it was the next day after the Azyma or Feast day But the Samaritans reckoned the second after the Sabbath and so in all that space of fiftie dayes kept the first day of the weeke that is Sunday holy Thus they kept seuen Pentecosts in a yeere And perhaps he but coniectureth as they had these imaginarie Pentecosts so they might at other times of the yeere haue such imaginarie solemnities of other Feasts From that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the second day and next to the Feast of vnleauened bread the Sabbaths saith Scaliger in the same place were called in order the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the second Sabbath after that day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so the rest and thus hee expoundeth those words of Luke cap. 6. v. 1. Secundo primum Sabbatum that is the first Sabbath after that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or first day of the fiftie which beganne to be reckoned the next day after Easter till Pentecost A place hitherto very obscure Epiphanius doth number for Samaritan Sects The Essens of which is before shewed that they were Iewes and otherwise hereticall and Idolatrous in respect of their morning deuotions to the Sun for which it seemeth they might not certaine they did not communicate with other Iewes in the Temple and Sacrifices These pertaine not to this place as not Samaritans A fourth Samaritan Sect he accounteth the Gortheni which differed from the rest at least from the Sebuians in keeping their solemnities Paschal Pentecost and of Tabernacles at the Iewish times and obserued but one day holy as likewise the fasting day The Iewes still obserue the Sabbaticall yeere and so do the Samaritans also but not at the same time for that which is the fourth of the seuen with the Iewes is the Sabbaticall of the Samaritans CHAP. X. The miserable destruction and dispersion of the Iewes from the time of the desolation of their Citie and Temple to this day §. I. Of the Destruction of the Iewes vnder TITVS THE curse threatned vnto this superstitious and Rebellious Nation madnesse blindnesse astonishment of heart to grope at noone-daies as the blinde gropeth in darkenesse to be a wonder a prouerbe and a common talke among all people among which they should be scattered from one end of the World to the other is this day fulfilled in our eyes both in respect of their Politie and Religion GODS iust iudgement sealing that their owne imprecation His blood be on vs and on our children and pursuing them in all places of their dispersion through the reuolutions of so many ages Odious are they not to the Christians alone but to the Heathen people that know not GOD nor will the Turke receiue a Iew into the fellowship of their Mahumetane superstition except he hath passed first from his Iudaisme through the purgation of a Christian profession vnto that their no lesse ridiculous and miserable deuotion God they please not saith Paul and are contrarie vnto all men This their wretchednesse although it seemed to beginne when Herod a stranger seized their state yet was that infinitely more then recompenced when their Messiah so long before prophecied and expected came among his owne but his owne receiued him not yea they crucified the Lord of Glorie But euen then also did not the long-suffering GOD reiect them Christ prayed for them the Apostles preached to them remission of this and all their sinnes till that as Paul chargeth them they putting these things from them and iudging themselues vnworthie of eternall life GOD remoued this golden Candlestick from amongst them to the Gentiles and let out his Vineyard to other husband-men Famine sword and pestilence at once assayled them And what shall not assayle what will not preuaile against the enemies of GOD Ierusalem sometimes the glorie of the Earth the type of Heauen The Citie of the great King and Mother-citie of the Iewish kingdome from this incomparable height receiued as irrecouerable a fall besieged and sacked by Titus and yet more violently tortured with inward convulsions and ciuill gripes then by outward disease or forraine hostilitie Iosephus and Iosippus haue handled the same at large both which can acquaint the English Reader with the particulars Besides many thousands by Vespasian and the Romans slaine in other places of Iudaea Ierusalem the holy Citie was made a prison slaughter-house and graue of her owne people First had diuine mercie by Oracle remoued the Christians to Pella out of the danger that without any impediment the floud-gates of vengeance might be set wide open for Desolations black-guard to enter Here might you see the strong walls shaking and falling with the pushes of the yron Ramme there the Romans bathing their swords in Iewish entrales here the seditious Captaines disagreeing in mutuall quarrels written in blood there agreeing in robbing and burning the Citie and in slaughter of the Citizens here hunger painted with pale colours in the gastly countenances of the starued inhabitants there dyed in red with the blood of their dearest children which the tyrannie of famine forceth to re-enter into the tendrest-hearted mothers wombe sometime the place of Conception now of buriall Euery where the Eye is entertained with differing spectacles of diuersified Deaths the Eare with cries of the insulting Souldier of the famished children of men and women euen now feeling the tormenting or murthering hand of the seditious the Sent receiueth infectious plague and contagion from those humane bodies with inhumanitie butchered whom no humanitie buried the Taste is left a meere and idle facultie saue that it alway tasteth the more distastfull poyson of not-tasting and emptinesse what then did they feele or what did they not feele where all senses seemed to bee reserued that they might haue sense of punishment Where all outward inward publike priuate bodily ghostly plagues were so ready executioners of the Diuine sentence The continuall sacrifice first ceased for want of Priests of the last course to whom in order it had descended after for want of a Temple before polluted with Ethnick sacrifices and murthers of the Priests and Souldiers and lastly ruined the sacred vessels thereof being carried to Rome for ornaments of the Temple of Peace which Vespasian had there erected Eleuen hundred thousands are numbred of them which perished in this destruction The remnant that escaped the Roman Sword for the most part perished after in Warres or killed themselues or were reserued eyther for solemnitie of triumph or if they were vnder seuenteene yeeres of age sold vnto perpetuall slauerie ninetie seuen thousand of these Iewish slaues were numbred Galatinus accounteth two hundred thousand And that the hand of GOD might be the more manifest they which at their Passe-ouer feast had crucified the Sonne of GOD are at the same time gathered together in Ierusalem as to a common prison-house of that whole Nation and they which had bought Christ of the Traytor Iudas for
day of the same Maldonatus for the Feast day of Pentecost which was the second of the chiefe Feasts But Ioseph Scaliger saith That the second day of the Feast was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being the sixteenth day of the Moneth called Manipulus frugum and the Sabbaths which fell betwixt that and Pentecost receiued their denomination in order from the same Secundo-primum Secundo-secundum c. And hence doth Luke call that first Sabbath which fell after that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or second day of the Feast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of this we shall haue occasion to say more when we come to the Samaritans The name Sabbath is also taken for the whole weeke But I list not to stand on the diuers significations of the Word Iosephus and Plinie tell of a Riuer in Syria in the kingdome of Agrippa called Sabbaticus which on other daies ran full and swift on the Sabbath rested from his course Petrus Galatinus alledgeth the ceasing of the Sabbaticall streame for an argument of the abrogation of the Iewish Sabbath The Iewes were superstitiously strict in the obseruation of their Sabbath Ptolomey without resistance captiuating their Citie and themselues by this aduantage as did Pompey afterwards And in the dayes of Matathias father of Iudas Maccabeus a thousand were murthered without resistance till that by him they were better aduised Which appeared by the Pharises that cauelled at the plucking and rubbing of a few eares of Corne by the hungrie Disciples and at their Master for healing on that day though by his Word which their superstition the Iew that fell into a Priuie at Maidenbourg An. 1270. on his Sabbath and another at Tewksburie 1220. and were the one by the Bishop of the place the other by the Earle of Glocester constrained to abide the Christian Sabbath whence on their owne they would not be freed testified to the world by a stinking penance and the later leauing also his stinking superstitious soule behinde to seale his deuotion They added of their owne fasting that day till noone their Sabbath daies iourney which was saith Saint Ierome by the institution of Barachibas Simeon and Hellis Rabbines not aboue two thousand paces or two miles Thus did this holy ordinance which GOD had instituted for the refreshing of their bodies the instruction of their Soules and as a type of eternall happines vanish into a smoky superstition amongst them The Sacrifices and accustomed rites of the Sabbath are mentioned Num. 28 Leu. 23. 24. Where we may reade that the daily burnt-offering and meate-offering and drinke-offering were doubled on the Sabbath and the Shew-bread renued c. The sanctification of daies and times being a token of that thankefulnesse and a part of that publike honor which we owe vnto GOD he did not onely enioyne by way of perpetuall homage the sanctification of one day in seuen which GODS immutable Law doth exact for euer but did require also some other part of time with as strict exaction but for lesse continuance besides accepting that which being left arbitrarie to the Church was by it consecrated voluntarily vnto like religious vses Of the first of these the Sabbath we haue spoken of the Mosaicall Feasts the New-Moones are next to be considered The institution hereof we reade Numb 28. and the solemne Sacrifice therein appointed so to glorifie GOD the Author of Time and Light which the darkened conceites of the Heathens ascribed to the Planets and bodies Coelestiall calling the Moneths by their names Besides their Sacrifices they banquetted on this day as appeareth by Dauid and Saul where the day after was festiuall also eyther so to spend the surplusage of the former daies sumptuous Sacrifice or for a further pretext of Religion and Zeale as Martyr hath noted Sigonias maketh these New-Moone daies to bee profestos that is such wherein they might labor the Sacrificing times excepted but those couetous penny-fathers seeme of another minde When say they will the New-moone be gone that we may sell Corne and the Sabbath that we may sell Wheate And Esay 1. the Sabbaths and New-moones are reckoned together Their PASSEOVER called of them Pasach so called of the Angels passing ouer the Israelites in the common destruction of the Aegyptian first-borne For Pasach the Grecians as some note vse Pascha of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to suffer fitly in regard of the body of that shadow Christ himselfe who was our Paschal Lambe in his suffering sacrificed for vs The institution of this Feast is set downe Exod. 12. as Hospinian hath noted in the yeere after the creation of the world 2447. after the stoud 791. after the promise made to Abram 430. It was celebrated from the fifteenth to the one and twenty day of the moneth Abib or Nisan those two daies being more specially sanctified with a holy Conuocation and abstinence from worke except the dressing of their meate the other being obserued with vnleauened bread and the foureteenth day being the Parasceue or preparation in the euening of which foureteenth day as some men hold opinion after Sun-set in the twy-light others in the fourth houre or fourth part of the day as containing three houres space before the going downe of the Sun the Paschal Lambe was slaine about which time the ninth houre Christ the true Pascha yeelded vp the ghost hauing eaten the Passeouer on the night before which was the true time and was then altred by the Iewes which corruption continued to the destruction of their Temple Christ suffered saith Scaliger on the third of Aprill the fourth yeere compleate after his Baptisme From which ninth houre the Iewes began their Vespera or Euening and therefore it was inioyned them inter duas Vesperas to kill the Passeouer In these Vespers as also in the Eeuen of euery Feast and Sabbath after the euening Sacrifice they which do any worke saith the Iewish Canon shall neuer see good signe of a blessing which was the cause that they hastened so much the death of the theeues which were crucified with Christ This Lambe or Kidde was chosen a male of a yeere old the tenth day of the Moone which they kept till the foureteenth day tyed after their traditions to the foote of some bench or fourme so to minister occasion to their children of questioning about it to themselues of Preparation and Meditation and to espie in this meane while if any default were in the Lambe It was first a priuate Sacrifice to be performed in euery house after in that place onely where the Tabernacle or Temple was they were dispersed by companies according to Iosephus not fewer then tenne sometime twentie in a companie with Christ there were thirteene and of these sacrifices and companies in time of Cestius were numbred two hundred fiftie six thousand and fiue hundred so that reckoning the least number there were ten times so many
all Aduersities were the effects of sinne for remedie whereof they vsed Sacrifices Moreouer they confessed themselues verbally almost in all Prouinces and had Confessors appointed by their Superiours to that end with some reseruation of Cases for the Superiours They receiued Penance and that sometimes very sharply when they had nothing to giue the Confessor This office of Confessor was likewise exercised by women The manner of the Ychuyri was most generall in the Prouinces of Collasuio They discouered by lots or by the view of some beasts if any thing were concealed and punished them with many blowes of a stone vpon the shoulders vntill they had reuealed all after that they enioyned them Penance and did sacrifice They likwise vsed Confession when their Children Wiues Husbands or Caciques were sicke or in any great exploit When the Ingua was sicke all the Prouinces confessed themselues chiefly those of Collao The Confessors were bound to hold their Confessions secret but in certaine cases limited The sinnes which they chiefly confessed were killing one another out of warre stealing to take another mans Wife to giue poyson or Sorcery to doe any harme to be forgetfull in the reuerence of their Guacas not to obserue Feasts to speake ill of or to disobey the Ingua They accused not themselues of secret sinnes The Ingua confessed himselfe to no man but to the Sunne that hee might tell them to Viracocha of him to obtayne forgiuenesse which done hee made a certaine Bath to clense himselfe in a running Riuer saying I haue told my sinnes to the Sunne receiue them then Riuer and carrie them to the Sea where they may neuer appeare more Other that confessed vsed likewise those Baths When any mans children dyed hee was holden for a grieuous Sinner saying that it was for their sinnes that the Sonne dyed before the Father Such therefore after they were confessed were bathed in the said Bath and then came a deformed person to whip them with certaine Nettles If the Sorcerers or Inchanters by their lots or diuinations affirmed that any sick bodie should dye the sicke man makes no difficultie to kill his owne Sonne though he had no other hoping by that meanes to escape death saying that in his place he offered his Sonne in Sacrifice The Penances enioyned them in Confessions were to fast to giue apparell Gold or Siluer to remayne in the Mountaynes and to receiue many stripes vpon the shoulders §. III. Of their Sacrifices THe Sacrifices of the Indians may be reduced into three kinds of insensible things of Beasts of Men. Of the first sort were their Sacrifices of Coca an Herbe of much esteeme of Mayz Feathers Gold and Siluer in figures of little Beasts or in the forme of that which hee sought for also of sweet Wood and diuers other things whereby their Temples became so rich They made these Offrings to obtayne a good winde health faire weather and the like Of the second sort of Sacrifices were their Cuyes which are like Rabbets and for rich men in matters of importance Pacos the great Camel-fashioned sheepe with curious obseruation of the numbers colours and times The manner of killing their Sacrifices is the same which the Moores now vse hanging the beast by the right fore-legge turning his eyes toward the Sunne speaking certayne words according to the qualitie of the Sacrifice For if it were coloured they directed their words to the Thunder that they might want no water if white to the Sunne that he might shine on them if gray to Viracocha In Cusco they did euery yeere kill and sacrifice with this solemnitie a shorne sheepe to the Sunne and did burne it clad in a red Wastecoate casting small baskets of Coca into the fire They sacrificed also small Birds on this manner they kindled a fire of Thornes and cast the small Birds in certaine Officers going about with round stones wherein were carued or painted Snakes Lions Toads Tigres and saying Vsachum that is Let the victory bee giuen vs with other words They drew forth certaine blacke sheepe called Vrca which had beene kept certaine dayes without meate and therefore vsed these words So let the hearts of our Enemies bee weakened as these Beasts And if they found that a certaine piece of flesh behind the heart were not consumed by fasting they tooke it for a bad signe They sacrificed also blacke Dogges which they slue and cast into a Plaine with certayne Ceremonies causing some kind of men to eate the flesh which they did lest the Ingua should bee hurt with Poyson And for this cause they fasted from morning till the Starres were vp and then glutted themselues This was fitting to withstand their Enemies Gods They offered shels of the Sea to the Fountaines saying that the shels were the Daughters of the Sea the Mother of all waters These shels they vsed in manner in all Sacrifices They offered Sacrifice of whatsoeuer they did sowe or rayse vp There were Indians appointed to doe these Sacrifices to the Fountaynes Springs and Riuers which passed through their Townes or by their Farmes that they might not cease running but alwayes water their grounds Gomara saith that their Priests married not went little abroad fasted much although no fast lasted aboue eight dayes and that was in their Seed-time and in Haruest and in gathering of Gold and making Warre and talking with the Deuill yea some of them I thinke for feare because they are blind-folded when they speake with him put out their eyes they enter into the Temples weeping and lamenting which the word Guaca signifieth They touch not their Idols with their hands without cleane and white Linnen they bury in the Temples the Offerings of Gold and Siluer in their Sacrifices they cry aloud and were neuer quiet all that day nor night they anointed with bloud the faces of their Idols and doores of their Temples they sprinkle also their Sepulchres The Sorcerers did coniure to know what time the Sacrifices should be made which being ended they did gather of the contribution of the people what should be sacrificed and deliuered them to such as had charge of the Sacrifices In the beginning of Winter at such time as the waters increased by the moysture of the weather they were diligent in sacrificing to the Fountaynes and Riuers which ranne by their Cities and Farmes They did not sacrifice to the Fountaines and Springs of the Desarts And euen to this day continueth this their respect to these Springs and Riuers They haue a speciall care to the meeting of two Riuers and there they wash themselues for their health first anointing themselues with the flowre of Mayz or some other things adding thereto diuers Ceremonies which they doe likewise in their Baths Their third kind of Sacrifices was the most vnkind and vnnaturall namely of Men. Wee haue shewed before of their Butcheries at the Burials of their great Lord Besides this they vsed in Peru to sacrifice yong Children from
their transitiue and forren effects are stinted and limitted to the modell and state of the Creature wherein the same effects are wrought Such an immanent worke we conceiue and name that Decree of GOD touching the Creation of the World with his prouident disposing all and euery part thereof according to the Counsel of his own will and especially touching the reasonable creatures Angels and Men in respect of their eternall state in Saluation or Damnation The outward works of GOD are in regard of Nature Creation and Prouidence in regard of Grace Redemption and Saluation in the fulnesse of time performed by our Emanuel GOD manifested in the flesh true GOD and perfect Man in the Vnitie of one Person without confusion conuersion or separation This is verie GOD and life eternall IESVS CHRIST the Sonne of GOD our Lord which was conceiued by the HOLY GHOST borne of the Virgin MARY suffered vnder Pontius Pilate who was crucified dead and buried descended into Hell rose againe the third day he ascended into Heauen where he sitteth at the right hand of GOD the Father Almightie from whence he shall come to iudge the quicke and dead And to such as are sonnes GOD doth also send the Spirit of his Sonne to renue and sanctifie them as children of the Father members of the Sonne Temples of the Spirit that they euen all the Elect may be one holy Catholike Church enioying the vnspeakeable priuiledges and heauenly prerogatiues of the Communion of Saints the Forgiuenesse of Sinnes the Resurrection of the Body and Euerlasting Life Euen so come LORD IESVS CHAP. II. Of the creation of the World THey which would without danger behold the Eclipse of the Sunne vse not to fixe their eyes directly vpon that bright eye of the World although by this case darkned but in water behold the same with more case and lesse perill How much fitter is it likewise for our tender eyes in beholding the light of that Light The Father of lights in whom is no darknesse to diuert our eyes from that brightnesse of glory and behold him as wee can in his workes The first of which in execution was the creation of the World plainly described by Moses in the booke of Genesis both for the Author matter manner and other circumstances Reason it selfe thus farre subscribing as appeareth in her Schollers the most of the Heathens and Philosophers in all ages That this World was made by a greater then the World In prouing this or illustrating the other a large field of discourse might be ministred neither doe I know any thing wherein a man may more improue the reuenewes of his learning or make greater shew with a little decking and pruning himselfe like Aesops Iay or Horace his Chough with borrowed feathers than in this matter of the Creation written of after their manner by so many Iewes Ethnickes Heretikes and Orthodoxe Christians For my part it shall be sufficient to write a little setting downe so much of the substance of this subiect as may make more plaine way and easier introduction into our ensuing History leauing such as are more studious of this knowledge to those which haue purposely handled this argument with Commentaries vpon Moses Text of which besides many moderne Writers some of which haue almost oppressed the Presse with their huge Volumes there are diuers of the Primitiue middle and decayed times of the Church a cloud indeed of Authors both for their number and the varietie of their opinions the most of them couering rather then discouering that Truth which can bee but one and more to beleeued in their confuting others then prouing their owne assertions Their store through this disagreeing is become a sore and burthen whiles we must consult with many and dare promise to our selues no surer footing yet cleauing as fast as we can to the letter imploring the assistance of the Creators Spirit let vs draw as neere as we may to the sense of Moses words the beginning whereof is In the beginning GOD created the Heauen and the Earth Wherein to omit the endlesse and diuers interpretations of others obtruding allegoricall anagogicall mysticall senses on the letter is expressed the Author of this worke to be GOD Elohim which word as is said is of the plurall number insinuating the holy Trinitie the Father as the Fountaine of all goodnesse the Sonne as the Wisdome of the Father the holy Ghost as the power of the Father and the Sonne concurring in this worke The action is creating or making of nothing to which is required a power supernaturall and infinite The Time was the beginning of time when as before there had neither been Time nor any other Creature The worke is called Heauen and Earth which some interpret all this bodily world heere propounded in the summe and after distinguished in parcells according to the sixe dayes seuerall workes Some vnderstand thereby the First matter which others apply only to the word Earth expounding Heauen to be that which is called Empyreum including also the spirituall and super-celestiall inhabitants Againe others whom I willingly follow extend the word Heauen to a larger signification therein comprehending those three Heauens which the Seriptures mention one whereof is this lower where the birds of the Heauen doe flye reaching from the Earth to the Sphere of the Moone the second the visible Planets and fixed Starres with the first Moueable the third called the Heauen of Heauens the third Heauen and Paradise of GOD together with all the Host of them By Earth they vnderstand this Globe consisting of Sea and Land with all the creatures therein The first Verse they hold to be a generall proposition of the Creation of all Creatures visible and inuisible perfected in sixe dayes as many places of Scripture testifie which as concerning the visible Moses handleth after particularly largely and plainly contenting himselfe with briefe mention of those inuisible creatures both good and bad as occasion is offered in the following parts of his Historie In the present he omitteth the particular description of their Creation lest some as Iewes and Heretikes haue done should take occasion to attribute the Creation to Angels as assistants or should by the excellencie of that Nature depainted in due colours be carryed to worshipping of Angels a superstition which men haue embraced towards the visible creatures farre in feriour both to Angels and themselues Moses proceedeth therefore to the description of the first matter and the creatures thereof framed and formed For touching those inuisible creatures both the Angels and their heauenly habitation howsoeuer they are circumscribed and haue their proper and most perfect substance yet according to the interpretation of Diuine their nature differeth from that of other creatures celestiall or terrestriall as not being made of that first matter whereof these consist Let vs therefore labour rather to be like the
Father of Lights himselfe thus conuinceth vs of darknesse Where is the way saith he where light dwelleth And By what way is the light parted And if we cannot conceiue that which is so euidently seene and without which nothing is seene and euident how inaccessible is that Light wherein the Light of this light dwelleth Euen this light is more then admirable life of the Earth ornament of the Heauens beautie and smile of the World eye to our Eyes ioy of our Hearts most common pure and perfect of visible creatures first borne of this World and endowed with a double portion of earthly and heauenly Inheritance shining in both which contayneth sustayneth gathereth seuereth purgeth perfecteth renueth and preserueth all things repelling dread expelling sorrow Shaking the wicked out of the Earth and lifting vp the hearts of the godly to looke for a greater and more glorious light greatest instrument of Nature resemblance of Grace Type of Glorie and bright Glasse of the Creators brightnesse This Light GOD made by his Word not vttered with sound of syllables nor that which in the beginning and therefore before the beginning was with GOD and was GOD but by his powerfull effecting calling things that were not as though they were and by his calling or willing causing them to be thereby signifying his will as plainly and effecting it as easily as a word is to a man That vncreated superessentiall light the eternall Trinitie commanded this light to bee and approued it as good both in it selfe and to the future Creatures and separated the same from darknesse which seemes a meere priuation and absence of light disposing them to succeed each other in the Hemisphere which by what motion or reuolution it was effected the three first dayes who can determine Fond it is to reason a facto ad fieri from the present order of constitution to the Principles of that institution of the Creatures whiles they were yet in making as Simplicius and other Philosophers may I terme them or Atheists haue absurdly done in this and other parts of the Creation And this was the first dayes Worke THE SECOND DAYES WORKE IN the second GOD said Let there bee a Firmament The word Rakiah translated Firmament signifieth expansum or expansionem a stretching out designing that vast and wide space wherein are the watery clouds here mentioned and those lights which follow in the fourteenth Verse by him placed in expanso howsoeuer some vnderstand it only of the Ayre The separating the waters vnder this Firmament from the waters aboue the Firmament some interprete of waters aboue the Heauens to refresh their exceeding heat or of I know not what Chrystaline Heauen some of spirituall substances whom Basil confuteth Origen after his wont Allegorically Most probable it seemeth that Moses intendeth the separation of those waters here below in their Elementarie Seat from those aboue vs in the clouds to which Dauid alluding saith Hee hath stretched out the Heauens like a Curten and laid the beames of his Chambers in the waters This separating of the waters is caused in the Ayrie Region by the Aethereall in which those forces are placed which thus exhale and captiuate these waters That matter before endued with lightning qualitie was now in this second day as it seemeth attenuated extended aboue and beyond that myrie heape of Earthywaters and both the Aether and Aire formed of the same first matter and not of a fift Essence which some haue deuised to establish the Heauens Eternitie both Twins of the Philosophers braines And wherein doe not these differ from each other touching the Celestiall Nature Roundnesse Motion Number Measure and other difficulties most of which are by some denyed Diuersitie of motions caused the Ancients to number eight Orbes Ptolemie on that ground numbred nine Alphonsus and Tebitius ten Copernicus finding another motion reuiued the opinion of Aristarchus Samius of the Earths mouing c. Others which therein dissent from him yet in respect of that fourth motion haue added an eleuenth Orbe which the Diuines make vp euen twelue by their Empyreall immoueable Heauen And many deny this assertion of Orbes supposing them to haue beene supposed rather for instructions sake then for any reall being And Moses here saith expansum as Dauid also calleth it a Curtaine which in such diuersitie of Orbes should rather haue beene spoken in the plurall number The Sidereus Nuncius of Galilaeus Galilaeus tels vs of foure new Planets Iupiters attendants obserued by the helpe of his Glasse which would multiply the number of Orbes further A better Glasse or neerer sight and site might perhaps find more Orbes and thus should we runne in Orbem in a Circular endlesse Maze of Opinions But I will not dispute this question or take it away by auerring the Starres animated or else moued by Intelligentiae A learned Ignorance shall better content me and for these varieties of motions I will with Lactantius ascribe them to GOD the Architect of Nature and Co-worker therewith by wayes Naturall but best knowne to himselfe Neither list I to dance after their Pipe which ascribe a Musicall harmonie to the Heauens THE THIRD DAYES WORKE ANd thus were the Aethereall and Ayrie parts of the World formed in the Third Day followeth the perfecting of the two lowest Elements Water and Earth which as yet were confused vntill that mightie Word of GOD did thus both diuorce and marry them compounding of them both this one Globe which he called Dry Land and Seas I call it a Globe with the Scriptures and the best Philosophers for which respect Numa built the Temple of Vesta round Neither yet is it absolutely round and a perfect Spheare but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rather Strabo affirmeth hauing saith Scaliger 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 depressed Vallies extended Plaines swelling Hillockes high-mounting Mountaines long courses of Riuers and other varieties of Nature and Art which all in so huge a masse rather beautifie the roundnesse then take it away The Eclipse of the Moone later seene in the East then in the West the round shaddow of the Earth which darkeneth it the rising of the Sunne and Starres sooner in the East then West the vnequall eleuation of the Pole and the Northerne Constellations appearing to vs the Southerne continually depressed all these obseruing due proportions according to the difference of places and Countries yea the compassing of the Earth by many Mariners argue the round compasse thereof against Patritius his difformitie or that deformitie which other Philosophers haue ascribed thereto The equalitie or inequalitie of dayes according to the neerenesse or farrenesse from the Equinoctiall holding proportion as well by Sea as Land as doth also the eleuation of the Pole and not being longer wher 's a quarter of the World is Sea then if it were all Earth doe confute the
agreeth the iudgement of Aquinas Praeceptum de sanctificatione Sabbathi ponitur inter praecepta Decalogi in quantum est praeceptum morale non in quantum est ceremoniale The Precept of sanctifying the Sabbath is set amongst the Precepts of the Decalogue as it is a morall not as a ceremoniall Precept It hath pleased him saith M. Hooker as of the rest so of Times to exact some parts by way of perpetuall homage neuer to bee dispensed withall nor remitted The Morall law requiring therefore a seuenth part throughout the age of the whole world to bee that way employed although with vs the day bee changed in regard of a new reuolution begun by our Sauiour Christ yet the same proportion of time continueth which was before because in reference to the benefite of Creation and now much more of renouation thereunto added by him which was Prince of the world to come wee are bound to account the sanstification of one day in seauen a dutie which Gods immutable Law doth exact for euer Thus farre Hooker This indeed in the Sabbath was Iewish and Ceremoniall to obserue onely that last and seuenth day of the weeke and that as a figure and lastly with those appointed Ceremonies and that manner of obseruation Thus saith Aquinas Habere aliquod tempus deputatum ad vacandum diuinis cadit sub praecepto morali Sed in quantum c. To haue some set time for the seruice of God is morall but so farre this Precept is ceremoniall as in it is determined a speciall time in signe of the Creation of the World Likewise it is ceremoniall according to the Allegoricall signification in as much as it was a signe of the Rest of Christ in the graue which was the seuenth day And likewise according to the morall signification as it signifieth a ceasing from euery act of sinne and the Rest of the mind in God Likewise according to the Anagogicall signification as it prefigureth the Rest of the fruition of God which shall be in our Countrey To these obseruations of Thomas we may adde that strictnesse of the obseruation That they might not kindle a fire on the Sabbath and such like And howsoeuer some testimonies of the Fathers be alledged against this truth and to prooue that the Sabbath was born at Mount Sinai as of Tertullian Iustin Martyr Eusebius Cyprian Augustine which deny the Sabbatizing of the Patriarkes before that time and account it typicall Why may not we interpret them of that Sabbath of the Iewes which we haue thus distinguished from the Morall Sabbath by those former notes of difference Broughton in his Concent alleadgeth the Concent of Rabbins as of Ramban on Gen. 26. and Aben Ezra vpon Exod. 10. That the Fathers obserued the Sabbath before Moses And Moses himselfe no sooner commeth to a seuenth day but he sheweth that God rested blessed sanctified the sume It resteth therefore that a time of rest from bodily labour was sanctified vnto spirituall deuotions from the beginning of the world and that a seuenth dayes rest began not with the Mosaicall Ceremonies in the Wildernesse as some men will haue it but with Adam in Paradise That which is morall say some is eternall and must not giue place I answer That the Commandements are eternall but yet subordinate There is a first of all the Commandements and there is a second like to this like in qualitie not in equalitie and in euery Commandement the Soule of obedience which is the obedience of the soule taketh place of that body of obedience which is performed by the body Mercie is preferred before sacrifice and charitie before outward worship Paul staieth his preaching to heale Eutychus Christ patronizeth his Disciples plucking the eares of Corne and affirmeth That the Sabbath was made for Man and not Man for the Sabbath Although therefore both rest and workes of the Sabbath giue place to such duties which the present occasion presenteth as more weightie and necessary to that time yet doth it not follow that the Sabbath is not morall no more then the Commandement of Almes is not morall because as Barnard obserueth the prohibitiue Commandement of stealing is of greater force and more bindeth And in a word the Negatiue Precepts are of more force and more vniuersally bind then the affirmatiue A man must hate his Father and Mother for Christs sake and breake the Sabbaths rest for his Neighbour in cases of necessitie And therefore such scrupulous fancies as some obtrude vnder the name of the Sabbath esteeming it a greater sinne to violate this holy Rest then to commit Murther cannot be defended Pardon this long Discourse whereunto the longer Discourses of others haue brought me But now me thinkes I heare thee say And what is all this to Adams integrity Doubtlesse Adam had his particular calling to till the ground his generall calling also to serue GOD which as he was spiritually to performe in all things so being a body he was to haue time and place set apart for the bodily performance thereof And what example could hee better follow then of his Lord and Creator But some obiect This is to slacken him running rather then to incite and prouoke him to bind and not to loose him cannot be a spurre but a bridle to his deuotion But they should consider that we doe not tie Adam to the seuenth day onely but to the seuenth especially wherein to performe set publique and solemne worship Neither did Daniel that prayed thrice a day or Dauid in his seuen times or Saint Paul in his iniunction of praying continually conceiue that the Sabbath would hinder men and not rather further them in these workes Neither was Adams state so excellent as that he needed no helps which wofull experience in his fall hath taught God gaue him power to liue yea with euerlasting life and should not Adam therefore haue eaten yea and haue had conuenient times for food and sleep and other naturall necessities How much more in this perfect yet flexible and variable condition of his Soule did he need meanes of establishment although euen in his outward calling he did not forget nor was forgotten Which outward workes though they were not irkesome and tedious as sinne hath made them to vs yet did they detaine his body and somewhat distract his mind from that full and entire seruice which the Sabbath might exact of him Neither doe they shew any strong reason for their opinion which hold the sanctification of the Sabbath Genes 2. to be set downe by way of anticipation or as a preparatiue to the Iewish Sabbath ordained 2453. yeares after If any shall aske Why the same seuenth day is not still obserued of Christians I answer This was figuratiue and is abolished but a seuenth day still remaineth Lex naturalis est coniunctam habens ceremonialem designationem diei saith Iunius The Law is naturall hauing adioyned thereto the ceremoniall
swelling ouerflowed part of the Citie and cast downe twenty furlongs of the walls Whereupon despayring as seeming to see GOD and man against him he which before had chambered himselfe with women and accustomed himselfe to the distaffe in a womans both heart and habite now in a manly resolution if it may not more fitly be called a Feminine Dissolution which thus runneth from that danger which it should encounter gathered his treasures together and erecting a frame in his Palace there burnt them himselfe his wiues and Eunuches together The Ashes vnder pretence of a Vow thereof made to Belus Belesus obtained of Arbaces the new Conquerour and Monarch to carry to Babylon But the coozenage being knowne and Belesus condemned for the treasures which with the ashes hee had conueyed Arbaces both gaue them and forgaue him adding the praefecture of the Babylonians according to promise Some say that Belesus whom they call Phul Beloch shared the Empire with him Arbaces raigning ouer the Medes and Persians the other ouer Niniue and Babylonia following herein the forged Metasthenes who as Annius maketh him to say out of the Susian Librarie penned his Historie hauing before fabled a Catalogue out of Berosus of the ancient Kings contrary to that which out of the fragments of the true Berosus before is deliuered Sardanapalus is written saith Scaliger in his Notes vpon Eusebius with a double ll Sardanapalus a name fitting to his effeminate life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie the same whence are those words of Cicero 3. De Repub. Sardanapalus ille vitijs multo quam nomine ipso deformior Sardanapalus built Tarsus and Anchiale saith Eusebius at the same time the one famous for the most famous Diuine that euer the Sunne saw except the Sunne of Righteousnesse himselfe PAVL the Apostle and Doctor of the Gentiles The other for the Authors Monument and stony Image with this Assyrian Epigramme Sardanapalus the sonne of Anacyndaraxis built Anchiale and Tarsus in one day and thou O stranger eate drinke play And Verses were annexed which I haue thus Englished Mortall thou knowst thy selfe then please thine appetite With present dainties Death can yeeld thee no delight Loe I am now but dust whilome a Prince of might What I did eate I haue and what my greedy mind Consum'd how much alas how sweet left I behind Learne this O man thus liue best wisdome thou canst find This his Legacie hee hath bequeathed to all Epicures the liuing Sepulchres of themselues breathing graues not of so many Creatures onely better than themselues which they deuour but of Reason Nature Religion Soule and if it were possible of GOD which all lie buried in these swine couered with the skins of Men. Let vs eate and drinke for to morrow we shall die Who knoweth whether Paul did not allude to this speech of the Founder of his Citie This subuersion of the Assyrian Empire was Anno Mundi 3145. after Buntingus account Of the Medes see more in their proper place The Babylonian Empire renewed by Nabonassar continued till Cyrus of which times we haue little record but in the Scripture as neyther of those Assyrian Kings which before had captiued Israel and inuaded Iuda Senacherib is famous euen in the Ethnike history although they had not the full truth For thus Harodotus telleth that Senacherib King of the Arabians Assyrians warred on Egypt where Sethon before Vulcans Priest then raigned who being forsaken of his Souldiers betooke him to his deuotion amiddest the which hee fell asleepe And the god appearing promised ayde which hee performed sending an Armie of Mice into the Armie of Senacherib which did eate his Souldiers quiuers and the leathers of their shields and armour insomuch that the very next day they all fled In witnesse whereof the Image of the King made of stone standeth in the Temple of Vulcan holding a Mouse in his hand vttering these words Hee that looketh on mee let him bee Religious This Historie the Aegyptians in vanity and ambition had thus peruerted and arrogated to themselues Funccius of Osiander made Nabopollasar and Nabuchodonosor to bee one and the same and diues Commenters vpon Daniel hold the same opinion whom Scaliger and Caluisius confute at large Nabopollasar is supposed to begin his raigne Anno Mundi 3325. which hee continued nine and twentie yeeres in his seuenteenth yeere Nebuchadnezzer so the Masorites misse-call him saith Scaliger or Nabuchodonosor his sonne was sent by him to subdue the rebellious Aegyptians Iewes and Palestinians at which time he carried away Daniel into captiuitie He beganne his raigne Anno Mundi 3354. and in the yeere 3360. destroyed Ierusalem In the yeere 3386. Euilmerodach his sonne succeeded him whom Neriglossoorus as Scaliger affirmeth slew thereby to aduance his owne sonne the Nephew of Nabuchodonosor called Laborosoarchadus to the Scepter which himselfe swaied as Protector in the minoritie of his sonne But he being dead and his sonne more fit for a chamber then a Throne Nabonidus conspired against him and slew him This Nabonidus sayth he is Darius Medus and Laborosoarchadus is that Baltasar mentioned by Daniel after Scaligers interpretation of the Prophet out of Berosus and Megasthenes It is a world to see how the Catholickes so they call themselues sweat in finding out that Nabuchodonosor mentioned in Iudith 1. Pintus would make it a common name to the Babylonian Kings as Pharao to the Egyptians Pererius will haue two of the name others will haue him to be Cyrus others Cambyses Artaxerxes Ochus Once Babel is a Mother of confusion to her children and makes them babble while they will Canonize Apocrypha-Scriptures Cyrus ended the Babylonian Monarchie and hauing wonne Babylon and taken Darius Medus at Borsippa he gaue him his life and the gouernment of Carmania An. Mund. 3409. As Nabuchodonosor had by Edict proclaimed the GOD of Daniel so Cyrus ended the captiuitie of his people giuing libertie to such as would to returne But many Iewes abode there still and thence sent their yeerely offerings to the Temple In the time of Artabanus the Parthian when Caligula tyrannized at Rome Asimaeus and Anilaeus brethren of the Iewish Nation grew mightie and haughtie withall forgetting GOD and themselues which caused the Babylonians to conspire against them and after the death of the brethren with thousands of their partakers and slew in Seleucia fiftie thousand of the Iewish Nation Neerda and Nibisis were then much peopled by the Iewes And thus Religion partly held the ancient course partly was mixed according to the custome of Conquests with the Persian Macedonian Parthian besides the Iewish and Syrian vntill the Apostles preached here the Christian veritie About the same time Helena and her sonne Izates King of Adiabena which is in these parts of Assyria became Iewish Proselytes Seleucia built by Seleucus as it were the marriage-Chamber of Euphrates and Tygris which there meete and mixe their waters Nature being
by mans industrie forced to yeeld to the match as Plinie sayth for that purpose emptied Babylon of her Inhabitants and inherited her name also with her people It was from Babylon ninetie miles or as some reade it fortie inhabited with sixe hundred thousand Citizens To spoile the spoiler the Parthians built Ctesiphon three miles from thence and failing of their purpose Vologesus built another Towne by called Vologesocerta Yet did Babylon it selfe remaine but not it selfe in the time of Ammianus Marcellinus and after Ortelius thinketh that Bagdat was called Babylon as Seleucia before had beene because it stood neere to the place where Babylon had stood For that old Babylon in Pausanias time had nothing left standing but the Temple of Bel and the walls sometimes sayth he the greatest Citie that euer the Sunne saw In Ieromes time within those walls were kept beasts for the Kings game It was after inhabited with many thousands of Iewes and was laid euen with the ground as Ios. Scaliger affirmeth in the yeere after the Iewish account 4797. and after the Christian 1037. Master Fox hath a little lengthned the date and fate thereof shewing that Almaricus King of Ierusalem rased and ruined it and that it was neuer after inhabited Ann. 1170. But in Beniamin Tudelensis his dayes which seemeth to be somewhat before Almaricus this Citie was vtterly subuerted as in his Itinerarie is related in these words One dayes iourney from Gehiagan anciently called Resen is old Babel containing thritie miles space now vtterly ruined in which the ruines of Nabuchodonosors palace are yet seene not accessible for diuers hurtfull kinds of Serpents and Dragons there breeding There now remaineth nothing but the small part of that great Tower either of ornament or of greatnesse or of place inhabited Before that time was Bagdet built by Bugiafar as Barrius calleth him or after Scaliger Abugephar Elmantzur who beganne to reigne in the one hundred thirtie and sixe and died in the one hundred fiftie and eight yeere of their Aegeira Scaliger and Lydyate agree of this place which in their Emendations of Time disagree so eagerly that it was Seleucia or built in the place and of the ruines thereof an opinion not so improbable as theirs altogether which thinke the present Bagded to be the old Babylon The storie of this Bagded or Baldach and her Chalifs ye may reade in our Saracenicall Historie Authors agree that Haalon the Tartar sacked it about the yeere one thousand two hundred and threescore Mustratzem being then Chalipha the foure and fiftieth and last of those Saracenicall Popes Hee found a miserable death where others with miserablenesse seeke a blessed life being shut vp and starued amidst those Treasures whereof he had store which niggardise forbade him to disburse in his owne defence There is yet a bone left of this Calipha's carkasse or some ghost and shadow of that great and mightie bodie I meane that ancient name and power of the Calipha's which magnificent Solyman the Turkish Emperour in his conquest 1534. would seeme to acknowledge in accepting the royall ensignes of that new conquered state at the hands of their Calipha a ceremonie which the Soldans in Egypt and Persia vsed more for forme then necessitie this Assyrian and that Egyptian Caliph hauing but gesture and vesture the Soldans themselues enioying both bodie and soule of this authoritie In the yeere one thousand one hundred fiftie nine the Riuer Tygris ouer-flowed Bagded and desolated many Cities Barrius affirmeth out of the Arabian and Persian Tarigh which he saith he had seene that Bagded was built by the counsell of an Astrologer a Gentile named Nobach and hath for ascendent Sagittarius was finished in foure yeeres and cost eighteene millions of gold These studies of Astrologie did there flourish One Richardus a Frier Preacher sayth That here was a Vniuersitie the Students whereof were maintained at publique charge of which number himselfe was one That Caliph that founded it for the preuenting of sects banished Philosophie out of these Schooles and accounted him a bad Saracen which was a good Philosopher The reason whereof grew from some which in reading Aristotle and Plato relinquished Mahomet Marco Palo or Paulus the Venetian saith that they studied here in his time the Law of Mahomet Necromancie Geomancie Phisiognomie Physicke and Astronomie And that it was then a great Staple of the Indian Commodities This was within few yeeres after the Tartar had wonne it He addeth that there were many Christians in these parts and that in the yeere one thousand two hundred twentie and fiue in derision of the Gospell the Caliph commanding by a day that the Christians should remoue a mountaine in testimonie of their faith according to the words of Christ or else to abide the perill this was effected by a Shoomaker and the day in remembrance thereof yeerely solemnized with fasting the Euen The Iewes goe still to visite the Denne which is there shewed as the place of Daniels imprisonment with his terrible Gaolers or fellow-prisoners as Master Allen told me A certaine Merchant the Discourse of whose voyage Ramusius hath published speaketh of Orpha a towne in the way from Byr to Babylon wherein the people foolishly suppose that Abraham offered Isaac at which time say they there sprang a fountaine which watereth their Countrey and driueth their Mils Here was a Christian Temple called Saint Abraham after turned into a Mahumetane Moschee and now called Abrahams Well into which if any enter so many times they haue a set number with deuotion hee is freed of any feuer The fishes which are many haue taken Sanctuarie in these waters and none dare take them but hold them holy Sixe miles from hence is a Well holden in like sacred account which cureth Leprosies Nisibis Carrae and Edessa were chiefe Cities of Mesopotamia at Edessa reigned Abagarus betwixt whom and our Sauiour passed if we may beleeue it those Epistles yet extant At Carrhae there was a Temple of the Moone in which they which sacrificed to the goddesse Luna were subiect to the gouernment of their wiues they which sacrificed to the god Lunus were accounted their wiues Masters As for this difference of sexe ancient Idolatrie scarce obserued it For wee reade of the god Venus which the Cyprians sayth Macrobius accounted both male and female and so doth Trismegistus mystically say of God himselfe So is Baal in the Scripture sometimes masculine sometimes feminine Hee sayth that the Babylonians allowed marriages of parents and children Cafe is two dayes iourney from Bagdet religious for the buriall of Hali and his sonnes Hassan and Ossain whereunto is resort of Pilgrims from Persia whose Kings were wont here to bee crowned But this Citie Curio calleth Cufa assigneth it to Arabia and sayth that of this accident it was called Massadale or the house of Ali slaine here by Muani his Competitor Mesopotamia is now called
Diarbech The chiefe Cities in it are Orfa of seuen miles compasse famous say some for the death of Crassus Caramit the mother Citie of the Countrey of twelue miles compasse Mosul and Merdin of which in the next Chapter Betweene Orpha and Caramit was the Paradise of Aladeules where hee had a fortresse destroyed by Selim. This his Paradise was like to that which you shall finde in our Persian Historie Men by a potion brought into a sleepe were brought into this supposed Paradise where at their waking they were presented with all sensuall pleasures of musicke damosels dainties c. which hauing had some taste of another sleepie drinke after came againe to themselues And then did Aladeules tell them That he could bring whom hee pleased to Paradise the place where they had beene and if they would commit such murders or haughtie attempts it should bee theirs A dangerous deuice Zelim the Turke destroyed the place CHAP. XIIII Of Niniue and other neighbouring Nations WE haue hitherto spoken of Babylonia but so as in regard of the Empire and some other occurrents necessitie now and then compelled vs to make excursions into some other parts of Assyria Mesopotamia c. And I know not how this Babylon causeth confusion in that Sea of affaires and in regard of the diuision of the pennes as sometimes of tongues of such as haue written thereof Hard it is to distinguish betweene the Assyrian and Babylonian Empire one while vnited another while diuided as each partie could most preuaile and no lesse hard to reconcile the Ethnike and Diuine Historie touching the same Ptolemey straitneth Assyria on the North with part of Armenia neere the hill Niphates on the West with Mesopotamia on the South with Susiana and Media on the East But her large Empire hath enlarged the name of Syria and of Assyria which names the Greekes did not well distinguish to many Countries in that part of Asia The Scripture deriueth Syria from Aram and Assyria from Ashur Both were in their times flourishing and mention is made from Abrahams time both of the warres and kingdomes in those parts yea before from Ashur and Nimrod as alreadie is shewed Mesopotamia is so called and in the Scripture Aram or Syria of the waters because it is situate betweene Euphrates and Tygris the countries Babylonia and Armenia confining the same on the North and South Whereas therefore wee haue in our former Babylonian relation discoursed of Assyria extending the name after a larger reckoning here wee consider it more properly Euphrates is a Riuer very swift for they which goe to Bagdet buy their boats at Birra which serue them but one voyage and sell them at Felugia for seuen or eight which cost fiftie because they cannot returne But Tygris is swifter the Armenians bring victuals downe the same to Bagdet on rafts made of Goats skinnes blowne full of wind and boords laid vpon them on which they lade their goods which being discharged they open the skinnes and carrie them backe on Camels Dionysius and Strabo tell of this Riuer that it passeth through the Lake Thonitis without mixture of waters by reason of this swiftnesse which also giueth it the name for the Medes call an Arrow Tygris Lucan sayth it passeth a great way vnder ground and wearie of that burthensome iourney riseth againe as out of a new fountaine At Tygrim subito tellus absorbet hiatu Occultosque tegit cursus rursusque renatum Fonte nouo flumen pelagi non abnegat vndas The chiefe Citie in these parts was Niniue called in Ionas A great and excellent Citie of three dayes iourney It had I borrow the words of our reuerend Diocesan an ancient testimonie long before in the Booke of Genesis For thus Moses writeth That Ashur came from the land of Shinar and built Niniueh and Rehoboth and Calah and Resin At length he singleth out Niniue from the rest and setteth a speciall marke of preeminence vpon it This is a great Citie which honour by the iudgement of the most learned though standing in the last place belongeth to the first of the foure Cities namely to Niniue Others imagined but their coniecture is without ground that the foure Cities were closed vp within the same walls and made but one of an vsuall bignesse Some ascribe the building of Niniue to Ninus the sonne of Belus of whom it tooke the name to be called either Ninus as wee reade in Plinie or after the manner of the Hebrewes Niniue They conceiue it thus That when Nimrod had built Babylon Ninus disdaining his gouernment went into the fields of Ashur and there erected a Citie after his owne name betweene the riuers Lycus and Tygris Others suppose that the affinitie betwixt these names Ninus and Niniueh deceiued profane Writers touching the Author thereof and that it tooke to name Niniueh because it was beautifull or pleasant Others hold opinion that Ashur and Ninus are but one and the same person And lastly to conclude the iudgement of some learned is that neither Ashur nor Ninus but Nimrod himselfe was the founder of it But by the confession of all both sacred and Gentile Histories the Citie was very spacious hauing foure hundred and fourescore furlongs in circuit when Babylon had fewer almost as some report by an hundred and as afterwards it grew in wealth and magnificence so they write it was much more enlarged Raphael Volaterranus affirmeth That it was eight yeeres in building and not by fewer at once then tenne thousand workemen There was no Citie since by the estimation of Diodorus Siculus that had like compasse of ground or statelinesse of walls the height whereof was not lesse then an hundred foot the breadth sufficiently capable to haue receiued three Carts on a row and they were furnished and adorned besides with fifteene hundred Turrets Thus farre our reuerend and learned Bishop Diodorus telleth out of Ctesias that Ninus after he had subdued the Egyptians Phoenicians Syrians Cilicians Phrygians and others as farre as Tanais and the Hyrcanians Parthians Persians and other their neighbours he built this Citie After that hee led an armie against the Bactrians of seuenteene hundred thousand footmen and two hundred thousand horse in which Expedition he tooke Semiramis from her husband Menon who therefore impatient of loue and griefe hanged himselfe Hee had by her a sonne of his owne name and then died leauing the Empire to his wife His Sepulchre was nine furlongs in height each of which is sixe hundred feete and ten in breadth The credite of this Historie I leaue to the Author scarce seeming to agree with Moses narration of the building of Niniue any more then Semiramis building of Babylon Some write That Semiramis abusing her husbands loue obtained of him the swaying of the Empire for the space of fiue dayes in which shee depriued him of his life and succeeded in his estate But lest the
about and leapeth from one place to another Then doth the chiefe of the Priests make supplication and request for all things which if it misliketh it goeth backwards if it approueth it carrieth them forwards and without these Oracles they enterprise nothing neither priuate nor sacred and Lucian saith he saw it leauing the Priests the supporters and mouing it selfe aboue in the ayre Here are also the statues of Atlas Mercurie and Lucina and without a great brazen Altar and many brazen Images of Kings and Priests and many others recorded in Poets and Histories Among others standeth the Image of Semiramis pointing to the Temple with her finger which they say is the signe of her repentance who hauing giuen commandement to the Syrians to worship no other god but her selfe was by plagues sent from heauen driuen to reuoke that former Edict and thus seemeth to acknowledge and point out another Deitie There were also places inclosed wherein were kept and fed sacred Oxen Horses Eagles Beares Lyons The Priests were in number aboue three hundred some for killing Sacrifices some for offerings some ministring fire to others at the Altar their garment all white their head couered and euery yeere was chosen a new High-Priest which alone was clothed with purple and a golden head-tire A great multitude there was besides of Musicians Galli and Propheticall women they sacrificed twice a day whereat they all assembled To Iupiter they vse neyther song nor instrument in sacrifice as they doe to Iuno Not farre hence was a Lake of two hundreth fadome depth wherein were preserued sacred Fishes and in the middest thereof an Altar of stone crowned alwaies with Garlands and burning with odours They haue a great feast which they call the going downe to the Lake when all their Idols descend thither Their greatest and most solemne Feast was obserued in the Spring which they called the fire they solemnized it in this sort They felled great trees and laide them in the Church-yard as you may terme it and bringeth thither the Goates Sheepe and other beasts they hanged them on these trees together with them fowles and garments and workes of gold and siluer which being set in due order they carrie the Images of the gods about the trees and then fet all on fire They resort to this Feast out of Syria and the coasts adioyning and bring hither their Idols with them and great multitudes resorting to the sacrifices the Galli and those other sacred wights beate and wound each other Others play on instruments and others rauished by diuine furie prophesie and then doe the Galli enter into their orders for the furie rauisheth many of the beholders Whatsoeuer young man commeth prepared to this purpose hurling off his garments with a great voyce he goeth into the middest and drawing his sword geldeth himselfe and runneth thorow the Citie carrying in his hands that which he would no longer carry on his body And into whatsoeuer house he casteth the same he receiueth from thence his womanish habite and attire When any of them die his fellowes carrying him in to the uburbes couer him and his horse with stones and may not enter into the Temple in seuen dayes after nor after the sight of any other carkasse in one day but none of that family where one hath died in thirty dayes and then also with a shauen head Swine they hold for vncleane beasts And the Doue they esteeme so sacred that if one touch one against his will hee is that day vncleane This causeth Doues in those parts to multiply exceedingly neyther doe they touch Fishes This because of Derceto halfe a woman halfe a fish that for Semiramis which was metamorphosed into a Doue Iulius Hyginus hath this fable that an egge of maruellous greatnesse fell out of heauen into Euphrates which the fishes rolled to land on the same did Doues sit and hatched thereout Venus who was after called the Syrian goddesse at whose request Iupiter granted the Fishes their heauenly constellation and the Syrians for that cause eate not their Fish nor Doues but number them amongst their gods Their superstition concerning Herrings and Daces was ridiculous esteeming that the Syrian goddesse did fill the bodies of such as had eaten them with biles an vlcers causing also the fore-part of the leg and the liuer to consume Many are the ceremonies also to be performed of the religious Pilgrims or Votaries that visit this holy City for before hee setteth forth hee cutteth off the hayre of his head and browes he sacrificeth a sheepe and spreading the fleece on the ground hee kneeleth downe on it and layeth vpon his head the head and feet of the beast and prayeth to bee accepted the rest hee spendeth in the banquet Then doth he crowne himselfe and his fellow Pilgrims and after sets forward on his pilgrimage vsing for his drinke and washing cold water and sleepeth alwayes on the ground till his returne home In this Citie were appointed publike Hostes for diuers Cities diuers called Doctors because they expounded these mysteries They haue also one manner of sacrificing to hurle downe the beasts destined herevnto from the top of the porch which die of the fall They haue a like rite to put their children in a Sacke and carrie them downe branded first on the necke or palme of the hand and hence it was that all the Assyrians were branded The young men also consecrated their haire from their Natiuitie which being cut in the Temple was there preserued in some boxe of gold or siluer with the inscription of the owners name thereon And this did I saith Lucian in my youth and my hayre and name remaine in the Temple still Of Atergatis see more in the Chapter of Phoenicea Suetonius tels of Nero that hee contemned all Religions but this of the Syrian goddesse of which also he grew weary and defiled her with Vrine After which hee obserued a little Needle supposed to haue a power of fore-signifying danger and because soone after he had it he found out a conspiracie intended against him he sacrificed thereto three times a day Plutarch calleth the Syrians an effeminate Nation prone to teares and saith that some of them after the death of their friends haue hidden themselues in Caues from the sight of the Sunne many dayes Rimmon the Idoll of the Syrians and his Temple is mentioned 2. King 5.18 Bur I haue litle certainetie to say of him Some reckon among the Syrian Deities Fortune conceyuing the mention thereof Gen. 30.11 by Leah at Zilpa's trauel the word bagad which shee vseth is vsually in our translations and Tremellius a troupe commeth but in the vulgar Latine foeliciter in Vatablus auspicato in Pagnine Montanus venit prosperitas The Ebrew and Greeke Interpreters vnderstand it of an ominous and well-wishing presage yea some Comments I know not whether Planet-like expresse the Planet Iupiter called Mazal tob whose influence helpeth in the opinion of Astrologers
interprete but others in order not of the Elders alone but of the inferiour rankes also if any thing were reuealed to them which Tradition of theirs Saint Paul saith hee applied to the Christian Assemblies of those times They vsed to pray in their Synagogues standing as did also the Primitiue Christians Besides these Temples and Houses consecrated to God Ambition the Ape of deuotion founded some of other nature Herod the Great erected a sumptuous Temple and Citie in the honour of Caesar which sometime had beene called Stratonis turris and after Caesarea The Temple of Caesar was conspicuous to them which sailed farre off in the Sea and therein were two Statues one of Rome the other of Caesar The sumptuousnesse of Herods ambition in this Citie Temple Theater and Amphitheater c. Iosephus amply describeth He built another Temple at Panium the fountaine of Iordan in honour of Caesar and lest this should stirre vp the peoples hearts against him to see him thus deuoutely prophane and prophanely deuout he remitted to them the third part of the tributes Hee consecrated Games after the like Heathenish solemnitie in honour of Caesar to be celebrated euery fifth yeere at Caesarea He built also the Pythian Temple at Rhodes of his owne cost Hee gaue yeerely reuenue to the Olympyian Games for maintenance of the Sacrifices and solemnity thereof Quis in rapacitate auarior Quis in largitione effusior He robbed his owne to enrich or rather vainely to lauish out on others He spared not the Sepulchers of the dead For the Sepulchre of Dauid had lent before to Hyrcanus three thousand talentts of siluer which filled him with hope of the like spoyle and entring it with his choise friends hee found no money but precious clothes and whiles he in a couetous curiositie searched further he lost two of his company by flame as fame went breaking out vpon them Herevpon he left the place and in recompence in the entry of the Sepulchre built a monument of white Marble He built also Sebaste in the Region of Samaria wherein hee erected a Temple and dedicated a Court of three furlongs and a halfe of ground before it to Caesar Thus Caesar was made a God by him who would not allow Christ a place among men but that hee might kill him spared not the infants of Bethleem no not his owne sonne amongst the rest as this his god ieasted of him saying That hee had rather bee Herods Swine then his Sonne For his Iewish deuotion prohibited him to deale with Swine but not Religion not Reason not Nature could protect those Innocents from slaughter CHAP. IIII. Of the Iewish computation of time and of their festiuall daies THE day amongst the Iewes was as amongst vs Naturall and Artificiall this from Sunne-rising to Sunne-setting to which is opposed Night the time of the Sunnes absence from our Hemisphere that comprehended both these called of the Greekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 containing one whole reuolution of the Sunnes motion to the same point of the Horizon or Meridian in twenty foure houres This Naturall day the Babylonians began at the rising of the Sunne the Athenians at the setting the Vmbrians as the Astrologians at Noone the Egyptians and Romane Priests at Midnight The Iewes agreed in their reckoning with the Athenians as did the Galli in Caesars time reporting Pluto to be the author of their Nation and some relickes hereof is in our naming of time by a seuen-night and a fort-night although otherwise wee reckon the day betweene two midnights The most naturall computation of this naturall day is to follow that order of Nature wherein darkenesse had the prioritie of time and the euening and the morning were made one day or the first day which saith Hospinian the Italian and Bohemian Clockes doe yet obserue The day was not diuided of the first Hebrewes before the Babylonian captiuity into houres but was distinguished by Vigiliae or Watches of which they had foure the first began at euening the second at mid-night the third in the morning the fourth at noone Neither is there any Hebrew word signifying an houre although some interpret the degrees of the Dyall of Ahaz to be houres some as Tremell halfe houres Afterwards it was diuided into houres twelue in the night and as many in the day not equall as ours but longer or shorter according to so many equall portions of the day or night so that with them the first second third fourth fift sixt seuenth eighth ninth tenth eleuenth and twelfth houre was answerable with our houres of seuen eight nine ten eleuen twelue one two three foure fiue and sixe if we consider them in the Equinoctiall otherwise they differed from our equall houres more or lesse according to the vnequall lengthening or shortning of the daies but so that an easie capacitie may conceiue the proportion These houres sometimes they reduced into foure the first containing the first second and third or with vs the seuenth eighth and ninth houres the second the fourth fift and sixt or after our reckoning ten eleuen and twelue of the clock and so forwards This was the Ecclesiasticall Computation according to the times of Prayers and Sacrifices imitated still in the Church of Rome in their Canonicall houres Thus is Marke reconciled to the other Euangelists in relating the time of Christs passion the first calling it the third houre when they crucified him or led him to be crucified whereas Iohn saith That it was about the sixt houre when Pilate deliuered him Thus may the parable of the Labourers in the Vine-yard bee vnderstood Matth. 20. and other places of Scripture The night also was diuided into foure Watches each containing three houres accordingly They had three houres of Prayer the third the sixt the ninth as both the Iewish and Euangelicall Writers mention the first of which they say Abraham instituted the second Isaac it began when it was halfe an houre past the sixt houre and continued till halfe an houre after the ninth at this houre the Disciples of the Wisemen tooke their meate which before this Prayer tasted nothing the third began when the former left and continued till the Euening And this was obserued both for their publike and priuate Prayers although it bee not likely that the whole time was that way spent especially in priuate deuotions for then their particular callings had beene frustrate and cancelled by this exercise of the generall Seuen daies were a weeke whereof the seuenth was called the Sabbath others had no particular name but were called the first day of the weeke or the first day of or after the Sabbath and so of the rest The Christians called them Feriae as the first second or third Feria for Sunday Munday Tuesday the reason whereof was the keeping of Easter weeke holy For that being made in their Calender the first weeke of the yeere and by Law being wholly feriata
Passeouer Pentecost or Whitsuntide the Feast of Tabernacles These were chiefe to which were added the Feast of Trumpets of Expiation and of the Great Congregation To these we may reckon the seuenth yeeres Sabbath and the yeere of Iubilee These Feasts GOD had prescribed to them commanding that in those three principall Feasts euery male as the Iewes interpreted it that were cleane and sound and from twenty yeeres of their age to fiftie should appeare there where the Tabernacle or Temple was with their offerings as one great Parish Deut. 16. hereby to retaine an vnitie in diuine worship and a greater solemnitie with increase of ioy and charitie being better confirmed in that Truth which they here saw to be the same which at home they had learned and also better strengthened against the errors of the Heathen and Idolatrous feasts of Diuels To these were after added vpon occasions by the Church of the Iewes their foure Feasts in memory of their calamities receiued from the Chaldeans their Feast of Lots of Dedication and others as shall follow in their order They began to celebrate their Feasts at Euen so Moses is commanded From Euen to Euen shall yee celebrate your Sabbath imitated in the Christian Euen-songs on holy Euens yet the Christian Sabbath is by some supposed to begin in the morning because Christ did rise at that time As for the causes of Feasts many they are and great That the time it selfe should in the reuolution thereof be a place of Argument to our dulnesse This is the day which the Lord hath made let vs reioyce and be glad in it And what else is a festiuall day but a witnesse of times light of truth life of memory mistresse of life A token of publike thankfulnesse for greatest benefits passed a spurre to the imitation of our Noble Ancestrie the Christian Worthies a visible word to the Ethnicke and ignorant which thus by what we doe may learne what we beleeue a visible heauen to the spirituall man that in festiuall ioyes doth as it were open the vayle and here fides is turned into a vides whiles in the best exercises of Grace he tasteth the first fruits of Glory and with his Te Deums and Halleluiahs begins that blessed Song of the Lamb whiles time it selfe puts on her festiuall attire and acting the passed admonish the present ages teacheth by example quickneth our Faith strengthneth hope inciteth charitie and in this glimpse and dawning is the day-starre to that Sunne of Eternitie when time shall be no longer but the Feast shall last for euerlasting These the true causes of festiuall Times CHAP. V. Of the Festiuall dayes instituted by God in the Law AS they were enioyned to offer a Lambe in the morning and another in the Euening euery day with other Prayers Prayses and Rites so had the SABBATH a double honour in that kinde and was wholly sequestred and sanctified to religious duties Which howsoeuer it was ceremoniall in regard of that seuenth day designed of the Rites therein prescribed of that rigid and strait obseruation exacted of the particular workes prohibited and of the deadly penaltie annexed yet are we to thinke that the Eternall Lord who hath all times in his hand had before this selected some time proper to his seruice which in the abrogation of Ceremonies Legall is in Morall and Christian duety to be obserued to the end of the World euen as from the beginning of the World he had sanctified the seuenth day to himselfe and in the Morall Law giuen not by Moses to the Iewes but by GOD himselfe as to all creotures is the remembrance of that sanctification vrged Friuolous are their reasons who would renue the Iewish Sabbath amongst Christians tying and tyring vs in a more then Iewish seruitude to obserue both the last and first dayes of the weeke as some haue preached and of the Aethiopian Churches is practised Neither can I subscribe to those who are so farre from paying two that they acknowledge not the debt of one vpon diuine right but onely in Ecclesiasticall courtesie and in regard of the Churches meere constitution and haue thereupon obtruded on many other dayes as Religious respects or more then on this which yet the Apostles entituled in name and practice The Lords day with the same spirit whereby they haue equalled traditions to the holy Scriptures Thus Cardinal Tolet alowes on the Lords day iourneying hunting working buying selling Fayres Fencing and other priuate and publike workes by him mentioned and saith a man is tyed to sanctifie the Sabbath but not to sanctifie it well a new kinde of distinction the one is in hearing Masse and ceasing from seruile workes the well-doing it in spirituall contemplations c. Another Cardinall is as fast as he is loose affirming That other holy daies also binde the Conscience euen in cases voide of contempt and scandall as being truely more holy then other daies and a part of diuine worship and not onely in respect of order and politie But to returne to our Iewish Sabbath Plutarch thought that the Sabbath was deriued of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to keepe Reuell-rout as was vsed in their Bacchanals of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is interpreted Bacchus or the sonne of Bacchus as Coelius Rhodiginus sheweth out of Amphithaeus and Mnaseas who is therefore of opinion That Plutarch thought the Iewes on their Sabbaths worshipped Bacchus because they did vse on that day to drinke somewhat more largely a Sabbatizing too much by too many Christians imitated which celebrate the same rather as a day of Bacchus then the Lords day Bacchus his Priests were called Sabbi of this their reuelling and misse-rule Such wide coniectures we finde in others whereas the Hebrewes call it Sabbath of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth To rest because of their vacation to Diuine Offices and not for idlenesse or worse imployments And for this cause all the festiuall solemnities in the Scripture are stiled with this generall title and appellation as times of rest from their wonted bodily seruices Likewise their seuenth yeere was Sabbathicall because of the rest from the labors of Tyllage In those feasts also which consisted of many daies solemnitie the first and last were Sabbaths in regard of the strictnesse of those daies rest Luke hath an obscure place which hath much troubled Interpreters with the difficulty thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our English reades it The second Sabbath after the first Isidore saith it was so called of the Pascha and Azyma comming together Chrysostome thinkes as Sigonius cytes him it was when the New-Moone fell on the Sabbath and made a double Festiuall Sigonius when they kept their Passeouer in the second Moneth Stella takes it for Manipulus frugum alledging Iosephus his Author Ambrose for the Sabbath next after the first day of the Easter Solemnitie Hospinian for the Octaues or last
persons were there whose touch might pollute them They washed also Cups and Brasen vessels and Beds not Chamber-beds to lie on Drusius expoundeth but dining-beds which they vsed in stead of Tables They would not eate with Publicans or sinners yea they accounted themselues polluted with their touch Their hypocrisie in prayer Christ mentioneth that it was long and open in the streetes c. It was thrice in the day at the third sixt and ninth houre Their words submisse and softly as of Hannah 1. Sam. 1. and toward the Temple They Tythed all Luke 18. Math. 23. euen the smallest matters For Tythes saith Akiba are the Hedges of thy Riches And another Prouerbe learne it Tythe that thou maist be rich Epiphanius addeth they paid first fruits thirtieths and fiftieths Sacrifices and Vowes Their Phylacteries or Seruatories Defensiues so the word signifieth in Hebrew Totaphoth they vsed as Preseruatiues or Remembrancers of the Law and ware them larger then other men Hierome calls them Pittaciola resembling to them herein some simple superstitious women wearing little Gospels and the wood of the Crosse and such like of zeale not according to knowledge strayning a Gnat and swallowing a Cammell This superstition then complayned of by Hierome yet remaineth saith Scaliger among Christians and Mahumetans which weare about them the Gospell of S. Iohn Christ condemneth not the Rite but their ambition for dilating not for wearing them to which all the Iewes were bound and all the Iewes and Samaritans obserued They vsed the like ambition in their Fringes or twisted Tassels which the Iewes call Zizis and vse them still as after shall appeare Their Oathes were By Ierusalem the Temple the Heauen Earth their Head by the Law Fagius obserueth that the Iewes in swearing lay their hand on the booke of the Lawe at this day Other Oathes are little esteemd Hence it seemeth came our corporall oathes on a book The Iewes saith Capito thinke it no Oath if one forsweare by Heauen or Earth vnlesse he say by him which dwelleth there c. And none is subiect to that Curse in which the name of God is not added That of Corban pertayneth to this place mentioned Math. 15.5 Marke 7.11 which some interprete as if a Iew should say to his Parents That he had alreadie dedicated all that to God to whom vowes are to be performed wherewith he might haue helped them Doctor Rainolds saith That the Iewes as they were prone to vngodly vowes so this was an vsuall vow amongst them and they would binde it with an Oath That such or such a man should haue no profit by them The Oath which they herein vsed as most solemne was By the Gift for so they were instructed That if any sware by the Altar it was nothing but if by the Gift he was a debtor The Pharises therefore taught if any had said to his father By the Gift thou shalt haue no profit by me then he might in no case doe them any good against the Commandement Honour thy Father c. The Iewes vsed to binde their vowes with a curse as they which vowed Paules death vsing yet to suppresse the curse it selfe as If they shall enter into my rest So these By the gift if they haue any profit by me meant they should haue none Thus the Talmud saith he the Booke of their Canon Law and Schoole-Diuinitie saith That a man is bound to honor his Father vnlesse he vow the contrary Masius explaineth it thus That they did consecrate by saying Corban all where-with they should haue benefited their parents as if they had said Let it be Anathema or deuoted whatsoeuer it be with which I may profit thee And therefore those Rabbines vnder pretext of Religion allowed not to spend on his parents that which he had thus vowed to God Scaliger thus interpreteth the place as if a sonne being by his parents admonished of his dutie should put them off with this exception vnlesse that which I haue offered for thee free me of this burthen But let the more curious reade it in himselfe and what Masius Serarius and others haue written hereof The Pharises were esteemed pitifull The Sadduces more cruell They were much addicted to Astrologie and the Mathematikes whose names of the Planets Epiphanius rehearseth as also the twelue Signes There were seuen sorts of the Pharises which the Talmud reckoneth first Sichemita which measure pietie by honour and profit as the Sichemites which for the marriage of Dina endured circumcision Secondly Nacphi which lifted not his feete from the ground the third Kisai Draw-blood which smiteth his head to the wall to cause the bloud to come and also shutteth his eyes that he behold not a woman The fourth that standeth on his perfection called Mahchobathi What is my sinne as if there wanted nothing to his Righteousnesse The fift Meduchia which goe lowly and stooping The sixt The Pharisee of Loue which obeyeth the Law for loue of vertue or reward The seuenth the Pharisee of Feare which is holden in obedience by feare of punishment This they call Iobs Pharisee the former Abrahams Epiphanius describeth their strict obseruations Some saith he prescribed to themselues ten yeeres or eight or foure yeeres continence Some lay on plankes which were onely nine inches broad that when they slept they might fall to the pauement so to be awakened againe to prayer and keepe themselues waking Others put stones vnder them for the same end by pricking to awake them Others lay on Thornes for that purpose Scaliger reproueth Epiphanius for affirming that the Pharises ware womans attire as not agreeing to their austeritie which despised all beds beate themselues against walles and put thornes in the fringes of their garments to prick them he thinketh him deceiued by some Iewes report and addeth that the moderne Iewes haue little or no knowledge of those ancient Pharises but as they learne it of the Christians or of Pseudo-Gorionides so hee calleth the Hebrew booke ascribed to Ioseph Ben Gorion whom Drusius esteemeth and Scaliger proueth to be a counterfeit wherein Serarius and Ribera concurre with them The Pharises in a selfe-conceit and singularitie called all but themselues in a disgracefull scorne Other men so said he Luke 18. I am not as other men whereas they accounted themselues Masters of others on whom also they bound heauie burthens in their Rules and Cases the breach whereof they iudged Sinne in the people but yet held not themselues bound thereto For example Euery Israelite ought euery day by their Rule to say ouer the ten Commandements and that in the first Watch which might not be deferred for danger of sinne and yet amongst themselues they esteemed it lawfull at any houre of the night But vpon the Proselytes they imposed more then on the other Israelites all which they were bound to in their censure vnder paine of Hell fire and therefore
which they had in such honour that if they went abroad the people would gather vp the dust of their feete for cures and their spittle and vsed them for amulets and preseruatiues They admit neither the Apostles nor Prophets they worship water esteeming it as a god beleeuing that life is from thence Scaliger also affirmeth that the Massalians which word Epiphanius interpreth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such as pray according to the opinion and practice of those Heretiks were first a Iewish Sect and a slip of the Essees and after by marriage with some false Christians made such a gally-maufry as after when we come to speake of the Pseudochristian sects shall God willing be related for of Iewish they became Christian Heretiks The Herodians otherwise agreeing with the rest thought Herod to be the Messias moued by Iacobs Prophecy falsely interpreted that the Scepter should not depart from Iuda til Shilo came When as therfore they saw Herod a stranger to possesse the Kingdom they in-terpreted as aforesaid Some make question whether this was the name of a sect or of Herods souldiers Drus obserueth out of a Cōmenter vpon Persius Sat. 5. Herodis venere c. These words Herod raigned among the Iews in the parts of Syria in the daies of Augustus The Herodians therfore obserue the birth-day of Herod as also the Sabbaths in the which day they set Lamps burning and crowned with Violets in the windows Elsewhere he citeth out of a Lexicon of the Hebrew Law that they were called Herodians of Herods name and Dorsians of the place whence they were brought for by Nation they were Greekes so saith the Author of Baal Aruch Herod the King brought Greekes out of the desart and brought them vp in the habitable land Scaliger saith that they were a corporation or guilde instar earum societatum quae vulgo confrairia vocantur and besides their Hereticall opinion that he was the Messias entred into societie for costs and charges in common to be bestowed on sacrifices and other solemnities wherewith they honoured Herod aliue and dead Arias Montanus thinketh that the Herodians were politicians that little respected Religion They thought the Common-wealth should be established and that could not stand without Princes nor could Princes nourish themselues or theirs without money and therefore propounded that question to our Sauior touching Caesars tribute Others thinke they made hotchpotch of Iudaisme and Gentilisme as Herod had done in which it is like his successors succeeded him This coniecture is mentioned by Beza who yet rather thinketh that the Herodians were Herods courtiers moued thereto by the Syrian translation which hath debeth Hiraudis Herods domesticals Thus thinketh Iunius of them also who saith that when the Pharises could not intrap him in the Law they sent their disciples to question him of Tribute hauing before agreed which vsually they did not with the Herodians to stand by vnknowne as witnesses if he had answered any thing whereat Caesar might haue beene offended And this seemeth most likely for after Herods death how could they hold him for Messias Another Sect among these of the Circumcision Eusebius out of Hegesippus nameth the Masbothaei or Masbotheani for Thebulis saith Hegesippus was of their number which arose out of seuen sects in the Iewish people which Sects had their beginning Symon of whom the Symonians and Cleobius of whom the Cleobians Dositheus of whom the Dositheans and Gortheus of whom the Gortheans and Mashotheus of whom the Masbotheans And from the same fountaines issued the Menandrians Marcionists Carpocratians Valentinians Basilidians and Saturnilians And a little after There were diuers Sects amongst the Israelites Essees Galilaeans Hemerobaptists Masbotheans Samaritans Sadduces Pharises The word Masbothaei Scaliger saith signifieth Sabbatists or Sabbatarians because they professed to haue learned the obseruation of the Sabbath from Christ and therein differed from the other Iewes He there nameth and little else haue we but their names euen the name also of the wicked shall rot diuers other Sects if they may beare that name as the Genites or Genists which stood vpon their stock and kindred the reason Breidenbachius alledgeth because in the Babylonish captiuitie or after they married not strange wiues and therefore boast themselues of the puritie of Abrahams seede The Merissaeans or Merists which were as the name importeth sprinklers of their holy-water Breidenbach saith they made a diuision of the Scriptures and receiued only some part of them The Morbonei he addeth Sabbatise in euery thing The Helienians of Hellenius The Cleobians and Theobulians we can but mention Of the Tubiens as little saue that they are said to be a Colledge or fellowship and lesse of Ganaei and such like if there be any other names that remayne as the rotten bones of the consumed carkasses of heresies and Heretikes and either are vnknowne or degenerated into some or other sect of Pseudo-christians which require another taske The Coelicolae were Iewes but corruptly embracing Christianity for they were Massalians which had their houses or places of Prayer abroad in the open ayre of whom Iuuenal is vnderstood Nil praeter nubes coeli lumen adorant So Scaliger Readeth not numen and Petronius Iudaeus licet porcinum nomen adoret Et coeli summas aduocet auriculas These also were an off-spring of the Essees and from these proceeded the Massalians they being baptized reuolted to their former Iudaisme and bearing the name of Christians retayned the rites of those Coelicolae or Heauen-worshippers The Cannaei were a deuout society and order giuen to holinesse of life and obseruation of the Law of whom was Simon Kannaeus Mat. 10. called Zelotes the interpretation of the former as Beza and Scaliger shew Suidas calleth them obseruants of the Law whom Ananus shut in the Temple Their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Mourners were such as lamented with continuall fasting praying and weeping the destruction of their Citie Temple and Nation as else-where is said I might adde out of that ancient father Philastrius whom S. Augustine saith he had seene at Millan with S. Ambrose diuers other heresies amongst the people of the Iewes before the incarnation of Christ no fewer then eight and twentie of which we haue already mentioned the most and principall Hee addeth the Ophitae or Serpentines which worship a Serpent saying that he first procured vs the knowledge of good and euill for which GOD enuied him and cast him from the first heauen into the second whence they expect his comming esteeming him some vertue of GOD and to be worshipped Another sort are the Caiani which commend Cain for fratricide saying that Cain was made of the power of the Deuill Abel of another power but the greatest power preuailed in Caine to slay Abel A third sort reckoned by Philastrius are the Sethiani worshippers of
you may see in Buxtorfius In this booke were contayned the Traditions and ordinances of the Elders according to the prescript whereof the Iewish Synagogue was to bee ordered and it was receiued and approued of the Iewish Synagogue in the yeere of Christ 219. Some yeeres after Rabbi Iochanan Rector of the Vniuersitie of Ierusalem for the space of eightie yeeres enlarged that booke and called it the Talmud of Ierusalem being fitted for their vse which dwelt in the land of Israel as the other for Forreners which for the difficultie and obscuritie thereof was not had in such estimation as the former nor is it at this day After him Rabbi Asse read in the Schooles those Tractates handling euery yeere two of them so in the sixtie yeeres of his Rector-ship hee went twice through it all but finished in writing onely fiue and thirtie Tractates After him in the yeere 427. Maremar was made Rector to whom Mar the sonne of Rabbi Asse adioyned himselfe These perfected that which Rabbi Asse had left vnfinished And that which they thus added was called Gemara or the complement Thus the Mischnaios and Gemara made vp the whole Talmud These two spent in their labours threescore and thirteene yeeres And so in the yeere of our Lord 500. the Talmud was perfected receiued for authenticall and called the Babylonian Talmud according to which the Iewes to this day behaue themselues in cases spirituall and temporall accounting it as their ciuill and cannon Law The Iewes ascribe the Ierusalem Talmud to the yeere of the World 4229. the other 4265. This is called the Talmud of Ierusalem saith Serarius not because it was written there But was compiled not in the Babylonian Vniuersitie but in one of Israel and in the Ierusalem language which at that time was very corrupt and confused with Greekish Persian and Roman mixtures This was both begun and ended by R. Iochanan aforesaid betweene the times of the Misna and Gemara About the yeere 4860. and 1100. yeeres after Christ R. Isaac ben Iaccb in Spaine writ so it is called The little Talmud And in the great and true Thalmud are the additions of R. Barkaphra Eldad Danius fableth that it is in Hebrew amongst his enclosed Iewes Note also that the name Thalmud or Talmud is giuen sometimes to the whole worke sometimes and often to the Gemara noly calling it the booke of the Misna and Talmud And this is that Law verball or deliuered by word of mouth which is equalled to the other without which the written law cānot be conceiued or vnderstood The ioy of the hart saith Aben Ezra and refreshing of the bones betwixt which and the written Law hee can finde no difference but being deliuered to them from their Elders In one of their bookes printed at Cremona 1556. is this sentence Thinke not that the Law written is the foundation but rather the Law Traditionall is the right foundation and according to this Law did God make couenant with the Israelites for God foresaw their captiuitie in time to come and therefore lest the people among whom they should dwell should write out and interpret this Law as they did the other God would not haue it written And although in processe of time this Law be now written yet it is not explained by the Christians because it is hard and requireth a sharpe wit That which is spoken of the Law is applyed to commend their Talmud If you can frustrate saith the Lord my Couenant with the day and the night that is according to their booke Tanchuma when you will no longer learne and obserue the Talmud And in the Talmud is thus recorded To studie and reade in the Bible is a vertue and not a vertue that is a small vertue but to learne their Mischna or Talmud text is a vertue worthy reward and to learne by heart Gemara the complement of the Talmud is a vertue so great that none can be greater The Wise men say they are more excellent then the Prophets and the wordes of the Scribes more louely then those of the Prophets and therefore the one forced to confirme them with miracles the other simply to bee beleeued as is said Deut. 17.10 When some of his Schollers visited R. Eliazer in his sicknesse and said Rabbi teach vs the wayes of life that we may finde euerlasting life his answer was Giue honour to your fellow Students and turne away your Children from the studie of the Bible and place them betwixt the knees of the wise Neither can hee saith the Talmud in other places haue a quiet conscience which returnes from the studie of the Talmud to the studie of the Bible And Nothing is more excellent then the most holy Talmud And it is impossible to stand on the foundation of the written Law but by the traditionall And to dissent from his Doctor is as to dissent from God to beleeue the words of the wise is as to beleeue God himselfe They say The Law is like to water the Misna to wine the Gemara or Talmud to Preserues the Law like to Salt the Misna to Pepper the Talmud to Spices They blaspheme that God studies the Bible in the day time and the sixe orders of the Talmud by night Hence it is that the Rabbins are more exercised in their Talmud then in the Bible as on which their Faith is founded more then on the other and according to this doe they expound the Scripture And as their Talmud is most certaine so also is that whatsoeuer exposition of their Rabbins according to the same Thus saith Rabbi Isaac Abhuhabh whatsoeuer our Rabbins in their Sermons and mysticall explainations haue spoken wee are no lesse firmely to beleeue then the Law of Moses And if any thing therein seeme repugnant to our sense we must impute it to the weakenesse of our conceit and not to their words as for example it is written in the Talmud that a Rabbin once preached that the time would come when a woman should euery day bee deliuered of her burthen according to the saying Iere. 31.7 Concepit statimque peperit One not beleeuing this the Rabbin answered that hee spake not of a common woman but of a Henne which should euery day lay an egge Such are their expositions I know not whether fitter to be heard of Heraclitus or Democritus more lamentable or ridiculous and yet is it there said that their wordes are the words of the liuing God whereof not one shall fall to the ground and must not bee derided either in word or thought whether yee respect the persons or workes of their Rabbins Therefore in a Dutch booke printed in Hebrew characters at Cracouia 1597. it is written that the Iewes are bound to say Amen not onely to their Prayers but to all their Sermons and Expositions according to the Prophet Esay Open the gates the people commeth schomer amunim which keepeth righteousnesse that is say
in his Image Male and Female created hee them And he called their name ADAM yet after this is mention of Adams solitarinesse and forming of Eue out of his side that is cutting the female part from the Male and so fitting them to generation Thus doth Leo Hebraus reconcile the Fable of Platoes Androgynus with Moses narration out of which he thinketh it borrowed For as hee telleth that Iupiter in the first forming of mankinde made them such Androgyni with two bodies of two sexes ioyned in the brest diuided for their pride the nauill still remaining as a skarre of the wound then made so with little difference is this their interpretation of Moses §. III. Of the Iewesses Conception and Trauell and of Lilith WHen a Iewish woman is great with Childe and neare her time her chamber is furnished with necessaries and then some holy and deuout man if any such may bee had with Chalke maketh a circular line round in the chamber vpon all the walls and writeth on the doore and within and without on euery wall and about the bed in Hebrew Letters Adam Chaua Chuts Lilith or after the Iewish pronuntiation Lilis that is Adam Eue away hence Lilis Hereby they signifie their desire that if a woman shall bee deliuered of a sonne GOD may one day giue him a wife like to Eue and not a shrew like Lilis This word Lilis is read in the Prophet interpreted a Skritch-Owle but the Iewes seeme to meane by it a diuellish Spectrum in womans shape that vseth to slay or carry away Children which are on the eight day to be Circumcised Elias Leuita writeth that hee hath read that a hundred and twentie yeeres Adam contained himselfe from his wife Eue and in that space there came to him Diuels which conceiued of him whence were ingendred Diuels and Spirits Fairies and Goblins and there were foure mothers or dammes of Diuels Lilith Naemah Ogereth and Machalath Thus is it read in Ben Sira when GOD had made Adam and saw it was not good for him to bee alone hee made him a woman of the earth like vnto him and called her Lilis These disagreed for superioritie not suffering Caesarue priorem Pompeiusue parem Lilis made of the same mould would not be vnderling and Adam would not endure her his equall Lilis seeing no hope of agreement vttered that sacred word IEHOVA with the Cabalisticall interpretation thereof and presently did flie into the Ayre Adam playning his case GOD sent three Angels after her viz. Senoi Sensenoi Sanmangeleph either to bring her backe or to denounce vnto her That a hundred of her Children should dye in a day These ouertooke her ouer the troublesome Sea where one day the Aegyptians should bee drowned and did their message to her shee refusing to obey they threatned her drowning but she besought them to let her alone because shee was created to vexe and kill children on the eight day if they were men if women children on the twentieth day They neuerthelesse forcing her to goe Lilis sware to them That whensoeuer she should finde the name or figure of those Angels written or painted on Schedule Parchment or any thing shee would doe Infants no harme and that she would not refuse that punishment to lose a hundred children in a day And accordingly a hundred of her children or young Diuels dyed in a day And for this cause doe they write these names on a Scroll of Parchment and hang them on their Infants neckes Thus farre Ben Sira In their Chambers alwayes is found such a scroll or painting and the names of the Angels of Health this office they ascribe to them are written ouer the chamber doore In their Booke Brandspiegel Printed at Cracouia 1597. is shewed the authoritie of this Historie collected by their Wise-men out of those words Male and Female created hee them compared with the forming of Eue of a Rib in the next Chapter saying That Lilis the former was diuorced from Adam for her pride which shee conceiued because she was made of earth as well as hee and GOD gaue him another Flesh of his flesh And concerning her R. Moses tels that Samael the Diuell came riding vpon a Serpent which was as bigge as a Camell and cast water vpon her and deceiued her When this Iewesse is in trauell shee must not send for a Christian Mid-wife except no Iewish can bee gotten and then the Iewish women must be very thick about her for feare of negligence or iniurie And if she be happily deliuered of a sonne there is exceeding ioy through all the house and the father presently makes festiuall prouision against the Circumcision on the eight day In the meane time ten persons are inuited neither more nor fewer which are all past thirteene yeeres of age The night after her deliuerie seuen of the inuited parties and some others sometimes meet at the Child-house and make there great cheere and sport all night Dicing Drinking Fabling so to solace the Mother that shee should not grieue too much for the childs Circumcision §. IIII. Of the Iewish manner of Circumcision THe Circumciser is called Mohel who must bee a Iew and a Man and well exercised in that facultie and hee that will performe this office at the beginning giueth money to some poore Iew to be admitted hereunto in his children that after his better experience hee may be vsed of the richer And this Mohel may thence-forwards bee knowne by his thumbes on which he weareth the nayles long and sharpe and narrow-pointed The circumcising Instruments is of stone glasse yron or any matter that will cut commonly sharpe kniues like Rasors amongst the rich Iewes closed in siluer and set with stones Before the Infant be Circumcised he must be washed and wrapped in clouts that in the time of the Circumcision hee may lie cleane for otherwise they might vse no prayers ouer him And if in the time of Circumcision for paine he defileth himselfe the Mohels must suspend his praying till he be washed laid cleane again This is performed commonly in the morning while the child is fasting to preuent much fluxe of bloud In the morning therefore of the eight day all things are made readie First are two seates placed or one so framed that two may sit in the same apart adorned costly with Carpets and that either in the Synagogue or some priuate Parlour If it bee in the Synagogue then the seat is placed neere the holy Arke or Chest where the Booke of the Law is kept Then comes the suretie or God-father for the child and placeth himselfe at the said seat and neere him the Mohel or Circumciser Other Iewes follow them one of which cryeth with a loud voyce That they should bring presently whatsoeuer is needfull for this businesse Then come other Children whereof one bringeth a great Torch in which are lighted twelue waxe Candles to represent the twelue Tribes of Israel after him two
in Christians odious to them that they may season them from their child-hood with hatred of them When they are seuen yeeres old they learne to write and reade and when they can reade they learne to construe the Text of Moses in their vulgar tongue When the Mother carrieth him first to the schoole to the Rabbi she maketh him cakes seasoned with honie and sugar and as this cake so saith she let the Law be sweet to thy heart Speake not vaine trifling words in the schoole but onely the words of God For if they so do then the glorious Maiestie of God dwelleth in them and delighteth it selfe with the ayre of their breath For their breathing is yet holy not yet polluted with sinne neither is hee Bar-mitzuah bound to obey the Commandements till he bee thirteene yeeres old When he is ten yeers old and hath now some smattering in Moses he proceedeth to learne the Talmud at thirteene yeeres his Father calleth ten Iewes and testifieth in their presence that this his sonne is now of iust age and hath beene brought vp in their manners and customes their daily manner of praying and blessing and hee will not further stand charged with the sinnes of his Sonne who is now Bar-mitzuah and must himselfe beare this burthen Then in their presence hee thanketh God that he hath discharged him from the punishment of his sonne desiring that his sonne by diuine grace may be long safe and endeuour to good workes At the fifteenth yeere of their life they are compelled to learne their Gemara or the complement of their Talmud Disputations and subtill Decisions about the Text of their Talmud And in these they spend the greatest part of their liues seldome reading any of the Prophets and some not in the whole space of a long life reading one Prophet through and therefore know so little of the Mossias At eighteene yeeres their male children Marrie according to their Talmud-constitution and sometimes sooner to auoyde fornication Their Maydens may marrie when are twelue yeeres old and a day At twentie yeeres they may traffike buy sell and circumuent all they can for their neighbour in the Law is in their sense such a Iew as you haue heard described But because these things are ioyned together in one of their sentences or Apophthemes of the R R. called Pirke Aboth I thought good to adde the same as containing a mappe of the Iewes life A sonne of fiue yeeres to the Bible a sonne of ten yeeres to the Mischna a sonne of thirteene yeeres to the Precepts a sonne of fifteene yeeres to the Thalmud a sonne of eighteene yeeres to marriage a sonne of twentie yeeres to follow the affaires of the world a sonne of thirtie yeeres to strength a sonne of fortie yeeres to wisedome a sonne of fiftie yeeres to counsell a sonne of sixâ—ie yeeres to old age a sonne of seuentie yeeres to gray haires a sonne of eightie to the height a sonne of ninetie to the graue a sonne of one hundred yeeres is as a dead man departed out of the world CHAP. XV. Of their Morning Prayer with their Fringes Phylacteries and other Ceremonies thereof §. I. Of their Behauiour before they goe to the Synagogue THe good-wife is to waken her Husband and the Parents to awaken their Children when after thirteene yeeres they are subiect to the Iewish Precepts before their Penticost they rise before it is light and after the nights being shorter when it is now day They are to awaken the day not to tarrie till it awaken them For their Morning-prayer must bee made whiles the Sunne is rising and not later for then is the time of hearing as they interpret Lamen 2.19 And hee which is deuout ought at that time to bee sad for Ierusalem and to pray euerie morning for the re-edifying of the Temple and Citie if in the night-time any sheddeth teares for their long captiuitie God will heare his prayer for then the Starres and Planets mourne with him and if he suffer the teares to trickle downe his cheekes God will arise and gather them into his bottle and if any decree be by their enemies enacted against them with those teares he will blot out the same Witnesse Dauid Put my teares in thy bottle are they not in thy booke And if any rub his fore-head with his teares it is good to blot out certaine sinnes that are there written In there beginning of the night God causeth all the gates of heauen to be shut and the Angels stay at them in silence and sendeth euill spirits into the world which hurt all they meet but after mid-night they are commanded to open the same This command and call is heard of the Cocks and therefore they clap their wings and crow to awaken men and then the euill spirits lose their power of hurting and in this respect the Wise-men haue ordained them a thanksgiuing to be said at Cock-crowing Blessed art thou O God Lord of the whole world who hast giuen vnderstanding to the Cocke They must not rise vp in their beds naked nor put on their shirts sitting but put their heads and armes into the same as they lye lest the walls and beames should see their nakednesse It is a brag of Rabbi Iose that in all his life hee had not herein faulted But to goe or stand naked in the chamber were more then piacular and much more to make water standing naked before his bed although it be night Hee must not put on his garments wrong nor his left shooe before the right and yet he must put off the left foot shooe first When he is clothed with his head inclined to the earth and a deuout minde in remembrance of the destruction of the Temple hee goeth out of the chamber with his head feete and all couered because of the holy Schechinam diuine glorie ouer his head Then hee goeth to stoole in some priuie place for so hath Amos commanded Prepare thy selfe O Israel to meete thy God and DAVID All that is within mee praise his holy name That is all within the body emptie and cleane For else must not God bee named and therefore his garments must not be spotted and fouled To restraine nature too long were a sinne and would cause the soule to stinke and sauing your reuerence hee must wipe with the left hand for with the right he writeth the name of God and the Angels And in this place and businesse hee must take heed he thinke not of God or his Word much lesse name him for God will shorten the dayes of such a one R. Sira told his Scholers that the cause of his long life was that in an impure place hee neuer though of the Word nor named the name of God Besides hee must turne his face and not his hinder-parts toward the Temple of Ierusalem Hee ought not to touch his body with vnwashen hands in regard of the euill spirits which rest thereon till they
goe cheerfully before their Synagogue they haue an Yron fastned to make cleane their shooes according to Salomons counsell Keepe thy foote when thou goest into the house of God He that hath Pantofles must put them off as it is written For the place where thou standest is holy ground At the entrance in at the doore he pronounceth some things out of Dauids Psalmes they must enter with feare and trembling considering whose presence it is and for a while suspend their praying for the better attention And euerie Iew must cast in a halfe-penie at least into the Treasurie as it is written I will see thy face in righteousnesse that is in almes as they interpret it In this attention they bow themselues towards the Arke in which is the booke of the Law and say How faire are thy Tents O IACOB and thy dwellings O Israel And I will enter into thy house in the multitude of thy mercie I will bow downe in thy holy Temple in thy feare And O Lord I haue loued the habitation of thy house and the place of the Tabernacle of thy glorie and diuers other verses out of the Psalme After these things they begin to pray as is contained in their common Prayer-booke and because these prayers are verie many therefore they runne them ouer hee that cannot reade must attend and say Amen to all their prayers These prayers are in Hebrew rimes Their first prayer is The Lord of the World which raigned before any thing was created at that time when according to his will they were created was called King to whom shall bee giuen feare and honour He alway hath beene is and shall remaine in his beautie for euer Hee is One and besides him there is none other which may bee compared or associated to him without beginning and end with him is rule and strength He is my GOD and my deliuerer which liueth He is my Rocke in my need and time of my trouble my Banner my Refuge my Hereditarie portion in that day when I implore his helpe Into his hands I commend my Spirit Whether I wake or sleepe hee is with me therefore I will not be afraid This done they say then their hundreth benedictions one after another which are short and twice a day repeated First for the washing of their hands that if hee then forgot it he might now in the Congregation recite it Then for the creation of man and for that hee was made full of holes whereof if one should bee stopped he should dye then a confession of the Resurrection then for vnderstanding giuen to the Cocke as you haue heard to discerne day and night a sunder and with his crowing to awaken them and in order Blessed c. That he hath made me an Israelite or Iew Blessed c. That hee hath not made me a seruant Blessed c. That he hath not made me a woman The women heere say that he hath made me according to his will Blessed c. That exalteth the lowly Blessed c. That maketh the blind to see which they should say at their first wakening Blessed c. That rayseth the crooked at his rising Blessed c. That cloatheth the naked at his apparelling Blessed c. That raiseth them vp that fall Blessed c. That bringeth the prisoners out of prison Blessed c. That stretcheth the world vpon the waters when hee setteth his feet on the ground Blessed c. That prepareth and ordereth the goings of man when hee goeth out of his chamber Blessed c. That hath created all things necessarie to life when he puts on his shooes Blessed c. That girded Israel with strength his girdle Blessed c. That crowneth Israel with comelinesse when he puts on his hat Blessed c. That giueth strength to the wearie Blessed bee thou God our Lord King of the world who takest sleepe from mine eyes and slumber from mine eye-lids Then adde they two prayers to be preserued against sinnes euill spirits and men and all euill After this humbling themselues before GOD they confesse their sinnes and againe comfort themselues in the couenant made to Abraham Wee are thy people and the children of thy Couenant c. O happie wee how good is our portion how sweet is our lot how faire is our heritage Oh happie we who euery morning and euening may say Heare Israel The Lord our Lord is one God Gather vs that hope in thee from the foure ends of all the earth that all the inhabitants of the earth may know that thou art our God c. Our Father which art in Heauen be mercifull vnto vs for thy names sake which is called vpon vs and confirme in vs that which is written At that time will I bring you and gather you and make you for a name and praise among all the people of the earth when I shall turne your captiuities saith the Lord Then follow two short prayers for the Law giuen them And then they goe on to the Sacrifices which because they cannot execute in action out of the Temple they redeeme with words reading the precepts concerning sacrifices according to their times comforting themselues with the saying of HOSE We will sacrifice the calues of our lippes Then repeat they an Historie of Sacrifice and a Prayer of the vse of the Law and how many wayes it may bee expounded This done they with a still voyce that none can heare pray for the re-edifying of the Temple in these words Let thy will bee before thy face O GOD our Lord Lord of our Fathers that the holy house of thy Temple may bee restored in our dayes and grant vs thy will in thy Law After rising with great ioy and clamour they sing a prayer of prayse in hope hereof and sitting downe againe they reade a long prayer gathered heere and there out of the Psalmes and some whole Psalmes and part of 1. Chron. 30. And lastly the last words of Obadiah The Sauiours shall ascend into Mount Sion to iudge the Mount of Esau and the Kingdome shall bee the Lords Which they speake in hope of the destruction of the Christians whom they call Edomites and of their owne restitution In some of their close writings which they will not suffer to come into the hands of Christians they say that the soule of Edom entered into the bodie of Christ and that both hee and wee are no better then Esau They proceed singing And God shall bee King ouer all the earth In that day GOD shall bee one and his name one as it is written in thy Law O GOD Heare Israel GOD our GOD is one GOD And these words in their next Prayer they repeat resounding that last word One by the halfe or whole houre together looking vp to Heauen and when they come to the last letter thereof Daleth d. they all turne their heads to the foure corners and windes of the World signifying that GOD
the Feast in hope of like destruction to the Christians as befell Iericho and then renew the shaking of their boughes The seuenth day is most solemne called by them Hoschana rabba the great Hosanna as if one should say the great feast of saluation or helpe because then they pray for the saluation of all the people and for a prosperous new-yeere and all the prayers of this Feast haue in them the words of sauing as O God saue vs and O God of our saluation and as thou hast saued the Israelites and such like the prayers are therefore called Hosannoth Then they produce seuen bookes and in euery of their seuen compassings lay vp one againe This night they know their fortunes by the Moone for stretching out their armes if they see not the shadow of their head by Moone-light they must dye that yeere if a finger wanteth hee loseth a friend if the shadow yeeld him not a hand hee loseth a sonne the want of the left hand portendeth losse of a daughter if no shadow no life shall abide with him for it is written Their shadow is departed from them Some Iewes goe yeerely into Spaine to prouide Pome-citrons and other necessaries for the furnishing this feast which they sell in Germany other places to the Iewes at excessiue prices They keepe their Tabernacles in all weathers except a very vehement storme driue them with a heauie countenance into their houses Their wiues and seruants are not so strictly tyed hereto §. IIII. Of their New Moones and New-yeeres day THe New-Moones are at this day but halfe festiuall to the Iewes accounting themselues free to worke or not in them but the women keepe it intirely festiuall because they denyed their Eare-rings to the molten Calfe which after they bestowed willingly on their Tabernacle The deuouter Iewes fast the day before Their Mattins is with more prayers their dinner with more cheere then on other dayes and a great part of the day after they sit at Cardes or telling of Tales That day when the Moone is eclipsed they fast When they may first see the New-Moone they assemble and the chiefe Rabbi pronounceth a long Prayer the rest saying after him The Iewes beleeuing that GOD created the world in September or Tisri conceit also that at the reuolution of the same time yeerely hee sitteth in iugdement and out of the bookes taketh reckoning of euery mans life and pronounceth sentence accordingly That day which their great Sanhedrin ordayned the New-yeeres festiuall God receiuing thereof intelligence by his Angels sent thither to know the same causeth the same day a Senate of Angels to bee assembled as it is written Daniel 12. All things prouided in the solemnest manner the three bookes are opened one of the most Wicked who are presently registred into the Booke of Death the second of the Iust who are inrolled into the Booke of Life and the third of the meane sort whose Iudgement is demurred vntill the day of Reconciliation the tenth of Tisri that if in the meane time they seriously repent them so that their good may exceed their euill then are they entred into the Booke of Life if otherwise they are recorded into the Blacke Bill of Death Their Scripture is produced by R. Aben Let them bee blotted out of the Booke of the liuing and not bee written with the Iust Blotting points you to the Booke of Death Liuing that of Life and not writing with the Iust is the third Booke of Indifferents All the workes which a man hath done through the yeere are this day examined The good workes are put in one ballance the bad in the other what helpe a siluer Chalice or such heauie metall could affoord in this case you may finde by experience in Saint Francis Legend who when the bad deeds of a great man lately dead out-weighed the good at a dead lift cast in a siluer Chalice which the dead partie had sometime bestowed on Franciscan deuotion and weighed vp the other side and so the Diuels lost their prey GOD say they pronounceth sentence of punishment or reward sometime in this life to bee executed sometime in the other In respect hereof their Rabbines ordaine the moneth before to be spent in penance and morning and Eeuening to sound a Trumpet of a Rams-horne as Aue Marie Bell to warne them of this Iudgement that they may thinke of their sinnes and besides to befoole the Diuell that with this often sounding being perplexed hee may not know when this New-yeeres day shall bee to come into the Court to giue euidence against them The day before they rise sooner in the morning to mutter ouer their prayers for remission and when they haue done in the Synagogue they goe to the graues in the Church-yard testifying that if GOD doe not pardon them they are like to the dead and praying that for the good workes of the Saints the iust Iewes there buried hee will pitty them and there they giue large almes After noone they shaue adorne and bathe themselues that they may be pure the next day for some Angels soyled with impuritie heere below are faine to purge themselues in the fierie brooke Dinor before they can prayse GOD how much more they and in the water they make confession of their sins the confession containeth two and twentie words the number of their Alphabet and at the pronouncing of euery word giue a knocke on their brest and then diue wholly vnder water The Feast it selfe they begin with a cup of Wine and New-yeere Salutations and on their Table haue a Rammes head in remembrance of That Ramme which was offered in Isaacks stead and for this cause are their Trumpets of Rams-horne Fish they eate to signifie the multiplication of their good workes they eate sweet fruits of all sorts and make themselues merry as assured of forgiuenesse of their sinnes and after meat all of all sorts resort to some bridge to hurle their sinnes into the water as it is written Hee shall cast all our sinnes into the bottome of the Sea And if they there espie any fish they leape for ioy these seruing to them as the scape-goate to carrie away their sinnes At night they renew their cheere and end this feast §. V. Of their Lent Penance and Reconciliation Fast. FRom this day to the tenth day is a time of Penance or Lent wherein they fast and pray for the cause aforesaid and that if they haue beene written in the Booke of Death yet God seeing their good works may repent and write them in the Life-Booke Thrice a day very earely they confesse three houres before day and surcease suits at Law c. And on the ninth day very earely they resort to the Synagogue and at their returne euery male taketh a Cocke and euery female a Henne if she be with childe both and the housholder saying out of the hundred and fift Psalme verses 17 18 19
20 21 22. and out of Iob chapter 23. verse 23 24. 25. swingeth the Cocke three times about his head euery time saying This Cocke shall make an exchange for me he shall dye for mee and I shall goe into life with all the people of Israel Amen He doth it three times for himselfe for his children for the strangers that are with him Then hee killeth him and cutteth his throat and hurleth him with all his force to the ground and roasteth him signifying that he himselfe deserueth death the sword stoning and fire the inwards they hurle on the top of the house that the Crowes may with it carrie away their sinnes A white Cocke for this purpose is principall a red Cocke they vse not for they are full of sinne themselues by Esaias authoritie If your sinnes were red as scarlet c. Antonius Margarita saith That this propitiatory creature should bee an Ape as most like to man but they vse a Cocke for the names sake a man in Hebrew is Gebher which is the Talmudicall or Babylonish name of a Cocke Thus those that with a Rams horne beguile the Deuill and with a Cocke beguile GOD iustly beguile themselues who refuse that sacrifice of Christ in whose stripes they might be healed They haue another fable of a Cocke mentioned by Victor Carbensis thinking that as often as a Cocke stands on one leg and his combe lookes pale that GOD is angry which hapneth they say euery day and onely in the day time and that but the twinckling of an eye And therefore they praise GOD which hath giuen such vnderstanding to a Cocke After the performance of this Cocke-sacrifice they goe to the buriall place vsing like Ceremonies there as on New-yeers eeuen and after noone bathe them likewise After Eeuensong he which hath offended others askes them forgiuenesse which if he obtaine not at first then the offender taketh with him three other and asketh the second and third time if all this bee in vaine he taketh ten others and renueth his suite if he obtaine it is well if not GOD will hold him excused and the other partie shall be guiltie If the partie offended be dead the offender with ten other goeth to the graue there confesseth his faults They confesse one to another also and that in a secret place of their Synagogue where each receiueth mutually at his fellowes hand with a leather belt nine and thirty blowes at each blow the partie beaten beateth himselfe on the brest and saith one word of his Confession taken out of the seuentie and eight Psalme and eight and thirtieth Verse being in the Hebrew thirteene words which he thrice repeateth then the striker lyeth downe and receiueth like penance at the hands of the former you may iudge with what rigour This done they runne home and make merry with the Cockes and Hens before mentioned supping largely because of the next dayes fast Their Supper must be ended before Sunne-set for then begineth their fast They put on their cleanest rayment and ouer the same a great and large shirt downe to the shooes to testifie their puritie They resort to their Synagogues with waxe candles in Germanie they haue for euery man one and then light them The women also light Candles at home as on the Sabbath It is ominous if the Candles burne not cleerely They spread the floore with Carpets for soyling their purest cloathes Their humiliations at this feast are fiue first foure and twentie or seuen and twentie houres fast whereunto children are subiect the Males after twelue yeeres the Females after eleuen Secondly they weare no shooes Thirdly they must not annoint them Fourthly nor bathe them no not put a finger into the water Fiftly nor companie with no not touch their wiues Before they begin prayers thirteene of the principall Rabbies walking in the Temple giue licence to all both good and bad to pray And the Praecentor or Reader fetcheth the booke out of the Arke and openeth it singing a long Prayer beginning all compacts vowes and oathes c. insinuating that all the vowes promises oathes and couenants which euerie Iew had that yeere broken bee disanulled and pardoned and that because now all haue power to pray and prayse GOD. They continue singing till late in the night Some remaine all night in the Synagogue yea the deuouter some stand vpright singing and praying without intermission all that feast the space of seuen and twentie houres in the same place Those that departed the Synagogue returne in the morning before day and there stay all that day Often they prostrate themselues with their face couered at euery word of their Confessions knocking their brest When it beginneth to bee night the Priest draweth his Tallies a large cloath made of haires before his eyes and pronounceth the blessing Numb 6. holding his hand towards the people who meane-while couer their faces with their hands for they may not looke on the Priests hand because the spirit of GOD resteth thereon Then hee singeth a Prayer seuen times together sometimes higher sometimes lower with his voyce because that GOD now ascendeth from them into the seuenth Heauen and they with their sweet melodie bring him on the way Then they make a long and shrill sound with their Rams-horne-trumpet and there followeth presently a voyce from Heauen Goe eate thy bread with ioy and gladnesse c. After this they returne home some carrying home their lights to distinguish the holy Times as you haue heard from the prophane some leaue them in the Synagogue all the yeere at certaine times lighting them Some Saint-Iewes prouide to haue a waxe-light continually burning all the yeere long in the Synagogue In their returne they wish to each other a good yeere For the bookes before mentioned are now closed nor may they expect any alteration They sup largely and betimes the next morning returne to the Synagogue lest Sathan should complaine at so soone a cooling of their zeale But the Deuill may bee quiet for when the Law was giuen Samael the euill spirit complained that hee had power ouer all people but the Israelites GOD answered That he should haue power ouer them if on the Reconciliation-day hee found any sinne in them But he finding them pure sayd That this his people were like the Angels liuing in vnitie without eating or drinking The Iewes haue a ceremonie to giue the Deuill gifts on this day either not to hinder them or else because Gifts blinde the wise §. VI. Of their other Feasts THe Iewes diuide the Law into two and fiftie parts and reading euery Sabbath one the last falleth on the next day after the Feast of Tabernacles about the three and twentieth day of September In this day they leape dance and make much ioy They assemble in their Synagogue and take all the bookes of the Law out of the Arke leauing in it meane-while that it bee not left emptie a burning light
signifie to the parties prosperitie and abundance At parting euery one hath a cup of wine giuen them Eight dayes after neither partie goeth out of the house and many youthes come and make merry with the Bridegrome imitating they thinke Sampson herein Some say that the man taketh the espoused Bride home to his house to be both witnesse and keeper of her virginity till the marriage solemnitie The day before the marriage the Bride must wash her in that absolute manner before described certaine women ringing with somewhat when shee goeth in and out of the water some of them also leaping and dancing The Bridegrome sends the Bride a wedding girdle embossed with gold and shee him another with siluer studs On the wedding day the Bride adornes her selfe in the best Iewish dresse with her marriage attire and by women singing their sweetest Epithalamia is conueyed into a chamber and their placing her on a faire seate braid her haire into goodle curles and put a vaile ouer her eyes in imitation of Rebeccas modestie singing meane-while dancing and expressing the greatest signes of ioy thinking they therein please God as being taught by their Rabbines that God vsed the like curling singing and dancing when he presented Eue to Adam yea refused not to serue that new couple and with his owne hands made the canopie vnder which they were to receiue their marriage blessing the Angels with pipes and trumpets making musike to leade the dance That which Moses saith God built a woman The Talmud interpreteth Hee made curles and hee brought her to Adam to wit with leaping and dancing When the marriage benediction is to bee solemnized foure boyes beare a canopie on foure poles into the place appointed which is some street or garden abroad in the open aire the people sounding their acclamations Blessed be he which commeth The Bride being led by others goeth three time about the Bridegrome as a cocke goeth about a hen and that forsooth to fulfill that Prophecie A woman shall compasse a man hee also must fetch one compasse about her The people also besprinkle the Bride with wheat crying out Increase and multiply according to that of the Psalmist He filleth thee with the fat of wheat In some places they mingle money with the wheat which the poore Iewes gather vp The Bride stands on the right hand for it is written Thy wife standeth on thy right hand with her face also to the South for then she shall be fruitfull The Rabbi which marrieth them taketh the end of the Vestment about the Bridegromes necke they call it Talles and puts it on the Brides head after the example of Boaz and Ruth and then takes a glasse filled with wine ouer which hee vttereth the marriage blessing praysing God by whose instinct these persons were espoused and so reacheth the glasse to them and bids them drinke This glasse if she bee a Virgin hath but a narrow mouth at Wormes they vse an earthen pot Now the Rabbi receiuing a Ring of pure gold without any Iewell in it sheweth it to some witnesses asking them if it bee good and worth the money it cost and then puts it on the Brides finger and with a loud voice pronounceth the spousall letters After this he takes another glasse of wine and blesseth God that the Bridegrome and Bride haue accepted of each other and giues it them to taste This done the Bridegrome breaketh the former glasse against the wall or ground in remembrance of the destruction of Ierusalem in which respect in some places they put ashes on the Bridegromes head He weareth for this cause a black-hood on his head like a mourner and the bride likewise weareth a black cloth fit to terrifie children with the deformitie Thus do they mixe mirth and mourning as Dauid warneth Reioyce vnto him in trembling This ended they sit downe at table and then must the Bridegrome make trial of his brest in singing a long prayer others in the meane time call to make ready the hens Then is there a hen and an egge set before the Bride of that the Bridegrome carueth her a piece and then presently all the company men and women teare the hen amongst them like hungrie hounds snatching out of each others hands and mouthes all to glad the new married couple The egge is not sodde but in another scene of mirth one casteth it in the face of another of some Christian especially if any bee present at the nuptials In the same is a mysterie included for the Bride that she shall haue as easie trauell in child-birth as the hen layeth her egges After this they fall to their cheere and dances one they call the Mitzuah or commandment-dance as if GOD had enioyned it The chiefe ghest takes the Bridegroome by the hand another him and so on through the companie likewise the chiefe woman takes the Bride another her and so one another then doe they dance in a long row with a tumultuous noyse and so end the nuptiall sports Among all their other blessings the Bridegrome is to say one Vbi perspexerit sanguinem virgineum to vse the words of Genebrard who expresseth it being borrowed from some words of the Canticles fleshly abused by such application The Marriage commonly lasteth eight dayes and on the Sabbath they dance the Iustiest of all doing the Sabbath herein a singular honour because that also is called a Bride It is prohibited to bid any vncircumcised ghest to this banquet for Salomon saith The stranger doth not intermeddle with his ioy Yea the good Angels seeing such there will depart and the euill will come and raise strifes and contentions For they thinke no place emptie from the earth to the skie but all full of good or bad Angels flying or standing in the same The marriage is in publike lest whoredome should be couered vnder that pretext pretending themselues married when they were not §. IIII. Of Coniugall Duties LEt it not grieue you to heare somewhat of the Duties betwixt man and wife The Husband oweth ten things to the Wife three according to the Law her nourishment her cloathing and her time namely of due beneuolence to bee performed and seuen things according to the words of the Scribes The first whereof is the foundation of dowrie viz. two hundred denarij if she bee a virgin otherwise an hundred The other concerne the condition of the dowrie The woman which rendereth not her husband his due is rebellious and refractarie and hee is bidden to expell her without a dowrie The conditions of the dowrie were first to cure her in sickenesse secondly to redeeme her being captiue thirdly to burie her being dead fourthly to nourish her out of his owne goods and that she dwell in his house in her widdow-hood fifthly to keepe her daughters till marriage sixtly that her sonnes inherit They appoint not onely loue but honour to the wife as Peter also
obtaine Diuine fauour Az. 2. The Creator said I am the onely Creator alwayes the same pittifull mercifull besides whom there is none other whose miracles and great workes are vnto the wise the frame of Heauen and Earth the intercourse of night and day the ships in the Sea fit for the vse of men raine for the refreshing of the earth the composition of all creatures the windes the cloudes c. 15. Inuoke and worship one GOD alone 43. All the miracles of GOD cannot bee written if all the Trees in the world were pennes and the Sea seuen times greater and were inke with whom it is a small thing to raise the dead OF THE BIRTH OF CHRIST hee writeth thus Azo 29. Wee sent our Spirit to Marie the best of all women and the wombe vntouched Azoar 31. in likenesse of a man professing himselfe a Diuine Messenger concerning a Sonne c. And when shee in trauell plained Christ came from vnder her and said Feare not and when some chid with her about the childe the childe it selfe made answere I am the Seruant and Prophet of God Hee saith the Iewes did not slay Christ but one like him Azo 11. and vpbraideth them for not receiuing him Azo 2. and chap. 4. To Christ the Sonne of Marie properly communicating our owne soule wee haue giuen him strength and power more then other Prophets yet chap. 13. he disclaimeth that worship which is done him and his mother Az. 4. Wee giuing our soule to Christ the Sonne of Marie preferred him before all others that had beene exalted by me to speake with GOD to power and vertue He inserteth the Prayer of the Virgins Mother when shee felt her selfe with childe by Ioachim and maketh Zacharie to bee the Virgins Tutor 5. Who hee saith for his vnbeliefe was dumbe three dayes The Angell saluted Marie saying O thou the purest of all women and men deuoted to GOD. Ioy vnto thee of that great Messenger with the Word of GOD whose name is IESVS CHRIST an excellent man at the command of the Creator he shal come with Diuine power with knowledge of all learning with the Booke of the Law and Gospell shall giue Commandements to the Israelites shall giue life cure diseases shew what is to be eaten and to be done shall confirme the Old Testament shall make some things lawfull which before were vnlawfull c. Hee acknowledgeth that his Mother knew not man 11. They say the Iewes that they killed Christ the Sonne of Marie the Messenger of GOD but it was not true but they crucified in his stead another like him for the incomprehensible GOD caused him to goe vnto Him IESVS is the Spirit and Word and Messenger of GOD sent from heauen 11. And GOD spake to him Az. 13. and gaue him a cleane and blessed soule whereby he made yellow formes of birds and breathing on them made them flie Hee cured one borne blinde and the leprous and raised the dead GOD taught him the Booke and Wisdome and the Gospell and Testament Concerning his LAVV and ALCORAN he handleth it in the second Chapter of Azoara which beginneth thus In the name of the mercifull and pittifull God This booke without any falshood or errour shewing the Truth to them which loue feare and worship GOD and are studious of prayers and almes and the obseruation of the lawes giuen of GOD from heauen to thee and other thy Predecessors and the hope of the world to come hath manifested the true Sect For this bringeth the followers thereof to the highest inricheth them with the highest good as to the vnbeleeuers and erroneous it menaceth truely the greatest euill to come This hee after applieth to Paradise and Hell which is due to the Enemies of Gabriel which intimateth this Booke to his heart by the Creator and to all the Enemies of GOD and Michael and the Archangels This his Alcoran hee calleth the establishing of the Law of the Israelites and Azo 21. hee arrogateth to his Booke wisdome and eloquence and 47. hee saith it was composed of the incomprehensible and wise GOD euery where agreeing with it selfe and calleth it 63. the Booke of Abraham and 69. if it should be placed on a Mountaine that Mountaine for Diuine feare would be dissolued Those which will not be conuerted take and slay by all meanes intrapping them and fight against them till they be your Tributaries and Subiects And 18. the fifth part of all the prey is due vnto GOD and his Prophet and to your Kindred and Orphans and the poore Those that are taken in Warre kill or make slaues but pardon them if they will turne to your Law and GOD also will pardon them Such good Warriours shall haue full pardon The Iewes and Christians contrarie to that he had said before let GOD confound He hath sent his Messenger with the right way and good law that he may manifest and extoll it aboue all lawes Of the twelue moneths foure are to be consecrated to fight against the enemies Those that refuse this war-fare lose their soules and they which flie in the day of battell Az. 6. doe it by the Deuils instigation thus punishing them for their former sinnes Yea the Deuils themselues Az. 56. being conuerted thereby say to their Diobolicall Nation We haue heard a Booke sent after Moses which approoueth all his sayings and teacheth the true and right way And Az. 12. he calls the Alcoran a Booke of truth sent from aboue a Confirmer of Christs Precepts Hee saith Az. 15. That Moses deliuered some things in writing more vnwritten He makes his Booke to bee the same which GOD had taught Abraham Ismael Isaac Iacob Moses and CHRIST Az. 5. he saith his booke containes some things firme and without exception some things contrarie which froward men peruert to controuersies but the exposition thereof belongs to GOD onely and to the wisest which beleeue that all of it came from God Az. 6. he excites them to defend it when hee shall be dead or slaine and God will reward them Neither can any die but by the will of God to wit in the time appointed They which in the expedition shall haue pardon which is better then all possessions and an easie iudgement And they which die in the wayes of God are not to bee esteemed dead for they liue with GOD. That life is firme this and all worldly things mutable 7. If the Alcoran Az. 9. were not of God it would haue many contrarieties in it which himselfe yet Az. 5. confesseth They which are well Az. 10. and remaine at home are not of like merit as they which goe to warre The fire of hell is hotter then the danger of warre And although thou Prophet shouldest pardon the resisters of God and his Messenger seuentie times yet God will neuer pardon them The sicke and weake and such as haue not necessaries are excused from this necessitie of warre but to the good Warriours God giueth Paradise in reward of
were it not for sensualitie ignorance and the sword these Alcoran-fables would soone vanish CHAP. V. Other Muhameticall speculations and explanations of their Law collected out of their owne Commentaries of that Argument OF such writings as haue come to our hands touching Mahomets doctrine and Religion that seemeth most fully to lay them open which is called by some Scala a booke containing the exposition of the Alcoran in forme of a Dialogue translated into Latine by Hermannus Dalmata and made the twelfth Chapter of the first Booke of the Alcoran in Italian I haue therefore presumed on the Readers patience to those former collections out of the Alcoran it selfe to adde these ensuing as a further explanation of their opinions The Messenger of GOD so beginneth that booke was sitting amongst his fellowes the praier and salutation of GOD bee vpon him in his Citie Iesrab and the Angel Gabriel descending on him said GOD saluteth thee O Mahomet c. There came foure wise-men Masters in Israel to prooue thee the chiefe of whom is Abdia-Ben-Salon Mahomet therefore sent his cousin Hali to salute them and they being come to Mahomet after mutuall salutations Abdia telleth him that he and his fellowes were sent by the people of the Iewes to learne the vnderstanding of some obscurer places of their Law Mahomet asketh if he come to enquire or to tempt Abdia saith to enquire Then Mahomet giuing him full leaue he beginneth hauing before gathered out of the whole bodie of their Law an hundred most exquisite questions The principall dregs you shall here haue Abdia Tell vs O Mahomet whether thou bee a Prophet or a Messenger Mahomet GOD hath appointed me both a Prophet and a Messenger Ab. Doest thou preach the Law of GOD or thine owne Law Mah. The Law of GOD this Law is Faith and this Faith is that there are not Gods but one GOD without partaker Ab. How many Lawes of GOD are there Mah. One the Law and Faith of the Prophets which went before vs was one the Rites were different Ab. Shall we enter Paradise for Faith or Workes Mah. Both are necessarie but if a Gentile Iew or Christian become a Saracen and preuent his good Workes Faith onely shall suffice But if Gentile Iew or Christian doe good Workes not in the loue of GOD the fire shall consume both him and his worke Ab. How doth the mercie of GOD preuent his anger Mah. When before other creatures Adam rose vp he sucesed and said GOD be thanked and the Angels hearing it said The Pittie of GOD be vpon thee Adam who answered Amen Then said the Lord I haue receiued your Prayer Ab. What be the foure things which GOD wrought with his owne hands Mah. Hee made Paradise planted the tree of the Trumpet formed Adam and did write the Tables of Moses Ab. Who told thee this Mah. Gabriel from the Lord of the world Ab. In what forme Mah. Of a man standing vpright neuer sleeping nor eating nor drinking but the praise of GOD. Ab. Tell me in order what is one what is two what three foure fiue sixe c. to an hundreth Mah. One is GOD without Sonne partaker or fellow Almightie Lord of life and death Two Adam and Eue Three Michael Gabriel Saraphiel Archangels Secretaries of GOD. Foure The Law of Moses the Psalmes of Dauid the Gospell and Alfurcan so called of the distinction of the Sentences Fiue The prayers which GOD gaue mee and my people and to none of the other Prophets Six The dayes of the Creation Seuen Heauens Eight Angels which sustaine the Throne of GOD. Nine Are the Miracles of Moses Ten Are the Fasting-dayes of the Pilgrimes three when they goe seuen in their returne Eleuen Are the Starres whereof Ioseph dreamed Twelue moneths in the yeere Thirteene Is the Sunne and Moone with the eleuen Starres Fourteene Candles hang about the Throne of GOD of the length of fiue hundred yeeres Fifteene The fifteenth day of Ramadam in which the Alcoran came sliding from heauen Sixteene Are the Legions of the Cherubims Seuenteene Are the names of GOD betweene the bottome of the earth and hell which stay those flames which else would consume of the world Eighteene Interpositions there be betweeene the Throne of GOD and the ayre for else the brightnesse of GOD would blinde the World Nineteene Be the armes or branches of Zachia a Riuer in hell which shall make a great noise in the day of Iudgement Twentie The day of the moneth Ramadam when the Psalmes descended on Dauid The one and twentieth of Ramadam Salomon was borne The two and twentieth Dauid was pardoned the sinne against Vriah The three and twentieth of Ramadam Christ the Sonne of Marie was borne the prayers of GOD be vpon him The foure and twentieth GOD spake to Moses The fiue and twentieth the Sea was diuided The sixe and twentieth He receiued the Tables The seuen and twentieth Ionas was swallowed of the Whale The eight and twentieth Iacob recouered his sight when Iudas brought Iosephs coat The nine and twentieth Was Enoch translated The thirtieth Moses went into Mount Sinai Ab. Make short worke for thou hast done all this exactly Mah. Fortie are the daies of Moses his fasting Fftie thousand yeeres shall the day of Iudgement continue Sixtie are the veines which euery of the heauens haue in the earth without which varietie there would be no knowledge amongst men Seuentie men Moses tooke to himselfe Eightie stripes are due to a drunken man Ninetie the Angell said to Dauid This my fellow hath ninetie sheepe and I but one which he hath stollen from mee An hundred stripes are due to the Adulterer Ab. Well shew vs how the earth was made and when Mah. GOD made man of mire the mire of froth this was made of the tempests these of the sea The sea of darknesse the darknesse of light this of the word the word of the thought the thought of Iacinth the Iacinth of the commandement Let it be and it was Ab. How many Angels are set ouer men Mah. Two one on the right hand which writeth his good deeds another on the left which registreth his bad These sit on mens shoulders Their pen is their tongue their inke is their spittle their heart is the booke Ab. What did GOD make after Mah. The bookes wherein are written all things past present and to come in heauen and earth and the pen made of the brightest light fiue hundred yeeres long and eightie broad hauing eightie teeth wherein are written all things in the world till the day of Iudgement The booke is made of the greatest Emerald the words of Pearles the couer of pitie GOD ouer-looketh the same an hundred and sixtie times in a day and night The heauen is made of smoake of the vapour of the sea the greennesse of the sea proceedeth from the mount Kaf which is made of the Emeralds of Paradise and compasseth the world bearing vp the heauens The gates of heauen are of gold the
Commander those horses are sadled the contrary way and richly furnished hauing certaine things hanged at their noses which cause them to neigh as it were lamenting the losse of their Master They carry also the truncheons of their Lances with their Standards and Ensignes trailing along the ground There are planted also about their Sepulchres violets and other pleasant flowers The common sort haue their Tombes of Marble engrauen with letters When they are come to the place with those sheets they let the corps into the graue couering him on euery side with boords only on the face they lay a little earth and there leaue him and returne home where they finde store of cheere there make a prayer for his soule Georgiouitz saith that they make ouer the graue the forme of an Altar lest the beasts should goe ouer it and defile it They also often repaire thither with teares and set on the Monument flesh bread wheat egs milke c. which is done for the dead mans soule in almes to the poore or to the birds or ants which they also account an act of mercy no lesse meritorious then the other The Priests haue fiue aspers a piece giuen them for their paines And if the partie be poore they gather money to pay the Priests and to discharge the funeralls They weare blacks eight dayes in token of mourning and those that are of great account three dayes at which time the friends of the dead assemble and vsing some words of mutuall consolation from thenceforth resume their wonted habite Howbeit their kindred specially of the female sexe often repaire to the graues to lament there Bellonius in his Obseruat obserueth that they sew not the sheet at the head nor at the feet The reason is their dreame of certaine Angels sent in commission presently after the buriall to examine the deceased partie into whom they say GOD hath then put a new spirit These Angels Menauino cals Nechir Remonchir who come with dreadful countenances and burning fire-brands and examine him of his life which if they finde wicked they scourge him with fierie whips if good they become goodly Angels and comfort him Bellonius a little otherwise telleth that those Angels which hee calleth Guanequir and Mongir come the one with an yron hammer the other with a hooke which set the corps vpon his knees and put a new soule into it and then aske if he haue beleeued Mahomet and obserued his precepts if hee haue done good workes kept their Lent paied his Tithes giuen Almes Of which if hee can giue good account they depart from him and two other Angels come in their places white as snow and one of them puts his armes in stead of a pillow vnder his head the other sits at his feet and defends him vntill the day of Iudgement But if hee satisfie not the demands of those blacke Angels hee with the yron mallet strikes him at one blow there with nine fadome vnder the ground and neither of them ceaseth the one with his hammer the other with his hooke to torment the deceased partie vntill the day of Iudgement For this cause the Turkes write vpon the dead carkasses the name Croco and make their Sepulchres hollow that they may haue roome to kneele and some lay boords ouer that no earth fall in The feare hereof makes them in their morning praier to say Lord God from the questioning of the two Angels the torment of the graue and euill iourney deliuer me Amin. Yea hence are the praiers which the Turkes men and women say at the graues of the dead for deliuerie from these Angels Concerning the day of Iudgement they hold that there is an Angel standing in Heauen named Israphil holding alway a Trumpet in his hand prepared against Gods command to sound the consummation of the World For at the sound thereof all Men and Angels shall die for so they finde it written in their Curaam which Booke is of high authoritie with them The Turkish Doctors would dissent from that opinion of the Angels mortalitie if this Booke would giue them leaue for to contradict the authoritie thereof is punished with fire or else their tongues are pulled out of their heads They hold that after this dismall sound shall bee a great Earthquake which shall tumble the Mountaines and Rockes from their places and grinde them to meale After this God will returne to make anew the light and the Angels as before and will cause to fall a pleasant raine called Rehemet sui that is the raine of mercie and so shall the earth remaine fortie dayes although those dayes shall bee of a larger size then these Many also hold that from thenceforth there shall bee no darknesse of the night as now but that it shall be most cleere neither shall there need any more sleepe for the sustentation of our bodies After fortie dayes God will command Israphil to sound his Trumpet the second time at which found all the dead shall bee raised againe by the will of God the dead euen from Abel to the end of the world throughout all the earth hearing the sound thereof and rising in manner as they were buried Amongst them shall be seene diuers faces and countenances some shining as the Sunne many like the Moone many as the Starres Others shall bee obscure and darke and others with hogges faces with swolne tongues Then shall euerie one crie Nessi Nessi that is Woe is me wretch who haue suffered my selfe to be ouercome with my filthy lusts The Angels shall with their fingers point at the faces which shine which are they that haue wrought good workes and shall shew them to one another The wicked shall haue enuy thereat They say that those with faces like hogs are such as haue beene Vsurers and those with the swolne tongues Liers and Blasphemers There shall be other trodden vnder foot to wit the proud persons of this world God say they will then demand account of the Kings Princes Emperors and Tyrants which vse oppression and violence Then shal God diuide this raised company into seuentie parts all which shall be examined presenting their sins before their eyes and all that they haue in this world done well or ill whereto hee shall need no testimony euerie member bearing witnesse against it selfe of the deeds yea and very thoughts There shall be also Michael the Angel holding in his hand the ballance of diuine Iustice and shal weigh soules and distinguish the good from the bad There shal be Moses with his Standard vnder which shall all the obseruers of his law bee assembled Neere to him shall be Iesus Christ the Sonne of the Virgin Mary with another great Standard and all his Christians the obseruers of his Faith On the other side shall be Mahomet with his Standard and faithfull Mahumetans they which haue done good shall be all gathered vnder the said Standards where they shall haue a pleasant shaddow the rest
Nicephorus Gregoras relateth the Scythian Customes and Expeditions and their contempt of gold and ignorance of the vse of it These on the one side and the Christians on the other forced the Turkes which were also a kind of Scythians to settle themselues as they could in the parts of Mesopotamia Chaldaea and Assyria where they left there owne and learned the Rites and Customes of the Mahumetans The Kings are buried amongst the Gerrhi with many ceremonies carrying the dead bodie through all the Countries ouer which hee reigned which cut and shaue themselues and with him is buried his best beloued Paramour his Cup-bearer Cooke Master of his horse Waiter Messenger Horses and the first fruits of all oher things and also golden Cups and then they cast on earth making a verie great hill When the yeere is gone about they take fiftie of his principall attendants which are not slaues but freeborne Scythians and strangle them with so many horses of the best and fasten the dead men on the dead horses with much solemnitie But to relate all the particulars hereof and their burials also of priuate men whose dead bodies are carryed about fortie daies from one friend to another entertained euerie where with feasts c. would be too tedious He that would haue a sight of these things let him resort to Thomaso Porcacchi his Funerali Antichi where these things are not onely discoursed in words but described in artificiall pictures The Scythians so farre hate forraine Rites and Religions that Anacharsis a Scythian Philosopher hauing trauelled through a great part of the world and vowed to the mother of the gods if he returned home in safetie that he would sacrifice to her with such Rites as hee had seene obserued in Cyzicus in the performance of his vow was slaine by King Saulius Scyles also being King of the Scythians when he brought in forraine Rites and obserued the mad Bacchanal solemnities which hee had seene among the Greekes lost both his Kingdome and life They cut off the noses of men and imprinted pictures in the flesh of women whom they ouercame and generally their Customes of war were bloudie what man soeuer the Scythian first taketh he drinketh his bloud hee offereth to the King all the heads of the men he hath slain in battaile otherwise he may not share in the spoile the skins of their crownes flayed off they hang at their horse-bridles their skins they vse to flay for napkins and other vses and some for cloathing Once a yeere the chiefe men haue a solemnitie amongst them in which they powre wine into a Mazor of which none may drinke which hath not slaine an enemy These Customs were generall to the Scythians in Europe and Asia for which cause Scytharum facinora patrare grew into a Prouerbe of immane crueltie and their Land was iustly called Barbarous others were more speciall and peculiar to particular Nations Scythian §. III. Of particular Nations in Scythia their Acts and Rites OF the barbarous crueltie of the Scythians the sea confining was called Euxinus by the contrarie as the furies were called Eumenides saith Ammianus because they sacrificed strangers to Diana whom they worshipped vnder the name of Orsiloche and hanged vp their heads on the walles of their Temples The Ile Leuce neere to Taurica was dedicated to Achilles where none of his deuout worshippers durst abide in the night-time for none might spend the night on shoare without danger of his life Arrianuus in his Peripius or sailing about of the Euxine Sea speaketh of this Iland and the deuotions therein performed to Achilles and Patroclus that certaine birds keepe the Temple watering and sweeping the same with their wings and the Goates which feed in the I le there present themselues for sacrifice when the price is first paid at the Altar to the contentment of that Deitie or Diuell whose illusion if not others collusion it must needs bee But because this Iland adioyneth to Europe I must forbeare these things till another time He also describeth the Nations both in Asia and Europe which abutt round about that Sea Iornandes bringeth these Scythians bordring from Scanzia so hee calleth that Peninsula which others name Basilia Scandia Scandinauia c. Wherein are the Kingdomes of Sweden Gothland and Norway and attributeth to the Goths those warres which the Egyptians and Persians are said to haue made against the Scythians Neere to Maeotis King Filimer planted himselfe and his followers in Dacia Thracia and Maesia Zamolxes who was also a great Philosopher These and the rest were not onely a terrour to the skirts of Asia but to the heart of Africa and Europa in processe of time sacking Rome and shaking that Roman Monarchy almost to the ground Simocatta in his Mauritian History giueth the preeminence of Martiall valour amongst the many many Scythian Nations to the ABARES Chaganus the Scythian King sent Embassadors to Mauritius with an Epistle wherein he stileth himselfe Gouernour of seuen Nations and Lord of the seuen Climats of the world He comquered the Abdelae or Nephthalites the Abares some of which fled to Tangast to the Turkes and the Ogor-Nation which dwell by the Riuer Til or Volga whose ancient Princes were called War and Chunnai He conquered also the Prince of Colch in which war hee slew three hundred thousand people their carkasses lying scattered foure daies iourney Hee subdued also the Turkes at the hill Icar which is foure hundred miles distant from the golden Mountaine so they call a mountaine in the East because of the fertilitie and store of cattell therein which alwayes the greatest Chagan amongst the Turkes possesseth For Chagan is not a proper name but a Princely title which in those parts and the Countries adioyning is still continued the Tartars calling their Princes Chan which some perhaps falsly write Cham and the Persians and Turkes still vsing that title These Turkes vaunted themselues neuer subiect to Earth-quakes or Pestilence They cal their Priest Taisan that is the Sonne of GOD. Their Religion I haue before mentioned They haue a custome that the males neuer weare gold This Citie was diuided by a streame which sometimes separated two disagreeing Nations no lesse distinguished by their disioyned mindes and differing habites the one wearing blacke the other red This Citie they say was built by Alexander when hee had ouercome the Sogdians and Bactrians The Kings wiues shining with Iewels are carryed in golden Chariots each drawne with one Bull the bridles embossed with gold The Prince as is said elsewhere spent the night with seuen hundred women Fame attributeth another Citie not farre hence to Alexander called Chubdan The Prince thereof being dead his wiues in blacke with shauen heads continually mourne and may neuer forsake the Sepulchre These haue many Elephants and traffique with the Indians which dwell Northwards and make Silke Thus much I thought worth the adding out of Simocatta for better
terrible crueltie that a few blowes may either lame or kill the partie And therefore no King is more feared then these Mandarines or Magistrates In the middest of their Cities are Palaces of the Kings for these Officers to reside in In Paquin and Nanquin the multitude of these Magistrates is incredible one of these Cities contayning more then two thousand and fiue hundred as many as somewhere are of Citizens These all twice a day heare causes and execute iustice These Magistrates are no way comparable in wealth to the Nobles in Europe Their sentence against guiltie persons is without solemne furniture of words as Let him haue twentie strokes more or lesse which by those Canine Cane-men is suddenly executed the partie lying grouelling on the ground These Canes are cleft in the midst three or foure fingers broad twentie or thirtie blowes will spoyle the flesh fiftie or threescore will aske long time to be healed an hundred are vncurable They vse also the Strappado hoysing them vp and downe by the armes with a cord They bee aboue measure patient in hearing causes and their examinations are publique Condemned persons haue a pillory-boord fastned about their necke and hanging downe before them to the knees in which his Fellony or Treason is expressed which boord neither suffereth them well to sit or lye to eate or sleepe and in fine killeth them There be in euery Metropolitane Citie foure principall houses for those chiefe Officers before mentioned the fourth for the Taissu wherein is the principall Gaole or Prison walled about high and strong with a gate of no lesse force within the same are three other gates before you come where the prisoners lye in the meane space are such as watch and ward day and night The prison within is so great that in it are streets and market-places and neuer void of seuen or eight hundred men that goe at liberty In Canton alone are said to bee 15000. prisoners and in this and euery other Metropolitane Citie thirteene prisons sixe of which are alwayes possessed or doe possesse rather those which are condemned to death In euery of them are a hundred Souldiers with their Captayne to keepe them The offendors are allowed to worke in the day-time for their liuing for little almes are giuen in China and but a little Rice allowed them by the King Such prisoners as are in for debt haue a (null) appointed for payment at which if they fayle they are whipped and a new time assigned and so they proceed till the debt bee paid or the debtor dead If any man remoue his dwelling from one place to another the Neighbours cause a Cryer to proclaime it with ringing of a Bason that his creditors if hee haue any may come to demand their debts which the Neighbours if they neglect this dutie are charged with Executions of deadly sentence are seldome and that with many ceremonies Thus it comes to passe that of whippings and imprisonment there die thousands yeerely Theeues are slightly punished the first time The second they are burned with two characters on the arme the third receiueth the same punishment on the face If he steale oftner hee is whipped more or lesse or condemned for a certayne time to the Gallies This makes pilfries common for they are neuer done to death for the euery Many extraordinary crimes haue new deuised extraordinary punishments as after in this history followeth One had so freely libelled against the Kings tyrannies that many were cruelly tormented being thereof suspected and one by torments confessed the fact and was therefore a diudged to haue 1600. pieces of his flesh cut from him his head vntouched that his eyes might see this mangling and lastly his head cut off which amongst them is a great abomination Others accused of treason at Nanquin were forced to stand in those pillory boords till they rotted some continuing fifteene dayes in torment Those which our-liue their beatings must passe vnder the Surgeons hands for cure which ordinarily proue new tormentors except money make them propitious and this the Iesuites report of their owne fauours amongst them in all difficulties money hath bin their best friend without which is no friendship in China no Faith no Loue no Hope of them But by following Perera sometime a prisoner there into his prison others I find my selfe almost imprisoned and therfore will flee hence into their Temples there take Sanctuary Here they deale as madly with their gods as there with their men Yet first let vs take view of some rare workes of diuine Prouidence in this Countrey Ludouicus Georgius in his Map of China describeth a huge Lake in the Prouince of Sancij made by inundation in the yeere of our Lord 1557 . wherein were swallowed seuen Cities besides Townes and Villages and innumerable multitudes of people one only Child in a hollow tree escaping so great a destruction Such as escaped drowning were as Boterus addeth destroyed with fire from heauen Gasper de Cruz reciteth a Letter of the Mandarines to the King 1556. containing newes of a terrible Earth-quake in the Prouinces of Sanxi and Santon wherein the day waxed darke The earth opened the yeere before in many places vnder which was heard the noise as it were of bells there followed winde and raine The winde which they call Tufan is so violent that it driueth ships on the land ouerthroweth men and houses it commeth almost euery yeere once lasteth foure and twentie houres in which space it compasseth the Compasse In Vinyanfu the Earth-quake caused a fire to breake out which consumed all the Citie and innumerable people The like happened to another Citie neere it where none escaped It caused the Riuer at Leuchimen to encrease and drowne multitudes At Hien the fall of the houses slue eight thousand In Puchio the house of the Kings kinsmen fell and slue all therein but a child Cochu with fire from aboue and waters from beneath was left desolate At Enchinoen almost an hundred thousand perished At Inchumen the Riuer ebbed and flowed ten times in a day and night This perhaps was the same with that which Georgius and Boterus mention Boterus ascribeth vnto China seuentie millions of people whereas hee alloweth to Italy scarce nine and to Spaine lesse to England three to all Germany with the Switzers and Low-Countries but fifteene and as many to all France Lamentable it is that the Deuill should haue so great a tribute in this one Kingdome Gonsales in his Discourse of China translated by Parkes reckoneth I know not how truely almost seuen millions of Souldiers in continuall pay Dalmeida numbreth seuentie millions and two hundred and fiftie thousand Inhabitants besides Souldiers and reckoning but the principall in each Family often-times not aboue three of ten as their Bookes testifie I thought it not impertinent here to adde the Catalogue of the Kings of this countrey according to their owne stories which although it be in part fabulous as what ancient prophane
any haire except on the browes and eye-lids euen on the least child and for the space of thirteene dayes cease to eate Botels his lips are out that doth it and all that time is an Inter-regnum wherein they obserue if any will come in to obiect any thing against the new future King After this hee is sworne to the Lawes of his Predecessor to pay his debts to recouer whatsoeuer belonged to his Kingdome being lost which Oath he taketh hauing his Sword in his left hand and in the right a Candle burning which hath a Ring of Gold vpon it which he toucheth with two of his fingers and taketh his Oath This being done they throw or powre vpon him a few graines of Rice with many other Ceremonies and Prayers and he worshippeth the Sunne three times after which all the Caymailes or principall Nobles sweare their fealtie to him handling also the same Candle The thirteene dayes ended they eate their Betele againe and Flesh and Fish as before the King except who then taketh thought for his Predecessor and for the space of one whole yeere as is before obserued in part out of Barbosa eates no Betele nor shaueth his beard nor cutteth his nailes eateth but once a day and before hee doth it washeth all his bodie and obserueth certaine houres of Prayer daily The yeere being ended he obserueth a kind of Dirige for his Predecessors soule whereat are assembled 100000. persons at which time hee giueth great Almes and then it confirmed All these Malabar Kings haue one speciall Man which is the chiefe Administrator of Iustice who in matters of gouernment is obeyed no lesse then the King himselfe The Souldiers are Nayros none of which can be imprisoned or put to death by ordinarie Iustice but if one of them kill another or else kill a Cow or sleepe with a Countriewoman or speake euill of the King the King after information giues his Warrant to another Nayro who with his Associates kill him wheresoeuer they find him hewing him with their Swords and then hang on him his Warrant to testifie the cause of his death These Nayros may not weare their Weapons nor enter into combate till they be armed Knights although that from the Age of seuen yeeres they are trayned vp in Feates and practice of Armes He is dubbed or created by the King who commandeth to gird him with a Sword and laying his right hand vpon his head muttereth certaine words softly and afterward dubbeth him saying Haue a regard to keepe these Bramenes and their Kine These are the two Great Commandements of the Bramene Law The King sometimes commits this Ceremonie to their Panicall or Master in the Feats of Armes whom they euer honour as their Father and next to the King most reuerence They teach them to Run Leape Fencing and managing of Weapons and anoint them with Oyle of Gergelin to make their sinewes pliant for all winding and tumbling gestures They begin to goe to Schoole at seuen yeeres olde In fight they are valorous and account it no shame to flee but will doe it in policie and yet when they yeeld themselues to any mans seruice they bind themselues to die with him and for him which they faithfully performe fighting till they bee killed They are great South-sayers haue their good and bad Dayes worship the Sun the Moone the Fire and the Kine and the first they meet in the morning The Deuill is often in them they say it is one of their Pagodes which causeth them to vtter terrible wordes and then hee goeth before the King with a naked Sword quaking and cutting his flesh saying with great cries I am such a god and I am come to tell thee such a thing and if the King doubteth he roreth lowder and cutteth himselfe deeper till he be credited The Fortugals haue much eclipsed the greatnesse of the King of Calicut and caused many other alterations in all the East in this last Age of the World Of whose exploits Castaneda Barrius Maffaeus Oserius and others haue written at large Our English-Indian Societie haue setled a Factory at Calicut touching the conditions and condition whereof you may reade at large in Roger Hawes his Iournall deliuered amongst other our Pilgrimes He telleth of the perfidiousnesse of this people how hardly they could get in debts they chusing rather to spend much in bribes then to pay debts Ours made vse of ther Superstition to Iustice for vnderstanding that they would neither eate nor wash whiles the English were in their houses they would threaten not to depart till they were payd hauing meane while Nayros for their Guard Thus Iniustice made them iust and vncharitablenes charitable For rather then be long troubled with their company most of them would pay part of their debts so that they got fifty Fanos kind of Coine of one 100. of another but one notwithstanding their three dayes abode would pay nothing it seemes equally prophane superstitious and vniust §. III. Of their differing Sects BArbosa reckoneth eighteene Sects that haue no mutuall conuersation nor may marrie but in their owne rankes or order Next to the King and Bramenes he placeth the Nayros which are Gentlemen and Souldiers and are not professed Nayros notwithstanding their bloud till they be by their Lords or by the King made Knights or Souldiers And then hee must neuer from that time goe without his Weapons which commonly are a Rapier and a Target and sometimes Peeces or Bowes They neuer marry but lye with such of the Nayros Women or Daughters as like them leauing his Weapons meane while at the doore which forbid any man else although it be the goodman himselfe to enter till he hath ended his businesse and be gone And if one of the common people once touch a Nayro it is lawfull for the Nayro to kill him and he is also vncleane and must be purified by certaine washings And for this cause they cry as they goe in the streets Po Po that the baser Raskality may giue place They haue a Pit of standing Water at their doores hallowed by the Bramenes wherein euery morning they wash themselues although it bee greene slimie and stinking imagining thus to be clensed of their sinnes They are brought vp altogether to Feats of Armes and Actiuitie from their Child-hood admirably able to wind and turne themselues and are very resolute and desperate binding themselues by oath to liue and die with their King or Lord. No Nayro's women may enter into Calicut but one night in the yeere when the Citie is full of Lights and then they goe with the Nayros to behold and gaze their fill They intend nothing but their lust and thinke that if they die Virgins they shall neuer enter into Paradise The Biabari are another sort and are Merchants Gentiles and enioy great priuiledges The King cannot put them to death but by sentence of the principall of themselues They were the only Merchants before the
of Ocaca that is a place of Confession so doth Sangenotocoro signifie of which wee may exclaime 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and if you will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the one for the cruell terrour wherewith it filleth the Conscience and the latter for the fleshly filthinesse wherein Ocaca is not blamed but their Churches haue beene Stewes and Confession the Bawde But to let this passe and consider the former What Racke or Rocke can Ocaca yeeld like to this which the Councell of Trent hath framed that full confession of all mortall sinnes loe here the Racke euen the very thoughts against the two last Commandements with the circumstances of the sinnes is necessarie by diuine ordinance vnto all which haue sinned after Baptisme and loe here the Rock Anathema to the gaine-sayers Tush your coyne is not currant although you yeeld it profitable and comfortable and satisfactorie to the offended Church except you yeeld all necessarie all diuine Diuines shall I call you or Goquis Deuils in the flesh that make a hell in the spirits of men that with your debita praemeditatione and with your omnia singula peccata etiam occulta etiam circumstantias circumuent poore Christians and put them in an Ocacan ballance ouer hell-mouth there to fall without such fauour as to be broken in peeces Goe Cardinall and write whole volumes for the proofe hereof yet would I rather choose to enter the Sangenotocoro-scale then your Confession-schoole Easie it may bee indeede to scared Iesuiticall consciences that account Treason Religion yea pleasant and delightfull to such Statists to haue Kings vpon the knees of their bodies to powre out before them the secrets of their soules and they are wiser then Salomon which esteemed it vnpossible to search out the Kings heart But to such as haue businesse enough to know and rule themselues and doe indeed make conscience of euery dutie what intolerable anguish is here prepared when mans heart besides that it is wicked and deceitfull aboue all who can search it is like an vntamed Heifer who can rule it Had I not need alway to haue a Priest at mine elbow to whom to shriue me Who knoweth the errours of his life and who knoweth when hee hath made his due premeditation to examine them This made Bellarmine vse the difficultie of Confession as an argument of the diuine Institution thereof It is so difficult saith hee that no power of Man or the Church could haue imposed it and therefore it was diuine I will not say who instituted the ballance of Ocaca and yet it was a hard thing and neuer the like heard of I say that the Gospell imposeth not such hard things this were to bring vs back to the Law but prescribeth an easie yoke and a light burthen easie to such as loue not their ease light to such as like and delight in it But this euen to those that dote vpon it and deuote themselues to it is not onely hard but altogether impossible Witnesse Bellarmine himselfe Quid enim molestius quid onerosius quà m vt cogantur etiam viri principes Regesque potentissimi sacerdotibus qui ipsi homines sunt peccata sua omnia detegere quamuis arcana quamuis turpia c. Witnesse experience in such as haue tried it more neerely then Bellarmines Controuersies would giue him leisure yet liuing in continuall disquietnesse and torment of their Consciences in the vse of their Sacrament of Confession receiuing no rest day nor night as seruing gods who cannot giue it them These are the wordes of Sheldon happily brought out of that darknesse wherein and whereof hee was a Priest and Minister to a cleerer light who out of his owne knowledge addeth That it is not imaginable what inconsolable liues some that are frequent in the vse of Confession as necessarie to saluation doe leade there is no stonie heart which would not pitie them knowing their torments But lest any man thinke that some Goquis hath hurled me out of the scale of my Historie to fall and split my selfe vpon these Iesuiticall rocks I will returne to our Narration of the Iaponites §. VI. Of their Idols Temples Funerals I Haue mentioned too many of their Idols alreadie Amida Xaca Faciman and others I might here adde their Idoll Casunga of whom they begge riches A Iaponian 1611. found one of his Images by change whereupon he promised to himselfe store of wealth but soone after all that hee had was seized on by the Gouernour this caused him to cast this Idoll out of doore and as the Iesuites say to become their Scholer I might annexe Tamondea Bosomondes Homocondis and Zoiolis to which foure their superstitious opinion committeth so many heauens in custodie Canon and Xixi the sonnes of Xaca Maristenes Tirigis and others would be too tedious to report Organtinus telleth That whiles vpon a time the Feast of this last was solemnizing a showre of stones rayned with such violence that the companie to the number of twentie thousand betooke them to their heeles But Amida is most worne in their lips beggars asking and begging in his name chapmen in buying and selling sounding and singing it the Bonzij promising saluation to all that inuoke it Admirable are the Temples for matter and workmanship erected to him one neere to Meaco is an hundred and fortie elles in length with a huge Image of Amida hauing thirtie Images about it of Souldiers besides Aethiopians and Deuils yea Windes and Thunders figured and a thousand Images of Canon on each side of the Temple fiue hundred all in like but monstrous shape with thirtie armes two onely holding proportion to his body the brest adorned with seuen faces all the Images and other furniture so glittering with gold that it dazeleth the beholders eyes Almeida describeth a Temple of theirs in Meaco called Cobucui which had three Porches with so many Cloysters and other pieces of stately and costly workmanship Two mightie Colosses or statues of Lions were set as Porters at the doore In the middest of the Temple were set Xaca and his sonnes about him There were threescore and ten pillars of Cedar of such height that as the Register booke of the Temple testified each of them cost fiue thousand ducats These and the walls were painted the roofe artificially framed a hall for the Bonzij fortie elles long and twelue broad of like workmanship with the Temple whereunto were annexed their chambers an hundred and fourescore in number a Librarie full stored with bookes Bathes Butteries Kitchins huge Caldrons an elle deepe to heate their water for drinke which they neuer drinke cold neither in Summer nor Winter Parlors foure and twentie with lights burning in them all night Before it is a Fish-poole fiftie elles square full of fish which none may touch It is sixe hundred yeeres since the foundation of this Temple The pleasant and spacious walks before the Temple of Casunga planted
eighteene Cubits depth whereinto the water of Nilus is conueyed by a certaine sluce vnder the ground in the midst whereof is a Pillar marked also with eighteene Cubits to which Officers for the purpose resort daily from the seuenteenth of Iune to obserue the increase which if it amount to fifteene Cubits and there stay it doth portend fertilitie and how much ouer or vnder so much lesse abundance In the meane time the people deuoutly exercise Prayer and Almes-giuing And after the price of victuals especially of Corne is proportionably appointed for the whole yeere The Cities and Townes of Egypt whiles this inundation lasteth are so many Ilands Master Sandys writes that it begins to arise with the arising Sunne on the seuenteenth of Iune swelling by degrees till it mounts sometimes foure and twenty Cubits but that the vttermost Heretofore seuenteene was the most that it attayned to presented by that Image of Nilus hauing seuenteene children playing about it brought from hence by Vespasian and dedicated in his Temple of Peace still to bee seene in the Vatican at Rome That yeere when he was there it did rise at Cairo three and twentie Cubits about two miles aboue the Citie at the end of old Cairo in the beginning of August they cut the bankes for sooner it would destroy the vnreaped fruits the Bassa himselfe in person giuing the first stroke a world of people attending Boates or in Pauillions on the shoare with night triumphs and reioycings welcoming in the Riuer into the Land diuers dayes together The Bassa feasts three dayes in the Castle of Michias In the nights their many lights placed in buildings erected of purpose for this solemnity make a glorious shew These lights are said to succeed the Deuillish Sacrifices of a young Man and a Mayd wonted to be offered at this time to Osiris and Isis euery night they haue fire-workes Euery Turke of account hath a gallant Boat adorned with Streamers Chambers and the Lights artificially set to represent Castles Ships Houses or other formes in the day making Sea-fights others practising like exercises on land The soyle is sandy and vnprofitable the Riuer both moystening and manuring it Yea if there dye in Cairo fiue thousand of the plague the day before yet on the first of the Riuers increase the plague not only decreaseth but meerely ceaseth not one dying the day after which we haue elsewhere ascribed to the Sunnes entrance into Leo. The land is otherwise a very Desart as appeared two yeeres together when Cleopatra raigned Nilus not ouer-flowing and in Iosephs seuen yeeres of famine the Riuer being part of Pharaohs Dreame by which he stood and out of which the fat and leane Kine ascended And thus sayth Herodotus The Land of Egypt doth not onely owe the fertility but her selfe also vnto the slimy increase of Nilus for raine is a stranger in this Countrey seldome seene and yet oftner then welcome as vnwholesome to the Inhabitants Pharus by Homer mentioned farre off in the Sea is now adioyning to the Continent The mouthes or falls of Nilus numbred by the Prophet Esay and other in old times seuen and after Plinie who reckoneth the foure smaller eleuen are now as Willielmus Tyrius out of his owne search testifieth but foure or as other Writers but three worthy of consideration Rosetto Balbicina Damiata where the saltnesse of the earth and shels found in it may seeme to confirme Herodotus opinion that Nilus hath wonne it from the Sea which Goropius laboureth to confute Aristotle g doth not onely auerre the former opinion with Herodotus but addes that all the mouthes of Nilus except that of Canopus may seeme to be the labour of men and not naturall Channels to the Riuer HONDIVS his Map of Egypt AEGYPTUS §. II. The diuision of Aegypt and the great workes of their Ancient Pharaos EGypt was anciently diuided into Thebais Delta and the Region interiacent and these subdiuided into sixe and thirty Nomi which we call Shires whereof Tanete and Heliopolite were the assignement of Iacobs Family them called Goshen from whence Moses after conducted them into Canaan as Strabo also witnesseth The wealth of Egypt as it proceedeth from Nilus so is it much increased by the fit conueyance in the naturall and hand-laboured channels thereof Their haruest beginneth in Aprill and is threshed out in May. In this one Region were sometimes by Herodotus and Plinies report twenty thousand Cities Diodorus Siculus sayth eighteene thousand and in his time three thousand He also was told by the Egyptian Priests that it had beene gouerned about the space of eighteene hundred yeeres by the Gods and Heroes the last of whom was Orus after whom it was vnder Kings vntill his time the space almost of fifteene hundred yeeres To Herodotus they reported of three hundred and thirty Kings from Menas to Sesostris The Scripture whose Chronology conuinceth those lying Fables calleth their Kings by one generall name Pharao which some interprete a Sauiour Iosephus saith it signifieth authority and maketh ancient mention of them in the dayes of Abraham Some begin this Royall computation at Mizraim If our Berosus which Annius hath set forth were of authoritie hee telleth that Cham the sonne of Noah was by his father banished for particular abuse of himselfe and publike corruption of the World teaching and practising those vices which before had procured the Deluge as Sodomie Incest Buggerie and was therefore branded with the name Chemesenua that is Dishonest Cham in which the Egyptians followed him and reckoned him among their gods by the name of Saturne consecrated him a Citie called Chemmis The Psalmes of Dauid doe also thus intitle Egypt The land of Cham which name was retayned by the Egyptians themselues in Ieromes dayes Chemmis after Diodorus was hallowed to Pan and the word signifieth Pans Citâ—â—'s in Herodotus his time it was a great Towne in Thebais hauing in it a Temple of Perseus square and set round with Palme-trees with a huge porch of stone on which were two great statues and in it a Chappell with the Image of Perseus The Inhabitants want not their miraculous Legend of the Appatitions of their god and had a relique of his a sandale of two cubits which hee sometimes ware they celebrate festiuall games in his honour after the Greeke manner Herodotus also mentioneth an Iland called Chemmis with the Temple of Apollo in it Some say Thebes was called in their Holies Chemia or Chamia and all Egypt was sometime called Thebes Lucan saith the Egyptians were the first that had Temples but their Temples had no Images Their first Temples are reported to haue beene erected in the time of Osiris and Isis whose parents were Iupiter and Iuno children to Saturne and Rhea who succeeded Vulcan in this Kingdome They built a magnificent Temple to Iupiter and Iuno and two other golden Temples to Iupiter Coelestis and
in all Asia There goe certayne Women vp and downe the Citie crying whose office is to Excise or Circumcise the women which is obserued in Aegypt and Syria both by the Mahumetans and Iacobite-Christians Neither haue the Turkes although in superstition by themselues acknowledged short of the Arabians and Aegyptians beene altogether idle in their Deuotion which they testifie by their Pilgrimages and Almes-workes Bellonius telleth of one Turke that caused water to bee brought daily on Camels backes for the ease of Trauellers in that desart space betweene Alexandria and Rosetto Egypt hath in it many Iewish Synagogues who speake the Spanish Italian Turkish Arabian and Greeke languages and are great Merchants Thus wee see the judgements of God by the Persians Grecians and Romanes for their Pristine Idolatrie and a greater Iudgement for their Heresie hatched by Arrius punished by a Saracenicall Apostasie Amongst the differing Sects of the Mahumetans of which wee haue spoken in the third booke Africa and especially Egypt and herein Cayro most of all is pestered with them which may bee called the Naked or the Wicked Sect roguing vp and downe naked and practising their fleshly villanie in the open fight of the people who yet hold them for Saints The just hand of Diuine Iustice that when men forsake God not Religion and Truth alone but Reason but Sense shall also forsake them Before wee leaue those Soldans of Cayro or rather because you haue stayed so long heere let vs bestow some spectacle on you worthy the sight as a refreshing to your wearied eyes They are the same which the Soldan in ostentation of his magnificence made to the Turkish Embassadour Anno 1507. from Baumgartens relations which was an eye-witnesse thereof There were assembled threescore thousand Mamalukes all in like habite the Soldan himselfe all in white with a mitred Diadem and not farre from him their Pope or Calipha in a lower seate and beneath him the Turkish Embassadour The place was a spacious Plaine in which were three heapes of sand fiftie paces distant and in each a Speare erected with a marke to shoote at and the like ouer against them with space betweene for sixe Horses to runne a brest Heere did the younger Mamalukes gallantly adorned vpon their Horses running a full career yeeld strange experiments of their skill not one missing the marke first with casting Darts and after with their Arrowes as they ranne and lastly trying their slaues Others after this in the like race of their running Horses shot with like dexteritie diuers Arrowes backwards and forwards Others in the middest of their race alighted three times and their Horses still running mounted againe and hitte the marke neuerthelesse Others did hitte the same standing on their Horses thus swiftly running Others three times vnbent their Bowes and thrice againe bent them whiles their Horses ranne and missed not the marke neither did others which amidst their race lighted downe on either side and againe mounted themselues no nor they which in their swiftest course leaped and turned themselues backwards on their Horses and then their Horses still running turned themselues forwards There were which whiles their Horse ranne vngirt their Saddles thrice at each time shooting and then againe girding their saddles and neuer missing the marke Some sitting in their saddles leaped backwards out of them and turning ouer their heads setled themselues againe in their saddles and shot the former three times Others layd themselues backwards on their running Horses and taking their tayles put them into their mouthes and yet forgot not their ayme in shooting Some after euery shot drew out their Swords and flourished them about their heads and againe sheathed them Others sitting betwixt three swords on the right side and as many on the left thinly cloathed that without great care euery motion would make way for death yet before and behinde them touched the marke One stood vpon two Horses running very swiftly his feete loose and shot also at once three Arrowes before and againe three behinde him Another sitting on a Horse neither brydled nor saddled as hee came at euery marke arose and stood vpon his feete and on both hands hitting the marke sate downe againe three times A third sitting on the bare Horse when hee came to the marke lay vpon his backe and lifted vp his legges and yet missed not his shoote After all this they ranne with like swiftnesse for all these things which where is the Vaulter that can doe on his imaginary Horse standing still these did running and with their slaues carried away those markes as tryumphing ouer their innocent enemy One of them was killed with a fall and two fore wounded in these their feats of Actiuitie They had an Olde graue man which was their teacher If I haue long detayned thee in this spectacle remember that the race of Mamalukes should not bee forgotten the rather because their name is now rased out of the world and this may seeme an Epitaph on their Sepulchre after whom none perhaps are left able to doe the like nor in all Franciscus Modius his Triumphall Pandects to be parelelled As for the Christians in Aegypt yee may reade in the Histories of the Holy-land-warres what attempts were often made by the Westerne Christians against these vnbeleeuers Concerning the present state of Christianitie there Leo Boterus and Master Pory in his Additions to his Englished Leo may acquaint you and better then others Master George Sandys Besides the forreine Christians which resort to these parts for traffique there are thought to bee fiftie thousand Natiue of the Countrey which haue Churches and Monasteries whereof there are three Christian Churches at Alexandria They are called Cofti and Christians from the Girdle because of their Circumcision which together with Baptisme they admit In their Liturgie they vse the Chaldaean language But they reade the Gospell againe in the Arabian They are accounted of Eutiches Heresie Their Patriarchall Sea is Alexandria which from Saint Marke to this day hath had a continued succession as appeareth by the late Letters of Gabriel to the Pope calling himselfe the fourescore and seuenteenth of the Patriarchs from Saint Marke Thus writeth Baronius with a great many swelling words which may puffe vp his Romane Sea But how credulous is Superstition and that neuer-erring Sea hath how often beene gulled this way or sought to gull and coozen others with such Iesuiticall fictions of I know not what conuersions and submissions as Baronius would make you beleeue of this Gabriel Thus had Mahomet his Gabriel and thus our age hath another Gabriel obtruded vpon the vulgar simplicitie farre fetched belike is good for theyr Lady-mother But Alexandria hath knowne no Gabriel in these times Patriarch there George Dousa held good acquaintance with Meletius and his Predecessour was Siluester so that this Romish Gabriel which ascribeth so much to that Sea was a Romane Gabriel indeed which Alexandria neuer knew Neither did Meletius the
both heere and else-where The Moores saith another worshipped Iuba as a God and the Poeni Vranus the Libyans Psaphon This Psaphan otherwise a base fellow had taught Birds to sing Psaphon is a great God and let them flie into the Woods where chanting their lesson they inchanted the rude people with this superstition Aelianus telleth the like Historie of Annon a Carthaginian whose birds at libertie in the Woods forgat this their Masters Lesson The Paeni being as is said Phoeni or Phoenicians brought in all likelihood the Phoenician Religion with them from thence Yee may reade in our first booke of Moloch whence come the Carthaginian names of Milicus Imilce Amilcar Bomilcar Yea Athenodoros reports of Amilcas a Carthaginian Deitie which is like to be this Moloch or Milcom in a little differing Dialect Some are of opinion that these sacrifices had their beginning from a diabolicall imitation of Abrahams offering his onely sonne Isaac For so Porphyrius and Philo Biblius relate out of the Phoenician Annals that an ancient King called Israel in great danger of warre offered his onely sonne Porphyrius cals him Ieud as Moses also Gen. 22.2 Iehid that is vnigenitum which hee had by Anobreta whom Scaliger interpreteth Sara Neither is it any great maruell that the names and Story should bee thus peruerted to any that reade what relations Iustin Strabo and others write of the Iewes or how the Deuill is the great Seducer of the world bringing darkenesse out of light it selfe Silius mentioneth these their damnable Rites of humane Sacrifices Mos fuit in populis quos condidit aduena Dido Poscere caede Deos veniam ac flagrantibus aris Infandum dictu paruos imponere natos Carthage t' appease the offended Deities Was wont to offer humane Sacrifice And tender Babes abominable shame Were made the fewell of the Altars flame So Ennius in that verse of his cited by Nonius Marcellus Ille suos Diuis mos sacrificare puellos Tertullian writes that this custome continued till the time of Tiberius who being Proconsull crucified the Priests authors of this villanie on the very Trees which shadowed the Temple in this bloody groue yet this continued to Tertullians dayes but more closely Sed nunc in occulto perseuerat hoc sacrum facinus Ipsi parentes sui offerebant libentes exponebant infantibus blandiebantur ne lachrymantes immolarentur These are the words of Tertullian To Saturne saith Sardus were humane Sacrifices offered by the Rhodians Phoenicians Curetes and Carthaginians the Sardi their Colonie offered the fayrest of their Captiues and such as were aboue threescore and tenne yeeres olde who to shew their courage laughed whence grew the Prouerbe Sardonius risus this was done also to Saturne The Carthaginians in time of plague offered their Children to Saturne which Gelo caused them to leaue Yea such was their zeale in this superstition that if they had no Children of their owne they bought for this purpose of the poore the Mother assisting this Butcherly sacrifice without once sighing or weeping for then shee had lost the price and her Child neuerthelesse And least the crying of the Children should bee heard all resounded with Instruments of Musicke Thus Plutarch in his treatise of Superstition Being ouercome by Agathocles they sacrificed two hundred of the chiefe mens Children to Saturne Clitarchus and others write cited by Suidas That in their solemne supplications at Carthage they put a childe into the armes of Saturnes Brazen Image vnder which was set a Furnace or Ouen which being kindled the childe in his burning seemed to laugh This custome might haply bee the occasion of that desperate act before spoken of in the destruction of Carthage by the Romanes so many perishing in Aesculapius Temple Other their Rites are likely to bee the same with those which we haue reported of the Phoenicians somewhat perhaps in time inclining also to the Greekish superstition Their deuotion to Venus the Phoenician Goddesse Augustine mentioneth in these words Regnum Veneris quale erat Carthagini vbi nunc est regnum Christi Carthage was called Iustiniana of Iustinian Iunonia of Gracchus Hadrianopolis of Hadrian and of Commodus Alexandria Commodiana Togata It was sacked the second time of Capellianus President of Mauritania thirdly vnder Gensericus of the Vandals fourthly of the Maurusians fiftly of the Persians sixtly of the Aegyptians lastly of the Mahumetanes Tunis was a small Towne till after the destruction of Carthage it grew in some reckoning as before is sayd It hath in it about ten thousand Housholds Abdul Mumen joyned it to his Kingdome of Marocco And when that Kingdome declined the Vice-Roy which before was subject to Marocco now vsurped the State to himselfe calling himselfe King of Africa In our Fathers dayes Muleasses sonne of Mahomet King of Tunis by murther of his elder brother Maimon and either killing or putting out the eyes of twenty other his brethren obtayned the Crowne But Rosette the onely brother remayning when with his Arabians he could not gaine the Kingdome he went with Barbarossa to Solyman the Turke who so vsed the matter that Muleasses was chased out of his Kingdome and Tunis subjected it selfe to Solyman But Muleasses craued and obtained ayde of Charles the fift who in the yeere 1535. passed with an Armie into Africke and repossessed Muleasses of his Kingdome who became the Emperours Vassall Our Histories tell of Edward the first his arriuall at Tunis and Henry the fourth with English Archers at both which times the Tunetanes were forced to composition It was before either of them were Kings Froissart for Henry hath his Sonne Iohn de Beaufort Muleasses about the yeere 1544. crossed ouer the Sea into Sicily leauing his sonne Amida in the gouernment The costlinesse of his dyet was admirable and of his Perfumes One Peacocke and two Phesants dressed after his order were obserued to amount to a hundred Dukats and more He was a superstitious obseruer of his Religion and of the Starres which portended to him the losse of his Kingdome and a miserable end To auoyd this he departed out of Africa for feare of Barbarossa but so fell into the danger A rumour was spred at Tunis that hee was dead whereupon Amida possessed himselfe of the Kingdome Muleasses hasted home to recouer it and lost himselfe for hee was taken Captiue and after both his eyes put out with a burning knife and of his two sonnes Nahasar and Abdalas he was committed to Prison But Abdamelech his brother got the Kingdome from Amida and soone after dyed to whom succeeded Mahomet his soone a childe whose Tutors were so tyrannicall that Amida was againe sent for by the Tunetans and Muleasses is brought to Sanctuary whence by the Spaniards meanes hee was conueyed to Guletta and thence to Sicilia where he was maintayned at the Emperours charge He deriued his Pedigree from the Chorean Family in right line from Homar Mahomets Disciple Amida
came to his Ships side such aboundance of Fish of all sorts that they might therewith haue fraught themselues for their returne if Hudson had not too desperately pursued the Voyage neglecting this oportunitie of storing themselues with fish which hee committed to the care of certaine carelesse dissolute Villaines which in his absence conspired against him in few dayes the fish all forsooke them Once a Sauage visited them who for a knife glasse and beads giuen him returned with Beuers skins Deeres skins and a Sled At Hudsons returne they set sayle for England But in few dayes their victuals being almost spent and hee out of his despaire letting fall some words of setting some on shore the former Conspirators the chiefe whereof was Hen. Greene none of their allowed Company but taken in by Hudson himselfe and one Wilson entred his Cabin in the night and forced him the Master together with his sonne Iohn Hudson Tho. Widowes Arn. Ludlo Sidraoh Fauor Ad. Moore Hen. King Mic. Bute to take Shallop and seeke their fortune But see what sinceritie can doe in the most desperate tryals One Philip Staffe an Ipswich man who according to his name had beene a principall staffe and stay to the weaker and more enfeebled courages of his Companions in the whole action lightening and inlightening their drooping darkened spirits with sparkes from his owne resolution their best Purueyor with his Peece on shore and both a skilfull Carpenter and lusty Mariner on boord when hee could by no perswasions seasoned with teares diuert them from their diuellish designes notwithstanding they entreated him to stay with them yet chose rather to commit himselfe to Gods mercy in the forlorne Shallop then with such Villaines to accept of likelier hopes A few dayes after their victuals being spent the ship came aground at Digges Iland and so continued diuers houres till a great floud which they by this accident tooke first notice of came from the Westward and set them on flote Vpon the Cliffes of this Iland they found aboundance of Fowles tame whereof they tooke two or three hundred and seeing a greas long Boat with forty or fifty Sauages vpon the shore they sent on Land and for some of their toyes had Deeres skinnes well dressed Morse-teeth and some few Furres One of our men went on land to their Tents one of theirs remaining for hostage in which Tents they liued by hoords men women and children they are bigge-boned broad-faced flat-nosed and small-footed like the Tartars their Apparell of skinnes but wrought all very handsomely euen Gloues and Shooes The next morning Greene would needs goe on shore with some of his chiefe companions and that vnarmed notwithstanding some aduised and intreated him the contrary The Sauages entertained him with a cunning ambush and at the first onset shot this mutinous Ringleader into the heart where first those those Monsters of treacherie and bloody crueltie now payed with the like had beene conceiued end Wilson his Brother in euill had the like bloody inheritance dying swearing and cursing Perse Thomas and Moter dyed a few dayes after of their wounds Euery where can Diuine Iustice finde Executioners The Boat by Gods blessing with some hurt men escaped in this manner One Abacucke Pricket a seruant of Sir Dudley Digges whom the Mutiners had saued in hope to procure his Master to worke their pardon was left to keepe the Shallop where he sate in a gowne sicke and lame at the sterne vpon whom at the instant of the ambush the leader of all the Sauages leapt from a Rocke and with a strange kinde of weapon indented broad and sharpe of bright steele riueted into a handle of Morse-tooth gaue him diuers cruell wounds before hee could from vnder his gowne draw a small Scottish-Dagger wherewith at one thrust into his side he killed this Sauage and brought him off with the Boat and some of the hurt company that got to him by swimming Being got aboord with a small weake and wounded company they made from this Iland vnto the Northerne Continent where they saw a large opening of the Sea North-West-ward and had a great floud with such a large Billow as they say is no where but in the Ocean From hence they made all possible haste home-wards passing the whole Straits and so home without euer striking sayle or any other let which might easily haue made it impossible For their best sustenance left them was Sea-weeds fryed with Candles ends and the skins of the Fowles they had eaten Some of their men were starued the rest all so weake that onely one could lye along vpon the Helme and steere By Gods great goodnesse the sixt of September 1611. they met with a Fisherman of Foy by whose meanes they came safe into England §. VII Of BVTTONS and BAFFINS late Discoueries THis newes so incouraged the Aduenturers that by the gracious assistance of that Starre of the North Illustrious Sonne of Britaines brightest Sunne and in his presence shining with beauteous beames in this and euen to that further Hemisphere but with speedier setting raised aboue the Sunne and Spheres and Starres to discouer the Straits and passage to a better World there to shine with light vnspeakeable in the fruition of that light inaccessible with the Father of Lights and Sunne of Righteousnesse For how could a worldly Kingdome though the Kingdome of the World deserue so good so great a spirit to rule it But these my words are too short an Epitaph his owne Name euen after death speakes more and proclaimeth in a few Letters al humane Greatnesse Great Britaines great hope PRINCE HENRY the Aduenturers I say whom my weaker eyes dazled with this greater Light could scarce recouer by this Princely assistance pursued the action in more Royall fashion with greater shipping vnder the command of a Worthy Sea-man seruant to Prince HENRY Captaine Thomas Button whose Discouerie of a great Continent called by him New-Wales and other accidents of his Voyage I haue not seene onely I haue seene a Chart of those discouered places and I heare that he passed Hudsons Straits and leauing Hudsons Bay to the South sailed aboue two hundred Leagues South-West-Ward ouer a Sea aboue fourescore fathoms deepe without sight of Land which at length hee found to be another great Bay And after much misery of sicknesse in his wintering notwithstanding he was forced to quit the great ship hee beat and searched the whole Bay with very great industrie euen backe againe almost to Digges Iland neere which hee found the comming in of the great and strong tyde from the North-West which feeds both those huge Bayes This seemed strange that in this Voyage as he searched many Leaguee East West he found the variation of the Compasse to rise and fall in an admirable proportion as if the true Magneticall Pole might be discouered The comming in of the floud from the Northwest giuing them hopes of a passage in March 1614. Captaine
harth to eate no other bread but that which had beene offered to their Gods that they should vpon all occasions repaire to their Wisards who with certaine graines told Fortunes and diuined looking into keelers and pailes full of water The Sorcerers and ministers of the diuell vsed much to besmeare themselues There were an infinite number of these Witches Diuiners Inchanters and the like and still there remaine of them but secret not daring publikely to exercise their superstitions The Mexicans had amongst them a kinde of baptisme which they did with cutting the eares and members of yong children hauing some resemblance of the Iewish circumcision This Ceremonie was done principally to the sonnes of Kings and Noblemen presently vpon their birth the Priests did wash them and did put a little Sword in the right hand in the left a Target And to the children of the vulgar sort they put the markes of their callings and to their daughters instruments to Spinne Knit and labour The Mexican history afore-mentioned in the third part thereof sheweth in pictures their policie and customes When a child was borne as is there described it was laid in a Cradle foure dayes after the mid-wife brought it naked with the instrument of the trade as is said in the hand into the yard where were prepared Bul-rushes and a little pan of water in which she washed the same Three boyes sate by eating tosted Mars with sodden Frizoles in a little pan and at the mid-wiues appointment named the child with a lowd voice After twenty dayes they went with it into the Temple and presented the same in presence of the Priest with an offering and being of fifteene yeares committed him to the High Priest of that Temple to be taught if they would after haue him a Priest or if they would haue him a Souldier they committed him to the Master thereof with an offering of meat also In this booke is pictured how they instruct and feed them at three yeeres of age giuing them halfe a Cake how at foure with a whole Cake at fiue burthening and exercising their bodies and letting their daughters to spin how at sixe they exercise them in gathering vp corne spilled on the ground or the like at seuen in fishing There is likewise described their seuere discipline in punishing them with Manguez The Priests did exercise their Pupils in bodily seruices of the Temple in going to the Mountains to sacrifice in Musicke obseruing the time by the starres and the like Old men of threescore and ten might be publikely drunken without controll which to yong folkes of both sexes was death as was theft also and adultery The Priests also had their office in marriages The Bridegroome and the Bride stood together before the Priest who tooke them by the hands asking them if they would marry vnderstanding their will he took a corner of the vaile wherewith the woman had her head couered and a corner of the mans gowne which he tyed together on a knot and so led them thus tyed to the Bridegroomes house where there was a harth kindled Then he caused the wife to goe seuen times about the harth and so the married couple sate downe together and thus was the marriage contracted That booke of pictures describes it thus as Amantesa or Broker carried the Bride on her backe at the beginning of the night foure women attending with Torches of Pine-tree Rosenned At the Bridegroomes house his parents receiue her and carry her to him in a Hall where they are both caused to sit on a Mat neere a fire and tyed together with a corner of their apparell and a perfume of Copale wood is made to their gods Two old men and as many old women were present The married couple eate and then these old folke which after this separate them asunder and giue them good instructions for Oeconomicall duties In other parts of New-Spaine they vsed other marriage-rites at Tlaxcallan the Bridegroome and Bride polled their heads to signifie that from thenceforth all childish courses should be laid aside At michuacan the Bride must looke directly vpon the Bridegroome or else the marriage was not perfect In Mixteopan they vsed to carry the Bridegroome vpon their backs as if he were forced and then they both ioyne hands and knit their mantles together with a great knot The Macatecas did not come together in twenty dayes after marriage but abode in fasting and prayer all that while sacrificing their bodies and anointing the mouths of their Idols with their bloud In Panuco the Husbands buy the Wiues for a Bow two Arrowes and a Net and afterwards the Father-in-law speaketh not one word to his Sonne in-law for the space of a yeere When he hath a child he lyeth not with his wife in two yeeres after lest she should be with child againe before the other bee out of danger some sucke twelue yeeres and for this cause they haue many wiues No woman while she hath her disease may touch or dresse any thing Adulterie in Mexico was death common women were permitted but no ordinary Stewes The diuell did many times talke with their Priest and with some other Rulers and particular persons Great gifts were offered vnto him whom the diuell had vouchsafed this conference He appeared vnto them in many shapes and was often familiar with them He to whom he appeared carried about him painted the likenesse wherein be shewed himselfe the first time And they painted his Image on their doores benches and euery corner of the house Likewise according to his Protean and diuersified apparitions they painted him in many shapes It belonged also to the office of the Priests and religious in Mexico to interre the dead and doe their obsequies The places where they buried them were their gardens and courts of their owne houses others carried them to the places of sacrifices which were done in the mountaines others burnt them and after buried the ashes in the temples burying with them whatsoeuer they had of apparell stones and iewels They did sing the funerall offices like Responds often lifting vp the dead body with many ceremonies At these Mortuaries they did eate and drinke and if it were a person of qualitie they gaue apparell to such as came When one was dead his friends came with their presents saluted him as if he were liuing And if he were a King or Lord of some Towne they offered some slaues to bee put to death with him to serue him in the other world They likewise put to death his Priest or Chaplain for euery Noble-man had a Priest for his domestical holies that he might execute his office with the dead They likewise killed his Cooke his Butler Dwarffes and deformed men and whosoeuer had most serued him though he were his Brother And to preuent pouertie they buried with them much wealth as Gold Siluer Stones Curtains and other rich pieces And if they burned the dead they
sheweth forth certaine beautifull colours in stead of flowres round stones of Golden Earth in stead of Fruits and thinne Plates in stead of Leaues From this Iland was yeerely brought foure or fiue hundred thousand Duckets of Gold They imagine some Diuine Nature to bee in Gold and therefore neuer gather it but they vse certaine Religious expiations abstayning from women delicate meates and drinkes and all other pleasures There is an Iland a little from Hispaniola which hath a Fountaine in it comming by secret passages vnder the Earth and Sea and riseth in this Iland which they beleeue because it bringeth with it the leaues of many trees which grow in Hispaniola and not in this Iland the Spaniards call the I le Arethusa Ouiedo mentions a little Iland betweene this and Iamaica called Nauazza halfe a league from which are many Rockes in the Sea about fiue foot couered with water out of which issueth and spouteth aboue the water of the Sea a spout of fresh water as great as a mans arme that it may bee receiued and taken sweet and good This was seene by Stephano della Rocca a man of good credit The I le of Hispaniola is much infested with Flyes or Gnats whose pricking causeth wonderfull swelling also there is a Worme called Nigua which creepeth into the soles of mens feet and makes them grow as bigge as a mans head with extremitie of paine for which they haue no remedy but to open the flesh sometimes three or foure inches and so digge them out The Gnats are so troublesome that the Inhabitants doe therefore build low Houses and make little doores which they keepe close and forbeare to light Candles Nature hath to this disease ordained a remedy namely certaine Creatures called Cucuij which is a kind of Beetles These haue foure lights which shine in the night two in the seate of his eyes and two which he sheweth when hee openeth his wings The people get these and bring them to their houses which there doe them a double seruice they kill the Gnats and giue so much light that men may see to reade and write Letters by the light of one and many of them seeme as so many Candles They had but three sorts of foure-footed Beasts and those very little Now men are exhaust and Beasts multiplyed in so strange manner that one which was Deane of the Conception carrying a Cow thither shee was aliue six and twentie yeeres after and her fruitfull generation was multiplyed in the Iland to eight hundred They are now growne wild as their Dogges also They kill their Kine for the Hides fiue and thirtie thousand were transported to Spaine when Acosta returned in the yeere of our Lord 1587. Ants haue beene as noysome to Hispaniola as Grashoppers in many parts of the World in the yeere 1519. and two yeeres after they ruined their Farme-houses and spoyled their Oranges Cannafistula and their fruit-trees They could keepe nothing in their houses which was fit to be eaten from them and if they had continued in like quantitie they would haue dishabited the Iland and left it desolate But they chose by lot a Saint to whose tuition they might commit themselues in that extremitie which fell vpon Saturninus who was faine to become their Patron against the Pismires These Ants were little and blacke another sort were enemies to these and wrought against them and chased them out of their holds and were not hurtfull but as good Benefactors if Ouiedo say true of them as I can beleeue of Saturninus Other sorts there are many of which some become winged and fill the Aire with swarmes which sometimes happens in England On Bartholomew day 1613. I was in the Iland of Foulenesse on our Essex shore where were such cloudes of these flying Pismires that we could no were flie from them but they filled our clothes yea the floores of some houses where they fell were in a manner couered with a blakee Carpet of creeping Ants which they say drowne themselues about that time of the yeere in the Sea Ouiedo tels of other Ants with white heads which eate through wals and timbers of houses and cause them to fall There are some Caterpillers a span long and others lesse but more venemous There are Wormes which doe so much harme in Timber that a house of thirty yeeres in this Iland would be ruinous and seeme as old as one of a hundred in Spaine and those which could not be old when hee wrote this seemed as if they had stood 150. yeeres Many other small creatures this our Author mentions but my Relations would be too great if I should follow him §. II. Of their Idols Songs and Dances Priests Oracles Superstitious Opinions and Customes BEfore the Discouerie of this Iland by Columbus and the Spaniards these Ilanders of Hispaniola were forewarned thereof by Oracle Their Cacikes and Buhiti that is their Kings and Priests reported to Columbus that the Father of Garionexius the present King and another Cacike would needs be importunate demanders of their Zemes or Gods of future euents and therefore abstayned fiue dayes together from all meate and drinke spending the time in continuall mourning The Zemes made answere That there would come not many yeeres after vnto that Iland a strange Nation clothed bearded armed with shining Swords that would cut a man asunder in the middle which should destroy the ancient Images of their Gods abolish their Rites and slay their children To remember this Oracle they composed a mournfull Dittie which they call Areito which on some solemne dayes they vsed to sing Their Priests were Phisicians and Magicians or Diuinours Ouiedo sayth that they danced at singing of their Areiti or Ballads which word I vse because it hath that deriuation which argueth dancing aswell as singing These dances are generall thorow America In this Iland they danced sometimes men alone and sometimes women alone but in great Solemnities they were mixed and danced in a circle one leading the dance the measures whereof were composed to the Areito of which one sang a Verse and all the rest followed singing and dancing and so thorow euery Verse of the same till it was ended which sometimes continued till the next day Anacaona the widow of the Cacique Caonabo entertained the Spaniards with a dance of three hundred Maids Thus these Areitos were their Chronicles and Memorials of things passed as we read of the Bards in these parts They vsed sometimes Drummes or Tabers to these dances made onely of wood hollow and open right against that place where they did strike In some places they couered them with Deere skins but here were no beasts in this Iland that could yeeld any for such purpose They had Tobacco in Religious estimation not onely for sanitie but for sanctitie also as Ouiedo writeth the smoke whereof they tooke in at the Nose with a forked Pipe fitted to both nosthrils holding the single end in the smoke
well attended to meet him and make his prouisions At Yeraslaue another Querry of the Stable met him At Musco hee was honourably entertayned Knez Iuan Suetzcoie attended with 300. Horse brought him to his lodging Sauelle Frolloue the Secretary was sent to congratulate his welcome with many dishes of dressed meate and promise of best accommodating The next day the Emperour sent a Noble man Ignatie Tatishoue to visit him with faire words and promise of speediest audience which was on Satturday following About nine of the clocke the streets were filled with people and a thousand Gunners attired in yellow and blue Garments set in rankes by the Captaines on Horsebacke with bright Harquebuses in their hands from the Ambassadours doore to the Emperours Palace Knez Iuan Sitzcoie attended him mounted on a faire Gennet richly bedecked with a faire Gelding well furnished for the Embassadour attended with three hundred Gentlemen gallantly adorned The Embassadour being displeased that the Dukes Horse was better then his mounted on his owne Horse and with his thirty men liveried in Stamell Clokes well set forth each hauing a part of his Present being most Plate marched onward to the Kings Palace where another Duke met him and told him that the Emperour stayed for him He answered that hee came as fast as he could By the way the people ghessing at the vnpleasingnesse of his message cryed Carenke that is Cranes-legs in mockage of him whereat hee stormed much The passage stayres and Roomes thorow which hee was conducted were all beset with Merchants and Gentlemen in Golden Coats His men entred before him with their Presents into the Roome where the Emperour sate in his Robes and Maiesty with his three Crownes before him foure young Noble men called Ryndes shining in their Cloth of beaten Siluer with foure Scepters or bright Siluer Hatchets in their hands on each side of him the Prince and other his great Dukes and Nobles in rankes sitting round about him The Emperour stood vp and the Embassadour making his courtesies deliuers the Queenes Letters which hee receiued and put off his Imperiall Cap asking how his louing Sister Queene Elizabeth did His answere made he sate downe on a side forme couered with a Carpet and after some little pause and mutuall view was dismissed in manner as hee came and his Dinner of two hundred dishes of dressed meats sent after him by a Gentleman of qualitie I was forewarned by my secret and best friends not to intermeddle in those businesses Some secret and publike conferences passed but good note was taken that none of the great Family of the Godonoues were consulted with therein The King feasts the Embassadour grants great allowance of daily prouision and nothing would please him yea he made great complaints about friuolous matters The Merchants and the Emperours Officers were reconciled in their accounts grieuances remedied Priuiledges granted and an Embassadour to the Queene resolued on if Sir I. B. could haue conformed himselfe to the time any thing might haue beene yeelded yea he promised that if his Marriage with the Queenes Kinswoman tooke effect her issue should inherit the Crowne for assurance whereof he had a masse of ready treasure presently to be transported with his Embassadour vnto Queene Elizabeths trust The Clergy and Noblity especially the neerest allied to the old Empresse the Princes wife and her Family of the Godonoues found meanes to crosse all these Designes The King much distracted in fury caused many Witches Magicians or Wors presently to be sent for out of the North where there are many betweene Colmogro and Lappia Threescore of them were brought post to Musco where they were guarded dyeted and daily visited by the Emperours great Fauourite Bodan Belscoy to receiue from them their Diuinations or Oracles on the Subiects giuen them in charge by the Emperour Note that a great blasing Star and other prodigious sights were seene a moneth together euery night ouer Musco that yeere This Fauorite now sought to serue the turne of the rising Sunne wearied with the wicked disposition of the Emperour The Sooth-sayers tell him that the heauenly Planets and Constellations would produce the Emperours death by such a day But he not daring to tell the Emperour so much said to them that on that day they should be all burned The Emperour began grieuously to swell in his Cods wherewith he had offended so long boasting that he had deflowred thousands of Virgins and a thousand children of his begetting destroyed was carried euery day in his Chaire into his Treasury One day two dayes before the Emperour his death the Prince beckoned to me to follow and I aduenturously stood among the rest and heard him call for his Precious Stones and Iewels He then held discourse to the Nobles about him directing his eye and speech most to Boris Godouona of the nature and properties of his Gemmes of the World compassing Load-stone causing the Wayters to make a Chaine of Needles therewith touched of the Corall also and Turkesse whose beautifull colours sayd he layd on my arme poysoned with inflammation you see are turned pale and declare my death Reach out my Staffe Royall an Vnicornes Horne garnished with very faite Diamonds Rubies Saphires Emeralds and other Precious Stones it cost 70000. Markes sterling bought of Dauid Gowell of the Fulkers of Ausburge seeke out some Spiders caused his Physician Iohannes Eiloff to scrape a Circle thereof vpon the Table and put within it one Spider and after another which burst presently others without the Circle running away from it aliue It is too late it will not preserue me Behold these Precious Stones the Diamond most precious of all other I neuer affected it it restraines Fury and Luxury the powder is poyson Then he points to the Rubie this comforts the Braine and Memory clarifieth congealed bloud That Emerald of the nature of the Rainbow is enemy to all vncleanenesse and though a man cohabit in Lust with his owne Wife this Stone being about them will burst at the spending of Nature The Saphyre I greatly delight in it preserueth and increaseth Nature and Courage reioyceth the heart is pleasing to all the vitall Senses souereigne to the Eyes strengthens the Muscles Hee takes the Onyx in hand c. All these are Gods wonderfull gifts secrets in Nature reuealed to mans vse and contemplation as friends to grace and vertue and Enemies to vice I faint carry me away till another time In the afternoone he peruseth ouer his Will and yet thinkes not to dye His Ghostly Father dares not put him in minde of annointing in holy forme Hee hath beene witched in that place and often vnwitched againe He commands the Master of the Apotheke and the Physicians to prepare a Bath for his solace enquires the goodnesse of the Signe sends his Fauourite to his Witches to know their Calculations Hee tels them the Emperour will bury or burne them all quicke for their Illusions and Lyes the day is comne he is