by faith and not by sight This that Moses telleth of the fall of Man Experience doth in manner proclaime through the World in the manifold effects thereof which we daily see For whereas the World was made for Man as before is shewed who alone in regard of his bodily and spirituall nature can need and vse it no creature in the world is in his kind so imperfect as man Hee that was before as an earthly God is now become an incarnate Deuill and for aspiring to be like his Lord was made a seruant of his seruants the noblest part in him becomming a base Officer to degrade him Reason it selfe deiected at the feet of Sense to be a slaue and a very Bawd to sensuall pleasures a very Broker for dung-hill profits And what is this but to metamorphose man into a beast vnlesse that some in a lower degree liuing onely to liue suffocated with eating drinking sleeping are degenerated into plants And if he descend not lower to become torpide and liuelesse yet doth he participate the imperfections of those things and that without their perfections as if with an imperfect retrograde hee would returne into his first elements or in a perfected imperfection to his first nothing What stone so hard as mans heart is relentlesse remorselesse to his best good What dust more subiect to the wind or water more flexible then hee to temptation and sinne But those things remaine in their nature or naturall place Man is a fuming smoke a passing shadow And yet if wee could stay at our Elements it were somewhat better but wee are seruants and drudges beneath all names of basenesse vnbowelling the Earth and our selues in the earth for a little hardened earth that neuer had the dignitie to see no not to be seen of the Sunne We seeme to rule the Skie Winds and Seas indeed we aduenture our liues to their mercy and not three fingers thicknesse doth separate vs from death that we may bring home an idle discourse or somewhat almost lesse then nothing that we call a Iewell Once we inuert Nature subuert others peruert our selues for those things which sometimes kill the body and alway except a power with whom all things are possible preuent the Soule And yet Thou Foole this night may they fetch away thy Soule and whose then shall these things bee And whose then and where then shalt thou be Thou gainest faire to loose thy selfe to be taken with thy taking to bee thus bad to others that thou mayest be worse to thy selfe and when-as like an Asse thou hast been laden all the dayes of thy life with those things which euen in hauing thou wantedst now to be more intollerably burthened now to be in Hell which will neuer bee satisfied in thee whose Character was before engrauen in thy vnsatiable heart Tell me not then of the reasonable power of our soules whereby we resemble GOD seeing that reason may tell thee and me that by abusing it we are like and are of our Father the Deuill That erected countenance to be still groueling in and poring on the Earth that immortall soule to mind onely such things as haue not the imperfect priuiledge to be mortall those high excellencies to bee abused to mischiefe blaspheming denying forswearing GOD and all for the basest of the basest creatures Well might this deluge of corruption mooue that Cynick in a throng of men to make search for a Man this Man which is now left vs beeing but the ruines the carkasse of himselfe Well might the Greekes call this body of ours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sepulchre of the soule the Latines Corpus where by reason of mans fall from his first estate the first syllable is falne off Cor the heart is gone we are Vecordes Socordes onely pus remaines corruption and filthinesse and doe not wee call it body because both die the soule also hereby infected and that both deaths internall and externall The Spirit the better part of man is spirit indeed a puffe and vaine blast of emptinesse animus is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a winde that passeth that passeth the wind in vanitie But what needes all this Why are we fallen into so long and tedious discourse of our fall Euen because some are fallen further beyond all sense and feeling of their fall and beleeued not that man was euer any other creature then now they see that if their goodnesse cannot yet their wickednesse might teach them that so perfect a World should not haue beene framed for so imperfect a wretch now onely perfect in imperfection Our fall must teach vs to rise our straying to returne our degeneration a regeneration And therefore was not that Image of GOD wholly done out but some remainder continued to the Posteritie to conuince them of miserie in themselues that so denying themselues they might take vp their Crosse and follow the second Adam vnto a durable happinesse But how may some aske as the Pelagian did came this misery to vs Non peccat ille qui genuit non peccat ille qui condidit per quas igitur rimas inter tot praesidia innocentiae fingis peccatum ingressum Doth it agree with diuine Iustice that if the Fathers haue eaten sowre Grapes the Children-teeth should be set on edge I answere We are Heires of our Father we need not seeke some secret cranie we see an open gate by one man sinne entred into the World and death by sinne A little leaue let vs borrow to cleere this difficultie Sinne is a transgression of the Law or a defect of conformitie to the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and cannot properly be said to haue an efficient but a deficient cause being in it owne nature and subsistence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Schoole-men say in sinne are two things to bee considered the substance and the qualitie essence and priuation the act and defect whereof that they call the Materiall this the Formall part of sinne beeing nothing else but a deformitie irregularitie and vnlawfulnesse in our naturall condition and conditions as easily to be distinguished though not to be diuided from the action as lamenesse from the working hand or iarring in an Instrument both from the Instrument and sound The Sinner is termed nequam as nequicquam naught as not ought Not that sinne is simply norhing Non negatiue sed priuatiuè Nihil nor is it a meere and pure priuation but to bee considered with that subiect wherein and whereof it is such a distortion and destruction the want of this consideration draue the Manichees to their Hereticall opinion of two beings and beginnings Sinne was first seene in the Deuill who voluntarily strayed from the right way and as hee abode not in the Truth himselfe so hee beguiled our first Parents from whom by the Conduit of Nature it is conueyed to vs I speake of Originall sinne which is
the very middle of the world That in the Messiahs dayes Wheate shall grow without renewing by Seed as the Vine But of these and the like more then enough in this booke following L. Carretus a Conuert from the Iewes setteth downe these size as the maine differences betwixt them and vs The Trinitie the Incarnation the manner of his comming whether in humilitie or royaltie the Law ceremoniall which the Iew holdeth eternall saluation by and for our owne workes which the Christian ascribeth to Faith in Christ crucified and lastly of the time of his comming whether past or present To these he thinketh all other may be referred But let vs examine the particulars CHAP. XIIII Of the Iewish opinions of the Creation their Ceremonies about the birth of a Child Of their Circumcision Purification and Redemption of the first-borne and Education of their Children §. I. Of their Exposition of Scripture a taste in Gen. 1.1 THeir Exposition of Scripture is so absurd that wee haue hence a manifest argument that as they denyed the Sonne that Eternall Word and Truth whose written word this is so that Spirit which indited the same the Spirit of Truth hath put a vayle on their heart and iustly suffered the spirit of errour to blind their eyes that seeing they should see and not vnderstand This will appeare generally in our ensuing Discourse but for a taste let vs begin with the beginning of Moses whereon R. Iacob Baal Hatturim hath left to the world these smoakie speculations The Bible beginneth with Beth the second letter in the Alphabet and not with Aleph the first because that it is the first letter of Beracha which signifieth blessing this of Arour that is a curse Secondly Beth signifieth two insinuating the two-fold Law written and vnwritten for Bereshith hath the letters of Barashetei first hee made secondly Lawes thirdly Bereshith the first word of Genesis hath as many letters as Aleph be Tishrei that is the first of Tishrei or Tisri on which the Iewes say the world began fourthly Bereshith hath the letters of Baijth roshe that is the first Temple which he knew the Iewes would build and therefore created the world fiftly it hath the letters of Iare shabbath that is to keepe the Sabbath for God created the world for the Israelites which keepe the Sabbath sixtly also of Berith esh which signifieth the Couenant of fire to wit Circumcision and the Law another cause of the creation seuenthly likewise it hath the letters of Bara iesh that is hee created as many worlds as are in the number Iesh that is three hundred and ten that the Saints might reioyce therein Now if I should follow them from these letters and spelling to their mysticall sententious exposition of greater parts of the sentence you should heare Moses tell you out of his first words that the world was created for the Talmudists for the sixe hundred and thirteene precepts because hee loued the Israelites more then the other people Againe that hee foresaw the Israelites would receiue the Law but hee is now an Asse saith he which beareth Wine and drinketh water There are in the first verse seuen words which signifie the seuen dayes of the weeke seuenth yeere of rest seuen times seuenth the Iubilee seuentimes seuen Iubilees seuen Heauens seuen lands of Promise and seuen Orbes or Planets which caused Dauid to say I will praise thee seuen times a day There are 28. letters in it which shew the 28. times of the World of which Salomon speaketh Eccles 3.1 There are in it sixe Alephs and therefore the world shall last sixe thousand yeeres So in the second verse The earth was without forme and voyde are two Alephs which shew the world should bee two thousand yeeres voyde now in the third verse are foure Alephs which shew other foure thousand yeeres two of which should bee vnder the Law and two vnder Messias §. II. Their Dreames of Adam NOw for the first man his body saith R. Osia in the Talmud was made of the earth of Babylon his head of the land of Israel his other members of other parts of the world So R. Meir thought hee was compact of the earth gathered out of the whole earth as it is written Thine eyes did see my substance now it is elsewhere written The eyes of the Lord are ouer all the earth There are twelue houres of the day saith R. Aha in the first whereof the earth of Adam or earthly matter was gathered in the second the trunke of his body fashioned in the third his members stretched forth in the fourth his soule infused in the fift hee stood vpon his feet in the sixt hee gaue names to the Creatures in the seuenth Eue was giuen him in marriage in the eighth they ascended the bed two and descended foure in the ninth hee receiued the Precept which in the tenth he brake and therefore was iudged in the eleuenth and in the twelfth was cast out of Paradise as it is written Man continued not one night in honour The stature of Adam was from one end of the world to the other and for his transgression the Creator by laying on his hand lessened him for before faith R. Eleazar with his head he reached a reacher indeed the verie firmament His language was Syriacke or Aramitish saith R. Iuda and as Reschlakis addeth the Creator shewed him all generations and the wise-men in them His sinne after R. Iehuda was heresie R. Isaac thinketh the nourishing his fore-skin He knew or vsed carnall filthinesse with all the beasts which GOD brought vnto him before Eue was made as some interpret R. Eleazar and R. Salomon but Reuchline laboureth to purge them of that sense who affirmeth that hee had an Angell for his Master or Instructor and when he was exceedingly deiected with remorse of his sinne GOD sent the Angell Raziel to tell him that there should be one of his progenie which should haue the foure letters of Iehouah in his name and should expiate originall sinne And heere was the beginning of their Cabala and also presently hereupon did hee and Eue build an Altar and offer sacrifice The like offices of other Angels they mention to other Patriarchs and tell that euery three moneths are set new watches of these watchmen yea euery three houres yea and euery houre is some change of them And therefore wee may haue more fauour of them in one houre then another for they follow the disposition of the starres so said the Angell Samael which wrestled with him vnto Iacob Let mee goe for the day breaketh for his power was in the night But let me returne to Adam of whom they further tell that he was an Hermaphrodite a man-woman hauing both Sexes and a double bodie the Female part ioyned at the shoulders and backe parts to the Male their countenances turned from each other This is proued by Moses his words So GOD created man
the Persians losse and with lightnings to shew that indignation against the Turkes which in their thundering Dialect they aloud vttered there grew such horror to their mindes from aboue and such sicknesse to their bodies from those putrified carkasses beneath that Mustapha was forced to remoue missing forty thousand of his first Musters After hee had fortified the Armenian Castle of Teflis his Armie being driuen to shifts for lacke of victuals ten thousand of his forragers were slaine by the Persians who were recompenced with like slaughter by Mustapha that came vpon them whiles they were busie about the spoyle and spoyled the spoylers In passing ouer the Riuer Canac he lost fourescore thousand Turkes which the Riuer seemed to take for Custome as it had many of the Persians in the late conflict whereof his violent current was a greedy and cruell exactor Mustapha erected a Fortresse in Ere 's and tooke Sumachia chiefe Citie of Siruan Derbent offering her selfe to the Turke and then returning into Natolia But Emir Hamse Mirise the Persian Prince recouered after his departure both Ere 's and Sumachia slew and captiued the Tartars thirtie thousand of whom were newly come to the Turkes ayde He rased Sumachia euen with the ground The next yeere Mustapha fortified Chars in three and twentie dayes wherein they were hindered with Snowes on the fiue and twentieth of August although it standeth in fortie foure Degrees Anno 1580. Sinan Bassa was chosen Generall for the Persian Warre who as hee departed from Teflis lost seuen thousand of his people besides such as the Georgians and Persians together with the spoyle carried away This was earnest the rest was but sportfull shewes of warre in trayning his Souldiers after which he returned In 1583. Ferat Bassa was sent Generall but little was done till Osman Bassa a new Generall 1585. tooke Tauris the ancient Ecbatana as Minadoi is of opinion But the Persian Prince carried with indignation reuenged this losse on the Turkes with his owne hands slaying Caraemit Bassa Generall in the place of Osman then sicke and gaue his head as opima spolia to one of his followers and afterwards at Sancazan slew twentie thousand Turks Osman dyed of sicknesse and the Persian Prince the Morning-starre of that Easterne State was soone after murthered In that dismall yeere 1588. Ferat tooke Genge fifteene thousand houses seuen Temples and fiue and twentie great Innes were burned in Constantinople the tumultuous Ianizaries not suffering the fire to be quenched An Impost was leuied of the subiects to satisfie the pay due to the Souldiers for the Persian warre which raised these stirres Yea the Priests disswaded the people from those new payments and perswaded them to maintaine their ancient Liberties shut vp their Meschits intermitted their Orisons and the great Turke was forced to call in his Mandates and deliuer the Authors of that counsell wherof the Beglerbeg of Grecia was one to the Ianizaries furie who made Tennis-balls of their heads In the 1592. Wihitz chiefe Citie of Croatia was yeelded to the Turke The next yeere Siseg was besieged but relieued by the Christians who slew eighteene thousand Turkes and tooke their Tents yet was it soone after taken by the renewed forces of the Turkes Sinan tooke Vesprinium in Hungarie and Palotta but their losse was farre greater then their gaines which continuing and a broyle of the Ianizaries added thereto brought Amurath into malancholy and sicknesse whereof he dyed the eighteenth of Ianuarie 1595. Transyluania Valachia and Moldauia hauing before reuolted from him to Sigismund who was entitled their Prince This Amurath in a letter to Queene Elizabeth entituleth himselfe By the Mercie of God free from all sinne with all height of Grace made possessor of great blessednesse aboue the 72. Lawes of the world §. III. Of MAHOMET the Third MAHOMET his sonne succeeded who inuiting his nineteene brethren to a Feast sent them to learne his fathers death in the other world accompanied thither with ten of Amuraths women from whom issue was feared which with drowning them he preuented Much adoe he had with his Ianizaries at home much losse in his Dominions abroad for which cause he sent for Ferat Bassa out of Hungarie and strangled him and sent Sinan his emulous corriuall in his roome whom the Transyluanian Prince ouerthrew in battell and after chased him ouer a Bridge which he made a mile in length for his Armie to passe ouer Danubius with great losse of his people His Bridge the fire and water diuided betwixt them and the conceit of this ill successe as was thought procured his death soone after In the yeere 1597. Mahomet in his owne person enterprised these warres and not farre from Agria on the sixteenth of October fought a cruell battell with the Christians wherein had not Couetousnesse rightly called the root of all euill hindered had beene atchieued the most glorious victorie against those Barbarians that euer Christendome was blessed with Mahomet himselfe for feare seeing his Ordnance an hundred fourescore and tenne great Peeces taken and his men slaine in multitudes fled with Ibrahim Bassa towards Agria shedding teares by the way which he wiped off his bloudie face with a piece of greene silke supposed to be a piece of Mahomets garment carried with him as a holy Relique But whiles the Christians were now halfe Conquerours by greedie turning to the spoile their victorie was wholly lost and twentie thousand of them slaine who had slaine threescore thousand Turkes Mr. Barton the English Embassador was present in the fight and Mr. Thomas Glouer also who in a large iournall of this Expedition testifieth that the great Turk was in great feare but being animated by some about him he tooke his bow and arrowes and slew three Christians therewith Those former reports hee mentioneth not Not long after the Bassa of Buda was taken and the Bassa of Bosna with some thousands of Turkes slaine Anno 1599. Yet did not all his losses in the West by the Christians vexe the Great Sultan so much as a rebellion raised in the East which many yeeres continued Cusabin Bassa of Caramania rose in armes against his Master and hauing now done great matters his Souldiers before false to their Prince became now also false to him hee flying was after taken and tortured to death His rebellion out-liued him and was maintained by one called the Scriuano who ouerthrew Mehemet Bassa in the field and the second time in the yeere 1601. ouerthrew him with his Armie of fiftie thousand and foraged all the Countrey almost as far as Aleppo proclaiming himselfe the defender of the Mahumetan faith and soon after gaue the Bassa a third ouerthrow The Turkes Embassadour sent into Persia to demand the Sophies sonne in hostage for the assurance of the peace betweene those two Monarchs was for his proud message put to the Bastinado and grieuously threatned sent backe to the Grand Signior The Scriuano's proceedings was much furthered by the dissentions betweene
175 CHAP. XIIII OF the Iewish opinions of the Creation their Ceremonies about the birth of a Childe of their Circumcision Purification and Redemption of the first borne and Education of their Children pag. 177 § I. Of their Exposition of Scripture a taste in Gen. 1.1 ibid. § II. Their Dreames of Adam pag. 178 § III. Of their Iewesses conception and trauell and of Lilith ibid. § IIII. Of the Iewish manner of Circumcision p. 179 § V. Of the Iewish Purification Redemption and Education pag. 181 CHAP. XV. OF their Morning Prayer with their Fringes Phylacteries and other Ceremonies thereof pag. 183 § I. Of their behauiour before they goe to the Synagogue ibid. § II. Of their Zizis and Tephillim and holy Vestments pag. 184 Of their Schoole or Synagogue Rites and their Mattins pag. 185 CHAP. XVI OF their Ceremonies at home after their returne at their meales and otherwise and of their Euening Prayer pag. 188 CHAP. XVII THeir weekly obseruations of Times viz. Their Mundayes and Thursdayes and Sabbaths pag. 190 § I. Of their Mundayes and Thursdayes ibid. § II. Of their Law Lectures pag. 191 § III. Of the Iewish Sabbath pag. 192 CHAP. XVIII THe Iewish Passeouer as they now obserue it and other their Feasts and Fasts pag. 194 § I. Of their Passeouer ibid. § II. Of Pentecost pag. 195 § III. Of the Feast of Tabernacles 196 § IIII. Of their new Moones and New yeeres day ibid. § V. Of their Lent Penance and Reconciliation Fast pag. 197. § VI. Of their other Feasts pag. 199 CHAP. XIX OF their Cookerie Butcherie Mariages Punishments and Funerals pag. 200 § I. Of their Cookerie ibid. § II. Of their Butcherie pag. 201 § III. Of their Espousals and Mariages ibid. § IIII. Of Coniugall duties pag. 203 § V. Of Diuorce and other Marriage obseruations pag. 204 § VI. Of the Iewish beggers Diseases and Penances pag. 205 § VII Of their Visitation of the sicke and Funerall Rites pag. 206 CHAP. XX. THe Iewes Faith and Hope touching their Messias pag. 207 § I. Of the Signes of the comming of their Messias ibid. § II. Iewish Tales of monstrous Birds Beasts Fishes and Men. pag 210 § III. Their Messias his Feast pag. 211 CHAP. XXI OF the hopes and hinderances of the Iewes conuersion pag. 212 CHAP. XXII THe later Inhabitants of Palestina and the parts adioyning since the dispersion of the Iewes till this day pag. 214 § I. Of the Christian times before the Saracens ibid. § II. Of the Saracens and Turkes in Palestina pag. 215 § III. Of the exploits of the Frankes and other Westerne Christians in Palestina pag. 214 § IIII. Of the Azopart and Assysine pag. 218 § V. Of the Dogzijn and Drusians and other Pagans there pag. 220 § VI. Of the vnchristian Christians pag. 222 THE THIRD BOOKE Of the Arabians Saracens Turkes and of the ancient Inhabitants of ASIA MINOR and of their Religions CHAP. I. OF Arabia and of the ancient Religions Rites and Customes thereof pag. 223 CHAP. II. OF the Saracene Name Nation and proceeding in Armes and the succession of their Chalifaes pag. 229 § I. Of the Saracens before Mahomets dayes ibid. § II. Of the Saracenicall beginnings and proceedings vnder Mahomet and his Successors of the Maraunian Race pag. 232 § III. Of the Abasian Chalifaes their Citie Bagadet with many Persian Indian and other occurrences vnder them pag. 236 § IIII. Of their Titles Greatnesse and Learning pag. 240 CHAP. III. THe life of Mahumet Mohammed or Muhammed the Saracen Law-giuer pag. 241 § I. Mahumets life after the Histories of Christians ibid. § II. The Saracen Storie of Mahomets life pag. 244 CHAP. IIII. OF the Alcoran or Alfurcan contayning the Mahumetan Law the summe and contents thereof pag. 248 § I. Of the composition of the Alcoran ibid. § II. The doctrine of the Alcoran brought into common places pag. 251 § III. The Saracens opinion of their Alcoran pag. 258 CHAP. V. OTher Mahumetical speculations and explanations of their Law collected out of their owne Commentaries of that Argument p. 259 CHAP. VI. OF the Pilgrimage to Mecca pag. 267 CHAP. VII OF the Successors of Mahomet of their different Sects and of the dispersing of that Religion through the World pag. 274. CHAP. VIII OF the Turkish Nation their originall and proceedings pag. 278 § I. Of the Turkish name and first original ibid. § II. Of the Turkish Kingdome in Persia and their other Conquests pag. 279 § III. Of the Ottoman Turkes their originall and proceedings pag. 281 CHAP. IX A Continuation of the Turkish Warres and affaires together with the succession of the Great Turks till this present yeere 1616. p. 284 § I. Of Solyman the Magnificent ibid. § II. Of Selim the Second and Amurath the Third pag. 285 § III. Of Mahomet the Third pag. 287 § IIII. Of Achmet which now reigneth pag. 288 § V. Of Sultan Achmets Person Family Gouernment and greatnesse of State pag. 291 § VI. An Appendix touching the Succession of Mustapha twice and of Osmans murder and other ciuill vnciuill late Combustions pag. 293 CHAP. X. OF the opinions holden by the Turkes in their Religion and of their Manners and Customes pag. 297 § I. Of their eight Commandements ibid. § II. Of other their opinions and practices in Religion pag. 300 § III. Of the Turkish manners their ciuill and morall behauiour pag. 303 CHAP. XI OF the religious places amongst the Turks their Meschits Hospitals and Monasteries with ther Lyturgie and Circumcision pag. 306 § I. Of their Temples a description of Saint Sophies ibid. § II. Of their Hospitals and Monasteries pag. 308 § III. Of their publike Prayers and Church-rites ibid. § IIII. Of their Sabbaths and of their Lent and Easter pag. 310 § V. Of the Turkish Circumcision pag. 311 CHAP. XII OF the Sepulchres Funerall Rites and opinions touching the dead among the Turkes pag. 312 CHAP. XIII OF the religious Votaries amongst the Turkes and of their Saints Sects Miracles and hypocriticall holinesse pag. 314 CHAP. XIIII OF their Priests and Hierarchie with a digression touching the Hierarchie and miserie of Christians subiect to the Turke p. 319 A digression touching the Hierarchie and miseries of Christians vnder the Turke p. 322 CHAP. XV. OF the Regions and Religions of Asia Minor since called Natolia and Turkey pag. 325 CHAP. XVI OF Asia proprie dicta now called Sarcum pag. 330 CHAP. XVII OF Ionia and other Countries in that Chersonesus pag. 336 THE FOVRTH BOOKE Of the Armenians Medes Persians Parthians Scythians Tartarians Chinois and of their Religions CHAP. I. OF Armenia Maior and Georgia and the neighbouring Nations p. 343 § I. Of the Armenians and Turcomanians ibid. § II. Of Iberia pag. 346 § III. Of Albania ibid. § IIII. Of Colchis or Mengrelia pag. 347 § V. Of the present Mengrelians and Georgians ibid. § VI. Of the Circassians pag. 348 § VII Of the Curdi pag. 349 CHAP. II. OF the Medes pag. 349 CHAP. III. OF the Parthians
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
and by the glorie and order of them learned the knowledge of GOD neuer ceasing that diuine search till GOD appeared to him Which opinion may reconcile both the former that first he was and after ceased to be an Idolater before God appeared in vision to him He alledgeth Philo for his Author that at fourteene yeeres Abraham reproued Thara for seducing men vnto Idolatrie moued by his priuate lucre with Images and seeing the Heauen sometime cleare sometime cloudie he gathered that that could not bee GOD. The like hee concluded of the Sunne and Moone by their Eclipses for his father had taught him Astronomie At last GOD appeared and bade him leaue his Countrey Whereupon hee tooke his Fathers Images who as before is said was an Image-maker and partly broke partly burnt them and then departed Suidas further thinketh him the first inuenter of Letters of the Hebrew tongue and of the interpretation of dreames which I leaue to the Authors credit But for the fault of Abraham before his calling and other blemishes after in him and the rest of the Patriarchs what doe they else but in abounding of mans sinne set out the superabounding grace of GOD and are profitable as learned Morton in his answere of this cauill hath out of one of their owne obserued against them what he had obserued out of Augustine to these foure purposes Faith Instruction Feare and Hope the Faith of the Historie which flattereth or concealeth the faults of none Instruction to vertue by seeing others faults taxed Feare for what shall Shrubs doe if Cedars fall and Hope that wee imitate their repentance by seeing their pardon But to returne to our Historie Many of the Ethnike histories mention him Berosus commendeth him for his iustice and skill in Astronomie Nic. Damascenus sayth that hee raigned at Damascus and that in his time his house continued in Damascus and was still called by his name Hecataeus wrote a booke of him and Alexander Polyhistor telleth that hee was borne in the tenth generation after the floud in Camarine or Vrien a Citie of Babylon Iosephus addeth that when famine draue him into Aegypt hee disputed with the Priests and most learned Aegyptians in questions of Diuinitie and in their diuided Sects hauing confuted one by another he communicated to them the truth both in this and in Arithmeticke and Astronomie whereof before the Aegyptians were ignorant Abram sayth Master Broughton in his Consent was borne sixtie yeeres later then the common account as appeareth by computation of Terahs age who died at two hundred and fiue yeeres and after his death Abram went from Charan into Canaan the threescore and fifteenth yeere of his owne life and therefore was borne in the hundred and thirtieth and not in the seuentieth yeere of his father in the three hundred fiftie and two yeere after the Floud whereas the common opinion reckoneth the two hundred ninetie and two To Abram GOD had giuen commandement saying Goe from thy Countrey and from thy Kindred and from thy Fathers house into the Land which I shall shew thee and I will make of thee a great Nation c. His Historie is fully related by Moses and his progenie also whereof Ismael his Sonne by Agar and other his sonnes which he had by Ketura his second wife he sent to inhabite the East Countrey Arabia in his life time but Isaac was made his Heire both temporall and spirituall to whom Iacob succeeded in the promised blessing who with his sonnes and familie went downe into Aegypt where his posteritie multiplied exceedingly and were called sometimes Ebrewes of their ancient pedegree sometime Israelites of the name Israel giuen to Iacob by the Angell Gen. 32.28 Their whole Historie so largely and plainely in holy Writ recorded I feare to make Mine by euill reciting Those Fountaines are more open to all then that any should neede ours or others Brookes mixed with some myrie earth at least in the passage and my intent is to bee largest in relation of those things which are not in the Scriptures onely touching those things briefly for order sake Their Religion meane while was the best amongst the best though stayned in some as Rachel which stale her father Labans Idols and Iacob was forced to reforme his Familie in this respect and after in Aegypt they were corrupted with the Aegyptian superstition as Ezechiel protests against them The manner of Diuine worship was not so straitly limited as afterwards to persons and places By Reuelation and Tradition they receiued the religious worship wherein they instructed their posteritie vntill that in their extremest thraldome GOD sent Moses and Aaron to deliuer them vnder whose conduct they passed through the Sea and Wildernesse to the brinkes of Iordan receiuing in the way that Law which as a Tutor or Schoole-master was in that their nonage to traine them vp vntill that full and ripe age when GOD sent his Sonne made of a woman made vnder the Law that hee might redeeme them that were vnder the Law that wee might receiue the adoption of Sonnes §. II. Of the Law of MOSES the twelue Tribes and of Proselytes OF this Law although Moses hath giuen vs an absolute relation in Scripture whereof he was the first Pen-man of that at least which remayneth vnto vs yet if wee shall out of him bring them into their order and ranke them vnder their seuerall heads as Sigonius and others haue done it shall not be I thinke ouer-tedious to the Reader The Law is diuided vsually into the Morall Ceremoniall and Iudiciall as parts of the same the first deliuered on the Mount Sinai by the dreadfull voice of the Almightie God and by the finger of God written after in Tables of stone called Ten words summarily abridged into two Commandements by the Law-giuer himselfe The first and great Commandement enioyning the loue of GOD the second of our NEIGHBOVRS that God who himselfe is Charitie imposing nothing but the louely yoke of Loue and Charitie vnto his seruants This Law is eternall written first in the hearts of our first Parents which being defaced it was written againe in the stonie Tables of the Law where it was but a killing letter till Grace and Truth by IESVS CHRIST indited and indented it in the fleshy Tables of the Gospell as Christs new Commandement written it renewed hearts and shall for euer be then grauen in those spirituall Tables when wee that here are Naturall men shall rise againe Spirituall men and shall be the Law of that holy Citie the new Ierusalem this being then perfected when Faith and Hope and this World shall bee finished The other parts Ceremoniall and Iudiciall were for the particulars proper vnto that Nation the one respecting the manner of Diuine seruice the other of ciuill Gouernment not giuen as the other immediatly to the Israelites by GOD himselfe but communicated in the Mount to Moses that hee might acquaint the
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
strange Lands comming thither by holes vnder the Earth shall come forth And for this cause I my selfe saith our Author haue heard the Iewes say That sometime some of the wealthiest and deuoutest amongst them goe into the Land of Canaan that their bodies may there sleepe and so be freed from this miserable passage vnder so many deepe Seas and rough Mountaynes There be three sorts of men sayth Salmanticensis in the Booke Iuchasin which see not the face of Hell those which are extremely poore those which are in debt those which are troubled with the Collicke the Hasidaei chastised themselues tenne or twentie dayes before their death with this paine of the bowels that so they might clense all and goe pure to the other World some adde in this exemption from Hell or comming to Iudgement him which had an euill Wife and some also Magistrates But in Pauls time they themselues did allow saith he a Resurrection of the dead both of the Iust and Vniust They did then hold also a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which sense it is likely the Iewes thought Christ to be Elias or Ieremie or one of the Prophets and the Disciples somewhat sowred with this Leauen asked of the blind man whether he had sinned vnderstanding as it seemeth according to the Iewish Errour when his soule had beene in some former bodie And the Cabalisticall Authors sayth Elias Leuita are of opinion that euery soule is three times created they meane it rolleth or passeth thorow three mens bodies according to that of Iob GOD worketh all these things with a man thrice So the soule of the first man saith hee rolled it selfe into the bodie of Dauid and shall thence returne into the bodie of the Messias So they say that the soules of Sinners passe into the bodies of beast as if a man committeth Sodomie his soule passeth into a Hare because that creature is somtimes Male sometimes Female the soule of the Adulterer passeth into a Camell Now to come from their Faith to their Workes The wise Rabbines perswade the silly people That they are the only Elect people of God who easily can keepe not the Decalogue or ten Commandements alone but the whole Law of Moses They diuide the whole Law into sixe hundred and thirteene Commandements and them againe into Precepts and Prohibitions Of the commanding Precepts they number two hundred fortie and eight iust so many as according to the Rabbines Anatomie a man hath members in his bodie Of the prohibiting Commandements they reckon three hundred threescore and fiue as many as are dayes in the yeere or as in the Booke Brandspiegel veines in a mans bodie Therefore if euery member of a man doe euery day performe one of the Precepts and omit one of the things prohibited the whole Law of Moses shall be euery yeere and so for euer fulfilled Their wise Rabbines say further That the men only are to obserue those sixe hundred and thirteene Commandements the women are onely subiect to the Prohibitions yea of those prohibitorie Mandates onely to threescore and foure are they obliged by some and to sixe and thirtie of the former and this because of their other houshold-businesse and subiection to their Imperious Husbands Some of their deeply-wise Rabbines adde to those sixe hundred and thirteene seuen other Commandements making vp the number of sixe hundred and twentie iust so many as are p Letters in the Decalogue and as arise of the word Keter signifying a Crowne for were it not for the Law God would not haue created the World and for the obseruation thereof it yet subsisteth And they which keepe all the Commandements doe set a Crowne on the head of God and hee vpon the head of those which crowne him shall set seuen Crownes and make them to inherit seuen Chambers in Paradise and will keepe them from the seuen Infernall Dungeons because they haue obtayned the seuen Heauens and the seuen Earths Their Wise-men affirme that euery veine of the bodie of a man doth prouoke him to omit that which is forbidden and he which doth omit such their vaine veine-warning hath no good veine in him euery of his members also doe prouoke him to performe those iussory Inuentions But as veine should I be as they if I should not make some end where they can find none We would now from these generalities proceed to the particulars of their Superstitions tracing them herein from their birth to their graues Religion being in the pretence of their Law the square of all their otherwise ciuill actions at least to speake of their Superstitions in the same But first seeing Sebastian Munster hath written a whole Booke both in Hebrew and Latine of those sixe hundred and thirteene Precepts taken out of Moses with the Exposition of their Rabbines as also P. Ricius hath done and Philip Ferdinand likewise out of Ben Kattain I thought good to cull out some which seeme most remarkeable and strange to entertayne our Reader §. II. Of the negatiue Precepts expounded by the Rabines 1. THou shalt haue no strange Gods in my sight Exod. 20. The Name of God is forbidden to be communicated to any creature 2. Thou shalt not violate mine holy Name Thou shalt not destroy a Synagogue or Temple bee it neuer so old nor shalt blot out one of the holy names wheresoeuer thou findest it written The Rabbines say If any doe against any Affirmatiue Precept and repent his sinne is forgiuen him but hee which transgresseth a Negatiue Precept is not clensed by repentance but it remaineth to the day of Expiation which is the day of their solemne Fast and Reconciliation But hee which committeth a sinne whereby he deserueth Death or Excommunication is not then purged but must abide thereunto the diuine chastisements and hee which violateth the Name of GOD cannot bee absolued from that sinne but by death 5. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart He which is wronged by another should not hate him and hold his peace but reproue him openly and if hee repent he ought not to be cruell to him But if any be often reproued and will not amend it is lawfull to hate him This Christ confuteth 12. No Idoll as to bee adored If a man haue a thorne in his foot hee may not bow before an Image to pull it out and if money fall out of his hand hee may not there before an Image stoope to take it vp lest he might seeme to adore it but he must sit downe on the ground to doe it And if the water of a Fountaine be caused to passe thorow the mouth of an Image he may not drinke thereat lest he should seeme to kisse the Image 22. An Image may not bee made viz. The Image of a man in siluer or gold if it be embossed or set out but if it bee stamped in metall in manner of a seale it is lawfull
of the Sabbath and in the land of Israel of which you haue heard their rolling opinion before neither will wee roll this stone to our Reader againe CHAP. XX. The Jewes faith and hope touching their Messias §. I. Of the Signes of the comming of their Messias THe Iewes generally beleeue hope and pray for a Messias but such a one whose Kingdome shall bee of this world and who shall to vse the Apostles phrase who were also euen after Christs death and resurrection partakers of this dreame Restore the Kingdome to Israel And because the Scripture speaketh sometimes of the poore contemptible and deiected state of the promised Messias sometimes of the puissance renowne and glory of his Kingdome they therefore frame to their conceits two Messiahs one poore and simple but a mightie warriour whom they call Messias Ben-Ioseph the other Messias Ben-Dauid after the other in time but before him in glory and the true Messias howsoeuer euen this also bee in their opinions but a meere man and one which shall marry and leaue behind him a remayning and raigning posterity The Cabalists according to their transcendent mysteries out of the name Adam which the Hebrewes write without points Adm gather that the soule of Adam by a Metempsychosis passed into Dauid and that of Dauid into Messias which yet lyes hid for the sinnes of the Iewes The ancient Iewes looked for this Messias to bee sent them about that time when Iesus came in the Flesh as that Prophesie which is fathered on Elias testifyeth to wit that the world should bee two thousand yeeres Tohu empty and without law two thousand vnder the Law two thousand vnder the Messias and accordingly Christ Iesus came into the world about the yeere after the Creation 3963. The Iewes reckon 202. yeeres fewer in all their computations then the Christians Vpon this occasion and in regard of the generall expectation of the Messias about that time rose so many Sects and especially that rebellion of Ben-Cochab before spoken of to whom R. Akibha famous for his foure and twenty thousand Disciples gaue testimony and called him Messias the King But this Ben-Cochab the sonne of the Starre Numb 23. was by Adrian as you haue seene besieged taken and executed and was called after Ben-Cozobh the sonne of lying They therefore when as they found no Messias said that the time was deferred because of their sinnes and after denounced Anathema to him that should set downe the time of his comming And being conuinced in their consciences that the Prophesies of this time were already past and accomplished they affirmed in their writings that hee was then borne but did not yet reueale himselfe because of their sinnes R. Salomon Iarchi writeteh that the ancient Iewes thought he was borne on that day in which Ierusalem was last destroyed but vncertaine where he hath lyen hid Some say that he abideth in Paradise tyed by the haire of a womans head so interpreting that of the Canticles The hayre of thy head is as purple The King is tyed in the rafters by rafters meaning Paradise The Talmudists write that hee lay at the gates of Rome among the Lazars and Leapers according to Esay 53. Before he commeth they write that ten notable miracles shall happen to warne them thereof First GOD shall raise vp three Kings which shall make profession of the true Faith but shall indeed betray it and seduce men and cause them to deny GOD. The louers of the Truth shall flee and hide themselues in caues and holes of the earth and these Tyrants shall pursue and slay them Then shall there be no King in Israel as it is written no Pastor no holy men The heauens shall bee shut vp the people shall be made few for these Tyrants which yet by diuine dispensation shall raigne but three months shall impose ten times as much as was before exacted and they which haue not to pay shall lose their heads And from the ends of the earth shall come men blacke and loathsome the dread of whose countenance shall kill men for they haue two heads and seuen eyes sparkling like fire The second Miracle shall bee a great heate of the Sunne causing Feauers Pestilences and other diseases so that the Gentles shall digge themselues graues and there lye and wish for death But the Israelites shall haue this heat to be as wholesome medicine to them so interpreting the Prophet GOD shall make a bloudy dew fall on the earth of which the people and the wicked of the Israelites shall drinke thinking it to be good water and shall die it shall not hurt the iust who shall shine c. Fourthly GOD shall make a wholsome dew to fall whereof the indifferent meaner sinners sicke of the former dew shall drinke and liue Hos 14.6 Fifthly The Sunne shall be darkened thirty dayes and then receiue againe his light whereby many shall embrace Iudaisme Sixthly GOD shall permit the Edomites or Romans to rule ouer all the world but one especially at Rome shall raigne nine moneths ouer all the world wasting large countries laying heauy tributes vpon the Israelites Then shall the Israelites haue no helper as sayth Esai 49.16 But after nine moneths GOD shall send Messias Ben-Ioseph of the children of Ioseph whose name shall be Nehemias the sonne of Husiel Hee shall come with the race of Ephraim Manasse Beniamin and Gad and the Israelites hearing of it shall flocke to him as Ieremie sheweth Conuert yee to the Lord yee rebellious children I will take yee one of a City and two of a Tribe c. This Messias shall ouerthrow the Edomites and slay their King and destroying the Empire shall carrie to Ierusalem holy vessels reserued in the house of Aelian for a treasure The King of Egypt also shall make peace with the Israelite and shall kill the men about Ierusalem Damascus and Ascalon the fame whereof shall affright all the inhabitants of the earth Seuenthly There is at Rome a marble Image of a Virgin not made by mans hand to which shall resort all the wicked of the world and shall incestuously conuerse therewith Hence shall GOD frame an Infant in the same which shall with breach of the marble come foorth This shall bee named Armillus the wicked the same which the Christians call Antichrist of ten elles quantitie of bredth and length a spanne bredth betweene his eyes which shall bee red and deepe in his head his hayre yellow the soles of his feet-greene deformed with two heads Hee shall professe himselfe the Romane Messias and GOD and shall bee accepted of them He shall bid them bring him the Law which hee hath giuen them which they shall bring with their Prayer-booke hee shall cause them to beleeue in him and shall send Ambassadours to Nehemias the sonne of Husiel and to the people of Israel commanding them also to bring him their Law and to acknowledge him for GOD. Then shall Nehemias
that egge R. Papa answereth that he would neuer haue beleeued it but that hee saw it I hope they will pardon vs if wee be of the same minde But would you not faine heare of a man holding like proportion then let R. Saul tell you of his aduentures in the burying of a dead corps where hee encountred with a bone of a man into which there flew a Rauen and the Rabbi would needs follow after to see what became of her and so he went he went three leagues in the hollow of the same bone and could find no end therof and therfore returned so he perceiued it was one of the bones of Og the Giant whom Moses had slaine Perhaps you will maruell how Moses could atchieue such an exploit Forsooth you must vnderstand that Moses was ten cubits high and had an Axe ten cubits long and leaped other ten cubits in the ayre and so gaue the deadly blow to Og who it seemes was layde along in some deepe Trench or else you will thinke the Rabbine lyed Tush your incredulitie makes you vnworthy to heare their storie of R. Osua who beguiled the Angell of Death of whom when hee came to smite him hee would in kindnesse needs learne his future place in Paradise wherewith the deadly Angell was content and went with him yea for his securitie at his request resigned his deadly weapon into his hands Thus at last they came at Paradise where hee shewed him his place which he desirous to take better view of required his helpe to lift him higher and then with a quicke deliuerie leapt into Paradise Thus did the poore coozened Angell misse his prey and was glad with much a-doe to recouer his sword from the Rabbine And that you might see their skill no lesse in Cosmographie then Theologie Another was carryed to the place where Heauen and Earth meete and kisse each other where whiles hee might take the more diligent view in obseruing those parts which the Frier of Oxford neuer saw nor Faustus with his Mephostophilos hee hanged his Cloake on a window in Heauen and suddenly it was conueyed out of sight Hereat amazed that there should bee theeues in Heauen a voyce told him it was the heauens motion and at such an houre the next day he might attend and againe obtaine his Cloake which hee did accordingly But to take view of other strange creatures make roome I pray for another Rabbi with his Bird and a great deale of roome you will say is requisite Rabbi Kimchi on the 50. Psalme auerreth out of Rabbi Iehudah that Ziz is a bird so great that with spreading abroad his wings hee hideth the Sunne and darkneth all the world And to leape backe into the Talmud a certaine Rabbi sayling on the Sea saw a bird in the middle of the sea so high that the water reached but to her knees whereupon he wished his companions there to wash because it was shallow Doe it not saith a voyce from heauen for it is seuen yeeres space since a Hatchet by chance falling out of a mans hand in this place and alwaies descending is not yet come at the bottome I perceiue by your incredulous smiles you will scarce beleeue that a Lyon in the wood Ela roared suddenly that all the women in Rome foure hundred miles from thence for very horror proued abortiue and when he came an hundred miles neerer his terrible noyse shooke the teeth out of all the Romans heads and the Emperour himselfe that caused the Rabbi to obtaine of GOD by his prayer to make this triall of the Lion fell downe from his Throne halfe dead and with much importunity requested his helpe to cause him retire to his denne But this roaring hath al most marred our Feast §. III. Their Messias his Feast OVr Wine you haue heard of fetched out of Adams Celler Esay 27.2.3 and Psal. 75.9 Before the Feast Messias will cause these prety creatures Behemoth and Leuiathan to play together and make them sport but when they haue wearied themselues in the fight Messias with his sword shall kill them both Esa 27.1 Then followeth the Feast and afterwards his Marriage Kings Daughters shall bee among thine honourable women at thy right hand standeth the Queene in the golde of Ophir Amongst the Messias his excellent women Rabbi Kimchi expoundeth shall bee Kings Daughters for euery King shall repute it to his owne glory to bestow a daughter on the Messias But the true Queene shall bee one of the fairest Israelites daughters and shall continually conuerse with him whereas the others must come onely at call He shall thus beget children which shall raigne after him Esay 53.10 when he is dead Now the state of the Iewes in his time shall be such that the Christians shall freely build them houses and Cities and till their grounds and bestow on them their goods yea Princes shall serue them and they shall walke in faire garments Esa 60.10 11 12. and Esa 61.5 6. The ayre also shall be new and wholesome Esa 65.17 by the benefit whereof they shall abide sound and liue long and in their age bee as fresh as if they were yong Psal. 92.14.15 The Wheat once sowne shall alway grow vp of it selfe no otherwise then the Vines Hosea 14.8 And if any shall desire any raine for his field or garden or one hearb by it selfe he shall haue it Zach. 10.11 Then shall be peace among men and beasts Hos 2.19 Esa 11.7 If there arise any warre among the Gentiles the Messias shall accord them Esa 2.4 They shall liue in great felicitie full of the knowledge and praise of GOD The earth shall be full hereof c. The Talmud also speaketh of a thousand yeeres wherein the world shall be renewed somewhat like the opinion of some Ancients in the Primitiue Church in which time the iust shall haue wings giuen them like Eagles whereby they may flie ouer the face of the waters But the bodies of the iust which shall rise againe shall neuer returne to dust Ricius in this and many other of their absurdities seekes to giue an allegoricall interpretation but which of the Heathen haue not so patronized their superstitions and Idolatries as appeareth in the Poets Philosophers Chaldaean and Egyptian Priests whose mysticall learning cannot free their religions from being mysteries of iniquitie Sixe thousand yeeres the world endureth saith R. Katina and a thousand yeere shall be a desolation and GOD onely shall be exalted in that day for one thousand yeeres is one day of the Lord as it is written A thousand yeeres in thy sight are as yesterday and this is a Sabbath wherein shall be the feastings aboue mentioned And thus did Elias affirme as is said two thousand yeeres the world was emptie two thousand the Law and two thousand Messias but for the sins of men that is wanting which we see wanting This last clause Ricius saith is added by the Talmudists which
Steeples vse to erect the Crosse For then there was no new Moone day of there moneth Muharram but was the second day after the Iewish account and therefore the new Moone might then be seene But for the Friday it was obserued before Mahomets time as shall after be shewed Hee depriued a certaine Carpenters poore Orphans of their patrimonie and consecrated their House into a Temple This Citie being for most part inhabited with Iewes they asked a signe in confirmation of his Office He said That hee was not sent with miracles but denunciation of Armes heere and Hell hereafter and those which would not receiue his new Doctrine he expelled by force Being absolute Lord heere he aspired also to the Dominion of Mecca He sent thirtie Horse with Hanzeta to rob the Marchants trauelling thither but being then preuented hee sent foure yeeres after sixe hundred of his best Souldiers vnder Hugaida to assault Mecca but hee also was discomfited yet not desisting his enterprize seuen yeeres after he atchieued it and after eleuen battels entered and sacked the Towne and gaue the spoyle to his souldiers and for feare the neighbouring-Cities submitted themselues Mahomet here with encouraged assaulted the Persians and Aegyptians exchanging with those hee conquered his new Religion for their old wealth and libertie binding the Gouernours thereunto But now being old and through his intemperances weake and diseased also with the falling Sicknesse he coloured his often falling with pretext of Gabriels brightnesse and the vnsufferable splendour of his presence Hee was of meane stature large sinewes browne colour broad face with a cut lip and had one of his fore-teeth stricken out in one Expedition and in another his face wounded He had great head thinne haires long shankes not proportionable to his head He was of few words but deceitfull couetous and withall prodigall but of other mens goods and in deeds of lust equalling himselfe to fortie other men or as some say fiftie When hee was threescore and three yeeres of age he dyed of which he liued in trade of Marchandize thirtie eight and in the Caue two at Mecca ten in Medina thirteene He had commanded that they should not burie him for that on the third day after hee would ascend in bodie and soule into Heauen Meanewhile the Earth being poysoned with the stinke of his Carkasse they buryed him not at Mecca as some affirme but at Medina His Law in his life-time sustained many alterations Cellenus his Scribe writing what himselfe pleased and the seuerall parcels of the same being collected by Odmen one of his successours this Booke was thereupon called Alcaron that is a Summarie or Collection of Precepts Thus Mahomet aduantaged himselfe with the mutinous Rebels Fugitiues Vnthrifts Apostata-Iewes and hereticall Christians in that diseased State of the Empire the body wherof was afflicted on the East by the Persians on the West by the Gothes and other Barbarians and fretted within his owne bowels by intestine rebellions the Soule thereof being no lesse torne and rent by the Sects and Heresies of the Arians Donatists Nestorians Pelagians and others He fishing in these troubled waters set on foot his new Religion to bring light to the Gentiles and to mitigate to the Iewes and Christians the seueritie of the Law and Gospell But the Mahumetans themselues doe report otherwise fabling of this Fabler great matters as if hee had been the Promise and Hope of Nations and the most excellent personage of the World §. II. The Saracens storie of Mahomets life THey haue written a Booke of the generation of Mahomet to this effect The Booke of the generation of Mahomet the Messenger of God the Prayer and Saluation of God bee vpon him from Adam and Eue to the time when God brought him forth gracious perfect and fit for himselfe When as Kabachbar had learned out of the Scriptures and by Astrologie that this Prophet should be borne to the world hee heard That there was a man borne in Ieseras a Citie of Arabia hauing all such markes and tokens as hee had fore-seene by the Prophecies and his Art viz. A spot on his fore-head a print betweene his shoulders c. And to satisfie his desire hee went thither to see where finding those tokens fulfilled in young Mahomet hee thereupon expounded the darke mysterie of his farre-fetched Light learned of his Master Kabelmedi in this manner When Adam was newly created as he stood vp his braine shaked and made a noyse as the leaues doe which are shaken with the winde whereas Adam wondring GOD said vnto him The sound which thou hast heard is the signe of the Prophets and Messengers of my Commandements Take heed therefore that thou commit the Seed of Light onely to worthie Loynes and to a cleane Wombe And this Light of Mahomet that should be borne shined from the face of Adam as the Sun or Moone at the full And when hee had begotten Seth that Light passed instantly from the face of Adam into the face of Eue in so much that the birds of the Aire and beasts of the Earth wondred at her beautie Yea the Angels euery day saluted her and brought her odours out of Paradise till she brought forth Seth alone hauing before at euery burthen brought forth a brother and a sister Seth inherited this Light which remained betweene heauen and earth the Angels thereby ascending and descending vpon Seth and crying alwaies Reioyce thou Earth worthie of the Light of Mahomet on him be Prayer and Saluation of God Adam drawing neere to his end declared vnto him by his Testament the mysterie of that Light and the Genealogy of the Prophets Then descended Gabriel accompanied with threescore and ten thousand Angels bearing euery one of them a white leafe and a pen which signed the writing for the continuance of the order of the Propheticall generation Seth receiued this writing was cloathed with a double red garment shining as the Sunne as saft as the violet-flower From him it passed by succession to Noe and Sem then to Abraham at whose birth two lights from the East and West meeting in the middest lightned the whole world and the Angels were heard singing That it was the Light of the Prophet Mahomet who should be borne of his Seed whose Word should bee in the vertue of God This Light passed from Abraham to the face of Hagar being with childe and after to Ismael and God told him That the soule of Mahomet in the beginning of the Creation was mingled with his and that his name in Heauen should be Asmet in Earth Mahomet in Paradise Abualtrazim At this Sara grieued vntill three Angels comforted her with the promise of ISAAC From Ismael it remoued to Keidar his sonne who being indued with seuen Gifts married Nulia of the Land of Isaac but being warned by an Oracle he tooke to wife Algadira an Arabian and after by diuine warning carried the chest of this Light vnto Iacob Then was Hamel borne
to him and receiued the same Light in which succeeded Thebicht Hamiessa Adeth Aduve Adne Machar Nizar Musar Aliez Madraca Horeima Knieua Anofra Melic Falhrem Luie Galiben Kab Murran Cudai Abdamenef Hesim a man by diuine testimonie free of all vncleannesse To him did all Kings offer their daughters in marriage and among the rest Constantine which he refused and married Seline the daughter of Zeit and had by her Abdalmutalib whose Light caused raine in drought To him an Elephant postrated himselfe and said with mans voice Saluation be on you and on the Light that shineth out of your Reines Dignitie Fame Honor and Victorie bee on you and that there should proceede from him a King greater then all the Kings of the earth Another time as hee slept on the stone which was placed by Abraham in his Oratorie at Mecca hee dreamed of a chaine reaching East and West and to Heauen and to the Depth which was presently conuerted into a flourishing hearb Noe and Abraham presented themselues interpreters of this Dreame Abdalla his sonne the father of Mahomet had a Tutor giuen vnto him to defend him from his enemies who seemed a man but was none Hee was preserued from the lying in waite of the Iewes by threescore and ten Angels which seemed Men. Hee wedded Ermina and therefore two hundred Women perished for his loue some hanging some burning themselues When the prescribed time was come in the moneth Dulheia on a Fryday-night GOD bad Ariduvan to open the gates of Paradise that the innermost of his secret might be manifested for it pleaseth mee saith hee this night to transport the Light of my Prophet from the reines of Abdalla into the wombe of Ermina and that it come into the world This being done as Abdalla the Iudge and Lord of the Arabians went into the house of Prayer hee perceiued a great light to lighten from his house vp toward Heauen and presently dyed On the twelfth day of Rab on a Tuseday Mahomet was borne circumcised and all frolik And then all Idolls fell and became blacke All Kingdomes were destroyed and not one stood vp-right Lucifer was cast into the bottome of the Sea and in fortie dayes could not get out and then called his fellowes and told them that Mahomet was borne with the power of the sword who would take away all their power The same also GOD caused to bee proclaimed in Heauen and Earth His mother said that she was deliuered of him without paine and Angelicall Birds came to nourish the child and a man clothed in white presented him with three keyes like to Pearles which he tooke the key of Victorie the key of the Lawes and the key of Prophecie And after came three persons with shining faces presenting him a Cauldron of Emeralds with foure handles which Mahomet accepted as a signe of his rule ouer all the world The Birds Clouds Windes Angels contended for the nourishment of the childe But the cause was determined by heauenly voice affirming That hee should not bee taken from the hands of men An Asse almost famished worshipped him and receiuing him on her backe became Herald to this new Prophet with mans voyce proclaiming the worthinesse of her Carriage Three men carried him vp into a Mountaine of which one opened him from the breast vnto the Nauell and washed his entrailes with snow the second cleaued his heart in the middest and took out of it a black graine saying That it was the portion of the Deuill The third made him whole againe Seraphin nourished him three yeeres and Gabriel nine and twentie who gaue vnto him in the fortieth yeere of his age the Law and carried him to Heauen This his iourney is related by Frier Richard sometimes a studient in the Vniuersitie of Baldach Chapter 14. and in his life Gabriel with threescore and ten paire of wings came to Mahomet in the chamber of Aissa his best beloued wife and said That GOD would haue him to visit him where he is and brought with him the beast Elmparac or Alborach of nature betweene a Mule and an Asse This beast told Mahomet That hee would not take him on his backe till he had prayed to God for him His steps were as farre as one could see so that in the twinkling of an eye hee had brought Mahomet to Ierusalem Then Gabriel with his girdle tyed the beast to a Rocke and carried Mahomet on his shoulders into heauen where he knocked and the Porter opened Here Mahomet saw troupes of Angels and prayed twice on his knees for them and amongst the rest old Father Adam reioycing for such a Sonne and commending him to his prayers Then hee brought him to the second Heauen which was a iourney of fiue hundred yeeres and so forth on to the seauenth Heauen Heere hee saw the Angelicall people euery of which was a thousand times greater then the World and euery of them had threescore and ten thousand heads and euery head three-score and tenne thousand mouthes and euery mouth seuenteene hundred tongues praysing God in seuen hundred thousand Languages And he saw one Angell weeping and he asked the cause who answered That he was Sinne And Mahomet prayed for him Then Gabriel commended him to another Angell and he to another and so forth in order till he came before GOD and his Throne Then GOD whose face was couered with threescore and ten thousand cloathes of light and from whom Mahomet stood two stones cast below touched him with his hand the coldnesse whereof pierced to the marrow of his back-bone And GOD said I haue imposed on thee and on thy people Prayers When hee was returned as farre as the fourth Heauen Moses counselled him to returne back to obtaine case vnto the people which could not beare so many praiers which he did oftentimes till there remained but few thus returning to his Elmparac he rod backe to his house at Mecca All this was done in the tenth part of the night But when he was requested to doe thus much in the peoples sight he answered Praysed be GOD I am a Man and an Apostle The Booke Asear saith Bellonius telleth further That in this iourney Mahomet heard a womans voice crying Mahomet Mahomet but hee held his peace Afterwards another called him but he gaue no answere Mahomet asked the Angell who they were He answered That the one was shee which published the Iewes Law and if hee had answered her all his Disciples should haue beene Iewes the other was shee which deliuered the Gospell whom if he had answered all his followers had beene Christians The said Booke telleth That GOD gaue him a fiue-fold priuiledge First that he should bee the highest creature in heauen or earth Secondly the most execellent of the sonnes of Adam Thirdly an vniuersall Redeemer Fourthly skilfull in all languages Fifthly that the spoiles of Warres should be giuen him Gabriel after saith that Booke carryed him to Hell to see the secrets thereof and the
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
writ seuen bookes reconciling these Sect ries and the Lawyers together which reconciliation continued till the comming of the Tartars and Asia and Afrike was full of these Reformers of their Law In old time none but learned men might be admitted Professors hereof but within these last hundred yeeres euery ignorant Idiot professeth it saying That learning is not necessary but the holy Spirit doth reueale to them which haue cleane hearts the knowledge of the truth These contrary to the Alcoran sing loue-songs and dances with some phantasticall extasies affirming themselues to be rauished of diuine loue These are great gluttons they may not marry but are reputed Sodomites The same our Author writeth of some which teach that by good workes fasting and abstinence a man may attaine a Nature Angelicall hauing his minde so purified that he cannot sinne although he would But he must first passe through fifty degrees of Discipline And although he sinne before hee be past these fifty degrees yet GOD doth not impute it to him These obserue strange and inestimable Fasts at the first after they liue in all pleasures of the world Their rule was written in foure volumes by a learned and eloquent man Esschrauar and by Ibnul-farid another Author in exact and most learned Verse That the Spheres Elements Planets and Starres are one God and that no Faith nor Law can be erroneous because that all men in their mindes intend to worship that which is to bee worshipped And they beleeue that the knowledge of GOD is contained in one man who is called Elcorb elected and partaker of GOD and in knowledge as GOD. There are other forty men amongst them called Elauted that is Dunces because of their lesse knowledge When the Elcorb or Elcoth dyeth his Successour is chosen out of these and into that vacant place of the fortie they chuse one out of another number of seuentie They haue a third inferiour number of a hundred threescore and fiue their Title I remember not out of which they chuse when any of the threescore and tenne die Their Law or Rule enioyneth them to wander through the World in manner of Fooles or of great Sinners or of the vilest amongst men And vnder this cloke many are most wicked men going naked without hiding their shame and haue to deale with women in the open and common streets like beasts Of this base sort are many in Tunis and farre more in Egypt and most of all in Cairo I my selfe saith our Author in Cairo in the street called Bain Elcasraim saw one of them with mine eyes take a beautifull Dame comming out of the Bath and laid her downe in the middest of the street and carnally knew her and presently when hee had left the woman all the people ranne to touch her clothes because a holy man had touched them And they said that this Saint seemed to doe a sinne but that hee did it not Her husband knowing of it reckoned it a rare fauour and blessing of GOD and made solemne feasting and gaue almes for that cause But the Iudges which would haue punished him for the same were like to bee slaine of the rude multitude who haue them in great reputation of sanctitie and euery day giue them gifts and presents There are another sort that may be termed Caballists which fast strangely not doe they eate the flesh of any creature but haue certaine meates ordained and appointed for euery houre of the day and night and certain particular praiers according to the dayes and months numbring their said Prayers and vse to carry vpon them some square things painted with Characters and Numbers They affirme that the good Spirits appeare and acquaint them with the affayres of the world An excellent Doctor named Boni framed their rule and prayers and how to make their squares and it seemeth to me who haue seene the worke to be more Magicall then Cabalasticall One booke sheweth their prayers and fastings the second their square the third the vertue of the fourescore and ninteene names of GOD which I saw in the hand of a Venetian Iew at Rome There is another rule in these Sects called Suuach of certaine Hermites which liue in Woods and solitary places feeding on nothing but hearbs and wilde fruites and none can particularly know their life because of this solitarinesse Thus farre Leo. Beniamin Tudelensis telleth of a Nation neere to Mount Libanus which hee calleth Hhassissin which varied from the ordinary sort of Ismalites and followed a peculiar Prophet of their owne whose word they obeyed whether for life or for death They called him Hheich al Hhassissin his abode was at Karmos They were a terror to all about them sawing asunder euen the Kings if they tooke any They warred with the Frankes the Christians which then held Ierusalem and the King of Tripolis Their dominion extended eight dayes iourney Zachuth mentioneth one Baba which about the 630. yeere of the Hegira fained himselfe a Prophet sent of God vnder which colour hee gathered together a great Armie wherewith he filled all Asia with slaughter and spoile slaying Christians and Ismaelits without difference till Giatheddin King of Gunia ouerthrew and destroyed him and his Host Besides the former they haue other Heremites of another sort one is mentioned by Leo who had fiue hundred Horse a hundred thousand Sheepe two hundred Beeues and of offerings and almes betwixt foure and fiue thousand Duckets his fame great in Asia and Afrike his Disciples many and fiue hundred people dwelling with him at his charges to whom he enioyneth not penance nor any thing but giueth them certaine names of God and biddeth them with the same to pray vnto him so many times a day When they haue learned this they returne home he hath a hundred Tents for strangers his Cattell and Family hee hath foure wiues besides slaues and by them many children sumptuously apparrelled His fame is such that the King of Telensin is afraide of him and he payeth nothing to any such veneration haue they towards him reputing him a Saint Leo saith hee spake with him and that this Heremite shewed him Magick-bookes and he thought that this his great estimation did come by false working of the true science so the Heremite termed Magicke But these Heremites we cannot so well reckon a Sect as a Religious Order of which sort there are diuers in these Mahumetane Nations as in our ensuing discourse shall appeare To returne therefore to the consideration of the meanes vsed to preuent the varietie of Sects among them The Caliphs sought to remedie these inconueniences by their best policie Moaui about the yeere of our Lord 770. assembled a generall Councell of their learned men to consult about an Vniformity but they disagreeing among themselues hee chose six men of the most learned and shut them vp in a house together with their Scriptures commanding them that out of those Copies disagreeing as you haue heard they should
to his Scepter The people he remoued into other parts of his Dominion sending the former inhabitants into Cheylan and Mazandran Not long after the brother of that King of Corassan which had beene Tutor to Abas rebelled against his brother and slew him and all his children except one with whom his Tutors fled into the Mountaines This occasion Abas apprehended for the subduing of that Countrey in the Infants right which notwithstanding the treasons of Ferrat now weary of his former loyalty and conspiring with the Turke and Tartar to betray his Master to them hee effected These things with larger circumstances Abas himselfe related to Sir Anthonie and Sir Robert As for his gouernment the same is there also described but I haue beene too long in the former Hee hath Posts once a weeke from all parts The Visire sitteth in counsell with the Kings counsell euery morning and the King himselfe euery Wednesday The poorest may offer him any supplication which he readeth registreth ordereth One example of Iustice is admirable which he sentenced on the Gouernour of Casbin conuict of many extortions briberies and other crimes That all his goods and lands should be sold for satisfaction to those whom hee had spoyled and if any thing wanted since the King by giuing him that authoritie was partly the cause of those excesses hee condemned himselfe to pay the residue out of his treasurie If any thing aduanced it should bee giuen to his children with a grieuous Edict that no succour should be ministred to himselfe Neither should hee at once end his punishment by death but during his life weare a Yoke like a Hogs-yoke and haue his eares and nose cut off nor might any relieue him but hee should get his liuing with his owne hands that hee might feele in himselfe the miserie of pouertie This made the Turks Embassador there present sweare that such fortune such vertue must needs be his Masters ruine His bountie to our Author his magnificence otherwise let the Reader there learne as likewise his priuate disports and exercises At his entrance into Hisphaan the wayes were couered two English miles with Veluet Satin and Cloth of Gold where his horse should passe He feasted Sir Anthony before his employment in that honorable Embassage to the Princes Christian after the maner of the ancient feasting vsed by the Persians thirty dayes together in a Garden of two miles compasse vnder Tents pitched by small rils of water where euery man that would come was placed according to his degree vnder one or other Tent prouided abundantly with meate fruit and wine drinking as they would without compulsion The ioy of which feast was augmented by the Tartars of Buckhawrd yeelding themselues to his subiection and by the great Mogors great offer with his eldest sonnes daughter to the young sonne of King Abas in marriage But I referre the more desirous to Sir Anthonies owne booke hauing thence gathered this because it differeth so much in some things from others then whom he had farre better meanes of intelligence CHAP. IX Of the Sophian Sect or Persian Religion as it is at this present §. I. The differences betwixt the Turke and Persian with the zeale of both parts IT hath beene already shewed how the Saracens had one Calyfa or Caliph whom they esteemed the Head of their Religion and Empire in right vnto both succeeding their grand Seducer Mahomet and how the foure Captaines or Doctors each ayming vnder colour of Religion to further his ambitious Proiects made way to difference of Sects in the beginning and in succeeding Ages the Sword decided who was rghtfull successor the posterity of each challenging to himselfe that right according as they were able in the Fielde to maintaine it These Persians affected Hali as truest interpreter of their Law and Lord of the State to whom Mahomet gaue his daughter in his life time and his Alcoran at his death being his kinsman also by birth and although by the violence of the contradicting Caliphes they did not alway make hereof open profession yet euer and anone as occasion was offered this fire brake out yet neuer into so great a flame as after the yeere 1369. by Sophi Guine Aidar Ismael and their successors vnto this day their Sect being that onely of the seuenty two Saracenicall so many some account which shall in the Persian estimation haue admission into Paradise all the rest and why not this also leading to hell From that diuision betwixt the Persians and Arabians about the successor of Mahomet it is Barrius his Relation in which the Persians call themselues Sia which signifieth the vnion of one body but the Arabians call them Raffadin that is vnreasonable and themselues Cunin proceeded other Sects amongst the Mahumetans and amongst the Persians two called Camarata and Mutazeli which follow little the saying of the Prophets but would haue all proued to them by naturall reason not allowing Moses or Mahomet any further There is one Sect amongst them called Malaheda which subiecteth all things to Chance and to the Stars not to Diuine Prouidence There are other called Emozaidi which reiect many things in the Alcoran and follow the doctrine of Zaidi the Nephew of Hocem second sonne of Ali these inhabite on the confines of Prester Iohn and in Melinde But to come to the common Persians and to obserue out of Barrius the diuersity of opinion betwixt them and the Arabians their Doctors reduce these differences into seuenteene conclusions The Persians say That GOD is the Author and worker of euery good and that euill commeth from the Deuill The Arabians say That would bring in two Gods one of good the other of euill the Persians say that God is eternall and that the law and creation of men had a beginning the Arabians answere That all the words of the law are prayses of the works of God and therefore eternall like himselfe the Persians say That the soules of the blessed in the other world cannot see the essence of God because he is a Spirit of Diuinity onely they shall see his greatnesse mercy pitty all other good things which he works in the creatures the Arabians answere That they shall see him with their eyes euen as hee is the Persians say That when Mahomet receiued the Law his soule was carried by the Angel Gabriel into the presence of God the Arabians affirme it of his body also the Persians say That the children of Ali or Alle and Fatema and their twelue Nephewes haue preheminence aboue all Prophets the Arabians grant it aboue all other men but not aboue the Prophets the Persians say that it is sufficient to pray thrice a day vnto God in the morning when the Sunne riseth which is called Sob the second Dor at noone the third Magareb before Sunne-set because these three containe all the parts of the day the Arabians require twice besides according to their law called Hacer and Assa The rest of
fiue thousand euery one of whom findeth an Elephant to the Common-wealth They haue this name of Sera the chiefe Citie by Ptolomey placed in 177. 15. and 38. 36. This Region he limiteth on the West with Scythia extra Imaum on the East with Terra incognita and likewise on the North here some place the Promontorie Tabin there the Easterne Ocean on the South with part of India extra Gangem Our silkes haue the name of this Region where it is made of a most fine wooll growing on the leaues of trees Dionys saith of flowers of the earth Tam multiplici opere saith PLINY tam longinquo orbe petitur vt in publico matrona transluceat This Serica Castaldus calleth Cataio and so doe most of our new writers Orosius numbreth from the Serike Ocean to the Caspian Sea two and fortie Nations of Hyrcanians and Scythians and from thence Westward to the Riuer Tanais thirtie foure The Region betwixt Albania and the Caspian he attributeth to the Amazons The Seres are supposed to inhabite the Countrey now called Cathay which name Niger deriueth from a Scythian Nation called Chata They had a law against Idolatrie worship of Images They had no Temples CHAP. XI Of the Tartarians and of Diuers Nations which they Subdued with their Pristine Rights THe names of Scythia and Sarmatia are now together with those Nations swallowed vp and drowned in that Tartarian deluge which about foure hundred yeeres since with a sudden torrent ouerwhelmed the gteatest part of Asia that we speake not of Europe the heart whereof quaked and trembled with feare of this Tempest From Rome did Pope Innocent the fourth send Embassadors by entreaties to preuent their Armes when as they had alreadie ouerrunne besides those Countries which still beare their name Russia Polonia Silesia Morauia Hungaria euen as farre as Austria So farre was the huge vnwealdie Empire of Alexander or of the Romans short of the Tartarian greatnesse that the expedition of some one of the Subiects of this Empire hath pierced as farre into the West as euer Alexander into the East and that happily among more resolute courages then the Persians or Indians effeminated with wealth and Peace could affoord and Tamerlane alone some ages after if wee credit that Historie of his life translated out of the Arabike subdued and obtayned more besides his owne inheritance then all that which the Romanes had atchieued in that eight hundred yeeres and vpwards wherein their Empire was growing to the full but of him afterwards §. I. Of the beginning of the Tartarian Nation THe name Tartar is proper to a Riuer in Mongull from whence it was deriued to the people inhabiting neere the same which after gaue both name and lawes to so great a part of the world For thus writeth Ioannes de Plano Carpini which was sent Embassador to the Tartarian Court from Pope Innocent Anno 1246. There is a Countrey in the East part of the world called Mongol which had sometimes foure sorts of Inhabitants Yeka-Mongol that is the great Mongols Sumorgul that is water-Mongols these called themselues Tartars of a Riuer which runneth thorow their Countrey named Tartar the third Merkat the fourth Metrit These all were alike in person and language but diuided amongst themselues into seuerall Prouinces and vnto seuerall Princes In the land of Yeka-Mongol was Cingis who began to bee a mightie hunter before the Lord for he learned to steale men He ranged into other Countries taking as many captiues as he could and ioyned them vnto himselfe Also he allured the men of his owne Countrey vnto him who followed him as their Ring-leader to doe mischiefe Then began he to warre vpon the Sumongols or Tartars and slew their Captayne and after many conflicts subdued them to himselfe and brought them all into bondage Afterward he vsed their helpe against the Merkats whom also hee vanquished in battell Proceeding from thence hee fought against the Metrites and vanquished them also Naimani hearing that Cingis was thus exalted greatly disdayned thereat for they had a great and mighty Emperour vnto whom all the foresaid Nations payed tribute Whose sonnes when hee was dead succeeded him in his Empire Howbeit being yong and foolish they knew not how to gouerne the people but were diuided and fell at variance among themselues These inuaded Cingis his Countrey putting the Inhabitants to the sword but were after ouerthrowne by the Mongols and either slaine or made captiues Some fetch the Tartarian pedigree from the ten Tribes of Israel which Salmanasar carryed captiues and in their Maps place hords of Danites Nepthalites c. in the furthest Northerly and Easterly bounds of Asia which yet are a great part of the world not only from Media whither those people were conueyed but from any part of the Assyrian Empire The King of Tabor or Tybur in these parts is said to haue come into France to Francis the French King about the yeare 1540. and was after at Mantua by Charles the Emperor burned for secret sollicitation of him and other Christian Princes to Iudaisme And Opmeerus reporteth of that their iourney passing thorow Euphrates miraculously staying his streame to wonder at the vanitie of Writers when they went into a Region called Aisarich which was a yeere and a halfes trauell there to keepe their Law where neuer before had beene any habitation But these things haue small probabilitie M. Paulus who with his Father and Vncle liued many yeeres in the Court of the great Chan aboue three hundred yeeres since saith that they dwelled at first if such wandring may be so called in the North where they had no Lord ouer them but payed tribute to a great Signor there called Vncam and here in these Countries Presbyter Iohn to whom they payed the tenth of their beasts But this Vncam or Presbyter Iohn fearing their numbers euery where multiplying deuised to disperse them through the World which the Tartars perceiuing with ioynt consent forsooke their former habitation and departed thence farre off into the North denying further tribute vnto Vncam After they had there continued a certayne time they chose to their King about the yeere 1162. one which was called Cingis Can who ruled them with such modestie and iustice that they loued and feared him as a god his fame reducing all the other Tartars in other parts vnder his obedience He thus strengthened wearie of those desarts commanded them to arme themselues with bowes and other weapons and began to inuade and conquer Cities and Prouinces to his subiection the principall inhabitants whereof hee carryed with him kindly entertayning them leauing such discreete Gouernours in the same that the people were secured in their persons and goods When he had thus subdued about nine Prouinces he sent his Embassador to Vncam to demand his daughter in marriage which Vncam with much indignation and many threatnings denying Cingis assembling his forces marched
neuer quite subiected to forraine Soueraightie till the Tartarian Conquest vnder one Tiemor so the Chinois call that great Chan which so continued till the yeere 1368. When one of their Chieftaynes whom they called of the euent Hum-vu that is a floud of weapons expelled the Tartars compelled the Chinois to his subiection The Kingdome passeth by inheritance Some ancient Kings are yet commended for commending the Kingdome to the vertuous succession of some rarer men then their kindred yeelded and sometimes the people rebelling haue dispossessed one and substituted another In this kingdome are no ancient Lawes But the first of any Family which obtayneth the Soueraigntie makes new Lawes at his pleasure which his Successors in that family doe not easily alter That Hum-vu the Conqueror is the founder of their present Lawes either enacting new or confirming the old as he saw good From ignorance of Geographie they esteemed their King Lord of the World and therefore call him Thiencu the sonne of Heauen for they esteeme Heauen the greatest God Yet commonly the people call him Hoamsi that is the greatest Monarch Hum-vu was a great both Warrior and Polititian He ordayned that none of the Kings children should deale in publike functions or affayres of state yet hee made them seeming amends with assignation of most ample reuenues and the title of Guam a Prince or petty King Their reuenue is paid out of the Exchequer to preuent Clients and dependance of Tenants Much complement of reuerence is done them by the Magistrates but no subiection Their Children and Nephewes are honored also but their titles and reuenues still decreasing as they descend further from the Royall stemme till at last no more bee allowed them then may supply their necessitie without trade or worke Like care is had of the Royall daughters marriage and maintenance The Commanders which assisted him in the Conquest hee vouchsafed honourable titles militarie prefectures with other immunities and reuenues still descending to their posteritie who are subiect neuerthelesse to the Citie Magistrates One strange priuiledge of theirs is this The exploits of the head of their family vnder Hum-vu are grauen in an yron plate This continueth with the first borne of that family who thereby may challenge pardon for any man in any crime three sundrie times if hee offer the same to the King Only treason is vnpardonable which depriueth the Traytor and all his posteritie for euer of all dignitie Like honors doe the Kings sonnes or fathers in law enioy and some others who haue well deserued of the State Only the Doctors and Licentiates are admitted to offices of gouernment not preferred by fauour of others or the King himselfe but by the Law and his merits All Magistrates are called Quonfu that is Presidents and as an honourable title Lau ye or Lau sie a Lord or Father The Portugalls stile them Mandarines And although these Magistrates can finish nothing till by Petition they obtayne the Kings confirmation yet he enacteth nothing which they doe not first sollicite And if any priuate man preferre a Petition to the King which seldome happens because there is an Officer appointed to examine them before the King sees them yet the King referres them to that Tribunall whereto they belong This I haue diligently searched and found for certaine that the King himselfe may not giue a summe of money or office to any man vnlesse hee bee first petitioned by some of the Magistrates except in his owne houshold for those gifts are not taken out of the publike treasure but the priuie purse His Customes and Tributes which exceede without controuersie a hundred and fiftie millions yeerely euery house not priuiledged paying tribute are not brought into the Treasurie of the Palace nor may the King spend them after his pleasure but all the money and prouision is brought into the publike Treasuries and Store-houses which are through the Kingdome Out of these a certaine allowance is appointed by Law and nothing more or lesse for the Kings expences his Wiues Children Eunuchs and Family Thence the Magistrates and Souldiers stipends and other officers through the Kingdom are discharged Thence also the publike Edifices of the Palaces of the King and his kinsemen Cities Walls Forts and all prouisions of Warre are mentioned And some yeeres it happens that this huge reuenue will not serue for necessary expences but they are forced to new impositions The ordinary Census or poll-money is three Mazes or halfe Duckets besides the profits of the earth and handicrafts The rest are Customes which in Canton one of the least Prouinces are neere eight millions Vanlie that is now King hath raigned fortie yeeres a man of great wisedome but vicious and tyrannicall Hee vseth his sonne and apparant Heire very hardly and hath indeuoured to make a second sonne which he had by a more beloued wife his successor but was gaine-said by all the Magistrates in the Kingdome those of the Court resigning their robes and hanging them on the Palace walls so that hee was forced to proclaime the eldest Whose mother lately lying on her death-bed the Prince could hardly obtaine his fathers licence to visit her and then attended with two Eunuchs the mother comforted her sonne saying It neuer yet happened that the heire of the kingdome dyed of hunger For the King scarse allowes him necessaries none else daring for feare The King forbad mourning and publike pompe vnto her funeralls The King respects beautie only in choice of his wiues as doe all of the Royall bloud nor doe the great men care to preferre their daughters to the Royall bed For it is little they can doe and much they must suffer euer inclosed in the Palace neuer admitted the sight of their friends who also are not thereby aduanced to further preferments The King hath Officers which make choice of women for him One wife is chiefe and is as it were legitimate the King and Heire apparant marry other nine a little inferior and after them sixe and thirtie others all which enioy the title of wiues to which are added many more Concubines not entituled Wiues or Queenes Those which bring the King sonnes proue most gracious especially the mother of the eldest sonne howsoeuer it fared otherwise in this before mentioned This King was not the sonne of the first wife nor is his Heire The Chinois are a deceitfull and trecherous people and therefore the Kings in this age come not abroad in publike and when in times past they did it they obserued a thousand cautels for safetie the Palace and the streets being all in armes for his guard nor was he scene when thus hee was seene nor the seat knowne in which he was carryed many other being then carryed to preuent intelligence And when hee came into the Tribunall hee appeared from a high window couering his face with an Iuory table in his hand and hauing another table on his head a cubit long halfe so broad so behanged with
and returned to Lahor losing many Elephants and Horses in the way both by Famine then oppressing the Countrey and the difficultie of the Passages the Elephants sometimes in the ascent of Hils helping themselues with their Trunkes leaning and staying themselues being burthened thereon as on a staffe The Prince which is now King was assaulted by a fierce Lionesse as he rode on a Female Elephant which yet hee wounded first with a Dart then with a Shot and lastly smote her with the hand-Gun it selfe wherewith being ouerthrowne a Souldier came in and slew her but with losse of his owne life The next yeere 1598. Echebar went to Agra chiefe Citie of a Kingdome which hee had also conquered a hundred leagues from Lahor towards the South passing that way to Decan Hee had eight hundred Elephants and seuen thousand Camels to carrie his Tents and Prouisions yea his Secretarie had at the same time seuen hundred Camels and seuentie Elephants for his owne furniture and therefore it is lesse maruaile of the Kings The King conducted in this Expedition aboue a thousand Elephants instructed to fight and a hundred thousand Soldiers Hee passed the Mountaines of Gate by almost impassable Passages spending sometimes a whole day in passing the space of a Musket-shot One of his Captaines went before with fiftie thousand who tooke one of the Decans strongest Holds and made easie way to the Conquest of the rest of Melics Dominions which hee left in the Gouernment of his sonne Brampore fell into his hands being destitute of defence This was Anno 1600. Miram the King thereof had forsaken it and betaken himselfe to Syra a strong Hold both by Nature and Art It was seated on the top of a Hill which reacheth fiue leagues enuironed with a triple Wall so built that one might bee defended from the next Within was a Well of running Water and all necessarie Prouisions for threescore thousand persons for many yeeres It had three thousand great Peeces of Ordnance In this Castle according to the Countrey custome the next of the Bloud Royall were kept with their Families nor might depart except the Throne emptie the next Heire was hence deliuered much after that which is written of Amara in the Abassens Countrey and it seemes borrowed from thence so many slaues of those parts being here entertained and some in the highest Employments At this time besides King Miram there were seuen of these Princes The Gouernour was an Abassine with seuen other Vnder-Commanders all renegado Mahumetanes The Mogoll layde siege thereto with almost two hundred thousand men but more preuailed as before in Melics Countrey with Bribes and Promises then Force Thus inuiting Miram to a Conference swearing By the Kings head accounted an inuiolable Oath as is that By their Fathers head that hee should bee permitted safe returne Some of his Councellours perswaded him to goe hee went with a kinde of Stole on his necke hanging to his knees in token of subiection And comming before the Mogoll bowed himselfe but was cast to the ground by some of his Captaines and forceably detained The Abassine Gouernour sent his sonne to demand performance of Achebar his promise who being questioned of his Father the Abassen and the hopes to obtaine the Castle freely answered for his Fathers fidelitie and that if Miram were not restored they should not want a Successour with which libertie he prouoked the Mogol to cause him to be slaine which his Father hearing strangled himselfe And the wals were soone after battered at least entred and a breach made through the open gates by golden shot none of these seuen for feare of treason daring to take the Royall Soueraigntie These with the King were dispersed into diuers parts of his Kingdome and maintenance allowed them Thus remained Echebar Lord of these parts and longed to adde the rest of India whatsoeuer is betwixt Indus and Ganges euen to the Cape Comori to his Dominion He writ a Letter about this time to the Vice-Roy of Goa beginning thus I mention it to shew you his Titles which he arrogated The Great and Mightie Lord of the Law of MAHOMET The Renowmed and Great King Vanquisher of the Kings his Enemies Obserued and Honoured of Great Men Exalted aboue other Kings in ample Honour and Dignitie The onely Man for Gouernment amongst all the Princes of the World His Ambassage to ARIAS DE SALDAGNA c. The ninth day of Frauard the first moneth of the yeere beginning at the Aequinoctiall Vernall in the fortie sixe yeere viz. of His Reigne At this time dyed the Gouernour or Vice-Roy of Lahor which left to the King who is Heire Generall and Successour of euery mans wealth three millions of Gold coyned besides other Gold Siluer Iewels Horses Elephants furniture and goods almost inualuable This also for a taste of the meanes accrewing to this Kings Treasure Echebar returning to Agra gaue libertie to the Iesuites to conuert as many as would to Christianitie The King of Candacar or Candahar not able to defend himselfe against Abduxa King of the Vsbechs surrendred himselfe and his Kingdome to Echebar The particulars of his other Conquests I cannot relate His last victory I know not whether to impute to his happinesse or not It was against his Sonne in which the griefe to haue such an enemy could not but be more then the glory of the exploit This happened Anno 1602. Echebar being forced to giue ouer his Decan Conquest by his Sonnes vntimely challenge of the Scepter who weary of his Fathers long life stiled himselfe King and his Father the Great King Armies were gathered on both sides on both sides were sent Letters and Messengers The Mother of Echebar being nintie yeeres old laboured a peace but not preuailing fell sicke which caused him to returne from this expedition against his Sonne But her body not able to ouercome the disease yeelded to death Her Sonne shaued his head beard and eye-browes and mourned after the Country fashion in blue his Nobles doing the like three dayes Her huge Treasure which shee had bequeathed to her children and Nephewes the King seized on The Prince was perswaded to come to his Father without an Army which he did and after some rebuke was reconciled and remained content with the Kingdome of Cambaia or Guzzerat He seemed much addicted to the Iesuites and obtained his Fathers Licence for a Temple at Agra to the building whereof hee gaue a thousand pieces of Gold On the twentie seuen of October Anno 1605. Echebar dyed in the Climactericall yeere 63. of his age and fiftie of his reigne In his sicknesse Selim the Prince whom some suspected of dealing as the Turkish Selim had done with his Father Baiazet came not into the Presence and much consultation was amongst the Great ones to conferre the Succession vpon Cussero his sonne But the issue was that vpon his Oath to maintaine the Law of Mahomet and of full pardon to his Sonne
and all his Partakers hee was brought into his Fathers presence Echebar was past speech but made signes that hee should take the Royall Diademe and gird himselfe with the sword hanging at his beds head The Prince performed the solemne Iordam or Rite of Adoration with the head bowed to the Earth and his Father signing with his hand that hee should depart did so as did his Father presently after out of the world His body was carried on the shoulders of his Son and Nephew out of the towre where he lay the wall being broken after the fashion for passage and a new gate there erected and being brought into his Garden a league from thence was interred with small attendance neither the King nor his Nobles except Cossero and a few others wearing mourning habite So little was He in his West a little before the great Terrour of the East Eight dayes after Echebars death the Prince entred the Palace and seated himselfe in the Throne the people crying Pad iausa or Padasha lamat GOD saue the King His first endeauours were to giue contentment to the Mahumetans causing their Moschees to bee purged and their Rites to bee established yea hee tooke a new Name NVRDIN MOHAMAD IAHANVIR that is the Splendour of MAHOMETS Law Subduer of the World And by this Name IAHANVIR or as our Countrey-men lately come from thence pronounce it IAHANGERE hee is vsually called and not by his ancient Name SELIM In Aprill after his sonne rebelled and taking the Title of SVLTAN IA that is Sultan the King brought into his partie two Great Men and so went to Lahor which not being admitted entrance hee besieged eight dayes or as others say presented himselfe with his Forces about twelue thousand before it without any great hostilitie offered him His Father in person pursued him which being rumor'd so dismayed the sonne that he fled hauing euen then put some of the Kings men to rout For by a notable stratageme hee lost the day the aduerse Generall sending many with flying tales into the Princes Armie buzzing the neerenesse and Greatnesse of the Kings power and seconding the same like GIDEONS Policie with multitude of Trumpets and Drummes scarred them and notwithstanding the Princes gaine-saying hee was by his owne almost compelled to flight Hee tooke his way towards Cabul and being to passe a Riuer the Captaine of the place caused all Boats to be taken away and commanded the rowers that if the Prince came they should fasten the Boat as by mischance on a Shelfe or Iland of sand in the middle of the Riuer which being done they should seeme to call for helpe and so giue notice This was done and the Gouernour came and after due reuerence promising all fidelitie and securitie wherein hee was vnfaithfully faithfull brought Him into the Castle and sent the King word thereof who sent presently and brought Him in fetters together with his company The King bitterly checked him committed him to prison Some adde that hee sealed vp his eyes Others say that his eyes were put out But their eyes were not put in onely cares put on that say so for hee hath lately beene freed and hath the vse also of his eyes as I haue beene tolde from the eyes of diuers His two great Captaines had a strange punishment the one sowed vp close in an Oxe-skinne the other in an Asse-skinne both new flayed that drying they might withall straightly pinch in their Prisoners in a close and narrow Little-ease The next day they were carried through the Citie on Asses their faces to the taile-wards the one conspicuous with his Oxe-hornes the other with his Asses-eares The shame and ignominy so pierced one of them that hee fell downe dead his head was cut off and the pieces of his dismembred bodie were set vp in diuers places The other by way of fauour was permitted to haue water powred on his hide which brought a worse euill by the heate of so neere a Sunne causing a filthy stinke and multiplication of Vermine till at last his pardon was procured Two hundreth of the Princes Souldiers were set on both sides the way as hee should passe to be executed He caused his second Sonne to be proclaimed Prince as his Father had before transferred the Title from him to This his Son There was a famous Prophet of the Ethnikes named Goru esteemed there of his Sectaries as the Romish Pope is of the Popish Romanists with him as a man famous for Sanctimony did the Prince consult who in adulation adorned his head with a Diadem which in an Ethnike to a Mahumetan was strange but hee coloured it with the Gentilisme of the Princes Mother Vpon this Goru was committed but vpon promise by an Ethnike of 100000. pieces of Gold to bee payd to the King hee was pardoned Hee that vndertooke this hoped on the Kings pardon or that Goru would procure this summe which failing hee seized on all hee had not sparing his wife and children adding tortures also to extort money from him and taking away his meate thinking him rather a miser then a begger Thus in varietie of misery the flattering Prophet lost his life and his Suretie also thinking to escape by flight was taken and slaine his goods all confiscate This King at first made great shew of zeale to Mahomet which since is cooled and his Religion seemes to bee the same with Echebars Contrary to the Mahumetan practice hee delighteth much in Images as of CHRIST the Virgin and other Saints with which his chambers and publike roomes are stored and to all his Letters and Charters besides the Kings Seale addes the Images of CHRIST and the Holy Virgin engrauen in a paire of tongs as it were of Emeralds with which hee seales his Letters on both sides the pendent waxe The last newes that wee haue from the Iesuites of whom wee haue borrowed almost all the former Relations is of Captaine Hawkins comming to the Court and kind entertainment of the King who made him say they a Gentleman of foure hundred Horse and assigned him thirtie thousand Rupies stipend adding other reports of his pride obstinate heresie and supplantation by the Portugals with other things of Him and those of the Ascension were wracked partly true partly false I haue thought good to set before you in the next seruice some of Captaine Hawkins obseruations whiles hee staied there and after of other our Countrey-men which now haue a settled trade in these vast Dominions Obserue by the way that the Iesuites to the last doe accuse Captaine Hawkins of his obdurate heresie contrarie to the calumnies of some that say hee became deuoutly Popish at their perswasion §. III. The Relations of Captaine HAWKINS Embassador there MAster William Hawkins being Captaine in the Ship called the Hector after a long and tedious voyage from March 1607. to the foure and twentieth of August 1608. arriued at Surat subiect to the Mogor or Mogol so he calleth him and after much
then they goe out of the Citie passing by the Riuers side to the burning-place where is prepared a great square Caue full of Wood. Here is made a great Banquet the woman eating with ioy as if it were her wedding-day and after they sing and daunce till the woman bid to kindle the fire in the Caue then she leaueth the Feast and taketh her husbands neerest kinsman by the hand and goeth with him to the banke of the Riuer where she strippeth her of her cloathes and iewels bestowing them at her pleasure and couering herselfe with a cloth throweth herselfe into the Riuer saying O wretches wash away your sinnes Comming out of the Water shee rowleth herselfe into a yellow cloth and againe taking her husbands kinsman by the hand goeth to the said Caue by which is erected a little Pinnacle on which she mounteth and there recommendeth her children and kindred to the people After this another woman taketh a pot with oyle and sprinkleth it ouer her head and therewith annoynteth all her bodie and then throweth it into the Furnace the woman going together with the same Presently after the woman the people throw great pieces of Wood into the Caue so that with those blowes and the fire she is quickly dead and their great mirth is on a suddaine turned into great lamentation and howling When a Great man dyeth all the women of his house both his wife and slaues with whom hee hath had carnall copulation burne themselues together with him Amongst the baser sort I haue seene saith Master Frederike the dead man carried to the place of buriall and there set vpright the woman comming before him on her knees casteth her armes about his necke while a Mason maketh a wall round about them and when the wall is as high as their neckes one comming behind the woman strangleth her the workeman presently finishing the wall ouer them and this is their buriall Ludouicus Vertomannus relateth the same Funerall Rites of Tarnasseri as in other parts of India sauing that there fifteene or twentie men in their idolatrous habit like Diuels doe attend on the fire wherein the husband is burned all the Musicians of the Citie solemnizing the Funerall pompe and fifteene dayes after they haue the like solemnitie at the burning of the woman those diuellish fellowes holding fire in their mouthes and sacrificing to Deumo and are her intercessors to that Diuell for her good entertainment The cause of burning their wiues is by some ascribed to their wonted poysonings of their husbands before this Law by others that the husband might haue her helpe and comfort in the other world Odoricus telleth of a strange and vncouth Idoll as bigge as Saint Christopher of pure Gold with a new band about the necke full of precious stones some one whereof was of value if he valued iustly more then a whole Kingdome The roofe pauement and seeling of the walls within and without the Temple was all Gold The Indians went thither on pilgrimage some with halters about their neckes some with their hands bound behind them some with kniues sticking on their armes and legges and if after their pilgrimage the wounded flesh festered they esteemed that limbe holy and a signe of their Gods fauour Neere to the Temple was a Lake where-into the Pilgrims cast Gold Siluer and Gemmes for honour of the Idoll and reparation of his Temple At euery yearely Feast the King and Queene with the Pilgrims and People assembling placed the said Idoll in a rich Chariot and with a solemne procession of Virgins two and two in a ranke singing before him and with Musicall Instruments carrie him forth Many Pilgrims put themselues vnder the Chariot wheeles where they are crushed in pieces More then fiue hundred persons vsed thus to doe whose carkasses were burned and ashes kept for holy Reliques Otherwise also they will deuote themselues to such a martyrdome in this manner The parents and friends assemble and make a Feast to this Votarie and after that hang fiue sharpe kniues about his necke and so carrie him before the Idoll where he taketh one of his kniues and cryeth For the worship of my God I cut this my flesh and cutting a piece casteth it at the face of the Idoll and so proceeding at the last sayth Now doe I yeeld my selfe to death in the behalfe of my God and being dead is burned as before Our Country-man Sir Iohn Mandeuile reporteth the same Historie of their Idoll-Procession and the ashes of those voluntary Martyrs which they keepe to defend them against tempests and misfortunes He also sayth That some Pilgrims in all their peregrinations not once lifted vp their eye-lids some at euery third or fourth pace fell downe on their knees to worship some whipped others wounded themselues yea killed themselues as is before said Nicolo di Conti reporteth the same in his time Neither is this bloudy custome yet left as Linschoten affirmeth by report of one of his chamber-fellowes that had seene it They haue sayth he a Waggon or Cart so heauie that three or foure Elephants can hardly draw it which is brought forth at Faires Feasts and Processions At this Cart hang many Cables or Ropes whereat all the people hale and pull of deuotion In the vpper part of the Cart standeth a Tabernacle and therein the Idoll vnder it sit the Kings wiues playing on Instruments And while the Procession passeth some cut pieces of their flesh and throwe at the Pagode some lay themselues vnder the wheeles of the Cart with such euent as you haue heard Gasparo Balby relateth the same and addeth That the Priests which haue care of this Idoll and certaine women are consecrated to these deuotions from their Cradles by their Zeale-blind parents And the women prostitute their bodies to gaine for the Idoll whatsoeuer they can get ouer and aboue their owne maintenance This filleth the Citie with Strumpets there being of this Sacred you may interpret it Cursed crue foure hundred in one place of the Citie These haue their place in the Idoll-procession some of them in the Chariot which is drawne by men euery one accounting himselfe happy that can touch or draw the same This he sayth was at Negapaton He further affirmeth That not farre from the Citie of Saint Thomas is the Towne Casta where the the Wife is not burned as at Negapatan but a great Graue being made for the deceased Husband they place the liuing Wife by the dead corps and their neerest kindred cast earth vpon them both and stampe thereon They which marry wed in their owne degree as a Smith to a Smiths daughter and they powre out their prayers at the Image of some Kow or a Serpent called Bittia di Capella Their Bramenes burne Kowes dung and if they intend any warres with other Nations they anoint their Nose and Forehead with those ashes not washing themselues till the euening They which sacrifice themselues to the Pagode
DIODORVS and others §. I. The names of Aegypt and of the Riuer Nilus AFter our generall view of Africa Egypt may justly challenge the principall place in our African discourse as being both in situation next to Asia whence we are lately come and consequently from thence first peopled besides that Religion our Load-Starre hath heere found the soonest and solemnest entertainment And not in Religion alone but in Policie Philosophie and Artes the Grecians which would seeme the first Fathers of these things haue beene Disciples to the Egyptians as Am. Marcellinus and D. Siculus Plutarch and many others affirme Hence Orpheus Musaus and Homer fetched their Theologie Lycurgus and Solon their Lawes Pythagoras Plato Anaxagoras Eudoxus Democritus Daedalus here borrowed that knowledge for which the World hath euer since admired them Let it not then be imputed to me as a tedious officiousnesse If I longer detaine the Reader otherwise delighted with the view of those rils which hence haue flowed among the Greeke and Latine Poets and Philosophers in Surueighing these Aegyptian Fountaines and Well-springs whence haue issued especially a deluge of Superstition that in elder times drowned all the neighbouring parts of the World Nor let it be tedious vnto vs to behold in this Historicall Theater those Egyptian Rarities the sight whereof hath drawne not Philosophers alone but great Princes too and mightie Emperors to the vndertaking of long and dangerous journeyes As Seuerus who though hee forbad Iudaisme and Christianite yet went this Pilgrimage in honour of Serapis and for the strange sights of Memphis Memnon the Pyramides Labyrinth c. Vespasian also and others did the like The name of Egypt saith Iosephus is Mesre of Misraim the sonne of Cham as the Egyptians themselues are called Mesrai So the Arabians at this day call it as Leo affirmeth but the Inhabitants they call Chibth This Chibth they say was he which first ruled this Countrey and built houses therein The Inhabitants also doe now call themselues thus yet are there not now left any true Egyptians saue a few Christians the Mahumetans hauing mingled themselues with the Arabians and Africans These Christians are hereupon called Cophti of their Nation as Master Brerewood obserueth not of their Religion which is the same with the Iacobites And the Egyptians in some ancient Monuments are tearmed Aegophti and the name Aegyptus which some deriue from Aegyptus brother of Danaus is likelier to come of that Chibth or this Aegophti and all these names may seeme to borrow their originall from Koptus a chiefe Citie in Egypt as both Scaliger and Lidyat are of opinion quasi Ai Koptus the Land of Koptus so is Aethiops of Ai and Thebeth or Thebais Ignatius the Patriarch of Antioch in an Arabicke Epistle written to Scaliger calleth Egypt the Land of Kopti where he speaketh of Aera Kopti or the computation of yeeres by those Koptite Christians reckoned from the nineteenth yeere of Dioclesian at which time hee destroyed the Christian Churches and slue an hundred and forty foure thousand Martyrs in Egypt and other seuen hundred thousand exiled The Turkes call both the Countrey it selfe and principall City Cairo by the name of Misir Thus singeth an olde Pilgrime in written Rimes without name of the Authour In Egypt is a Citie faire That height Massar or else Kare Egypt was before called if wee may beleeue Stephanus and others Aeria and otherwise also by the names of Aeria Potamia Ogygya Melambolos Haephestia Ethiopia Some adde Hepia as Nilus was also called Melas of the blacknesse The Riuer was first called Oceanus then Egyptus and after that Nilus and Triton Egypt hath on the East the Gulfe and some part of Arabia on the South the fals and Mountaynes of Aethiopia on the West the Desarts of Libya on the North the Mediterranean Sea all which Nature hath set not only as limits but as fortifications also to this Countrey Nilus is by Ouid called aduena for his forreine Springs by Tibullus fertilis which supplyeth the place of showres to Egypt whereupon Claudian sings Egyptus sine nube ferax imbresque serenos Sola tenet secura poli non indiga venti and Lucan Terra suis contenta bonis non indiga mercis Aut Iouis in solo tanta est fiducia Nilo Egypt no raines nor Merchandise doth need Nilus doth all her wealth and plenty breed Hereupon the Romanes accounted it their Granary and the Turke Selym when he conquered it said he had now taken a Farme that would feed his Gemoglans without it the earth is sand perhaps had not beene earth nor is there aboue one Well of sweet springing water nor brackish in all Egypt The water of Nilus is sweet wholesome and yeelds no mystie vapours This Riuer runneth through the midst thereof sixty miles from Cairo making by diuision of himselfe that Delta to which some appropriated the name of Egypt refuted by Iupiter Ammon whose Oracle sayth Herodotus reckoned all that Egypt which Nilus ouerflowed Ptolemaus numbreth three of those Deltas Touching the head of Nilus Bredenbachius affirmeth that many Soldans haue sent men on purpose furnished with skill and prouision for the Discouery who after two or three yeeres returning affirmed that they could find no head of this Riuer nor could tell any certainty but that it came from the East and places not inhabited both of like truth And before the Soldans Sesostris Cambyses Alexander Nero are reported to haue made search for the head of this Riuer Neros men by the helpe of the Aethiopians passed farre vp to large vnpassable Marishes full of weeds the extents vnknowne Later Geographers relate that Nilus ariseth out of a Lake in twelue degrees of Southerly latitude out of which not onely this Riuer runneth Northwards into the Mediterranean but Zaire also Westward Zuama and Spirito Sancto Eastward into the Ocean as is said all ouerflowing their Territories in the same time and from the same cause What this cause should be many both old and later Writers haue laboured to search Herodotus Diedorus Pliny and Solinus haue lent vs the coniectures of Antiquity herein Fracastorus and Rhamusius haue bestowed their Discourses on this Subiect as Goropius also and others of later yeeres haue done The most probable cause is the raines which Goropius in his Niloscopium deriueth from a double cause For the Sunne in places neere the Line doth shew more mighty effects of his fiery presence exhaling abundance of vapours which in terrible showers he daily repayeth except some naturall obstacle doe hinder as in some places of Peru where it seldome or neuer raineth And hence it is that the Indians both East and West and the Africans reckon their Summer and Winter otherwise then in these parts of the World for this time of the Sunnes neere presence with them they call Winter in regard of these daily stormes which hee seemes to
Kine c. Neither were the naturall fruits of America comparable to those of our World Whence are their Spices and the best Fruits but from hence by transportation or transplantation As for Arts States Literature Diuine and Humane multitudes of Cities Lawes and other Excellencies our World enioyeth still the priuiledge of the First-borne America is as a yonger brother or sister and hath in these things almost no inheritance at all till it bought somewhat hereof of the Spaniards with the price of her Freedome On the other side for temperature of Ayre generally America is farre before Africa in the same height For greatnesse of Riuers Canada Plata and Maragnon exceed our World Whether Africa or America exceed in Gold it is a question In Siluer Potozi seemes to haue surmounted any one Mine of the World besides those of New-Spaine and other parts howsoeuer Boterus doubts Yet Exitus acta probat And now America excels because besides her owne store shee is so plentifully furnished with all sorts of liuing and growing creatures from hence as euen now was shewed CHAP. III. Of the Discoueries of the North parts of the New-World and toward the Pole and of Greene-Land or New-Land Groen-Land Estoti-Land Meta Incognita and other places vnto New-France §. I. Of the Discoueries made long since by Nicolo and Antonio Zeni AMerica is commonly diuided by that Isthmus or necke and narrow passage of Land at Darien into two parts the one called Northerne America or Mexicana the other Southerne or Peruana This trendeth betwixt the Darien and Magellan Straights that from thence Northwards where the Confines are yet vnknowne For it is not yet fully discouered whether it ioyneth somewhere to the Continent of Asia or whether Groen-land and some other parts accounted Islands ioyne with it These were discouered before the dayes of Columbus and yet remaine almost couered still in obscuritie and were therefore iustly termed Meta Incognita by Great ELIZABETH the best knowne and most renowned Lady of the World The first knowledge that hath come to vs of those parts was by Nicholas and Antony Zeni two Brethren Venetians Happy Italy that first in this last Age of the World hath discouered the great Discouerers of the World to whom we owe our M. Paulus Odoricus Vertomannus for the East Columbus Vespacius Cabot for the West these noble Zeni for the North and the first encompassing the Worlds wide Compasse vnto Pigafetta's Discourse companion of Magellan in his journey that I speake not of the paines of Russelli Ramusius Boterus and a world of Italian Authors that I thinke more then any other Language haue by their historicall labours discouered the World to it selfe Vnhappie Italy that still hath beaten the bush for others to catch the Bird and hast inherited nothing in their Easterne and Westerne Worlds excepting thy Catholike claime whereby the Catholike and Spanish Sword makes way for the Catholike-Roman Crowne and Keyes Neither the Sword of Paul nor the Keyes of Peter for both these were spirituall But to returne to our Venetians In the yeere a thousand three hundred and fourescore Mr Nicolo Zeno being wealthy of a haughty spirit desiring to see the fashions of the world built and furnished a Ship at his owne charges and passing the Straits of Gibralter held on his course Northwards with intent to see England and Flanders But a violent Tempest assailing him at Sea he was carried hee knew not whither till at last his Ship was carried away vpon the I le of Frisland where the men and most part of the goode were saued In vaine seemes that deliuerie that deliuers vp presently to another Executioner The Ilanders like Neptunes hungry groomes or his base and blacke gard set vpon the men whom the Seas had spared but here also they found a second estape by meanes of a Prince named Zichmui Prince of that and many Ilands thereabouts who being neere hand with his Armie came at the out-cry and chasing away the people tooke them into protection This Zichmui had the yeere before giuen the ouerthrow to the King of Norway and was a great aduenturer in feates of Armes Hee spake to them in Latine and placed them in his Nauie wherewith he wonne diuers Ilands Nicolo behaued himselfe so well both in sauing the Fleet by his Sea-skill and in conquest of the Ilands by his Valour that Zichmui made him Knight and Captaine of his Nauie After diuers notable Exploits Nicolo armed three Barkes with which he ariued in Engroneland where hee found a Monasterie of Friers of the Preachers Order and a Church dedicated to St Thomas hard by a Hill that casteth out fire like Vesuuins and Aetna There is a Fountaine of hote water with which they heat the Church of the Monasterie and the Friers chambers It commeth also into the Kitchin so boyling hote that they vse no other fire to dresse their meat and putting their Bread into Brasse Pots without any water it doth bake as it were in an hot Ouen They haue also small Gardens which are couered ouer in the Winter time and being watered with this water are defended from the violence of the Frost and Cold and bring forth Flowers in their due seasons The common people astonished with these strange effects conceiue highly of those Friers and bring them presents of flesh and other things They with this Water in the extremitie of the Cold heat their Chambers which also as the other buildings of the Monasterie arc framed of those burning stones which the mouth of the Hill casts forth They cast Water on some of them whereby they are dissolued and become excellent white Lime and so tough that being contriued in building it lasteth for euer The rest after the fire is out serue in stead of stones to make Walls and Vaults and will not dissolue or breake except with some iron toole Their Winter lasteth nine moneths and yet there is a faire Hauen where this water falleth into the Sea not frozen by meanes whereof there is great resort of wilde fowle and fish which they take in infinite multitudes The Fishers Boats are made like to a Weauers Shuttle of the skins of fishes fashioned with the bones of the same fishes and being sowed together with many doubles they are so strong that in foule weather they will shut themselues within the same not fearing the force either of Sea or Winde Neither can the hard-hearted Rocks breake these yeelding vessels They haue also as it were a Sleeue in the bottome thereof by which with a subtill deuice they conuey the water forth that soaketh into them The most of these Friers spake the Latine Tongue A little after this Nicolo returned and died in Frisland whither his brother Antonio had before resorted to him and now succeeded both in his goods and honour whom Zichmui employed in the Expedition for Estotiland which happened vpon this occasion Sixe and twenty yeeres before foure Fisher-Boats were
together may no way compare with this Countrey either for commodities or goodnesses of soyle This sparke kindled in their hearts such constancie of zeale and forwardnesse that they furnished out Sir Thomas Gates who had happily returned with the rest from Bermudas with six ships 300. men and a hundred Kine with other Cattle Munition and prouision of all sorts Sir Thomas Dale hauing newes that it was a Fleet of enemies prepared himselfe and the rest to an encounter but it ended with a common ioy in the shaking of hands and not of Pikes Lawes are now made for lawlesnesse had marred so much before for the honour of God frequenting the Church obseruation of the Sabbath reuerence to Ministers obedience to superiours mutuall loue honest labours and against Adultery Sacriledge wrong and other vices Harbengers of Gods wrath and mans destruction The Colony consisted of seuen hundred men of sundry Arts and Professions few of them sicke which hauing left the Fort at Cape Henry fortified and kept by Captaine Dauies and the keeping of Iames Towne to that Noble and wel-deseruing Gentleman Master George Perole is remoued vp the Riuer fourescore miles further beyond Iames Towne to a place of higher ground strong and defencible by nature with good Ayre plenty of Springs much faire and open grounds freed from Woods and wood enough at hand Here they burnt brickes cut downe wood and euery man fals to somewhat they haue built they say competent houses the first story all of bricke that euery man may haue his lodging and dwelling by himselfe with a sufficient quantity of ground allotted thereto Here also they were building an Hospitall with fourescore lodgings and beds already sent for the sicke and lame as the Booke called the New life of Virginia relateth Master Whitaker in his Letter and Booke from Henrico 1612. testifieth the health and welfare of the Colonie Samuel Argal in the yeere 1613. affirmed likewise that hee found the state of Virginia farre better then was reported In one Voyage they had gotten 1100. bushels of Corne they found a slow kind of Cattle as bigge as Kine which were good meate and a medicinable sort of earth They tooke Pokohuntis Powhatans dearest daughter prisoner a matter of good consequence to them of best to her by this meanes being become a Christian and married to Master Rolph an English Gentleman Thus I haue beene bold somewhat largely to relate the proceedings of this Plantation to supplant such slanders and imputations as some haue conceiued or receiued against it and to excite the diligence and industry of all men of ability to put to their helping hand in this Action so Honourable in it selfe Glorious to God in the furtherance of his Truth and beneficiall to the Common-wealth and to the priuate purses of the Aduenturers if the blooming of our hopes be not blasted with our negligence As for the want of successe hitherto Careat successibus opto Quisquis ab euentu facta notanda putet Reason should preuaile with Men leaue sense and euent of things as an argument for Beasts That reason which sheweth Virginia's more then possibilities probabilities doth also point out the causes of those ill Successes Discontents at Sea Ignorance of the Country and of their Language Diuision in the Councell Commanders some of them not skilfull Souldiers nor forward Aduenturers Care to relade the Ships before they could prouide Houses of Victuals Ambition Cruelty Neglect of the Seasons for Fish and Land-commodities Brackish slimy Water at Iames Fort Riot Sloth False information in England Sending ill People that consumed the rest with idlenesse Want of Authority to punish them That kind of Aristocraticall Authority first established occasion of their Quarrels Iniuries to and from the Saluages and yet a necessity of their vse and helpe Sicknesse caused by the grosse and vaporous Aire and soyle about Iames Towne and drinking water The theeuish trucke and exchange which some secretly held with them The treachery of Fugitiues Falshood of the Sauages and the Many many faults as they report of Mariners in priuate truckings and night marts both with our Men and Sauages Their long stay and spending the Colonies reliefe besides Extraordinary casualties of fire cold shipwracke and if wee beleeue Ouiedo and obserue the like amongst the Spaniards the very Aire of the Indies seemes to be of inclination and disposition to contentions which easily ruine and dissolue the greatest and best enterprises that I speake not of the Deuils malice to Christian hopes Experience hath now made men wiser both to preuent and remedie these euils and to order their proceedings accordingly And although Fame fils not our eares with so often and many Virginian rumors as aforetimes yet we know that still waters are deepest and wee cannot but hope that those worthy Virginian-Consuls cunctando restituunt rem rather with carefull prouidence and watchfull diligence working sure then with humerous hastinesse laying foundations to a leisurely repentance seeking more the common good there then to be the common talke heere Once they there maintayne themselues now a long time without the wonted charge to the Company and diuers of our Nobility and Gentry doe now as after a long slumber while we are writing these things againe bethinke them of this Virginian Plantation whereunto the profitable Neighbour-hood of the Summer Iles or Bermudas may be good furtherance God Almighty prosper both that the Word may goe out of Bermuda and the Law of the Lord from Virginia to a truer conuersion of the American World then hitherto Our Humorists or Spanish insolencies haue intended §. III. Of the Soyle People Beasts Commodities and other Obseruations of Virginia FOr the description of the Countrey Master Hakluyt from Others Relations in his third Volume of Voyages hath written largely of those parts discouered for Sir Walter Raleigh Concerning the later Captaine Iohn Smith partly by word of mouth partly by his Map thereof in print and more fully by a Manuscript which hee courteously communicated to mee hath acquainted mee with that whereof himselfe with great perill and paine had beene the Discouerer being in his discoueries taken Prisoner as is before said and escaping their fury yea receiuing much honour and admiration amongst them by reason of his Discourses to them of the motion of the Sunne of the parts of the World of the Sea c. which was occasioned by a Diall then found about him They carried him Prisoner to Powhatan and there beganne the English acquaintance with that sauage Emperour The summe of his obseruation in that and other Discoueries since concerning the Countrey is this Virginia is situate betweene 34. and 44. degrees of Northerly latitude the bounds whereof on the East side are the great Ocean Florida on the South on the North Noua Francia the Westerne limits are vnknowne But that part which began to bee planted by the English Southerne Colony in the yeere 1606. is vnder the degrees 37.
they are very iealous and if they take them in Adulterie cause their braines to be beaten out Their wiues especially the elder are as their seruants and he which hath most is the greatest man Their account of time is by Moones or dayes their numbring is to ten and then say ten and one c. They also keepe accounts by bundles of stickes contayning so many as dayes are agreed on of which they take away euery day one They haue a certaine obseruance of the Sunne and Moone supposing them to be aliue but as farre as he could perceiue vsed neither Sacrifice nor adoration to any thing At the death of any great man they make a solemne Feast their chiefest prouision being their strongest drinke called Parranow and as long as this drinke lasteth they continue their Feast with dancing singing and excessiue drinking accounting the greatest Drunkard the brauest man during which drunken solemnitie some woman being neerest of kinne to the dead partie stands by and cries extremely Their Priests or South-sayers he cals them Pecaios haue conference with the Deuill whom they terme Wattipa but feare him much and say hee is naught hee will often beate them blacke and blue They beleeue that the good Indians when they die goe to Caupo or Heauen the bad to Soy downwards When a chiefe man dies if hee haue a Captiue they slay him if not then one of his seruants to attend him the other world The qualitie of the Land is diues by the Sea-side low and would be violently hot if a fresh Easterly breeze did not coole it with a vehement breath in the heate of the day the Mountaines are colder the middle sort most temperate Profit may here take pleasure neither need pleasure abandon profit The particulars are by this and other our Authors related I hunt after Rarities to present you Such is the fish Cassoorwa which hath in each eye two sights and as it swimmeth it beares the lower sights within the water and the other aboue the ribs and backe resemble those parts in a man saue that it is little bigger but much daintier then a Smelt Besides the Pockiero or small Swine with the Nauill in the backe is another called Paingo as large as ours in England The Sea-cow or Manatin eates like Beefe and will take Salt and serue to victuall ships it yeelds also an excellent Oyle and the hide will make Buffe There are infinite store of them The Pina for delicacie exceedeth a fruit tasting like Strawberries Claret-wine and Sugar What commoditie Tobacco and Sugars in those parts may yeeld is incredible especially in this smokie humour of the one sexe and that daintier of the other Their Dies Gummes and other commodities I omit Of Gold and other Metals they haue good testimonie The Marashawaccas are a Nation of Charibes vp high within Land hauing great eares beyond credit they haue an Idoll of stone which they worship as their God in a house erected purposely to it which they keepe verie cleane It is fashioned like a man sitting vpon his heeles holding open his knees and resting his elbowes vpon them holding vp his hands with the palmes forwards and gaping with his mouth wide open Captaine Michael Harcourt was left Commander of the Countrie for his Brother who continued the possession three yeeres in all which space of thirtie persons died but sixe and some of them by casualtie Amongst the East Indian Plants is mentioned one called Sentida the like they found here much like vnto Rose trees about halfe a yard high which if they were touched or a leafe cut from them would presently shrinke and close vp themselues and hang as they were dead and withered within halfe a quarter of an houre by degrees againe opening Areminta the Cacique of Moreshegoro had a rough skin like to Buffe-leather of which kind there be many in those parts They returned by Cape Brea which is so called of the Pitch there gotten in the Earth whereof there is such abundance that all places of this our World may be stored thence it is excellent for trimming of shippes for those hote Countries not melting in the Sunne §. III. Relations of these and the adioyning Countries by the Spaniards IT were a hard taske to muster all that World of Riuers and names of Nations in the parts neere Guiana which they that will may finde in Sir Walter and Master Keymis and Master Harcourt their owne Relations As for Guiana this Sir Walter hath written It is directly East from Peru towards the Sea and lyeth vnder the Aequinoctiall it hath more abundance of Gold then any part of Peru and as many or moe great Cities It hath the same Lawes Gouernment and Religion and Manoa the Imperiall Citie of Guiana which some Spaniards haue seene and they call it El Dorado for the greatnesse riches and situation farre exceedeth any of the World at least so much of it as the Spaniards know It is founded vpon a Lake of Salt-water two hundred leagues long like vnto the Caspian Sea The Emperour of Guiana is descended from the Ingas the magnificent Princes of Peru For when Francis Pizarro had conquered Peru and slaine Atabalipa the King one of his younger brethren fled from thence and took with him many thousands of those Souldiers of the Empire called Oreiones with whom and other his followers he vanquished all that tract which is between the great Riuers of Orenoque and Amazones Diego Ordas who was one of the Captaines of Cortes in the conquest of Mexico in the yeere 1531. thus saith Gomara and that he perished at Sea others with more probability say it was a few yeeres after the conquest of Peru made search for Guiana but lost himselfe being slaine in a mutinie Before this his prouision of Powder was fired and one Iuan Martinez which had the charge thereof was therefore condemned to bee executed But at the Souldiers request his punishment was altered and hee set in a Canoa alone without victuall and so turned loose into the Riuer Certaine Guianians met him and hauing neuer seene man of that colour they carried him into the Land to be wondred at and so from Towne to Towne till hee came to the great Citie of Manoa the seat and residence of Inga the Emperour He no sooner saw him but he knew him to be a Christian for the Spaniards not long before had conquered his brother and caused him to be well entertained in his Palace Hee liued seuen moneths in Manoa but was not suffered to wander any whither into the Countrie he was also brought thither all the way blind-fold led by the Indians vntill he came at Manoa He entred the Citie at noone and trauelled all that day till night and the next from the rising till the setting of the Sunne thorow the Citie ere hee came to the Palace of Inga After seuen moneths the Emperour put him to his choise whether to stay or goe and he with the Emperours
three hundred Mynes of Spaniards and fiue thousand of Indians and that the Kings part there is two Millions of Siluer in Chili one and one and a halfe of Gold all the Gold and Siluer which yeerely comes to Lima is twelue Millions This Lima is the same with Los Reyes before mentioned and is an Archiepiscopall See and hath vnder it the Bishops of Quito Cusco Guamanga Arequipa Pax Plata Trugillo Guanuco Chachapoia Portas Vetus Guaiaquil Popaian Carchi Saint Michael and Saint Francis §. III. Obseruations of American Rites out of IERONYMO ROMAN IEronymo Roman a Spanish Fryer hath written somewhat largely of the Indian Ceremonies in his second Tome of the Common-wealths of the World especially of New Spaine and Peru but therein and in other his Relations differs from other perhaps more vnderstanding Writers From Florida to Panama hee affirmes there was little Religion or Politie that they acknowledged One True God Immortall and inuisible reigning in Heauen whom they called Yocahuuaguamaorocoti which they said had a Mother named Atabex and a Brother called Guaca He tels of their Images that an Indian going through a Wood saw the tree shake which striking him in feare hee approched to that which made most noyse and asked what hee would haue and who hee was The tree the Deuill or the Lyer made answere That hee should first goe call a Bohique or Priest which comming to the tree demanded Why hee was sent for and was by the tree instructed how to make thereof an Image and Temple and ordayned Sacrifices and Ceremonies which by cutting of that tree was presently effected and the Dedication yeerely solemnized The truth of the History I know not of the Mystery is plaine that they which make them are like vnto them and such Blocks may best be taught of Blocks their blockish Deuotions In New Spaine the Sunne he sayth was their chiefe God and they erected to him the most sumptuous Temples in the World besides other artificial Deities innumerable in matter and forme infinitely diuersified like Birds Beasts Serpents one kind like the Picture of Eue with the Serpent like the Grecian Bacchus like their mitred Bishops like Frogs or other naturall or imaginary formes Any thing which could eyther hurt or benefit them they obserued as Gods In Mexico they had hee sayth diuers degrees of their Priests the first of the High Bishop or Pope in the Mexican Language called Ilchuatecotl in the Totona tongue Papa as also we haue before obserued the second was as a Bishop and had other inferiour Priests subordinate When the Spaniards erected their Deuotions in Mexico they did not pray for the Papa lest they might be interpreted of this Ethnike Pope but called him the High Bishop Their Bishop they called Hupixe which signifies the Great Minister of God Their Priests Tetuy Pixque that is Gods Officers Other Functions bare name of their particular Offices Treasurer Vestry-keeper and the rest Some Prouinces in New Spaine had sixe Priests which were as it were Patriarkes or Archbishops all vnder the Pope aforesaid all addicted to Abstinence and Chastitie not drinking strong drinke and casting their eyes to the ground if they saw a woman professing much grauitie and mortification esteemed as Saints and of great authoritie and sway in the S ate The eldest Sonnes of Lords succeeded in their temporall estates the second was made a Priest and the Pope was Sonne to the King or some chiefe Lord in the Countrey after whose death the most Ancient succeeded being solemnely anoynted by the Priests with an Oyntment mixed with the bloud of circumcised Infants The Temples were all called Tehutlamacax a word compounded of Tehu which signifies God and Tlamacax a House or Mansion Many inferiour Offices in the Temple were executed by Citizens or honourable persons and others which liued neere the Temple vnder a speciall Master of Ceremonies called Telpuchitlato Many other things he writes of the Religion of New Spaine partly agreeing with our former Relations partly diuers or contrarie The like also of Peru where the chiefe Priest he sayth was stiled Vilaoma the Temples were most magnificent which they erected on high grounds or Hil tops making foure round Mounts of earth higher each and lesser then the former in the middest building the Temple in foure squares like Cloysters of Monasteries within which were Altars and in the most eminent place the rich and pompous Image of the Sunne Their Temples had two doores to which they ascended by thirty steps They were rich on the inner side being for the most part Gold Siluer or other rich Metals On the Easterne part was an Oratorie or Chancell against the Sun-rising ascended by six steps with a thicke wall and a hollow part therein which contayned the Image of the Sunne with rayes of Gold as we paint it by reflexion of the Sun-beames yeelding a Sun-like lustre Of all their Temples those of Pachicama and Cusco were most famous to which were Pilgrimages from the Prouinces as to Saint Iames our Lady and other famous Holies in Christendome three hundred leagues distant If I should follow this Fryer in his large Obseruations of the American Rites I might soone out-goe your patience and somewhere perhaps the Truth contenting my selfe therefore with that before obserued out of the most indicious Authors if your Author bee iudicious I remit those that would further know his Relations to himselfe hauing chosen a little and that here by it selfe inserted And thus we take our leaue of this Continent and must into the adioyning Sea to obserue matters of principall note we shall there find CHAP XIII Of the Seas and Ilands adioyning to America §. I. Of the Ladrones Margarita and Cubagua and the Seas betwixt them ANd now I must obey the Spaniards Law which will admit no strangers trafficke in Peru and are iealous of any Corriuall which shall hold longer and more familiar Discourse with America although they haue rather forced her to their lusts then wooed her to their loues I also beginne to grow wearie of this trauell in another World willing to looke homewards and therefore am now embarqued on the Peruuian Coast where the Peaceable Sea may free me of those former dangers whereto my Pilgrimage was subiect in passing along snowie and fierie Hils deceitfull vnwholsome Bogs scorching sandy Plaines Wildernesses inhabited with wild beasts Habitations peopled with wilder and more beastly Men and now by this commoditie of my Paper-barke I may both direct my course homewards and yet walke as intending another contrary or diuers Voyage And euen as those Heauenly Planets in their Wandering and yet most constant course are guided by the generall motion of that Vniuersall Wheele and yet forget not their owne peculiar so I in my wandering Discoueries propound all and euery place of the World to be the place of my Exercise and subiect of my labour but yet the smoke of Ithaca is sweetest and my knowing all would
still expect their Messias eighty fiue Iubilees shall the world indure and in the last faith this Elias shall come the Sonne of Dauid Thus haue wee heard the infancie of the Church in the time of her nonage and of those Hebrew Patriarchs wee haue seene also their present Infancie in these Iewish Fables the iust reward of Louing darknesse rather then light And so with our prayers to GOD at last to take that Veile of MOSES from their hearts that there may be One proper Shepheard and one sheepefold and that meane-while we may learne preciously to esteeme and reuerently to make vse of that light we haue warned by the spectacle of Diuine Iustice in them through so many ages blinded in so palpable fooleries we will now leaue them and this Holy Land and seeke further what aduentures we shall light on the next neighbouring Nation hoping and crauing for pardon of such prolixitie in this part of our Discourse fittest of all the other in this part of our worke to be considered CHAP. XXI Of the hopes and hinderances of the Jewes Conuersion WHen I had now as I thought brought this Iewish Relation to an end and euen wearied the Reader with that which might much more wearie the writer that Prophesie of Paul That all Israell shall bee saued c. which by most Interpreters is construed of the generall conuersion of that Nation after the fulnesse of the Gentiles bee come in as in the beginning of this Worke is said caused my straying Pen ready to wander from these so farre wandering from their holy Progenitors to vndertake this taske also to declare what future hopes and what present feares and lets may be conceiued of their conuersion to Christianitie The hope though it be yet tossed vpon surges of almost-desperate Seas yet hath Anchoram sacram a sure Anchor to relye on and a kinde of obscure kenning of that wished-for Hauen where it would bee For Non ita perierunt ad vnum Iudaei vt nulla supersit de illorum salute spes The destruction of the Iewes saith Peter Martyr is not so desperate but that their is some Hope left of their saluation And a little after alluding to the Apostles mysterie Cum enim plenitudo fuerit iam ad Christum conuersa ex gentibus tunc Israelita accedent For when there shall haue beene a full conuersion of the Gentiles vnto Christ then shall the Iewes also come in So Chrysostome Quia subintrauit plenitudo Gentium in nouissimo saluabitur omnis Israel because the fulnesse of the Gentiles hath come in at last all Israel shall bee saued The same hope is generally cherished by the rest of the Fathers And D. Willet in a booke written of this argument brings to this purpose many authorities of Scriptures and Fathers Gen. 9.27 and 49.10 Deut. 33.7 Psal. 125.1 Ezek. 37.1 and 47.4 Zach. 2.12 and 12.10 Mal. 3.5 Luk. 15.31 Ioh. 10.16 2. Cor. 3.16 Apoc. 3.9 c. and especially that in the eleuenth to the Romans wherein many arguments are compiled together confirmed also by the interpretations and testimonies of Origen Athanasius Chrysostome Hierome Augustine Beda Hugo Cardinalis Aquinas Gorrham Caluin Beza Bullinger Martyr to whom wee may adde diuers others These indeed further our hopes which yet depend more vpon Diuine goodnesse then on humane probabilitie the stabilitie of his Truth which hath promised as Paul also Rom. 11. expoundeth the former Prophets The vnchangeablenesse of Gods Election the bottomelesse Sea of his Mercies the vnsearchablenesse of his Iudgements minister hope beyond hope Hereunto also may bee added the common grounds both of Reason which they hold with vs in Nature and of the Scripture the ancienter parts whereof and especially the Law of Moses they maintayne with equall acknowledgement and for the most part with more forward industrie and zeale then doe the commoner sort of Christins But the impediment which haue hitherto and doe yet with-hold them from Christianitie doe exceed in number and power For that fore-stalled preiudice of theirs the glory of the Temple the sacrifices and legall worships past their hopes then and still of such a Monarch to their Messias as you haue heard of the splendour of their renowmed Ancestors the keeping of the Diuine Oracles their peculiar tytle of being Gods people haue bred in them such a swelling pride that they naturally enuie and abhorre the very thought thereof that the Gentiles should in these things either equal or succeed them Sooner saith Martin Luther then they would endure that the Gentiles which in their daily prayers they curse and reuile should haue any part with them in their Messias and bee accounted co-heyres thereof they would crucifie ten Messiahs yea if it were possible would doe to death GOD himselfe with all the Angels and creatures else although they should therefore vndergoe a thousand hels Hence in a great part proceedeth their naturall and long continued obstinacie And besides that preiudice pride and enuie they are not a little scandalized from the Christians themselues somewhat in regard of the mutuall differences and disagrements among Protestants which though in it selfe bad is made much worse by the vnseasonable and vnreasonable exaggeration of their common Aduersarie the Papist but more in respect of those which call themselues Catholikes and are not but euen by these men are found to bee manifest Idolaters A scandall it is to see Gods Law neglected and mans exacted with rigour a greater matter at some times to eat flesh then the adulterours pollution of the flesh at any time the blasphemies of some Nations these being interiections to the vulgar and phrases of gallantrie to the Princes the forging packing of miracles wherin the Friers and Iewes concurre with equall diligence the one in contriuing the other in discouering them A scandall are the alterations which they are forced by the Inquisitors to make in their Authors and Monuments of Antiquitie thinking that these deuices are our best euidences A scandall is the vowing and praying to Angels and Saints yea more to the Mother of Christ then to Christ himselfe or to GOD to whom alone they repute this is a due sacrifice But the greatest scandall of all others is the worshipping of Images Indeede it seemed strange to me and doth to the rest of my Brethren according to the flesh Nathaniel a Iew borne baptized in London before the Congregation at All-hallowes made this confession euen vnto this day in whom this blindnesse and hardnesse of heart is in part continued through occasion giuen by them that professe the name of Iesus and not onely in vs which are of the house of Israel but in others as the Turkes and Mahumetanes which are the race of Ishmael Wee and our Fathers and Elders say and in our bookes call them by no other name but Baale abodazara Idolatrous Masters a thing so detestable vnto vs as nothing more c. They say vnto