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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	day_n	jew_n	sabbath_n	5,305	5	9.9119	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A36827	A new voyage to the Levant containing an account of the most remarkable curiosities in Germany, France, Italy, Malta, and Turkey : with historical observations relating to the present and ancient state of those countries / by the Sieur du Mont ; done into English, and adorn'd with figures.; Nouveau voyage du Levant. English	Dumont, Jean, baron de Carlscroon, 1667-1727.	1696 (1696)	Wing D2526; ESTC R9818	264,606	436

tho' they use those Affected Howlings as well as the Greeks their Design is to Mourn and not to Feast Among the Ceremonies that are us'd by the Iews at the Death of their Relations I took notice of one which seems to be very Troublesome and Inconvenient I mean their keeping of the Dead Body Three Days unbury'd And I leave you to judge what a sad Companion that must be to the Widow and Children who are oblig'd to weep without Intermission till the Body be interr'd Since the Description of the Greekish Funerals has given me an Occasion to mention the Jews I shall conclude this Letter with a brief Account of that Nation ' Twou'd be needless to entertain you with an Abridgement of their Ancient History and therefore I shall only observe that after the Romans became Masters of Palestine these unhappy Fugitives were dispers'd and scatter'd thro' the whole World and have liv'd ever since like hated Vagabonds without King or Head expecting the Messiah with an Impatience that has frequently made 'em give Credit to Impostors About Thirty Years ago there arose a false Prophet or Messiah in this Country call'd Sabatai Sevi who was very learned and had diligently study'd the Cabala by which means 't was thought he came to the Knowledge of certain Magical Secrets which he afterwards made Use of to abuse the Credulity of his Followers I have heard a Thousand Stories of him but shall content my self with telling you that he manag'd the Cheat with so much De●terity and Success that he was follow'd by a great Multitude of People and began to exercise so great an Authority over the Jews that the Grand Signior himself growing jealous of his Power and Credit order'd him to be apprehended and brought in Chains to Constantinople where this pretended Messiah turn'd Turk to save his Life The Scandal of this Example which ought to have taught the Jews more Caution for the future cou'd not keep 'em from falling not long after into another Error of the same Nature You must know that during the Feast of Tabernacles the young Women of that Nation are oblig'd to lie abroad under Tents in a place appointed for that purpose and they have an old Tradition that the Messiah shall be conceiv'd in the Womb of a Virgin during that Festival Now it happen'd that a certain Maid who it seems was weary of that Denomination resolv'd to make use of so favourable an Opportunity of tasting the forbidden Delight and to conceal her Fault spread abroad a Report that God came to visit her every Night and that she was to be the Mother of the Messiah These acceptable News were receiv'd with Joy by the whole Synagogue who appointed several Days of Solemn Thanksgiving to be kept with all imaginable Secresie for fear of offending the Turks But their Joy was at last turn'd into Shame and Confusion when instead of their expected Deliverer the pretended Virgin was brought to B●d of a Daughter The Levantine Jews are extremely Cunning and Deceitful and so dextrous in the Art of Wheedling that those who deal with 'em ought to be always upon their Guard Cheating is the Trade by which they live as others do by Labour or Traffick and 't is usually said here that a Jew never eats his Breakfast till he has cheated a Christian However 't is certain that he who trusts 'em must either betray his Ignorance or Imprudence for by a modest Computation I may venture to assure you that among Twenty Jews there are always Nineteen Knaves There cannot be a more convincing Argument to prove that Religion is not always attended with Honesty for if it were the Jews wou'd be the honestest Men in the World They observe the Precepts of their Law with an incredible exactness and wou'd not do the least Work on the Sabbath to prevent the Ruine of the Universe 'T is not yet a Fortnight since we had an eminent Instance of the Power of Superstition on occasion of a Fire which broke forth in the Jews Quarter in this City on the Sabbath Day for they suffer'd it to consume their Houses without endeavouring to quench it and one among the rest seeing his Child just ready to be devour'd by the Flames contented himself with tearing his Hair instead of breaking the Window of his House tho' there was no other Way to save the Life of his miserable Infant which wou'd have been certainly burnt alive if it had not been seasonably rescu'd by some Greeks whose Compassion drew 'em to its Assistance This Fire made a prodigious Havock for it destroy'd above a Hundred Houses in the greatest part of which there were Warehouses The Jews are no less jealous of their Wives than the Turks and are very careful in keeping 'em under a close Confinement 'T is true they are permitted to see and visit one another but if a Woman shou'd walk a Quarter of a League out of the City without her Husband or Brother she wou'd infallibly be divorc'd They wear a large Gown of black Cloth made almost like that of the Papa's and their Shooes are of a Violet Colour Their Caps are of Felt cover'd with Violet-colour'd Cloth and resemble a long Block of a Hat Round their Caps they tye a small strip'd or Violet-colour'd Turbant which they call a Tandour They are oblig'd to pay the Carache as well as the Greeks and are treated with more scorn and Contempt But they are naturally of so intrigueing a Temper that they thrust themselves into all sorts to Bus'ness and are at present the only Managers of Trade for there are no other Brokers in the Levant I know not whether you will complain of the unusual Length of this Letter but I can assure you that the writing of it has fatigu'd me so extremely that tho' I had not finish'd my Subject I shou'd have been forc'd to break off abruptly I am SIR Your c. Smyrna July 1692. LETTER XXIII SIR JUst now I 'm inform'd that five Barbary Vessels anchor'd this Morning at Fosche which is a little Harbour at the Mouth of the Gulph If this be true we must expect to see the Streets always full of those insolent Scoundrels from whom the Franks receive a Visit once every Year tho' they wou'd gladly dispence with so troublesome a piece of Civility I have not yet had Experience of their Deportment but the Accounts I have receiv'd from others have extremely abated my natural Curiosity to be acquainted with the Customs of Strangers And I had much rather hear a Description than be an Eye-Witness of the Disorders they committed in this City which are still so fresh in the Memory of the People that they hardly talk of any thing else I know not whether you cou'd hear without Disturbance a Relalation of those Abuses if you were in a place where you might shortly expect to see 'em repeated But since you are at so great a Distance from the Scene of the Tragedy you may

hardly ever give credit to that part of the History of our Age. We pass●d the Rhine at Philips●urg on a Bridge of Boats in the beginning of August I need not tell you that this City was surrender'd to the Dauphin on his Birth-day Novemb. 1. which he render'd famous by his first Conquest But I cannot forbear doing Justice to the Bravery and Greatness of Mind which he shew'd on that Occasion For he was everywhere present and neither gave his Orders by Proxy nor suffer'd any thing to be done without his Knowledge Philipsburg is a very inconsiderable Town scarce able to contain a numerous Garison nor can it boast of one remarkable House but that which belongs to the Governour But notwithstanding those Defects 't is a place of great importance both by reason of its Situation between the Rhine and a large and deep Marsh and its numerous Fortifications There was a Redoubt on the other side of the Rhine to defend the Passage of the River which the Dauphin took in two Days But there are so many new Works added that it may be call'd more properly a considerable Fort than a simple Redoubt The next Day we encamp'd before Heydelberg which we invested on the side next the Rhine This City was part of our last Year's Conquests and had paid Contributions two or three times Some of our Troops had their Winter-Quarters in it and possess'd it without the least Disturbance till the Spring when by an unaccountable sort of Policy we blew up the Castle and left the Town I think on purpose that we might have the pleasure of Besieging it two Months after For you must not imagine because the Trenches were not open'd that the Siege was never really intended since 't is plain from reason that we sate down before it with that design because we cou'd not have chosen a more probable way to divert the Imperial Forces And besides 't is certain that Monsieur de Duras had given Orders for a general Assault the Day on which the Place was reliev'd by a Detachment of 3000 Men who enter'd the Town with several Boats laden with Ammunition and all sorts of necessary Provisions However our Army consisting of 25000 Men with 45 Pieces of Cannon lay seven Days before it during which time we lost 8 or 900 good Soldiers besides several Officers and were at last forc'd to leave a defenceless Town that might have been storm'd with Sword in Hand the first Night we sate down before it For we had already ruin'd those inconsiderable Fortifications that defended it before we left it in the Spring And at the same time we blew up the Castle or at least the best part of it in which alone the strength of the Place consisted Nevertheless all its Defects might have been corrected by an industrious Master And besides it must be acknowledg'd to be a Place of great Importance if we consider the Advantages of its Situation for it wou'd have open'd a Passage on the Neckar and made us Masters of the whole Country as far as Franckfort Heydelberg is the Chief City of the Palatinate of the Rhine seated on the Neckar in a Bottom betwixt two Hills The Castle where the Electors formerly resided stands on a Hillock that commands the Town and has the Advantage of a lovely but of late neglected Garden The Strangers that pass'd thro' this City never fail'd to pay a Visit to the famous Tun of above a hundred Years standing and were usually receiv'd with the ●●llkom which is a Glass containing about two Quarts The French who quarter'd here during the Winter were so sensible of the Charms of that hospitable Vessel that they left not one Drop in it tho' it contain'd above 300 Hogsheads of Wine Near the City there is a fair Church consisting of three several Vaults under which the Catholicks Lutherans and Calvinists perform Divine Service It was built by Charles Lewis Elector Palatine who nam'd it The Temple of Concord to put his Subjects in mind that their Temporal Safety depended on their Union and that a diversity of Interests was not a necessary Consequence of Difference in Religion This City was formerly Mistress of one of the finest Libraries in the World which she possess'd till the Year 1622 when Count Tilly having taken the City sent part of the Books to Rome while the rest were dispers'd like those of Alexandria to the irreparable Loss of the learned World since no other Library contain'd so numerous a Collection of rare Manuscripts The City being secur●d by a seasonable Relief from our intended Assault we decamp'd on the 9 th before Day and having march'd two Leagues arriv●d about eight a-clock at the little Town of Wiseloch which we burnt in our Passage after we had thrust out the Inhabitants Sinsennes and several other Villages met with the same Treatment from our Dragoons who were always entrusted with these fiery Commissions These Ministers of our Fury allow'd no longer respite to the Places they were order'd to destroy than what might give 'em leisure to plunder the best Effects of the Inhabitants ravish their Wives and Daughters and commit a thousand other Disorders The Fame of our Cruelties was quickly spread over the Countries of Wirtemberg and Baden and drove away all the Inhabitants of the Towns and Villages to which we approach'd who fled from us as from the Enemies and Destroyers of Mankind endeavouring to save their Lives in the Woods and Forests where many of 'em seeking to avoid one kind of Death met with another no less terrible and chose rather to be starv'd than kill'd so that from hence-forward during our whole March we found not one Person either in the Towns or Country thro' which we pass'd Only Weingarten and Bruchsal pretended to stop our Career but two Days after they were constrain'd to Surrender and both the Garrisons and Inhabitants were made Prisoners of War and the Towns were treated with the same Severity with those that were formerly mention'd by the Troops that enter'd into ' em At the same time Monsieur de Boufflers who commanded a Flying Camp came before a little Town call'd Cocheim in which there was a Garrison of 600 Men and fearing least the Place shou'd be reliev'd immediately gave Orders for an Assault which was carry'd on and receiv'd with equal Vigour and Bravery The Action lasted two Hours after which our Men were oblig'd to retire but the Major who commanded in the Town contenting himself with so remarkable a Success and concluding that the Courage of the French Troops was so well cool'd that they wou'd hardly venture to return to a place where they had met with so rough a Treatment instead of taking Measures to prevent a Surprize went to recruit his Spirits after so hot an Action with a Glass of his beloved Wine In the mean time Monsieur de Boufflers upon a Signal which was made to him by some Traytors in the Town commanded his Dragoons to renew

the Mosque retains almost all its ancient Beauty 't is enrich'd with a very fine Mosaick Work consisting of little gilt Stones so exactly join'd together that they remain almost perfectly entire after so many Ages At the four Corners of the Building where the Vault begins to be round the four Beasts mention'd in the Apocalyps are painted in Mosaick only the Turks have disfigur'd their Faces as they have also done to an Image of Our Saviour which is over the principal Door represented after the Greek Fashion upon a Throne with his Hand lifted and two of his Fingers stretch'd out to bless a Saint who lies prostrate before him with his Face on the Ground the Virgin appearing on the other side Over the same Door there is also a Basso-Relievo representing the Holy Ghost in the form of a Dove which the Turks have not in the least disfigur'd The Tomb of Constantine remains also intire which the Turks hold in great Veneration as well as the Stone on which the Virgin wash'd Our Saviour's Linnen This Temple is pav'd with very fine Marble and the Floor is cover'd with Mats not to keep it from being foil'd for they always put off their Babouche's or Shooes before they enter but by reason of the coldness of the Marble which might incommode those who come to perform their Devotions in this place especially since they kneel or crouch down almost after the same manner as they sit upon their Sopha's The Keeper of the Temple was easily brib'd to permit me to satisfie my Curiosity with a distinct view of all the Curiosities I have describ'd But these Officers are not always in so good a Humour for sometimes they are very civil and soon prevail'd with to admit a Stranger into the Temple but at other times they are so Surly and Obstinate that one can hardly procure that Satisfaction at the rate of ten Pistoles 'T is true indeed they are expresly forbidden to grant that favour to Christians and the permission which is sometimes given to Franks is only an effect of their Indulgence For if a Greek or Iew were found in the Mosque he wou'd either be immediately put to Death or constrain'd to save his Life by renouncing his Religion Sophia is a Greek Word signifying Wisdom and this Temple was so call'd by the Emperor Justinian who consecrated it to the Sovereign Wisdom I shall briefly acquaint you with the History of its Foundation as I had it from the Greeks You may depend upon the fidelity of my Relation but I dare not undertake to justifie the Credit of my Authors The Emperor Iustinian being dangerously sick his Physician call'd Samson whose Mind was no less enlighten'd by the Inspirations of the Holy Ghost than by the Knowledge of Philosophy and of the Art which he profess'd told him that his Distemper was of such a Nature that it cou'd not be cur'd by the Precepts of Physick and that he must depend wholly upon the Assistance of Heaven advising him to make some Religious Vows and encouraging him with some Assurances that God wou'd hear his Prayer The Devout Prince cheerfully embrac'd his Counsel and vow'd to build a Temple which shou'd surpass all the Churches of the World in Magnificence God was pleas'd with the sincerity of his Devotion he rewarded his Faith and rescu'd him from the Jaws of Death Nor was Iustinian unmindful of his Duty to his Gracious Deliverer In order to the performanc● of his Vow he fram'd the Model of the Church of Sancta Sophia such as 't is at present and employ'd a vast Number of Workmen on the intended Building But he had the Misfortune to see all his Treasures exhausted before the third part of the Work was compleated so that he cou'd neither prosecute his Design nor so much as pay 50 Days Wages which he ow'd to the Workmen for Christian Emperors had not then assum'd the power of imposing Taxes on their Subjects without an indispensable Necessity He was so overcome with Sorrow when he saw that he cou'd neither finish so pious a Work nor do Justice to the poor Men whom he had imploy'd that he burst forth into Tears and retir'd to his Closet where he was breathing out his Complaints in the presence of his God when a sudden Light shone thro' the Room and discover'd a Youth of incomparable Beauty who assur'd the sorrowful Emperour that God had seen his Tears and heard his Prayers and told him that he might quickly be happy if he wou'd send some of his Servants and 50 Camels along with him Justinian's Heart was fill'd with Joy at the hearing of such welcome and unexpected Tidings He commanded twenty of his Servants with fifty Camels to attend the bright Messenger who carry'd 'em out of Constantinople to a Field where they found a stately Palace tho' there was never any Building seen in that place either before or since The Beauteous Youth or rather Angel for so it seems he was open'd the Gates of this Magnificent Structure and led 'em to a Hall where they saw vast Heaps of Gold Silver and all sorts of Jewels He orderd 'em to load their Camels and then both he and the Palace disappear'd only the Treasure remain'd which the Emperor receiv'd with all the Marks of a joyful Gratitude and employ'd it in building and adorning the Church of Sancta Sophia in so admirable a manner that the Temple of Solomon in its highest Glory was neither more Beautiful nor Magnificent He built also with the same Money a large and stately Hospital where Persons of all Nations were charitably entertain'd And since there was still a great quantity of Treasure left which the Emperor's Piety wou'd not suffer him to employ in prophane Uses he order'd the Jewels to be samp'd to Powder and the Gold and Silver to be melted and mixing 'em all together he made the most precious Table that ever adorn'd a Temple and plac'd it on the High Altar to serve at the daily Consecration of the Sacrament where it remain'd till the Venetians carry'd it away with those admirable Brazen Gates which are at present to be seen at S. Mark 's But God wou'd not suffer so Holy a Piece to become a Prey to those who cou'd not pretend any right to it the Galley that carry'd it open'd miraculously at the Mouth of the Canal in the Sea of Marmora where it sunk and was never afterwards found This Sir if you have Faith enough to believe it is the Original of Sancta Sophia which was formerly a Christian Church and is now a Turkish Mosquee 'T is at present the only Ancient Structure of that Nature in Constantinople for all the rest were built in this and the last Age by the Sultans or Sultanesses whose Names they bear There are seven or eight particularly remarkable I mean those of the Sultans Mahomet Achmet Solyman and Selim with those of Chazadet and Validé and some others built after the same Model and differing only