicks Magick Art Astrology had first inventions part For wonders the Piramydes Balm more good The weeping Crocadile Nylus swelling flood Deaths funerall Mommeis the Sea-horse bred At Damieta the Sphynx with grandure cled And where base Fortune play'd the errant whoor In making mean men great and great men poor In thee I 'le dive though deep is thine old ground And further far then I can search or sound Yet when men shoot O all the mark do eie But seldom touch't enough if they come nie Even so must I for neerer ile not claim The best director may mistake his aime But as the land is now I hope I shall Cleer hardest doubts and give content to all Thence sought I Malta Aetnaes burning flame And stately Sicile Gibels greatest fame Whence passing Italy the Alps I crost And courting France told Time how I was tost DEparting from Saleack and having past one of their courses which is our twelve miles wee re-encountred with infinite Villages on both hands and in our high Way all builded upon artificiall Channels drawne from Nylus and these Fabricks onely made up of Wood or Brick being one or two stories high The Captain in divers parts at our mid-dayes reposing was constrained to buy water from the Egyptians to satisfie the Company yea and that same night the first of fâ—ure ere we came to Cayre at the Village of Bianstare he payed five Sultans of gold for Watering all us and the Beasts amounting to thirty five shillings sterling The next day journying towards a goodly Town named Saliabsteck wee travailed through a fruitfull plain fraught full of Fruit Trees and abounding in Wheate Rie and Barley being new cut downe May 14. For this was their first Harvest the Land yielding twice a yeare Corns and the latter is in our December recoiled This Land hath as it were a continuall Summer and notwithstanding of the burning heat it produceth alwayes abundance of Fruits and Herbs for all the Seasons of the yeare So that the whole Kingdome is but a Garden having ever one Fruit ready to be plucked downe and another comming forwards or like to the best sort of Lemmon Trees that as some are ripe some are growing greene others budding forth and some still in the flourish Even so is the beauty and fertility of all the lower Aegypt which although the Country be not often troubled with Rain yet the ranke serene or dew of the night in the Summer refresheth all kinds of growing things between Saliabsteck and Cayre being two days journey Wee Franks bad farwell to water and drunk daily of Coffa made of a seed Coava which being taken hot and is ever kept boyling within Furnaces in earthen pots it expelleth the crudity of Fruits and Herbs so much there frequented Arriving at last in this little World the great Cairâ— and biding farewel to our Caravan the three Germans and I lodged with one Signior Marco Antonio a Consul there for Venice the other four Frenchmen going to their own Consul a Marsellian born and there stayed Here with this Venetian for three days the Dutchmen and I had great chear but they farre greater a daily swallowing downe of strong Cyprus Wine without mixture of water which still I intreated them to forbear but they would not be requested The season being cruell hot and their stomacks surfeited with burning Wine upon the fourth day long ere noon the three Dutchmen were all dead and yet mee thought they had no sicknesse the red of their faces staying pleasant their eyes staring always on mine and their tongues were perfit even to the last of their breath He who dyed lâ—st and lived longest was William Dilerganck who left mee all his owne gold and what the former five had left him delivering me the keyes of their three cloak bags before the Consul declared by his mouth that he left mee absolute heire to intromet with all and whatsoever they had there But eftsoons the treacherous Consul knowing that I was a stranger to them and by accident met together at Ierusalem and that they were Gentlemen and well provided with gold forg'd a reason to himselfe and for his owne benefit that hee would meddle with all they left behind them under this excuse that he would be answerable to their friends for it at his returne to Venice Well I am left to bury them and with great difficulty bought one grave for them all three in a Copties Chappell where I interred them paying to the Aegyptian Christians for that eight foot of ground ten Sultans of Gold besides sixe Piasters for carrying their corps hither being two miles in the City distant from the Consuls house Whence ere I had returned the Venetian Factor seased upon all and shutting his gate upon my face sent me out my own budget Whereupon I addressed my selfe to the French Consul Monsieur Beauclair who kindly received me and having told him all the manner how I was greatly wronged and oppressed by the other Consul he straight sent for a Iewish Phisician his familiar Oracle Where having consulted together the next day early we went all three and their so lowers to the Beglerbeg or Governour of the City wee soon complained and were as soone heard the Venetian Consul is sent for and he commeth where facing
being twelve hundred paces in Circuite allowing every square of the foure faces three hundred paces and every pace two foote and a halfe Every Pyramide having outwardly to ascend upon though now for the most part demolished three hundred fourescore and nine steps or degrees each degree being three foot high and two foote and a halfe broad By which computation they amount in heigh to the afore-said Relation allowing to every foote twelve inches At last having ascended upon the South side of this greatest Pyramide to the top and that with great difficulty because of the broken degrees here and there I was much ravished to see such a large foure squared plat-forme all of one intire stone which covered the head each square extending to seventeene foot of my measure It is yet a great marvaile to mee by what Engine they could bring it up so safe to such a height But as I conceive it they behoved certainely still to rayse it and take it with them as they advance the Worke otherwise the wit nor power of man could never have done it Truely the more I beheld this strange Worke the more I was stricken in admiration For before we ascended or came neare to this Pyramide the top of it seemed as sharpe as a poynted Dyamond but when we were mounted thereon we found it so large that in my opinion it would have contained a hundred men In the bottome whereof wee found a great Cell and within that through a straight and narrow passage a foure angled Roome wherein there was standing the Relicks of a huge and ancient Tombe where belike hee that was the first founder of this Pyramide was inclosed From the top of this Pyramide our Ianizary did shoote an Arrow in the ayre with all his force thinking thereby it should have falne to the ground but as wee discended downe-wards we found the Arrow lying upon the steps scarce halfe way to the ground From this wee came to the middle Pyramide which a far off looked some-what higher then the other two but when we came to the roote thereof we found it not so for the stone-work is a great deale lower but the advancement of the height is onely because of a high ground whereon it standeth It is of the same fashion of the first but hath no degrees to ascend upon neither hath the third Pyramide any at all being by antiquity of time all worn and demolished yet an admirable worke to behold such Masse and as it werre erected Mountaines all of fine Marble The reason why they were first founded is by many ancient Authors so diversly coniectured that I will not meddle therewith They were first called Pharaones Yet the first and greatest is said to have beene builded by Cheops who in this worke imploied 100000 men the space of twenty yeares In which time the charges of Garlicke rootes and Onions onely came to 1600 talents of silver the Basis whereof in circuit was sixty Acres of ground It is recorded by Iosephus and conjectured by many good witnesses that the Brickes which the Children of Israel were inforced to make where partly imployed about the insides of these Pyramides whose outsides were adorned with Marble neither can I forget the drift of that effeminate Cheops who in end wanting money did prostitute his daughter to all commers by which detestable meanes he finished his building and shee besides the money due unto her unnaturall Father desired for her selfe of every man that had the use of her body one stone of whom shee got so many that with them shee builded the second Pyramide almost equall to the first Besides these three huge ones there are a number of smaller whereof some were transported to Rome in the time of her supreame domination Betwene the biggest Pyramide and Nylus I saw a Colosse or head of an Idoll of a wonderfull greatnesse being all of one Marble stone erected on a round Rock it is of height not reckoning the Columne about 815 foote and of circuite 68. Plini gave it the name Sphingo and reported much more of the bignesse largenesse and length of it but howsoever he erred in his description yet I resolve my selfe it is of so great a quantity that the like thereof being one intire piece the world affordeth not and may be reckoned amongst the rarest Wonders Some say that anciently it was an Oracle the which so soone as the Sunne set would give an answere to the Aegyptians of any thing by them demanded In our way as we returned our Dragoman shewed us on the bank of Nylus where a Crocodile was killed the yeare before by the ingenious policie of a Venetian Merchant being licentiated by the Bassaw The match whereof for bignesse and length was never seene in that River whose body was twenty two foot long and in compasse of the shoulders eight foot who thus was slaine This beast for foure yeares together kept alwayes about one place of the River being seven miles above Cayre where for a mile of ground there was no tillage nor pastorage being for feare of him laid waste and neverthelesse he had devoured above forty sixe persons his custome was to come forth of the River every morning about our eight houres where here and there hee would lurke waiting for his prey till ten for longer from water he could not stay This Venetian leaving his ship at Alexandrea and comming to Cayre was informed by the Consull my adversary of the great spoil done by this beast and herewith generously hee undertooke to kill it the Vice gerent licentiating him Whereupon going to his ship fetched thence his Gunner and a peece of Ordonance to Cayre The next day in the afternoone hee being well horsed and accompanied with twenty Ianizaries the peece is carried to the Crocodiles accustomary place of forth-comming where straite there was an Asse slaine and hung upon two standing and a thwarting tree with his open belly to the flood and same twelve score paces therefro Behinde this carkasse about other twelve score the piece was planted and leveld at the Carrion being charged with cut iron and a traine of powder about the touch-hole and above it a night house to keepe the traine dry from the nights serene having a cock fastned thereto and in it a burning match to which a string was tyed Then forty paces behinde the piece was there a pit digged to hide the Gunner wherein he was put holding the strings end in his hand and his head vayled with a wooden cover After this and about midnight the Horse-men retired themselves two miles off The morning come and the convenient time the Crocodile courts the land where when he saw the carkasse came grumbling to it and setting his two formost feet on the Carrions middle begun to make good cheare of the intrales whereat the squink-eyed Gunner perceiving his time drew the string and giving fire off went the peece and shot the Crocodile in three parts well
his deadly wounded and making a horrible noise the Gunner lay denned and durst not stirre meanwhile the beast striving to recover the water tyred and lying close on his belly there hee died After the shot the horse-men drew neare and finding the beast slain relieved the Gunner and brought with them this monstrous creature to Cayre where now his skinne hangeth in the Consuls Hall which I saw during my stay in his house For this piece of service the Merchant was greatly applauded scorned to take from the City 500 Sultans of Gold as a reward for his paines which they freely offered him and hee as freely refused Now to discourse of Nylus this flood irriguateth all the low plaines of the Land once in the yeare which inundation beginneth usually in the latter end of Iuly and continueth to the end of August Which furnisheth with Water all the Inhabitants being the onely drinke of the vulgar Aegyptians and of such vertue that when Pescennius Niger saw his Souldiers grumble for Wine What saith he doe you grumble for Wine having the Water of Nylus to drinke And now because many schollers and learned men are meerely mistaken about the flowing of Nylus I will both show the manner and quality or course of its inundation and thus There is a dry pond called Machash digged neare unto the brinke of the river in midst whereof standeth a pillar of eighteene Cubites height being equall with the profundity of the ditch whereby they know his increasing and in the yeare following if they shall have plenty or scarcity of things Now betwene the river and this pond there are sixe passages or spouts digged through the Banke where when the River beginneth to swell it immediately fals downe through the lowest passage into the Pond and being discovered there comes forth of Cayre certaine of the Priests called Darvishes accompanied with a hundred Ianizaries and pitch their Tents round about this Quadrangled pit In all which time of the Inundation they make great Feasting rare Solemnities with Dancing Singing toucking of Kettle drumms sounding of Trumpets and other ostentations of joy Now as the Water groweth in the River and so from it debording so it groweth also upon the Pillar standing in this pond which pillar is marked from the roote to the top with Brasses handfuls a foote a span and an inch And so if it shall happen that the water rise but to ten Brasses it presageth the yeare following there shall be great Death Pestilence and Famine And if it amounteth to twelue Cubits then the sequell yeare shall be indifferent And if it swell to fifteene Brasses then the next year shall be copious and abundant in all things And if it shall happen to flow to the top eighteen Brasses then all the Country of Aegypt is in danger to be drowned and destroyed Now from the body of Nylus there are about three thousand Channels drawne through the plain on which passing Ditches are all the Boroughs and Towns builded and through which Channels the river spreads it selfe through all the Kingdome Which when scoured of filth and Wormes and the water become cleare then every house openeth their Cisterne window and receiveth as much water as is able to suffice them till the next Inundation Neyther doth ever the River flow any where above the bankes for if it should it would overwhelme the whole Kingdome All which Channels here or there do make intercourse for their streames again to the body and branches of Nylus Now Stoicall fools hold the opinion that it overfloweth the whole face of the Land then I pray you what would become of their Houses their Bestiall their Cornes and Fruites for the nature of violent streames do ever deface transplant and distroy all that they debord upon leaving slime mud and sand behind their breaches and therefore such inunding cannot be called cherishings There are infinite venemous Creatures bred in this river as Crocadiles Scorpions Water-Snakes grievous mis-shapen Wormes and other monstrous things which oft annoy the Inhabitants and these who Trafficke on the Water This famous flood is in length almost three thousand miles and hath his beginning under the Aequinoctiall Line from montes Lunae but more truly from the Zembrian Lake in Aethiopia interior whence iâ— bringeth the full growth downe into Aegypt and in a place of the exterior Aethiopian Alpes called Catadupa The full and roaring of Nyle maketh the people deafe that dwell neer to it The infallible reason why Nylus increaseth so every yeare at such a time and continuance is onely this that when the Sunne declining Northward to Cancer and warming with his vigorous face the Septentrion sides of these Cynthian mountaines the abundant Snow melteth from whence dissolving in streames to the Lake Zembria it ingorgeth Nylus so long as the matter delabiates For benefit of which River the great Turke is inforced to pay yearely the tribute of fifty thousand Sultans of Gold to Prester Iehan least hee impede and withdraw the course of Nylus to the Red Sea and so bring Egypt to desolation The ground and policy whereof begun upon a desperate Warre inflicted upon the Aethiopians by Amurah which hee was constrained to give over under this pact and for Nylus sake The River Nyle had many names for Diodore named it Aetos to wit Eagle because of its swift passing over the Catadupian heights It was called also Egyptus of a King so named that communicated the same to it and to the Countrey Festus saith it was called Melos and Plutarch tearmed it Mela Epiphanio called it Chrysoroas that is running or coulanâ— in gold The Holy Scripture tearmeth it Seor or Sibor to wit Trouble because of the great noyse it bringeth with it to Egypt and the same Holy Letters call it Gehou and Physon The Egyptians wont to name it Nospra and now presently the Abassines and Inhabitants of Egypt name it Abanhu to wit the River of a long câ—urse This River maketh the Isle of Delta in Egypt so likewise in Ethiopia that Isle of Meroa so renowned The ancient Authours could not agree touching the mouthes of Nylus for Melo Strabo Diodore and Heredotus place seaven Ptolomy and others nine and Pliny eleven And some moderne Authours affirme it hath onely foure as Tyrre and Behou alleage dividing it selfe two leagues below Cayre in foure branches the chiefest two whereof are of these Damiota and Roseta but that is false and so are the opinions of all the rest for it hath now eight severall mouthes and as many branches drawne from its mayn body The Water of Nyle is marvailous sweet above all others in the World and that proceedeth of the extreame vigour of the Sun beating continnually upon it maketh it become more Lighter Purer and Simple as likewise arrousing of so many Soyles and his long Course And truely it is admirable to see this River to grow great when all others grow small and to see it diminish when others grow
to keepe my stomacke hot to abstaine from eating of fruit and to live soberly with a temperate diet The rule of which government I strove diligently to observe so did I also in all my travells prosecute the like course of a smal diet and was often too small against my will by the meanes whereof praised be God I fell never sicke til my returne to France This City is mightily impoverished since the Trading of Spices that were brought through the red Sea to Aegypt and so over Land to Alezandria its Sea-port Whence the Venetian dispersed them over all Christendome but are now brought home by the backe-side of Affricke by the Portugals English and Flemmings which maketh both Venice and Alezandria fare the worse for want of their former trafficke and commerce in these Southerne parts whence Venice grew the mother nurse to all Europe for these Commodities but now altogether spoyled thereof and decayed by our Westerne Adventures in a longer course for these Indian soyles This City was a place of great Merchandise in the Nycen Councell was ordayned to bee one of the foure Partiarchall seas the other three are Antiochia Ierusalem and Constantinople Here in Alexandria was that famous Library which Ptolomeus Philadelphus filled with 700000 volumes It was hee that also caused the 72 Interpreters to translate the Bible Over against Alexandria in the little Isle Pharos in the which for the commodity of saylers the aforesaide King builded a watch-towre of white Marble being of so marvellous a height that it was accounted one of the seven Wonders of the world the other six being the Pyramides the Tombe Mausolaca which Helicarnassus Queene of Caria caused built in honour of her husband the Temple of Ephesus the Wals of Babylon the Colossus of Rhodes and the Statâ—e of Iupiter Olympicus at Elis in Greece which was made by Phidias an excellent work-master in Gold and Ivory being in height 60 Cubites Expecting fifteene dayes heere in Alexandria for passage great was the heate the French men and I indured in somuch that in the day time we did nought but in a low roome besprinkled the water upon our selves and all the night lie on the top or platforme of the house to have the ayre where at lest bidding good-night to our Greekish Host wee imbarked in a Sclavonian ship belonging to Ragusa and so set our faces North for Christendom in which ship I was kindly used and Christian-like enterteined both for victuals and passage The Winds somewhat at the beginning favouring us wee weighed Anchors and set forward to Sea leaving â—he Coast of Cyrene Westward from us which lieth between Aegypt by the Sea side and Numidia or Kingdome of Tunnis The chief cities therein are Cyrene Arsinâ—a and Barca whence the whole Cyrenian Countrey taketh the modern name Barca Marmorica anciently Penta Politanat The Soyle is barren of Waters and Fruites the people rude and theftâ—ous yet it hath bred the most ingenious spirits as Calimachus the Poet Aristippus the Phylosopher Eratosthenes the Mathematician and Symon of Cyrene whom the Iewes compelled to carry our Saviours Crosse. In this Province which is now reckoned as a part of Aegypt stood the Oracle of Iupiter Hammon in the great Wildernesse confining with Lybia Whither when Alexander travailed he saw for foure dayes 〈◊〉 neither Man Beast Bird Tree nor River Where when arriâ—ed the flattering Priests professed him to be the sonne of Iupiter which afterwards being hurt with an Arrow â—ee found false saying Omnes ne vocant filium Iovis sed 〈◊〉 sagitta me probat esse mortalem West from Cyrene â—ll the Kingdomes of Tunnis Tremisen Algier Fesse â—nd a part of Morocco even to the Gibilterre or fretum Herculeâ—m under a generall name now called Barbary and hardly can be distinguished by the barbarous Moores In the time of this our Navigation for Christendome there dyed seventeene of our Mariners and all our foure French Pilgrimes two of them being gray haired and 60 yeares of age which bred no small griefe and feare to us all thinking that they had died of the plague for it was exceeding rife in Alexandria from whence wee came The French men had onely left unspent among them all threescore and nine Chickeens of Gold which the Master of the Ship medled with and because they were Papists and they and I alwayes adverce to other I could not claime it Their dead Corpes were cast over Board in a boundlesse Grave to feed the fishes and wee then expecting too the like mutation of Life So likewise in our passage wee were five sundry times assailed by the Cursares and Pirats of Tunnis and Biserta yet unprevailing for wee were well provided with good Munition and skilfull Martiall and resolute Ragusans and a Gallant ship Our Ships burthen being sixe hundred Tunnes did carry twenty eight peeces of Ordonance two of them brazen and fourescore strong and strenuous Saylers besides nine Merchants and Passengers The greatnesse of our ship did more terrifie the roguish Runnagates then any violent defence wee made for they durst never set on us unlesse they had beene three together and yet we little reregarded them in respect of our long reaching Ordonance and expert gunners in these circumstances of time I remember almost every day wee should see flockes of flying fishes scudding upon the curling waves so long as their finnes be wet which grow from their backe as feathered wings do from Fowles But when they grow drie they are forced to fall downe and wet them agayne and then fly along Their flight will bee the length of a Cables Rope untouching Water and in this their scudding it is thought the Dolphin is in persuing them who is their onely enemy in devouring and feeding upon them whose bignesse and length are like to Mackrels but greater headed and shouldered Meane-while in these our Courses were we seven weeks crossed with Northernly Windes ever Tackling and boarding from the Affricke Coasts to the Carminian shoare in all which time wee saw no Land except the boisterous billows of glassie Neptune And as Ovid said in the like case crossing the Ionian seas Nil nisi pontus et aer viz. Nothing but Waves I view whereships do floate And dangers lye huge Whales do tumbling play Above my head Heavens star-imbroidred coate Whose vault containes two eyes for night and day Far from the Main or any Marine Coast Twixt Borean blasts and billowes we are tost If Ovid in that strait Ionean deep Was tost so hard much more am I on Seas Of larger bounds where staffe and Compasse Keepe Their strict observance yet in this unease Of tackling Boards we so the way make short That still our course drawes neerer to the Port. Between the streame and silver spangled skie Wee rolling climbe then hurling fall beneath Our way is Serpent like in Meeds which lye That bowes the Grasse but never makes no path But fitter like young maides and youthes together
stirred being few or none there free of it The Knights that remaine here as they are of divers Nations so have they diuers manners and inclinations how soever they of the better sort are resolute in their atchievments The Maltezes anciently did adore the Goddesse Iuno whose Temple was superbiously adorned with rich decorements and to which for homage and devotion came all the Inhabitants of the circumjacent Isles bringing rich presents and guifts and they were also honored with the Temple of Hercules the ruines of which appeare to this day Now as for the order of Knight-hood the oath which is made at their receiving the order of St. Iohn or of the Religion of the holy Hospitall of Ierusalem is this I vow and promise to God to the most blessed Virgin Mary the Mother of God and to our glorious Patron St. Iohn the Babtist that by the grace and helpe of Heaven I shall ever be obedient to the superiour that God and this Religion have appointed and from henceforth that I shall live chast forsaking marriage and all other lusts and to be without the proper possession of any thing that may be mine After this the Chappell clarke a Priest of the order receiving him with divers ceremonies taketh a blacke Cloak in his hand and shewing him the white crosse that is fixed thereon demandeth if hee doth not beleeve that to bee the signe of the Crosse whereon Iesus Christ was crucified for our sinnes he confesseth it kissing the Crosse After which his receiver putteth the crosse of the Cloake upon the heart and left side of the new made Knight saying Receive this signe in the name of the trinity the blessed Mother of God the Virgin Mary and of St. Iohn the Baptist for the augmentation of the Catholick faith the defence of the Christian name and service of the poore Also we put this crosse on thy left side to the end that thou maist love it with all thy heart and with thy right hand for to defend it And in fighting against the enemies of Iesus Christ thou shalt happen to flee and leave his holy Signe behind thee thou shalt of good right be depraved of this holy religious order and of our company This done hee knitteth the Gordon of the cloak about him saying Receive the yoke of our Lord that is sweet and light and thou shalt finde rest for thy soule Thus spoke he kisseth the Gordon and so doe all the circumstanding Knights and there are made unto him divers Orations and precepts contained in the Book of their Ordinances They have a Priest-hood too of this same order being Masse-Priests that weare this badge of the white Crosse. Now bidding farewell to Malta and to mine aforesaid Countrey Gentleman William Dowglas I landed the next morning at Sicily in Sicilia being twenty leagues distant And now this being the third time of my traversing this Kingdome triple experience deeper knowledg I begin to give you a perfect description thereof Sicilia was first named Trinacria whose figure is Triquetria for that being triangular it butteth into the sea with three Promontories Capo di coro South Cap di passaro West and Cap di faro East The length of each triangle from point to point being 200 miles Terra tribus scopulis vastum procurrit in aequor Trinacris a positu nomen adepta loci An I le with corners three out-braves the Main From whence the name Trinacry it doth gaine It is now called Sicilia from the Siculi or Sicani who possessed it and hath beene famous in all former ages By Diodorus Siculus it was cognominated the Paragon of Isles By Titus Livius the Garden of Italy It was also anciently called the Grange of the Romans and is never a whit decayed to this day The length of the Island lyeth East and West in cirâ—uit sixe hundred large fifty and in length two hundred forty Italian miles The soyle is incredible fruitfull excelling in all sorts of graine as cornes Wheat Wine Sugar Rice Oyle Salt Allom all kinds of fruit whoâ—esome Hearbs exceeding good Silke exquisite mines of metall and the best Corall in the world is found here beside Trapundy growing under the water greene and tender but when arising above it becommeth red and hard The like whereof is said to bee found in the Red Sea and gulfe of Persia. The most of the Townes and Villages within land are builded on the highest hills and greatest heights in the Countrey the reason is two-fold first it serveth them for strength and a great defence in time of cursary invasions of which divers be so strait in ascending that one man may easily resist and beat downe five hundred The second is because their dwellings being farre above the parching plains these situations are good preservatives for their health where on they have a sweet and cooling ayre which in such a hot climat is the soveraigne salve to prevent sicknesse Their Villages be farre distant some sixe ten fifteene twenty miles one from another in all which grounds there is no sequestrate house unlesse being a high way it bee a Fundaco or Inne About the sides of the hills whereon their Townes stand grow all their Winds and on the Plaines nothing but red wheat which for godnesse is unparralleled and the best bread and a bundance of it in the world is here Sicilia was formerly devided in three Regions to wit the valley of Demonia containing Aetna Catagna Messina and that angle of Cap di faro of old Pelora The other the valley of Neitia containing Syracusa Terra nova and the angle of Cape di Core of old Lilibea and the third was the valley of Matzzara containing Palermo Trapundy Malzara and the angle of Cap di passero of old Pachinum Many thinke that Sicilia was rent from Italy by the violence of waters at the generall Deluge some by infinit Earthquakes and some simply conjecture the cause to have proceeded from combustious Aetna which is meere ridiculous There are divers grounds and valleys in this Isle that abound so in Wheat that the Inhabitants recoile a hundred measures for one and commonly are called the fields of a hundred measures The Sycilians for the most part are bred Orators which made the Apulians tearm them men of three tongues besides they are full of witty sentences pleasant in their rancounters yet among themselves they are full of envie meaning their former kindnesses was unto strangers suspicious and dangerous in conversation being lightly given to anger and offences and ready to take revenge of any injury committed But indeed I must confesse more generously than the Italians who murder their enemies in the night for they appeale other to single combat and that manfully without fraudulent practices They are curious and great lovers of novelties and full of quicknesse and rare inventions in all kind of Sciences great intelligencers and lovers of histories As I found in divers of them who knew the
carried along on the Sergeants armes to the end of a Trance or stone-Gallery where the Pottaro or Racke was placed The Encarnador or Tormentor began to disburden me of my irons which being very hard inbolted he could not Ramâ—verse the Wedges for a long time Whereat the chiefe Justice being offended the malicious Villaine with the Hammer which hee had in his hand stroake away above an inch of my left heele with the Bolt Whereupon I grievously groaning being exceeding faint and without my three ounces of bread and a little water for three dayes together the Alcalde said O Traytor all this is nothing but the earnest of a greater bargaine you have in hand Now the Irons being dissolved and my Torments approaching I fell prostrate on my knees crying to the Heavens O Great and Gracious GOD it is truely knowne to thy allseeing Eye that I am innocent of these falâ—e and fearefull accusations and since therefore it is thy Good will and pleasure that I must suffer now by the scâ—lerate hands of mercilesse men LORD furnish mee with Courage Strength and Patience least by an impatient Minde and feeble Spirit I become my owne Murtherer in Confessing my selfe guilty of Death to shun present punishment And according to the multitude of thy mercies O Lord be mercifull to my sinfull Soule and that for Iesus thy Sonne and my Redeemer his sake After this the Alcalde and Scrivan being both Chaireset the one to examining the other to write downe my Confession and Tortures I was by the Executioner stripped to the skin brought to the rack and then mounted by him on the top of it Where eftsoones I was hung be the pare shâ—ulders with two small cords which went under both my armes running on two rings of iron that were fixed in the Wall above my head Thus being hoysed to the appointed height the Torment or discended below and drawing downe my Legs through the two sides of the three planked Racke hee tyed a Cord about each of my ankles And then ascending upon the racke hee drew the cords upward and bending forward with mainforce my two kneels against the two planks the sinewes of my hams burst asunder and the lids of my knees being crushed and the Cords made fast I hung so demayned for a large houre At last the Encarnador informing the Governour that I had the marke of Ierusalem on my right arme joyned with the name and Crowne of King Iames and done upon the Holy Grave The Corridigor came out of his adjoyning stance and gave direction to teare a sunder the name and Crowne as hee said of that Heretike King an arch-enemy to the Holy Catholike Church Then the tormentor laying the right arme above the left and the Crown upmost did cast a cord over both armes seven distant times And then lying downe upon his backe and setting both his feete on my hollow-pinched belly he charged and drew violently with his hands making my Wombe suppor the force of his feete till the seven severall Cords combind in one place of my arme and cutting the Crowne sinewes and flesh to the bare bones did pull in my fingers close to the palme of my hands the left hand of which is Lame so still and will be for ever Now mine eyes began to startle my mouth to foame and froath and my teeth to chatter like to the doubling of Drummers stickes O strange inhumanity of Men monster manglers I surpassing the limits of their national Law three score Tortures being the tryall of Treason which I had and was to endure yet thus to inflict a seaven-fold surplussage of more intollerable cruelties And notwithstanding of my shivering lips in this fiery passion my vehement groaning and blood springing fonts from armes broake sinewes hammes and knees yea and my depending weight on flesh-cutting Cords yet they stroake me on the face with Cudgels to abate and cease the thundring noise of my wrestling voice At last being loosed from these Pinnacles of paine I was hand-fast set on the floore with this their incessant imploration Confesse confesse confesse in time for thine inevitable torments ensue where finding nothing from me but still innocent O I am innocent O Iesus the Lambe of God have mercy upon mee and strengthen mee with patience to undergo this barbarous murder Then by command of the Justice was my trembling body laid above and along upon the face of the Racke with my head downe-ward inclosed within a circled hole my belly upmost and my heeles upward toward the top of the Racke my legs and armes being drawne asunder were fastned with pinnes and Cords to both sides of the outward plankes for now was I to receive my maine torments Now the Alcalde giving commission the executioner layd first a cord over the calfe of my leg then an other on the middle of my thigh and the third cord over the great of my arme which was severally done on both sides of my body receiving the ends of the cords from these sixe severall places through the holes made in the outward planks which were fastned to pinnes and the pinnes made fast with a device for he was to charge on the outside of the planks with as many pinnes as there were holes and cords the cords being first laid meet to my skin And on every one of these sixe parts of my body I was to receive seven severall tortures each torture consisting of three winding throwes of every pinne which amounted to twenty one throwes in every one of these five parts Then the Tormentor having charged the first passage above my body making fast by a device each torture as they were multiplyed he went to an earthen Iarre standing full of water a little beneath my head from whence carrying a pot full of water in the bottome whereof there was an incised hole which being stâ—pped by his thumb till it came to my mouth he did poure it in my bellie the measure being a Spanish Sombre which is an English Pottle The first and second services I gladly received such was the scorching drouth of my tormenting paine and likewise I had drunke none for three daies before But afterward at the third charge perceiving these measures of water to be inflicted upon me as tortures O strangling tortures I closed my lips againe-standing that eager crudelity Whereat the Alcalde inraged set my teeth asunder with a payre of iron cadges detaining them there at every severall turne both mainely and manually whereupon my hunger clungd belly waxing great grew Drum-like imbolstred for it being a suffocating paine in regard of my head hanging downeward and the water re-ingorging it selfe in my throat with a strugling force it strangled and swallowed up my breath from youling and groâ—nong And now to prevent my renewing griefe for presently my heart faileth and forsaketh me I will onely briefe y avouch that betweene each one of these seven circular charges I was aye re-examined
another Atheisme What mutinies and malice are daily among your Monasteries each enuying an others priviledge anothers preferment anothers welth And yâ—ur order father by all the otâ—er Monasticks is hated and vilâ—pended to death besides diversities of Doctrine between your professors and the Dominicans and hundreds of like disunities you have both in ceremony and order which now J suspend So J pray you father where your uniformity much lesse your universality and worst of all your antiquity Having thus concluded the fiery fac'd Jesuits with boisterous menacings left mee and the eight day thereafter being the last day of their Inquisition they returned againe in a more milder disposition where after divers arguments on both sides the two Jesuites with Teares distilling from their eyes solidly protested they were sorry from their heart for that terrible death J was to undergo and above all the loosing of my Soule And falling down on their knees cryed Convert convert O deare brother for our blessed Ladies sake convert To whom J replyed that neither death nor fire J feared for J was resolved for both yet thinking my selfe unworthy to suffer for Christ and the Gospels sake considering my vilenesse and my owne unworthinesse yet the spirit of God assureth my faith it is his divine pleasure it should be so that J must suffer Wherefore if J should divert trust mee not for J would but dissemble with you through feare flattery or force to shun present death Whereupon they called the Governour and after their privy consulting hee thus spoke Dear brother my greatest desire is to have thee a good Christian a Romane Catholike to which if thy conscience will yeeld I will shew thee as great curtesie as thou hast received cruelty for pitty it were that such an invincible spirit and endued with so many good parts should perish in both worlds forever Pluck up thy heart and let the love of our blessed Lady enter in thy soule Let not thy former sufferings dismay thee for thy â—ores being yet greene and curable I shall transport thee to a fine Chamber and there thou shalt haue all needfull things for the recouery of thy health and strength Thy money and Patents shall he refounded but thy hereticall Bookes are already burned And lastly sayde he I will send thee with my owne seruant to Court Counsell and King with letters from the holy inquisition and from mee faithfully promising thou shalst enioy a Pension of three hundred Duccats a yeare But hauing satisfied his bewitching policy with a Christian constancy they all three left me in a thundering rage vowing I should that night have the first seal of my long sorrowes And directing their course to the Bishop and Inquisitor for the Gouernour had wrested the inquisition vpon mee to free him of his former aspersion layde upon the English Fleet and my tryall therefore converting it all to matters of Religion the Inquisition I say sat forth with where first I was condemned to receiue that night eleuen strangling torments in my dungeon and then after Easter Holy dayes I should be transported priuatly to Grenada and thereabout midnight to be burnt body and bones into ashes and my ashes to be flung into the ayre Well that same night the Scriuan Sergeants and the young English Priest entered my melancholly staunce where the Priest in the English tongue vrging me all that he could though little it was he could doe and vnpreuailing I was disburdened of mine irons vnclothed to my skin set on my knees and held vp fast with their hands where instantly setting my teeth asunder with iron Cadges they filled my belly full of water euen gorgeing to my throate Then with a gâ—rter they bound fast my throat till the white of mine eye turned vpward and being laid on my side I was by two Sergeants tumbled too and fro seuen times through the roome euen til I was almost strangled This done they fastned a small cord about each one of my great toes and hoysing me therewith to the roofe of a high loft for the cords runne on two rings of iron fastned above they cut the garter and there I hung with my head downward in my tormented weight till all the gushing water dissolved This done I was let downe from the loft quite senslesse lying a long time cold dead among their hands whereof the Governour being informed came running vp stayres crying Is he dead O fie villans goe fetch me Wine which they powred in my mouth regayning thereby a slender sparke of breath These strangling torments ended and I reclothed and fast bolted againe they left mee lying on the cold floore praysing my God and singing of a Psalme The next morning the pittifull Turke visiting mee with bread and water brought me also secretly in his shirt-sleeve two handfull of Rasins and figges laying them on the floore amongs the crawling vermine for having no use of armes nor hands I was constrayned by hunger and impotency of time to licke one up with another with my tongue This charity of figs the slave did once every weeke or fortnight or else I had long ere then famished After which sorrowfull distresse and inhumane usage the eye-melting Turke taking displeasure fell five dayes sicke and bed fast but the house Spaniards understanding his disease made him beleeve I was a Divell a Sorcerer a Negromancer and a blasphemous miscreant against their Pope their Lady and their Church giving him such a distast that for thirty dayes he never durst looke me in the face being affraid of witchcraft All this time of his absence one Ellinor the Cooke an Indian Negro-woman attended mee for she being a Christian drudge hâ—d more liberty to visit mee than the slavish Infidell who certainly vnder God prolonged then my languishing life conveighing me for foure weekes space once a day some lesse or more nourishment and in her pocket a bottle glasse of Wine Being no wayes semblable to the soule betraying teares of her Crocodilean sexe which the Spanish proverb prettily avoucheth lâ—s mugeres engannan a los hombres dellas lastimandoles consus lagrimas fingidas dellas halagardoles con Palagras lesongeras to wit women deceived men some of them grieving them with their fayned teares and other fawning on them with flattering words But Kind Ellenor though black by nature borne Made bounty not her beauty to adorne Her new chang'd Pagan life though vail'd by night Of Romish shades to shine on mee more bright Then Sun scorch'd Aethiope beames Art-glancing spangles Or that Aegyptian Bird mans sight intangles With rarest colours for her loving sight Though black as pitch gave me transparent light Food and stolne-food though little yet enough The finer soile the ebber tilles the Plough Second with Wine a mutchkin thrice a weeke Pack'd in her pocket for it might not speake Thus Females have extreames and too we see Eyther too wicked or too good they be For being good no Creature can excell them And being bad
Kingdome who after the Trojan War came and dwelt here and afterward being divided betweene nine pettie Princes it was subdued by Cyrus the first Monarch of the Medes and Persians After the subversion of which Empire this Isle was given to the Ptolomies of Aegypt from whom Cato conquered it to the benefit of the Romans The Dukes of Savoy were once Kings of Cyprus but the Inhabitants usurping their authority elected Kings to themselves of their owne generation and so it continued till the last King of Cyprus Iames the Bastard marrying with the Daughter of a noble Venetian Catherina Cornaro died without children leaving her his absolute heire And she perceiving the factious Nobility too head-strong to be bridled by a female authority like a good child resigned her Crown and Scepter to the Venetian Senate Anno 1473. Whereupon the Venetians imbracing the opportunitie of time brought her home and sent Governours thither to beare sway in their behalfe paying onely as Tribute to the Aegyptian Sultans 40000 Crownes which had been due ever since Melecksala had made Iohn of Cyprus his Tributary It was under their Jurisdiction 120 yeares and more till that the Turkes whoever oppose themselves against Christians finding a fit occasion in time of peace and without suspition in the Venetians took it in with a great Armado Anno 1570 and so till this day by them is detained Oh great pitty that the usurpers of Gods Word and the Worlds great enemy should maintain without eaâ—e that famous Kingdom being but one thousand and â—ifty Turks in all who are the keepers of it unspeakable is the calamitie of that poore afflicted Christian people under the terrour of these Infidels who would if they â—ad Armes or assistance of any Christian Potentate eaâ—ly subvert and abolish the Turkes without any disturbance yea and would render the whole Signiory thereof to such a noble Actor I do not see in that small judgement which by experience I have got but the redemption of that Countrey where most facile if that the generous heart of any Christian Prince would be moved with condigne compassion to relieve the miserable afflicted Inhabitants In which worke hee should reape questionlesse not onely an infinite treasure of Worldly commodities that followeth upon so great a conquest but also a heavenly and eternall reward of immortall glory The which deliverance Ferdinando Duke of Florence thought to have accomplished having purchased the good will of the Islanders with five Gallounes and 5000 Souldiers Who being mindfull to take first in the fortresse of Famogusta directed so their course that in the night they should hate entred the Haven disbarke their men and scale the walles But in this plot they were farre disappointed by an unhappy Pilot of the Vice-admiral who mistaking the Port went into a wrong Bay which the Florentines considering resolved to â—eturne and keepethe sea till the second night but by a dead calme they were frustrated of their aymes and on the morrow discovered by the Castle Whereupon the Turkes went presently to armes charged the Inhabitants to come to defend that place But about foure hundred Greekes in the westpart at Paphus rebelled thinking that time had altered their hard fortunes by a new change but alas they were preuented every one cut off by the bloody hands of the Turks this massacre was committed in the year 1607. Such alwayes are the torturing flames of Fortunes smiles that he who most affecteth her she most and altogether deceiveth But they who trust in the Lord shall be as stable as Mount Sion which cannot be removed and questionlesse one day God in his all eternall mercie will relieve their miseries and in his just iudgments recompence these bloody oppressors with the heavy vengance of his all-seeing Justice In my returne from Nicosia to Famogusta with my Trench-â—an wee encountred by the way with foure Turkes who needs would have my Mule to ride upon which my Interpreter refused But they in a revenge pulled mee by the heels from the Mules backe beating mee most pittifully and left mee almost for dead In this meanewhile my companion fled and escaped the sceleratnesse of their hands and if it had not beene for some compassionable Greeks who by accident came by and relieved me I had doubtlesse immediately perished Here I remember betwene this Isle and Sydon that same Summer there were five galleouns of the Duke of Florence who encountred by chance the Turkes great Armado confisting of 100 gallees 14 galleots and two Galleasses The Admirall of which Ships did single 〈◊〉 her selfe from the rest and offered to fight with the whole Armado alone but the Turkes durst not and in their flying backe the Admirall sunke two of their gallies and had almost seized upon one of their galleasses if it had not beene for 20 Gallies who desperately adventured to tow her away against the wind and so escaped For true it is the naturall Turkes were never skilfull in â—anaging of Sea battells neither are they expert Mariners nor experimented Gunners if it were not for our Christian Runnagates French English and Flemings and they too sublime accurate and desperate fellows who have taught the Turkes the art of navigation and especially the use of munition which they both cast to them then become their chief Cannoneers the Turks would be as weak and ignorant at Sea as the silly Aethiopian is unexpert in handling of Arms on the Land For the private humour of discontented Cast-awayes is always an enemy to publick good who from the society of true Believers are driven to the servitude of Infidels and refusing the bridle of Christian correction they receive the double yoke of despair and condemnation Whose terrour of a guilty conscience or rather blazing brand of their vexed souls in forsaking their Faith and denying Christ to be their Saviour ramverts most of them either over in a torment of melancholy otherwise in the extasie of madnes which indeed is a torturing horrour that is sooner felt then known and cannot be avoided by the rudenesse of Nature but by the saving grace of true felicity From the Fort and Citie Famogusta I imbarked in a Germo and arrived at Tripoly being 88 miles distant where I met with an English Ship called the Royall Exchange of London lying there at Anchor in the dangerous Road of Tripoly whose loves I cannot easily forget for at my last good night being after great cheare and greaâ—er carousing they gave mee the thundring farewell of three peeces of Ordnance Tripoly is a City in Syria standing a mile from the Marine side neer to the foot of Mount Libanus since it hath beene first founded it hath three times beene situated and removed in three sundry places First it was overwhelmed with water Secondly it was sacked with Cursares and Pirates Thirdly it is like now to be overthrowne with new made Mountaines of sand There is no Haven by many miles neare unto it but a
dangerous Road where often when Northerly windes blow Ships are cast away The great Traffick which now is at this place was formerly at Scanderona or Alexandretta a little more Eastward but by reason of the infectious aire that corrupted the bloud of strangers proceeding of two high Mountains who are supposed to be a part of Mount Caucasus which with-hold the prospect of the Sunne from the Indwellers more then three houres in the morning So that in my knowledge I have knowne die in â—ne Ship in a moneths time twenty Mariners for this cause the Christian Ships were glad to have their Commodities brought to Tripoly which is a more wholsome and convenient place The daily interrogation I had here for a Carravans departure to Aleppo was not to me a little fastidious being mindfull to visit Babylon In this my expectation I took purpose with three Venetian Merchants to goe see the Cedars of Libanon which was but a dayes journey thither As wee ascended upon the Mountaine our ignorant Guide mistaking the way brought us in a Labyrinth of dangers insomuch that wrestling amongst intricate paths of Rocks two of our Asses fell over a banke and broke their necks And if it had not been for a Christian Amaronite who accidently encountred with us in our wilesome wandring we had been miserably lost both in regard of Rocks and heaps of snow we passed and also of great Torrents which fell down with force from the steepy tops wherein one of these Merchants was twice almost drowned When wee arrived to the place where the Cedars grew we saw but twenty foure of all growing after the manner of Oke-trees but a great deal taller straighter and greater and the branches grow so straight and interlocking as though they were kept by Art And yet from the Root to the top they beare no boughes but grow straight upwards like to a Palme-tree â— who as may-poles invelope the ayre so their circle spred tops do kisse or embrace the lower cloudes making their grandure over-look the highest bodies of all other aspiring trees and like Monarchall Lions to wild beasts they become the chiefe Champions of Forrests and Woods Although that in the dayes of Salomon this mountaine was over-clad with Forrests of Cedars yet now there are but onely these and nine miles Westward thence seventeene more The nature of that tree is alwayes greene yeelding an odoriferous smell and an excellent kind of fruite like unto Apples but of a sweter taste and more wholesome in digestion The Rootes of some of these Cedars are almost destroyed by Shepheards who have made fires thereat and holes wherein they sleepe yet neverthelesse they flourish greene above in the tops and branches The length of this mountaine is about forty miles reaching from the West to the East and continually Summer and Winter reserveth Snow on the tops It is also beautified with all the ornaments of nature as Herbage Tillage Pastorage Fructiferous Trees fine Fountaines good Cornes and absolutely the best Wine that is bred on the earth The Signior thereof is a Free-holder by birth a Turke and will not acknowledge any superiour being the youngest sonne of the Emeere or Prince of Sydon who when his Father revolted against Achmet and not being able to make his owne pari good fled into Italy to the Duke of Florence And notwithstanding that the elder brother yeelded up Sydon and became a pardond subject to the great Turke yet this the other brother would neuer yeeld nor surrender himselfe the Fort nor the Signiory of Libanus The old Prince his father after two yeares exile was restored againe to his Emperours favour with whom in my second Trâ—â—els both at Ligorne and Messina in Sicilie I rancountred whence the Duke of Sona that Kingdomes Viceroy caused transport him on a stately ship for the Levant to Sidon The Sidonians or Drusians were first of all French men who after their expulsion from Ierusalem fled hither to the borders of Zebulon and Nephtalim now called Phâ—nicia as I shall make more cleer afterwards The most part of the inhabited Villages are Christians called Amaronites or Nostranes quasi Nazaritans and are governed by their own Patriarch There are none at this day do speake the Syriack Tongue save onely these people of Mount Lybanus and in that language the Alcoran of Mahomet is written The kinde Amaronite whom wee met and tooke with us for our best guide in descending from the Cedars shewed us many Caves and Holes in Rocks where Coliers religious Syriens and Amaronites abide amongâ—t these austere Cottages I saw a faire Tombe all of one stone being seventeen foot of length which as he said was the Sepulchre of the valiant Ioshâ—ua who conducted the people of Israel to the land of Promise The Mahometans esteeme this to be a holy place and many resort to it in Pilgrimage to offer up their Satanical prayers to Mahomet I saw upon this Mountaine a sort of fruit called Amazza Franchi that is The death of Christians because when Italians and others of Europe eat any quantity thereof they presently fall into the bloudy flux or else ingender some other pestilentious Fever whereof they die The Patriarch did most kindly entertaine us at his house so did also all the Amaronites of the other Villages who met us in our way before we came to their Townes and brought presents with them of Bread Wine Figges Olives Sallets Capons Egges and such like as they could on a sudden provide This Bishop or Patriarchs house is ioyned with and hembd in within the face of an high Rock that serveth for three sides therof the fore and fourth part being onely of Mason-worke Neare unto which falleth precipitatly a great Torrent over the saffinous banke that maketh a greivous noyse night and day which as I told him me thought it should turne the Bishop Surdo or starke deafe But the homely and simple man not puft with ambition and glorious apparrell like to our proud Prelats of Christendome told me that continuall custome brought him to dispose upon the day and sleepe better in the night because of the sounding waters Where reposing with him one night my Muse the next morning saluted Libanus with these lines Long and large Mount whose rich 〈◊〉 mantle see Affords three colours to my wandring eye The first are Corns in their expectant view Fair Barley Rye and Wheat O hopefull hew That quickneth the prest plough and for to eat It makes new toyle begin again to sweat The second sight are Wines the best on earth And most delicious in their pleasant birth They 're Phisicall and good t' expell all sorts Of burning Feaâ—ers in their violent torts Which Senators of Venice drinke for health There 's nought so rare but is attaind by wealth The third is amiable O verdure greene For pastorage the best that can be seene Drawn nigh the tops where fire-worn Cedars grow And here or there some cooling spots