Paroes the Countrey being full of Riuers in which they goe to and fro with their Families as strange is the dwelling here on the Land their houses being set on high posts and their going vp on Ladders for feare of Tygres From hence to Pegu is tenne as is said before or eleuen dayes iourney by the Riuers as before is expressed where their Markets are as their dwellings vpon the water in Boates with a great Sombrero like a Cart-wheele to keepe off the Sunne made of Coco-Leaues They vse in riding to carry bits in their mouthes which make them swell and puffing cheekes The husbands buy their wiues and if they mislike put them away And if the wiues Parents will take away their daughters they must restore that which was giuen in price for her If a man dies without children the King is his Heire And if hee hath children the King hath a third they the rest They vse to carrie men somewhat after the fashion of Congo in a kind of Couerlet of Cotton called Delingo of diuers colours made commodiously to keepe off the Sunne and Raine and easie to lie on as a bed carried by foure men which alway runne from morning to night resting onely once in the day The wife children and slaues of the Debtor are bound to the Creditor who may carry the Debtor to his house and shut him vp or else sell the wife children and slaues The Noble and Ignoble obserue one fashion of attire differing in the finenesse of the matter which commonly is bombast One piece for a shirt another large and painted tied vp betweene the legges On their heads a kind of Mitre of the same and some like a Hiue they goe bare-foot but the Nobles vsually are carried in Delingos or on Horse-backe The women weare a smocke to the girdle from thence a strait cloth of purpose to shew that they are Women in sort before related They goe bare-foote their armes laden with Hoopes of Gold and Iewels and their fingers full of precious Rings with their haire rolled vp about their heads Many weare a cloth about their shoulders in stead of a Cloake In Pegu they vse much Opium Aracan is mid-way betweene Bengala and Pegu on the Coast Hee is able saith Fredericke to arme many Austs by Sea and by Land hath certaine Sluces with the which if the King of Pegu his greatest enemy assaulted his Countrey hee could at pleasure couer a great part with waters In Pegu they haue a custome of buying and selling by Brokers which vndertake for the performance on both sides Also that others standing by may know what is bidden for commodities they haue their hands vnder a cloth and by touching the fingers and nipping the ioynts each finger and ioynt hauing his proper signification they make vp their bargaines CHAP. V. Of the Religion in Pegu and the Countreys sometime subiect thereto THeir Varellaes or Idol-Temples in the Kingdome of Pegu are many They are made round like a Sugar-Loafe or a Bell some are as high as a Church or a reasonable Steeple very broad beneath some a quarter of a mile in compasse in the making of them they consume many Sugar-Canes with which they couer them from the top to the bottome Within they bee all earth done about with stone They spend thereon much gold for they be all gilded aloft and many of them from the top to the bottome and euery ten or twelue yeeres they must bee new gilded because the Raine consumeth off the gold for they stand open abroad Were it not for this vaine custome gold would there be good cheape About two dayes iourney from Pegu there is a Varelle or Pagode which is the Pilgrimage of the Pegues It is called Dogonne and is of wonderfull bignesse and all gilded from the foot to the top This house is fifty fiue paces in length and hath in it three Iles or Walks and forty great Pillars gilded which stand betweene them It is gilded with gold within and without These are houses very faire round about for the Pilgrims to lie in and many goodly houses for the Tallipoys to preach in which are full of Images both of men and women all ouer gilded I suppose it the fairest place in the world It standeth very high and there are foure waies to it which all along are set with Trees of Fruits in such wise that a man may goe in the shade aboue two miles in length And when their Feast-day is a man can hardly passe by Water or by Land for the great prease of people which resort thither from all places of the Kingdome There are on the shoares of Dogon two Statues which from the head down-ward represent young men but haue the faces of Deuils and two wings on their backes In Pegu there is Varelle or Temple like to this which the King frequented to doe his Holies therein mounting vp staires at the foot whereof were two Tygers gaping wide seeming as if they had beene aliue Besides the many Magazins or Treasuries full of Treasure which the late Braman King had hee had neere vnto the Palace a Court walled with stone the gates whereof were open euery day Within this Court are foure gilded Houses couered with Lead and in euery of them certaine Idols of great value In the first house was a great Statue of Gold and on his head a Crowne of Gold beset with rare Rubies and Saphires and about him foure little children of Gold In the second House is another of Siluer as high as an House set as it were sitting on heapes of money crowned his foot is as long as a man In the third house there is the like Idoll of Brasse and in the fourth of Ganza which is their Mony-mettall tempered of Lead and Copper In another Court not farre from this stand foure other Colosses or huge Images of Copper in Houses gilded faire as they are themselues saue the head Balby tells of fiue made of Ganza so monstrous that the toes of their feeet were as big as a man and sitting crosse-legged were yet as high as one could hurle a stone and were all gilded Fernandes relateth of threescore and seuen Images of Gold richly adorned with Iewels and three hundred threescore and sixe Combalengas or Gourds of Gold molten by the Kings Father each weighing a hundred fourescore pound besides his other Treasures to conceale which he slew two hundred Eunuchs his attendants Their Tallipoys before they take Orders go to Schoole till they be twentie yeeres old or more then they come before a Tallipoy appointed for that purpose whom they call Rowli Hee as chiefe and most learned examineth them many times Whether they will leaue their Friends and the company of all Women and take vpon them the habite of a Tallipoy If hee be content then hee rideth vpon an Horse about the streets very richly apparrelled with Drums and Pipes to shew that hee leaueth the riches of the
which are dried Flesh Cheese Garlicke Rootes and a spare Horse for food besides a better for seruice Their haires tied to long poles are their banners onely the Prince receiueth from the Turke one of silke Both Horse and Men are exceeding skilfull in swimming In passing ouer large streames they set their Saddles and Baggage on Reedes or Rushes which they tye to diuers Horse-tailes themselues holding them by the Manes and guiding them sometimes they sit themselues on those Rushes and sometimes they kill and flay some of their Horses and turning the inside outward timbering them with the ribs of the Horse and sowing them with the hayre make Boates for transportation They take off the wheeles of their Carts and setting them on Rushes as aforesaid transport them The spoile is diuided in common and euery mans losse thence made good to conceale any thing is death whether pillaged from the enemie or found of their owne people In the yeere 1571. they came to Musco and fired the Suburbs which being of wood burned with such rage that in foure houres space it consumed the greatest part of the Citie being thirtie miles or more in compasse The rufulnesse of this sight was seconded with a more dismall euent the people burning in their houses and streets and whiles they sought to flye out of the Citie they wedged themselues with multitude so fast in the Gate which was furthest from the enemie and the streets adioyning as that three rankes walked one vpon the others heads the vppermost treading downe those that were lower so that there perished at that time as was said by the fire and the presse the number of eight hundred thousand people or more The Tartar sent the Russe a knife as vpbraiding him this losse and his desperate case therewith to stab himselfe The cause of this quarrell is the Tartars title to Cazan Astracan and Mosco it selfe which the Moscouite was wont to acknowledge with this homage yeerely in the Castle of Mosko to giue the Cans or Crims Horse Oates out of his Cap himselfe on foot the Crim abiding on his Horse This homage Basilius changed into a tribute of Furres which also by his sonne Iohn was denyed Hereupon once or twice euery yeere sometime about Whitsontide but oftner in haruest hee inuadeth the Country either in great numbers if the Can himselfe come or otherwise in fewer with lighter border-skirmishes Their common practise is to make diuers Armies and drawing the Russe to one place to inuade another They are all Horse-men carrying nothing but a Bow a sheafe of Arrowes and a Fauchion Sword they are expert Riders and shoot as readily backward as forward The Morses or Nobles haue Armour like the Turkes the Common-people none other then their apparell viz. a Black-sheeps skin with the wooll-side outward in the day time and inward in the night with a cap of the same They haue a rule that Iustice is to be practised but towards their own and therefore will promise any thing when they besiege a Citie but being once possessed of the place performe all manner of hostilitie When their number is small they make greater shew with counterfeit shapes of men set on horse-backe In giuing onset they make a great shout crying together Olla billa Olla billa they will dye rather then yeeld contrary to the Turkes custome The chiefe bootie they seeke for is store of Captiues specially yong boyes and girles for which purpose they haue bands intending nothing else and baskets like Bakers Pannyers to carrie them tenderly If they tyre or sicken on the way they dash them against the ground or some tree and so leaue them dead The Russe borders being vsed to their inuasions keepe few other cattell but Swine which their Religion abhorreth to touch They differ herein from the Turkish Religion that they haue certaine Idoll puppets made of silke or like stuffe of the fashion of a man which they fasten to the doore of their walking-houses to be as Ianusses or Keepers of their house And these Idols are made not by all but by certaine Religious women which they haue among them for that and like vses They haue besides the Image of their King of an huge bignesse which they erect at euerie Stage when the Armie marcheth to which euery one must bow as he passeth by both Tartar and Stranger They are much giuen to Witch-craft and ominous coniectures In marriage they onely abstaine from the Mother Sister and Daughter neither doe they account that woman a wife which hath not honoured them with the name of a Father and then beginneth he to take a dowrie of her friends of Horse Sheepe Kine c. If shee bee barren after a certaine time he turneth her home againe Vnder the Emperour they haue certaine Dukes or Morseys which rule ouer hords of ten twentie or fortie thousand which are bound to serue the Emperour with a certaine number of men double-horsed They preferre horse-flesh before other meates esteeming it stronger nourishment this notwithstanding they vsed to send thirtie or fortie thousand horse yeerely to Musko to exchange for other commodities Their Herds of Kine and Flocks of black Sheepe they keepe rather for the Milke then the Flesh though they sometime eate it They drinke Milke or warme Bloud and for the most part curde them both together as they trauell they sometime let their horse bloud and drinke it from his bodie Townes they plant none not standing Villages but haue walking houses built vpon wheeles like a Shepherds Cottage which they moue in the Spring from the South to the North and so with Winter returne Southwards when they come to their Stage or standing Place planting their houses in a rank making the forme of a Towne and Streets Gold and siluer they neglect as they do also Tillage which freeth their Countrey from inuasions For person and complexion they haue broad and flat visages of a tanned colour into yellow and blacke fierce and cruell lookes thin haired vpon the vpper lip and pit of the chin light and nimble bodied with short legs practising themselues to ride and shoot from their child-hood their Parents not suffering their children to eate till they haue shot within a certaine scantling of the marke Their speech is sudden and loud as it were out of a deepe hollow throat their singing like a Cowes lowing In the description of these Crims I haue been thus long because they are now the chiefe knowne Nation of the wandring Tartars and the rest differ little from them except in greater Barbarisme Master George Barkly a friend of mine a Merchant in London hauing trauelled Liuonia Russia Lithuania and Poland went from Cracouia with a Tartar Duke which had come thither to the Parliament to sue for his two Daughters taken by the Polachs and staied with him in his hords which consisted of about a thousand housholds of a kindred six moneths These Tartars sowed a three square graine called Totarka
was there all the Towne and Neighbour-hood sending their Presents and comming to view the same and not the meanest but admitted to meate in the Kings presence I could from hence conduct you to the monstrous buildings raysed be Taicosama employed night and day one hundred thousand men at worke I could present you with the pompous entertainment of their great Solemnities this being a tyrannicall policy to cause Gentry and Nobility of this stirring Nation thus to impouerish themselues with all possible brauery that so their hands might bee too short for State practices But with remembring these things I should forget my principall scope Let vs therefore take view of their Religion §. IIII. Of their Sects and Bonzian Colledges THey haue many Sects some reckon them twelue all truely agreeing in disagreeing with truth some of them Epicure-like denying Gods Prouidence and the Soules Immortality They hold that a man hath three soules which one after another come into and depart out of the body Few of their Bonzij will openly teach this Doctrine but labour to hold the people in awe Amida and Xaca they preach as Sauiours and to bee worshipped Some of their Sects doe beleeue an eternall life and promise it to all such as call vpon these supposed Deities as Saints which sometime led so austere a life for the sins of Mankinde that for a man to vexe his minde or macerate his body for his owne sinnes or to doe good workes would not onely bee superstitious but offensiue and derogatorie to their merits And here the kind-hearted Iesuite is panged with a fit of Charity to yoke the Lutheranes with them as if the sufferings of Iesus were but the Superstitions of Amida as if eyther the sufferings of man imperfect borrowed dutie could bee or the sufferings of God could not bee meritorious or as if the Lutherans denyed Christian contrition whose affect is Indignation effect selfe reuenge as they doe Popish Confession and Satisfaction These Gods they call Fotoques Other Gods of a lesse mould they call Camis which haue their charges and peculiar Offices for Health Children Riches c. as among the elder that I trouble not the queasie stomackes of the later Romanes These were Kings and Noblemen or Inuenters of Artes of whom they they haue as true tales as Homer of the Legend yeeldeth Taicosama that dyed a few yeeres since the first in which these many later ages took the title of a King which together with the Crowne hee receiued of the King of China ordayned before his death that his body should not be burned after the wonted manner but closed in a Chest and in a sumptuous Temple for that purpose built his Image should be enshrined and worshipped with the title of Scinfaciman or new Faciman the name of their Mars or Warlike God which was also done Hee had appointed by Will the forme of that Temple which should bee built vnto him which by those Decem-viri was done Captayne Saris saw it hauing on each side fifty stone Pillars very stately for matter Arte and scite seated on a Hill The people called him the principall Cam of their Cams at the first erection his corps was there intombed and his Statue erected for their Superstitious worships Thus he which in his youth had vsed to cut wood and carry it into the Market to sell for his daily sustinance for his valour promoted in Military Honours at last became the greatest Monarch that Iapon had seene in eight hundred yeeres and not contented with humane greatnesse would aspire to that diuine whereof hee himselfe had beene a derider in others His name before was Faxiba called after Quabacondonus the highest title next to the Dairi and signifieth the chiefe of the Treasure next borrowing a Kingly stile from China would mad folly on his Death-bed bequeath God-head to a Man and Immortalitie to a carkasse when hee could no longer hold out his pride cruelty and other wicked courses which made his presence dreadfull his memory detestable Nabunanga was his predecessor in his State and Impiety arrogating diuine honour to himselfe but destroying the Temples of their Gods together with the Temple-keepers the Bonzij This appeared as Frenoiama a famous Vniuersitie of those Bonzij nine miles from Meaco wherein eight hundred yeeres past a Iaponian King had erected three thousand and eight hundred Temples with houses adioyning for the Bonzij allowing to their maintenance the third part of the Reuenue of the Kingdome of Vomen Hence proceeded their orders and gouernment in affaires both of State and Religion being a Seminary of Lawes and Superstitions But these Temples in time diminished to eight hundred and the Bonzian Discipline as much empayred and altered from Austeritie in some to Wantonnesse in others from Arts to Armes The Bonzij tooke part with Nechien enemy of Nabunanga who enraged hereat made truce with the one to destroy the other The Bonzij not preuayling by their suing for peace fortified themselues for warre in the Temple of Quanon their God of health and long life much frequented with Pilgrimes from all parts much solemnized with their pompous Processions like in all parts if yee beleeue the Iesuite to their Corpus Christi Solemnity which grew the more famous for that these were but the preamble to the like pompe in Gibon Festiuall at Meaco But all preuayled not with Nabunanga who destroyed both Temple and Priests with fire and sword burning foure hundred other Temples for company in the yeere 1572. At Meaco he burned twenty of these Bonzian Cloysters of the greater sort besides fourescore lesse and in one of them threescore Bonzian women or Nunnes whose Deuotion was employed in begging for the reparation of the Temple of Daibud Amongst the rest as the Grecians had their Mercury with his Caducaus so the Iaponians haue their Iizu with his Trident to conuey soules departed into their alloted eternall residences The Bonzij his Chaplaines by lots enquired whither they should remooue him hee commanded it and they with great solemnitie performed it but out of a place which then escaped to another wherein and wherewith he was burnt Facusangin was another Bonzian Academy adorned with many Colledges which he destroyed Xuanguen the King of Cainochun shaued his head and beard and professed himselfe a Bonzi and not only attyred himselfe in their Habit but thrice a day did performe their Superstitions hauing six hundred Bonzij to his followers He writ to Nabunanga intituling himselfe the Patron of those Religions the other in his answere stiled himselfe the Tamer of Deuils and Enemy of Sects But after that he would bee a God soone did he cease to be a man the immortall God hating Corriuals by his owne subiects destroyed his life riches and memory These Bonzij are for the most part Gentlemen whom their Parents hauing many children for want of mayntenance thrust into Cloysters Shauen as you haue heard and Shauers couetously pilling and polling the
Prince of the Tribe Zanhagia who in this absence of his Lord compacted with the Chalipha of Bagdet and acknowledged his Title in Barbarie receiuing in reward of his treason from that Bagdet Prelate the Kingdome of Africa Elcain hauing lost this morsell to snatch at a shodow was in great perplexitie what course to take till a Counsellor of his perswaded him that he might gather great summes of gold if hee would let the Arabians haue free libertie to passe through Egypt into Africa which though hee knew that they would so waste it by their spoiles as it should remayne vnprofitable both to himselfe and his enemies yet incited by two vehement Orators Couetousnesse and Reuenge at last he granted And permitted all Arabians which would pay him ducats a piece freely to passe receiuing their promise that they would become deadly enemies to the rebell of Cairaoan Whereupon ten Tribes or Kindreds of the Arabians halfe the people of Arabia deserta and a multitude also out of Arabia foelix as writeth Ibuu Rarbu a famous Historian out of whom Leo hath drawne a great part of his African historie accepted the condition and passing the Desarts they tooke Tripolis sacked Capes and after eight moneths siege entred into Cairaoan filling with bloud and emptying with spoile all the places where they preuayled Thus did those kindreds of Arabians settle themselues in these parts forcing the Prouinces adjacent to tribute and remayned Lords of Africa till Ioseph founded Marocco who aided the posteritie of the rebell against them and brake their yoke from the tributarie cities But Mansor the fourth King and Calipha of the sect of Muoachedin begun as is said by Elmabesi and Abdul Mumen preferred the Arabians and induced them to make warre vpon those their enemies whom easily they conquered He also brought all the chiefe and principall of the Arabians into the westerne Kingdomes and assigned them more noble places for habitation to wit the Prouinces of Duccala and Azgar to those of meane condition hee appointed Numidia which at first were as it were slaues to the Numidians but after recouered their libertie and obtayned the dominion of that part of Numidia assigned them euery day encreasing in power those which inhabited Azgara and other places in Mauritania were all brought into seruitude For the Arabians out of the Desarts are as fishes out of the water Atlas on the one side and the other Arabians on the other side suffered them not to passe into the Desarts and therefore they laid downe their pride and applyed themselues to husbandrie dwelling in their Tents and paying yeerely tributes to the Kings of Mauritania from which those of Duccala by reason of their multitudes were free Many Arabians remayned still in Tunis which after Mansors death they tooke and made themselues Lords of the Regions adioyning where some of them bare great sway till Leo's time the other depriued of their wonted pay at Tunis committed great robberies and slaughters of Merchants and Trauellers The Arabians which inhabited Africa are diuided into three peoples Hilel and Chachin which are said to descend of Ismael therefore by the Mahumetans esteemed more noble the third is termed Machil deriued from Saba and came thither out of Arabia foelix The diuisions and subdiuisions of these into their seuerall Tribes and Families which Leo hath done would perhaps to our nice Readers seeme but an harsh heape of strange names and for their sakes I will referre the studious hereof to that our Author The Tribe Etheg which Mansor placed in Duccala and in the Playnes of Tedles in later times suffered much damage by the Portugals on the one side and the Kings of Fez on the other they are about one hundred thousand men of warre halfe horse-men The Sumaites in the Desarts neere Tripolis can arme fourescore thousand men Sahid in the Desarts of Libya can bring into the field almost an hundred and fiftie thousand of their Tribe The Ruche are not rich but in agilitie of body miraculous and account it a shame if one of their foot-men be vanquished of two horse-men nor is any amongst them so slow that he will not out-goe any the swiftest horse be the iourney neuer so long The Vode dwell betweene Gualata and Guading and are esteemed about threescore thousand warriours The other kindreds of them are exceeding many dispersed through Africa some-where commanding other-where subiect And as they liue in diuers places so doe they obserue differing customes Those which dwell betweene Numidia and Libya liue miserably they make merchandize of their Camels with the Negros and many Horses which are sold into Europe termed horses of Barbarie They are much addicted to Poetrie and make long Poems of their warres huntings and loues with great elegance and that in rithme like the vulgar Italian Sonets They are the destinie of Poets courteous but poore The Arabian Inhabitants betweene Atlas and the Sea are more rich in corne and cattell but more base and barbarous in conditions Amongst the Arabians neere Tunis a good Poet is highly esteemed and amply rewarded of their great men neither can the neatnesse and grace of their verse easily be expressed When they goe to warre they carry their wiues with them on Camels and that to make vp the wonder to incourage them The Arabians betweene Barbarie and Egypt leade a wretched life in those barren Desarts forced not onely to exchange their cattell for corne but to pawne their sonnes in great numbers to the Sicilians who if they breake day make slaues of them and therefore they exercise all robberies and sell any stranger they can lay hold on to the Sicilians for corne Now for the naturall and natiue Inhabitants of Africa the white men so they are in comparison of the Negros are diuided into fiue peoples Sanhagia Musmuda Zeneta Haoara and Gumera The Musmuda inhabit the Regions of Hea Sus Guzula and Marocco Gumera inhabiteth the Mountaynes alongst the Mediterranean from the Streits to Tremizen These two dwell seuered from the others and maintayne continuall warres one with another As Authors say they were wont to haue Tents and the wide fields for their habitation and those that were conquered were sent to inhabit Cities the Conquerors were Lords of the fields The Tribes or Peoples Zeneta Haoara and Sanhagia inhabit Temesne The Zeneti chased the Familie of Idris from the dominion of Africa and Fez and were againe themselues after that depriued by the Zanhagian families of Luntuna and of Abdul Mumen The Benemarini a Zenetan familie recouered the Empire long after They are in these times diuided into Brebers and Alarbies The Brebers inhabit the Mountaynes the Alarbies the Playnes Both of them maintayne deadly feuds and will fight sorer battels in such quarrels then in seruice of their King Insomuch that vpon losse of any great man cruell battels haue beene fought and ten thousand men slaine at a time The Alarbies haue their fairest Virgin riding on a Camell with a flagge in her hand
doe it in which respect not onely a third part of the old World but another new-found World is now named India Therefore Acosta and Adrianus Turnebus esteeme India to be a generall name to all Countries which are farre off and strange to vs although it be properly attributed to the East Indies Now if any wonder at such an extrauagant discourse of India heere let him know that in our search for Presbyter Iohn which then was knowne to withstand the Tartars in Asia I cannot see how hee can bee the Abessine or Aethiopian but rather thinke that when a mightie Christian Prince was found in Aethiopia they did imagine him to bee that Presbiter Iohn of which they had heard in Asia being furthered in this errour by the name India which as is said did generally comprehend both the true India and this more truely called Ethiopia Now for that Presbiter Iohn in India I take him for some Christian King for at that time there were many Christians as appeareth by Venetus in manner dispersed throughout Asia and some called Saint Thomas Christians remaine in India to this day Why I thinke it not to agree to the Abissine my reasons besides the former are the distance of place all that huge tract of Arabia with the wide Seas on each side separating India from Ethiopia the vnpassable Desarts by Land No mention in Historie who should dispossesse them of that India Maior where the Tartar had neuer any great power the Histories which wee haue of those Indian Princes the Kings of Malabar of Decan the Samorin c. are against it the difference of Religion for those Indian Christians of Saint Thomas are not branded with hote Irons nor Circumcised nor agree in other Rites with the Ethiopian the Ethiopian Historie challengeth no such large extents to their Empire except in Africa where they seate them in a continuall descent from the time of Salomon till now whereas those Presbiter Iohns had their dwelling and abode in Asia as their Stories signifie And further the name Priest Iohn is a name vnknowne in Ethiopia and by ignorant mistaking of the Europaeans applied to that Ethiopian Emperour when first they heard of him as saith Zaga Zabo his Embassadour to the King of Portugall who reproueth the men of these parts saying that he is named of them Belul which signifieth Excellent or precious and in the Chaldean tongue Ioannes Encos which signifieth the same Sabellicus saith the Ethiopians called him Gyan Linschoten affirmeth Bel Gyan Bel signifieth the highest and Gyan Lord But Frier Luys out of Baltasar the Aethiopian sheweth that in the hill Amara are ancient records which testifie that from the time of that Queene that came to Salomon the Emperours haue beene called Beldigian the signification whereof is a precious Stone or a thing of great value which Title hath continued to those Emperours as Pharao to the Egyptians and Caesar to the Romanes Some also of the Royall bloud which are vsually kept as after shall appeare in the hill Amara when they are elected to the Empire if there bee many of that Imperiall issue take Orders and become Priests not procreating any Children Such saith hee in our times haue beene Daniel the second Paphnutius that succceeded to Naum and Alexander the third his successour all which were both Priests and Kings and therefore by the Ethiopians which resort to the Holy Sepulchre at Ierusalem and vsed to speake Greeke were called Priest Beldigian This by corruption of the name by Merchants and such as knew not the signification and also for breuities sake was pronounced Priest Gyan or Iohn Now for the Priest Iohn in Asia hee tels that when Saint Thomas was martyred in India the three Mags who had visited CRIST by the leading of a Starre in his Infancie and had after beene consecrated Bishops ouer their seuerall Kingdomes you must not deny their royaltie by the Apostle chose one amongst themselues to bee Priest and King who was called Priest Iohn If you beleeue not Peter de Natalibus out of whom the Frier cites this I should bee too much troubled in perswading you Hee telleth also out of Otho Frisingensis that about the yeere 1145. one Iohn a Christian both King and Priest reigning in the furthest parts of the East warred vpon and ouer-came the Medes Assyrians and Persians and had intended to free Ierusalem out of Saracenicall seruitude but not finding passage ouer Tigris was forced to returne This is like to bee that Presbyter Iohn whose posteritie vsed that stratageme before mentioned against the Tartars And to him I thinke might fitly agree that Title of Prestegian easily deflected and altered to Priest Iohn whereof you haue heard out of Ioseph Scaliger I haue seene a Manuscript in old French pretended to bee a Letter from Prester Iohn to the Emperour Frederike wherein is discoursed of the site greatnesse puissance wealth and other rarities of his estate but finding so many monsters and vncouth relations therein I could not bee so prodigall of faith or penurious of iudgement as to value his authoritie at any high rate wherein Sir Iohn Mandeuill seemes to haue beene a lender or borrower so iustly doe they agree in disagreeing from both probabilitie and possibilitie of truth yet both in the one and the other wee may obserue the like situation of Prester Iohns dwelling in these parts of Asia neere Persia and that such a multitude of fables could not but haue some truth for their ground My conclusion is That for that name of Prestegian I like well Scaligers interpretation and thinke that it may agree either to this or some other Christian Prince at those times in India which is farre neerer to Persia and from whence the Indians borrowed their Royall Titles both in those times and since as Garcias ab Horto and Linschoten shew Idalham or Adelham the Title of the King of Goa and the Countries about commonly called Idalcan is not a proper name but a Title of honour signifying as Adonizedek Iosh 10.1 Lord or King of Iustice Nisamaluco the speare of the Kingdome and such like Ismael the Sophi which name also is by some interpreted Elect because they pretended to bee or doe so and others the reprobate followers of a reprobate Religion added the Title of Xa or Sha to such as embraced his new Sect as Nisomoxa c. If the borrowing of names from the Persian language so generall in those parts bee still obserued no maruell if some Christian King in those times might stile himselfe Prestegian or Apostolicall which others not vnderstanding called Priest Iohn or Prete Ianni as being compassed with so many Saracens the enemies of the Apostles besides Heretikes and Heathens At Mosul is yet a Patriake who in Paulus time was of farre greater iurisdiction and as an Easterne Pope ordayned Archbishops and Bishops through all the parts of India besides Cairo and Baldach and therefore no
therefore enioyne thee to desist from these attempts otherwise be thou cast out from all Israel But he proceeded neuertheles till Zinaldin a Turkish King subiect to the Persian corrupted his Father in Law with ten thousand peeces of Gold who accordingly with a Sword slew him in his bed And thus ended Dauid but not his designes for the Iewes in Persia were forced by many talents af gold to buy their peace with the King About the same time Rambam tells of another which tooke him to bee the Messenger of the Messias which should direct his way before him preaching that the Messias would appeare in the South To him resorted many Iewes and Arabians whom hee led alongst the Mountaines professing to go meete the Messias who had sent him Our Brethren in the South countrey wrote to me a long Letter hereof declaring the innouations he made in their Prayers and his preachings amongst them asking my aduice And I writ a booke saith Rambam for their sakes touching the signes of the comming of the Messias This Seducer was taken after a yeeres space and brought before one of the Kings of the Arabians which examined him of his courses who answered that he had so done at the commandement of GOD in witnesse whereof he bad him cut off his head and he would rise againe and reuiue which the King caused to be done without any such miraculous effect ensuing The like telleth Isaac Leuita of one Lemlen a Iew in the yeere 1500. as also of R. Dauid which about the same time was burned for like cause The Iewes haue Legends as that of Eldad translated by Genebrard of multitudes of Iewes in Aethiopia whom when wee come thither we will visit But alas it is small comfort being burned in the fire to make themselues merry with smoke Of their miseries sustained in all places of their abode all histories make mention And yet their superstition is more lamentable then their dispersion as also their pertinacie and stubbornenesse in their superstition And certainely me thinks that euen to him that will walke by sight and not by faith not oblieging his credit to meete authoritie as the case standeth betwixt vs and the Scriptures but will be drawne by the cords of Reason onely and Sense euen to such a one me thinks this Historie of the Iewes may be a visible demonstration of the Truth of Christian Religion Not onely because the truth of the Prophesies of Iaacob of Moses of Esay and other the Prophets is fulfilled in them and because Gods iustice still exacteth the punishment of the betraying and murthering that iust one but especially in this that the bitterest enemies cruellest persecutors and wilfullest Haters that euer were of the Christian truth are dispersed into so many parts of the World as witnesses of the same Truth holding and maintayning to death the Scriptures of Moses and the Prophets then which euen Reason being Iudge as is said before we will not desire sounder and fuller proofes of our profession Neither is our Gospell wherein we differ from them any other then the fulfilling of their Law and Christ came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill the same the same truth being deliuered in both veyled in the one and reuealed in the other In him the Promises in him the figures in him the righteousnesse of the Law righteousnesse in Doctrine righteousnesse in practice righteousnesse of Doing righteousnesse of Suffering to satisfie the debt to merit the inheritance are the witnesses that in him they are all yea and Amen haue receiued their perfect being and accomplishment But the vayle is ouer their hearts eyes they haue and see not eares and heare not They hold out to vs the light of Scripture themselues walking in darkenes and reserued to darkenesse like to a Lampe Lanthorne or Candlesticke communicating light to others whereof themselues are not capable nor can make any vse §. IIII. Of the Miserable Dispersions of the Iewes WE haue shewed how they were vtterly cast out of their countrey And Italie and the Empire was filled with Iewish slaues Nor was this their first dispersion but as the Assyrians had carried away the other ten Tribes So the Babylonians carried away the two Tribes remayning which might haue returned vnder the Persian Monarchie but many remained in those Countries till the dissolution of that Iewish state and after They had there diuers famous Vniuersities and that at Bagdet endured till the yeere of Christ one thousand three hundred so writeth Boterus At which time they fleeing the persecutions of the Arabians dispersed themselues into India where many are found at this day These through continuall conuersing with the Gentiles and Christians haue small knowledge of the Law and lesse would haue but for other Iewes that resort thither out of Egypt Before that time also if we beleeue the Ethiopian History twelue thousand Iewes of each Tribe a thousand went with the Queene of Sabaes Sonne which they say she had by Salomon into that Country and there remaine their posteritie to this day Thus is ASIA and AFRIKE fraught with them but EVROPE much more Adrian banished fiue hundred thousand into Spayne where they multiplied infinitely and founded an Vniuersitie at Corduba about the yeere of our Lord one thousand And at Toledo was a Schoole of twelue thousand Iewes about the yeere of our Lord one thousand two hundred thirty and sixe as writeth Rabbi Mosche Mikkatzi from hence it seemeth they swarmed into England and France Anno 1096. innumerable numbers of men and women of diuers Nations according to the zeale of those times trauelling to Ierusalem compelled the Iewes in places whereby they passed to be baptized euery where making terrible massacre and slaughter of such as refused may of the Iewes also killing themselues in zeale of their Law At Mentz they slew of them 1014. of both sexes and fired the greatest part of the Citie The rest rested not long in their imposed Christianitie but willingly renounced that which against their wils they had accepted Auentinus numbreth 12000. Iewes slaine in Germanie in this irreligious quarrell Otto Frisingensis attributes these Iewish slaughters to the zealous preaching of Rodolph a Monke which furie was appeased by the preaching and authoritie of Saint BERNARD These Pilgrims saith Albertus Aquensis which then liued being a gallimaufry of all Nations in pretence of this holy quarrell against the Turkes gaue themselues to all vnholy and filthy courses amongst themselues and against the Christians where they passed may whoores attending and following the Campe to which they added excesse in dyet robberies especially all cruelties against the Iewes chiefly in the kingdome of Lorraine thus beginning the rudiments of that war against the enemies of the Faith First they destroyed them and their Synagogues in Collen and taking two hundred of them flying by night to Nuis they slue and robbed them all At Mentz the Iewes committed
finde two Paradises and two Hells one in this World and the other in the other and future for the body heere and the soule hereafter Euen as saith R. Saadia the white of the Egge comprehendeth the yolke so that first intelligible World infoldeth the second in this are nine Spheres mooued of the immoueable Empyreon in that nine orders of Angels Ricius reckoneth ten Hayes Hakadesch Offanim Erelim Hasmalim Seraphim Malachim Elohim bene Elohim Cherubim Some Diuines count them thus out of Dionysius Seraphim Cherubim Throni Dominationes Virtutes Potestates Principatus Archangels Angeli The tenth Order the Peripatetikes terme Anamastica the Cabalists Ischim that is Men moued of the vnchangeable GOD who in vnmoueable silence first created altogether and after by nine times speaking moued and promoted each thing to its owne distinction The Talmudists dreame of an earthly Messias to free them from this their slauerie the Cabalists if our Cabalists haue not seene these things through spectacles expect a spirituall deliuerie from sinne Doubtlesse they deliuer many excellent assertions howsoeuer their collection seemeth curious and vncertaine gathering the same on grounds without ground beyond all Sense Reason Scripture and therefore often leauened with other superfine absurdities Buxtorfius in his abbreuiat Heb. saith that by his abbreuiation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they vse to signifie the three parts of the Art Cabalastica Gematria Notarkon Temurah Gematria is that part which by like numbers contained in the letters of diuers words explaineth one by the other as Tzemach Zach. 3.8 hath in the numerall letters 138. and so many are in Menachem a name which they giue to the Messias and therefore by Tremach they there vnderstand the Messias So in Gen. 49.10 Shilo shall come containe 358. and so doth Messiah which is therefore there meant and many like examples Notaricon is when euery letter in one word shall note so many other words and make vp a sentence Thus the Maccabees are so called of these foure letters which they inscribed in their banners m. c. b. i. the first letters of so many words Exo. 15.11 Who is like thee amongst the gods O Lord So in Adams name they finde as the cause thereof words beginning with the same letters signifying ashes bloud gall whence are noted his corruption losse and calamitie as the Greekes in the same name find the the East West North and South A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 D 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 M 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Temurah is when one or two words are changed into one or more other by transposition of letters or inuersion of qualitie So out of the Hebrew words Psal. 21.2 The King shall reioyce in thy strength O Lord they expound the King Messias for this is gathered by transposition of the letters So Chrerem Anathema is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mercy and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in the numerall letters hath 248. the iust number in their anatomie of the members of mans bodie The glosse is he which is anathematized if hee repent shall haue for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is mercy if not it pierceth his 248. members and destroyes the whole man Hence came our Anagrammatismes and Chronogrammatismes wherein some doe sometimes learnedly triflle and spend their wits foolishly This of all their Caball is true that it may better serue to conuince the Iewes with testimonie of their owne then for an instruction to vs who cannot enforce arguments out of Symbolicall senses If any be in loue with these mysteries let him resort to Paulus Ricius his Theoremes to Iohn Reuchlin to Iohannes Picus and his Commenter Archangelus to Abrahams supposed Booke of the creation to R. Ioseph Castiliensis his Porta lucis which Ricius hath also translated and epitomized to Galatinus and others Commendable is the labour of some of these and of many others both conuerted Iewes which haue sought to reclaime their peruerse brethren and of our owne as Mornaeus Gregentius Pomeranus out of whom they which please may borrow arguments to conuince the Iewish incredulitie and stubbornenesse and to confound them by their owne testimonies both from these elder Writers aboue mentioned and also from the later So great is the Truth and mightily it preuaileth that it extorteth not onely her owne weapons vsurped and stollen by her enemies but their owne also wherewith they come armed against the Truth and retorteth them on themselues as Dauid serued the Philistims Who cut off Goliahs head with Goliahs sword as Benaiah one of his Worthies slew an Aegyptian a man of great stature fiue cubits long and in the Aegyptians hand was a speare like a Weauers beame and hee went downe to him with a staffe and plucked the speare out of the Aegyptians hand and slew him with his owne speare Thus did Dioxippus the Champion if forrainers delight any deale with Horratus the Macedonian in a set combate and thus hath our Worthie and Champion come often into the field against the Popish Giants armed inwardly with Truth outwardly with Arguments wrested without wresting from his enemies Hee in his Latine and English workes hath obserued the two-fold rule of policie Diuide and Rule against the Papists Vnite and Rule for the Protestants which Breerely would haue brought into the like bryers But those his troupes are shewed not to bee Men but Apes like those that held Alexanders Armie in suspence and like Semiramis Elephants which were but stuffed Oxe-hides kill-cow-frayes But Macte virtute esto worthy Deane Euen so goe on still and fight the Lords battels that thy Sparta so happily vndertaken still adorne and shew the confusion of Babels bablers Diuide that Societie which now in their last age haue hissed with their forked venemous Tongues feared and enuyed at home for their arrogance no lesse then hated abroad for their heresies and treasons Let Saint Iohns Let England and the whole Church still sing the ten thousands that thou doest thus slay with their owne weapons and let the Apostolicall Truth escape whiles her Apostaticall Enemies the Pharisies and Sadducees are set together by the eares A happie and diuine stratageme which not to detract from others iust prayses in this or other parts of the battell hath beene singled and singularly managed by thy prowesse which speakest more iustly then he which vsed those words to these Babylonians in their owne Language that they may eate their owne dung and drinke their owne pisse together Doctor White also in that Lactea via his Milke-white Way to the true Church challengeth in all points of Poperie both authoritie of Scriptures Fathers and later Romanists and to produce the same against the Trent-Councell and the Iesuites But how hath that fatall name of Babel confounded mee Truely the likenesse of these Traditionaries Cabalists muddie Talmudists and Legendaries as will appeare to an easie Obseruer and Comparer of this ensuing Historie to their practice which haue
Ierusalem was entred on the twelfth of Iuly 1099. being Friday and after much bloud and slaughter in the Citie they set vpon those which had betaken themselues to Salomons Temple so was that called which Homar built where saith Robertus Monachus was so much bloud shed that the slaine bodies were rolled by the force thereof and armes or dismembred hands swamme vpon the bloud and were ioyned to strange bodies the killing souldiers were scarce able to endure the hot vapours of the bloud of the slaine Guibertus Abbas saith the bloud reached to the ancles Baldricus to the calfe of the legge Raimond de Agiles that they rode in bloud vp to the knees and to the brydles of the Horses and Fulcherius that there were slaine in this Temple about ten thousand and many of them were ripped vp by the Frankes to finde gold which they had swallowed and the bodies after burned in heaps to finde the mettall in the ashes Albertus Aquensis addeth that the third day after the victorie for feare of the remained captiued Saracens lest they might ioyne with the enemie against them and in furious zeale they made a fresh massacre slaying those which for pittie or couetousnesse of ransome they had in hotter bloud spared not the honour of Noble Matrons not the delicacie of tender Maydens not the children yet in the wombes of their pregnant mothers not the Infants now sucking at the brest not the hopes of innocent yonglings playing or crying by the mothers hands not sighes teares promises prayers lamentable cryes twyning embraces of the legges bodyes hands of the bloudie Souldier could stay the hand euen then giuing the fatall blow but Ierusalem was now againe filled with slaine carkasses Generally it is agreed that they found much wealth in the Citie to pay them for their paines Soone after they encountred an Armie of three hundred thousand Saracens which they ouerthrew being but twentie thousand Christians where Robert Duke or Earle for I finde both Titles often giuen him but in ancient Stories of those times both hee and King William his father are oftenest called Earles of Normandie tooke with his owne hand the chiefe standerd of the Enemie being a long speare couered with siluer with a golden Globe or Apple on the top hauing slaine the bearer and thereby terrifying the enemie and putting them to rout which was long after reserued as a monument in the Temple of the Sepulchre Many other victories being obtained the Saracens were either expelled Palestina or subiected to the Franks and the Christians which were poorer few recouered freedom Yet as few as they were in the Cities Raimond tells of threescore thousand Surians or Christians of that Countrey which in this long Saracenicall night continued their habitations in the Mountaines of Libanus But of this is no maruell for euen till these dayes notwithstanding the manifold changes and chances of those Regions and peoples there haue in the Mountaines and Desarts of Palestina and Syria liued some Nations neither acknowledging the Saracenicall Law nor Empire §. IIII. Of the Azopart and Assysine SVch were the Azopart which liued in Caues in the Desarts of Ascalon which King Baldwin the successour of Godfrey sought to smoake and fire out of their dens and by cunning Stratagems destroyed as many as hee could and iustly For these being blacke in hue blacker in conditions vsed to rob and slay such as they could lay hold on Such were the Assysines which liued in the Prouince of Tyre as Tyrius reports of them not farre from Antaradus which had ten strong holds with the Countrey adiacent and were thought to bee in number sixtie thousand Their gouernment went not by inheritance but by Election the chiefe or Grand Master of them being called The Old Man who was obeyed in whatsoeuer hee commanded were the attempt neuer so dangerous If he gaue to one or more of them a weapon and enioyned the killing of such an Enemie Prince or priuate man they gladly vndertooke it with the death of that partie or themselues in attempt Both Saracens and Christians called them the reason of the name vnknowne Assysines For the space of foure hundred yeeres they were zealous followers in a preciser course of the Mahumetan Sect But about the time when our Author the Archbishop of Tyre wrote this their OLD MAN grew into distaste of his Religion and by reading the Scriptures became desirous of Christianitie Hee perswaded his Subiects also to forsake Mahumetisme prohibiting their Fasts demolishing their Moschees allowing Swines flesh He sent also to Almaricus King of Ierusalem offering to turne Christian if hee might hue peaceably and bee released of two thousand Byzantines which he yeerely payd for quietnesse to the Knights Templers who had certaine Castles bordering on him The King was content to pay this money himselfe but by the treacherie of the Templers the Legat was slaine and foule scandall inflicted on the Christian name the Assysines neuer after returning to their old Mahometrie or turning anew to Christianitie Mathew Paris relateth that these Assysines thus closely and treacherously murthered Raimund Earle of Tripolis Anno Dom. 1150. Paulus Aemylius affirmeth that these Assysines came out of Persia that they were taught from their child-hood diuers Languages and to conceiue it meritorious of heauenly reward to kill the enemies of their Faith that their OLD MAN was called also Arsacida Two of them saith hee slew Raimund two of them after slew Conrad Ferratensis walking in the Market-place of Tyre which Citie hee had defended against the enemies who being executed therefore seemed very cheerefull And Saint Lewis himselfe hardly escaped the like treacherie Marcus Paulus reporteth of one in the North-East parts of Persia called The Old Man of the Mountaine by proper name Aloadin which had built a strong Castle and therein an imaginarie Paradise who vsed that Assasine mysterie promising to reward these murtherers with the pleasures of Paradise a taste of which in all fleshly delights he had before giuen them In the Tartarian conquest sayth Odoricus he had so slaine diuers Tartars which therefore besieged his Castle and after three yeeres siege forced it for want of victuall So Paulus but Haithonus hath seuen and twentie yeeres and that then it was yeelded for want of cloathes and not of meates hee calls this Castle Tigado and the inhabitants by the former names of Assasines This was done by Haalon the Tartar Anno 1262. About a hundred yeeres since they tell of the ike Paradise of Aladeules in those parts destroyed by Selym the Turke but I thinke it was rather the memorie of Aloadin then any truth of Aladeules It is most remarkeable that Marcus Paulus testifieth of two Deputies or Lieutenants vnder him the one in Curdistan where the like generation of irreligious and robbing Curdi do yet remaine the other neere to Damasco of whom we haue spoken The place where this OLD MAN liued was called Mulchet that
he soone died Neither did his successours Maruan and Abdalan liue two yeeres in the roome Abdimelec was chosen Caliph who descended from Hali when as Abdalan of the linage of Eubocara the Arabians call this the Maraunian race the other Abazian had possessed himselfe of that title by force whom Ciafa the kinsman of Abdimelec ouerthrew Ciafa after this victorie entring Damascus pluckt Iazid one of the former Caliphs out of his graue burned his bones and hurled the Ashes into the riuer and cruelly persecuted all the Maraunian stocke Hereupon Abedramon one of that house with a great number of his friends and followers fled into Mauritania Tingitana where he was welcomed of the Saracens there being and first intituled himselfe Miralmumim which signifieth The Prince of Beleeuers and then builded Marocco Addimelec hauing other yrons in the fire neglected this first appeasing tumults in his owne state then ouerthrowing the Emperour in the field after receiuing by treason of the Deputie Armenia winning that part of Persia which yet was subiect to the Romans and by his forces spoyling Thracia whiles the Greekes were diuided amongst themselues He also chased the Romane Garrisons out of the coast-Townes which they held in Afrike Abdimelec being dead Vlitus the sonne of Abedramon succeeded vnder whom the Saracens besides the spoile of Galatia conquered all Afrike betwixt Niger and the Sea a little piece excepted at the mouth of the straites subiect to Rodericus the King of Spaine Mucas was made Lieutenant of the Saracen Empire in Afrike To him Iulianus Earle of Cepta full of indignation against his Prince for deflouring his faire daughter Caba about the yeere 712. offereth the conquest of Spaine if hee would furnish him with some competent forces of his Saracens This traytor thus strengthened with the authoritie of this place being Gouernour of the Ile Viridis and diuers places in Africa and Spaine backed with his friends and aided with the Saracens ouerthrew the Gotish Empire which had now ruled Spaine about three hundred yeeres Rodericus losing the field and his state and spending the remnant of his dayes with an Hermite in a solitarie desart of Lusitania Iulianus himselfe was after slaine by the Saracens as were the Spanish Traytors the iust end of vniust treacherie Scaliger out of an Arabian Geographer calleth that Captaine Muses or Moses son of Nutzir of the Marawan stocke who had with him a valiant Captaine named Tark or Tarik of whom the Hill and the Strait is named as the vulgar pronounce it Gibraltar properly Gebal Tarik that is the Hill of Tarik because hee had shipped ouer his Barbarians thither and fortified himselfe in that Hill in the nintieth yeere of the Hegira which hee did least his barbarous souldiers should forsake him and therefore also caused his ships to bee burnt This Vlit Qualid Walid or Oelid for thus I finde his name diuersified in Authors besides these his conquests in Afrike and Europe atchieued by his Captaines great exploites in Asia among which one called Koteybah Eben Moselem conquered Korasan as farre as Tarquestan with all the Countrie of Maurenaher and Koarrazin On the other side Moseleima ben Abdel Malek forced the Graecian Emperour to tribute Hee also erected many publike buildings the most famous of which was the Mosque at Damascus Osiasge his Deputie in Karason was so cruell that he put to death aboue a hundred thousand persons in that Countrey during his gouernment besides an infinite number slaine in the warres Hee had thirtie thousand slaues of diuers Nations This Caliph died Anno Dom. 715. A. Heg. 95. after Mirconds account Persia was not yet fully subdued Gerion and Tarbestan two Prouinces thereof were brought vnder in the time of Soleyman Suleiman or as Curio calls him Zulciminius the next Caliph He sent Malsmas with a great power into Thrace where hauing spoyled the Countrey he laide siege to Constantinople Zulciminius his Master assaulting it by Sea with a Nauie of three thousand Ships in which siege hee died Anno Dom. 719. Aumar his successour had no successe in this attempt partly through the violence of frost causing famine and diseases in his Campe and partly by force of an artificall Glasse wherewith Leo the Emperour cast fire amongst the enemies Fleete and fiering euen the Seas about the ships that by this subtiltie force of tempest of three thousand saile fiue ships onely are said to haue escaped Gizid sent with supply of three hundred and threescore ships durst not approach for feare of this fire and the Saracens by their Caliph were reuoked when the plague had slaine in Constantinople three hundred thousand people In his time Aly Eben Abas one of the descendents of Abas Vncle to Mahomet warred for the Chalifate challenging it to his stocke But Aumar or Homar was poysoned by Ochon and Yezid or Gizid succeeded whose reigne was troubled with the warres of Aly aforesaid still continuing his challenge After him A. 724. succeeded Ochon his brother which had poysoned Homar Persia had some broiles which he pacified He being murthered succeeded Walid or Euelit sonne of Iezid in whose time the bottome of the Sea neere the coasts of Asia minor burned and sent foorth smoake first and after heapes of stones with which the shores of Asia Lesbos and Macedonia were filled and a new Iland tooke beginning of the heaping together of earth which was annexed to the Iland called Sacra The Saracens in Spaine erected amongst themselues many pettie Kingdomes and by their diuisions made way to Pelagius with some remainder of the Spaniards to recouer some of their lost countrey who dying in the yeere 732. his sonne Fafila succeeded in whose time the Saracens passed the Pyrenaean Hills into France where Theodoricus the second was then King but Charles Martell Master of the Kings house ruled as did his father in that office before and his sonne both Pipins after him The Saracens tooke Narbone and after Burdeaux killing in it man woman and childe and raising the Temples to the ground they passed Garunna and ouerturned Angolesme and Bloys and came into Turon where Eudo the Goth then King of a great part of France in wars with Martell for feare of the common enemy entred league and with their ioynt forces slew three hundred and seuentie fiue thousand Saracens and those of Nauarre slew the rest that escaped in their returne But when Eudo was dead Martell tooke part of his Kingdome from his sonnes Hunoldus and Vaifarus who thereupon recalled the Saracens which vnder the leading of Atinus tooke Auenion by the treason of Mauricius then Gouernour from whence and out of France they were driuen by Martellus The Saracens made foure inuasions into Thrace while Euelitus was Caliph to whom succeeded Anno 744. Gizit the third who wasted Cyprus and carried away the people into Syria After him and Ices which two ruled not two yeeres Maruan
gaue the gouernment of Korarrazin to Altuntar one of his Captaines In a fourth iourney into India hee ouerthrew Gulkand a Pagan King who seeing himselfe vanquished with the losse of fiftie thousand men fearing a beautifull wife which he had should come into his enemies hands slew her and himselfe also In a fifth expedition hee ouercame Gipal and Iaudebal two Indian Kings and returning to Gaznehen built a stately Temple or Mosque as a Thankesgiuing for his victories and then entering into Persia tooke Rey and Hispahon in Hierak now the seate of Ahas the Persian King from Maiudu Daule whom hee dispossessed of his Kingdome At this time were great quarrels among the Daules in Persia Kermon and Diarbek and Mocheraf preuayling against Sulton called himselfe King of Kings A. H. 411. Gelala another of the Daules was the yeere after made King of Bagadet A. H. 416. Mocharaf dyed at Bagadet and the yeere after the Turkes tooke fired and spoyled Bagadet This made them call Gelala againe to their succours who not long before was defeated at Bagadet and forced to flee to Basora and now entring went to the Chalifes house to kisse his foot A. H. 419. But the Turkes which hee brought with him falling to mutinie for their pay the Chalife was forced to become pay-master Mamud amidst his conquests dyed A. H. 421. and Mahamed his sonne succeeded and the next yeere followed Kader the Chalife which had enioyed without great ioy in it his place fortie one yeeres and Kahem his sonne succeeded Masud the other sonne of Mamud warred vpon his brother whom by treacherie of Issuf and Amir Aly traytors to their Master hee tooke and put out his eyes Hee that loued the treason rewarded the Traytors the one with yrons in a dungeon the other with more open and yet more close ayre in hanging Thus hee ruled Karason Gazneken and Hierak and sent Altuntax Gouernour of Koarrazin against Taquin who held Samarkand and Bokara which warres were bloudie But A. H. 424. his Garrisons in India and the Countrey of Gibal reuolted in recompence of which hee subdued Gerion and Taberstan Togotel or Togozelbek and Iakarbek Salinquis two Turkish Captaines subdued many of his Townes in Karasan and forced Alaon Daule and Abusale out of their Gouernments whereupon Masud returning was by other of his enemies ouerthrowne Herewith enraged hee put many Turkes to death which had fought in this last battell but faintly on his part and making an expedition into India by treacherie was taken of his followers and soone after slaine his blinde brother Mahamed recouering the state but not his eyes and therefore resigning to his sonne Hamed who againe was dispossessed by Moadud the sonne of Mafud But the Turks in Karasan and Maurenahar would not acknowledge him and in the 435. of the Heg. had the victorie against his armie Other Turkes also going out of Turquestan spoyled the Countries of Garmeer and Kandachar This seemes a truer storie of the Turkes beginning of greatnesse in Persia then that which is vsually receiued and is thus by Mirkond a Persian Historian deliuered Moadud hauing relieued Lahor which his Vassals in India rebelling had besieged marched against the Turkes but dyed in the way A. H. 441. At Bagadet matters had continued in confusion They had reuolted from Gelata Daule and proclaimed Abulganiar King but hee refused and the Turkes soone after fired the Towne and spoyled it This continued till A. H. 428. when the cold was so extreame that the riuer Degile or Tygris was frozen twelue dayes together and the Snow lay three spans deepe there A. H 434. Ebrahem Nealy Saliuqui a Turke entred Persia in the Prouince of Hierak and tooke Amedon Tokzelbek before mentioned tooke Rey and spoyled all Persia with a victorious Armie Hee also through the dissentions of the sonnes of Abulganiar after their Fathers death found meanes to encrease himselfe And the Chalife of Damascus forced Kahem the Chalife of Bagadet to flee to Tokzelbek for succour whereupon hee entred Bagadet and put all to fire and sword rifling the very Sepulchers to search for Treasures He tooke Malek Rhaym the successour of Abulganiar whom before hee had helped to winne Scyras and the best part of Persia and imprisoned him where hee dyed And thus the Empire of the Daules being deadly sicke soone after dyed Abd Rachid also the successour of Maodud was so pursued by Tokzelbek that at last in a Fort he was through the corruption of his Guard by money taken and murthered Then did hee marrying a sister of the deceased proclaime himselfe King But not long after being in a publike place to receiue the salutations which they are accustomed to make in those parts ten of the chiefe men conspiring together slew him Kahem or Alkahem dyed A. H. 467. and Almoktady Byla was Chalife the fortie eight in order In his time the Turkes and Ferrogozad the other sonne of Masud came to composition Almostazer Byla succeeded his Father in the Caliphate A. H. 487. in whose time Bagadet hauing beene ruined by the ouerflowing of Tygris the situation was changed and it was new built on the other side of the riuer towards the East where it now stands in a more commodious seat hauing had twentie fiue Chalifes since the foundation by Abuiafar and yet not one of them dyed in it Hee liued in peace and dyed A. H. 512. This storie is thus told by Zacuth In his time the Astrologers fore-told an exceeding deluge not so great as in the dayes of Noah because then said they were seuen Planets in coniunction with Pisces whereas now there were but sixe Saturne being excluded This made the Inhabitants of Bagded afraid because of the low situation and caused them to stop the passages of the waters The Ismaelites which of deuotion performed their Pilgrimage were most of them drowned The Calipha for this cause arayed the Astrologer which fore-told this in royall apparell Almostarched Byla Fazele his sonne succeeded hee warred against some Princes of Persia and seized vpon some Prouinces of Masul Saliuqui King of Karason but Masud had the better and slew the Chalife A.H. 529. His sonne and successour Rached Bila sought to reuenge his death but hauing conquered a great part of Persia was slaine also by Masud A. 532. He following his victories made himselfe Master of Bagadet and placed Almoktafy Bila in the Califate who taking aduantage of Masuds death which hapned soone after marched into Persia and recouered that which Masud had vsurped which he enioyed peaceably and dyed A. H. 555. And now the Chalifes became great Potentates againe His sonne Almostanget Byla Issuf succeeded the fiftie three Chalife After his death which was through heate by shutting the doore when he was in the Bath succeeded A. 566. Almostanzy Benur Elah Acen and hee dying A. 577. Nacer held the place fortie seuen yeeres vnder whom Bagadet did greatly flourish During his gouernment the Saliuquis were vanquished by the Koarrasmians Altahar Byla Mahamed
Heresie of Eutyches heere Iason had built a Temple to Iupiter in the straights which seuer Europe from Asia after Melas measure fiue furlongs Of their ancient Kings others haue related but one cannot passe this our Historie without obseruation and that is Mithridates the sixth King of that name who loosing his father in the eleuenth yeere of his age by his Tutors was trecherously assailed but escaped and by vse of that antidote which of him still beareth the name Mithridate out-liued their poysoning conspiracie Hee liued indeed to the death of thousands which either his crueltie or his warres consumed Foure yeeres together to auoid their Treasons he liued in the fields and woods vnder a shew of hunting both preuenting their designes and inuring himselfe to hardnesse Hee spake two and twentie languages being Lord of so many Nations Hee held warres with the Romans sixe and fortie yeeres whom those renowned Captaines Sylla Lucullus Pompey did so conquer as he alway arose againe with great lustre and with greater terror and at last dyed not by his enemies command but voluntarily in his old age and his own Kingdome neuer made to attend the Roman triumphs Syllaes felicity Lucullus prowesse and Pompeyes greatnesse notwithstanding His aspiring thoughts had greedily swallowed the Soueraignty both of Asia and Europe He caused in one night all the Romans in his Dominions to be slaine in which massacre perished a hundred and fiftie thousand as some haue numbred But it cannot be conceiued saith Orosius how many there were or how great was the griefe both of the doers and sufferers when euery one must betray his innocent guests and friends or hazard his owne life no Law of Hospitalitie no Religion of Sanctuary or reuerence of Images being sufficient protection And no maruell if he spared not his enemies when he slew Exipodras and Homochares his sonnes and after the poysonings and voluntary death of Monyma his wife Statira and Roxane his daughters his sonne Pharnaces like to taste of the same cup won to his part his fathers Armie sent against him with which he pursued his father so hotly that hee hauing denounced a heauy curse vpon him entred amongst his Wiues Concubines and Daughters and gaue them poyson pledging them in the same liquor which his body accustomed to his Antidotes easily ouer-came and therefore was faine to intreat another to open a bloudy passage for that his cruell soule A man saith Orosius of all men most superstitious alway hauing with him Philosophers and men expert in all Arts now threescore and foureteene yeeres old The Religion in Pontus was little differing from the Greekes Wee read of the Sacrifices of this King to Ceres and to Iupiter Bellipotens in which the King brought the first wood to the fire He powred also thereon Hony Milke Wine Oyle and after made a Feast In honour of Neptune they drowned Chariots drawne with foure white Horses with which it seemed they would haue him ease himselfe in his Sea-voyages At the mouth of Pontus was the Temple of Iupiter Iasus called Panopeum and nigh thereto a Promontory sacred to Diana sometime an Iland ioyned to the Continent by an Earthquake Hereabouts was the Caue Acherusium whose bottomlesse bottome was thought to reach to Hell I may in the next place set downe Paphlagonia which as it fareth with such as haue mightie Neighbours can scarcely finde her proper limits Some reckon it to Galatia before described and sometimes Pontus hath shared it and either the force of Armes or bountie of Emperours hath assigned it at other times to Phrygia Cilicia or other parts the bounds thereof are thus deliuered Pontus confineth on the North on the East the Riuer Halys on the South Phrygia and Galatia on the West Bithynia Of the people hereof called Heneti some deriue the Veneti of Italy They now call it Roni It had the name Paphlagonia of Paphlagon the sonne of Phineus The Mount Olgasys is very high and in the same are many Paphlagonian Temples Sandaracurgium is another Mountaine made hollow by the Metall-miners which were wont to bee slaues redeemed from capitall Sentence who heere exchanged that speedie death for one more lingring So deadly is the Alpha and Omega the beginning and ending of this Idoll of the World which the Spaniards haue verified in the West by the destruction of another world Vitruuius tells of a Fountaine in Paphlagania as it were mixed with Wine whereof they which drinke without other liquor proue drunken The Heptacometae and Mossynoeci inhabited about those parts a people of that beastly disposition that they performed the most secret worke of Nature in publike view These are not so much notorious for being worse then beasts as their neighbours the Tibareni for surpassing in iustice other men They would not warre on their enemy but would faithfully before relate vnto him the Time Place and Houre of their fight whereas the Mossynoeci vsed to assault strangers that trauelled by them very treacherously They haue also a venemous kinde of Hony growing out of their trees with which they beguiled and slew three troupes of Pompey The Tabareni obserued one strange fashion that when the woman was deliuered of a childe her husband lay in and kept his chamber the women officiously attending him a custome obserued at this day amongst the Brasilians CHAP. XVI Of Asia proprie dicta now called Sarcum THis Region in the strict sense being a particular Prouince of the lesser Asia is bounded on the West with part of Propontis and Hellespont the Aegean Icarian and Mertoan Seas on the South with the Rhodian Sea Lycia and Pamphilia on the East with Galatia on the North with Pontus and Bithynia and part of Propontis In which space are contained Phrygia Caria and both Mysias Aeolis Ionia Doris Lydia Some circumcise from hence both Phrygia and Mysia alledging the authoritie of Saint Luke But in the Apocalypse Chap. 1. these parts are also added and 1. Pet. 1.1 PHRYGIA is diuided into the greater which lyeth Eastward and the lesse called also Hellespontiaca and Troas and of some Epictetus The greater PHRYGIA hath not many Cities Here stood Midaium the Royall Seat of Mydas and Apamia the Phrygian Metropolis Phrygia is called of the riuer Phryx which diuideth it from Caria Herodotus telleth that the Phrygians were accounted the most ancient of all people for the triall whereof Psammetichus King of Egypt had shut vp without societie of any humane creature two children causing onely goats to bee admitted to suckle them who after long time pronounced bec which they had learned of the goates but because that with the Phrygians signified bread therefore they accounted the Phrygians first authors of mankinde Before Deucalions floud Nannacus is reported to raigne there and foreseeing the same to haue assembled his people into the Temple with supplications and prayers Hence grew the prouerbe to say A thing was from
according to Bellonius an eye-witnesse his report the walls of the Citie yet standing the remnants of her decayed building still with a kinde of Maiestie entertaining the beholder the walls of large circuit of great spongie blacke and hard stones cut foure square There are yet to be seene the ruinous Monuments of the Turrets on the walls They spent foure houres sometime on horse and sometime on foot in compassing the walls Great Marble Tombes of ancient workemanship are seene without the walls made chest-fashion and their couers yet whole There are also extant the ruinous shapes of two great Towers one in the top of the hill on the bending whereof the Towne stood the other in the bottome and another in the middle Many great Cisterns made to teceiue raine water are yet whole There are the ruines also of Churches built there by the sometime inhabiting Christians The soile about it is dry and barren the Riuers so much chaunted Xanthus and Simois are small rilles in Summer quite dry as also Mela testifieth famâ quà m naturâ maiora flumina A later Trauellers saith That they are not so contemptible as made by Bellonius who perhaps mistaketh others for them there being sundry riuolets that descend from the mountaines He addeth that these ruines are still ruined and beare not that forme lessened daily by the Turkes who carried the pillars and stones vnto Constantinople to adorne the buildings of the great Bassaes as they now doe from Cyzicus This Ilium whose Sepulchre only Bellonius hath seene is not in that place where old Ilium stood but thirtie furlongs Eastward if Strabo be receiued yea it changed the place and situation often and here at last abode by warning of the Oracle which also now had his Fates as well as Ilium A small Towne was this later Ilium hauing in it the Temple of Pallas which Alexander in his time graced enriching the Temple with offerings and the place with name of a Citie with building and immunitie After his victory ouer the Persians hee sent them a fauourable Epistle with promise to build them a sumptuous Temple and there to institute sacred games which Lysimachus after his death in great part performed peopling it from the neighbour Cities The Romans also planted there a Colonie when as Lysimachus afore had walled it and built the Temple Fimbria in the warres against Mithridates hauing treacherously slaine the Consull Valerius Flaccus and seeking to enter vpon deniall assailed it and in the eleuenth day entred by force glorying that he had done as much in eleuen dayes as Agamemnon with a thousand saile of Greekes had done in ten yeeres Not so much replied an Ilian for Hector was not heere to defend the Citie Caesar emulous of Alexanders attempts and deriuing his pedigree from Iulus confirmed their former libertie adding a new Region to their Territory Mela telleth a strange wonder of the Hill Ida Soone after midnight they which looke from the top therof discerne certain dispersed fires which as the light approcheth are more vnited and at last gathered into one flame like a fire which by degrees groweth into a round and huge globe and then the degrees diminishing in quantitie but in qualitie of like increasing is at last taken vp into the Chariot of the Sunne Achilles among the later Ilians enioyed a Temple and a Tombe Patroclus also and Antiochus had their Tombes to them all and to Aiax did the Ilians sacrifice an honor denied to Hercules for sacking their Citie an vniust quarrel if this yet may be a iust excuse of their partiall superstition Thymbra is a field hard by through which slideth Thymbraeus disemboking it selfe into Scamander there where standeth the Temple of Thymbraean Apollo Arrianus reporteth that Alexander sacrificed to Protesilaus erecting Altars on his graue who was the first of the Grecians that in the Troian warre set foot in Asia as hee had before in the Straits of Hellespont offered a Bul to Neptune and the Sea-Nymphes powring a golden Viall into the Sea and in the places from whence he set saile and where he arriued he set vp Altars to Iupiter Decensor to Pallas and to Hercules And being come to Ilion he sacrificed to Troian Pallas and fastening the armes which he vsed in her Temples a rite which the Philistims obserued in Saul their enemy and Dauid with the armor of Goliah hee tooke thence the armour sacred to the Goddesse Monuments till that day of the Troian warre afterward the weapons of his guard Hee appeased also Priamus his Ghost performing his exequies at the Altar of Iupiter Hircius so to reconcile him to Neoptolemus his house of which he by his mother descended He crowned Achilles his Tombe calling him happy who had Homer to blaze abroad his praises to the world in which he was greater then Great Alexander Not farre hence is the Citie and Hauen Priapus so called of the beastly God like to Orthanes and Conisalus and Tyehon drunken Gods of the Athenians This God or Deuill of more iniquitie then antiquitie was not knowne of Hesiod This Region was called Adrastia of King Adrastus who first built a Temple of Nemesis calling it Adrastia In the countrey adioyning was an Oracle of Apollo Actaeus and Diana whose Oratorie being demolished the stones was carried to Parium where was built an Altar famous for fairenesse and greatnesse Of this Adastria was a Temple at Cyzicus This Cyzicus was a Citie of MYSIA-MINOR for there is another Mysia called Maior according to Ptolomeys diuision the former is called Olympica the later by Galen Hellespontica there is another Mysia in Europe which Volateran distinguisheth calling Maesia Some ascribe this Cyzicus to Bithynia We list not to vmpire betwixt Geographers but to relate our Historie which telleth that this Citie was renowned for Antiquitie giuen by Iupiter in dowrie to Proserpina whom therefore the Inhabitants worship The greatnesse beautie lawes and other excellencies of Cyzicus let others shew you their Temple I cannot but stay to view with wonder whose pillars are measured foure cubits thicke fiftie high each of one stone in which the whole building was of polished stone and euerie stone was ioyned to his fellow with a thread or line of gold the Image of Iupiter was of Iuory crowned with a Marble Apollo Such was the beautie of the worke and costlinesse of the matter that the earth whether with loue seeking to embrace it or with iust hatred for the idolatrous curiositie swallowed vp both it and the Citie in an Earthquake The like befell to Philadelphia another Mysian Citie one of the seuen Churches to which Iohn writ and to Magnesia in the same Region Neere to Cyzicus was the Hill Dyndima and thereon Cybels Temple built by the Argonautes who had also vsed a certaine stone for an anchor which they fixed sure at Cyzicus with Lead because it had often plaid the fugitiue called
succeeded him who made himselfe a Mahumetan and called himselfe Hamed After whose short raigne Argonkhon Geniotukhon Badukhan Gazun he made Casbin his Imperiall Citie Alyaptu succeeded in order This last made himselfe Mahumetan kept his Court at Tauris and first brought in the custome of tribute children which he tooke from their parents Christians and Iewes to frame to his seruice Hee built Sultania His sonne and successour Abuzayd spend his summer at Sultania and his winter at Bagadet after whose death which happened A. H. 736. the Tartarians were diuided into Persia euery one making himselfe King of that which he held which continued till the time of Tamerlane Thus haue I out of Mirkond related these Tartar-Persian affaires But if I adde some what out of Haithon which liued in the middest of these times let it not seeme tedious first of a Paradise destroyed by the Tartar Haalon and then of the successors till his time nor mentioning some which ruled but a little while in Persia In the North-East parts of Persia which of this new Heresie they called Mulchet there was an old man named Aloadin a Mahumetan as all those parts then were which had inclosed a goodly Valley situate betweene two Hills and furnished it with all variety which Nature and Art could yeeld as Fruits Pictures rills of Milke Wine Honny Water Palaces and beautifull Damosells richly attyred and called it Paradise to which was no passage but by an impregnable Castell And daily preaching the pleasures of this Paradise to the youths which he kept in his Court sometimes he would minister a sleepie drinke to some of them and then conueigh them thither where being entertained with these pleasures foure or fiue dayes they supposed themselues rapt into Paradise And then being againe cast into a trance by the said drinke hee caused them to be carryed forth and after would examine them of what they had seene and by this delusion would make them resolute for any enterprise which he should appoint them as to murther any Prince his enemie For they feared not death in hope of their Mahumeticall Paradise But this Haolon or Vlan after three yeeres siege destroyed him and this his Fooles Paradise Some tell this of Aladeules in the time of Zelim the first Abaga succeded him in the gouernement of these parts Anno 1264. but not in the Christian Religion Tangodor the next became a Saracen and called himselfe Mahomet and at Tauris and other places destroyed the Churches of the Christians as Haolon had done of the Saracens he banished the Christians and peruerted as many Tartars as he could to Mahumetisme But Argonus the sonne of Abaga rebelled and taking him cut him asunder in the middle succeeding in his place Anno 1285. After him Regayto whom the Tartars slew placing in his stead Baydo a Christian who forbad the preaching of Mahumetisme among the Tartars and reedified the Churches of the Christians Casan succeeded in his Dominion and Deuotion and after his death Carbaganda who in his childhood had beene baptized and named Nicholas but when his Christian Mother was dead he became a Saracen Thus farre out of Haithonus in which History appeareth the vicissitude of diuers Religions sometime Tartarian sometime Christian sometime Mahumetan as in the Princes who gouerned these Countries vnder the great Cham or Can of the Tartars so also no doubt in a great part of the Countries themselues which vsually are of the Kings Religion This Carbaganda reigning about 1305. is the last Tartar Prince which ruled in the parts of Syria and in Persia the state was soone after diuided into many Soueraignties For as their Religion so also their Empire fayled the Egyptian Soldans preuayling in Syria the Ottoman Tukes in Asia and Gempsas in Persia This Gempsas was Soldan of the Parthians and about the yeere 1350. restored that Persian Kingdome to the Parthians Thus our Christian Historiographers Mirkond mentions him not Likely it is when all fell to sharing he got his part Of Tamerlan Mirkond relates that when Chingius sent Occoda into Maurenahar Carachar Nuyon was made his first Visier in which dignity hee and his posterity continued there till Teymur or Tamurlan the fifth from him with other great gouernments Teymur being Visier and Captayne Generall to Sciorgat Meckhom which raigned in Chagaty and dyed A. 1370. was proclaymed King in his steed He by his prosperous armes subdued Maurenahar Turquestan Koarrazm Karason Sistom Industan Hyerakhen Parc Kermon Mazandaron Aderbaion and Kusistam Bagadet Alep Damasco defeated Sultan Farache King of Egypt and after tooke Baiazet the great Turke prisoner He dyed Anno 1405. His victories are by others enlarged to Russia and China and the great Chams state settled on him Mirzab Charok his fourth sonne succeeded him in the Empire and after him Anno 1447. his sonne Mirzah Oleghbek but as after Alexander so after Tamerlan their hastie gotten Empire was much distracted among the great Souldiers his followers which held great shares to themselues making warre on their Masters sonnes And one of the descendants of them Abtelatife slew Oleghbek in the field Anno 1450. and was slaine of his Souldiers sixe moneths after Sultan Abusayd grand-child to Miromcha the third sonne of Tamerlan succeeded slaying Abdula the brother of Abdelatife But he also was slaine by Mirzah Yadigar Mahamed one of Acembec or Vsuncassans partakers who had before slaine Iooncha Contarini and Barbaro which were in Persia with Vsuncasan call him Iausa others I know not why Malaonchres others Demir after whose death Abusayd was called to the gouernment of Kermon Hierak and Aderbaion and being sollicited for peace by Asembelus Acembec or Vsuncassan aforesaid reiected it and so lost himselfe and left those parts of the Persian Empire to the Conqueror But in Maurenahar Sultan Hamed his sonne succeeded 28. yeeres and after him his nephew Babor the last of Tumberlans bloud there raigning Ichaybekan comming from Vsbek Anno 1500. and dispossessing him Yet did Babor possesse Gaznehen and some part of India till his death 1532. where his sonne Homayon succeeded him and to him his sonne Geluladin Akbar commonly called Melabdim Echbar the Great Mogol Father of him which now raigneth of whom in the next booke Yadigar that slew Abusayd was also of Tamerlans race the sonne of Mahamed sonne of Baysangor sonne of Mirzah Charok He by Acembecs helpe chased Ocem another of Tamerlans posterity by Hamar Cheque his third sonne King in Katason and Strabat out of those parts into Faryab and Mayman neere Balk whence hee suddenly returning with a small force by aduantage of Yadigar or Hiadigar his negligence slew him and recouered his Realme He dyed Anno 1506. Two of his sonnes succeeded him Bahady and Musafar whom Chaybec Vsbek chased out of their Kingdome Bahady fled to Ismael Sophy who gaue him the lands of Chambe Gazon in Tauris and tenne Scrafs of gold by the day thence he was
Moores traded there and still enioy many possessions These marry one Wife and their Children inherit and they may touch the Nayro's The Cagianem are a Sect of the Nayros hauing a Law and Idols by themselues which they may neuer alter They make Tiles to couer the Temples and the Kings Palace The Nayro's may be with their women but must wash themselues before they goe home Another Sect is called Manantamar which are Landerers nor may they or their Posteritie be of other function nor may they mingle themselues with any other Generation They haue Idol ceremonies and Temples by themselues The Nayros may vse their Wiues or Women rather Their Brethren or Nephewes are their Heires The Calton are Weauers and haue a distinct Idolatrous Sect otherwise are as the former Besides these of better condition there are of baser sort eleuen Sects which may not marrie nor meddle with others The first of these are called Tiberi Husbandmen the second Moger and are Mariners both hauing their proper Superstitions and vse their women in common the third are Astrologers whom they call Canius Great men aske their counsell but may not touch their persons The Aggeri are Masons and Workers in Metals The Muchoa or Machoe are Fishers dwelling in Villages by themselues the men Theeues the women Harlots with whom they please The Betua are Salt-makers the Paerun are Iugglers Inchanters and Physicians if such damnable Deuillish practices may deserue so honourable Name which when any are sicke and require their helpe vse Coniuration to cause the Deuill to enter into some of them and then by his suggestion declare the euent of the Disease and what Sacrifices or other things are to be performed They may not touch or bee touched of other men The Reuolat are a baser sort of Gentiles which carry wood into the Citie to sell and herbs The Puler are as excommunicate persons and liue in Desarts where the Nayros haue no occasion to passe and when they goe neere any of these Nayros or any of the better sort they cry as lowd as they can as the Lepers among the Iewes that others may auoid them For if any touch them their Kindred may for such action or passion stay them and as many of these Puler also as may make satisfaction for such disparagement Some nights they wil go of purpose seeking to touch some of the Nayro women with hand sticke or hurling of a stone which if they effect there is no remedie for the woman but to get her forth and liue with these Villaines or to be sold to escape killing by the hands of her Kindred These Puler are Theeues and Sorcerers The Pareas are of worse esteeme and liue in Desarts without commerce of any reputed worse then the Deuill These ten sorts or eleuen if you reckon two sorts of the Tiberi as our Author doth whereof one are Warriors distinguished by a certaine cudgell which they must carry in their hands from the Nayros are as well differing in Religions matters of common life though for their seuerall Rites it were wrong to the Reader at large to recite them if we had the particulars to deliuer But this is common in India that each Trade and Tribe distinguish a new Sect There are besides these Gentiles Naturall of Malabar many strangers of Indians Moores and Christians But in other Kingdomes of Malabar the Heathenish Religion is little differing from that in Calicut Cranganor is a small Kingdome the Inhabitants of the Citie which giueth name to the Region are Christians of Saint Thomas profession about seuentie thousand in number Cochin is now growne great by the Portugals traffique and friendship Of the rest there is not much worth the recitall The Papall honour among the Bramenes was by ordination of Perimal which placed there the Supremacie of the Bramens because He to whom he gaue Coulam was a greater Man then the rest This Papall title was Cobritin a dignity which the King of Cochin still retayneth to be supreme Head of the Bramenes For the ancient Kings of Coulan remooued their seate to Cochin which was then in their Territories But Warres haue since much altered the face of things in those parts In these parts are now many Christian Proselites of the Iesuites Conuersion besides many of the olde Thomas Christians Both Men and Women in Cochin account it a great Gallantry to haue wide Eares which therefore they stretch by Art hanging Waights on them till they reach to their shoulders Porca is a Kingdome Southwards from Cochin but little we can say of it In Trauancor betweene Coulan and the Cape were many Christians if they may be so called which want Sacraments For in fifty yeeres together they had not seene a Priest only they had the priuiledges and name of Thomaean-Christians These Thomaeans are now as the Iesuites report reduced to their Catholicisme The King of Trauancors Dominion stretcheth beyond the Cape Comori where Malabar endeth on the East-side fourescore and ten miles as farre as Cael which diuers great Lords hold vnder him Among the rest is the Signiory of Quilacare In the City of Quilacare is an Idoll of high account to which they solemnize a Feast euery twelfth yeere where the Gentiles resort as the Popish Christians in the Romish Iubilee The Temple sacred to this Idoll hath exceeding great reuenue The King for so he is called at this Feast erecteth a Scaffold couered with silke and hauing washed himselfe with great solemnity he prayeth before this Idoll and then ascendeth the Scaffold and there in presence of all the people cutteth off his Nose and after that his Eares Lips and other parts which he casts towards the Idoll and at last he cutteth his throate making a butcherly sacrifice of himselfe to his Idoll He that is to be his Successor must be present hereat for he must vndergoe the same Martyrdome when his twelue yeeres Iubilee is come Along this Coast dwell the Paraui simple people and Christians which liue by fishing of Pearles The Nayros make such holes in their Eares that Caesar Fredericke sayth hee thrust his arme vp to the shoulders in one of them They are prodigal of their liues in the honour of their King Osorius telleth of some which like the renowmed Decij had vowed themselues to death and not to returne from the enemy without victory Aloisius Goueanus numbreth in the Sea Coast of Coulam three and twenty townes of which nineteene had Christian Churches The Malabars are generally of one Language and one kind of writing This their writing was in leaues of Palme which they call Olla two fingers broad and long as the matter they intended written on both sides with a stile of Iron which they binde vp in Bookes betweene two boords in greater or lesser forme as they please Their writing is from the left hand to the right They reckoned their times before the Portugals came into the Indies from the departure of
Almohades and had by him the Alcoran This Abdelmon or Abdel Mumen was he writeth the sonne of a Potter to whom Auentumerth a great Astronomer foretold his Royaltie To this Auentumerth did one Almehadi ioyne himselfe who interpreted the Alcoran contrary to the Bagdat Catholocisme and the interpretations of the Almoranides which then ruled in Africa whose helpe Abdel vsed to obtaine the Kingdome both of Africa and Spaine Hee buried Almohadi being dead very Royally not farre from Marocco where he is had in great veneration and prayers made to him and the followers of his sect called of him Almohadis To Abdel Mumen succeeded his Sonne Auen Iacob who being slaine in Portugall his Brother Aveniuseph succeeded and then his Sonne this Auen Mahomath with whom he saith were slaine two hundred thousand Moores the carkasses lying so thicke that they could scarce ride ouer them and yet in all the field no signe of bloud to be seene For two dayes space the Spanish Armie burne no wood for any vse but the Arrowes Launces and Pikes of the Moores burning of purpose and not onely for necessitie and yet scarcely consumed halfe With him perished the Almohades Thus farre Rodericus an eye-witnesse not much differing from Leo. I cannot omit that which Mathew Paris hath written of Iohn King of England about these times and in his owne dayes He sent saith he Thomas Herdinton and Radulph Fitz Nicolas Knights and Robert of London Clarke to Admirall Murmelius King of Marocco Africa and Spaine whom they commonly call Miramumelius to make offer vnto him of his Vassalage and that he would not onely hold the Land of him with payment of Tribute but would also change his Religion and accept the Mahumetan The Embassadours hauing declared their message the King or Emire Elmumenin to call him rightly shut vp the Booke whereon they found him reading and after a little deliberation thus answered I was now reading a Greeke Booke of a certaine wise man and a Christian called Paul whose wordes and deeds well please me this onely I like not that hee forsooke the Religion wherein he was borne and vnconstantly embraced another and the same I say of your Master God Almightie knowes that if I were without the Law and now to chuse This aboue all other should be my choise And then by diuers questions enforming himselfe better of the state of the Kingdome and of the King he grew into great passion and indignation against the King protesting that he thought him vnworthy to bee his Confederate and commanded the Embassadours neuer more to see his face The Author heard Robert of London one of those which were sent relate these things HONDIVS his Map of the Kingdome of Marocco MAROCCHI REGNUM §. II. Of the Kings of the Seriffian Familie ABout the yeere 1508 began to grow in name through Numidia a certaine Alsaique borne in Tigumedet in the Prouince of Dara beeing a subtill man and no lesse ambitious in minde then learned in those Sciences whereunto the Mahumetanes are most addicted Hee by confidence of his blood descended of their Prophet and of the diuisions of the States of Africa and the exploits there dayly atchieued by the Portugals attempted to make himselfe Lord of Mauritania Tingitana For this cause hee sent his three Sonnes Abdel Abnet and Mahomet to visit the Sepulchre of Mahomet Much was the reuerence and reputation of holinesse which they hereby acquired amongst that superstitious people which now beheld them as Saints and kissed their garments as most holy Reliques These failed not in their parts of the play to act as much deuotion as high contemplatiue lookes deepe fetched sighes and other passionate interiections of holinesse could expresse Ala Ala was their yernfull note their food was the peoples almes The old Father ioyning to see his proiects thus farre proceed and minding to strike whiles the Iron was hote sent two of them to Fez Amet and Mahumet where one of them was made Reader in the Amodonaccia the most famous Colledge of Fez and the younger was made Tutor to the Kings young sonnes Aduanced thus in fauour of the King and People by their Fathers aduice they apprehended the present occasion of the harmes sustained by the Arabians and Moores vnder the Portugals Ensignes they demanded Licence of the King to display a Banner against the Christians putting him in hope easily to draw those Moores to him and so to secure the Prouinces of Marocco In vaine were Mulley Nazer the Kings brother his allegations not to arme this Name of Sanctitie which being once victorious might grow insolent and forget dutie in minding a Kingdome They obtaine their desires and with a Drum and Banner with Letters of commendations to the Arabians and people of Barbary they are so attended with forces and fortunes that Ducala and all as farre as Cape de Guer stoopes to their command the people willingly yeelding their Tenths to this Holy warre against the Portugals enemies of their Faith Hereunto was added the ouerthrow which they gaue to Lopes Barriga a famous Portugall Captaine the brightnesse of that sun-shine being somewhat eclipsed with the losse of their elder brother if rather a Monarchie were not hereby furthered By faire words they entered into Marocco The Arabians of Ducala and Xarquia about this time trying their quarrels by dint of Sword in mutuall conflicts presented a fit occasion to the Seriffs to prey vpon them both their strength hauing made them weake and their weaknesse making the other strong And now did they begin to vsurpe soueraigntie presenting their Fessan King with sixe Horses and sixe Camels and those but simple whom before they had acknowledged their Soueraigne with payment of the fifths of their spoile The King of Fez before applauding his owne victories in theirs began now to distaste and to distrust hee sends to them to demand his fifths and the tribute also formerly paide him by the Kings of Marocco Death the common enemie of Mankinde here interposed her selfe on the Seriffian part and tooke the King of Fez out of the world the Scepter descending to his Sonne Amet the Scholler of the young Seriff who not onely proceeded not in his Fathers demands but confirmed Amet in the Signiorie of Marocco so that in some small matters hee would acknowledge the soueraigntie of Fez But now the Seriffs whose hearts continually encreased with their fortunes sent him word that being lawfull successours to Mahomet they owed no man tribute and had more right in Africa then he if hee would respect them as his friends and Allies so it were if otherwise they which had power to offend the Christian should not bee destitute in defending themselues The sword the vnequalle starbiter of equitie is now made vmpire the Fessan proclaimeth warres besiegeth Marocco is dislodged and in his returne vanquished Thus haue the Seriffs acquited themselues of that yoake and now intend new conquests on the other side of Atlas and in Numidia and in
friendship or subiection this Alebech with Turkish Gallies infested these Seas and made diuers of the Portugall vassals to wauer in their fidelitie being of the Saracenicall faith or religion wherevpon the Vice-roy sent forth a Nauie vnder the command of Thomas aforesaid his brother which arriued first at Braua and thence passed alongst the shore to Ampaza still continuing almost desolate thence to Lamus by the helpe of the tyde passing vp the Riuer full of dangerous sholds thence they came to Melinde and after that to Mombaza This is a small Iland of a league circuit the Citie then compassed with a wall The Mahumetans bad built a Castle on the Riuer which entreth the Citie which was taken by the Portugals and soone after fiue Gallies which Alibech the Turke had there at that time not without rich spoile Here the Turkes and the Mombazan Inhabitants were now in a double distresse by the Portugall forces from the Sea and a more terrible enemie from the Land These were the Imbij impious and barbarous monsters bred not farre from the Cape of Good Hope tall square and strong men addicted alwayes to warre and rapine and feeding on the flesh both of their captiued enemies and of their owne people in time of sicknesse hastening their death for the shambles The skulls of men serue them for drinking pots Their weapons are poysoned arrowes and poles burned at the ends their shields are little of wood couered with a skin They are supposed destitute of Religion giuen to Incantations and Sorceries and adoring their King with diuine honor thinking him to be Lord of the whole Land and the Portugals of the Sea Such is his arrogance that hee threatneth the destruction of all men yea shootes his arrowes against the heauens if wet or heate offend him Some 80000. followed him in his warres destroying Townes Cities and Beasts together with the Men in his march driuing many troopes of beasts before him so to breake the assault of the enemie and hauing fire carried before him as menacing to boyle or rost and eate all such as he shall take It seemes that they are either the same or of like condition to the Gallae which intest the Abassines and the Iagges in other parts of Africk which also by a neere name call themselues Imbangolas compounded of Imbij and Gallae a terrible rod of Gods anger whereby he plagues and whips the barbarous Africans with the worst of African barbarians These Imbians had at this time approched to Mombaza and the Turks with their Gallies did their best to hinder their entrance the water encompassing quenching the violence of that fire which the Imbian beares before him wherewith he had now burned a great wood In this warre were the Mombazans and Turkes entangled when the Portugals fleet came vpon them those that escaped by flight the Portugals furie falling into the bellies of the Imbians which caused many to yeeld themselues voluntarily to the Portugall as seeming the lesse of two euils Many Turkes were slaine others captiued Christian Gally-slaues freed three and twentie greater and as many smaller peeces of Ordnance taken the Citie narrow built that scarcely two could goe together in the streets the houses of bricke built high but with small lights both to defend them against the Sunne fired the walls and Moschees razed and the Nauie being readie to depart they were haled by some Turkes on shore and earnestly desired to admit them into their ships as slaues and captiues Alebech himselfe being one with thirtie others besides two hundred Mombazans hauing scarcely escaped the deuouring mawes of the Imbians which had euen then buried the King and the chiefe Magistrate of Mombaza in their bowels and taken innumerable captiues destined to the like Caniball disaster The King of Lamus called Panebaxira the Portugals imprisoned and executed for betraying some of theirs to the Turkes and conuented the neighbouring kings of Sian Patus Ampaza before them they razed Mondra and after other things set in order returned to Goa They which haue desire to acquaint themselues with what Antiquitie hath deliuered of these parts may resort to Arrianus his Periplus of the Erythraean Sea and the labours of Stuckius and Ortelius For vs to name you the Townes of ancient Trading as Aualites Malao Mundi Mosyllum Apocopon Opone Rhapta which hee reckons on the African shore with other Riuers and Promontories would not much further vs in this our Pilgrimage-Mart of Religions §. III. Of Quiloa Sofala and Ophir QViloa stands nine degrees to the South of the Line the name of a City and Iland which is a Kingdome of the Moores and extendeth her Dominion farre in the Coast It was built as Marmolius affirmeth about the foure hundreth yeere of the Hirara so he nameth it by one Ali Sonne of Sultan Hoscen who not agreeing with his other brethren by reason their Mothers were Persian and his an Abissine sought new Aduentures in these parts and bought this Iland the History of whom and of his Successours you may find in that Author The King grew mighty by the Trade of Sofala but it was made tributary to Portugall by Vascui Gamma Anno 1500. In the yeere 1505. the Portugals for denyall of that Tribute depriued Abraham the Arabian King of his Scepter and built a Fort there which the Moores soone after destroyed together with the new King made by the Portugals The people are whitish their women comely rich in attire their houses faire built and richly furnished Betweene Coaua and Cuama two Riuers which spring out of the same Lake with Nilus are the Kingdomes of Mombaza Mozimba Macuas Embeoe and against them the Promontory Prassum Heere is Mosambique by which name is signified a Kingdome in the Continent and an Iland also with a safe Harbour which with two other Ilands are in the mouth of the Riuer Moghincats in fifteene degrees South Mosambique is inhabited by Portugals which haue there a strong Castle here the Portugals Shippes winter In this Iland are Sheepe with tayles of fiue and twenty pound weight a beast common in Africa Hens blacke both in feathers flesh and bone and sodden looke like Inke yet sweeter then other in taste Porke very good but for the deare sawce There are some Mahumetans as they were all before the Portugals arriuall there They haue trade in the Continent in Sena Macurua Sofala Cuama a people for the most part differing in speech and behauiour each Village fighting with her Neighbour captiuing them and some as at Macurua eate them Their chiefest liuing is by hunting and by flesh of Elephants In euery Village is a new King The Captaine of Mosambique in his three yeeres gouernment maketh three hundred thousand Duckets gaine especially by Gold from Sofala Vp further within Land the people goe almost naked and were so simple when first the Portugals traded thither that Ludouico Barthema or Vertomannus for his Shirt and another for a Razor and
grow long they are tall nimble comely §. II. Of their Customes Manners and Superstitions THey warre alway one Country vpon another and kill all the men they can take the women and children they bring vp they cut off the haire of the head together with the skin and dry it to reserue the same as a monument of their valour After their returne from the warres if they be victorious they make a solemne Feast which lasteth three dayes with Dances and Songs to the honour of the Sunne For the Sunne and Moone are their Deities Their Priests are Magicians also and Physicians with them They haue many Hermaphrodites which are put to great drudgerie and made to beare all their carriages In necessitie they will eate coales and put sand in their Pottage Three moneths in the yeere they forsake their houses and liue in the Woods against this time they haue made their prouision of victuall drying the same in the smoke They meete in consultation euery morning in a great common house whither the King resorteth and his Senators which after salutation sit downe in a round They consult with the Iawas or Priest And after this they drinke Cassine which is very hote made of the leaues of a certaine Tree which none may taste that hath not before made his valour euident in the Warres It sets them in a sweat and taketh away hunger and thirst foure and twentie houres after When a King dyeth they bury him very solemnely and vpon his graue they set the Cup wherein he was wont to drinke and round about the graue they sticke many Arrowes weeping and fasting three dayes together without ceasing All the Kings which were his friends make the like mourning and in token of their loue cut off halfe their haire which they otherwise weare long knit vp behind both men and women During the space of sixe Moones so they reckon their moneths there are certaine women appointed which bewayle his death crying with a loud voyce thrice a day at morning noone and euening All the goods of this King are put into his house which afterwards they set on fire The like is done with the Goods of the Priests who are buried in their Houses and then both House and Goods burned The women that haue lost their Husbands in the Warres present themselues before the King sitting on their heeles with great lamentations suing for reuenge and they with other Widowes spend some dayes in mourning at their husbands graues and carry thither the Cup wherein he had wont to drinke they cut also their haire neere the eares strewing the same in the Sepulchre There they cast also their weapons They may not marry againe till their haire be growne that it may couer their shoulders When any is sicke they lay him flat on a forme and with a sharpe shell rasing off the skin of his forehead sucke out the bloud with their mouthes spitting it out into some Vessell The women that giue sucke or are great with child come to drinke the same especially if it be of a lusty young man that their milke may be bettered and the child thereby nourished may be stronger Ribault at his first being there had fixed a certaine Pillar of stone engrauen with the Armes of France on a Hill in an Iland which Laudonniere at his comming found the Floridians worshipping as their Idoll with kisses kneeling and other Deuotions Before the same lay diuers Offerings of fruits of the Country Roots which they vsed eyther for food or Physicke vessels full of sweet Oyles with Bowes and Arrowes It was girt about with Garlands of Flowres and boughes of the best trees from the top to the bottome King Athore himselfe performed the same honour to this Pillar that hee receiued of his Subiects The King Athore was a goodly personage higher by a foot and halfe then any of the French representing a kind of Maiestie and grauitie in his demeanure He had married his owne Mother and had by her diuers Children of both sexes but after she was espoused to him his Father Satourioua did not touch her This Satourioua when he went to warre in the presence of the French vsed these Ceremonies The Kings his coadiutors sitting around hee placed himselfe in the midst at his right hand had a fire and at his left two vessels full of water Then did hee expresse indignation and anger in his lookes gesture hollow murmurings and loud cryes answered with the like from his Souldiers and taking a woodden dish turned himselfe to the Sunne as thence desiring victorie and that as he now shed the water in the dish so he might shed the bloud of his Enemies Hurling therefore the water with great violence into the Ayre and therewith besprinkling his Souldiers he said Doe you thus with the bloud of our Enemies and powring the water which was in the other vessell on the fire So saith hee may you extinguish your foes and bring backe the skins of their heads Outina or Vtina another King was an Enemie to this Satourioua he in his expedition which hee made against his Enemies wherein he was assisted by the French consulted with this Magician about his successe He espying a Frenchmans Target demandeth the same and in the mids of the Armie placeth it on the ground drawing a circle fiue foote ouer about it adding also certaine notes and characters then did he set himselfe vpon the Target sitting vpon his heeles mumbling I know not what with variety of gestures about the space of a quarter of an houre after which he appeared so transformed into deformed shapes that he looked not like a man wreathed his limbes his bones cracking with other actions seeming supernaturall At last he returnes himselfe as it were weary and astonished and comming out of the Circle saluted the King and told him the number of their Enemies and place of their encamping which they found very true This King was called Helata Outina which signifieth a King of Kings and yet had but a few hundreths of men in his Armie which he conducted in their rankes himselfe going alone in the mids They dry the armes and legges and crownes of their Enemies which they haue slaine to make solemne triumph at their returne which they doe fastning them on Poles pitched in the ground the men and women sitting round about and the Magician with an Image in his hand mumbling curses against the Enemie ouer-against him are three men kneeling one of which beateth a stone with a club and answereth the Magician at euery of his imprecations the other two sing and make a noyse with certaine Rattles They sow or set their Corne rather as in Virginia and haue two Seed-times and two Haruests which they bring into a publike Barne or common Store-house as they doe the rest of their victuals none fearing to be beguiled of his Neighbour Thus doe these Barbarians enioy that content attended with sobrietie and simplicitie which
wee haue banished together out of our Coasts euery one distrusting or defrauding others whiles eyther by miserable keeping or luxurious spending he which is bad to all is worst to himselfe To this Barne they bring at a certaine time of the yeere all the Venison Fish and Crocodiles dryed before in the smoke for the better preseruation which they meddle not with til need forceth them and then they signifie the same to each other The King may take thereof as much as he will This prouision is sent in baskets on the shoulders of their Hermaphrodites which weare long haire and are their Porters for all burthens They hunt Harts after a strange manner for they will put on a Harts skinne with the legges and head on so that the same shall serue them to stalke with and they will looke thorow the eye and the holes of the Hide as if it were a Vizor thereby deceiuing their Game which they shoot and kill especially at the places where they come to drinke Their Crocodiles they take in a strange manner They are so plagued with these beast that they keepe continuall watch and ward against them as other-where against their Enemies For this purpose they haue a watch-house by the Riuers side and when hunger driues the beast on shore for his prey the Watchmen call to men appointed they come tenne or twelue of them bearing a beame or tree the smaller end whereof they thrust into the mouth of the Crocodile comming vpon them gaping for his prey which being sharpe and rough cannot be got out and therewith they ouer-turne him and then being laid on his backe easily kill him The flesh tasteth like Veale and would be sauoury meate if it did not sauour so much of a Muskie sent Their sobrietie lengtheneth their liues in such sort that one of their Kings told me saith Morgues that he was three hundred yeeres old and his Father which there he shewed me aliue was fiftie yeeres elder then himselfe when I saw him mee thought I saw nothing but bones couered with skinne His sinewes veines and arteries sayth Laudonniere in description of the same man his bones and other parts appeared so cleerely thorow his skinne that a man might easily tell them and discerne the one from the other He could not see nor yet speake without great paine Monsieur de Ottigni demanding of their age the younger of these two called a company of Indians and striking twice on his thigh laid his hands on two of them hee shewed that they were his Sonnes and striking on their thighes he shewed others which were their Sonnes and so continued till the fift generation And yet it was told them that the eldest of them both might by the course of Nature liue thirtie or fortie yeeres more They haue a diuellish custome to offer the first-borne male-children to the King for a sacrifice The day of this dismall Rite being notified to the King he goeth to the place appointed and sits downe Before him is a blocke two foot high and as much thicke before which the mother of the child sitting on her heeles and couering her face with her hands deploreth the death of her sonne One of her friends offereth the child to the King and then the women which accompanied the mother place themselues in a Ring dancing and singing and shee that brought the child stands in the mids of them with the child in her hands singing somewhat in the Kings commendation Sixe Indians stand apart and with them the Priest with a Club wherewith after these ceremonies he killeth the child on that blocke which was once done in our presence Another religious Rite they obserue about the end of Februarie they take the hide of the greatest Hart they can get the hornes being on and fill the same with the best hearbs which grow amongst them hanging about the hornes necke and bodie as it were Garlands of their choisest fruits Hauing thus sowed and trimmed it they bring the same with songs and pipes and set it on a high tree with the head turned toward the East with prayers to the Sunne that hee would cause the same good things to grow againe in their land The King and his Magician stand neerest the tree and begin all the people following with their Responds This done they goe their wayes leauing it there till the next yeere and then renue the same ceremonie Ribault at his first comming had two of the Floridians aboord with him certaine dayes who when they offered them meat refused it giuing them to vnderstand that they were accustomed to wash their face and to stay till sun-set before they did eate which is a ceremonie common in all those parts They obserue a certaine Feast called Toya with great solemnitie The place where it is kept is a great circuit of ground swept and made neat by the women the day before and on the Feast day they which are appointed to celebrate this Feast come painted and trimmed with feathers and set themselues in order Three others in differing painting and gestures follow with Tabrets dancing and singing in a lamentable tune others answering them After that they haue sung danced and turned three times they fall to running like vnbrideled Horses through the midst of the thicke Woods the Indian Women continuing all the day in weeping and teares cutting the armes of the yong Girles with Muskle-shels with hurling the blood into the Ayre crying out three times He Toya Those that ranne through the Woods returne two dayes after and then dance in the midst of the place and cheere vp those which were not called to the Feast Their dances ended they deuoure the meat for they had not eate in three dayes before The Frenchmen learned of a boy that in this meane-while the Iawas had made inuocation to Toya and by Magicall Characters had made him come that he might speake with him and demand diuers strange things of him which for feare of the Iawas he durst not vtter To prouoke them vnto reuenge against their enemies they in their Feasts haue this custome There is a Dagger in the roome which one taketh and striketh therewith one that is thereunto appointed and then places the Dagger where he had it and anon renueth the stroke till the Indian falling downe the women Girles Boyes come about him and make great lamentation the men meane-while drinking Cassine but with such silence that not one word is heard afterwards they apply Mosse warmed to his side to heale him Thus doe they call to minde the death of their Ancestors slaine by their enemies especially when they haue inuaded and returne out of their enemies Countrey without the heads of any of them or without any Captiues §. III. Of the more In-land parts of Florida discouered by NVNEZ BVt let vs take view of the more Southerly and Westerly parts of Florida beyond the point Of Pamphilo Naruaes his vnfortunate Expedition
Pits with sharpe stakes set vp in them couered with stickes and earth these they made for the Spaniards but in a confused flight fell therein themselues Here the Spaniards built the Towne of Assumption which Herera saith hath foure hundred Spanish housholds and three thousand Mestizas The King of the Scherues attended with twelue thousand men met the Spaniards and gaue them friendly entertainment with dancing musick and feasting The women goe naked and paint themselues as artificially as any of our Painters could doe they weare Carpets of Cotton with the figures of Indian beasts The King asked the Spaniards What they sought who answered Siluer and Gold He then gaue them a siluer Crowne which hee said he had taken in the warres which hee had waged with the Amazones that dwelt two moneths iourney thence Of these Amazones the Indians told the same things that Orellana told of neere that Riuer which hath receiued name of this supposition The Spaniards with some of the Scherues for their Guides set forth for this Amazonian Discouery but were encountred by the way with hote waters in which they waded vp to the waste and so continued diuers dayes till they came to a Nation called Orthuesen who were then infected with a Pestilence caused by famine which famine the Grashoppers had effected two yeeres together eating vp all the fruits which nature or husbandry had prouided for their sustinance Thus these Martiall and Venerean warres of the Spaniards wanted food to hold out further toward the Amazons if there were any such people and that they were not as before I said the warre-like Wiues or haply some gallant Viragoes that by themselues would let the World see what women could doe but yet I cannot subscribe to the rest of their storie But I am wearie of leading you any further in this Discouerie of this great Riuer and the neere Inhabitants seeing little is obserued in our Authour of their Religions Some of these barbarous Nations he sayth hanged vp the hairie skin of their slaine Enemies in their Temples or Houses of deuotion this people is called Iepori To giue you a Catalogue of the names of the Indian Nations that inhabited these parts would be but tedious These Iournies of the Spaniards were to see what Gold and not what Gods the Indians had They passed vp through the Land into Peru Betweene Peru and these more Easterly parts are the Hils Andi or Andes which lift vp their snowie tops vnto the cloudes and reach vnto the Magellane Straits In them inhabit many fierce Nations bordering vpon the Nations of Brasill and Plata The Ciraguans the Viracans the Toui the Varai These last exercise their children vnto Armes betimes vnto them they commit their Captiues for triall of their bloudy forwardnesse and he which at one blow can kill a Captiue is of the greatest hopes and rewarded for his encouragement To this end they name their children Tygre Lion that their names might teach them the like beastly furie At the new full Moone they wound themselues with sharpe bones to inure themselues to things of war They weepe in the entertainment of a friend as the Brasilians doe In seuenteene degrees stands the Spanish Citie of Holy Crosse of the Mountaine The Riuer Vapai in those Valleyes riseth and falleth as Nilus doth There is a Brooke at Holy Crosse of a wonderfull nature it is but little aboue two yards broad and shallow withall not running aboue a league but is drunke vp of the thirstie sands Yet doth this Brooke prouide the Citie water and three sorts of good fish and that in great plenty from the end of February to the end of May. At other times there are few They vse diuers meanes of shauing their heads which they say they learned of one Paicume In the womens lying in the man keeps his bed as is said of the Brasilians More towards the East dwell the Itatini people which call themselues Garay that is Warriours and others Tapuis or Slaues The language of the Varrai is common to all these Nations with the Brasilians that as in the other World Latine Sclauon and Arabike so in that New World the Varay Cuscan and Mexican Language will generally serue a mans turne The Kingdome of Tucuma stretcheth two hundred leagues betweene Chili Brasill Holy Crosse and Paraguay The Spaniards haue therein fiue Colonies It is a plaine Country The Paraguay inhabit along the Riuer so called whereof they take name From Plata Southwards is the great Region of Chica washed on the South East and West by the Sea The Inhabitants are called Patagones §. II. Of Giants and other Nations neere the Straits THe Spaniards which with Magellane first discouered the Straits saw Giants on this Coast of which he carried away one with him to Sea where after for want of sufficient food he died Edward Cliffe that wrote Master Winters Voyage who first of all others returned out of the Straits by the same way homewards because he saw on this Coast men of common stature excepteth against that report of Giants as a Giant-like report exceeding the stature and measure of Truth But besides that some of our owne at another time measured the print of mens feete eighteene inches in the Sands Oliuer Noort in his World compassing Voyage had three of his men slaine by men of admirable stature with long haire not farre from Port Desire about seuen and forty degrees of Southerly latitude and after in the Magellane Straits discomfited a band of Sauages which neither would yeeld nor flee from their wiues and children which were in a Caue iust by till euery man was slaine Foure Boyes the Hollanders carried away one of which learning their Language told them of three Families or Tribes in those parts of ordinary stature and of a fourth which were Giants ten or eleuen foote high which warred vpon the former Sebalt de Weert being detayned fiue moneths in the Straits by foule weather sent his men to fish for their prouision which exceedingly failed them who there were suddenly assayled by seuen Canoas of Giants which they guessed to be so high as is mentioned who being put to flight by their Peeces fled to land and plucked vp Trees in their rude manner barricadoing and fortifying themselues against the further pursuite of the Hollanders who were no lesse glad that they were rid of such company These men both Giants and others went either wholly naked or so clothed as they seemed not to dread the cold which is yet there so violent that besides the Mountaintops alway couered with Snow their very Summer in the middest thereof freeth them not from Ice Yea at that time of the yeere those Hollanders encountred an Iland of Ice in the Sea which the cold Aire had there mounted and maintained in despight of Neptunes rage or the Sunnes volley of shot in his neerest approach The Trees in these parts and the men it seemeth are naturally fortified
put vpon him And when they had spent much reasoning about his ransome a Souldier named Soto of whom you haue heard in our History of Florida said vnto him Wilt thou giue vs this house full of Gold and Siluer thus high lifting vp his Sword and making a stroke vpon the wall Atabaliba answered that if they would giue him liberty to send into his Kingdome he would fulfill their demand Whereat the Spaniards much maruelling gaue him three monethes time but he had filled the house in two moneths and a halfe a matter scarce credible yet most true For I saith Lopez Vaz know aboue twenty men that were there at that time who all affirme that it was aboue ten Millions of Gold and Siluer That Spanish Captaine in Ramusius relateth that he promised to giue them so much Gold as should reach vp to that marke a span higher then a tall man could reach the Roome being fiue and twenty foote long and fifteene wide and the Gouernour asking how much Siluer he would giue he answered he would fill vp an inclosure which should be made there with Vessels of Plate for his ransome which was promised him This Captaine was appointed Guardian of that Golden roome and saw it melted and reckoneth vp the parcels and particulars that were brought in Vessels and Plates of Gold and Siluer And the Gouernour sent to the Emperor his fift part parted the rest to euery Footman 4800. pieces of Gold which make 7208. Duckets to euery Horseman twice as much besides the aduantages that belonged to any To Almagros company which were 150. that came after the victory hee gaue 25000. Pezos and gaue 2000. to the Inhabitants of Saint Michel Many other gifts hee gaue to Merchants and others and yet after the Gouernour was gone there was brought more Gold then that which had beene shared This also is affirmed by Xeres that ten or twelue dayes after Pizarro was gone the Spaniards which had beene sent to Cusco brought as much Gold which was taken from the wals of a House and Roofe of a Temple in Cusco being Plates of ten or twelue pound weight a piece and other like as amounted to two Millions and a halfe and being molten proued on Million 326539. Pezos of fine Gold and 51610. Markes of Siluer He addeth that Atabaliba was by sound of Trumpet freed from his promise but was kept still vnder guard for the Spaniards securitie Howbeit they killed him notwithstanding and in a night strangled him But God the righteous Iudge seeing this villanous act suffered none of those Spaniards to die by the course of Nature but brought them to euill and shamefull ends During the time of Atabalibas imprisonment his Captaines had taken his Brother Guascar who spake with Captaine Soto and promised that if they would restore him to his liberty and to his Kingdome he would fill vp the roome at Caximalca to the Roofe which was thrice as much as Atabaliba had promised and added that his Father Guaynacapa on his death-bed had commanded him to be friend to the white and bearded men which should come and rule in those parts Atabaliba hearing of these things fained himselfe sorrowfull for the death of Guascar whom he had heard that Quisquiz his Captaine had slaine this hee did to try how the Spaniards would take his death which when hee saw they little respected hee sent and caused him to bee slaine indeed This was done in the yeere of our Lord God 1533. He had before slaine another of his Brethren and drunke in his Skull as hee had sworne to deale with Atabaliba The Indians hereupon hid the Treasures of Gold Siluer and Gemmes that were in Cusco and other places and had belonged to Guaynacapa which were far more then euer came to the Spaniards hands Chilicuchima one of Atabalibas chiefe Captaines which visited him in his imprisonment with great reuerence for hee and the chiefe of his company laid burdens on their shoulders and so entred into his presence lifting vp both his hands to the Sunne with thankes to him for this sight of his Lord and then with much crouching kissed his hands and feet told the Spaniards that Quisquiz another chiefe Captaine had conueyed away those Treasures of Guaynacapa or Cusco the elder as hee cals him and being forced by torments of fire put to him confessed where Atabaliba had a Tent full of Plate and Treasure The Spanish Captaine which reports this saith that he saw a great house full of Vessels of Gold and other pieces as a Shepherd and his Sheepe all of Gold as great as the liuing which were not shared amongst them and he saw 10080. Pezos of the Emperours fifth part ouer and aboue that which Pizarro sent by his Brother so that both Caesar and Souldier were deceiued He heard Atabaliba say that in an Iland in a Riuer of Collas was a very great House all couered with Gold and the beames with all whatsoeuer in the house was couered with plates of Gold yea and the pauement also But in such a diuided State where were so many Indian Captaines of the Two Brethren Inguas the Spaniards being but a handfull and iealous of each other the Countrey being so wide and rich that they could not so much as see and take view of the same in short space there was easie opportunitie offered to conuey away the greatest part of their Treasures especially Religion adding a helping hand both to conuey and to conceale from them which thus spoyled their Temples Idols and Altars The Spaniards so abounded with Gold that they would giue 1300. one gaue 1500. Castilians or Pezos for a Horse 60. for a small Rondlet of Wine forty for a paire of shooes likewise a Sword and other things after the same rate and Debters sought out their Creditors with Indians laden with Gold from house to house to pay them They carried into Spaine one Vessell of Gold another of Siluer each sufficient wherein to boyle a Kow besides a huge Eagle and other like Images as an Idoll of Gold as bigge as a Childe of foure yeeres old Dâ—ums of Gold and at the conquest of Cusco Xeres tels of many Images of women of Gold and as great which they worshipped and diuers like of Siluer Sheepe also in like pourtrature of fine Gold all well wrought §. III. The Kings of Peru their originall proceedings and treasures THe quarrell betweene the two Brethren grew about their Inheritance Guascar succeeding his Father in the rest and Quito being assigned to Atabaliba who seizing on Tumebamba a rich Prouince prouoked his Brothers forces against him which tooke him prisoner But he escaping to Quito made the people beleeue that the Sun had turned him into a Serpent and so he escaped thorow a hole in the Prison and on conceit of this miracle drew them into armes against Guascar with which hee made such slaughter of his Enemies that to this day there are great
vnto his Treasury besides the resignation of many Precincts Townes Lands Villages and Royalties at lest as much more worth to dispose of though with great grudge to the discontented Nobles whose Houses were thereby made to serue his turne in all his designes Here hath hee raysed a new treasure without diminishing any part of his old being most prepared for England But neyther his Embassadour Andrew Sauen nor Master Authenie Ienkinson did so thorowly expresse his minde being darkely and cautelously made knowne to them or else Queene Elizabeth would not apprehend the message But this secrecy notwithstanding his eldest Sonne and Fauourites tooke knowledge of it which bred such iealousie in the Emperour that he was faine to dissemble his affection and couer his purpose therein with a new Marriage at home one Feodor Nagois daughter a Subiect of his owne by whom afterwards he had a third Sonne called Demetrius He spends now his time in pacifying his discontented Nobility and people kept two Armies on foot with small charge his Princes and Nobles going most on their owne charge the Gentlemen and Sinobarskeys hauing portions of Money Corne and Land certayne Reuenewes being put a part for that purpose besides Escheats Robberies and Customes payed them whether they goe to warre or no without diminution of his Crowne Reuenew or great standing Treasure The one Army consisted most of Tartars employed against the Pole and Sweden which sought to recouer Liuonia The other Army consisted commonly of 100000. Horse most his owne Subiects some few Poles Swedens Dutch and Scots employed against the Crimme which commonly doth not last aboue three moneths May Iune and Iuly euery yeere His Tartars notwithstanding King Stephins preuayling bring away many Captiues out of Liefland the fruitfullest Land in all the East flowing with Milke and Honey the fairest women and best conditioned people in the World to conuerse and commerce with but giuen much to Luxury Idlenesse and Pleasure for which sinnes they themselues say that God hath thus plagued and rooted them out and planted Strangers in their Countrey It was my fortune by speciall fauour to buy and redeeme diuers men women and children of these Captiues for small summes of money some being Merchants of good quality and got leaue to conuay some to Liefland againe some to England some to Hamborow and Lubeck Amongst them were taken some Dutch French Scots and English which had serued vnder Pontus a French Captain who were placed about the Suburbs of the Musco by my mediation had leaue to build a Church I contributed well thereto and got them a Learned Minister their Assembly were at least two thousand euery Sunday their Rites after the Lutherane fashion Of these eighty fiue were Scots Souldiers left of seuen hundred sent from Stockholme and three English in their company I got them well housed at Boluan neere the Mosco I appeased the Emperours fury against them causing to be told him the difference of these remote Aduenturers ready to serue any Christian Prince for pay and the Natiue Swedens and that they would be of good vse against the Crimme Tartar Some vse was after made of my aduice and 1200. of them did better seruice against the Tartar then 12000. Russes with their short Bowes and Arrowes The Tartars not knowing before the vse of Pistols were strucke dead off their Horses with shot they saw not and cryed away with those new Deuils that come with their thundring puffs of fire whereat the Emperor laughed and wished for more of them and they had Pensions and Lands allowed and married with the Liuonian women increased into Families I was glad hee tooke no notice of the English which might haue yeelded him an opportune quarrell to my selfe and to the Merchants goods in his Countrey worth 100000. Markes A little before hee had sold Master Thomas Glouer a chiefe Agent for the English Company a Wife borne of a Noble House in Poland Basmanaua taken Captiue with her Sister at Pollotzca for 10000. Hungarian Duckets in Gold and yet shortly after on displeasure tooke from him 16000. pounds more in Cloth Silkes and other merchandise and sent him with his Wife empty out of his Land The Emperour expecting some returne and answer of his Letters out of England the Queene addressed one Daniel Syluester there with who arriued at Saint Nicholas past vp to Colmogro and there making Clothes for his passing vp to the Emperour whiles the Taylor was putting on him his new Sute in the English house a Thunderbolt strooke him dead piercing downe his necke and coller in the inside of his new Coat not outwardly seene A flash of Lightning killed also his Boy and Dogge by him burnt his Deske Letters and the House at that instant at which newes the Emperour much perplexed said Gods will bee done But raging and in desperate case his Enemies besetting three parts of his Countrey the Pole and Sweden Eastward and Crimme Southward King Stephen threatning also shortly to visit the Mosco He made preparation but pretending that he could no way he furnished of Powder Salt-peeter Lead and Brimstone the Narue being shut but out of England hee sent for me and told me he had a message of honour weight and secresie to employ me in to the Queenes Maiesty Perceiuing that I had attayned the familiar knowledge of his Language the Polish and Dutch Tongues be questioned me of diuers things liked my answere asked if I had seene his great Vessels at Vologda I told him I had What Traytor hath shewed them you I ventured in company of thousands more I said to behold their beauty c. He said You shall see double the number ere long but much more to bee admired if you knew what inestimable treasure they are inwardly to be beautified with It is reported that your Queene my Sister hath the best Nauy of Ships in the World It is true said I and entred into a large discourse and description of them He gaue me charge to prepare my selfe and to be silent and secret and to attend euery day till he were prepared for my dispatch he commanded his Secretary to take in writing of me a description of the Queenes Nauy Royall to which I added the Picture of a Ship with all her glorious and Martiall accoultrements About this time the Emperour was much busied in searching out a Treason against him plotted by Bomelius and the Archbishop of Nouogrod with some others discouered by their Seruants on the Racke Letters sent in Cyphers three sundry wayes to Swethen and Poland The Bishop confessed all and Bomelius denyed all But being racked his backe and body cut with wyre whips he confessed more then the Examiners were willing the Emperour should know He sent word they should roast him being taken from the Pudkie and bound to a wooden Spit which being done till they thought no life left they brought him in a Sled thorow the Castle
great Dukes Feast * Pardon this prolixity in narration of a Feast I doe it partly for Q. Elizabeths sake to whole honour it was intended and partly to expresse the magnificence and customes of Lithuania little knowne to most Practise to poyson Sir Ier Horsey Demetrius slain and his Mother poysoned Boris is made Emperour Description of his person and qualities Boris his ruine He poysoneth himselfe The Counterfeit Demetrius raigneth He is slaine Suskoy is crowned and captiued by the Poles The Poles expelled by the Tartars * Sinus Gangeticus Zeloan or Zeilan Candy p Captaines Gouernour d Two shillings six pence sterling S. Thome See before in Balbie c. Palecat possessed by the Dutch Sir Adolfe Thomason Portugals weaknes within the Gulfe Musulipatnam or Musulipatan P. W. Floris See P. 1. l. 3. Climate and Seasons Hote and killing winds Peter Iacobson R. Stower Commodious Flouds All trees continually greene Fertilitie Golchonda described Glorious Palace The King a mahumetan Their Sects Kings title Wiues Concubines Three Decan Kings enemy to the Mogull Kings Reueue Indian Monarchie Miserable people Castles 66. * Captaines or Gouernors Castle described Intelligence by Torches * Mahumetan Churches Relgion of the Gentiles in those parts Ier 35. Their morality Their Tribes forty foure The Bramene Their writing Learning Superstition d Casta signifying a Tribe The Fangam The Committy The Campo Waro The Whoores Tribe x Moores circumcise their children Mechanikes Their Piriawes Their Idols Temples k Doulia Latria Feastiuals Tumblers Strange actiuitie Idoll-Procession Block-Saint Acts 17. Sea-feasts Other Saints Idol-Miracles * Water Suger and iuce of Limons mingled Deuil-Saint G. Ball T. Iones Vowes Bloudie Rites See the like before in Balby Houshold-gods Mariages Widowes Infants Trauell with little labour Apparell Colour Small wages Burning of wiues whence i The name of one of their Idols k Is an Officer amongst the Moores not much vnlike to the Sheriffs of London Diamonds how found The Authours iourney to the Myne Myne of Diamonds described d Or Tribe e A Vyse is three pound English weight Iron Steele Bezars how taken out of Goats Callicoes Painting and durable colours Indico See Finches Voyage Lib. 4. Their trafficke Voyage to Mocha and Mecca Bengala Bad people Crocodiles charmed Arrecan * Pegu Of the late miserable state thereof and former glory see l. 10. cap. 5 6 7 8. where other Countries of this Gulfe of Bengala and Goast of coromandel are related Zangomay or Iangoma Thomas Samuel an Englishman his Trade there and in Pegu Other English sent A Letter relating the King of Pegus entertainment to the English Peguan tyrannie Their vnfaithfulnesse and vnthriftie courses King of Pegus Letter Tannassery Syam Now in Holland Sowes fruitfull without Boxes Read M. Terries Relation of these things L . 9. c. Gen. 16 10 12. 17.20 1. Tim. 4.8 Gen. 17.27 Rom. 9.7 Gal. 4.25 Rom. 4.16 Gal. 4.28 29. Iohn 8.35.36 * Compare those Locusts Apoc. 9. with this Saracenical history which though it may be applied in part to Papists yet is literally more manifest in many things of these It was farre greater then the Roman Emâ—ire and their Religion still couereth more ground than the Christian in all professions Chalifa signifieth Vicar r Musleman or Muslim signifies a beleeuer se of that doctrine of Muhammed The name which al of that religion giue themselues Saracen and Moore c. which we giue them they know not p Misericordis miseraâ—oris gracious and mercifull their vsuall beginning of Prayers Bookes workes The Authors Preface Mahomet first Author of Islamisme that is the Mabumetan Faith praised by this author a Mahumetan t We say odious and iustly yet here and like cases follow the author The birth and genealogie of Mahomet u This M. Abugiafar was a Prince and learned Historian which died A H. 316. A.D. 922. Our of him principally is this history to that time gathered His education His vocation His doctrine * Magi were those which professed the Ethnike Religion vsed in Persia Christ blasphemed with hypocriticall honours His enemies His two wiues Aijsia Sewda The conuersion of Medina * The Hegira or flight of M. fell out on the 16. of Iuly A.D. 622. Fatima D. of Muh married to Ali his Vncles Sonne Au. H. 2. which began Iuly 5. 623. His slight skirmishes which after grew to great battels A.H. 3. which began Iune 24. A.D. 624. M. wounded A. H 4. which began Iune 13. 625. A.H. 5. Iune 2. 626. A.H. 6. which began May 23. A D. 627. Mahomets third wife M. his Coronation or installation A. H. May 11. 628. M. his Pulpit A.H. 8. April 30 629. Mecca taken A.H. 9. April 20 630. A.H. 10. which began April 9. A.D. 631. His pilgrimage A.H. 11. Mar. 28 A. Christi 632. False prophets Mahomets death His Secretaries and Officers of State This curiositie of Chronology he obserueth in the rest by vs omitted M. his respect to Christians * These Persian and Imperiall occurrents I translate also that the Reader may see how the Saracenicall Empire grew to so sudden a greatnes out of the ruines of these two Empires The Peâ—sians are said to haue preuayled in Syria Egypt One great cause of this Persian combustion Abubcer 2. hee first called himselfe Chalifa .i. Vicar or giuen of God Hee may bee called the Numa of the Saracens * Fugitiues were such as had fl d from Mecca first with M. and after from other places from which flight is their Heg. reckoned Other false Prophets A.H. 12 Ma. 18 A.C. 1633 p Irac is the name of the country where Bagdad Balsora stand extending on both sides of the bottom of the Persian Gulfe But to giue his names of countries iust interpretation is very difficult the Arabs giuing one name Tarâ—ars another and others others to the same countries which I therefore forbeare Hierac in Persia hath â—fsahon the chiefe city Stater were of diuers values some were drams a piece some betwixt some halfe that and the former some the tenth part of a dramme Alcoran first gathered together Al is the Article the coran signifieth collection of this act of Abubecr Mushaph signifies a Booke come from heauen or heauenly writing or the Scripture Coran signifies reading in publike or a collection of Surats Azoaras , some call them or chapters They hold it to excell all creatures which Christians or Iewes may not touch to sit on it were horrible or themselues to touch it vnwashed c. Omar the third Emperour or Chalifa Damascus taken A.H. 14. which began Feb. 25. A.C. 635. AH 15. Feb. 14. 636. By Romans he meaneth Subiects of the Roman Emperour which he calleth Infidels as his owne Mahumetans Muslims or right beleeuers n This seâ—meth the later Cosroes or that before of Herac is not fully true which he saith he tooke out of Christian stories The last Persian King ouercome A.H. 17. Ian. 23. A.C. 638. Egypt conquered Misra since enlarged and called
Teglath-Phalasar Iareb Sargon Salmanasar Senacherib Asar-haddon which were great and mighty not onely strong enough to defend themselues against the Medes but to inuade forren Nations yea did translate people from one Kingdome to another and seated the captiues of Israel in the Cities of the Medes and sent Babylonian Colonies to Samaria which they could not doe if they had not commanded both Assyria and Media with Babylonia Nabonassar rebelled as is said against Artycas and began the Chaldaean Dynastie from whom for this restitution of liberty the Chaldaeans began their Astronomicall computations hee raigned 14. yeeres Nassyus 2. Chinzerus and Porus 5. Dilulaus 5. Mardokempadus 12. He sent Ambassadors to Hezekiah Arkeanos 5. Interregnum 12. Belithus 3. Aporonadicus 6. Herigebalus 1. Nesnoemondacus 4. Interregnum 17. Iearaedin 13. Saosducinus 9. Kiniladacus 14. Nabopollasarus 29. In the seuenteenth yeere of his raigne hee sent his sonne Nabuchodonosor in Syria with an Armie Nabuchodonosor 30. Euilmerodach 6. Neregasolarus 5. Nabonidus 17. This was a Mede by linage not as some say King of the Medes sonne of Xerxes a Mede but borne at Babylon and by conspiracie raised to the kingdome not inuading Babylon with Cyrus but raigning in Babylon till Cyrus depriued him Megasthenes cals him a Mede and the Scripture Darius Medus Cyrus came against him in the nineteenth yeere of his raigne and eleuen yeeres before the seuenty of the Captiuity were ended in which space Cyrus had enough to doe to besiege and conquer Babylon and Borsippa where Darius was From the beginning of Nabonassar to the end of Cyrus are 217. yeeres From thence to the Asiatike Empire of the Macedonians 201. From thence to the rebellion of Arsaces the Parthian of whom the Parthian Kings were called Arsacidae 79. And the Dynastie of the Parthians continued 479. yeers the last of them Artabanus being slaine These Kings the times of their raignes are not easie to set downe and Onuphrius is therefore reproued of Scaliger for vndertaking this taske in which authority fayleth him Of them we shall speak in due place The second Persian Dynastie continued till the Mahumetans depriued them The first Artaxerxes raigned 12. yeers Sapores 31. Ormisdas 1. Wararanes 3. Wararanus 2. 17. Wararanet 3. foure moneths Narses 7. Ormisdas 7. Sabores was borne King and Raigned 70. yeeres Artaxerxes 4. Sabores 5. Wararanes 4. 11. Izdigerdes 21. Wararanes 5. 10. Isdigerdes 2. 17. Perozes 24. Obalas 4. Cabades 11. Zamaspes 4. Cabades againe 30. Cosroes Magnus 48. Ormizda 8. Casroes 39. Syroes 1. Adeser 7. Moneths Barasas 6. Moneths Baram 7. Monethr Ormizda Iezdogird 3. In all 402. The Saracens succeeded whose names and times you may see in our Saracenicall relation After the Saracens raigned the Tartars and since sometime one family sometime another among the Persians till Solyman dispossessed the Sophian of the Babylonian dominion vnder which Turkish seruitude it groneth till our daies I dare not take vpon me to be vmpire and decider of those many alterations among Chronologers but haue simply followed Scaliger whose very name is able to shield me from contempt if not to yeeld mee commendation Let others that haue more lust and leasure trauerse these matters at their pleasure my intent is most of all the Historie of Religions and the successions and alterations of States I haue lightly touched but precisely to determine in what yeere of the world euery King beganne his raigne and to dispute the same with all opiponets would bee somewhat tedious to the Reader to me perhaps in these varieties of opinions impossible Leauing therefore the more studious to the Chronologers let vs take a little reuiew of some principall occurrents in the former Catalogue Africanus begins the Assyrian Monarchie at Belus and not as the most with Ninus That Belus some thinke to bee the same with Nimrod whom Ninus as wee said before consecrated Semiramis is reported to bee the first that caused Eunuchs to bee made Ninias which succeeded left not like monuments of his great exploites as his Predecessors before him Buntingus thinkes him to bee that Amraphel King of Shinar mentioned Genes 14. and that Arioch King of Elasser was his sonne Howeuer it breedes much difficulty to reconcile the ancient Historie of the Babylonian and Assyrian great and long continued Empire with the Kingdomes and Kings in that Chapter by Moses mentioned Eupolemus as before is cited out of Eusebius saith that those Kings were Armenians Diodorus Tarsensis as Pererius affirmeth reckons them Persians Iosephus Assyrians Pererius himselfe thinkes them vassals and tributaries to the Assyrian Genebrard suspects the Historie of the Assyrian greatnesse and truely not altogether vniustly neyther doe wee reade in all the Historie of Mosce and Ioshua of any Kings in those parts for ought can be gathered yeelding subiection to Babylon And the Sodomite and his neighbours had beene the tributaries of Chedarlaomer King of Elam and not of Amraphel King of Shinar vnlesse we say that violent things are not permanent and the yoake imposed before by the Assyrians was now in Ninias dayes reiected Semiramis being weakened with her Indian expedition and Ninias by killing her giuing occasion or discontent to her followers the men of warre which might hereupon contemning this effeminate King who had suffered his mother to possesse the Scepter so long fall to sharing for themselues and erect petty Kingdomes Arius happily restored the Empyre thus decayed if it be true that Buntingus writeth that he was a great Warriour therefore called Arius and Mars and as the god of warre inuocated by che Assyrians When Teutamos raigned Diodor. lib. 3 testifieth that Priamus then besieged by Agamemnon as vassall and tributary to the Assyrians sent to him for ayde who sent to his succour Memnon with twenty thousand souldiers But to descend vnto times neerer both vs and the truth and to view the ruine of that great estate we reade in the same Author and in others that Arbaces whom Iustin calleth Arbactus Orosius Arbastus was by Sardanapalus made Captaine of the Armie which was yeerely sent to Nina or Niniue where a conspiracy was contracted betweene him and Belesus a Chaldaean Priest Captaine of the Babylonians who by his Chaldaean skill in diuination had foretold Arbaces this destined Empire and was promised for his share the Babylonian principality Thus the Medes Babylonians and Arabians enterprising rebellion assembled to the number of foure hundred thousand whom Sardanapalus ouerthrew in battel twice but being stil animated by Belesus predictions which said he the gods by the Stars fore-signified and by corrupting of the Bactrian Armie sent to succor the King adioyning themselues to the enemy they at the third battell ouerthrew the forces of Sardanapalus led by Salamenus his wiues brother The King fled into Niniue trusting to a prophesie That the Citie should neuer bee taken till the Riuer were enemie to it After two yeeres siege by extreme raines the Riuer
swelling ouerflowed part of the Citie and cast downe twenty furlongs of the walls Whereupon despayring as seeming to see GOD and man against him he which before had chambered himselfe with women and accustomed himselfe to the distaffe in a womans both heart and habite now in a manly resolution if it may not more fitly be called a Feminine Dissolution which thus runneth from that danger which it should encounter gathered his treasures together and erecting a frame in his Palace there burnt them himselfe his wiues and Eunuches together The Ashes vnder pretence of a Vow thereof made to Belus Belesus obtained of Arbaces the new Conquerour and Monarch to carry to Babylon But the coozenage being knowne and Belesus condemned for the treasures which with the ashes hee had conueyed Arbaces both gaue them and forgaue him adding the praefecture of the Babylonians according to promise Some say that Belesus whom they call Phul Beloch shared the Empire with him Arbaces raigning ouer the Medes and Persians the other ouer Niniue and Babylonia following herein the forged Metasthenes who as Annius maketh him to say out of the Susian Librarie penned his Historie hauing before fabled a Catalogue out of Berosus of the ancient Kings contrary to that which out of the fragments of the true Berosus before is deliuered Sardanapalus is written saith Scaliger in his Notes vpon Eusebius with a double ll Sardanapalus a name fitting to his effeminate life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie the same whence are those words of Cicero 3. De Repub. Sardanapalus ille vitijs multo quam nomine ipso deformior Sardanapalus built Tarsus and Anchiale saith Eusebius at the same time the one famous for the most famous Diuine that euer the Sunne saw except the Sunne of Righteousnesse himselfe PAVL the Apostle and Doctor of the Gentiles The other for the Authors Monument and stony Image with this Assyrian Epigramme Sardanapalus the sonne of Anacyndaraxis built Anchiale and Tarsus in one day and thou O stranger eate drinke play And Verses were annexed which I haue thus Englished Mortall thou knowst thy selfe then please thine appetite With present dainties Death can yeeld thee no delight Loe I am now but dust whilome a Prince of might What I did eate I haue and what my greedy mind Consum'd how much alas how sweet left I behind Learne this O man thus liue best wisdome thou canst find This his Legacie hee hath bequeathed to all Epicures the liuing Sepulchres of themselues breathing graues not of so many Creatures onely better than themselues which they deuour but of Reason Nature Religion Soule and if it were possible of GOD which all lie buried in these swine couered with the skins of Men. Let vs eate and drinke for to morrow we shall die Who knoweth whether Paul did not allude to this speech of the Founder of his Citie This subuersion of the Assyrian Empire was Anno Mundi 3145. after Buntingus account Of the Medes see more in their proper place The Babylonian Empire renewed by Nabonassar continued till Cyrus of which times we haue little record but in the Scripture as neyther of those Assyrian Kings which before had captiued Israel and inuaded Iuda Senacherib is famous euen in the Ethnike history although they had not the full truth For thus Harodotus telleth that Senacherib King of the Arabians Assyrians warred on Egypt where Sethon before Vulcans Priest then raigned who being forsaken of his Souldiers betooke him to his deuotion amiddest the which hee fell asleepe And the god appearing promised ayde which hee performed sending an Armie of Mice into the Armie of Senacherib which did eate his Souldiers quiuers and the leathers of their shields and armour insomuch that the very next day they all fled In witnesse whereof the Image of the King made of stone standeth in the Temple of Vulcan holding a Mouse in his hand vttering these words Hee that looketh on mee let him bee Religious This Historie the Aegyptians in vanity and ambition had thus peruerted and arrogated to themselues Funccius of Osiander made Nabopollasar and Nabuchodonosor to bee one and the same and diues Commenters vpon Daniel hold the same opinion whom Scaliger and Caluisius confute at large Nabopollasar is supposed to begin his raigne Anno Mundi 3325. which hee continued nine and twentie yeeres in his seuenteenth yeere Nebuchadnezzer so the Masorites misse-call him saith Scaliger or Nabuchodonosor his sonne was sent by him to subdue the rebellious Aegyptians Iewes and Palestinians at which time he carried away Daniel into captiuitie He beganne his raigne Anno Mundi 3354. and in the yeere 3360. destroyed Ierusalem In the yeere 3386. Euilmerodach his sonne succeeded him whom Neriglossoorus as Scaliger affirmeth slew thereby to aduance his owne sonne the Nephew of Nabuchodonosor called Laborosoarchadus to the Scepter which himselfe swaied as Protector in the minoritie of his sonne But he being dead and his sonne more fit for a chamber then a Throne Nabonidus conspired against him and slew him This Nabonidus sayth he is Darius Medus and Laborosoarchadus is that Baltasar mentioned by Daniel after Scaligers interpretation of the Prophet out of Berosus and Megasthenes It is a world to see how the Catholickes so they call themselues sweat in finding out that Nabuchodonosor mentioned in Iudith 1. Pintus would make it a common name to the Babylonian Kings as Pharao to the Egyptians Pererius will haue two of the name others will haue him to be Cyrus others Cambyses Artaxerxes Ochus Once Babel is a Mother of confusion to her children and makes them babble while they will Canonize Apocrypha-Scriptures Cyrus ended the Babylonian Monarchie and hauing wonne Babylon and taken Darius Medus at Borsippa he gaue him his life and the gouernment of Carmania An. Mund. 3409. As Nabuchodonosor had by Edict proclaimed the GOD of Daniel so Cyrus ended the captiuitie of his people giuing libertie to such as would to returne But many Iewes abode there still and thence sent their yeerely offerings to the Temple In the time of Artabanus the Parthian when Caligula tyrannized at Rome Asimaeus and Anilaeus brethren of the Iewish Nation grew mightie and haughtie withall forgetting GOD and themselues which caused the Babylonians to conspire against them and after the death of the brethren with thousands of their partakers and slew in Seleucia fiftie thousand of the Iewish Nation Neerda and Nibisis were then much peopled by the Iewes And thus Religion partly held the ancient course partly was mixed according to the custome of Conquests with the Persian Macedonian Parthian besides the Iewish and Syrian vntill the Apostles preached here the Christian veritie About the same time Helena and her sonne Izates King of Adiabena which is in these parts of Assyria became Iewish Proselytes Seleucia built by Seleucus as it were the marriage-Chamber of Euphrates and Tygris which there meete and mixe their waters Nature being