Selected quad for the lemma: water_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
water_n	drink_v	honey_n	wine_n	9,133	5	9.1359	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30860	The late travels of S. Giacomo Baratti, an Italian gentleman, into the remote countries of the Abissins, or of Ethiopia interior wherein you shall find an exact account of the laws, government, religion, discipline, customs, &c. of the Christian people that do inhabit there with many observations which some may improve to the advantage and increase of Trade with them : together with a confirmation of this relation drawn from the writings of Damianus de Goes and Jo. Scaliger, who agree with the author in many particulars / translated by G.D.	Baratti, Giacomo.; G. D.; Góis, Damião de, 1502-1574.; Scaliger, Joseph Juste, 1540-1609.	1670 (1670)	Wing B677; ESTC R11736	63,785	282

the Land or to displease their Soveraign Lord. The Territorie round about is very barren and the place extream cold most part of the year whether it be the nature of the Soil or the elevation of the Mountain into the second Region of the Air none could tell me but here these Persons of Quality are famished to death imprisoned and put to suffer several other sorts of puments according to the pleasure of the Neguz This place is very convenient for that purpose for the Friends and Acquaintance of the offenders cannot come to learn the miseries that they endure nor the cruelties that they suffer which if they did know might oblige them to a revenge or ill will against their Emperours Of several Customs of the Abyssins THe Emperour and people have so great a respect for the Churches that they never ride by them upon their Horses as soon as they come within a hundred paces they alight and walk a foot bowing at the publick places of their Devotion in honour of that great God that hath named them his Houses of Prayer as they pass by When the Emperour makes any progress far from the usual place of Residence certain Religious men do carry before him upon their shoulders a banner with some pious representation in it with an Altar or Table of Stone upon which they use to Celebeate their Communion before them marcheth a fellow with a Censer in one hand and a little Bell in the other at the sound of it the horsemen come down the people stand by and all do prepare themselves to let their Prince pass They never use to send their thoughts one to another in writing but by messengers either out of ignorance or superstition for they fancy the use of writing so sacred that they will not profane it in ordinary business because God hath been pleased to commit his Holy Word in writing yet of late seeing the inconveniencies their scrupulous fancies have reduced them to they have made use of writing in several occasions as in Registring the Affairs of the Kingdoms in setting down the expences disbursements and Receits of the Emperours Revenues c. But the characters are distinct from those of the Bible or of their Sacred Books And when the Emperour sends an Embassadour he then dispatches with him some Credential Letters They are not to make Wine but by stealth none but the Abuna and the King may cause the Grapes to be strained for they are afraid that if Wine did grow common it would introduce much debauchery and many disorders which could not find a remedy They do not forbid it out of superstition as the Turks but for some politick considerations that Wine may not grow so common amongst them that they might neglect the other drinks which encourage Husbandry for they use a sort of drink made of a leaf which they sow it is of a pleasant taste much like unto old Mede a drink made of Honey They drink also water steeped with Barley other Grains The Emperour and the Abuna have liberty to drink and make Wine by their Laws All the Wine of this Country is very black but a great Cordial it burns not so much the stomach as others do in hot places but cherisheth and refresheth the body The towns in this Country are not numerous in Houses they seldom contain above 2000. I never ●aw a walled City some Castles of late have been built for pleasure rather than for defence Their houses are but mean and low covered with a thick thatch their beds are Hides tied up at the four corners They eat upon couches with a little round and low table placed before them that supports a large dish they have some Vessels made of earth of a shining black very beautiful these are their cups to drink of late they have the use of Gold and Silver in their houses They have several sorts of weapons short Lances Swords Bows and Arrows without Feathers Helmets and Head-pieces they have got some field Guns purchased from Merchants at an extraordinary rate to encourage them to import more The Abyssins are natural lyars and deceivers they seldom speak truth when they swear unless they be brought to take a solemn Oath or be forced to swear by the Head of their Neguz or be scared with the thoughts of Excommunication for they apprehend that above all corporal punishments This is their manner of administring an Oath the party that is to swear follows two Priests to the Church-door they carry before him Fire and Incense as soon as the party comes the Priests cause him to lay his hand on the door saying unto him these words If thou swear an untruth as the Dragon devoureth the beasts of the Forrest so let the infernal Devils devour thee as the Grapes are bruised in the Wine-press so let them bruise thy body and as the fire consumeth the wood so let thy soul for ever burn in hell The party that sweareth answers to every one of these imprecations Amen But if thou speak the truth let thy life be prolonged with honour and thy soul at last be received into heaven and again he answereth Amen which being ended he tells what he knows of the business required from him They have not the liberty to kill an Ox without the Governours leave although it belong to them for they are careful to preserve Cattel in that place from the excess of Luxury here are no shambles therefore in the towns as in Europe their ordinary victuals are Mutton Herbs Fruit Fowl wild Beasts and such like The wild Goats do increase here in such a manner especially near the Mountains that they eat up all the Corn and Grass other wild things are here in great numbers they do not therefore suffer their tame Cattel to be destroyed whiles they have so many wild that they threaten the Fruits of the earth with destruction to encourage the hunting of them they forbid the ordinary use of Beef This Inland people is naturally of a lazy disposition they have therefore many Laws to quicken them and oblige them to labour and provide for their own preservation As the not killing of their Oxen without License the refusing alms to beggars they are not to suffer any in the Kingdoms of the Neguz that will not work unless they be so sick and maimed that they are not able to help themselves then the Religious houses do administer comfort to them for they are endowed for that purpose with many Lands and Reversions The Abyssins are very devou● in all holy duties in holy places they pay unto them a great respect they 'l neither spit nor sit down in their Churches nor suffer any Dogs nor Cats nor any other unreasonable creature to enter into them but instead of seats they use Crutches very conveniently made to lean upon At the Church door there stands a multitude of them every one takes his own and draws as near the Preacher as possible he can They

called Mazamo is the most considerable because of its pleasant scituation that hath invited thither many Religious men that have planted upon the sides of it six Monasteries It lyes convenient for trade for near unto it is the Red sea from whence these holy Anachorets do fetch their Merchandise to convey them to the rest of the Kingdom and because they border upon the Moors they pay unto them a yearly tribute to have the liberty of passing through their territories unmolested by their means the Kingdom receives a considerable benefit they have great numbers of Mules Asses Camels Rhinocerots Elephants especially in the Mountains where these creatures are wild There is one thing very remarkable in the mountains near a little town called Abbarah is a large fountain of such strange nature that whatsoever is cast into it turns within a days time into a hard stone whether it be Wood Flesh Earth or any other substance And not far from it at certain times amongst the common people it is reported that there are appearances in the mountains very dreadful when I passed by that place my curiosity carryed me to it I did really hear strange voices and names in the air but saw nothing but I did attribute the cause to the wind and the disposition of the mountains that are so placed that when a strong gale blows upon the Rocks there are unusual names heard the wind strikes also through several Caves and at the entry many shreiks and crys are heard so that the Country people dare not adventure in to know the cause of them The vulgar opinion is that this place leads into hell and that the Souls of the damned tormented in these lower-parts of the earth do send up here their complaints I did visit these Caves near them none would come with me for fear of mischief I perceived the cause of the wonder and did discover it to some of the Fryers but their igrance and superstition would never believe me from their infancy they had been bred up with an apprehension of these dark Caves which no reason could possibly remove from them I went to see all the curiosities of this Country with my guard being accompanyed by some Persons belonging to the Emperours Court they led me into a deep valley where we heard nine Eccho's or returns of our voices one after another At the end of it near a large fountain the ground being very stony we found several slates very white that had Images of Beasts and men imprinted in them in a blew character so perfectly that no hand could ever paint them better Nature sometimes delights to shew her Industry or Art amongst the most contemptible trifles and to cast her Gold and Pearls in vessels and places not answerable to the price of these things The Prince of this Kingdom received us with much civility but not with more State than is proper to such remote and barbarous people The Abuna made his progress all over his Diocese he visited the Court of this King amongst the rest and in his company I went to see much of Ethiopia he had a traine suitable to his estate several of the Grandees out of curiosity did accompany us His business was in every place to see to the behaviour of the Clergy to appoint Bishops careful of the Publick Interest and to look that they that were already appointed might do their office without respect of persons He displaced three during our progress and establish'd others in whom he confided they were the Bishops of Balgada of Abuguna and Fungi men that had not behaved themselves well in their function Of the Kingdom of Tigremahon IT is the best territory of Neguz but much ruined by the Wars of the Turk it is watered with many little Rivers that run into Nilus so that all the Summer it yields a pleasant Prospect and as great advantage to the Inhabitants for in most places they reap two Crops of every thing that is sown or planted It contains about sixty leagues in length from the River Nilus to Darngali and thirty in breadth The Emperour lives here for the most part and therefore he appoints Governours over several places of it Three Provinces it contains Sabami Torrates Balgada In that of Sabami are several Mines of Gold out of which the Neguz digs five Millions of Dollars every year over this Province is a Sebesh a Governour that takes care to gather the Emperours Revenue and to keep good order in every place It is not so fruitful as the other Provinces but in recompence it furnishes a great quantity of that Rich Metal that others do want This place is said to be the country of the Queen of Saba that visited Solomon the Abyssins do tell many stories of her Voyage to Jerusalem and of her return that caused all the Kingdoms that acknowledged her jurisdiction to become Jews In this Kingdom was a famous City called Caxumo it was the Metropolis of all Ethiopia but it hath been mightily ruined by the Wars so that at present it shews but a few houses that serve to receive Shepheards and Graziers for here is abundance of Cattel of all sorts round about stand many old Ruines over-grown with herbs but yet they declare the importance and greatness of the City that did give Laws to this part of the Country although it is so near the line the air is very temperate not so much by reason of the continual brises that blow very fresh from three a clock till the afternoon as because of the abundance of fresh water Springs that are very cold in the hottest time of Summer Near this City is a fountain that contains much water but never yields any until the Beasts do come to drink and when they do approach it flows over and gives a very plentiful stream of clear water very grateful to the Palate We had here a sight of a strange sort of a Cat about the bigness of a Leopard the Inhabitants do use the dung in many sort of medicines and to dye their Cloath and Cottons in blew It is not so fierce as other beasts of that bigness but extream fearful it keeps for the most part in inaccessible mountains and Rocks and seldom adventures it self in the plain Country although it runs as swift as any creature I have seen Here are also great quantity of Rhinocerots Tygers Leopards Wolfs c. for here are many Woods that serve for a retreat to these furious kinds of creatures I must not omit a memorable story that is spread amongst the people of a certain hill that is scituate between Dongali and Tigremahon where a Saint very much respected by the Country people was shut up in prison and condemned by the Pagans that possessed this place to die in the beginning of Christianity He was to be famished to death in a high mountain on the top of a rock unto which he was ty'd hand and foot he continued there many days exposed to the